Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

Fortunately, after a grueling three-hour examination, the attending physician concluded that my physical condition remained exceptionally healthy, no different from before.

Of course, he had already relayed this assessment to Dad over ten times previously, but each time he ordered him to reexamine me properly, leaving the poor doctor teary-eyed as he conducted the eleventh examination.

Luka, who hadn’t left the Ducal estate for two full days since I fell unconscious, went a step further and summoned a palace physician as well.

Seeing Luka rush over the moment I lost consciousness, Dad likely suspected he had planted his own trusted subordinate within the Duchy.

Yet as the Crown Prince’s vassal, uncovering their true identity proved difficult, and since their purpose was to protect me, Dad didn’t make any particular effort to expel them.

I thought Dad and Luka were truly going mad, remaining by my side until they were practically shoved back to the palace, unable to neglect their duties for much longer.

It was only after two straight days of lying unconscious that the attending physician finally managed to give the one-line evaluation of a slight moisture deficiency in my body. The next day, water mages visited my room.

One could say it was the doctor passing the baton. These water mages seemed utterly unaware of the place they had willingly entered.

‘This could simply be resolved by drinking more water.’

I watched as the two water mages each grasped one of my hands.

Bubbles frothed from our joined hands – a type of magic I had never witnessed before, but the novelty quickly wore off.

While the refreshing sensation was pleasant, I felt it was time to leave my bedridden state, so I decided to assert my stance more firmly to Dad this time.

“Thank you both for your hard work. You may stop now, as I will explain matters to the Duke myself.”

As if they had been waiting for those very words, the mages simultaneously released my hands and gasped for air upon my prompting.

I almost felt sorry for them. But my body truly felt revitalized, the lingering sluggishness completely gone – I considered it an immensely satisfying treatment session.

“But does using magic normally exhaust you so?”

I carefully asked the mage who looked on the verge of collapsing.

I’m running out of breath, running out of breath…

“Ah, huff no… We’ve just never… huff, encountered such a case before… wheeze…”

I told him there was no need to continue speaking and to simply catch his breath first. After patting Mage 1’s back and offering him water until a normal conversation became possible, I asked again:

“You’ve never encountered this before? Why is that?”

Mage 1 replied with a perplexed look:

“Well, even if you ask why…”

Mage 2 wore an expression that seemed to hold the key.

“In truth, I have witnessed such a phenomenon described in books before. When faced with an overwhelmingly superior mana force, it’s as if a black hole absorbs one’s own mana. There is simply no other explanation besides…”

An overwhelmingly superior mana force. These two were 2nd-tier mages affiliated with the Magic Tower – just one tier below the Lord of the Magic Tower himself, essentially reaching the limits of human potential.

And I… possessed a body that transcended those limits, ultimately leading to ruin.

Only now did I understand. Mage 2 regarded me with a deeply disconcerted look.

Books had stated that mana wasn’t something to be measured, but sensed. Meaning, those with a certain mana capacity could sense the mana force of others and perceive their unique wavelengths, but not calculate the exact quantity contained within.

This was also why no one had known about my incurable illness until now. Even Dad and Miller, who possessed mana themselves – if they could sense the vast mana devouring my body, I would have surely been exposed.

But judging from Mage 2’s expression, it seemed grave. As if he might immediately report this to Dad, or higher – to the Magic Tower Master himself.

I gave a slight smile.

“Mage 2, what is your name?”

“Mage 2…? Are you addressing me?”

After I nodded, he spoke:

“Jen Carno… but…”

“Jen, I understand what you’re about to say. That my mana force was far too potent compared to you and Mage 1, right?”

Trepidation filled the aqua eyes peeking out from under his robe.

While he had certainly intended to convey that, confirming it outright only made the situation seem more implausible.

“Jen and Mage 1…”

“Kinder.”

Mage 1 ultimately revealed his name as well. It sounded like something from a chocolate factory family, or along those lines.

“Ah, right. For Jen and Kinder, who I believe are senior 2nd-tier mages, to claim my mana force vastly exceeds yours is something I simply can’t accept at the moment.”

“We share that disbelief as well…”

“It would be better to assume your conditions were simply poor today. Please take a bottle of the Ducal estate’s restorative shrimp sauce on your way out.”

“The… the shrimp sauce…? Really?”

Kinder beamed so widely his gums showed, profusely expressing his gratitude at the mention of the estate’s renowned delicacy.

A simple man. But the other seemed unlikely to be swayed by mere shrimp sauce.

