Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

I reflected on Luka’s words while looking at the black carriage getting farther away outside the window.

 

‘Is it because I don’t want to believe them? I shouldn’t do that…’

 

~

“To be honest… All the memories of you continue to fade away, Leah. When we’re together, it doesn’t happen, but as soon as you get away and I can’t see you, my memories gradually blur.”

~

 

Was that the reason Luka kept grabbing my hand relentlessly at the orphanage?

 

~

“This is probably a part of the bloody curse those kidnappers put on me. Back in Troy Orphanage, I thought I was going crazy, but when I regained my memories and thought it through, I realized it was that kind of dark magic.”

 

“What-what kind?”

 

“An ancient magic called ‘Amnesia.’ It erases memories of your loved ones. They used to cast this magic when sending soldiers off to war.”

 

“Wh-why are you telling me this now? What’s the solution…?”

 

“There isn’t one yet, but don’t worry too much,” Luka said with a reassuring smile. “I have this necklace. I’m sure you have one too. This necklace connects us through mana waves.”

~

He referred to the magical necklace we got from the duke last night. I opened my tightly clenched hand and looked at the necklace with a deep pink gem embedded in it.

 

~

“As long as we don’t take off these necklaces, my memories of you won’t disappear. Leah, you just need to promise me not to abandon me.”

 

“Why would I ever abandon you? You’re not some object I can just discard…”

 

“I know, but Leah, you have no regrets anymore. Even though you could have left the orphanage, you didn’t, probably because of your affection for me and not wanting to leave me behind. But now I’m free, and I’m even going back to my position as the crown prince. Can you keep thinking of me the same?”

 

“…Of course. Why would you even ask? Don’t worry; I won’t leave you for a moment.”

~

Luka knew. He understood my feelings better than anyone else, even those feelings I didn’t fully comprehend myself. 

 

I was trying to let go of Luka. 

 

After meeting the male lead suffering from amnesia, and living together, Ravelia secretly falls in love with him. She willingly sacrifices herself for him, becoming a cripple, using it as an excuse to stir up trouble in the love between the protagonists. In the end, she was fated to die in exile after trying to kill the female lead.

 

Would my deep, complex emotions, which couldn’t easily be categorized as filial, friendly, or romantic, be of any help to me in the future? 

 

As Luka had mentioned, he was currently under the influence of a spell. Looking back, it was a detail mentioned in the novel as well. Amnesia was indeed part of the magic. This dangerous magic could make Luka’s life even more perilous. When he turned seventeen and went to the battlefield, the puppet curse would be activated, making him extremely vulnerable. Patterns in ancient language would appear on his arms, neck, and legs. This magic, known as “the puppet curse” among black sorcerers, was as its name suggested. If one obeyed, the wounds would heal through the inscribed ancient language, but if they resisted, the skin would be cut again and pain would be inflicted. The perfect combination of the carrot and the whip.

 

Luka’s willpower kept him fighting against the dark magic, and he didn’t give up despite Duke Kavlos’ suggestions to surrender to the enemy.

 

The one who saved him from such a fate was Senia, the female lead, who voluntarily joined the frontline as a healing wizard. She was like a heretic among a family of villains.

 

The beginning of all was when Duke Kavlos and the Royal Concubine made a deal to kidnap Luka and imprison him in the Troy Orphanage. The concubine, without hesitation, asked Duke Kavlos—who committed all sorts of evil deeds—to get rid of the crown prince. 

 

By that time, the Kavlos household was generating more and more taxes. It meant that the level of crimes they were committing was slowly surpassing what the royal family could tolerate and overlook. 

 

The concubine seized that opportunity. She promised to grant Duke Kavlos wings if he eliminated Luka and ensured her own son would be positioned as Crown Prince, with the possibility of becoming Emperor later. It was akin to inciting the arrival of an era of major crimes within the royal court.

 

Duke Kavlos pretended to accept her proposal. He thought of a bigger plan for later. After the concubine successfully placed her son on the throne as Emperor and seized control of the imperial palace, he would make her his minion. 

 

At that time, he decided not to fulfill the concubine’s request to eliminate the crown prince and instead kept him alive, using him as a puppet. Duke Kavlos placed a curse that had been passed down through generations in the Kavlos family on Luka. 

 

Luka’s curse could only be broken by someone he opened his heart to, which was impossible due to the curse’s nature. 

 

At this point, he was on his own. However, I was just a supporting character, not a powerful wizard like Senia. 

 

‘And maybe my presence might disrupt his relationship with Senia.’ 

