Dead-End Villainess Who Makes Medicine

[Then shall we make a bet?]

[A bet? What do you mean all of a sudden?]

[If the common people dislike you and refuse to recognize you as the crown princess.]

[…Okay.]

[If that’s the case, I will give up on you and return to the palace. However…]

 

Seeing Julion’s skeptical gaze, I raised the corners of my mouth.

 

[If the common people love you so much that they wouldn’t care if you were from Cassian…]

[…….]

[Then please stay as Rohiriel Sertizan.]

[Alright, I’ll do that.]

 

I accepted after some hesitation. I didn’t think Julion stood a chance from the start. No matter how many I cured, or even if I gained recognition in the palace, there would surely be those who wanted me to pay for Cassian’s misdeeds.

Moreover, how could I even know if the common people truly loved me?

 

[You must not regret it, Rohiriel.]

[Of course not. You’re the one who should prepare to accept the outcome and leave neatly.]

 

Until then, I had been quite confident. But as I left Mormic and received the overflowing love from the residents, my confidence wavered slightly.

 

‘But… outside is different.’

 

The people of Mormic didn’t even know I was Cassian, so it was only natural. However, those outside, especially those who know me, will undoubtedly react differently.

With that thought in mind, I set out on the road leading outside the territory.

Julion walked beside me. Glancing at his profile, a corner of my heart felt unsettled.

 

‘I don’t know why I’m so nervous.’

 

After all, the outcome was already decided, and besides, it was unlikely we’d encounter anyone in these mountains even if we went outside.

 

“Rohiriel, I hope you haven’t forgotten.”

“Of course not.”

 

Before I knew it, we had reached where the royal knights were stationed, clearing away the barriers that sealed off Mormic.

The path ahead seemed almost cleared, leading into the mountains.

 

‘Why is Julion so confident?’

 

He doesn’t seem like the kind of person to do this for no reason.

An inexplicable sense of unease began to creep in.

I stood in the middle of a clear path. I wanted to just keep going straight ahead, but I couldn’t.

 

“What in the world…”

 

I blinked several times, trying to confirm that what lay before me wasn’t an illusion. But no matter how hard I looked, blinked, or rubbed my eyes, it remained the same.

Winter flower petals are scattered in various colors. The ground was completely covered in pink petals, as if they had been strewn there moments ago.

On either side of that flower path, countless people gathered.

 

“Your Highness, the Crown Princess!”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

“Thanks to the medicine you provided, everyone in our village survived!”

“Your Highness, among the people in the underground of the Cassian mansion, was my daughter. Thanks to you revealing everything, I was able to reunite with my daughter!”

“Your Highness, please don’t get sick!”

“We missed you, Your Highness!”

 

I couldn’t find words and just looked at the crowd that had gathered for a long time.

Despite the knights’ attempts to stop them, people somehow managed to get closer to me, leaning their heads forward.

Children giggled as they carried baskets of flower petals, continually tossing them into the air.

 

“Rohiriel.”

 

Unable to say anything, I just stared, and Julion softly called my name. At the same time, the sound of someone playing a flute reached my ears. To the bright and cheerful melody, children danced around joyfully.

 

“What do you think? Does it seem like they all hate and despise you in your eyes?”

 

I couldn’t answer.

Instead, I nervously bit my lower lip in confusion.

Even before leaving Mormic, the residents who continued to wave and bid farewell had already tugged at my heartstrings.

 

“This is too much, really.”

 

Tears welled up in my eyes, following the tug at my heart.

This was unbelievable.

How could they know that I would come out at this entrance, at this time, on this day, and that so many people would be prepared?

It made me doubt if it was Julion’s doing.

 

“Isn’t this cheating?”

“Well, I just relayed the news to the palace.”

“And what did you tell them…….?”

“I did what you told me to do. I provided the medicine, distributed it to the necessary areas, shared the formula, and since Mormic’s epidemic is over, I asked to lift the lockdown.”

“But how did everyone know and welcome me like this?”

“I have no idea, really.”

 

Julion answered slowly, meeting my gaze.

His clear golden eyes shimmered, and his gaze softened. It was a beautiful smile, but for some reason, it also felt annoying.

 

“……Don’t laugh.”

“Sorry, but I can’t grant that request.”

 

Julion’s smile deepened. He turned to face me, his face full of satisfaction and trepidation.

