How to Live as the Terminally Ill Younger Sister of the Villain - Chapter 28
Although Ante was clearly in a position that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, the familiar looked directly at where Ante was.
After staring for a long time, it suddenly emitted light from its body.
At that sight, as Ante’s hand holding the dagger tensed slightly and a magic circle was about to activate, the familiar, now shrunk in size, revealed itself.
With a body as small as a cat’s, it scratched at the carriage door. Shortly after, Angelina opened the door.
She seemed to say a few words, then smiled and picked up the familiar in her arms before closing the door.
And just before the door closed, Ante’s eyes met with the familiar’s. It might have been his imagination, but he felt certain their eyes had met.
“Ha.”
Watching the closing door, Ante let out a laugh of disbelief.
“Whether human or beast.”
He muttered in a voice full of displeasure as he flung the dagger to the ground.
Bang-!
The moment the dagger touched a monster, it exploded with a loud noise, and a strong gust of wind enveloped Ante.
“My Lina is too lovable, that’s the problem. Too many strange things are getting tangled up.”
A chilling voice, filled with both killing intent and affection, scattered amidst the dusty wind.
After a moment, when the dust settled, the monsters that had been eating greedily were gone, annihilated.
His traces, the bloodstains, everything.
As if it had all been a mirage, only a cool mist quietly filled the now-empty space.
***
As the quiet night passed and day broke, the Flaubert Knights and Kadenhart’s party prepared to move.
Thanks to Laura and Haley, Angelina, who had a refreshing morning, stood at the front holding the fox familiar in her arms.
She intended to walk today as well.
“Miss Flaubert, that is…?”
Blake, approaching her side, opened his eyes wide upon seeing the fox in her arms.
“Could it be that huge creature from yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“What an amazing ability.”
He couldn’t help but be surprised that something as big as a horse had become the size of a cat.
“Isn’t it?”
Angelina smiled, feeling an unnecessary sense of pride.
With that, they both took a step forward at the same time.
“Do you usually walk like this?”
Blake asked, glancing at the carriage following behind.
Seeing that everyone in the Flaubert party except her had horses, he could infer that she usually traveled by carriage.
“It feels stuffy to only move by carriage.”
However, she gave an ambiguous answer that was neither affirmative nor negative.
‘Is this consideration too?’
To match the pace because he and his close aides had to walk?
Because of yesterday’s events, Blake felt that every single one of her actions seemed like a concession.
A thousand thoughts crossed his mind.
“They say we’ll reach the first checkpoint after about half a day’s walk.”
Unaware of what he was thinking, Angelina reassured him that they wouldn’t have to walk for long.
Fortunately, his party members all had brighter faces, as if they had slept well last night. Still, a long march was bound to be tiring.
“It won’t take long since we just need to state our purpose for visiting.”
“I see.”
“If it’s inconvenient for you, Your Grace, we can move separately at that time.”
Staying together might reveal each other’s purpose for visiting. Angelina said this in anticipation that he might be uncomfortable with that.
“When you say it like that, it sounds as if you’re fine with it, my lady.”
“Is that so?”
When Blake pointed out her expression, Angelina shrugged her shoulders slightly.
“You heard it correctly.”
“Didn’t you say everyone has at least one secret?”
It seemed contradictory that yesterday she implied she wouldn’t tell, but today she was saying it was okay to listen.
At this, Angelina smiled brightly and said,
“You didn’t accept the sword, did you?”
She meant that it was fine because he had a sword that could be used as a smokescreen.
At those words, Blake couldn’t help but laugh. Who would have thought not accepting the sword would come back like this?
“I don’t mean to pour cold water, but that might not be enough.”
“You think so?”
“Even the Magic Tower doesn’t know about the seal.”
“You’ve already checked, I see.”
“Yes. While searching for the sword’s whereabouts, I contacted the Magic Tower a few times.”
He thought that since it was a magic sword if the Magic Tower showed interest, they might be able to help find its location. That’s why he had contacted them…
“They didn’t seem very interested.”
