The Villainess' Ending Was Death

“Miss, are you sure you’re okay?”

 

Lauren still looked anxious and worried. Fresa nodded her head, examining the vial of unappetizing green liquid.

 

“Of course I’m okay. I had already done the experiment several times, Lauren.”

 

“But… You’ve never eaten so much at once.”

 

Lauren has a point. Although she had tried this medication herself over the years, she had only ever taken it in small doses. She had no major side effects, but even small doses caused dizziness for anywhere from a few days to several months. The people of House Thorpe felt dizzy and laughed at Fressa every time she fell.

 

‘Now I’m even pretending to be weak.’

 

Of course, it wasn’t ‘Chuck’, but Fresa didn’t bother to make excuses. She didn’t need to. She clearly had the same blood, so why should she be treated as an outsider only because she was Fresa? As she was about to die, she began to have many thoughts about this and that. At times like this, she had better move on quickly.

 

“Lauren, can you give this to the family? If possible, I will ask to give it to mother.”

 

Presa took out a white envelope from the drawer of her bedside table.

 

“This…”

 

“It’s a will.”

 

Lauren’s brown eyes filled with tears. When I heard her say that it was a will, it seemed like it was finally coming to fruition. Fresa spent a long time finalizing her will before going to sleep last night. Actually, she didn’t have anything she wanted to write. So she ended up writing only a few short sentences. Just thank you so far, live well. It was such an obvious thing. 

Her sincerity was not expressed. Because she had never felt anything like that before.

 

“Then please be patient until the end, Lauren.”

 

“Hmm… Miss Fresa…”

 

Fresa sat down on her bed and looked up at Lauren with her calm sky blue eyes. The tip of Lauren’s nose was red.

 

Anyway, she heard she has a weak heart. She had been calm and happy until yesterday, but seeing Lauren’s tears made her feel bad.

 

“Can you at least tell me where you’re going? Would that put my mind at ease?”

 

To maintain secrecy, she did not even tell Lauren her destination. But she felt like Lauren would keep the secret well enough, so she impulsively asked.

 

“No, no! It would be a big problem if I accidentally revealed it.”

 

Lauren thought for a moment, then shook her head sheepishly. And she smiled brightly, wiping away her tears.

 

“I’m sure the lady will wake up. Because I believe she will.”

 

“…Thank you, Lauren.”

 

At this rate, it seemed like she was going to cry all the way to Fresa. Fresa quickly opened the cap of the vial and drank it all in one gulp. It tasted bitter and disgusting. It was a taste she had tried many times, but it was still difficult to get used to. Fresa closed her eyes tightly, swallowed her medicine and then lay down in her upright position.

 

“Now I’m going to sleep. It may look like my heart has stopped, but don’t worry, the medication will wear off and return in just 24 hours.”

 

“Yes, miss. Have a nice dream. I’ll definitely see you again.”

 

With Lauren’s friendly greeting, her presa’s consciousness drifted further and further away. She felt as if she was floating in thin air. She was not really going to die, wasn’t she? She was suddenly overcome with unnecessary worries. How hard was it to develop this drug over the years? The effect must be certain.

 

“Fresa! Can’t you come out right now?”

 

Countess Thorpe’s sharp voice was heard. Unfortunately, the Fresa she had been looking for so long could no longer lift a finger. The door slammed open violently, and it seemed like some unwelcome people came in. Fresa only repeated her shallow breathing. It was about time for her. Her heart, which had been beating rapidly, began to slow to a crawl, and in a few minutes it would stop completely.

 

“Miss! Lady, come to your senses!”

 

Lauren’s scream, which she had practiced in advance, followed. She said it was embarrassing at first and failed repeatedly, but now it feels like a real situation.

 

“What is this…?Fresa…? Lauren, what’s going on? Why is Fresa hiding…?”

 

Ah, this unlucky voice was definitely Elias. He was Fresa’s first brother and a worthy successor. The red eyes of Elias, who was looking at her Fresa with pity, came to mind. It seemed like she was quite shocked as she couldn’t finish her sentence properly. It’s shocking, it couldn’t be.

 

“Sister? Fresa sister? Are you really dead? She died because of just one man?”

 

This time it was Amy. Even though she was young, she laughed loudly and openly ignored Fresa. She was such an obnoxious little sister that even saying she couldn’t spit on her smiling face was of no use.

 

“What nonsense. You’re still breathing. It’s clear that he took fake drugs to get attention again.”

 

Oh, how did stupid Jerome know? That’s the correct answer. Of course, if the heart stops, you won’t be able to say that it’s a fake medicine. It was a pity that Fresa couldn’t even see that reaction. She was slowly reaching her limit. The voices of her family shuffled around and then faded away completely. Fresa was left in a terrible silence, completely unconscious.

 

* * *

 

“…Miss Fre, Miss Presa? Can you hear me?”

 

She felt like she had had a long dream. Fresa slowly opened her eyes when she heard a voice whispering right next to her.

 

“As… wren?”

 

“You’re awake, girl!”

 

Lauren then breathed her sigh of relief. Fresa looked at her blankly. Oh, were the effects of the medicine too strong? Her head felt heavy and felt like it would break at the slightest tap.

