How to Live as the Terminally Ill Younger Sister of the Villain - Chapter 24

No, it feels somewhat different from empathy.

Understanding? Consolation?

Honestly, I’m not sure what it is.

What’s certain is that it was a side never shown by the nobles who would point fingers at him, calling him a monster and finding him disgusting.

That stirred up a strange feeling in Blake’s solar plexus. It felt like a thorny wind swirling inside.

A feeling that he shouldn’t know what it was.

Feeling quite uncomfortable, Blake quickly changed the subject.

“I’m worried that the smell might stimulate other monsters in the Dark Forest.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

Angelina explained, pointing at Haley.

“Haley manages it well.”

Haley was using wind magic with great precision.

Fire magic for cooking and wind magic for odor control. On top of that, countless barrier spells and cleverly hidden attack spells.

Just where is the limit of that magician’s abilities?

“The more I see, the more I covet such talent.”

Blake offered sincere praise.

Angelina, who didn’t know most of the magic Haley was casting, still agreed that she was exceptional and gave a faint smile.

“Recruitment is out of the question. She’s a precious one my brother personally assigned to me.”

And she casually mentioned Ante’s competence as well, contributing to creating a good impression.

As their gazes met, Haley’s voice echoed through the campsite.

“It’s ready!”

***

Normally, Angelina would have sat around the campfire with the knights for meals, but with Blake present, she had a separate place set up, especially for today.

Blake, too, was used to eating mixed in with his close associates, but he didn’t refuse the separately prepared seating.

“Does it suit your taste?”

The fox beast stayed nearby as well. It curled up at her feet, resting its head on Angelina’s lap as it tried to sleep.

“I eat anything well.”

“I like any kind of meat too.”

Angelina said as she popped a warm piece of meat into her mouth.

‘As expected, Haley’s cooking is good.’

It was delicious today as well.

“Lady Flaubert.”

As the meal continued without much conversation, Blake broke the silence.

“Yes, go ahead.”

“If it’s not too impertinent, may I ask why you’re going to the magic tower?”

It was a question that had been hesitated over for so long it felt late.

In fact, Blake had wanted to ask this question from the moment he first discovered Angelina.

Why would a woman raised delicately in a marquis household come to such a gloomy place?

Did the Marquis send her? Or did she come of her own accord because she needed something?

Either way, what was the reason?

If the Marquis household wanted the tower master, the Marquis would know it’s more beneficial to contact directly, and this woman didn’t seem interested in building her own power base.

Then, did she need other services from the magic tower?

If so, it would have been much more convenient to send a letter or such. There was no need to come in person.

Blake had been trying to figure out her purpose from the moment he accidentally met her. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t come to a conclusion.

So he finally asked. It was just the right time to bring it up now when there was nothing particular to talk about.

“To the magic tower…”

She didn’t answer immediately, holding back her words for a moment. She took a sip of the wine prepared by Laura and then continued slowly.

“Everyone has at least one secret they can’t talk about, right?”

In the end, it was an answer saying she wouldn’t tell, but.

Angelina instead raised her hand to call Laura.

“But I think I can tell you one thing.”

And she whispered something to Laura. Then Laura brought something from the carriage.

Angelina handed the cloth-wrapped item to Blake.

“This couldn’t be…”

Because of its familiar shape, Blake could tell what it was without opening it.

“I heard that sword has a seal on it.”

It was Artoas, the heirloom of the Kadenhart Duchy.

“…That’s correct.”

“So, on my way to the magic tower, I was going to ask if the tower master knows anything about the seal. Ah, I wasn’t planning to use it, just out of curiosity.”

Angelina quickly added, worried he might misunderstand.

“I didn’t know it was the duchy’s heirloom and showed an embarrassing side of myself that day in many ways.”

“Not at all. Only the ducal family and the imperial family know the true form of Artoas. It’s natural that you didn’t know.”

“Well, when you put it that way, it’s a bit comforting.”

Angelina said as she picked up her fork and knife again.

“Anyway, I’m returning it to you.”

