I’m Sick of the Kind Protagonist, so I Might as Well Just Die - Chapter 43

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#43
When Perenustus nudged me awake, I found myself in that perfectly adorned room once more. My vision flooded with pristine white lace and pastel hues so vivid they made my head ache, accompanied by a sweetness so cloying it was almost suffocating. I’d grown so accustomed to this place that it now felt like my own chamber.
‘I wonder if Bilateia Fernichiosa Venisike is sitting on that sofa like in the previous cycle.’
“Oh my, you’ve finally awakened!”
“Did you sleep well?”
The Maids who entered the room then descended upon me like a swarm of butterflies, chattering away without pause.
This was something I’d never experienced before. These unfamiliar Maids, disregarding my wishes entirely, lifted me from the bed and began adorning me with the silk dress and jewels that Leonas Hagpethar Yuletanis had supposedly sent this morning, fussing over me all the while.
“Goodness, how can your skin be so radiant? Is it because you’re blessed with the Grand Duke’s affection? It seems to glow more with each passing day.”
Against my will, I stood before the full-length mirror and gazed at my reflection as though observing a stranger. Unlike before, when my consciousness inhabited the original body, this form was unmistakably Aurelia—my true features. Yet it was different from the face I remembered.
‘Is this really me? Truly?’
It was a different version than what Bilateia Fernichiosa Venisike had shown me in that hand mirror before. My overall appearance was certainly mine, but it seemed as though every ounce of beauty that could be drawn from my original features had been extracted and refined to absolute perfection.
According to Bilateia Fernichiosa Venisike, even my modest brown hair—which she’d called ‘the epitome of a typical extra’—now shimmered with a subtle luminescence, strand by strand.
“Truly, you shine brighter than jewels even without adornment. We hardly have anything to do.”
“No wonder the Grand Duke visits whenever he finds the opportunity.”
I let the Maids’ chatter drift past one ear as I thought of Perenustus.
‘The administrator himself intervening is already catastrophic, and now he’s entering the Worlds? It makes no sense.’
But the Perenustus I knew was never one to speak carelessly. That declaration of his—that he would break the administrator’s taboo—still echoed in my ears, yet the Worlds continued to turn as peacefully as ever.
‘Well, not entirely unchanged, but…’
Compared to the repetitive beginnings of before, this ordinarily chaotic situation only amplified my unease.
“You cannot! You mustn’t enter!”
My thought about ordinary chaos proved premature as genuine commotion erupted beyond the door.
“How dare you block my path. Move aside.”
“Absolutely not! The Grand Duke explicitly forbade anyone from entering—!”
“I am not included in the ‘anyone’ he speaks of.”
It was Bilateia Fernichiosa Venisike.
The contrast was striking—the Maids frantically insisting it was impossible, while Bilateia Fernichiosa Venisike applied pressure without raising her voice once. As the door finally opened, she appeared in a dress so ornate it was nearly blinding to the eye.
“There you are at last. Delighted to make your acquaintance.”
She swept past the Maids blocking her path with a villainous flourish of her fan and strode into the Imperial Chamber with commanding grace.
“I heard my consort had picked up quite the amusing plaything, so I came to see for myself.”
“I…”
“I never gave you permission to speak to me, so keep your mouth shut.”
Her mockery felt refreshingly novel today as she bore down upon me with her performance.
‘Something’s different from usual. Things have been subtly off since that last death.’
Facing the beginning of an unfamiliar act, my anxiety deepened. Bilateia Fernichiosa Venisike and Leonas Hagpethar Yuletanis had told me over a hundred times that all the Worlds were predetermined performances. They’d earnestly warned me never to deviate from the set framework.
‘Normally, Bilateia Fernichiosa Venisike would storm in screaming and raging, causing a scene. She wouldn’t enter so elegantly and quietly like this.’
Bilateia Fernichiosa Venisike subdued the hovering Maids with a mere glance and commanding presence, sending them out. Once they’d fled in terror like a receding tide and their footsteps beyond the door had completely vanished, she finally relaxed her haughty posture and collapsed onto the sofa.
“Phew, that’s done.”
“…You startled me.”
“Why the surprise?”
“I thought perhaps you’d lost your memory again.”
