Even if the Villain's Daughter Regresses

After exchanging a brief farewell, Vilhel led the butler away. Though not completely oblivious, the butler followed quietly after receiving a punch from Vilhel.

Laila remained quietly in her bedroom before deciding to move.

Soon, Laila arrived at Sion’s bedroom. Since morning, she has been staying in Sion’s room.

She had only moved to her bedroom, which was right next door, when Vilhel and the butler came to visit.

The reason for the move was simple: she didn’t want to disturb the place where Sion was.

Laila sat beside Sion’s bed. The chair she had been sitting in for hours still held a faint warmth.

Sitting on the chair, Laila gazed at Sion.

 

‘…He was barely hanging on.’

 

That’s what Elvin said after treating Sion.

He followed up with an explanation that an ordinary person would have died twice over due to the severity of the wounds and the amount of bleeding.

Laila listened absentmindedly and said something Elvin didn’t ask for: Sion ended up like this because he tried to save her.

Elvin stared silently at Laila and replied firmly.

 

“He will wake up…”

 

Days passed since those words were spoken.

Of course, Elvin didn’t specify ‘when’ Sion would wake up.

Nevertheless, as time passed, Laila became increasingly uneasy, almost as if she had heard a lie from Elvin.

What if Sion doesn’t wake up?

Then what will happen to her…?

 

“I hope you wake up.”

 

Laila muttered softly.

In truth, Sion didn’t really need to wake up.

In fact, it was better for Laila if he didn’t wake up.

Currently, Laila and Sion’s relationship has progressed much further than Laila had anticipated in the past.

It was as good as it could possibly be.

If Sion were to die while maintaining this relationship… Yes, honestly, Laila wouldn’t lose anything.

What would happen if Sion died like this?

Firstly, Laila wouldn’t have to worry anymore about the villain bothering Sion.

She wouldn’t have to worry about Sion harboring resentment or hatred for her again.

In the future, there would be no need to worry about anything. She could just quietly live without causing trouble, avoiding conflict with anyone.

In time, the resurrected Sion would return as a hero, and Hildegarde would crumble, but she would survive.

That’s what she always hoped and wished for.

But for some reason, it didn’t make her happy to imagine it.

Despite thinking it was a flawless, ideal progression, she felt repelled at the same time.

She doesn’t want this.

She didn’t want Sion to die.

She wanted him to wake up. She wanted him to open his eyes. She wanted him to look at her again, unharmed.

She wished he would.

Lost in thought at that moment, Laila witnessed something and was startled.

Sion was slowly opening his eyes.

Laila blinked, wondering if her wish had come true, and looked at Sion again.

Then their eyes met, and Sion fully opened his eyes.

Laila opened her mouth as if to speak, but either because she hadn’t decided what to say or for some other reason, her voice didn’t come out right away.

Sion broke the silence first.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Laila immediately furrowed her brow upon hearing the question.

 

“Do I look okay?”

“…are you hurt?”

 

Seeing Sion’s expression suddenly turn serious, Laila couldn’t help but let out a nervous laugh, feeling incredulous.

 

“It’s not me; it’s you. You’re not okay.”

“…….”

“Elvin said if you were an ordinary person, you would have died twice.”

“So, you’re not hurt?”

 

Suddenly, Laila wondered what Sion’s reaction would be if she lied and said she had a life-threatening injury.

Would he worry about her, even though he was wrapped in bandages all over his body, unconscious for three days, and just woke up?

Her stomach churned.

It suddenly occurred to her that she had grown closer to Sion than she needed to be.

When had they gotten this close?

Or… maybe…

Is Sion naturally like this?

Does he treat everyone so well?

As long as they’re not someone he dislikes?

Then again, Laila had never seen Sion treat anyone who wasn’t related to Hildegarde in some way.

Maybe this situation right now isn’t so special after all.

She suddenly felt a sinking feeling in her chest.

Thinking about Sion getting hurt like this for someone else made her feel suffocated.

Then confusion set in.

…What do I really want?

A moment ago, she thought what she wanted was clear. To survive. To get close enough to Sion that she wouldn’t die at his hands.

She thought that was all she wanted.

Laila looked at the wounded Sion, then lowered her eyes.

After a moment, she spoke.

 

“When I was young, about six years old…”

“……?”

“My mother passed away.”

“…….”

“They found her in her room, having taken poison. There was a suicide note saying that she had fallen in love with a man other than her husband and that she couldn’t live with the guilt anymore.”

 

Laila spoke slowly. It was a story she had never told anyone before, and she had no intention of telling anyone in the future.

Ever.

 

“No one believed it. My mother wasn’t that kind of person. She would never, ever leave us for something like that.”

 

Sion didn’t ask who the ‘us’ was that had suddenly appeared without explanation. He simply listened quietly to Laila’s story.

Laila continued.

 

“We… I mean, everyone except me…”

“…….”

“They went to ask for help. To someone who would help us, help my mother.”

“…….”

“I couldn’t go with them. I was the youngest and the weakest. My oldest sister, who was closest to being an adult, asked me before she left,”

“…….”

“Make sure you survive.”

 

It was a simple story.

There once was a woman. She was the unwanted daughter of a prestigious family.

She married a powerful man as if she were being sold. But there was a problem.

The powerful man who became her husband was evil, and she was too kind.

The woman couldn’t stand idly by and watch her husband’s evil deeds.

So, she persistently tried to stop him and change him—until one day, she met her death.

The woman’s children questioned her death.

They were sure there was foul play. They wanted to uncover the truth behind her death.

So, the woman’s children, leaving behind only one sibling who was too young and weak, set out together.

To go to the woman’s family and borrow strength to uncover the truth.

But they never reached the woman’s family.

Before that, they all lost their lives.

It was an accident.

 

“News came. They met bandits, and all died. The bandits were caught and confessed to the crime. They were executed the next day.”

 

Laila secretly went to see the bandit in prison early on the day he was to be executed.

It was the first time she had acted without permission from the villain.

Laila approached the bandit, who had been beaten to a pulp, and asked him.

 

‘Did you really kill my siblings?’

 

The bandit stared piercingly at young Laila, then dropped his head. Looking at the ground, he muttered.

 

‘I’ll be a better father in the next life.’

 

At that time, Laila couldn’t understand those words. She thought the bandit hadn’t answered her question.

But as she grew older, she could understand a little more.

That was clearly an answer.

He explained why he had no choice but to be here, in this place, in prison.

He willingly became the person who harmed someone else’s child to protect his own.

Whether he was actually threatened into committing the crime or simply framed, she couldn’t know.

But Laila realized once again.

What she must do to “survive.”

What threatened her life.

Laila thought about whether she should tell Sion about her conversation with the bandit, but decided against it.

If Sion had experienced something similar, he would have already figured it out.

The person who killed Laila’s mother, who killed Laila’s siblings…

It was all Marquis Hildergarde.