“That’s unfortunate. It was such a splendid sword.”
“Unless the seal is broken, it’s just a flashy sword with no substance.”
“Wasn’t it imbued with lightning magic?”
“It is, but now it only causes static electricity to the user at best.”
“Pfft.”
At Blake’s words, accompanied by a small sigh, Angelina burst into laughter.
“…?”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Angelina quickly apologized upon seeing his puzzled face. She worried it might have sounded like she was mocking him.
“I just imagined Your Grace holding that sword.”
As Blake continued to stare at her, not understanding why she laughed even after the explanation, Angelina added softly,
“It means you’d become a ball of static electricity if you tried to use that sword.”
“Ah.”
Finally, Blake could understand what image had popped into her head.
A user full of electricity, becomes a mass of static. Surely, their hair would stand on end, and their clothes would puff up strangely.
Of course, in his imagination, the sword user wasn’t himself but Angelina. He had naturally substituted the person he could see.
“Pfft.”
Imagining her as a ball of static electricity, Blake also burst into laughter.
Blake, unconsciously covering his upturned lips with the back of his hand, added,
“Unfortunately, while it does generate lightning, it doesn’t affect the user in that way.”
“Is that so? That’s a bit disappointing.”
“If such a sword actually existed, I’d like to see it too.”
“Right? If it did exist, it would have been well-used in places like theaters.”
They shared a laugh, imagining similarly ridiculous scenarios.
Meanwhile, the eyes of those following behind were all wide open.
‘Did His Grace just laugh? Is the world about to end?’
Mason, who had served him the longest, turned to Sean with a shocked face. Sean also looked quite surprised.
However, before Sean, Laura caught his eye. That expressionless guard maid seemed to have quite a shocked look on her face.
So Mason turned his head again to look at Angelina.
While he was surprised because the usually stoic Blake suddenly laughed, why was that maid…?
It was even more puzzling because her expression resembled Sean’s.
It was as if that maid was seeing her lady’s smile for the first time too.
But that couldn’t be.
Such a cute-looking young lady, raised without knowing the hardships of the world, couldn’t possibly be as rigid as his master…
As Mason’s bewilderment grew, the conversation between Blake and Angelina continued.
“Well, if they’re not interested in the magic sword as you say, I guess I’ll have to pull out my secret weapon.”
“Was it a secret that could be revealed so easily?”
After the laughter, the atmosphere had lightened a bit, and Angelina spoke playfully while Blake asked comfortably.
“Easy? It’s a secret I was trying to hide even at the cost of selling off a Kadenhart family heirloom.”
She used the expression ‘selling off’, but Blake now knew she wasn’t the type of woman to break promises.
She must be hinting that it wasn’t such a ‘light’ secret.
“I guess it’s good I didn’t accept the sword yesterday.”
“Indeed. I would have had to force it on you and wash my hands of it.”
A few more light jokes were exchanged, followed by a brief silence.
As the previously light atmosphere became a bit more subdued, Blake added,
“I’ll step back. Please pass through comfortably.”
In the end, it meant he wouldn’t listen to her purpose for visiting the Magic Tower.
Angelina gazed at him quietly.
It wasn’t to judge the sincerity of his words. She already knew how upright he was through the original story and yesterday’s conversation.
She just wanted to know why he was being so considerate when he must be very curious.
But then she just smiled and let go of such curiosity.
“Your Grace is indeed kind.”
What other reason could there be for such consideration from an admirably upright male lead? He must just be that kind of person.
At Angelina’s words, Blake’s steps faltered for a moment.
“…I wanted to say this yesterday too, but that’s the first time I’ve heard that.”
Those in power saw him as greedy, and those who loved gossip called him barbaric.
His close aides respected and followed him, but only said he was strict, scary, and rigid.
Words like thoughtful or kind were completely new to him.
‘No…’
No.
‘…Perhaps it’s not the first time.’
Maybe it’s not…
