How to Live as the Terminally Ill Younger Sister of the Villain - Chapter 55
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(Lurelia’s Birthday Bonus – Update 3/4 🎉)
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Angelina began to speak while fiddling with the pearl bracelet wrapped around her wrist. The platinum ring on her left index finger also emitted a soft glow.
They were all gifts from Ante.
“I’m not righteous enough to stand against them just because what they’re doing is ‘bad’.”
“Miss, I didn’t mean it that way…”
Laura opened her mouth as if to protest, but Angelina slightly raised her hand. At the instruction to just listen for now, Laura closed her mouth.
“I can point fingers at what’s wrong all I want, but I’m not generous enough as a person to step up and correct it. Because I’m terribly selfish.”
“……”
“Nng…?”
Pudding whined as if disagreeing with Angelina’s words, and Laura also frowned, but as instructed, they didn’t open their mouths.
“Still, thanks to my kind and capable brother, there was no need for that selfishness to come out. Because I lived comfortably enough not to need to desire anything greatly.”
It was something she realized again when her bucket list item number 1 of splurging money failed miserably.
That she had lived a life where desires were unnecessary.
“But… for the first time, I’ve found something I want.”
However, recently, for the first time, she learned what the emotion of greed was, and what it felt like to be desperate.
「Ante Flaubert lost his light that day.
For him, ‘light’ wasn’t the holy power of the priests, nor the magic of wizards, nor the aura of knights.
For him, ‘light’ was only his sister.
He had all the power and wealth, but without his sister, they were all useless things. 」
She absolutely couldn’t let that happen.
Angelina turned her head to look at Pudding. Its eyes looking up at her were bright and clear.
But this child alone wasn’t enough to protect her brother.
Before she died, she had to create numerous other ‘lights’ so that even when her ‘light’ disappeared, her brother wouldn’t be engulfed by darkness.
So…
“If he could just destroy the damn Sun God’s Order, he was willing to do anything. He could gladly offer even his soul.”
If that’s what her brother, the Tower Master, wanted. Then she wouldn’t regret dedicating the rest of her life to it.
Laura, who had been watching Angelina’s complex expression, carefully opened her mouth.
“You can’t tell us what it is that you want, can you?”
It was a question asked as if she already knew the answer.
And as expected, Angelina gave an apologetic smile.
“But I can tell you that it’s something very important to me.”
“……”
“I intend to dedicate all the time I’m allowed from now on to it.”
For a moment, Laura’s eyes wavered.
Just then, the clouds cleared and the sun peeking out brightly illuminated Angelina. Combined with the sparkling sea in the background, it created a dreamlike scene.
A floating-like silence continued for a while.
In place of Laura, who couldn’t readily open her mouth, Angelina spoke again.
“As you said, Laura, it might become more dangerous from now on. I don’t intend to force you all to stay with me until the end.”
While her brother was important, all the people of the Marquis’s household, like Haley and Laura, were precious to Angelina.
No matter how selfishly she acted, it was enough for her alone, who was destined to die soon anyway, to stake her life.
“It’s fine now, but if you feel it’s dangerous, leave anytime.”
“If we leave…”
Laura opened her mouth with an uncomfortable expression.
“Do you intend to go on alone, Miss?”
“I suppose I’ll have to.”
“Does our loyalty seem that insignificant to you, Miss?”
“Offering loyalty and offering one’s life are different things.”
“They’re the same to me.”
“Laura.”
“I’ve served you for over 10 years. Isn’t it too much to ask us to just watch as you enter a fire pit alone?”
“……”
“If we can’t stop you from entering the fire pit, and if we don’t have the ability to extinguish it, at least let us enter together so we can curse how hot that damned thing is.”
“…Laura.”
“If you find me frustrating, you can think of it as the same feeling I’m having towards you right now, Miss.”
It was a warning not to think about breaking her will, as both she and Angelina were equally stubborn.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been scolded by Laura.”
Angelina murmured with a slight laugh.
“That’s because you said such frustrating things.”
“…Thank you, Laura.”