“Even if I had to strangle myself, I won’t make that mistake twice!”
I was genuinely worried, but Bilateia threw down her fan with a scowl. I surrendered by raising my hands to placate her, then settled beside her on the seat.
“I was surprised—your tone was a bit different from before.”
“Ah. Well, there’s no administrator around anyway, so I wanted to change my style a little. I’m always screaming and causing a fuss, but I actually look quite composed and cold, don’t I?”
“Yeah. It suits you well. You looked elegant.”
When I agreed sincerely, Bilateia swept her hair back with a show of vanity and preened. Then, as if remembering something, she gripped her fan and struck my forehead without warning.
“Ow!”
“Hey! Are you seriously going to drink the poison I brought and just die right in front of me like that?”
“I…”
“Knowledge about crossing between worlds isn’t supposed to be shared with others! I broke that taboo and told you anyway! And you don’t appreciate that? You drink my poison and just die in front of me? Do you have any idea how much stress Leonas and I go through watching you die every time?”
Bilateia huffed indignantly, as if her anger had been rekindled.
“Normally, we should receive psychological counseling through system support every time we watch you die, with guaranteed mental rest. But right now, with the Chairwoman gone, we’re enduring it raw!”
“Ah… So there are benefits like that. No wonder Silpi mentioned it costs a lot.”
“Anyway, you better brace yourself this time—Leonas is sharpening his claws too. He’s absolutely seething with venom right now.”
I pulled down the corners of my mouth and rubbed my forehead where the fan had struck.
“Ugh, when Leonas pinches me, it really hurts…”
According to the script’s sequence, Leonas’s entrance scene was coming up soon.
While Bilateia mocked me relentlessly, the expelled Maids scurried to the Grand Duke’s Aide. The Aide would then find the Grand Duke, who always mysteriously disappears somewhere, and bring him to this room. Upon entering, the Grand Duke would sneer at Bilateia and, as if to show off, cup my cheek and attempt to kiss me. Then Bilateia would pour tea water over both of us, and the scene would end.
So every time I regressed, Leonas would pretend to cup my cheek while pinching my face hard with his fingers. Bilateia didn’t just pour tea water—she’d also flick my head with the teacup.
“Leonas’s hands are seriously harsh. You wouldn’t know because you’ve never been pinched, Bilateia.”
“An idiot who dies without hesitation is afraid of being pinched? That’s not even funny.”
“I really wish you’d get pinched just once.”
“Ha! Listen, I’m destined to have my neck cut by his sword later. Why would I be afraid of being pinched?”
While I was bickering with Bilateia, the door burst open and Leonas stormed in.
“I said anyone who enters this room without my permission will have their neck severed.”
“My. I didn’t know my husband could make such jokes.”
Leonas coldly ignored the smirking Bilateia and approached me. Grasping my chin with a rough hand, he pinched my cheek hard between his fingers.
‘Ow, seriously…!’
These youngsters with even less social experience than me were increasingly treating me like a younger sibling, which infuriated me. Yet at the same time, I couldn’t entirely dislike this genuine concern.
“I taught you to open your mouth and beg.”
Leonas whispered as he pressed my chin down with his thumb. I swore I’d never learned such a thing. Bilateia, holding up a beautiful teacup with picturesque grace, offered a brief commentary on the affectionate display unfolding before her.
“Quite the taste. You’d need to teach him to spread his legs to see a bastard child.”
Leonas, apparently caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, furrowed his brows and glared at her.
‘Now she’ll pour the tea…’
Before my thought could even finish, Bilateia lifted the teapot and hurled its contents at us. Unsatisfied with merely pouring the water, she threw the teapot itself at the spotless wall, shattering it to pieces.
‘…Wow, I’m genuinely surprised this time.’
In terms of dramatic impact, a teapot was certainly more effective than a teacup. I was inwardly marveling at Bilateia’s flair when—
“Oh my. It seems I’ve arrived at an inopportune moment.”
An unfamiliar yet familiar voice came from the doorway. We turned our heads without even thinking to wipe the dripping tea from our faces.
“I am Perenustus, the representative of the Nobility Assembly, who had an appointment for a private audience with His Excellency today.”
Perenustus smiled faintly and nodded.
Insane.

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