 

“I don’t have time for this. Wake up quickly. I have a carriage ready for you at the back door.”

 

“Carriage? Back door?”

 

Fresa muttered Lauren’s words several times. Only then did her scattered mind come back little by little. She slowly sat up on her upper body. It was a coffin filled with red roses. She said she hated roses dozens of times, but her family seemed to have forgotten. She couldn’t express her gratitude to her for putting flowers that her dead daughter hated on her grave. Fresa asked as she stretched.

 

“Did I wake up on time?”

 

“Actually, you woke up about 10 minutes late. How she strained her heart.”

 

Lauren held out her pocket watch. She was 10 minutes later than expected. She felt sorry for Lauren who was stampeding her feet for those 10 minutes.

 

“Thank you for your hard work, Lauren.”

 

Lauren smiled slightly, and she hurried to support Fresa in her arms.

 

“Oh, you have to leave quickly. I was supposed to bury the coffin today. The workers will be here soon.”

 

“…already?”

 

What kind of funeral can be completed in less than a day? No matter how villainess she was, she thought it was really too much. Fresa got out of her coffin with Lauren’s help. Her snow-white dress was cumbersome. She held out a black cloak, a leather pouch filled with jewels, and a change of clothes so that Lauren could cover her entire body.

 

“The Count has ordered that the funeral be completed quickly, as it is an unhonorable death.”

 

“But, I’m sure you’re very angry because I’ve tarnished your family’s honor to the very end, right?”

 

Fresa put on her cloak and smiled brightly. It felt good to imagine her father’s stoic face twisting into a frown. Of course, she still felt like she wanted to vomit immediately.

 

“Eat as you go. It’s bread and milk.”

 

Lauren handed me her small envelope. She must have just packed it, so there was still warm bread and milk in it. She didn’t want to eat it because she had no appetite, but since Lauren’s feelings were in her, she took it without saying anything.

 

“Well then, miss, it really is goodbye.”

 

Lauren, who lightly hugged Fresa, took a step back.

 

“I’m sure you’ll be doing well wherever you are. She survived even in this terrible mansion.”

 

Fresa said she had never heard such kind words from anyone other than Lauren. Fresa smiled and nodded her head.

 

“Hi, Lauren.”

 

Even though it was a planned farewell, she couldn’t help but feel sad. She said she didn’t want to cry in front of Lauren. Because the last thing she left behind couldn’t be a crying face. She covered her face with her cloak, turned around and quickly walked away.

 

* * *

 

The boat horn sounded. Fresa stood perched on the corner of her deck, her body covered in her pitch-black cloak. It was her first time on a boat so she felt fresh. She shook like the blue sea and the upside-down sky. Fresa held on tightly to her railing, her eyes focused on the kingdom’s harbor receding into the distance. She was really leaving.

 

‘What will life be like in a new place?’

 

She had only been on a boat, but her past years as a Fresa her soap quickly became a blur. 

Now, all she wanted to do was live happily growing herbs in a small, peaceful countryside. 

Everyone who knew Fresa would think she was dead, so she no longer had to act or hide herself. The place she was heading to was far away from her kingdom, near the border of the Kancher Empire, so she would never encounter anything in her life.

 

‘It’s a perfect new beginning.’

 

Oh, her heart was already pounding wildly. Anyway, she was starting to feel hungry. 

 

‘After all, Lauren knows me well.’

 

As she turned to eat the bread Lauren had brought her, she bumped her face into someone’s chest.

 

“Ah!”

 

Fresa looked up at her, frowning at the pain as her nose seemed to be crushed. Her partner was so tall that all she could see was her neckline. It was only when she tilted her head back completely that I could see her face. Maybe it was the sun, but her hair was particularly white. Her strange purple eyes with a red tint stared straight at Fresa.

 

“You have to look ahead carefully, young lady.”

 

He spoke in a friendly tone that was pleasant to listen to, but it felt oddly foreign. She didn’t know who he was, but he was very handsome. She took a step back and she meekly apologized.

 

“Sorry. It was my first time on a boat, so I couldn’t even see what was in front of me while looking around.”

 

The ship had not yet completely left the kingdom’s waters, so caution was needed.

 

‘Don’t cause even the slightest problem.’

 

Fresa made a promise to herself once more.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

A rather heavy voice was heard. It was another man standing next to the person who bumped into Fresa.

 

‘Armor? A knight?’

 

Strangely enough, it was not a question asked of Fresa. With a pale face, he noisily checked the chest of the man where Fresa’s nose had touched. It was as if he was worried that Fresa might have spread a contagious disease.

 

‘Does this feel a bit bad? Is he a noble?’

 

Upon closer inspection, the man’s complexion was not very good.

 

‘You look like someone who is sick.’

 

Fresa’s eyes narrowed.

 

“It’s okay. By the way, young lady, are you hurt?”

 

A handsome man, presumed to be a master, shook off his hand as if he was annoyed and asked Fresa. Fresa half-heartedly nodded, not wanting to have anything to do with this person anymore.

 

“Okay, then I have to eat, so I’ll stop now. enjoy your trip.”

 

Fresa smiled brightly and packed her bags. At that moment, the man gently grabbed her arm and stopped her.

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

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