Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

Tl/note: Hello, I’m Kayi, a new translator of this novel, and I have a few words for readers, who’ve read chapters of other tl groups.

On the official sources (Kakao and Ridi), the chapters are divided differently than those translated by the previous group, so if you want to continue reading from the place where the previous group finished, you need to return to the chapter 16 (after the second * * *)

And also I changed MC’s name – she’s now Ria/Laveria (there should be ‘R’ in the middle, not ‘L’, according to the rules of reading Korean.)

Enjoy reading!

“Woah-“

The enormous, ornate fountain in the center of the street spouted refreshing water.

Beyond it, after crossing a bridge, an expansive grassy meadow stretched out endlessly.

Free from people’s gazes, Luka and I strolled around the street, taking in the sights.

The place that caught my eye was in front of a cotton candy stall.

“Cotton candy.”

In my previous life, I had often eaten it as a child when visiting amusement parks with my family.

As I made a wistful remark, Luka requested one from the owner and paid.

“What shape should I make for these cute customers?”

The grinning owner, showing off his teeth, asked.

After a brief contemplation, I replied:

“A rabbit…?”

I phrased it as a question, doubting if it was possible, but it was an unnecessary concern.

As a cotton candy artisan, his deft handiwork produced a result akin to a work of art.

Holding it as we walked, I said to Luka:

“It feels like a sin to eat it.”

Feeling as if the rabbit-shaped cotton candy was staring at me, I tightly shut my eyes and took a bite of its ear.

“It’s delicious…!”

I held the cotton candy out to Luka, urging him to try it too.

Luka playfully bit into the other ear and said:

“It really is. Something sweet seems perfect for Ria’s taste.”

As we strolled along the path lined with grassy meadows, taking bites of the cloud-like cotton candy, something momentarily caught my eye.

‘Huh? Was that…?’

I thought I had glimpsed a flash of purple hair from the street, but maybe I was mistaken?

“Ria, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, no. More importantly, did you receive the gift I sent you?”

“A gift?”

“I had Dad pass it along, but I guess you haven’t received it yet.”

Luka then seemed to recall:

“Now that you mention it, the Duke did leave a gift in the reception room earlier… So it was from you. I haven’t checked it yet, so what is it?”

“I won’t tell you. You’ll have to see for yourself.”

I smiled mischievously.

It was at that very moment.

A sudden gust whipped through, causing the mana necklace around my neck to violently crack.

‘What was that?’

Simultaneously, my breathing became labored. Until then, I had been fine, but now an intense heat was rising from within my body.

Red spots formed, those areas feeling scorched as if burned by fire.

“L-Luka! My body is suddenly…”

I clutched onto Luka’s arm beside me.

“Luka…?”

Looking up at his unresponsive state, Luka’s eyes seemed entranced, fixated on something.

Following his persistent gaze, I saw…

‘Senia…?’

On the street, Senia was browsing wares with a maid servant.

Even at first glance, I could immediately recognize her. Where else could one find such a striking appearance? Senia possessed a disarming cuteness that made anyone looking at her let their guard down.

From her purple cotton candy-like hair to her ocean-blue eyes, not a single part of this world’s protagonist was less than beautiful.

Like us, Senia was dressed casually rather than in ornate noble attire.

And it seemed she had yet to…

‘Notice us, it seems.’

The moment when she would learn of Duke Kablos’s misdeeds hadn’t yet arrived. And even if she did learn, she would have no need to rescue the Crown Prince, as he had already escaped on his own.

Hence, I had thought Luka and Senia’s fated encounter would play out according to the original story during his ‘Monarch of the Battlefield’ test.

But were such destined meetings already set in this world? Who could have foreseen they would cross paths here among all those streets?

“Haa… haaah. Luka…”

Unable to suppress the rising heat within, I ultimately collapsed right there on the spot.

At that moment, Luka’s eyes finally captured my state.

“Ria, Ria! What’s this…!”

Luka knelt beside me, supporting me. After glancing towards Senia, he immediately scooped me up and left that place.

The instant we were out of sight, he used magic to transport us to a nearby garden bench.

The only things left where we had been were a few fluttering fallen leaves.

And a persistent gaze fixed upon those leaves as well.

* * *

“I’m really alright.”

I lay with my head on Luka’s lap.

When Luka placed his cool hand on my forehead, the feverish heat tormenting my body dissipated like a lie.

Luka hadn’t specifically used any magic.

From the start, this world didn’t possess magic capable of curing my condition.

‘I can feel it. The reality that this Laveria body I reincarnated into is terminally ill.’

It was dreadful. Though I had over 5 years remaining until this body reached its limits, I became acutely aware once more that this was reality.

“Ria, are you okay?”

Looking down at me with the most serious expression, I managed to give Luka a slight smile.

“I’m fine, the weather was just too nice today. Maybe I suffered a bit of heatstroke?”

At my joking remark, Luka finally seemed to heave a sigh of relief and closed his eyes, as if the earlier incident had been nothing but a lie.

My body truly felt refreshed now. Lying on Luka’s lap, watching the drifting clouds above held its own charm.

But wait, did I just unintentionally disrupt Luka and Senia’s destined encounter?

It felt like I had become the villainess from novels who feigned illness just to interfere with their meeting somehow.

I looked at Luka and said:

“I’m sorry.”

Though without context, I still offered a sincere apology.

Luka gave me a perplexed look, asking what I meant.

The garden was deserted, filled only with the fragrance of flowers.

