How to Live as the Terminally Ill Younger Sister of the Villain - Chapter 12
No matter where she looked in the novel, there was no mention of a seal on the Kadenhart family heirloom. In fact, there wasn’t even a description of a ‘magic sword’ to begin with, so how could there be such a thing?
But a seal?
‘What an inconsiderate novel, anyway.’
Inwardly cursing the novel once again, Angelina cleared her throat to wipe away her foolish expression.
“It’s not about that.”
Fearing her brother would be shocked if she said she bought it without knowing about the seal, she played it cool.
“It’s just a personal matter.”
“What…”
Ante, who was about to ask, didn’t finish his sentence.
He felt that if he kept pressing, she might get upset, saying it was an invasion of privacy.
So, after holding back for a while, he finally managed to say.
“I’ll ask for you.”
“Huh?”
“If you write a letter, I’ll deliver it.”
Angelina could read the worry on her brother’s face as he said this.
“Thanks, but I need to go in person.”
“……”
The question ‘Why’ bloomed all over his face.
But Angelina smiled faintly at her brother’s consideration, unable to ask.
“Are you worried about the journey?”
It was a distance that would take a good fortnight to travel from the Marquis’ estate.
Of that, a week would be spent crossing the ‘Dark Forest’ surrounding the Magic Tower, so Ante’s concern was understandable.
“It’s okay, don’t worry too much.”
But Angelina had to go.
There was a reason she had to go.
‘I need to confirm the Tower Master’s true intentions.’
In the novel, the Tower Master’s appearance is never directly addressed.
But he was the first to stand by her brother’s side when he became the villain.
「Ante Flaubert was always one step ahead of Blake. His strategies were flawless and his web was strong.
That was troublesome enough, but what made it even harder for Blake was the Magic Tower.
More precisely, it was the Tower Master’s attitude.」
The Tower Master, who had suddenly appeared a few years ago, had straightened out the crumbling Magic Tower and reigned with the trust of the magicians.
But that was all; he didn’t interfere in politics. So, the public believed he was just obsessed with magic and uninterested in power struggles.
Until a few days ago, Angelina thought the same.
‘But everything will change when the novel begins.’
The quiet man suddenly, for some reason, dragged the Magic Tower into the eye of the political storm.
「Having turned both the Imperial family and the Kadenhart Duchy into enemies, he threatened the Empire. In the ‘chaos’ he created, Ante Flaubert could rampage even more freely.」
The time when he changed his mind, giving the protagonists as much trouble as her officially villainous brother, coincided exactly with when the male and female leads announced their engagement.
Readers thought he would rise as the new villain after her brother, the original villain, died.
But with Ante’s death, news of the Tower Master also ceased, and the novel ended quietly with a happy ending.
‘Since nothing but his gender was described, not even his personality or appearance, there were rampant speculations.’
Readers expecting the appearance of a handsome sub-male lead were disappointed.
Light readers grumbled that he was just a device planted by the author to empower the villain.
‘But just once.’
However, attentive readers knew.
‘Just once, his desire was revealed.’
What he wanted.
「If only he could destroy the damned Sun God’s Order, he was willing to do anything. He could gladly offer even his soul.」
It was the destruction of the Sun God’s Order.
The reason wasn’t given, but he hated the temple. He shuddered at anything related to the Sun God.
The reason he helped Ante Flaubert was because he targeted the female lead, who was the saint of the Sun God’s Order, and the reason he tried to lead the Empire to ruin was because the Empire fanatically followed the Sun God’s doctrine.
‘Even for a novel that’s stingy with explanations, isn’t just one line too much?’
Such is the sorrow of an extra character.
Angelina, feeling a strange sense of kinship with him, said.
“Haley will come with me, and the Magic Tower controls the Dark Forest well, they say.”
Angelina firmly conveyed her determination.
‘I must recruit him no matter what.’
She calculated that she had to ensure the Tower Master would stay by her brother’s side, no matter what.
‘I need to go and explain early. That the female lead was also used by the Order, and the male lead helped her to liberate her from the Order.’
First, make him understand the goodness of the protagonists.
