~Chapter 2~
As I was making a firm resolve on my own, a low, muffled voice suddenly pierced my ears.
“…You smell like poison.”
Pian slowly pushed himself up.
Under the candlelight, his silver hair shimmered, and beneath it, his sharp blue eyes glinted coldly.
Though Pian was the same age as Laila, he looked younger than how he was described in the novel. Still, no matter how ragged his appearance was, it couldn’t hide his beauty.
He leaned his face close to mine, then slowly lowered his head toward my stomach.
“W-What are you doing?”
I instinctively tried to pull back, but Pian grabbed my arm and pulled me closer instead.
How is this tiny kid so strong?!
Pian placed the hand he was holding onto my stomach.
“You can heal yourself, right? Do it now.”
Despite his terrifying grip strength, Pian looked up at me with eyes like a puppy.
…If someone saw this, they’d think you were the one begging to be healed, not me.
“Your stomach is going to hurt a lot.”
Pian urged me impatiently, clearly displeased with my hesitation.
But I had no intention of healing the poison.
After six months of living here, I had learned one thing—
Life was easier if I just went along with the Empress.
At first, I secretly healed myself and pretended to be in pain. But maybe my acting wasn’t convincing, because the Empress summoned a physician to examine me.
She must have suspected someone gave me an antidote, because the very next day, she replaced all the maids and the palace doctor assigned to me.
Then she fed me an even stronger poison.
That time, the muscle pain was so severe it felt like my whole body was paralyzed. I even briefly considered dying and reincarnating again.
It’s funny to call this “fortunate,” but thankfully, the Empress was a busy person.
If I satisfied her desire to torment me to some extent, she wouldn’t bother me for a few days. So unless it was a lethal poison, it was easier to just endure it.
I still couldn’t understand why she hated Laila so much.
Maybe my expression turned too serious, because Pian shook my arm slightly, urging me again.
I smiled at him to reassure him.
“It’s okay. I’m a fairy, so stuff like this doesn’t hurt me.”
Pian’s face twisted, but I boldly lifted my chin and met his gaze.
When we first met, he had asked about my identity, and since I didn’t know how to explain magic, I just told him I was a fairy.
Of course, he had looked me over carefully, clearly thinking, You? A fairy?
…but what was I supposed to do?
It wasn’t entirely a lie. The imperial family had elf blood, after all.
Still, since I had shown him my magic several times, he seemed to believe it now.
“But what if something happens? Just use your magic quickly.”
Yep, he bought it. Repetition really works.
“I’ve never seen you talk this much. Are you worried about me?”
I teased him with a sly smile.
Pian’s brows lifted.
“Wow, you must be really worried.”
“….”
He stubbornly shut his mouth and looked away.
To others, it might seem like denial—but I had reread the novel multiple times up to Pian’s death.
I knew.
That was his way of saying yes.
He was worried about me.
Ah… my heart…
When someone this cute does something cute, my heart can’t handle it…
Maybe I was grinning too much, because Pian flinched and suddenly lay back down, pulling the blanket over his head.
But he didn’t deny it.
That made it even cuter.
I laughed softly and gently stroked his back again.
“Good night, Pian.”
His sudden change in attitude surprised me a little—but it also made me happy.
For the first time, he felt like a real person with his own will.
If you’re given a better choice…
maybe you can change your life too.
Pat, pat.
Until the cold night passed and the warm sun rose, I stayed by his side so he could sleep peacefully.
* * *
“Ugh… I’m seriously dying…”
I shook the bell string, and a maid entered.
Even seeing me drenched in cold sweat, she didn’t look particularly surprised.
“I’ll call the physician,” she said flatly.
Not that it was new, but people here were truly cold toward Laila.
While I was feeling bitter about it, the physician arrived.
Even though this detached palace was far from the main palace, he came surprisingly fast.
He must have been waiting nearby.
“My stomach… it hurts…”
“Does it feel like your intestines are being torn apart? A fever throughout your body? Stiff shoulders? Numb arms? Like something inside is pulling your navel?”
For a moment, I thought he might be a genius doctor—he described my symptoms perfectly.
So he knows what poison I took?
Wasn’t he the one who prepared it too?
I narrowed my eyes at him.
His hands trembled as he drew a few drops of blood from me and carefully stored it in a vial.
“I will prepare the medicine immediately and send it to you, Princess Laila.”
Avoiding my gaze, he quickly left, sweating nervously.
Now I have to be suspicious of doctors too…
I told the maid beside me that I wanted to bathe.
While she went to prepare the bath, I quickly used magic to purify the poison.
Warmth slowly spread through my stomach.
Within minutes, all the pain in my body disappeared.
Thank goodness Laila’s magic was strong—otherwise, I might’ve tried reincarnating again.
“Princess, your bath is ready.”
Was this maid a demon in her past life?
Even after seeing me in pain, she prepared a bath full of cold water.
