The Villainess Does Not Want to Die

Chapter 23: the Lake

Since the sun had set, there were fewer people walking around than I expected.

The streets I used to traverse cautiously now felt entirely different.

Wearing clean, refined clothes and the sharp clack of my polished shoes echoing, I strolled with a knight following behind me. 

Passersby stared at me, but the moment I met their eyes, they hurried away as if they’d committed a grave offense.

For a fleeting moment, I thought about visiting the orphanage where I once lived, but it was too late at night.

A cute, clean girl like me wandering the middle of the slums at night would be tantamount to suicide.

No matter how skilled Kesel or the younger knight whose name I couldn’t remember might be with a sword, they wouldn’t stand a chance against drug-addled men crazed by their obsession with women in the darkness.

A brute force approach wouldn’t help in such a situation.

Still, I glanced around the area, feeling a touch of regret, even though there was no real purpose to my wandering.

“Kesel, do you think I could have a knight of my own someday?”

“You already have one, don’t you?”

“I mean someone I chose myself… You know what I mean.

You’re only here because the Duchess sent you.”

“If you asked the Duke, he might assign you two or three knights, even if they were completely unskilled. He seems to have quite the fondness for you.”

“Even someone from the slums like you?”

“Yes, even someone like me. By the way, could you stop speaking so formally with me? It’s a bit uncomfortable.”

“That’s a bit much to ask. I mean, Alina’s one thing, but you’re like an old man, Kesel.”

“That’s quite disappointing to hear.”

With that lighthearted exchange, we walked toward the house the servants had purchased instead of an inn.

On the way, we passed the younger knight who had accompanied us here. 

His face was flushed, likely from drinking, and he had his arm slung around a female servant’s shoulder as they sang loudly together.

“Even here, he’s behaving like this,” Kesel muttered.

“Like what?”

“He frequents brothels as if they were his own home. He claims he can’t sleep without a woman by his side.”

“…Hmm.”

“Well, I should go. Who knows what kind of trouble he might cause next.”

“Then this is where we part ways. Sleep well, Kesel.”

“Rest well, Miss.”

When I arrived home, I found Alina waiting for me at the entrance.

To be precise, she was dozing off against the doorframe.

Her eyes were shadowed by dark circles, and a small bruise marked her arm. Had she hit herself somewhere?

“Alina, were you waiting for me?”

Hearing my voice, Alina quickly wiped the drool from her lips and acted as though nothing had happened. Her flustered expression made me chuckle softly without meaning to.

“Ah, Miss! Yes, I was waiting!

I prepared dinner, but I wasn’t sure when you’d return…”

“I’m hungry.”

The inside of the house was modestly furnished. It even seemed like they had hired someone to paint, as a few drawings adorned the walls.

Alina brought out a thick, fragrant stew from a large bubbling pot. 

Although the ingredients looked a bit strange, the smell was enticing.

“I just threw in whatever ingredients I could find at the market.

The quality is far below what we’d use at the estate, so don’t expect much.”

“No, this will do just fine.”

I scooped up a spoonful of the stew.

It tasted like chicken broth simmered to perfection—comforting, the kind of dish you’d want when you were sick.

“By the way, where is everyone else?”

“Oh, Miss, you’re staying here, and we’re staying in the adjacent house.

It’s right next door, so if you need anything, just call us, even while lying down. We’ll come running!”

Alina seemed unusually cheerful, as if trying to lift my spirits.

She was always bright, but tonight, she appeared even more so than usual. 

Perhaps she thought I’d be feeling down after visiting my mother’s grave.

“Alina.”

“Yes?”

“This stew is delicious.”

“Of course it is. Who do you think made it?”

“The house is cute too. Did you decorate it yourself?”

Alina nodded.

After finishing every last drop of the stew, I said softly, “…Thank you.”

I expected her to respond with her usual playful quip—Of course, Miss!—but instead, she blushed slightly, covering her flushed cheeks with her hand as she nodded.

Tears glistened in her right eye. Her left eye was fine, so perhaps it was just dryness.

Even after finishing a full bowl, I felt a bit unsatisfied, so I got up to ladle myself another serving.