 

“I don’t know of any man who can look the one they love in the eye and not smile.”

 

From beneath the fluttering pink petals, Julion held out his hand to me. When I stared at his hand, he spoke urgently.

 

“Take me wherever you want, Rohiriel Sertizan.”

 

Even in this situation, I appreciated Julion not insisting on going to the palace. It felt like he was respecting my desire to live as a physician.

Hesitantly, I took Julion’s hand.

 

‘He feels a bit cold.’

 

Julion’s hand, which was always warm, felt chilly at this moment. It seemed like he was tense, and without realizing it, I let out a chuckle.

I gripped Julion’s hand tightly.

Not painful, but firm enough to lean on.

 

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

 

In the end, I decided to return to the palace.

It bothered me that Julion had been pushed out of the position of crown prince because of me and also because the epidemic wasn’t completely eradicated yet.

 

‘To produce and distribute the medicine more easily and quickly nationwide, the palace needs to be the center point.’

 

If I were just a mere physician, not the crown princess, things wouldn’t progress quickly. Furthermore, there was no place other than the palace to closely monitor my mother’s condition in a safe and secure manner.

The decision was quick, but it took quite a few days to return to the palace. In every territory we passed through, crowds gathered to welcome us.

Every day was filled with days of being loved and cherished.

I expected it would be less troublesome once we reached the capital, where many people knew about Cassian. But instead, I was greeted with more hospitality, to the point of embarrassment.

 

“His Highness, the Crown Prince, and Her Highness, the Crown Princess, are here!”

 

As we arrived, the palace entrance was already filled with a festive atmosphere.

Various bands were playing music, and even the Emperor and Empress came out to greet us at the entrance. As we approached them to exchange words, the Emperor smiled contentedly and shouted loudly.

 

“The Crown Princess shall henceforth be named the Light of the Empire.”

 

After a long time of not seeing each other and exchanging greetings, I was taken aback by the sudden declaration, and I quickly looked at Julion.

The title “Light of the Empire” was usually bestowed upon the Crown Prince.

However, Julion showed no reaction, as if it were nothing. With a sigh, I turned back to the Emperor and spoke again.

 

“Your Imperial Majesty, this is an undeserved title. Please reconsider.”

“You’ve made the greatest contribution by capturing traitors and preventing the epidemic. So you are more than qualified to be the Light of the Empire.”

“But, Your Majesty, that title belongs to His Highness the Crown Prince…”

“Crown Prince? What title is there for a guy who abandoned his authority and position and left the palace?”

“If you put it that way, I left the palace too.”

“You’ve worked hard all this time. If it weren’t for the Crown Princess, Sertizan would have faced a different fate.”

 

The Emperor hurriedly continued the conversation, fearing I might protest loudly.

 

Eventually, I gave up trying to change his mind and turned my gaze to the Empress. However, her reaction was even more intense than the Emperor’s.

 

“The light of the empire is not enough. How about becoming an imperial princess?”[1]

 

Shocked by the unexpected suggestion, I blinked rapidly, but thankfully Julion responded.

 

“No, that’s not possible. She’s supposed to be my wife, but what do you mean, an imperial princess? Are you suggesting I divorce her?”

 

……It was a valid question, except that it was subtly misplaced.

Worried about what bizarre remarks might come next if we continued the conversation, I quickly changed the subject.

 

“Regardless, Your Majesties, I’m glad you’re both in good health. By the way, I heard the new Imperial Residence is complete. Can I go and see it?”

“Why not? You are Rohiriel Sertizan.”

 

At that moment, I realized what Julion meant by being a Sertizan. It wasn’t simply about becoming the Crown Princess. It meant being able to exercise all authority as a Sertizan.

Furthermore…

 

“Thank… you.”

 

To be a member of this family.

It was a true family, completely different from the cold and tearless Cassian.

 

[End of Main Story]

Side Stories Coming soon!

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

[1] “The light of the empire is not enough. How about becoming an imperial princess?”

T/N: I’m somewhat perplexed by their titles, but this is what I understand them to be. At the beginning, she became the crown princess because she married the crown prince (Julion), but this time the empress is bestowing on her the title of imperial princess. This implies that she has the ability to take the throne even without marrying Julion. The empress probably said this because Julion stepped down from his position as crown prince.

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