The World Mistakes Me for Terminally Ill - Chapter 64

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

The World Thinks I’m Terminally Ill Episode 064

 

To be honest, regardless of the Duchess’s reputation, I felt somewhat sorry. It was like asking someone who came to rest to suddenly do work.

 

On top of that, I was planning to give up halfway through, so I thought I’d just obediently go along with whatever, pretending to meditate for a moment.

 

“I don’t want anyone else entering my classes. This is my class time.”

 

But seeing the strict old lady come out so firmly from our first meeting made me think ‘hmm.’

 

‘I could see it as just pride in her own classes, but something feels off about this.’

 

It was the moment when Countess Herman’s party, having received an invitation, came to the Grand Duke’s Castle for an audience with the Duchess.

 

Bella casually brought up the topic of etiquette education, and contrary to her reputation of not teaching just anyone, the Countess readily accepted.

 

Instead, she set separate conditions.

 

First, during class time, no one except those she designated could enter.

 

Second, choosing the classroom and teaching materials would be solely her authority.

 

Third, due to the nature of etiquette education, she might be ‘somewhat’ strict, and the student must understand this and always keep her mouth sealed as a noble lady.

 

If these weren’t followed, she would consider the student unprepared for education and refuse to teach.

 

‘The first and second are understandable, but isn’t the third a bit strange?’

 

Bella must have felt it too, as she said with displeasure.

 

“The child is weak and needs care. Let’s allow just one dedicated maid to enter.”

 

“Being weak is a privilege of young ladies. But if she’s to be a noblewoman who must bear children, support her husband, and manage the family’s domestic affairs, she must be able to endure alone. That’s what I teach.”

 

The Countess, who had been looking only at the Duchess as if I, who had been by Bella’s side the whole time, was invisible, turned to look at me.

 

“If she can’t endure even that, she can’t be called a noble lady.”

 

Ah, this old lady. She has a tendency to say the same things in an unpleasant way. Is she saying I’m faking illness because I’m of commoner origin?

 

Though it is fake illness.

 

When I saw Bella’s eyebrows twitch and our warrior mother-in-law looked ready to overturn everything, I carefully placed my hand over hers.

 

“Mother, it’s alright. I can do well.”

 

“Child.”

 

“Didn’t I tell you? For the finest gems—”

 

“A renowned craftsman is needed. Yes, I understand.”

 

She eventually couldn’t break my stubbornness and reluctantly gave permission.

 

“I’ll always station servants and knights in front of the classroom, so call them if you need anything.”

 

That was both advice to me and a warning to the Duchess. Don’t try anything foolish.

 

After the audience with the Duchess ended and we left her office, the Duchess walked away stiffly without even a chance to exchange greetings.

 

“Hmm. It seems I was right after all.”

 

I recalled that Countess Herman was a ‘pure blood’ follower.

 

That’s why she despised the late former Empress of commoner origin. She also disliked the Crown Prince, who was the former Empress’s child.

 

It seemed I was already marked by the Duchess as a disgrace to nobility and someone who needed to be removed.

 

‘This etiquette education won’t end easily.’

 

As I was thinking this, I heard a familiar voice from behind.

 

“Well, well, who could this be. Isn’t this Miss Elisia who ran away from the capital with her tail between her legs.”

 

I turned around. I saw a red-haired fox-like beauty.

 

Are foxes in season these days? Foxes keep gathering around me.

 

I looked at my so-called rival, Melina Herman, and smiled slightly.

 

“That’s usually called entering one’s in-laws’ house, not running away. Don’t tell me you still confuse ‘request’ and ‘ceremony’? You’ll need to study reading again, Miss Melina.”

 

“Hey! That was ages ago!”

 

Melina, who had been acting coy, suddenly shouted.

 

I shrugged at her unchanged temperament.

 

“It was such a shocking incident that I can’t forget it.”

 

“Ugh, seriously annoying. You’re really mean-spirited. People should know what you’re really like. Your illness is all fake too, isn’t it?”

 

“Are you introducing yourself?”

 

“Argh!”

 

I asked Melina, who was getting heated by herself.

