CHAPTER 19
“Lady—!!”
“Mm… just five more minutes…”
“Lady Luciela will be here soon…!”
“…Yawn…”
I slowly pushed myself upright, yawning as my eyes adjusted. The moment I sat up, Maya and several maids began bustling around me at once. My face felt strangely pale, and only then did I realize I was holding an ice pack in my hand. Worse, there was a hot towel pressed against my forehead, like a makeshift heat pack.
…Why am I like this?
The memory of my conversation with Maya yesterday came rushing back, and I stared at her with a look that clearly said, I can’t believe you were serious about that.
“It’s better to look sick,” she said calmly. “That’s how socialite battles work.”
…Excuse me?
I’m not trying to fight Osborne yet. I just wanted to fake being sick and mess with her a little. Of course, I do need to clash with her eventually, but not now. There isn’t even anyone around to spread rumors about me tormenting her, so why go this far…!
“Um… isn’t this a bit too much?” I asked hesitantly.
“Not at all.”
“…Well… if Maya says so, I guess it’s fine. Haha…”
I gave up. Arguing with Maya at this point was pointless.
Knock, knock.
“Lady, Lady Luciela and the priest are waiting in the reception room.”
“…!! Alright. Prepare me, then go ahead and serve them tea first.”
“Yes.”
“Phew. Lady,” Maya said sternly, “you must pretend to be sick. Understand?”
“Huh? Uh… got it.”
Honestly, pretending to be sick was one of my specialties.
Back in my previous life, the only time I was allowed to rest was during official holidays, and even then, my awful workplace wouldn’t let me take time off unless I was genuinely ill. They didn’t compensate unused vacation days, yet they still scolded employees for taking leave. So I learned fast.
Feign illness. Say you’re going to the doctor. Escape.
I’d also used the same trick countless times to skip school when I didn’t feel like going.
With Maya’s flawless preparation, she supported me as we headed toward the reception room where Luciela—and my favorite character—were waiting. She continued whispering warnings along the way until I was honestly starting to feel annoyed.
The hallway outside the reception room was eerily quiet.
Creak.
The moment the door opened, Osborne—who had been waiting anxiously—shot to her feet and rushed toward me.
“Lady…!! Are you very ill? Are you alright?”
She carefully took my hand. Since I was still holding the ice pack, my fingers were freezing cold.
“Your hands are like ice…! Are you really okay?”
Well, yes. Because I’m holding ice.
“Your face is so pale…!”
Because of the makeup.
“And your head is so hot…!”
Because of the hot towel.
“Priest, please treat the lady…!!”
Only then did Osborne step back.
A man with light blue hair and eyes as deep and clear as the sea approached me.
…Ah.
Arten.
My favorite character.
ARTEN!!!
Because of Maya’s constant warnings, I swallowed my scream and only reacted internally, stifling my excitement as I coughed weakly.
“Cough… cough… Ah… is that the priest…?”
Up close, he was unreal.
Handsome. Refined. Almost doll-like.
No—beautiful.
I could die happy now. Truly.
A priest with hidden extraordinary abilities. My favorite character in the novel. Standing right in front of me in full 3D.
Sir… you’re dangerously handsome. At this point, maybe I should just seduce Arten and live happily ever after—
“L-Lady?!”
Osborne’s panicked voice snapped me back to reality.
“…B-Blood…!!”
“Blood…?”
I felt something wet beneath my nose. I wiped it instinctively, only to find my fingers stained red.
“…A nosebleed…!! Priest!! Please treat her quickly!! If this continues, Lady Arlesia might die!!”
No. Saintess. People do not die from nosebleeds.
I just got overly excited seeing my favorite character.
Please stop trying to kill me off already.
And why is Arten looking at me like I’m critically ill?!
This was supposed to be fake sickness. Why was it turning into a full-blown medical drama?
“I’ll treat you right away,” Arten said calmly. “Please… your hand.”
…Can a cold even be healed with divine power?
Well, it didn’t matter. The illness was fake anyway.
Arten took my hand and murmured something like an incantation. I barely registered the words. My favorite character was holding my hand.
Long live novels.
Long live possession.
If I had to fall into a story, at least it wasn’t something boring. Even if I was a villain destined to die, I got to hold hands with my favorite character. Worth it.
When Arten finished, he slowly opened his eyes.
How could someone look that beautiful just opening their eyes?
He lifted his gaze and looked at me intently.
“Do you feel better now?”
“Ah… the bleeding seems to have stopped. I think I’m alright.”
“…?”
My heart might stop next, Arten.
He tilted his head slightly, as if puzzled. His gaze felt like it could see through everything, yet it didn’t truly see me.
After a moment of silence, I smiled awkwardly. Arten returned the smile and released my hand.
“It’s done. With proper rest, you’ll recover.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m so glad!”
Before I realized it, Osborne was already at my side again, checking me over anxiously. I ignored her.
“And Lady… I’m so sorry you caught a cold because of me…”
I cleared my throat and looked at her.
“…It’s a relief that you understand.”
It was sarcasm.
She had stepped on my foot, and now she was blaming herself for my “cold.” Whether she failed to notice my tone or simply ignored it out of kindness, the fake illness incident was proceeding smoothly.
“So, we’d like to invite you to a tea party. Please attend and make it even more wonderful.”
“…Although I’m very busy, since you asked, I’ll attend.”
Not I will attend, but I will attend for you.
A deliberate dismissal.
Elizabeth Arlesia was an earl’s daughter. Osborne, the Marquis of Luciela’s daughter. Normally, attendance would be expected, not optional. But I needed to stand above her—to torment her properly as the villain.
“Thank you…!! I’m already looking forward to the tea party with you…!”
Of course she responded kindly.
“Hohohoho.”
…That laugh might have been a bit much.
But she still looked happy.
I felt a pang of guilt.
Well.
In the original story, the tea party was where Elizabeth poisoned Osborne’s tea. At first, she was only a suspect. With no evidence, the case went cold. But after repeated offenses, the truth eventually surfaced, and Elizabeth was executed.
That tea party was crucial.
And I intended to use it.
Things had already deviated from the novel, but I had no choice. If I wanted to return to my original world, I had to die as the villain.
The aristocratic ball.
Osborne’s tea party.
Two perfect stages.
If I committed evil acts comparable to the original at both events, my execution would be inevitable.
“Well then… Lady. We’ll send the invitation. See you then.”
As Osborne and Arten bowed and left, I remained alone, deep in thought.
“The problem is the aristocratic ball in between…”
Disguises. Speech patterns. Timing.
The unexpected ball complicated everything.
Poisoning, too… It sounded scary.
Maybe I could commit evil in a different way?
For now, I instructed Maya to gather information on the aristocratic faction’s guest list and stood up.
If I had to do this, it might as well be directed at that irritating aristocratic lady.
Still…
“Something feels off.”
In novels, events like this never happened without reason.
And though I couldn’t pinpoint the source of my unease, it continued to grow, filling my thoughts more and more.
