My Illusion Is Survival - Chapter 82

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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 82

“Miss Riana, is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”

“No, I’m fine.”

It had already been several days since I came to stay at the Winsor Estate. During that time, I consciously tried not to think about Azel, but this wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Azel’s final moments kept coming to mind, and each time I could only let out a dazed sigh.

“Haa…”

“Miss, are you sure nothing’s wrong?”

“I said no.”

And perhaps because of this, the maid beside me kept worrying about me.

“More importantly, didn’t I tell you not to come here? Why are you here again?”

These days I was only acting like a villainess just enough not to arouse suspicion, so even though I deliberately answered irritably, the maid kept approaching me.

“B-but! Serving you is my job!”

Despite trembling like a frightened rabbit, she had a thorough work ethic.

“A-and my name isn’t ‘you’, it’s-!”

“Bel. Your name isn’t ‘you’, it’s Bel. I know that too.”

Usually it’s more annoying when someone gets it wrong despite knowing, but for some reason joy appeared on Bel’s face.

“You remembered my name!”

“…If I can’t remember one name by now, would I even be human?”

“You never remembered it before!”

I had nothing to say to that.

“Anyway, go away. You’re disturbing my reading.”

“What have you been reading so diligently lately?”

“Weren’t you afraid of me? Why are you suddenly acting friendly?”

“W-well. You’ve been acting strange lately, so I was worried…”

…She’s saying this so openly?

Since it was something mumbled out by a face that looked young due to freckles, I couldn’t just ignore it completely.

I don’t know about the real ‘Riana’, but I was weak to this type.

“I’m just reading various things without being picky. Mostly economics books.”

“…Why?”

However, this kid never ends.

“Why! Why are you reading that of all things?”

What kind of question is that supposed to be.

In the meantime, she was even looking at me with eyes dripping with curiosity, which was very suspicious. After acting like this, when I actually stared back at her, she’d get startled and run away.

‘Why is she acting like that, really.’

She was a maid who bothered me in many ways.

When I turned my gaze back to the book, I could feel Bel’s stare again.

“…Haa.”

“A-as expected, something’s wrong…!”

“I said no.”

“Yes!”

Actually, there was a good reason why I suddenly started immersing myself in books.

‘I can’t go out because of the outing ban, so there’s nothing else I can do.’

It wasn’t because of the commotion I caused on my first day of possession. Riana had already been banned from going out even before I possessed her.

Since I couldn’t just stay depressed forever, I tried to move around, but the situation didn’t cooperate very well.

‘I can’t go outside, and whenever I try to ask something, they run away first. In that situation, what else can I get information from besides books?’

The Duke who should lift the outing ban happened to be away from the manor, so there was nowhere to go and argue.

That’s when Bel hurriedly returned as if remembering something.

“Oh, Miss! I had something to tell you but I forgot!”

“What is it.”

“His Grace has returned!”

“…Why are you telling me this now?”

“S-sorry!”

Is she really my personal maid? I even had that doubt, but since I didn’t have time to scold her, I hurriedly got up from my seat.

The problem was that just getting up from my seat made me dizzy and my body swayed.

“Miss! Are you alright?!”

“I’m fine. I was just dizzy for a moment.”

It happened because I hadn’t been eating properly lately due to emotional stress.

But at that moment, I heard a voice calling Riana from somewhere.

“…Riana?”

I don’t know when he arrived, but Earl Edward was looking this way through the gap in the door.

“Father?”

“Y-Your Grace!”

It was a strange situation where the Duke had been caught sneaking a peek at us in a very suspicious manner.

“R-Riana…?”

“…?”

However, the Duke’s condition was even stranger.

With a face as if his soul had left him and even rough breathing, he looked like he might faint at any moment.

‘Is he sick somewhere?’

Indeed, the Duke wasn’t alone. Several people were following behind him like ducklings, and among them, people who appeared to be a physician and priest were particularly noticeable.

Could he really be sick?

I naturally thought so, but the Duke pointed at me instead.

“Catch her.”

“???”

It wasn’t like capturing a wild animal, yet people rushed at me all at once.

“Please stay still for a moment.”

“What?”

“We’ll finish quickly, Miss. It will only sting for a very brief moment.”

“No, what are you doing right now?”

“Now! Please stay calm, Miss!”

Then they even surrounded me in a circle.

“Father?!”

In the midst of this, the Duke’s complexion was getting worse in real time.

No matter how I thought about it, he was the one who looked sick, yet I didn’t understand why they were doing this to me. But still, people grabbed both my arms.

“No, what are you trying to do-!”

As expected, no answer came back.

*

A dark alley.

In front of a shabby shop, a man approaches from behind another man who was blankly killing time at a humble stall.

“So you were here, Master.”

The man’s name was Simoer. Simoer, who revealed himself from the black shadows, quietly spoke to the man before him.

“What are you looking for?”

However, an answer completely unrelated to what was asked came back.

“…What about what I told you to investigate?”

Since the man had been particularly gloomy lately, this wasn’t a matter of just a day or two. Simoer hurriedly added toward the man. No, toward Azel.

“It was exactly as you said. A novice priest named Yulia was recently discovered at the temple in the capital.”

“What else?”

“Everything matches without even an inch of error.”

The movements of the Imperial Court and the Temple. Their plans and hidden secrets. Despite being told to investigate, everything was exactly as Azel had predicted.

Since what he said was never wrong, this wasn’t particularly surprising either.

“Ah, I saw something rather peculiar on my way here.”

Therefore, Simoer thought that Azel would already know about this as well.

“All the priests from the Southern Temple and the famous physicians from that area had gathered at Winsor.”

“…Winsor?”

However, for some reason, Azel’s reaction was different from usual.

“Winsor suddenly called in all the priests and physicians?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Is there something strange about it?”

“The reason?”

“It seemed the heir of the Winsor Family was ill.”

…That can’t be right.

At the quietly whispered words, Simoer doubted his ears.

“Master?”

Tap, tap, tap-tap.

The fingers drumming on the counter seemed displeased, making the current situation even more surprising.

“Shall I look into what exactly happened?”

A brief moment of contemplation followed.

However.

“No. Just leave it.”

Azel’s decision was to refuse.

“If Winsor shows any suspicious movements, we’ll check again then.”

It seemed there was still time before new changes would begin.

*

“You don’t need to worry. There’s nothing wrong at all.”

At the priest’s words, heavy sighs echoed from all around.

“What is this, really.”

Unlike me, who was simply bewildered, the physicians also added their words with trembling voices.

“Fortunately, you are healthy.”

Now it went beyond sighs. The Duke breathed roughly like someone who had barely escaped from drowning.

“Huff-!”

“????”

As if that wasn’t enough, he leaned his back against the sofa and just gasped while looking at the ceiling. The melancholy profile of the middle-aged man was truly pitiful beyond words.

The more this went on, the more bewildered I became.

“Now please explain. What on earth is all this about?”

At that moment, the Duke suddenly opened his fierce eyes and shouted.

“How can a child act like this!”

“Act like what?”

“There’s a limit to making people worry! How! How could you do such a thing!”

“What did I do?”

“That’s why-!”

That’s why, what. What’s the problem.

When I stared at him accusingly, he hesitated as if his senses had suddenly returned.

“…Well, you. You didn’t really do… anything.”

Only now realizing something was strange, the Duke’s voice lost its strength.

‘What is this? Is he crazy?’

I naturally could only think that way.

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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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