 

“But what brings you all the way here? I don’t think you’d leave the comfortable capital to come all the way north just to assist the Duchess.”

 

“You just insulted me again, didn’t you.”

 

“Did I?”

 

When I grinned and denied it, Melina gave me a suspicious look as if thinking ‘she tricked me again.’

 

Melina Herman.

 

A beauty with an extremely fiery personality to match her intense red hair.

 

She’s rather spiteful, but in my view, she’s just not honest. Though she’d get angry if I said that.

 

Melina crossed her arms and snorted.

 

“I heard you married into a poor family, so I came to laugh at you properly.”

 

That was so like Melina.

 

She looked me up and down from head to toe. If anyone else had done that, I would have poked their eyes out immediately, but when this intensely colored beauty did it, it just suited her.

 

“Miss Melina.”

 

“What. You can’t argue back, can you?”

 

“This is in front of the Duchess’s office.”

 

Creak.

 

A stern-looking maid came out of the office and made a scary expression.

 

“Don’t worry. I’m rich now, you know. I’ve installed soundproofing, so she probably didn’t hear. Maybe?”

 

“…”

 

Melina glared at me with an annoyed expression, then turned around with a huff and disappeared.

 

I shook my head at her still childish behavior despite her age.

 

The day of the first etiquette lesson dawned.

 

Seeing the Duchess’s maid arbitrarily notify me of the class and location from 6 AM, I raised the corner of my mouth crookedly.

 

It’s fortunate that I’m naturally a diligent person due to work.

 

For an ordinary young lady, this would be enough time to be late on the first day.

 

‘She definitely doesn’t like me.’

 

I thought as I headed to the room she had designated.

 

Countess Herman must have been waiting for a chance to step on me since I had taken away half the capital’s high society atmosphere that the Herman family should have dominated.

 

Now that the opportunity had come, she was just trying to step on me.

 

I had no intention of taking everything she wanted to dish out, but I resolved to endure as much as possible.

 

Since I was the one who unnecessarily detained someone who came to rest, and my own goals were impure, I should endure as much as possible…

 

“Is it because you were born of lowly birth that even your method of seeking a teacher is so vulgar? Having barely succeeded in clinging to a noble family, you should stay quiet. Being from a household that vulgarly goes around selling things, you’re full of nothing but greed.”

 

Ah, but this crosses the line, doesn’t it?

 

My eyes turned coldly at her disparaging my parents from the very first lesson.

 

I said I’d endure ‘as much as possible,’ not that I’d endure ‘everything,’ right?

 

I smiled brightly, deliberately to annoy her, and said.

 

“Seeing that you’re decorated from head to toe without exception with things sold by that vulgar household of lowly birth, it seems you also like vulgar things, tea.cher. Let me introduce myself again. I’m Elisia Runein. Please take care of me.”

 

The stern-faced Duchess, apparently not having heard such direct insults in a long time, froze for a moment.

 

But as befitting someone who had survived decades in the Imperial Palace, she soon elegantly snapped her fan shut to express her anger once, then sat down.

 

‘Oh my. Having held a position in old age, she must have only seen young ladies who grovel before her. She’s already getting angry.’

 

I chuckled inwardly.

 

I had tried to paint a beautiful picture where one side would teach with their best effort, and the other would humbly acknowledge their shortcomings and step back, but if the other side won’t cooperate, what can I do? I’ll have to overturn it.

 

I was raised too preciously to accept someone’s incomprehensible spite.

 

When there are people who cherish and love me, I can’t just let a stranger I barely know disparage me, can I?

 

That would be dragging the affection of those who love me into the mud as well.

 

The old lady, radiating strictness from her entire body, was showing her displeasure, but compared to the tension before a business contract worth hundreds of billions of gold, this was nothing.

 

When I paid no mind and tried to sit in front of her, the Duchess raised her hand to stop me.

 

“Remove it.”

 

At those words, one of the maids who had entered as part of the Duchess’s entourage removed the chair I was about to sit in.

 

When I looked at her wondering what kind of childish behavior this was, the Duchess snorted.

 

“I don’t share tables with lowly things. And I don’t want to be called teacher by something that wasn’t properly educated, so call me Duchess.”

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