A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 83

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 83】

That I don’t need to take responsibility, that I don’t need to remember. The words he gives me are always like this.

If I listen quietly, it becomes dangerous because I want to follow along. It breaks down my wariness and willpower, making me settle into the present.

“Are you… saying that sincerely too? You always say nice things, but if they’re all sincere, it’s a little…”

…strange, isn’t it?

Acting as if he has no desires from me, not even the slightest selfish want.

His attention was entirely focused on me, rarely considering his own feelings or position. It was even natural to him.

“Yes, sincere. I’m glad if it sounded nice.”

There were no flowery words, but perhaps because of that, it felt more sincere… and somehow I became unbearably awkward.

It felt very strange and impossible that there was someone in the world who cared for me more than I did myself.

I don’t know why I’m suddenly having such sentiments now. It was just how I vaguely felt.

If I had met him a little earlier, could I have avoided feeling the depression that now controls me?

I stared at him quietly and casually asked.

“…Do you perhaps want anything from me?”

“Sleep here.”

The answer came immediately as if he’d been waiting.

When I was flustered by the completely unexpected statement and could only gape, Davuer continued in a subdued voice.

“I don’t sleep anyway so it’s useless to me. From now on, it would be better if you used this room.”

“…It’s fine. It’s a bit burdensome.”

“You told me to say what I wanted.”

“I mean… not something like this. I was asking if there’s something you want me to do for you.”

At this, he frowned and was silent for a moment, then soon asked somewhat irritably.

“I want you to be unable to do anything without me. Can you grant this if I say it like this?”

“…”

“What if I tell you not to use your power anymore because it’s dangerous, and not to step one foot outside here?”

“…”

“You wouldn’t. You always move contrary to my wishes.”

In the end, I completely lost my words.

Because I couldn’t refute his words. Because the emotion in his wishes weighed heavily on me. Because despite that, it sounded like I couldn’t rebel against my own will.

A person whose actions, thoughts, and values all seemed to lead back to me. Sometimes seeming to act selfishly, yet treating my every word as law.

I felt like I could never catch up to him. Not as much as he thinks of me.

“…I’ll, I’ll try.”

After a long silence, when I finally managed to utter a word, Davuer let out a laugh that leaked through his teeth.

His following question was brief.

“What?”

“This and that, everything…”

“For me? Don’t. You seem to be mistaken about something, Irene. You’ve already made me your possession. I’m not someone you need to make an effort for.”

Saying that, he slowly sat up.

His touch was tender as he arranged my hair scattered on the sheets and covered me with a blanket, making my body flinch for no reason.

Only after the whole process was finished did he add more. His voice carried faint laughter and his curved eyes were gentle.

“It’s too late to say it’s burdensome now. I’d recommend thinking about how to use me more usefully instead.”

“…Davuer.”

“Your words are divine revelation to me.”

In this moment, his expression, emotions, and heart became an unknown that I could neither read nor fathom.

It’s because of this that I stubbornly resolve to regain my memories. Even if he’s okay, I’m not okay. Because I don’t want to leave him lonely.

Because I want to understand his heart completely.

So I grabbed the hem of my man’s clothes and asked.

“…Then will you stay by my side until I fall asleep?”

Whether it was because of the fever I was experiencing after a long time, or because the slow beating sound of the heart he possessed gave me stability, or if there were other reasons, I couldn’t tell.

Just…

I was certain that he appeared before me after every nightmare, that he was on my side, and that for now, that was enough for me.

Davuer took the hand that gripped his clothes and held it.

“If you’ll let me.”

Though I didn’t give a clear affirmation, he continued to stay by my side. Even until morning broke.

* * *

The next day, miraculously, the fever was cured like magic.

It’s an anticlimactic ending for something that tormented me for several days. It really disappeared literally overnight, for no apparent reason.

So I asked the most suspicious Davuer, ‘You didn’t do something, did you?’ and got the response, ‘What if I did?’

If there were other places to point fingers…

“It’s all thanks to my blessing telling you to get up.”

“The mulled wine I made might have been effective.”

When I headed to the dining room perfectly fine, Nishe acted all high and mighty while Marisa felt proud.

