Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

As I walked down the street, looking around, I couldn’t see any familiar faces.

Although it didn’t seem like I had come very far, a completely new scenery was spread out before me.

I thought maybe I should have just stayed put where I was earlier, like adults tell you to do when you get lost.

As I was about to turn back to that place, a voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Hand over everything you’ve got, and we’ll let you go, young master!”

Staring into the dark alley where this voice that sounded like it belonged to a street thug came from, I saw that there really were thugs surrounding a small boy.

The boy’s face looked familiar, so I looked closer…

‘Si-Sion Claire?!’

Even rubbing my eyes and looking again, the collapsed boy was undoubtedly Sion Claire. Those blue hair stood out anywhere to begin with.

He was surrounded by three burly men, turning out his pockets to show them that he really had nothing.

To think they’d mess with a child of the Claire family, known for their swordsmanship. They must have guts spilling out of their bellies.

I didn’t know why Sion was in the west, but…

“I-I really don’t have anything! Nothing at all!”

“Then hand over your clothes!”

“By the way, his accent sounds like a young master from the capital. Wouldn’t it be better to take him and ask for a ransom?”

“Oh, good idea. You’re smart… Argh!”

“What’s so smart about that.”

The mountain-sized thug #1 collapsed after being hit in the back of the head by the enhanced Crimson Blade I summoned.

I didn’t know its power since I had never been directly hit by the enhanced Crimson Blade, but judging from when I disciplined Kesil last time and now, it seems to hurt quite a bit.

“What! Where did this brat come from!”

“Mister, just leave while you can. You’ll be in big trouble if you touch either this kid or that kid.”

“Wait, looking again, she’s quite pretty…”

Bam!

This time, it wasn’t my will, but the Crimson Blade flew on its own and struck thug #2’s abdomen, knocking him down.

“Wait, you guys! To be beaten by a mere girl…”

Thwack!

Only after a final loud sound echoed did the alley fall silent.

“You… you are…”

As a voice came from behind again, the Crimson Blade was about to fly that way to strike, but I stopped it.

“Stop, he’s an ally.”

At my words, the Crimson Blade screeched to a halt right in front of Sion’s nose and disappeared.

I turned to look at Sion. The blue-haired boy sprawled on the ground was looking at me with bright red ears, just like when I saw him at the debutante ball last time.

Seeing his mysterious silver eyes slightly watery, I felt sorry for him.

“Do you remember me?”

At my words, Sion carefully nodded and said in a faint voice.

“La… Laveria.”

I didn’t expect him to call my name so suddenly, but he remembered well anyway.

“Why are you alone here? A child who should be in the capital, without even a single attendant.”

I said, reaching out my hand for him to grab and stand up. Soon, Sion grasped it with his small hand and stood up.

‘He’s grown a lot.’

As Sion stood up, I felt somewhat defeated seeing that his height, which had been exactly the same as mine last time without any difference, was now a hand span taller than me.

“Ah, my father came to the west. So I came along too. I came to the city with an attendant, but I can’t see where he went…”

Duke Claire in the west? Could he have been at the place Luka went to?

More importantly, Sion was in a situation not much different from mine.

I stroked his head as he stuck close to my side like glue, as if he had found a lifeline.

“I want to help you too, but what should we do? I too…”

Am lost.

So we walked through the city, holding hands tightly.

The prosperous coastal city had numerous alleys like a maze, making it difficult to find the way we came.

Suddenly, the sea spread out before us looked similar to Sion’s hair, so I threw some jokes at the tensed-up child.

“Your hair looks like it fell into that sea and came back out.”

“…”

“Or did it come from being buried in the sky?”

“…”

At his cold reaction, I shut my mouth tightly and gave an awkward smile. Then Sion squeezed my hand tighter.

“Hey, don’t worry too much. You saw me take down those guys earlier, right?”

For a noble child raised gently, perhaps that memory from earlier might remain a big trauma.

At my words, Sion opened his mouth as he took each step.

“I wish I could be strong like you… I’m too weak.”

“Huh? You can become plenty strong too. It’s just because you’re still young.”

“You talk as if you’re not young.”

Sion, who spoke with a slight smile, obviously didn’t know that I wasn’t young, so he seemed to be intimidated by the thought that I, of the same age, was far superior to him.

Sion, who was utterly ordinary compared to his father and brother who were masters of swordsmanship who had held the position of Imperial Knight Commander, must have had many thoughts about himself.