‘My brother and I also dislike the Sun God’s Order, so we all need to join hands to bring them down.’
She had to bring him to their side.
Angelina’s ultimate goal was to prevent her brother from becoming the villain and to stop him from becoming enemies with the protagonists.
She had worked hard to improve the relationship between her brother and the protagonists, and it would all be for nothing if the Tower Master misunderstood the female lead and ruined everything.
That’s why Angelina hid her true intentions and spoke. With a slight smile that Ante liked.
“I trust our family’s knights.”
“……”
Of course, even so, Ante’s displeased expression didn’t fade.
Silence fell in the dining room for a while. It was Ante who broke it.
“Haa… Alright.”
He had no way to win against his sister.
“But take the 1st Knight Division with you.”
“Brother, the 1st Knight Division is…!”
The 1st Knight Division, which existed to protect Ante, the Marquis, was composed of knights as skilled as the Emperor’s personal knight division.
Angelina was about to protest that it was too much. But seeing her brother’s resolute expression, she swallowed her objection.
“Alright. I’ll be back quickly.”
If she didn’t accept, her brother seemed determined not to let her go at all.
━━━━༻❁༺━━━━
A few days later, Angelina regretted not asking properly what it meant to be accompanied by the ‘1st Knight Division’ that day.
“My lady, how is it?”
Haley asked with an excited face, but Angelina looked at where she was pointing with cloudy eyes.
A gleaming carriage. And knights in full armor as if going to war.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said I’d go…’
Her brother had allowed her to go to the Magic Tower, but it seemed he couldn’t give up on overprotecting her.
The carriage, as lavish as one from the Imperial family, was equipped with numerous protective devices.
Haley had even layered shield magic on top, emitting a fierce energy.
‘This could be taken to a battlefield.’
It seemed it wouldn’t budge even if dozens of knights attacked.
“Haa.”
Knowing how much her brother cherished her, it was a mistake to say she’d crossed the Dark Forest.
‘Well, let’s think positively.’
This too, couldn’t it be seen as a money splurge? Yes, I’m just being faithful to my bucket list.
That’s right. That’s what it is.
“My lady?”
“It’s amazing. As expected, Haley, you’re incredible.”
Having finished her self-rationalization, Angelina patted Haley’s head as if she had never sighed, and Haley smiled broadly.
However, their pleasant moment was interrupted by Ante coming out of the mansion.
“…Do you have to go?”
“I’ll be back soon.”
“I can relay what you want to say to the Tower Master.”
Ante said, seemingly anxious.
But Angelina shook her head.
Although Ante said he could relay the message, Angelina knew well that it was practically difficult.
The current Tower Master maintains external neutrality while rejecting everyone. Therefore, getting in touch was like reaching for the stars.
‘In fact, even if I go in person, it’s uncertain if he’ll meet me, but…’
Still, Angelina was confident.
‘No matter how powerful the Tower Master is, he won’t be able to refuse my proposal.’
She had an ace up her sleeve. A card she could use because she knew the novel.
Even if she couldn’t completely recruit him, she was confident she could shake him.
“It’s okay. And honestly, I wanted to get some fresh air too.”
“If that’s the case, just tell me. Whether it’s the sea or mountains, I can go with you.”
“I know you’re busy.”
“Would that be more important than you?”
“……”
Disliking her departure so much, Ante whined like a wet puppy.
Seeing this, Angelina became even more determined.
‘I really can’t leave him alone.’
She was resolved to prevent this pitiful and affectionate brother from becoming a villain at all costs.
“Brother. You know there’s nothing more important to me than you, right?”
Remembering her brother’s fate in the novel, Angelina felt sad and hugged his waist.
“Don’t be sick.”
Don’t suffer alone.
Don’t be sad alone.
So that you can endure, I’ll find friends for you.
So don’t cry alone.
“Lina…”
Angelina hugged him tightly, listening to his trembling voice. The sound of his heartbeat in her ear was pleasant.
Just like that day when they were young.
This heartbeat, which had saved her in that terrible moment, still comforted her heart even after years had passed.
“I’ll be back.”
So.
To ensure this heart never stops, this time, I’ll save you, brother.