“I won’t accept it.”

“Pardon?”

Angelina paused as she was about to stab a piece of meat with her fork.

At her puzzled voice, the fox beast opened its eyes. It looked at Blake and Angelina alternately with half-open eyes.

“Isn’t it the duchy’s heirloom?”

Then it closed its eyes again at her calm voice that followed. The sound of gentle breathing continued.

“It is.”

“Then why won’t you accept it?”

“This wasn’t our agreement, was it?”

“By agreement, you don’t mean…”

“Yes. I’ll take it when I can prove it’s the real heirloom.”

Angelina was at a loss for words.

She didn’t know if she should feel dumbfounded or perplexed. She couldn’t find an appropriate response.

After a moment of silence, Angelina raised her fork again and said,

“If that’s what you want.”

If it were someone else, they might have forced him to take it. But Angelina, remembering the novel, knew the male lead’s personality well.

‘A person who hates being indebted.’

When he was young, the Empress used ‘debt’ as an excuse to make him do many unreasonable things. And that remained like a trauma for him.

It was the same in the story of the novel after he became a duke.

The Empress had used him more than enough to repay any debt, yet she kept bringing up those ‘debts’ to pressure him.

This trait of his also appeared when he met the female lead.

He was constantly uncomfortable with the female lead helping him. Because it felt like he was incurring a debt.

But ironically, that’s why he kept meeting her. To find opportunities to repay the debt he received.

He was faithful to promises to the point of being inflexible and valued precise contract fulfillment.

“If that’s what makes you comfortable, Your Grace, then do as you wish.”

Knowing this aspect of him well, Angelina understood why he insisted on proving it first as per their initial agreement, even though he could easily take Artoas now.

“And I’ll make sure to repay you for helping prevent the sword from being sold at auction that day.”

Furthermore, she knew that his mention of repayment was also due to this characteristic of his.

“It’s fine. Although we didn’t write a contract, there was no clause stating what I would receive as compensation for that transaction in the first place.”

She used terms like contract and clause to make him understand.

“Still, letting it go like this doesn’t seem fair.”

Despite her words, his continued insistence on not being satisfied made Angelina put down her fork and ask,

“Are you concerned because I found out about your identity?”

He wasn’t this enthusiastic about repayment that day. He acted as if he would just take the sword and leave.

The only thing that had changed between then and now was that she had learned he was Duke Kadenhart.

“…I can’t say that’s completely untrue.”

Blake answered quite honestly.

As she said, if she hadn’t found out he was Duke Kadenhart, he wouldn’t have asked such questions.

Of course, he had planned to reveal his identity after the situation ended that day and ask what kind of repayment he could offer.

He intended not to leave any lingering discomfort since it would inevitably be revealed someday.

He didn’t expect it to turn out like this, though.

“Don’t worry. Whether you’re a mere knight or a duke, my judgment doesn’t change.”

Angelina spoke as if telling him not to worry.

‘Well, if I’m being honest, if I had known he was the male lead, I wouldn’t have gotten involved from the start.’

She swallowed that thought.

Anyway, she didn’t have any intention of trying to exploit him more just because he was a duke.

However, it seemed he thought differently.

“But I can’t just let this debt go unpaid.”

At his response, Angelina let out a low groan. She realized that once the word ‘debt’ came out of his mouth, it wouldn’t be easy to let it go.

“I’ve already received compensation.”

At her words, spoken without hesitation, Blake wore an expression of incomprehension.

Angelina shrugged slightly and added an explanation.

“Thanks to you, I was able to make an unannounced visit and inspect our auction house, right? Knowing that it’s running well is profit enough for me.”

Although she spoke calmly, he responded with a dissatisfied expression.

“…It’s worth ten billion.”

He meant that how could such a thing possibly be worth ten billion. So Angelina added, “I also participated anonymously, which I wouldn’t have done normally. What compensation could be more valuable than providing an experience I’ve never had before?”

Because she truly had no intention of receiving anything from him, she attached things that couldn’t be priced.