Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

The appearance of Duke Kablos caused great discomfort among the surrounding people.

It seemed I was the only one who knew why he was here.

The villagers under his management deliberately avoided looking at the Duke as they were led away by the imperial knights.

“Duke Kablos, what brings you here?”

Luka blocked the Duke’s steps, which were undoubtedly heading towards me, and asked.

“I was passing by on business and dropped in to see my daughter, but it seems something big has happened.”

After answering so perfunctorily, he spotted Senia receiving treatment for the scratches she got during the earlier chase.

Just as I was thinking how uncharacteristic the worry and relief briefly flashing in his blue eyes were, he said:

“It seems my daughter has been through a lot, so I’ll take her home now. I’ll see you at the Claire festival tomorrow.”

Duke Kablos greeted Luka and walked past him towards Senia.

“Father! Why are you here?”

The Duke smiled while stroking Senia’s hair.

“I was just passing by. I checked that it was time for the hunting festival to end and dropped in briefly.”

Watching this affectionate scene, I clenched my fist, shaking off the chill I had felt earlier.

‘There’s no way he was just passing by. Just like with Troy Orphanage, he came because his domain was invaded again.’

However, this time it was different from then, almost like a natural disaster.

The Nabel village just happened to be there when everything fell apart due to the demonic beasts’ appearance.

‘What was that chilling gaze he directed at me earlier?’

If I said it was like a predator eyeing its prey, would it be my imagination?

I haven’t done anything different from the original story yet. Then is it simply because I’m a child of Rayes, his rival?

Recalling how he constantly sent assassins and threatened Laveria, who had tried to poison Senia, it was best to avoid getting involved with Duke Kablos as much as possible.

I shouldn’t create situations that could lead to misunderstandings either.

I couldn’t let my guard down even until the moment he left, carrying Senia in his arms while drawing everyone’s attention.

Duke Kablos, preciously holding Senia, briefly observed the names of the announced winners as if engraving them in his eyes as he left.

[Arzenluka Blake de Greffin, Laveria Jenne Rayes ‘Joint Winners’.]

Then he turned his gaze to the bloodstains of demonic beasts scattered around and raised the corner of his mouth ominously.

It was then.

For a fleeting moment, the Duke accurately located where I was, swept his gaze over me as if appraising, and then turned to leave.

‘…’

I felt like this wasn’t the first time I had experienced this sensation.

An indescribable queasiness.

It was similar to when I faced Layola being controlled by sorcery in my dream.

Tak, dagadak- dagadak-

Even until the door of the snow-white carriage Duke Kablos had ridden closed and the sound of hoofbeats faded away, I couldn’t move a finger.

The tragic night I saw in my dream was all part of the original story. Even though it wasn’t something I had experienced directly…

‘Why is such a vivid fear implanted in me?’

Although this was my first time encountering Duke Kablos, it felt as if this wasn’t our first meeting.

“Ria, what are you thinking about so deeply?”

Startled by Rachel’s hand suddenly on my shoulder, I was able to break free from my thoughts.

As I smiled and said it was nothing, Rachel looked at me suspiciously before addressing Luka, who had approached us.

“It seems the situation has been sorted out, so is the hunting festival over now? It would be good for Ria to go back and rest quickly.”

The hunting festival literally referred to just this one day to determine the winner.

The main festival is tomorrow’s ‘Night of Victory’ hosted by the Claire Duchy, where the crown is awarded to the winner, but this time, due to the unusual events, it should have ended long ago, yet everyone was still unable to leave the hunting grounds.

Only when the chaotic scene gradually settled and people found stability could the hunting festival come to an end.

Red flags came down from the high bars signaling the closing, and the nobles boarded carriages returning to their respective mansions.

The sunset had begun to bloom, and I was about to return to the Rayes mansion following Drehan and Miller.

“Ria, just a moment.”

As I turned around at Luka’s voice, he embraced me. It was a warm embrace that felt like it would safely protect me from everything that had kept me on edge all day.

Luka had seemed like he had something to say to me for a while, but he hadn’t opened his mouth until now.

But now I heard his determined voice in my ear.

“Why do dangerous things like today keep happening around Ria… I can never be at ease.”

“…You’ve been worried all this time. But I’ve become strong enough to take care of myself now.”

“That’s right, Ria has really become strong. Still, there’s always that slight chance, so I wish you would put your own safety first.”

