Chapter 12
The person who blocked my path was Ricardo. I looked at him and asked,
“What is it?”
“……”
“Do you have something to say to me? If not, I’d appreciate it if you moved.”
“Rodriguez, do you remember what I said earlier?”
What he’d said… Did he mean when he told me he was worried about me a moment ago?
Did he seriously think I wouldn’t even remember something that had just happened…?
“Of course I remember.”
“That’s a relief. I got a good look at your skills. Following you despite everything was worth it.”
So he followed me to the lake just to check my swimming skills…?
Hadn’t he said he jumped in because he was worried about me? Was there some kind of misunderstanding between us?
Feeling awkward, I scratched my cheek as I replied,
“Was it really necessary to confirm it yourself? You could’ve just asked—I would’ve told you.”
I wasn’t the type to downplay what I was good at out of false modesty. If he’d asked honestly, I would’ve shown him my swimming skills without holding back.
“Seeing it for myself is different from just hearing about it.”
“So? What’s your impression now that you’ve seen it?”
I lifted my chin confidently as I asked.
I’d even been told by others that I swam through the water like a silver beltfish. There was no reason not to be proud.
“…My father was right. Honestly, I was surprised too. But I still can’t bring myself to acknowledge it yet—that’s why I came to find you.”
It was unexpected that the Duke had told Ricardo about my swimming ability at all. For such an awkward father-son relationship, that felt like an oddly trivial topic to discuss.
It was hard to imagine the two of them sitting together, talking about my swimming. If I ever saw it, I might burst out laughing.
But right now, I couldn’t laugh.
Ricardo had watched me swim with his own eyes—and yet he said he still couldn’t accept it.
I furrowed my brow slightly and asked,
“Even after seeing it yourself, you still can’t 인정 it?”
“Yeah. That’s why I want to spar with you. I want to clearly determine our abilities—and then acknowledge it properly.”
“Is it really that important to you? Important enough that you have to compete to confirm it?”
“It is to me.”
I hadn’t known Ricardo cared so much about swimming. Maybe he took great pride in his own ability.
Had the fact that he’d been slower than me earlier wounded his pride?
Maybe I should’ve just praised him and said he was better.
But knowing Ricardo, his pride would never allow that. He was the type with an unnecessarily strong ego.
“…Not now. I was planning to head back immediately, and it’s already late. Let’s meet at a nearby lakeshore another time and decide the winner then.”
“…Lakeshore?”
“Or how about the lake at your estate? It’s artificial, but it’s well maintained—cleaner and more comfortable, actually. And after the match, we could wash up right away at your place.”
“Do we really need to be that particular about the location…?”
“What, do you think I’m fine with just any place? Maybe you don’t know this about me, but I care a lot about cleanliness. Especially when it comes to unpleasant smells clinging to my body—I avoid that whenever possible.”
“I don’t think it’ll take that long anyway… If that’s what you want, set a date and I’ll visit. Will you be using that?”
Ricardo gestured toward the sword at my waist.
“Why would I need a sword for swimming…?”
“Swimming…?”
“…….”
A clear question mark appeared on Ricardo’s face.
I pressed my hand to my forehead.
Looking at his expression, I finally realized that we had been having two completely different conversations this entire time.
“Oh—did you mean sparring with swords? Then what you were talking about earlier was….”
“Unbelievable. I knew I couldn’t communicate with you. Do you at least remember when I said I wanted to see your skills firsthand last time?”
I vaguely remembered something like that…
After digging through my hazy memory, I nodded slightly.
“Ah… yeah, something like that.”
“When I saw you stabbing that monster hundreds of times, I thought I absolutely had to spar with you.”
I don’t shy away from fights that come my way. But when it came to Ricardo, things felt complicated.
Was it really okay to fight the male lead?
What if I actually won?
I worried that his status, dignity, and even the worldview of the novel itself might crumble because of me.
He was already publicly acknowledged as one of the strongest, but crossing swords directly was different. It would result in a clear winner and loser.
But did that really matter?
Wouldn’t it be better the more the original story went off the rails?
Considering my position, I was the sister of someone who could potentially become a villain. There was no real reason for me to stand on the protagonist’s side, cheering for his future.
“Well… if that’s what you want, let’s meet again after we reach the capital and decide the outcome then.”
Still feeling unsettled, I avoided Ricardo’s gaze and climbed straight onto my horse.
“…Hey.”
I looked down at Ricardo, who was still standing there.
“Why don’t you move?”
Ricardo raised his well-shaped eyebrow slightly, then stepped aside.
I immediately rode out of the village, heading for the estate in the capital.
The house I returned to after about a month looked exactly the same as ever.
Normally, protocol dictated that I report the mission’s progress to Commander Alonso first—but after days without properly washing, cleaning myself took priority.
As soon as I arrived, I sank into a bathtub filled with fragrant oils that Marian had prepared. The warm water loosened my body, and the sweet scent made my head feel pleasantly fuzzy.