And I’m sorry.
Angelina realized anew.
That she had so many precious connections besides her brother.
When I’m gone, Laura will be sad too.
They say when someone leaves, the one who left is at peace, but those left behind suffer. That’s a lie.
How could her heart be at peace leaving these people behind?
“Haah……”
Angelina let out a long sigh, containing her heavy heart, and raised her head.
The sky was refreshingly clear, oblivious to her feelings.
And that night, Angelina was able to have the meeting she had been longing for.
***
The chef at the villa had a different cooking style from the chef at the main house.
After enjoyably finishing a seafood dinner full of the scent of the sea, Angelina went to bed earlier than usual. It was to rest her body, tired from the long journey.
But once she lay down, sleep wouldn’t come.
After tossing and turning in bed for over 30 minutes, Angelina inevitably got up.
“Kyu?”
Pudding, who had been sleeping soundly beside her, also opened its eyes drowsily. Feeling sorry for waking it up, Angelina made an excuse.
“The carriage was too comfortable. You keep sleeping.”
She considered calling Laura to bring some tea, but decided against it. Laura must have been tired too, so it would be better for her to rest.
“Should I read a book?”
“Kiwu?”
As she rummaged through the books Haley had stacked during the day, Pudding also came closer and tapped the books.
Then suddenly, she turned her head towards the window.
“Sniff. Sniff sniff.”
Pudding sniffed and suddenly snorted, shaking its face.
“Grr!”
It started wiping around its nose as if it had smelled an unpleasant odor.
“What’s wro… Oh?”
Angelina was about to ask if it disliked the smell of the sea when she noticed a red butterfly fluttering in through the slightly open curtains.
“Beautiful……”
The butterfly made of fire fully displayed its existence in the dark room. The sparks scattering behind it as it flapped its wings added to its beauty.
The fire butterfly circled around Angelina and then gently landed on the finger she held out.
“Magic?”
Even Angelina could tell that it wasn’t a real living creature.
The moment she whispered that, the curtains fluttered in the breeze and the fire butterfly disappeared with a soft sound.
She should have closed the window before going to bed, but where was this wind coming from?
Sure enough, behind the fluttering curtains, she could see the open window.
And sitting on the balcony outside the window was a man. His red hair, resembling the fire butterfly, swayed in the gentle breeze, and today he was wearing a golden mask.
Although his appearance was completely different from when she first saw him, Angelina recognized who he was at once.
“Aesi.”
Her whispered voice was filled with affection.
“You came.”
A smile naturally appeared.
“Why did you call me?”
He asked in a languid voice, with one leg dangling outside the balcony and the other leg folded, resting his face on it.
“Asking about business without even saying hello?”
Angelina approached him with slow steps.
“That’s mean. I’ve been looking forward to meeting Aesi.”
“…Why me?”
“Do I need a reason to want to see a friend?”
“Do you know what kind of person I am to keep insisting on being friends?”
“A kind person?”
“How so?”
“You came right away when I called.”
“I couldn’t help but come out of curiosity.”
“I thought you didn’t meet people outside the magic tower.”
“…A place like this with nothing around is fine.”
Is it because she knows he’s her brother?
“Really? Then I should come to places like this more often.”
“I’m not that free a person.”
Every word he said was lovable.
“Did you prepare this performance even though you’re busy?”
“It’s not a performance. If I had appeared by opening the curtains, you would have been surprised.”
“See? You are kind.”
“…Don’t twist it. I just don’t like commotion.”
Angelina rested her chin on the balcony and looked at him.
‘Magic is really amazing.’
No matter how she looked at him, he didn’t look like her brother. Even if his face was covered with a mask, his build and voice were completely different.
Such a complete transformation into a different person is probably only possible for someone at the level of the Tower Master, right?
Haley had explained it before. That dyeing with magic is different from hair dye, it’s a kind of illusion magic. So the technique is more intricate than one might think.
To think that her brother, whom she thought had no magic power, was such an amazing magician. It was fascinating and she felt proud for no particular reason.