Worse, she didn’t even help me and just left the room.
She probably meant to make me suffer—but honestly, it worked out for me.
Splash.
I dipped my hand into the tub and warmed the water.
Then, focusing harder, I recreated a bath additive I had once seen the Second Consort gift to the Empress.
The bathwater shimmered like a galaxy, releasing a sweet fragrance.
As I sank into the warm, fragrant water, a pleasant drowsiness washed over me.
“This is nice…”
Why didn’t Laila ever run away?
With this level of magic, she could have lived happily anywhere.
As I absentmindedly played with the shimmering water, I thought about my future plans.
I was planning to escape the palace soon.
With my personality, there was no way I’d survive here peacefully.
If I had no power, I might’ve endured it…
But now—
I lifted my hand out of the water and moved it slightly.
Gold coins poured out with a clinking sound.
Then I waved my hand again, and they disappeared.
This is insane. What is this?!
This makes winning the lottery look like nothing.
I stared at my wrinkled fingers from the bath, grinning widely.
With creation-level powers like this, there was no reason to stay in the palace.
Leaning back in the tub, I imagined a bright future.
Should I buy a yacht and sunbathe on an emerald beach?
Or throw parties with handsome men and beautiful women?
…Ah, but Laila’s body is only fourteen. That might be a problem.
Most reincarnated protagonists in novels worry about ruining the story.
I didn’t.
Why should I care about the plot?
I’m too selfish for that.
But there was one reason I couldn’t leave right away.
Pian.
Now that I knew, I couldn’t abandon him to that abuse.
Lost in thought, I eventually noticed the bathwater had gone cold.
After refreshing it, I got out and put on a robe.
Click—
I opened the window slightly.
A fresh breeze brushed against my hair, and sunlight shimmered over the lush greenery.
Unlike the carefully maintained gardens of the main palace, this one was overgrown like a jungle.
Still… it had its own rugged charm.
When I read the novel, I thought the imperial palace was beautiful.
But through Laila’s eyes—
it was a lonely place.
I touched the damp ends of my hair.
No one would visit me today…
Should I go see Pian?
As I leaned on the terrace railing, thinking, birds chirped softly, as if urging me to go.
Today was the day.
After his mother died, Pian had been abused by his father’s mistress.
If I got rid of her, he wouldn’t suffer anymore.
Honestly, I wanted to take Pian with me.
With this level of power, raising one kid wouldn’t be hard.
But Pian was part of the main story.
It was better if he stayed within the duke’s household.
So I came up with another plan.
I would steal a treasure from the imperial palace…
and plant it in the mistress’s vault, framing her.
That’s why I needed time.
To find something valuable enough to enrage the Emperor—
yet something that could be quietly resolved.
Like a hidden slush fund being embezzled by an executive.
And yesterday—
I found that treasure in the 16th treasury.
Today, I would change Pian’s life.
* * *
“So there are still rats left, huh? You think I won’t find them?”
I came early, worried the mistress might be inside—and sure enough, her sharp voice echoed from within.
“Who healed you?”
My body froze.
Pian didn’t answer.
The sound of something metallic echoed repeatedly through the underground chamber.
After what felt like forever—
she finally left.
Pian lay on the floor, battered and broken.
My trembling hand touched him, and magic surged out.
In an instant, all his wounds disappeared.
Pian slowly opened his eyes.
“Are you okay?”
That wasn’t me.
Pian suddenly sat up and asked me.
Who’s worrying about who here?
I stared at him, stunned.
He frowned slightly, as if misunderstanding my expression, and sniffed me again before looking up.
Surprisingly—
he was smiling.
“Looks like you healed yourself. That’s good.”
Only then did the pain seem to hit him, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
Even after being tortured—
he was worried about me.
“…Were you getting beaten more because of me?”
“Why would it be because of you?”
“I…”
If I hadn’t healed you, you wouldn’t have been hurt this much…
My throat tightened, and I couldn’t speak.
I was an idiot.
I had been carefully planning to save him without anyone noticing—
yet I left clear traces on his body.
My eyes burned with guilt.
With his eyes closed, Pian spoke again.
“Does your stomach still hurt?”
Silence lingered.
Then he opened his eyes again.
Beneath his silver lashes, his ocean-blue eyes carefully examined my face.
It felt strange.
Being worried about by someone.
Having someone put me before themselves—
that was even stranger.
The unfamiliar feeling made my whole body tingle.
Without thinking, I pulled Pian into a tight embrace, blocking his view.
“…Don’t underestimate a fairy. Stuff like this doesn’t bother me.”
I tried to sound casual—to reassure him—
but my voice cracked.
Maybe he didn’t notice.
Or maybe he pretended not to.
“…That’s good,” he murmured softly.
My tears fell onto his blood-stained silver hair.
Someone this kind…
I won’t let any of them get away with this.