I downed the juice Marian handed me in one go. The cool drink slid refreshingly down my throat.
“Yeah… this is it.”
After riding nonstop for so long, my tired eyes kept closing. I opened and shut them several times before drifting off completely.
When I finally forced my heavy eyelids open again, I found myself lying in bed.
It seemed Marian had carried me here while I slept.
I was taller than her by a head and fairly muscular, so I must’ve been heavy. Thinking of her struggling to carry me made me feel guilty.
I should give her a generous bonus this month.
As I was thinking that and tried to sit up—
……
I definitely tried to move my body, but strangely, it wouldn’t respond at all.
When I tried to move my arm, my hand trembled weakly.
What the hell…?
I tried to turn my head to understand the situation, but my neck wouldn’t move either. Only my eyelids blinked with difficulty.
Had someone used a paralyzing drug on me…?
I rolled my eyes to look around the room. That’s when I saw someone standing a short distance from the bed.
The moment I recognized who it was, I froze in shock.
Pavel…?
Pavel stood there solemnly, his silver hair—long enough to reach his shoulders—tied neatly back.
My heart began to race with anxiety.
No way… Was Pavel the one who did this?
Was my brother really going to walk the path of evil just like in the original story?
When? Why? All of a sudden?
Maybe the flow of the novel really couldn’t be changed by individual effort.
Since I’d survived when I was supposed to die, maybe Pavel was meant to kill me with his own hands instead.
I couldn’t help but feel hurt and betrayed.
You little—! After everything I’ve done for you!
I glared at Pavel resentfully.
He hesitated slightly, then approached and tightly grasped my hand, murmuring,
“Please don’t worry, Sister. It will be over soon.”
Was he saying he’d kill me quickly?
I squeezed my eyes shut. My eyelids trembled uncontrollably.
So this was how it ended.
Scenes from the past flashed through my mind.
Was it a mistake to drag him to the temple every chance I got, insisting it was for his repentance? Or was it forcing him to read that book—A Devout Heart, a Pure Character—that he secretly hated?
Looking back, everything I’d done “for his sake” had really been for myself. I’d never considered Pavel’s thoughts or feelings.
Only now did I regret not trying to build a different kind of relationship with him.
If only I’d been more honest—shown him a less fabricated version of myself.
But what good was regret now?
If there was one thing I wished for…
I should’ve at least taught him how to sever a carotid artery in one clean motion.
Desperate not to let him follow the novel’s path, I’d made a fuss whenever he even held a knife, let alone a sword.
I’d told him that since I was learning swordsmanship, he should just focus on his studies.
Because of that, Pavel had barely ever held a sword properly.
Could someone like him really kill me in one strike?
If this was how it was going to be, he could’ve at least knocked me out first. Waiting until I was conscious to do it—what a villainous thing to do.
You foolish boy…
If you kill me and follow the original story’s path, only your own death awaits you in the end.
Was my way wrong?
It felt as though failing to guide my brother properly was entirely my fault.
Knowing the future, I should’ve tried harder. It felt like this tragedy happened because my effort simply wasn’t enough.
I swallowed my resentment toward my brother as I replayed everything in my mind.
Then suddenly, I felt something cold against my arm.
A sharp sting followed—something quickly went in and out.
What was that…?
When I opened my eyes again, Pavel was looking down at me, his eyes moist.
He looked like a guilty puppy, completely deflated.
Only then did I notice someone standing on the other side of him, holding a syringe.
The man put the syringe back into his bag, soaked cotton with disinfectant, and pressed it firmly against the injection site on my arm.
“You’ll have muscle soreness for about a day, so it’s best not to move. You might also get a fever or feel dizzy. Honestly—was all this really necessary just to give one injection?”
I was at a loss for words.
In truth, my mouth was stiff and I couldn’t speak anyway.
“……”
Pavel finally spoke, his voice strained.
“Sister, I’m sorry. But you kept insisting you wouldn’t get the Duralle vaccine. I had no choice. Who else could possibly restrain you by force?”
The Duralle vaccine…
It was for the fever that had been spreading earlier this year. There was only one vaccine distributed within the Empire, but I’d refused it because I suspected its ingredients—leading to this whole mess.
But I knew from the original story that the vaccine was completely ineffective.
The real vaccine would be developed and distributed by Emilia later.
Not only was this one useless, it caused severe muscle pain, leaving you unable to move for a full day.
Whether it was psychological or not, my muscles already felt like they were throbbing.
I felt a surge of irritation rise up.
But getting angry wouldn’t change the situation.
Besides, I couldn’t even move—let alone vent my anger.
With no choice, I closed my eyes again.
I heard the doctor and Pavel talking, and then eventually, silence filled the room.
I thought I’d never fall asleep with all this anger.
I was wrong.
When I opened my eyes again, it was already dark—and my brother was gone.