“Older Sister is finally walking on two legs…”

Lishie, who seemed to perceive me as a sick chicken, was moved to tears—

“Fi, finally…! Thank you for getting up!”

The attending physicians whose faces I barely knew were grateful for my recovery. Probably the joy of being freed from the labor of making medicine.

Actually, neither the blessing(?) nor the mulled wine nor the all-night care nor the medicine seemed to have helped much, but I still praised everyone saying it was all thanks to them.

【Contractor, you recovered faster than expected. Then ask them to make that drink from yesterday again!】

This dragon… let’s not talk about it.

Anyway, accepting the change thinking I just got better when the time came, I headed to the study immediately after finishing a combative lunch.

It was because our castle’s all-purpose witch had summoned me, saying she had something she wanted to consult about.

“Giselle… Are you sure you’re alive?”

Inside the study where dim sunlight streamed through the large windows.

Giselle sitting at the desk looked more tired than the servants in the time I hadn’t seen her. Her strike declaration had clearly become meaningless due to the series of events.

Giselle, who suffered too much from being too capable, rubbed her temples and immediately got to the point.

“Welcome, Irene. Surprisingly, I’m alive. More importantly, I have good news and bad news – which do you want to hear first?”

“…The bad news first?”

“I might lose my ability soon.”

I was momentarily stunned by the confession that came without warning.

As I blinked wondering what she meant, she let out a short sigh and continued her explanation.

“Do you know? My ability is special compared to the other four, or should I say, stronger.”

“Ah, yes. Now that you mention it… that’s right.”

I answered bewilderedly while thinking.

Giselle’s ability was a bit more exceptional – she could see a very wide range in detail, could see even distant places albeit hazily, and sometimes even saw the future.

“But lately the tide seems to be turning. Only my ability is getting uniquely worse. My field of vision is gradually narrowing, and I can’t see as much as before.”

“…Is that why you declared a strike? Why did it get worse? Because you’ve been overusing it watching the Empire?”

“That would be one reason. Though I don’t think that’s all. It doesn’t seem to be a temporary phenomenon.”

Giselle’s eyes were cloudy as she trailed off.

It looked exactly like evidence that she was using her ability close to her limits even now.

“Irene. If this deterioration doesn’t stop, I’ll soon be unable to see anything.”

“That’s… really bad news.”

Belmayer relies heavily on abilities.

The mysterious power called abilities controls this society, maintains national functions, and makes self-sufficiency possible even on cold, barren land.

In other words, Belmayer is a country maintained because its leadership are ‘monsters’. It would be troublesome if abilities disappeared right away.

“Don’t worry, Belmayer has changed quite a lot.”

Nevertheless, Giselle spoke reassuringly.

“I don’t know what kind of causality it is, but my eyes started deteriorating right after you awakened your sanctity. This change might be a good thing, right?”

“Well… that could be possible, I suppose….”

What connection could there be between my awakening of sanctity and the worsening of Giselle’s ability? Is it because I drove the god out of Lishie that day?

What I came to understand that day was the fact that my sanctity is hostile to evil gods and can kill them.

My head became complicated with the unexpected news. I grasped at a glimmer of hope and slowly moved my lips.

“…Then what’s the good news?”

“Your fever has completely broken, Irene.”

Giselle answered immediately with a bright smile.

As if the ‘bad news’ she had just told me was nothing significant, her gaze looking at me was so warm that my mouth naturally closed.

While it was welcome, my toes curled and my stomach churned, making me feel uncomfortable as if I were wearing ill-fitting clothes.

Perhaps it felt awkward because it was something I had never received in my entire life. Warm water rippled at the depths of my heart.

Whether she knew or not, she continued speaking in a stream.

“Although we still haven’t figured out the identity of that vermin or its relationship to past events, and I’m busy to death surveying the Empire and tracking the mastermind behind it all, plus my eyes are acting up which is frustrating. But I’m in a good mood since you’ve recovered.”

There was substance to her words. However, her genuine joy about my recovery came through clearly.

I became a little embarrassed and changed the subject.

“Ahem. The thing you wanted to consult about… was it about your eyes?”

“No, this is where the real main topic begins.”

Giselle shook her head calmly and asked.

“Do you happen to know about a high priest named Ezekiel?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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