Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

At Luka’s voice, Ria quickly turned around. She hadn’t sensed his presence at all as he approached so close.

Luka, wearing the same crown as Ria, stood as if guarding against Carl.

“Ria, who is this person?”

Carl, currently transformed to look younger, was about the same height as Luka.

How should she explain him, she couldn’t say he was the guild master of Troisen.

But for Luka, the real identity didn’t seem to be what was important.

Luka’s piercing gaze was chilling enough to cause shivers, but since he was facing away from Ria, Carl had to bear all that coldness.

‘The Crown Prince is fiercely attached to Princess Rayes.’

Such information was instantly etched in Carl’s mind. Reflecting on what he had just done, Carl thought that choosing a quick escape might be the best option.

“Lady Laveria, then I’ll deliver the reward to the guild master well!”

Like any child would do, Carl pretended to run away, cowed by Luka’s terrifying gaze.

As Carl’s figure disappeared among the numerous pillars, Luka tilted his head, following him with a cold gaze.

Ria immediately noticed what role Carl had pretended to play as he ran away, and made excuses to Luka.

“He’s a messenger from Troisen. Remember, he gave information that helped cure the Empress’s illness. He came to receive the reward for completing his mission.”

Though she only hid his identity, the content wasn’t much different, so Ria spoke with a calm face.

Luka placed his hand on Ria’s peach-colored cheek.

“Luka?”

The red-haired boy who had been intimately touching Ria just moments ago had definitely touched around here.

Even while thinking that such petty jealousy was unlike him, Luka had no intention of hiding it.

Luka suddenly did ‘that’ which had caused Ria’s upset reaction yesterday without hesitation.

His lips descended on Ria’s cheek.

It was something Luka himself had done very impulsively, so he was even more wide-eyed than Ria, who looked surprised.

Seeing this, Ria blinked slowly once and looked up at Luka with a narrow gaze.

“…You, when I did this to comfort you yesterday, you rejected me and pushed me away.”

He still felt a slight heat rise to his face when remembering yesterday’s events.

He had only recently realized what emotions he felt for Ria.

The puppy love of his younger days had truly made him foolish, and even now it made him an utter fool in front of Ria.

If that was somehow a pleasant thing for Luka, would it make him even more foolish?

Luka soon regained his composure and looked at Ria with a splendid smile.

And without showing any sign of feeling wronged, he said:

“It’s been too long. That’s all it is. I’d like you to do that to me many more times.”

His face was so unrealistically beautiful, as if painted, that Ria suddenly felt her heart throb inexplicably.

Just as Ria had done yesterday, Luka lowered his head and kissed her other cheek.

Unlike the first time, this time his lips lingered a bit longer.

“Like this, many times.”

The unexpected sensation of his lips stirred Ria’s heart as if swept away by waves.

‘Did Luka feel this emotion yesterday…?’

If so, she could somewhat understand why everyone had sympathized with Luka.

Understanding why the word ‘limit’ had come up, she hesitated to identify the nature of this tingling feeling.

Ria could only avoid Luka’s eyes, which were sending her an intense gaze with crimson pupils as if mesmerized.

Even the faint breeze blowing between them couldn’t calm their flushed cheeks.

* * *

As this was a place to openly display ties with the imperial family, Duke Claire was seated closest to the imperial family’s seats.

The Duke looked down at the banquet hall below, which was in full swing. Unlike his wife’s worries from some time ago about this grand festival, it seemed they would be able to continue with a smooth follow-up festival this year as well.

But apart from that, had something happened in the imperial family without his knowledge?

As he was sitting so close to the imperial family, their voices were clearly audible…

“Empress, how are you feeling today?”

“I think I’m fine, but it’s a bit cold.”

“You’d better wear this. It would be terrible if you caught a cold, given your weak constitution.”

“Thank you. Your Majesty is always so considerate.”

‘Am I hearing this correctly? Since when has the Emperor been so devoted to the Empress?’

The nobles were gathered in small groups, looking this way with confused expressions and moving their mouths incessantly.

Lady Jeria, after pretending to vomit with her two princes beside her, soon left her seat stomping her feet, and once she was gone, the princes, feeling they no longer needed to keep their seats, disappeared somewhere.

Now, the only ones left in the imperial seats, lavishly decorated with gold, were the Emperor, the Empress, and the foreign woman.

“Ahem, Lady Jeria has left too… It’s not good to have so many empty seats visible, so we should probably clear this platform.”

Duke Claire glanced at the woman who kept exclaiming in admiration as if this was clearly her first time at such a gathering.

It meant that the Emperor and Empress were enough to keep the imperial seats, so the mistress should know her place and leave.

However, the woman, clapping her hands like a child as before, tried to agree with his words in her own way.

“Ah, you’re right, Duke! I should go down one level, so it would be better to remove all the chairs on this platform!”

Saying this, the woman abruptly stood up and actually started implementing her words, causing Duke Claire to be taken aback.

