The World Mistakes Me for Terminally Ill - Chapter 78
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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 078
“Ugh-“
Thump!
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my heart.
Like an aftereffect of coughing up blood, I had the illusion of tasting metallic blood in my mouth.
The hand clutched to my chest had now become clearly visible. As if it was becoming one with this place…
I gritted my teeth and tried to cool my fevered head.
‘Stay calm. I can’t make conclusions based on just this. There must be something different from before. Something that’s changed from before-‘
There is.
Namely, my first meeting with Shubel.
And.
“…Kai?”
The Lizard Demon Kaiseus II who told me all of this.
Come to think of it, did Kaiseus appear in the original work?
I frantically tried to recall the contents of the original, but there wasn’t a single mention of Kaiseus.
At first, I thought it was because he was an existence dwelling in my ring, and the original was from Shubel’s perspective.
But even in the illusion of the White Forest, which was from the original Elisia’s perspective, Kaiseus didn’t appear.
“What exactly are you?”
Why are you helping me?
As I stood there in confusion, the illusion moved to the next scene.
The Countess Duchess tried to torment Elisia and make her give up halfway, but Elisia had to build connections even if it meant using others’ influence, so she endured to the end.
‘Tough girl.’
Eventually, after finishing etiquette education and making her debut in Northern Society, Elisia went to find Shubel to request him as her first dance partner.
Shubel had been staying at Jenaide Villa continuously even after marriage.
In a way, it could be called consistent obsession as she approached the window where he was sitting.
‘What is there to see that you keep staying there?’
When she asked, the person who seemed unlikely to answer surprisingly opened his mouth readily.
‘Aurora.’
‘What?’
‘I’m waiting for the aurora.’
Surprised by the unexpected answer, Shubel instead asked back.
‘They say this is the place closest to the sky. Have you ever seen an aurora?’
In the Northern Region, there was a legend that auroras were passages leading to the White Forest.
“…”
The illusion ended.
I hardened my expression at the flood of information.
Various questions arose and subsided, but only three remained clear.
First, what had changed about Shubel that made our first meeting different.
Second, who was Kaiseus, who didn’t exist in the original storyline.
Third, why was Shubel looking for the aurora that leads to the White Forest.
“One thing is certain.”
I thought while watching the two people accepting each other as dance partners in the last scene.
“If I want to take a different path from the original, I must not make my official debut in Northern Society.”
I’m sorry to Mother, but the illusion became a catalyst for strengthening my original resolve.
I decided to thoroughly interrogate Kaiseus once I returned and glared at the pure white forest visible in the distance.
Wasn’t this illusion meant to urge my decision? Even though the illusion had ended, there was no sign of waking up.
“Thanks for the information, but could you please kick me out now?”
As I grumbled pointlessly, pure white petals fluttered as if the White Forest was responding.
Thump, thump, thump.
The feeling of reality’s heartbeat gradually getting closer.
Beep. The tinnitus growing stronger.
And a voice heard faintly.
‘I didn’t cry and stayed good like you said-‘
The person whose voice was full of moisture despite claiming not to have cried whispered in a completely hoarse and cracked voice.
‘Please give me a reward.’
Really such a high-maintenance man.
I thought ‘can’t be helped’ and opened my eyes.
To conclude, I didn’t have a chance to summon Kaiseus for a while after waking up.
Because people from the Duchy came to visit me in turns.
The first visitors were Bella, the butler, and Bikal.
“Child, did you not tell me because I brought up etiquette education? For that Duchess to treat such a thoughtful child like this…!”
No, Mother. You know I’m not the type to hold back what I want to say in the first place.
Our mother’s rose-colored glasses have gotten too thick, how do I treat this?
“But what happened to the Duchess?”
Curious about the situation after I collapsed, I asked, and Bikal answered while elegantly pouring tea.
“The Duchess drove her out, so don’t worry, Bella.”
…Huh?
“There is no one in this castle who will trouble Bella.”
I was shocked to hear that Bella, who was soft-hearted, had driven someone out in this weather.
She was someone who tried not to dismiss servants and kept them even when the Duchy was in financial difficulty.
“I also purified the place since it seemed to have bad energy lingering. Please be at ease.”
