A brief silence fell. Rolling my eyes, I raised my hand.
Winter patted my head and asked, “What are you curious about?”
“What does it mean when you say it turned into a monster?”
“That leopard was half-eaten by a monster… Hmm, that’s not a great way to put it.”
“…”
“That leopard gave half of its flesh to the monster,” Winter chuckled, seeming pleased with her revised phrasing.
What’s the difference?!
Daniel subtly avoided my gaze, probably deciding it was impossible to argue with Winter, even if he loved Nina.
Winter continued stroking my hair as she explained, “Usually when a monster eats you, you die instantly. But sometimes, you absorb the monster’s powers instead. Luckily, in this case, it worked out in a good way, giving it a tough life force. It managed to survive until it received proper treatment.”
So that’s why Dewey was so obsessed with catching a rarer animal than Nina? In the end, he dug his own grave.
The next day, Daniel brought Nina. She seemed smarter now, thanks to absorbing the monster’s powers, and she didn’t pounce on anyone, just sat quietly. She even wagged her tail when she recognized Kiverin, which was fascinating.
Meanwhile, the duchy became busier, preparing for the approaching winter. A month after Nina arrived, I, too, started wearing thicker clothes.
Winter and Menelik began going on hunts in the Crescent Moon Forest, returning each time with carts full of red magic stones. Not every monster has a magic stone, so they must have hunted many more.
I started attending etiquette classes and no longer avoided Rose.
“All done,” Kiverin said proudly, holding flower shears.
Ever since he saw me walking around with thorns stuck in my hands, Kiverin had been helping me with my flower arrangement assignments.
I scratched my cheek with my bandaged fingers. “Thank you so much, my lord. I wish Lord Lington would realize that I have no talent for flower arranging.”
But hey, just because I’m bad at flower arranging doesn’t mean I’m bad at everything—I’m great at making decorative knots! Evidence of that was all over Kiverin’s room, with my knot decorations hanging everywhere.
“Oh, he’ll find out. Though it’s already too late,” Kiverin’s voice rumbled low, but when our eyes met, he smiled sweetly as usual, so I brushed it off as my imagination.
I tucked a rejected flower, slightly wilted, behind my ear. My face in the mirror looked radiant. My purple hair, now long enough to reach my waist, gleamed with a shine that was nothing like before. Looks like I’ve been reaping the benefits of living well at the duchy.
I was about to make a bold statement to Kiverin about how cute I looked when I heard the maids whispering in the hallway.
“Huh?”
Tilting my head, Kiverin, with his sharp hearing, explained, “A letter… it’s from the temple.”
No surprise there. Seems like someone’s disappointed they didn’t get news that someone died.
They must be unhappy that Kiverin is managing just fine without the temple’s surveillance and help.
I went with Kiverin to see Winter. As we arrived, her lieutenant was stuffing an unopened letter into the fireplace.
“While I’m away, even if the emperor himself shows up, do not open the gates.”
“I understand.”
Winter’s voice was laced with murderous intent.
Yikes, no need to read the letter, then.
“Mother, are you going to the forest again?”
I asked as I approached Winter with Kiverin.
Seeing us, Winter’s intensity immediately softened.
“This time, it’ll take a few days. There’s a territorial fight among the monsters at Full Moon Lake.”
So, you’re going to send them both to the afterlife, huh?
I wasn’t worried about Winter or Menelik—he might’ve lost an arm, but he was still a sword master, and Winter, the last survivor of a ruined kingdom, had been through it all.
Suddenly, Winter’s eyes lingered on my hands. Her expression twisted with unusual sensitivity.
“Stop the flower arranging lessons immediately. They’re pointless, anyway.”
Lord Lington might cry if he heard that. I mean, I *was* trying to do better…
Winter continued giving orders about the castle’s security to her lieutenant.
We then went to see Menelik. Kiverin seemed to be holding back his dislike but didn’t shake off my hand.
