The Male Lead Has Gone Mad Over the Troublesome Villainess - Chapter 55

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

The Male Lead Has Gone Mad for the Villainess – Episode 55
Lights were burning in Gloria.
A torch was planted beside the city gate, and beneath it stood a figure.
It was Millers.
He caught sight of me nestled in Kael’s arms, then his gaze shifted to Hald, who was being supported by Kobi. A smile crept across his face—the kind that looked ready to crumble into tears at any moment.
“What in the world do you all look like?”
What was he about to cry for now?
“Sir Millers!”
I waved my hand.
“We did it! We brought the key back!”
I saw Millers press his palm to his forehead. He leaned toward Kael’s ear and whispered something.
“You’re not planning to keep this up the entire way, are you?”
Kael glanced at me and promptly ignored my words. He wasn’t going to put me down. I gave up and rested my head against his shoulder instead.
The square was teeming with people.
It was clear no one had slept the entire night.
“……Rosana?”
It was Vanessa. She burst through the crowd first.
“What on earth is that dreadful dress? It looks like it went out of fashion a century ago!”
As if that mattered now. I found it so absurd that laughter spilled out. My ribs ached when I laughed, but the laughter kept coming anyway.
The moment Vanessa noticed my wounds, her face went rigid. As Kael continued forward, she clung to his side, scurrying along beside him in quick, hurried steps. Even as she moved, she refused to release my sleeve—gripping it tightly as though I might vanish somewhere the instant she let go.
When we reached a house tucked away in the depths of an alley off the square, Vanessa opened the door, and Kael carried me inside.
“You can put me down now.”
“Where is the bedroom?”
Ignoring my words, Kael headed deeper into the house and laid me on a bed. Then he exhaled heavily and sat down at the edge of it.
“……I truly don’t understand this lady. Are you not even aware that you’re injured?”
“Well……”
I was awkwardly covering it with laughter when the Healer entered. Kael rose from where he sat.
“Receive treatment and rest. We’ll talk later.”
“Wait a moment!”
I pressed the Holy Sanctuary Key into Kael’s hand as he turned to leave. The moment he took it, his expression twisted, and then he gripped the key tightly and left the room. Why was he so angry?
Only the Healer and I remained in the room. The Healer used scissors to cut away my skirt. The hands working to remove the cloth wrapped around the wound were extraordinarily careful.
The scabs that had stuck to the fabric tore away along with it, forcing me to grit my teeth.
“It needs stitching.”
That was what I’d expected. It wasn’t the first time I’d been injured like this. The Healer sighed.
“We have no proper pain medicine here. We’ll simply have to stitch it as it is.”
That was rough, but not impossible. Back when I was in the combat unit, I’d even stitched my own torn leg before.
I steadied my breathing and nodded.
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
The Healer’s expression twisted into something horrified.
“Why are you always fine with everything, my lady? This is not fine. I simply don’t understand. Do you truly believe this expedition will succeed?”
The Healer appeared inexperienced, but they were competent enough in their own way. However, they harbored doubts about this expedition—and I recalled from the Original Story that they would eventually abandon it.
I regarded the Healer steadily.
“Why do they all stake their lives like this?”
“Because we must succeed.”
The Healer paused at my words.
“We’re doing this so that we will. I believe that when all our efforts gather together, they’ll bear fruit.”
“But why do you believe? Isn’t it more reasonable to assume you’ll all die? Let’s say you do take the Holy Relic with you. Will that Holy Relic truly drive away the Monsters?”
Yes.
That’s what happens in the Original Story.
The Holy Relic purifies the world and then disappears. Of course, there are other things needed in that process, but those work out just fine.
“I’m here because I believe in that.”
The Healer gazed at me with an expression of incomprehension, then slowly shook their head and spoke.
“Wait here. I’ll gather what’s needed. And it would be better to wash before I stitch it. You’re filthy. Be careful not to get water in the wound.”
“I will.”
“……You need to recover quickly, or you won’t be able to do anything at all.”
While the Healer went to make preparations, Vanessa entered and wept softly as she looked at my wounds.
“Don’t do that, Vanessa.”
“Yes?”
“……Could you loosen my corset for me?”
Vanessa’s eyes went wide.
“I feel like I’m dying from the corset more than anything else.”
It had been the culprit behind my labored breathing throughout the entire battle. Vanessa let out a soft laugh and nodded in agreement.
With Vanessa’s help, I managed a quick wash and changed into a comfortable shirt. She was kind enough to swap out my bedding for fresh linens as well.
I’d grown accustomed to this sort of thing by now. Watching Vanessa’s transformation since our first meeting was nothing short of remarkable.
Soon the Healer returned. As I watched her prepare her needle, Vanessa’s face drained of color.
“A-are you stitching it now?”
“Yes.”
The Healer spoke with obvious irritation. Her character was certainly consistent.
“The Lady said it was fine.”
Which meant Vanessa ought to stop making a fuss, but she seemed unable to accept this and whimpered her protest.
“Rosana, I didn’t know it needed stitching! What do I do, what do I—”
The Healer’s expression twisted.
“Shush, Vanessa. If the needle goes in wrong because of your crying, what then?”
Vanessa clamped her hand over her mouth and opened her eyes wide.
“C-could that actually happen?”
Vanessa shot the Healer a suspicious glance. The Healer responded with an expression suggesting she’d heard quite enough.
“Step aside, please.”
You’re in the way.
I could almost hear the unspoken words hanging in the air. I laughed and gently pulled Vanessa to the side. She gripped my hand with a tension that exceeded even my own anxiety.
Then came the ordeal.
While the Healer stitched my wound, Vanessa never released my hand, and I nearly broke hers eight times over. Fourteen stitches in total. Once the Healer finished disinfecting, she spoke to me in a warning tone.
“Lady, you must not walk for four days starting today.”
“Four days?”
“Four days.”
“That’s a bit much.”
“Otherwise, I could simply cut the leg off.”
I quickly lay back down and chuckled. So I’m supposed to remain lying down like this? As if my legs weren’t precious enough. The Healer shook her head and left the room.
* * *
At that same moment.
Kael summoned the Priest to verify the authenticity of the key. If the key proved false, the Holy Sanctuary would remain sealed forever.
The Priest finally looked up.
“It matches the records! The Holy Sanctuary Key is genuine.”
Those who had been watching the Priest’s lips gasped aloud. Kael ran a rough hand through his hair and gazed coldly at the object resting on the table.
It was nothing but a small piece of metal, barely the size of an adult’s thumb. Because of that one small thing, Rosana had suffered such grievous injury. Fourteen stitches. All for that.
A bitter smile crossed Kael’s lips. Yet still, the fate of humanity hung upon this small thing.
“Your Highness.”
Seraphine, standing beside the door, called to Kael. He slowly lifted his gaze to look at her. His eyes were dark and distant.
“Perhaps now would be a good time for you to receive treatment. Your shoulder and ribs as well.”
Only then did I notice the expressions on the others’ faces. They all regarded Kael with anxious eyes. What they wanted was clear: for Kael to undergo treatment and find rest. For the sake of his anxious subordinates, he resolved to do just that.
“Bring the Healer.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Millers dashed out with a brightened expression.

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