“You don’t have to wield a sword to be strong. Those who hold a pen instead of a sword can be strong, and those with good eloquence can be strong too.”

I don’t remember well, but Sion becomes a person equivalent to a prime minister. Although he doesn’t wield a sword like the family symbol, he achieves great success by wielding a pen instead.

“So don’t put yourself down. Don’t be intimidated either.”

At my words, Sion looked at me with slightly widened eyes. The hand I held was soft, but there were calluses here and there.

Seeing that the calluses were on his index finger unlike those who hold swords, I could tell he had been holding a pen for a long time.

“No one has ever said that to me until now. Everyone just told me to pick up a sword… They’ll surely say that I got lost and almost got into trouble today because I’m weak.”

“Sion, your future isn’t set in stone. If you like swords, pick up a sword, if you like studying, then study. The reason you almost got into trouble today isn’t because you’re weak, but because the public safety in the west is terrible.”

As I rephrased each of Sion’s words one by one, it was no longer his fault.

And Sion stopped in his tracks for a moment, then nodded with a slightly brighter face that had been dark before.

“Ria! Can you hear my voice?!”

At that moment, Miller’s booming voice reached my ears. At the welcome sound, I ran towards the direction of the voice, holding Sion’s hand.

“I’m here! Over here!”

“Ria!”

Miller spotted me and rushed over in one stride to hug me tightly. Although Sion was right beside me, Miller’s priority was to safely embrace me.

Drehan, Sarah, and Garnett weren’t with him, perhaps having gone to look for me in other areas, but they soon came this way and we were able to meet again.

“You really!”

Drehan approached me with a stern expression, panting heavily.

“My hat flew away…”

What’s the point of adding an excuse? I just apologized for leaving on my own.

However, it seemed that an apology wasn’t what Drehan wanted to hear, as he came closer and examined me all over for any injuries.

Only then did he give a glance to Sion who was hiding right behind me.

“You are…”

“Haha… He got lost like me. Did you happen to see a Claire attendant around here?”

At my words, Drehan, Miller, and Sarah all turned their heads to look up at the tall clock tower visible even from afar.

At the very top floor, a person barely visible like a speck of dust was shouting at the top of their lungs, and when I listened carefully…

“Young master! Young master! Where are you?! I don’t want to die at the hands of the Duke at this age!”

“…Found him. Thank goodness, Sion.”

“Yeah…”

* * *

Fortunately, Sion was able to find his attendant and return. The attendant thanked us profusely with a face like someone who had returned from the brink of death, sniffling for a while.

“Goodbye, take care.”

I bid farewell to Sion. I thought Duke Claire and Sion might come to the banquet held this evening, but they said they were returning to the capital today.

“Yeah. Thanks for today. For saving me, and comforting me…”

“What’s there between friends? Let’s see each other again next time.”

Sion seemed surprised that I called him a friend, chewing over that word several times with slightly widened eyes.

Then he reached out his hand and said:

“A friend’s handshake.”

As he said such a cute thing with a very tense expression, I chuckled and grasped his hand, shaking it.

“That’s quite a long handshake.”

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard from behind.

“Luka!”

Luka, dressed in formal attire, walked towards us with a smile that seemed somewhat displeased.

I was about to let go of Sion’s hand and ask Luka why he was here again, but for some reason, Sion wouldn’t let go of my hand.

“I said, the handshake is long.”

At the fierce voice, Sion eyed Luka warily with an expression like a defiant rabbit.

Despite being a year older than Luka, standing face to face, the only word I could use to describe him was ‘rabbit’.

‘Sorry, Sion… Essil is tall and handsome, so you’ll surely grow up quickly too.’

As Luka came closer, Sion flinched like a small animal and inadvertently let go of my hand.

Not missing that chance, Luka pulled my shoulder, making me fall into his embrace.

‘…?’

“I rushed here in one go after hearing that Ria had disappeared, but have you brought in a new pet while leaving me behind?”

At the voice speaking softly into my ear, I asked what he was talking about while tapping his chest.

‘More importantly, did you plant a spy or something? How did you know about that…’

Sion looked at me with his now free hand, then clenched his fist tightly and got into the carriage.

“See you in the capital, Ria.”

“Okay, take care.”

I bid farewell to Sion while in Luka’s embrace.

Unlike his shy appearance, Sion called my nickname quite naturally.

Luka, seeming displeased by this, followed the departing carriage with a cold gaze.