“But if I hadn’t stepped in earlier…”

“The villagers would have been in danger. But, the situation I saw earlier was so dangerous that…”

I met his deep crimson eyes that seemed to add, ‘You really could have died.’

“If you hadn’t manifested that sword energy earlier, Ria might not be in front of me now.”

Luka’s heart was beating so fast as he said this that I could feel it.

“I can’t forget that moment from earlier. How that moment, which others praised as marvelous, appeared to me as a disaster.”

“Luka…”

“You know I can’t live without you, Ria. So, I’ve been having trouble maintaining my composure since then.”

Luka said with a faint smile.

“I’m sorry, Ria. For being such a weak person… I’m so weak that I can’t even follow in your footsteps.”

I pushed away from his shoulders to face Luka and made eye contact.

As expected. Why do you only redden your eyes like this when it comes to matters concerning me?

Making a beautiful person cry, I was truly a terrible person.

I gave Luka a brief kiss on the cheek.

Luka’s face, where my lips had touched, looked dazed for a moment, as if unable to comprehend what I had done.

I thought I could hear the shocked screams of Drehan and Miller watching us from afar.

I soon left a short lip mark on Luka’s other cheek as well.

It was like the goodnight kiss I used to give Luka when we were young, always telling him to sleep well.

At that, Luka, who had been unable to speak while his eyelids fluttered, lowered his head and hid his reddened face.

The hand holding mine gradually tightened its grip.

Only when I let out a groan did Luka startle and let go of my hand.

‘This feels like I’ve become some kind of scoundrel…’

I took a step closer to Luka, put my face close to his, and said:

“Look at me, Luka.”

At my words, Luka raised his face, which was flushed like a watercolor painting, and looked at me with his red eyes.

“Caring for and cherishing someone isn’t weakness. It’s actually strength.”

Luka nodded carefully and retreated, maintaining a certain distance from me.

“Was my kiss such a shock? I just did it because that’s how I used to help you calm down at the orphanage…”

“If it’s a shock, it’s in a different sense…”

Luka placed his hand on his chest and took a step back as I gradually approached.

“Stop, Ria. His Highness is at his limit now.”

At that moment, Drehan, who had approached from behind me, rubbed his forehead and stopped me.

“Limit?”

Miller, who had rushed over from the carriage with Drehan, kept muttering:

“Please, what did I just see? Brain, forget it! I said forget it!”

Miller started behaving strangely, hitting his own head.

Drehan hit the back of Miller’s head affectionately and said as he led me away:

“Pull yourself together, Miller. Your Highness, then we’ll see you at the Claire festival tomorrow.”

And so, led by my two brothers, I moved away from Luka, who was still uncharacteristically hiding his face.

“Wait, just a moment! Luka, why are you acting like this! Are cheek kisses not good anymore? Is it because you’ve grown up?”

I’m feeling betrayed, Arzenluka.

“His Highness is becoming a bit pitiful.”

Drehan’s words, muttered with a sigh, were drowned out by Miller’s roar.

* * *

When we arrived at the Rayes ducal residence, those who had already heard about what happened at the hunting grounds were waiting for us at the entrance.

The moment I stepped over the threshold of the mansion, an incredibly strong force pulled me.

“Are you alright?!”

Hearing Dad’s urgent voice, I was helplessly drawn to him and quickly nodded.

“I should say I’m fine since I don’t have a single injury.”

However, my appearance, which had become quite dirty from beating the demonic beasts, didn’t add credibility to my claim of being uninjured.

Dad swiftly ordered the physician standing by:

“Quickly examine Ria! Seeing how dirty her clothes are, she must have abrasions!”

“Young Miss, how did you end up in such a pitiful state… sob…”

“Ria! It’s okay, tell me where it hurts!”

Does my current state perhaps look like a soldier who participated in a war?

Do I look like someone who barely escaped from a tiger’s den?

I’ve been going around like this all day, so by now, rumors might be circulating in the Empire that I’m in critical condition.

The chaotic scene was concluded with the concise opinion of the chief physician.

“There’s a wound here. Other than that, you’re perfectly fine.”

The place the physician pointed to was a hair-thin line on my wrist, about the size of a fingernail.

The red line was such a thin wound that it wouldn’t be visible unless looked at closely.

“No, looking closely, this is!”

At that moment, the physician, adjusting his glasses, looked at the red line and said:

“It was just a thread from your clothes.”

As he said that, a red thread fell from my arm and flew away with the wind.

“…”