Having never seen someone so utterly lacking in tact in all his years living as a noble, it came as a somewhat fresh shock.

“…Thank you, indeed.”

The Duke soon called a servant with a disgusted expression and had them tidy up the chairs.

As Duke Claire, after glancing once more at the foreign woman standing like a folding screen at the very end, was about to turn his attention to the guests who had come to see him.

An unseen, secret exchange of glances took place.

The subjects were none other than the foreign woman and Duke Kablos, who was gulping down wine in a distant corner.

* * *

“Lady Laveria.”

I turned around at the voice calling from behind. The one who had called me was none other than Senia.

“I’ve already called out to you, but may I have permission to address you by name?”

I nodded at Senia’s face, which was smiling like a bright flower.

“Of course, young lady.”

I had just returned to the banquet hall with Luka. Senia also greeted Luka, who was standing beside me, in a low voice.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, congratulations on winning the hunting festival. And to Lady Laveria as well, of course.”

“No, you too, Lady Senia, did your best yesterday and received a merit award like me.”

The medal shining on her chest was the same as the one I had received. Of course, Essil Claire, ever devoted to his childhood friend, wouldn’t have forgotten her.

“Fufu, seeing the two of you wearing crowns side by side like this… would it be impolite to say you look just like a married couple?”

“Hahaha… Not at all. But we’re just close friends.”

The two were completely ignoring each other, and only I was engaged in conversation in the middle, but Luka and Senia were the protagonists of this world.

The protagonists whose feelings of comradeship and love would blossom as they save each other’s lives in the impending war.

There shouldn’t be any misunderstandings on Senia’s part.

At my words, Senia’s eyes widened slightly, and then she smiled even more brightly than before and said, ‘I see.’

“I’d like Lady Laveria to visit our ducal residence so that I can repay you for saving me!”

“The, the Kablos ducal residence?”

Although my voice trembled slightly, I didn’t show any sign of reluctance, but Senia, quickly grasping my intention, added:

“Or if not, we could chat together at the recently opened Isabella Garden.”

That seemed better. I had just heard from Carl to be careful of Duke Kablos and the foreign woman.

Isabella Garden was a popular spot in the capital that young ladies often visited these days.

Senia too was well aware of what kind of image her family had externally.

“That sounds good, Lady Senia.”

Her face brightened at my words, and it was so lovely that I turned my head, wondering if Luka had seen it too.

But Luka’s gaze was directed somewhere else entirely.

“Then I’ll send a separate letter to the Rayes ducal residence. See you next time.”

Senia too left after giving a deep bow to Luka, who wasn’t even looking at her, without any lingering attachment.

‘Right. Senia hasn’t been saved by Luka when attacked by demonic beasts yet, and Luka hasn’t been purified by Senia when suffering from sorcery.’

They’re strangers to each other now; it might have been wrong to think they would feel a spark between them.

At that moment, a small commotion broke out where Luka’s gaze had been directed.

The Empress seemed to be in a daze, slumped in her chair, and the Emperor expressed his intention to return to the imperial palace.

Although her body had recovered a lot from the previous treatment, such prolonged outdoor activity was still too much.

As the Emperor passed by us, supporting the Empress, he looked down at the worried Luka and then walked on.

Most people believed the Emperor to be fickle, easily falling in and out of love.

I thought so too.

So I wondered if he had fallen in love again upon seeing the beautiful Empress, now free of her sickly appearance.

Seeing Rachel follow the two, I felt somewhat relieved. Luka and I, being today’s main characters, knew we couldn’t leave our seats easily.

Now, the only one left sitting alone in the golden seat was the foreign woman.

People sneered, saying she must have come to show off that she had neither the Emperor’s favor nor any other privilege, the only perk of being a mistress. She sat in her seat like a doll, not even listening to such mocking voices directed at her.

When our eyes met briefly, I felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, could you spare a moment?”

At that moment, Duke Claire approached Luka. Seeing the air of having something urgent to discuss, I pushed Luka’s back and told him to go.

“I’ll be back soon.”

The two passed through the crowd and entered through a door leading to the interior of the Claire ducal residence. After watching them for a while, I moved my steps towards the terrace overlooking a vast expanse of blue sea.

Perhaps because it was a bit far from the central hall where the banquet was in full swing, I couldn’t sense anyone’s presence inside the terrace.

As I was savoring the sweetness of the madeleine in my mouth and feeling the gentle sea breeze blowing from beyond the horizon with my whole body, it happened.

Tak-

I heard the sound of the terrace door closing behind me.

It happened so suddenly that I turned around startled, but the terrace was still empty, and no one was in sight.

‘Was it the wind…?’

Just as I was about to move back towards the hall, feeling a chill from the suddenly cooled air.

“Ah, young master, really. You’ve made things troublesome by doing something unnecessary.”

The moment I looked up at the voice with a strong accent coming from above, the silhouette of a woman with the sun at her back lunged at me, filled with murderous intent.