Luka gazed down at me and muttered softly, as if to himself:

“Just now, in an absurd way, the awareness that Ria was beside me disappeared. It was momentary, but I’m certain… Amnesia had activated.”

Luka checked the magic necklace around my neck.

Seeing the visibly cracked gemstone, he infused it with his mana again, restoring it to its undamaged state.

“There was an ominous presence at that location.”

“An ominous presence, you say…?”

I questioned Luka further, but his troubled expression left him reluctant to elaborate.

It seemed he had sensed someone’s magic.

As Duke Kablos’s priceless treasure, there was a high probability he had dispatched one of his formidable subordinates as Senia’s bodyguard to ensure her safety.

If that ordinary-looking maid beside Senia was her guard, the ominous presence Luka felt could have originated from her.

Moreover, since Luka’s amnesia curse was derived from Kablos’s black magic, it wouldn’t be strange if the momentary presence had been amplified.

Narrowing my eyes, I considered various possibilities before ultimately cupping Luka’s cheeks, which were as solemn as my own.

Then I pinched and stretched those doughy cheeks.

“Cheer up, Luka. Today is our day to have fun, isn’t it?”

What Luka sensed, and the symptoms that manifested in my body – neither was mere coincidence.

Once we returned to the Ducal estate, I should check if those red spots tormenting me earlier had worsened.

But I couldn’t burden Luka, who was engaged in a lonely struggle at the Imperial Palace while facing the imminent succession test, with my troubles as well.

Poke, poke.

Oh my, our Luka’s baby cheeks are still alive and kicking. How adorable.

I hope these pudgy cheeks never go away.

“Hwat ah’oo duhn der?”

His slurred speech finally made me burst into laughter.

“You act like a crotchety old man sometimes, but then I see this side and you’re just a helpless child. Instead of worrying about me, tell me if anyone is bullying you at the Palace.”

“…Are you going to scold them if I say there is?”

“Scolding would be the least of it. If someone messed with you, practically my little brother, I’d have to take it to the endgame.”

At my firm words, Luka muttered briefly:

“Little brother…”

“Yeah, we were the closest of friends back at the Troy Orphanage. Now you’re going to pretend you don’t know this Sister of yours…”

As I voiced my feigned hurt, it was at that very moment that…

Smooch-

An excruciatingly ticklish sensation landed right on my forehead, of all places.

‘…??’

What was that just now…?

The sound of Luka’s playful laughter rang out above my forehead.

Luka had leaned down to plant a light kiss on my forehead.

“We can’t stay children forever, you know.”

“L-Luka, you…!”

In this moment, the thunderous pounding in my chest was simply a woman’s innate reaction.

I ended up shrieking without thinking:

“You don’t understand! People are… They’re all wolves!”

The frenzied whispers of those girls eyeing Luka like starved wolves echoed in my mind.

I knew Luka’s act was merely an expression of affection, but with that face, being so brazenly unguarded would truly cause trouble.

At my words, Luka just nonchalantly replied, ‘Sure, sure, whatever you say,’ not heeding me at all.

Just as I raised my hand to pinch those doughy cheeks again-

“Over here! I’ve found them, young master!”

Knights clad in armor bearing Rayes’s proud crest infiltrated the once peaceful garden where only Luka and I had been.

Unsurprisingly, the one who had brought them was Miller.

Cold sweat trickled down my back. Of all the compromising situations and timing – to barge in while I was blissfully resting on Luka’s lap!

Seeing me rise from Luka’s lap at lightning speed, Miller flashed a sly grin.

“Ria, you didn’t get hurt anywhere, did you?”

“N-No…!”

Luka stood up from the bench as well, then chided Miller:

“You’re being overprotective. I distinctly said I would have her back at the Ducal estate by six.”

“Yes, Your Highness will understand once you finally find your long-lost little sister after 13 years. For now, I request that you refrain from visiting the Ducal estate for a while.”

Miller brushed past Luka and approached me.

“Let’s go, see you later.”

I smiled awkwardly and boarded the Rayes carriage with Miller, waving goodbye to Luka’s regretful expression.

All the other members were already aboard the carriage – Sister Serine and Garnett bombarded me with endless questions, mostly about what had happened with the Crown Prince, subject matter young girls their age would relish.

But to Luka and me, in blunt terms, we were simply childhood friends from the orphanage, or buddies at best.

A Crown Prince childhood friend was a major cliche setup in this world’s romance novels as well.

However, I was merely an insignificant extra villain, the flowery romances they imagined simply not in the cards for me.

Miller quieted their incessant chattering and spoke to me with sincerity:

“Ria, to anyone outside the family… they’re all wolves.”

Ah, I suddenly felt like I caught a glimpse of how Luka must have felt earlier. So this is that feeling.

“…Did you think I would call you a crotchety old man?”

Oops, I blurted that out loud. Though it was in a small voice, so they might not have heard from that distance…

But Miller was instantly enveloped in a black aura.

Muttering ominously, ‘I’m not crotchety… Why would I be crotchety… Did I make her hate me…’ As I waved my hands dismissively at his gloomy state, I explained:

“I merely meant that I’m glad to finally have a guardian like you. Please don’t misunderstand – the word ‘crotchety’ has the same meaning as ‘guardian’ to me. Was I mistaken about that?”

Fortunately, Miller was a simple man.

“I see. I had no idea ‘crotchety’ held that meaning! Of course, I’m Ria’s guardian now!”

Wagging his tail like an excited puppy, I forced an awkward laugh at his elation.

Still, I was somewhat touched that he had searched so diligently, even breaking a sweat to find me.