 

Maybe Luka being afflicted with amnesia was the last chance God had given me. A chance for me to make up for the deviated plot. I had to become something like an “extra n.2,” so I would avoid dying, find a way to cure my disease, and leave freely.

 

‘Did God really give us a chance?’ I put the necklace he had given me back around my neck. 

 

Luka wasn’t a fool. If I were to throw this necklace out the window right now, he would turn back the carriage immediately. 

 

Someday, when I discard this necklace, I will quietly disappear from this play.

 

*      *      *

 

 

I listed the tasks I needed to do before the duke returned. Neatly arranged sheets of paper and a fountain pen, both of which were relatively new products. It was surprising he had this much ready, even though he didn’t know when his daughter would return.

 

Scribble~

[Rescue the children from the orphanage]

 

This was the most urgent task. I might get help from Duke Rayes by explaining what I had been through, but the crucial thing was that the orphanage was under the control of Duke Kavlos.

 

Furthermore, my plan included the children who had left the orphanage and were acting as criminals in the underworld.

 

‘Serin…’

 

I recalled their longing faces, one by one. Their whereabouts were not mentioned in the original story. I had no choice but to ask Raiolla directly. 

 

Except for the monthly visits of Viscount Louis, which were intended to monitor Luka and me, communication with the outside world was completely blocked at Troy Orphanage. Viscount Louis promised a man would visit me at the orphanage on my fifteenth birthday, which means he would visit on the first day of the new moon. Moreover, now that Luka has returned to the royal palace, they might come even sooner to investigate the situation.

 

‘So, if I’m going to handle this, I need to get it done tomorrow.’

 

Otherwise, Raiolla’s head will roll on the ground before I find Serin and the other children. 

 

I wanted to know who that man was who promised to go see me, but there was no way to find out. In the original story, such details were never mentioned. Before the man who promised to come for me came, Duke Rayes had already heard the rumors about me and paid a large sum to adopt me.

 

Thinking about it, Raiolla—who didn’t know our true identity—must have met a gruesome ending at the hands of Duke Kavlos after taking the gold without hesitation and sending away Luka and me. 

 

‘She really relies on her strength too much. It’s almost like her brain is made of muscles…’

 

I put aside thoughts about “the eldest son’s return” and “incurable disease” that I had written on the paper and focused on tomorrow’s tasks.

 

Knock. Knock–

 

“Miss Ravelia, may I come in?”

 

“Yes—I mean yeah! Come in.” I awkwardly changed my words, almost being polite out of habit. 

 

Garnet, a blonde, young-looking woman, entered through the door. She was assigned as my personal maid. I stood up from my seat and put the paper in the drawer.

 

“I think you should change your clothes before the duke returns.” Garnet opened the wardrobe wide. Inside, there were numerous dresses suitable for girls my age.

 

“We should probably measure you and entrust all of these to the tailor, Miss Ravelia.”

 

Garnet picked out a light green lace dress suitable for indoors and helped me put it on. 

 

The dress was quite loose on me, perhaps because I couldn’t eat as well as my peers and my growth was slower.

 

I asked Garnet, who was zipping up the dress from behind, “When will the eldest son… I mean, when will my older brother come?”

 

“Master Drehan will graduate from the academy next week and return.”

 

My first older brother, who was graduating from the Imperial Academy as the top student, was a matter of concern. Unlike Miller, he had no interest in swordsmanship, but he showed great talent in academics when he attended the academy. Later, he became known as a sage, but ironically, he was a moron who never recognized his own younger sister.

 

When the duke rescued Leah from the orphanage, gave her the name Ravelia, and re-registered her into the family, Drehan strongly opposed it, saying that she couldn’t take that place. As a result, Leah didn’t take Ravelia’s name and was adopted as a half-noble lady. 

 

But I didn’t come with the duke this time. I escaped the orphanage myself and came to the Duchy when Drehan was still at the academy, not knowing of my existence. 

 

In other words, I strike first.

 

Still, I could predict his reaction. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh.

 

Seeing me like this, Garnet said, “Don’t worry too much. When Master Drehan sees Lady Ravelia in person, he will surely understand the Duke’s decision.”

 

“I hope so… Anyway, what’s the best dish that prawns—I mean, Chef Shrimp—is good at?”

 

I needed to eat something delicious to soothe this uncomfortable feeling.

 

“One of the signature dishes of the household is Chef Shrimp’s shrimp soup. It’s really delicious. I’ll let him know to prepare it for you for tonight’s dinner.”

 

…Fratricide? I couldn’t help but feel a bit queasy as I imagined Chef Shrimp, whose beard looked just like shrimp, handling shrimps.

 

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