While he might not report this to Dad, he certainly looked intent on informing his superior, the Magic Tower Lord. I told Kinder it would be best to inform the Duke that my treatment had concluded before departing.

After the elated Kinder left, only Jen and I remained in the room.

“Are you alright?”

I understood the meaning behind Jen’s words. For such a vast mana force to be contained within this small body defied common sense.

Conversely, it meant this vessel could shatter at any moment – hardly surprising.

“I’m quite alright. Before being adopted into the Ducal estate, I was nearly malnourished, but I suppose even expensive, premium foods make a difference. I became this healthy in just a few weeks.”

In this situation where we were effectively speaking different languages, Jen scratched his head.

“…Whatever concerns the Princess may have, please rest assured I won’t breathe a word to anyone.”

The aqua eyes visible under his robe inexplicably inspired trust. Ordinarily, the mage family didn’t project such a trustworthy image.

Led by the 28th Magic Tower Lord, the current mages had become mired in secular affairs, rushing to noble estates for money, unlike their predecessors devoted solely to research and training within the Magic Tower.

And yet, I opened my weighed-down lips. While I didn’t fully trust Jn, he was skilled enough to instantly grasp my condition.

Moreover, unlike Kinder who had nearly passed out from exertion, Jen appeared reasonably composed despite showing signs of strain – he had endured.

Considering that, it meant the gap in our mana forces wasn’t as extreme as it seemed, which conversely implied he was someone capable of wielding considerable mana.

For someone like me, ignorant of even the basics of magic, any attempt at deception would ultimately amount to mere stubbornness, unable to conceal a truth already laid bare like the sun in the sky.

In that case, it would be better to trust his words.

“Can I… trust Jen?”

“Of course. And if the situation worsens, feel free to request my aid. As the Princess Rayes, employing a Magic Tower mage would be simple for you.”

Jen lowered his robe. Contrary to expectations, his aquamarine hair cascaded down a youthful face that appeared to be in the mid-twenties.

Those long tresses looked as if they would be as chillingly cold as ice to the touch.

“Please take my hand.”

He extended his hand towards me.

Perhaps because I believed he wouldn’t harm me, I readily accepted his hand.

A small, azure magic circle then materialized on the back of my hand.

Simultaneously, I felt something within my body draining away slightly.

“As I mentioned earlier, your mana force has absorbed a portion of ours. Had those present here been lower-tier mages instead of Kinder and myself, it could have been dire.”

“If they were lower-tier mages…?”

“They would have had their mana completely absorbed by you. In that case, those poor mages would have lost their vocations, and you would have been placed in considerable danger as your vessel struggled to accommodate the influx of absorbed mana. For now, you are currently re-absorbing the mana you absorbed from us earlier.”

“Mana can be taken back like that? Then what about the remaining mana inside me…!”

If only it could be freely taken away…

“While the mana you have absorbed from others can be extracted, it is impossible to take your innate mana. You can view it as being one with your body. The only way would be for someone with overwhelmingly superior mana to absorb it from you, as before…”

But such a person couldn’t exist. That I am still alive is nearly a miracle. It is only because of this Laveria body, having inherited elven blood, that I can endure.

I nodded in understanding as the flickering magic circle on my hand soon vanished.

“In any case, the re-absorption is complete.”

“Thank you.”

“Come to think of it, this is practically proof that you are indeed the true Princess Rayes. An ordinary human couldn’t withstand such a quantity, but as an elven descendant, it makes sense.”

I nodded in affirmation. Seeing my unexpected reaction, Jen spoke up.

“Will you be content as the adopted daughter of the great Rayes Duchy? Of course, even if the Princess’s secret is revealed, there would be no solution available even to Duke Rayes, but at the very least, your true lineage would be proven.”

“Perhaps. However, I don’t wish to cause concern for my precious loved ones. And to a certain extent, they have already realized that I am the Duke’s true daughter.”

In my previous life, the most difficult thing to bear as I watched my once-proud self wither away day by day, gradually losing the ability to wield a sword and my smile, was seeing my parents surreptitiously shedding tears from behind as they witnessed my decline.

I had shouldered that burden for their sake. Even when I wanted to give up completely, I had to continue rehabilitation treatments, eventually finding part-time work once my hands regained some mobility, and ‘perform’ an act of cheerfully spending time with friends.

It was something we couldn’t do to each other.

“Let me say this in advance – I don’t intend to wait around for the day this body perishes. Incurable illness or not, I plan to eliminate it as if it never existed from the start, so I cannot cause any commotion. From the beginning, they knew nothing, and they must remain oblivious going forward.”