I almost spit out the tea I was drinking when I heard that the butler, who seemed more realistic than anyone, had sprinkled holy water blessed by priests everywhere immediately after driving out the Duchess.
That… wasn’t that used for exorcising demons? Is it okay to use on people?
“I also made an inquiry to the Imperial Court. How could they guarantee the credentials of such a person as an educator?”
“…?!”
“I heard she was dismissed from her position as Imperial etiquette teacher afterward.”
Bella sneered gracefully while drinking her tea.
I woke up to find that a storm had swept through.
Since the basic framework was already set up, I had faith that they would take some satisfying measures, but I didn’t expect it to be this extensive.
‘Just now Mother’s expression looked really similar to Shubel’s. It must be… my imagination, right?’
Then it must be my imagination. Our mother couldn’t make such a frightening sneer. She’s a person of character who’s even kind to her commoner daughter-in-law.
Anyway, I felt wronged that I couldn’t directly witness the satisfying revenge scene.
That’s what I get for coughing up blood. I was planning to pretend to be sick moderately while annoying her.
“And about etiquette education, child.”
As I was feeling regretful, what was bound to come finally came.
When I made a tense expression, Bella patted the back of my hand with a caring face as if she had never sneered.
“You don’t need to be so tense. Who would blame you after what happened? If there’s anyone who blames you, I won’t let them be. Let’s think about society slowly.”
I think there was something strange mixed in the middle, but I must have heard that wrong too…?
I brushed it off casually, reassured by Bella’s gentle voice, the fragrant tea Bikal served, and hearing what I wanted to hear.
After that, the second visitors were Jerkhal and Luke.
“Miss Vivian is leaving to study in the Capital?”
This was really surprising. It was called studying, but it was no different from exile.
“Yes, Bella. I apologize for my sister causing trouble.”
“Well. That’s something she should come and say herself, isn’t it?”
At my cold words, Luke hesitated and raised his bowed head.
I smiled sweetly at him.
“Sharing blood doesn’t make everyone family. Not sharing blood doesn’t mean you’re not family either.”
There’s no need to apologize on behalf of someone just because you’re blood relatives. Understanding this meaning, relief appeared on the Knight Commander’s face.
“Ahem.”
After finishing with Luke, Father, who had been sitting quietly until then, cleared his throat.
“So, how are you feeling physically?”
“I’m bursting with energy, Father. Actually, I think I’m getting stiff from lying down too much.”
I grumbled while deliciously eating the milk pudding that Jerkhal had brought as a get-well gift.
It was just a small complaint asking for some help, but at my words, both men’s gazes turned toward one particular spot.
“….”
There sat Shubel like a house-guarding dog, blankly processing documents.
For reference, he had been doing this when I woke up and when Bella and Bikal came too.
Whether my brainwashing-like words had worked, he didn’t particularly stop people from coming in or me from going out, but he stuck by my side all day like this without leaving.
He had taken all my work to do himself, leaving me with nothing to do.
“He’s finally matured. Daughter-in-law, you should rest well.”
“Oh, Father. I’m telling you it’s hard to rest too much.”
“You’ve never really rested much anyway.”
How could this be – even Father isn’t on my side.
As I grumbled about this harsh married life(?) where no one would give me work, Shubel spoke up.
“The family heads who have been stripped of retainer benefits are pleading to meet with my lady just once. What should we do?”
Huh? Me?
“Tsk, they’re quite shrewd.”
“They know who they need to look good to. Thanks to that, quite decent medicinal herbs are coming in.”
“Leave them be. Just make sure to save the herbs for our daughter-in-law to eat.”
“Yes.”
Isn’t that bribery?
No wait, more importantly, you stripped retainer benefits? Is this okay?
‘Wasn’t our Lunein small?’
As I was confused by a flow that even I found hard to follow, Shubel organized his documents and stood up.
“Then please step aside now. It’s time for my lady to rest.”
Though it was an extremely unfilial thing to say, Father and Luke readily got up from their seats, telling me to rest.
No, don’t go…!
My silent cry sadly didn’t reach them.
Click, the door closed.
The bedroom where we were finally left alone together.
I felt Shubel slowly approaching the bed and awkwardly averted my gaze.
Shubel said gently.
“My lady, you said you would give me a reward.”
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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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