Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

“Miss Leah, good morning!”

 

“Serin…? What’s with that outfit?!”

 

I took a step back as I saw Serin dressed in the clothes Garnet usually wore. Garnet, who was walking behind me, said,

 

“She volunteered to become a maid. Normally, she would have to be the daughter of, at least, a low-ranking noble, but she was an exception.”

 

“I still have a lot of shortcomings, but I will try my best, Leah. The same goes for the other children.”

 

Serin’s face as she added, “Because it’s our new life you’ve brought back with your hands,” overlapped with her younger expression from the past.

 

“Serin…”

 

Fortunately, the children brought from the orphanage had no one in the capital who would recognize their faces, except for Raiolla. Most of the younger children, including infants, were placed under the care of Rayes’ orphanage.

 

Rayes’ orphanage prioritized the happiness of the children and made every effort to ensure they found good guardians. And in the future, they would be eligible for the benefits of the Rayes Scholarship Program to help the children achieve their dreams. 

 

Among the majority who chose to go to Rayes’ orphanage, some children opted to stay in the duke’s estate.

 

“Leah!”

 

“Ben, why are you coming out of the kitchen?”

 

The answer came from Shrimp, the head chef, who followed Ben out.

 

“Last night, he came to me and said my shrimp pizza was so delicious that he wanted to become this chef’s apprentice.”

 

He swept his mosquito coil-shaped beard while spiking triumphantly.

 

“Yeah, that’s right! Everything I’ve ever dreamed of is here. Abundant ingredients, the best shrimp—I mean, my mentor!”

 

Ben had always been in charge of cooking for everyone at the orphanage, and he always cooked with joy alongside the children without any signs of exhaustion. It must not have been easy to feed us with just potatoes, but he had been remarkable.

 

“I hope your dream of becoming a chef comes true.”

 

“It’s all thanks to you, Leah. When you and Luka escaped at first…”

 

‘Was he resentful? We said we were family, but we ended up running away…’

 

“We all knew. We were sure you would come to rescue us. We didn’t expect you to come in less than a week, though!” Ben laughed heartily.

 

“Getting back at Miss Raiolla yesterday was the best. Mister Knight covered our eyes so we couldn’t see properly, but we won, didn’t we?”

 

I gently patted Ben’s head. Even though they must have been very anxious, the children were strong.

 

“But where’s Luka?”

 

“Uh, Luka? Luka is… He’s not here right now.”

 

I awkwardly smiled as I answered. 

 

“Why, do you miss him?”

 

“Well, it’s just weird seeing you without Luka next to you, Leah…” 

 

Ben’s words made me momentarily stop smiling. 

 

Feeling strange if that person wasn’t around—that was Luka to me.

 

I thought it would be okay, and I even thought it would be a relief. 

 

But already, I missed that child.

 

━━━━━ ∙ʚ(✧)ɞ∙ ━━━━━

 

“So, Leah, the way I dealt with those guys—Leah? Are you listening?”

 

“Uh, uh? Yes, I’m listening!”

 

Lost in thought, I suddenly snapped back at Miller’s words.

 

“You cut the scary magic beasts controlled by Kavlos in half. That’s truly amazing!”

 

“No matter what, I can’t cut them in half yet… I’ll try my best.”

 

Miller looked disheartened. 

 

‘Ah, was I not talking about this?’

 

“Haha… I’m worried about Luka right now.”

 

I chuckled awkwardly as I spoke.

 

“Even though he may not seem like it on the surface, he’s a very soft and kind kid; I wonder how he’s doing in the palace… You know what I mean, right? It’s kind of like an older sister’s concern?”

 

“Soft… and kind?”

 

Miller’s expression hardened as if he were remembering the card game with Luka. 

 

Actually, Luka had a bit of a tsundere side, so it was awkward for him to interact with people he met for the first time. I hoped any misunderstandings with Miller would be resolved someday.

 

My dad, who had been quietly cutting his steak, spoke up.

 

“I heard that His Highness met His Majesty the Emperor yesterday and that he has been receiving royal lessons since he regained his position as Crown Prince.”