“I never imagined Kiverin would see me off so soon. Must be thanks to my wonderful daughter-in-law.”
“…”
Kiverin said nothing. Menelik, as if expecting that, just patted my head a couple of times.
To my surprise, Menelik’s sword sheath had one of my knot decorations attached. He didn’t seem like a particularly affectionate person, either in the novel or in my experience, so it was unexpected.
I felt puzzled, but I decided to treasure the box of gifts I had received.
Winter and Menelik led the knights out early the next morning.
Shortly after, the gates were fully locked. Winter’s lieutenant and the head butler took control of the entire castle, and security became even stricter.
But compared to the novel, this was nothing. In The Villainess Only Wants The Money Path, the Nectarian duchy was extremely closed off. Even before Kiverin was born, the gates were rarely opened, and after he was born, they were only opened three times a year.
One of those times was Winter’s birthday.
Anyway, the day passed without much incident, just a slight sense of tension in the air.
The problem came the following morning.
I had been sleeping soundly when I suddenly woke up.
“Ugh, why do I feel so sick?”
Feeling an odd sensation in my stomach, I sat up.
I didn’t want to wake Yelena… Maybe some fresh air would help, so I went out into the hallway.
It was still too early for the morning, but I could hear the faint sound of several people talking from the stairs.
What’s going on?
I snuck downstairs, hearing the maids’ irritated voices.
“Are they still here?”
“Don’t even get me started. Two high priests are here, insisting we let them in if we don’t want to face the wrath of the gods.”
Ugh, *that’s* why I feel so sick—it’s because of the high priests! They must have way stronger divine powers than regular priests.
Still, since the staff didn’t seem like they were even thinking about disobeying Winter’s orders, I felt relieved and hurried back.
I got as far as grabbing the doorknob, but I hesitated actually to open it. Maybe I should go all the way to the top floor instead? That way, I’d be as far from the high priests as possible, and maybe my stomach would settle.
Just then, the door next to me opened.
“Lady Cheria…?”
Two half-lidded golden eyes peeked out.
“Weren’t you asleep?”
Kiverin rubbed his eyes.
“I… I woke up but was just about to go back to sleep. What about you, Lady Cheria?”
“I should be sleeping too, but…”
I didn’t feel well, and my mood was off. It felt like the invisible divine power from the high priests was poking at my nerves.
I slowly let go of the doorknob I had been gripping tightly.
Kiverin looked at me, confused. “Do you… not want to go in your room?”
“Seems like it.”
“Then… would you like to come into mine?”
I hesitated for a moment, then followed him into his room. I thought I might just admit how bad I felt, but suddenly, Kiverin reached out and cupped my cheek.
“Y-Your nose is red.”
I blinked. The second Kiverin touched me, all the discomfort I had felt vanished like it had been a lie. The nausea was gone, and my heart wasn’t racing anymore.
Wait, what? The high priests are still out there, right?
“Did you just heal me?”
“Heal you? Oh… were you not feeling well?”
Kiverin looked confused as if he had no idea what I was talking about. I was confused, too.
“I wasn’t feeling great until just now, but being around you made me feel better.”
Suddenly, all my tension melted away, and drowsiness crept in.
Kiverin watched me struggling to stifle a yawn.
“Then… how about you sleep here with me tonight?”
It was an offer I couldn’t refuse at that moment.
It’s not like this was the first time I’d slept next to Kiverin, anyway.
Without hesitation, I took his hand and lay down beside him.
Suddenly, memories of the days we spent in the snake pit came to mind. He’s changed a lot since then, hasn’t he? He smiles more, and he’s comfortable holding my hand now.
Kiverin gently patted my back.
“Have sweet dreams. And don’t worry about anything.”
“…You too, my lord.”
“D-Don’t answer, just go to sleep.”
Alright.
I’m supposed to be the one taking care of Kiverin, but it feels like I’m the one being taken care of. I need to pull myself together.
…Or not. When I woke up, it was already noon.
