How to Live as the Terminally Ill Younger Sister of the Villain - Chapter 52
When Angelina asked if that seemed too earnest, he sighed with a troubled expression.
“It’s a gift from someone precious whom I might never meet again. But now that I know its true nature, I can’t keep carrying it around.”
If he continued to use holy power while possessing this, he would inevitably repeat the outbursts, and his body wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
“I want to believe that child had their own circumstances. I hope they’ll understand if I dispose of this.”
No matter how many memories were attached to it, keeping it would endanger not only his own life but also those around him.
“And for some reason, it seems this object keeps attacking you, my Lady……”
Mason took out the dagger he wore at his waist and glared at the necklace with a serious expression.
He intended to destroy it right here and now.
“Wait.”
But Angelina stopped him and picked up the necklace.
“Miss!”
Surprised, Laura and Haley rushed over simultaneously. Laura approached her to snatch the necklace away, while Haley hurriedly cast a healing spell.
However, there was no need for Laura to take the necklace, nor for Haley’s healing magic.
What they feared didn’t happen.
“It seems to be fine now.”
Angelina had actually touched it hoping to hear those voices again.
She was curious about the identity of the voices and expected that if she heard more content, she might understand why she could hear such voices.
But despite touching the necklace, it remained silent.
“Miss, please don’t scare us like this. If you keep doing this, even nine hearts wouldn’t be enough……”
Haley curled up her body and groaned, saying her heart felt like it had shriveled up. Laura also sighed, agreeing with Haley’s thoughts this time.
“I know that flexibly dealing with unexpected situations is also a virtue of a maid, but I wish you would give us some time to prepare for preventable dangers.”
“……I didn’t think you’d be this surprised.”
Angelina was rather surprised by their reactions. It’s not like touching this would kill her, why were they so…
“Anyway, I’m sorry.”
She quickly apologized, knowing that if she had said something beforehand, Laura and Haley would have stopped her.
Then she turned her gaze to Mason, who was frozen with a surprised look.
“Anyway, if you’re going to throw it away, can I have it?”
He seemed to glance at Laura and Haley for a moment, then nodded.
Angelina opened her clenched fist with a satisfied smile. This shabby bead was more interesting to her than the expensive jewelry piling up at home.
‘If I can’t figure anything out, that’s that.’
It was disappointing that it no longer responded to her, but it was still worth researching as it had undoubtedly caused strange phenomena.
“I’ll take good care of it. By the way, helping me is separate from this and up to you. I have no reason or right to stop you.”
Angelina put away the necklace and looked over the three people again.
“So, next question?”
The hands of all three went up simultaneously.
***
The Q&A session with the three continued throughout the night. The meeting ended when Angelina fell asleep, tired from answering.
However, even after laying Angelina down on the bed, the discussion between Mason, Haley, and Laura didn’t end.
“Just what kind of person have you been serving……”
What they learned today was too enormous to digest all at once. Both in quantity and content.
As Mason sighed with a dazed expression, Laura and Haley exchanged glances.
In fact, they too had learned most of these things for the first time today.
They had no idea that their Miss knew such things, or that she had been thinking such thoughts.
Especially Laura, who had watched over Angelina since she was very young. She had seen everything Angelina saw, heard everything Angelina heard by her side.
But this information was a first.
Where and how did she get her hands on this? When did she start thinking like this? There hadn’t been even a hint.
‘Don’t ask about the source of my information. I’ll cooperate as much as I can otherwise.’
That was actually the most important thing for Laura.
Making an enemy of the Sun God’s Order? Even if it meant making an enemy of the Empire, it wouldn’t be a problem. If it was to help the Miss, she would gladly do it.
But it was a complete mystery where, from whom, and how the Miss had obtained this information.
She thought she had watched everything by her side, but so much information had flowed in, penetrating her protective shield.
Where did it go wrong?
Perhaps old memories had resurfaced? … No, that doesn’t seem to be it.
It was utterly confusing.
Was it the Tower Master? Did she learn this while meeting the Tower Master? Did he instruct her to do this?
No, that makes even less sense. Wasn’t the Tower Master the Marquis himself?
The Marquis values the Miss’s well-being and peace more than his own life.
There’s no way he would have informed the Miss, whom he wants to see only beautiful things in the world, about the world’s ugliness and request such dangerous tasks.
Then what on earth…
“I’ll be heading back first.”
Mason, who had sighed dozens of times, composed himself and stood up.
Laura and Haley, lost in their own thoughts, looked up at him simultaneously.
“I think I need to go back to His Grace and report what I heard today.”
Though he had gathered his resolve, he couldn’t hide his serious expression. It would be stranger if one could be cheerful after hearing today’s stories.
“I suppose the next time we meet will be at that ‘grave’. I’m not sure if His Grace will take action, but I’ll be there anyway.”
“Why are you cooperating? What do you have to gain?”
Laura, who couldn’t understand Mason’s enthusiasm, asked.
“What do I have to gain?”
“Be honest.”
While she was following the Miss’s will, this guy could wash his hands of this and walk away.
Yet why?
Although Angelina had accepted him, Laura still doubted and was wary of him.
However, upon receiving Laura’s question, Mason spoke as if he found it absurd.
“Is there any reason not to help?”
His belief was that catching bad guys wasn’t something to weigh pros and cons about.
“The reason I first became a holy knight wasn’t just because of holy power. It was to punish the wicked and protect the innocent.”
And then he got backstabbed and kicked out.
Who would have known that the group he believed to be good was full of lunatics?
“And the reason I ended up under none other than Duke Kadenhart afterward was because he doesn’t forcefully demand submission when it comes to judging right and wrong.”
He has power but doesn’t wield it ruthlessly.
He doesn’t change his attitude based on power. He treats everyone as independent individuals.
After being stripped of his holy knight qualifications and rolling around as a mercenary, Mason saw such a nobleman for the first time.
At first, he thought he was an oddball, but the more he got to know him, the more he came to respect him, and that’s why he ended up following him.
“Now I see your Lady is quite something too. If it weren’t for His Grace, I would have liked to be her guard… Ahem, perhaps I’m not skilled enough.”
As he was speaking, Mason averted his gaze from Haley and Laura’s cold stares.
“Anyway, do you need a reason to participate in efforts to make this world a slightly better place?”
His argument was that this was something that should be done even if there was nothing to gain.
Laura scrutinized him with a cool gaze.
He didn’t seem to be lying.
From the first time she saw him, this man was honest and emotional, and therefore a bit rude. So that must be his sincere thoughts without a shred of doubt.
“Well, aren’t you living life the hard way?”
“Wh-what? No, why, what’s wrong with trying to live a good life…!”
“Don’t you know that unnecessary sense of justice and half-hearted goodness can be poison?”
“Half-hearted goodness? I may not be an incredibly good person, but can’t I at least try to make an effort?”
As Mason protested as if wronged, Laura added quietly.
“…But I suppose it’s because people like you exist that the world is still livable.”
Mason, who had opened his mouth to protest, expecting another nasty comment, was left speechless with his eyes wide open.
Laura stood up as if she had finished her business and turned around. Then she waved her hand at Mason. As if telling him to get lost.
“Wh-what, that woman, just, saying whatever she wants.”
Mason stuttered like a broken clock at the words that came as a sudden compliment.
Haley, who had been quietly observing everything from the side, slipped in between Laura and Mason with a smile.
“We’ll see you at the grave, Sir Mason.”
That too was a polite way of telling him to leave.
