The World Mistakes Me for Terminally Ill - Chapter 54

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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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The World Thinks I’m Terminally Ill Episode 054

 

A few minutes later, outside the underground prison.

 

[I don’t like that shiny human.]

 

I made a job offer (?) to Naintail and then left that place.

 

For reference, he asked for a little time to think it over. It was an obvious ploy considering the possibility of escape, but I readily agreed.

 

“This time it’s shiny?”

 

[Hmph! His hair shines, so of course he’s shiny. He’s a human who might betray us, so why did you grant his request?]

 

“If I’ve decided to hire him, I should treat him well.”

 

I’m not the type to squeeze employees dry like a wrung-out rag. I’m the type who makes them voluntarily loyal with abundant money and benefits.

 

I headed to my room while soothing the grumbling Kaiseus.

 

He, who had transformed into a ring, asked why I was hiring the shiny one. My answer was simple.

 

‘Because the masterminds from the original story have started to intervene.’

 

The fact that the Beatrice Ducal Family moved Naintail to observe Lunein’s situation.

 

Why would the master of the West, called the cradle of artists, specifically target the barren North?

 

To understand this, background knowledge about the West is necessary.

 

The West wasn’t abundant in food like the South, nor did it have developed trade ports like the East.

 

And it’s not like they had facilities that could attract a floating population like the Imperial Academy in the Central region.

 

In short, the West had nothing. So they squeezed out their remaining resource: people.

 

They brought in hungry artists, and it succeeded, so now it’s called the ‘cradle of artists.’

 

“But human greed has no end.”

 

Duke Beatrice, who wanted land with resources, eventually turned his ambition to the most vulnerable North.

 

The North has such isolated terrain, but it’s quite rich in resources like mines. If not for this, Lunein would have starved to death long ago.

 

“It’s not that it’s wrong. Everyone has desires they want to fulfill. It’s not bad for a lord to seek opportunities to have bigger land. Achievement is also the driving force of development.”

 

However, if Beatrice’s goal was to make the North’s territory prosperous, they would have originally proposed investment for territorial negotiations when Lunein was going through hard times.

 

But they didn’t do that.

 

‘Why?’

 

Because what Beatrice truly wanted in the original story was a kind of ‘colony’ that guaranteed cheap resources and labor. The Duke waited for the time when the North’s value would drop the most.

 

Yes, until Lunein fell due to treason charges and the North became ownerless.

 

They didn’t even think about the Northern people who would suffer because of it.

 

“So I have to make sure they can’t even lay a finger on this side, right? How annoying.”

 

[Hmm, I understand! But what does that have to do with hiring the shiny human?]

 

“There’s a saying that poison is cured with poison.”

 

[Huh?]

 

“I plan to use Naintail in reverse to confuse Beatrice’s information.”

 

[I don’t really understand.]

 

“Simply put, I’m going to use their plan against them.”

 

[Use against them?]

 

“Right. They tried to kidnap the Nety priestess to confirm whether I’m really influencing Lunein, and how much Lunein cares about me.”

 

It’s a kind of testing the waters, and here I planned to use their scheme to package ‘Elisia Runein’ as a wasteful human who thoughtlessly throws money around, and that everything so far was just luck.

 

[Even if humans are stupid, I don’t think they’ll believe it.]

 

“They won’t believe it at first.”

 

But what if rumors about being terminally ill spread?

 

How could anyone understand the thoughts of a human who doesn’t have much time left to live? They’re saying they’ll squander money they can’t even take with them when they die.

 

I raised the corner of my mouth crookedly.

 

“If it’s a rumor that’s going to spread anyway, I should use it, shouldn’t I?”

 

If Lunein’s overprotectiveness is added to this, they won’t know where this woman might go, so their movements will become relatively cautious.

 

People with nothing to lose are scary, after all.

 

“Then I can prevent their direct intervention for a while. After the hot spring trip is established, population movement and inter-territory exchanges will become active, so they won’t be able to approach carelessly.”

 

After Critic K’s article came out, inquiries about villa invitations were subtly coming in.

 

If this becomes a trend and famous people join in one by one, there will be people who want to build private hot springs and villas.

 

[What if bad villains say they want to build villas?]

 

“Smart, aren’t you? That’s what I was aiming for.”

 

[Huh?!]