As I did, Alina’s voice came from behind me, slightly tinged with emotion.

“Miss… When will we go back to the estate?”

It left me with an unsettling feeling—not directed at Alina, but at the situation itself.

Something felt twisted, off-kilter.

I erased my plan to visit the orphanage tomorrow from my mind.

There would always be time to visit later.

As for Raphael… If it truly was the Raphael I knew, he’d find me on his own someday. 

He’d appear before me with a triumphant ta-da! after becoming a knight.

And if it was someone with just the same name, I could track them down when I had more time.

With enough money, finding someone doesn’t take long.

“I was thinking of staying a few more days, but if it’s too much for you, we can leave right away.”

“Oh, no! And tomorrow, I thought I’d visit the church here.”

Why was she suddenly talking about going to church?

Now that I thought about it, she’d been visiting the priest in the estate chapel every Sunday.

I hadn’t gone with her.

“Then we’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to change your plans because of me.”

“It’s fine. I don’t have many fond memories of this place either.

To be honest, if we could leave sooner, I would.

Being here just reminds me of eating moldy trash bread.”

At last, Alina’s troubled expression eased, and she nodded in understanding.

After dinner, Alina brought some tea leaves and brewed tea.

The cups weren’t anything fancy, but there was something novel about drinking tea from a big mug—it wasn’t bad.

“Well then, I’ll leave you for now! Have a good night, Miss.”

“It would be nice if you stayed. I don’t want to be alone.”

“But everyone else is staying over there…”

“What do the other servants matter? They’re all people the Duchess assigned anyway.”

I stood up and clung to Alina, looking up at her.

“Don’t go. Stay with me tonight.”

“…If you insist.”

There was only one bed, but it was wide enough for the two of us to lie down comfortably.

“Before that, Miss, you need to wash up. And brush your teeth too.”

“Hmm, I don’t feel like it.”

Ignoring me, Alina led me to the small bathroom.

I wasn’t sure if it had been part of the house originally or if a lower-tier magician had conjured it up.

Regardless, Alina began undressing me piece by piece and gently washing me.

Using soap—who knows where she’d gotten it—she created a lather and softly ran her fingertips over my face before moving to my hair.

I’d grown so accustomed to her touch that washing myself now felt awkward.

Perhaps I’d turned into a fool who couldn’t even wash my own hair.

She rinsed my hair and body with warm water, stepped outside briefly, and returned with some fragrant salt.

Sprinkling it onto her hand, she began rubbing it inside my mouth.

“Bleh, what is this?”

“A toothbrush? Unfortunately, I couldn’t find one here.”

Was my breath unpleasant? I hoped not—it would be embarrassing.

Alina carefully rubbed the salt over my molars with her fingers until it dissolved, then continued gently scrubbing.

When she rinsed her hands with soap, my teeth made a distinct squeaking sound from the friction.

Her touch moved from my molars to my canines, then to the backs of my front teeth.

The sensation sent a faint shiver through me.

Being forced to brush my teeth while completely undressed… though, I suppose it wasn’t entirely forced since I had opened my mouth willingly.

The salt we used at the estate had a rose scent, but this salt had a rustic pine smell.

It felt like an amateurish attempt to infuse fragrance, possibly using pine as a last resort.

After thoroughly scrubbing my tongue with the gritty salt, she rinsed my mouth, finishing the task.

Then Alina dried my body with a towel and dressed me.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t in comfortable sleepwear but tightly fitting day clothes.

Well, I couldn’t expect too much while we were away from the estate.

Dragging Alina along, I led her to the bed and laid her down.

Or rather, she let herself be pulled along by me.

“Good night, Alina.”

“Good night, Miss.”

I closed my eyes.

But sleep didn’t come.

Alina, exhausted, quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.

Watching her, I adjusted her position slightly to make her more comfortable before quietly getting up from the bed.

I was looking forward to tomorrow.

Has Raphael grown taller?

He used to brag that he’d surpass my height in no time.

It hadn’t even been a year; surely he couldn’t have grown that much.

I sipped the cold tea quietly.

The windows were slightly fogged, as if rain was on its way.

The moisture on the glass, illuminated by the moonlight, looked ashen.