Dead-End Villainess Who Makes Medicine

 

 

Just before my mother and I were driven out of the mansion, my father, who had been on an expedition, returned with a new woman.

 

She gave birth to a twin within a few months, and one of them was Yeffa.

 

I heard that Yeffa’s birth mother, who suffered greatly after childbirth, passed away in less than a few years.

 

It was almost expected that Yeffa and her sibling would face discrimination and neglect while growing up.

 

In such an environment, Yeffa grew up as someone who behaved weakly toward the strong and strongly toward the weak.

 

‘At first, I tried to get along with her.’

 

Perhaps I felt a sense of camaraderie in our similar situations, and I had affection for her as she was my younger sibling.

 

But from the moment I first met her, Yeffa showed hostility toward me.

 

One day, when I visited the duchy, I baked cookies for my siblings.

 

[You should know better. How can you expect us to eat this garbage?]

 

Having been kicked out of the castle and living in a cottage, I was perceived by Yeffa as a weakling.

 

As if the cookie were something truly filthy, Yeffa lifted it with her thumb and forefinger and promptly threw it to the floor.

 

Unable to utter a word in shock, I watched as Yeffa not only stepped on the cookie but also ground it into pieces with a mocking smile.

 

[You, you……!]

 

If I had known it was a provocation, I wouldn’t have been so agitated.

 

But, still unfamiliar with the Cassian environment, I expressed my emotions straightforwardly.

 

In a burst of anger, as I shouted, Yeffa’s attitude suddenly changed. She knelt before me, tears streaming down her face.

 

[I’m sorry, sister! I accidentally dropped your precious cookies……. Please don’t hit me; it hurts so much……!]

 

I faltered, wondering what was wrong, and didn’t realize that several maids had come up behind me.

 

[Goodness, Lady Rohiriel, I didn’t expect you to be like that…]

 

[Who knew you could be so violent?]

 

[A younger sibling could accidentally drop a cookie, but going as far as hitting for that?] 

 

[As expected of Cassian.]

 

[No, our Lady Yeffa is so lovely. Look at her; I feel so sorry for her.]

 

Yeffa knew very well how to behave to make herself look the most pitiful to garner sympathy and receive love.

 

Every time I uttered a word, her shoulders would shake, and she would cover her face as if she were sobbing.

 

Since then, rumors have spread about me being a violent lady who indulges in cruel behavior.

 

Tossing and turning at night in frustration, I swore to become like them in order to survive in Cassian.

 

And the path I chose was to hide my flaws thoroughly and appear as someone easy to manipulate.

 

Until one day, I would turn it all upside down.

 

‘It’s not long now.’

 

Until now, even though Yeffa constantly made my life miserable and bothered me, I endured it and moved according to her wishes.

 

Even now, Yeffa approaches me with a friendly facade, hoping to gain some advantage from being close to me, the Crown Princess.

 

“Sister, I regret not getting to see you properly at the banquet. It’s nice to see you!”

 

Pretending to be truly affectionate sisters, Yeffa greeted me with a cheerful smile. Instead of responding warmly, I offered a faint smirk.

 

“Yeffa, don’t be such an obnoxious pretender, even when we’re alone.”

 

“Pretender? Sis, don’t you think you’re being too harsh? I’m disappointed.”

 

Despite her words, Yeffa was faintly smiling.

 

For years, I had seen that calculating expression on Yeffa’s face, thinking about how to make things difficult for me.

 

“There won’t be any interesting incidents like back then. Just stay quiet and go back quietly.”

 

“Back then? When was that?”

 

As she asked, Yeffa tried to cross her arms over mine.

 

Seeing her smirking face, she knew I was referring to the incident of the palace fire.

 

I didn’t answer and pulled my arm away from her. She looked up at me with tears in her hazel eyes, as if she were hurt.

 

“Sister, it feels like you’re treating me differently now that you’re the Crown Princess.”

 

“Since when have we been so close? If you’re up to no good, just leave.”

 

I couldn’t be bothered to deal with her anymore, so I paced quickly, ignoring whatever she was saying.

 

Eventually, Yeffa wiped the smile off her face and pulled away from me.

 

“Sister Rottie, they said you were sick, but it seems like all your emotions have died. Why are you still alive when you could be dead?”