 

“Rather than letting blades in the darkness move without my knowledge, it’s better to force the direction of attack.”

 

As I said, I must always hold the initiative.

 

With those words, Kaiseus went quiet with a ‘Huk!’

 

I thought it was his usual exaggeration and turned the corner.

 

And.

 

“…Madam.”

 

A voice that sounded like it was crawling from the bottom of hell was heard. I unconsciously flinched and stepped back.

 

Shubel, who had been standing blankly in front of the room with a sunken face, strode toward me.

 

“Where have you been?”

 

“Just, some business.”

 

“It hasn’t even been a week since you coughed up blood.”

 

I don’t know why I have to make excuses when I want to move my own body.

 

But anyone would do the same seeing Shubel, whose under-eye shadows had darkened like he hadn’t slept for days, making him look decadent.

 

His usually neat hair and clothes were disheveled, as if he had searched around looking for me.

 

Honestly, he looks more sick than I do.

 

“My body felt fine…”

 

When I mumbled unconsciously, he strode closer again.

 

So, to summarize the past few days.

 

My husband, who’s grown tall and sturdy, developed separation anxiety.

 

I was soon dragged away by the person who had grabbed my wrist without hurting me.

 

“You need to rest.”

 

“Wait a moment, Shubel.”

 

“You need to rest.”

 

Shubel was obstinate. He entered the room and laid me on the bed.

 

And thinking I would melt if I touched sunlight or something, he obsessively drew the curtains, cast magic, and checked the surroundings vigilantly again.

 

Seeing the always-composed man completely lose himself and become sharp-edged, I eventually had to threaten him to bring him over.

 

“If you don’t come here, I won’t take my medicine.”

 

Shubel hesitated. He obediently approached the bed and sat in a chair.

 

I had no choice but to drink the ineffective medicine due to his anxious gaze.

 

After receiving the terminal diagnosis, what Shubel brought were things he seemed to plan to scrape together every medicinal ingredient on the continent, and there were some I didn’t recognize even though I’d seen most precious things since childhood.

 

‘I hoped the original’s protagonist would change, but I didn’t think he’d change this much.’

 

Should I say my playboy husband suddenly became mature?

 

Shubel was very busy these days. Getting my medicine, calling doctors and priests, handling estate affairs in my place.

 

Even in the midst of all that, whenever he had to leave my side, he became very anxious and kept obsessively checking if I was okay.

 

That’s why a person became so haggard in just a few days.

 

‘His jawline seems to have become sharper.’

 

His under-eyes were black and his pupils were unfocused. He felt precariously close to collapse.

 

I had only left my place once, but in that time I coughed up blood and immediately received a terminal diagnosis, so Shubel’s mental state was clearly broken.

 

I tried to soothe him and start a conversation.

 

“Shubel, are you actually sleeping?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

No, I’m asking if you’re sleeping. Anyone can see this means ‘I didn’t sleep.’

 

Since I’d been going to bed early lately, I couldn’t know what the human next to me was doing at night.

 

“You need to sleep. Otherwise you’ll hurt your body.”

 

“…When Madam is enduring greater pain, how could my sleep matter?”

 

It does matter, you fool!

 

When nothing seemed to lift his gloomy expression, I sighed inwardly, feeling like I was going crazy and jumping around.

 

‘I have no choice.’

 

I don’t like using my sickly image with my own mouth, but I need to put people at ease first.

 

I chose my words carefully and slowly opened my mouth.

 

“As you know, um, this illness probably can’t be simply cured with medicine.”

 

Well, it’s not a human disease after all.

 

Shubel’s complexion grew even darker. I struck first before he could dig another tunnel to his core.

 

“But you never know what might happen in life.”

 

Blink, he slowly closed and opened his eyes.

 

“I don’t want to give up and stay helplessly confined to the house already.”

 

“My lady….”

 

“I told you. A sense of achievement is my driving force.”

 

“…!”

 

“Does God decide all human affairs? Are humans beings that must be bound by fate? I don’t think so.”

 

Yes, I don’t think so.

 

My life, which I’ve run through giving my all, is too precious to live as a puppet of fate.

 

So I will thoroughly shatter any story that ends in tragedy and change everything.

 

“I will find the answer in the end.”

 

I met his gaze directly and clasped my hands over the back of his.

 

“So will you help me?”

 

Shubel’s eyes wavered.

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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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