 

“Royal lessons?”

 

“With the two-year gap, things seem to have become quite complicated. It appears they’ve decided it’s better to quickly acquire the qualifications and expedite the succession process.”

 

In the original story, after Luka was rescued with Senia’s help, he was restored and received royal lessons as well.

 

The monarchs of the Greffin Empire had to undergo rigorous education, and Luka was no exception.

 

In the original story, Luka, who was quick to learn, ended his lessons in just six months and participated in the final trial known as the “Lord of the Battlefield.”

 

The “Lord of the Battlefield” was the final test for the crown prince, and Luka, as the crown prince, led an army in actual warfare. Given the significant influence of the Greffin empire on the continent, rebel forces were still plotting somewhere.

 

Countries like the Selon Kingdom, which had gained enough strength to resist Greffin, pretended to pledge loyalty to the empire on the surface while secretly plotting rebellion. 

 

The royal family, of course, was aware of this, and they were ready to start the war before these rebel forces launched their attack.

 

The incident in which Greffin’s envoy was killed in the Selon Kingdom was something that was still buried and used as a pretext for Luka’s royal education. 

 

In the original story, right after the revelation of the envoy’s assassination, Luka led an army at the forefront. 

 

The Kingdom of Selon was no weak opponent, and it was a significant war to test the Crown Prince.

 

Unfortunately, neighboring kingdoms that aligned with Selon joined the clash one by one, and at the age of fifteen, Luka found himself in a war that could almost be called a continental war.

 

At the age of seventeen, while rolling and struggling in the war, Luka faced a dire crisis when the puppet curse was activated. However, with Senia’s help, he’s released from the curse and brings the Great War to an end.

 

The war was so tight that even the emperor was uncertain about the outcome. In the end, Greffin becomes the dominant empire on the continent, and the young Crown Prince returns as a war hero at the age of seventeen.

 

After the emperor, who had been suffering from an illness, passed away, Luka ascended to the throne at the age of eighteen. Based on the information Senia had revealed on the battlefield, he sought to bring justice to the culprits behind his kidnapping—the first concubine and Duke Kavlos.

 

However, Duke Kavlos, whom Senia loved very much, eventually managed to gain Luka’s forgiveness. Senia ends up redeeming her father, who had been a villain through and through.

 

[ I’ll let go. Now, the Kavlos ducal family will live as virtuously as those damned Rayes. In return, you must protect Senia. From the first concubine and that crazy villainess. Otherwise, Your Highness, who knows how I’ll turn out, right? ]

 

Thinking back on the original, could Duke Kavlos, who was a fool for his daughter and was quite popular in the novel, be forgiven if he was rehabilitated? 

 

When I remembered that all the hardships I had experienced were ultimately due to the Kavlos’ actions, I felt it was unfair and an XXX.

 

But in this dirty world created solely for Senia’s happy ending, lowly people like me had no rights. 

 

As I felt I would burst into tears out of frustration… 

 

“I’m going to the palace today. If you want, I can pass on your greetings.”

 

‘Go to the palace? Ah, it seems you’ve been attending more frequently since that day.’

 

“Then, don’t just say hello; please ask him if he’s doing well, if he’s healthy, and if he sleeps well at night—that kind of thing.”

 

But it still felt like it wasn’t enough.

 

“Ah, tell him he has to eat without skipping meals, and if someone is bothering him, and what is life like in the imperial palace? And…”

 

Pffft!

 

“I’d believe it if you told me you’re his guardian. I can’t believe that petty Crown Prince is being treated that way by you. I feel quite jealous now,” Miller said while laughing.

 

“He is still a kid, you know? He can’t sleep well without me holding his hand. I’m really worried.”

 

Crack–

 

‘Mh? What was that?’

 

The sound came from the duke’s hand.

 

‘Was the knife made of a material that could turn into powder so easily?’

 

“If it’s greetings, I’ll convey them well.”

 

For some reason, the duke smiled with a chilling grin.

 

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Forgive me for taking so much time to do an update ;-; I was having problems with the raws, but it’s fixed now. Regular updates will be resumed as usual. Thank you for your patience.