 

Her mocking voice carried a determination to somehow provoke me. Rather than getting angry, I laughed more.

 

“I couldn’t bring myself to die. Yeffa, you looked pitiful. Who else would take care of you if I didn’t?”

 

Yeffa’s hazel-colored eyes twisted with discomfort.

 

She didn’t want sympathy, especially from me. So I deliberately pressed the point further. She stiffened coldly.

 

“How dare trash like you pity me?”

 

Yeffa reached for my chest.

 

Since it wasn’t a threatening gesture, I let her be. She squeezed the pearl necklace Natya had given me with a disdainful expression.

 

“Trash remains trash, even if it wears good clothes. Just because you’re dressed as the Crown Princess, do you think you’ve become something?”

 

With a sharp sound, she tried to tear the pearl necklace apart.

 

Recalling Natya’s careful work while she put it on, my face involuntarily twisted.

 

“What are you trying to do?”

 

“Sister, you’re not seriously getting mad now, are you? How much does this cost?”

 

Yeffa tried to tear the pearls apart with a twisted expression.

 

Not wanting to tolerate it any longer, I swatted Yeffa’s hand away.

 

“Eek!”

 

Yeffa screamed excessively, as if she had been waiting for me to swat her hand, and dramatically fell to the ground.

 

Her cute yellow dress was now a mess on the dirt. She clutched her wrist as if in pain.

 

“I’m sorry, Sister… Oh, no, Your Highness!”

 

Where have I seen this scene before?

 

Looking up at me with watery eyes, Yeffa soon fluttered her eyelashes and shed crocodile tears.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just wanted to touch it for a moment because it’s so pretty…”

 

It was always fascinating to see how quickly Yeffa could switch from being wicked to pitiful.

 

‘Her acting skills are truly outstanding.’

 

Even without looking, it was obvious. Behind me, other noble ladies invited to the boat party were probably witnessing this scene.

 

I thought, ‘Why hasn’t something annoying happened for a while?’

 

Sure enough, I heard the murmurs of the noble ladies behind me.

 

“Your Highness and… Lady Cassian? What’s going on?”

 

“Just now, Your Highness pushed Lady Cassian!”

 

“I just saw her swatting her hand, but didn’t she fall down suddenly?”

 

“Why would she fall out of nowhere? She was pushed, so she fell.”

 

“Well, there have been rumors. Since her Highness was in the Duke’s residence before marriage… she was violent.”

 

The rumors that had quieted down since I arrived at the palace were surfacing again. Somewhere, I could even hear faint whispers.

 

Coincidentally, the situation was eerily similar to my first encounter with Yeffa in the past.

 

Yeffa was sobbing and apologizing, and I, the seemingly powerless and weak elder sister, was playing the role of the wicked one.

 

‘Why hasn’t anything changed at all?’

 

Years had passed.

 

No matter how easily I allowed this to happen before, it was time to change her approach.

 

I deliberately snapped the somewhat worn-out pearl necklace, letting it fall to the ground.

 

It landed right next to Yeffa, but she, absorbed in her performance with her face buried in her hands, didn’t notice.

 

The voices of the noble ladies and their footsteps approached.

 

In a deliberately stern tone, I spoke to Yeffa.

 

“Yeffa, if you had asked me for the pearls, I would have gladly given them to you.”

 

Yeffa, who had been pitifully shaking, momentarily stopped. She seemed to expect me to be flustered and angry, like before.

 

She lifted her head slightly, blinking her tear-filled eyes.

 

“Oh, no, it’s okay. I just wanted to touch it because it’s so beautiful. But in the end, I couldn’t touch it, and I only received your highness’ anger. I’m sorry, really…”

 

She was pushing the blame on me, that I pushed her away before she could even touch it.

 

In response, I tilted my head in disbelief.

 

“Yeffa, is there anything going on these days?”

 

“Why would… all of a sudden…”

 

“Why can’t you remember your actions? You couldn’t even touch it? You tore it apart, asking for the pearls.”

 

“……what?”

 

Yeffa’s tone turned informal.

 

Her eyes quickly checked my chest, then moved to the floor.

 

Her face was painted with confusion as she spotted the shining pearl on the side.

 

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