Instead of My Beloved Sister, I Married a Monster - Chapter 18
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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 18
The sounds of Hanna and Count Max cleaning up the table in the dining hall could be heard, but she couldn’t bring herself to go out and help.
Evnia barely turned her head to look at the plate where Giyermo had been transferred.
Fortunately, the new dwelling didn’t seem too bad, as he was swimming leisurely in the much larger bowl.
Though she wasn’t sure if going around in circles in the same spot deserved such a grand name as swimming.
As Evnia pondered what size aquarium would be needed for him to live comfortably, she suddenly spoke up.
“Giyermo, just in case, just in case, I have something to ask you.”
“…”
“If our sister… no, if Nina comes to this castle, could you kill me?”
At Evnia’s question, Giyermo stopped moving and raised his head above the bowl.
She didn’t know if he could respond, but it seemed certain that he understood her words.
Evnia slowly blinked and spoke in a halting voice.
“No matter how I think about it, that’s the only answer, but everyone here is so kind that I don’t think Lord Ram or Seven would listen to me.”
“…”
“Oh, that doesn’t mean Giyermo is bad or anything, I really wouldn’t mind if it happened that way… If it’s okay with Giyermo and okay with me, then no one would be at fault, right?”
Evnia made eye contact with Giyermo, seeking his agreement.
She thought he might be able to nod or shake his head in response, but strangely, he didn’t move at all and just stared at her intently.
“I don’t know about other things, but I hate pain. If you could end it like falling asleep without any suffering, I’d appreciate that…”
Saying this, Evnia carefully inserted her finger into the water where Giyermo was.
It was to draw out some kind of answer from him.
Should she tell him to touch her index finger for yes and her middle finger for no?
Evnia was pondering what would be the most efficient way to communicate when it happened.
Suddenly, Giyermo bit Evnia’s thumb.
“Ouch!”
At the sharp pain, Evnia hastily pulled her hand out of the bowl.
For some reason, Giyermo’s eyes looking at her seemed more menacing than before.
Could this have been a declaration that he would kill her by biting her like this?
Evnia protested with a puzzled feeling.
“This hurts and doesn’t seem like it would finish me in one go.”
Or perhaps his true form was more dignified than this?
Would the results be somewhat different if he used his proper strength?
When Ram’s anger subsided and Giyermo returned to his previous form, she would probably be able to get an accurate answer to that question.
Evnia slowly rested her head on her arm again and said.
“Still, I’m quite lucky. When I came here, no one cried for me. Now I have people who would be sad thinking of me, so wouldn’t this be considered a good death?”
This time too, no particularly positive reaction came back.
As soon as Evnia finished speaking, Giyermo began expressing his displeasure by thrashing his tail and splashing water everywhere.
Evnia thought to herself, so that’s not it, anyway I won’t be able to die with a smile, muttering only in her mind so he couldn’t hear.
Still, she probably hadn’t said anything completely wrong.
She had only posed a hypothetical, but seeing even Giyermo making such a fuss, those with softer hearts would surely cry for her.
It was somewhat contradictory thinking for a decision made for everyone’s happiness, but it probably wouldn’t be a problem.
After all, she wouldn’t be worth too many tears.
* * *
Though she had become terminally ill again just when she began dreaming of a new life, Evnia wasn’t particularly disappointed.
Having gained a short-term goal instead of an uncertain future, her daily life actually became much more vibrant.
Knowing one’s own end meant being able to live without any fear until that day came.
Even Hanna, who had initially looked at her with anxious eyes, gradually returned to her usual self as Evnia maintained a peaceful attitude.
Seven’s worried scolding seemed to make him think that Evnia had abandoned her bad thoughts too.
Evnia didn’t reveal the troubling truth and upset many people unnecessarily.
In fact, that was what Evnia did best.
“How about this? Is this something you can eat?”
At Evnia’s question, Giyermo quickly shook his head back and forth.
Because Ram hadn’t lifted the spell he cast on Giyermo, Evnia was still experiencing tremendous difficulty communicating with him.
If the other party could speak, she would be able to find out what he wanted immediately, but in his current state, she could only show him something and get answers like ‘good’ or ‘no’ at best.
“When you were human, you must have eaten meat, so I thought jerky would be okay…”
Come to think of it, she had never seen him eating anything before.
Was that why his cooking skills were so terrible too?
Having reached her own conclusion, Evnia put the pouch she was holding back down on the table.
Evnia looked down at the basin containing Giyermo and said.
“Wait just a moment. There should be some oat crumbs left in the warehouse.”
They had run out of grain and tried to make do with other ingredients as much as possible, but at this rate he would starve to death.
Evnia left behind Giyermo, who had become much thinner than when she first saw him, and hurried to the warehouse.
Since no one else paid attention to Giyermo in his fish form, caring for him had naturally become Evnia’s responsibility.
‘Somehow I feel like I got hired as a caretaker rather than a bride.’
It wasn’t just Giyermo.
Levi, Ram’s pet, had also been coming to her every day since the banquet, demanding food.
Since she didn’t have any particular duties assigned to her, taking care of their meals wasn’t particularly difficult, but the problem was…
“…This castle might actually be incredibly poor.”
Evnia muttered in a stunned voice as she peered into the empty food warehouse.
It had already been three days since they had been making do with the remnants of the first day’s banquet like bone broth, and Ritberk Castle’s storehouse was truly suffering from a serious famine.
‘Did they manage the food supply too carelessly?’
There were only a few people living here, so she thought nothing could go wrong and didn’t even try to conserve from the beginning.
But as they scraped the bottom of what little ingredients remained, she began to feel a realistic sense of crisis.
Evnia was trying to calm her anxious heart while rummaging through grain sacks looking for the few remaining oats when it happened.
Suddenly, she heard signs of someone inside.
Could there have been another visitor here first?
Evnia walked toward where the sound came from with a puzzled feeling.
If it had been Ram, Seven, or Levi, they wouldn’t have bothered to hide their presence, but the mysterious figure was crouched in the darkness, even holding their breath.
Just like a thief who had secretly snuck into someone else’s house.
“…Count Max?”
As soon as Evnia called the name of the likely suspect, the large back visibly flinched.
Then, confirming the face of the person who slowly raised their head, Evnia let out a quiet sigh.
The identity of the intruder was exactly as she had expected.
“I still thought you were a good person, Count…”
“No, Miss! Of course it’s an understandable situation to misunderstand, but no, actually it’s not a misunderstanding. But I’m absolutely not the kind of hopeless character you’re thinking of!”
Count Max immediately bowed his head toward Evnia and shouted.
At this, Evnia instinctively stepped back.
At least it was fortunate that he wasn’t wearing his broken armor. If he had been, she would have had to step back two more steps.
“Miss, I beg of you like this. Please, couldn’t you just turn a blind eye this once! My elderly mother over eighty is waiting for me desperately back in my hometown!”
Only then did she notice what he was holding in his hand.
What Count Max had tried to steal was a small pouch containing dried food. Not some precious treasure that someone had secretly hidden in the storehouse.
It seemed he had come to gather food to eat during his journey before finally escaping from this castle.
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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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