TVOWW 57

Chapter 57

“Marry Me”

The priests awkwardly excused themselves on behalf of the saint and left.

“It seems the saint is feeling particularly unwell today. We ask for your kind understanding.”

“Perhaps she overexerted her divine power and is trying to return to the temple as quickly as possible.”

I stared in disbelief at the spot where the saint had departed.

“Feeling unwell is understandable… but leaving without even greeting the host…”

Johan turned my head to face him.

“Estelle, look at me.”

Seeing his handsome face again made my cheeks flush. I found myself glancing at Johan’s lips repeatedly.

“They look… more moist than usual…”

I remembered the passionate kiss we had just shared. Johan, as if noticing my gaze, lightly moistened his lips with his tongue. I swallowed unconsciously.

He entwined our hands, holding the one with the ring on it.

“Shall we have a proper wedding ceremony?”

“…A wedding ceremony?”

“We weren’t able to have one before, due to circumstances. I feel a bit regretful about that.”

Even though I had been content with just the ring, my heart reacted even more strongly. Two impulses battled within my mind.

“The original story has already changed. You’re the real one now.”

“How naive. You’ve been betrayed and abandoned by people all this time. And yet, you still want to trust?”

With his picturesque features, sculpted body, and that unique aura shifting between languid and poised, he seemed like a treasure I shouldn’t covet.

Sometimes, just daring to desire him felt sinful.

“Even though we’ve already lived as a couple, is it okay to have a wedding ceremony later?”

In our case, it was unusual. Having a wedding after living together as husband and wife was even rarer.

“If I want to, what does it matter?”

“……”

“Even if the law forbids it, I’ll hold the ceremony for you.”

Johan’s gaze was intense, almost genuinely so.

“Are you also disappointed that we couldn’t have a proper wedding?”

He slowly brushed my hair back with his other hand.

“I can already imagine it. You walking down the red carpet in the white wedding dress I chose for you.”

I could naturally envision the picturesque wedding.

“Petals raining from the flower girls, elegant music from the orchestra… the guests would be too busy admiring us.”

“……”

“I’d hold your hand and vow before the priest that you and I will be together forever.”

“……”

“What about you?”

“……Just imagining it feels wonderful.”

Over Johan’s image, I overlaid the vision of him in a black tuxedo.

“Maybe this is greed…”

I smiled and asked.

“But what if I have no guests to invite?”

“It’s my wedding; everyone would clamor to attend.”

Johan tucked my hair behind my ear and pressed his lips to my forehead. His lips were burning hot.

A graceful, confident voice sounded above me.

“Let’s get married, Estelle.”

“……”

“Marry me.”

Johan proposed with a calm voice. Strangely, there was a subtle tension in it. My heart surged with irrational impulses, yet my mind remained oddly composed despite the overwhelming emotion.

“…Why won’t Johan say he loves me?”

He treated me so tenderly, gave me the symbol of the mistress in the ring, and even proposed.

“He’s deliberately avoiding saying he loves me.”

This wasn’t the first time.

Living with Johan, I had subtly tried to elicit the word “love,” but he always avoided it.

“Johan has always avoided saying he loves me.”

There was only one sure way to confirm his true feelings.

I had to confess my love first. Then he wouldn’t be able to evade it with another excuse.

The original story overlapped with Johan’s proposing face. Estelle clung desperately to him as he tried to leave.

“My lord, how will you love me?”

Johan elegantly trampled my hand with his foot and whispered by my ear.

“It can’t end like this.”

“…What?”

“Ah, you don’t understand. I’ll explain it clearly.”

Johan grabbed my chin and sneered.

“I married you for revenge. I planned to toy with you and discard you.”

A cold voice that pierced my heart.

“It was fun pretending until now. I thought I could keep you longer before discarding you.”

“Everything… was an act?”

“Isn’t it?”

Johan laughed like a demon.

“I could never love someone like you in the first place.”

That truth began the moment I confessed my love.

“…I want to trust you.”

But I didn’t know if I could trust him carelessly.

“It’s not just about saying I love you.”

Johan hadn’t told me about the revenge. Still, I couldn’t ignore the swelling hope.

I smiled faintly and squeezed his hand.

“Johan, you know your proposal is a bit late, right?”

“I know.”

“But I’m still happy.”

I just had to be ready to run anytime. As long as I did that… I could stay by Johan’s side.

After the saint left, I underwent examinations by several doctors, including Mr. Henry.

Patricia, who was with me at the time, was particularly insistent.

“Master, we should examine Madam one more time, even using all the magical tools available.”

Bettina Erich chimed in.

“Yes, there could be some problem. Madam tends to endure pain without complaint.”

“I fully agree. All the magical tools and doctors you ordered are here.”

I arrived at the examination room, where a pile of strange magical tools awaited. I asked my attending physician, Mr. Henry.

“What are all these magical tools for?”

“I’ve collected every tool capable of diagnosing a patient. This time, we’ll get an accurate diagnosis.”

There were six medical tools. The first checked my overall condition.

“Your body is generally weak, but nothing alarming appears.”

“Of course, I’m normal.”

But from the second tool onwards, errors occurred.

“Madam… your energy flow cannot be measured by these tools. Normally, a graph appears, but nothing shows for you.”

“……”

“Impossible! None of the tools can detect it. Why…?”

Three medical tools consecutively malfunctioned.

“Is this the last one?”

The last tool looked like a hat. Mr. Henry nervously placed it on my head and muttered desperately.

“Please….”

Bettina clasped her hands in prayer. The situation was so serious, it was awkward.

“When will this end…?”

Beep! Beep!

A warning sounded. Suddenly, Mr. Henry’s tears streamed down. He threw the panel connected to the tool onto the floor.

“This worthless tool!”

“What’s the result?”

“This tool must be broken. I bought the latest model, but…”

He sighed deeply.

“This stupid machine… it says Madam isn’t human.”

“What?!”

Bettina shouted in anger.

“Then what? If Madam isn’t human, what does that even mean? Isn’t this too much for a magical tool?”

“We should question those who sold it. Madam, please don’t take it to heart.”

“Yes, it’s insulting to say she isn’t human.”

I rolled my eyes.

“That tool… it’s too accurate.”

A red circle blinked on the panel. Even as I stared at it, Bettina tried to console me.

“Maybe it’s saying you’re so beautiful, you aren’t even human.”

“Mm.”

“Sometimes, I also think your beauty is beyond human. Perhaps you’re a legendary angel or fairy!”

Actually, Bettina… I am a fairy.

Mr. Henry picked up the panel and shook his head, tears streaming from his eyes.

“Why does it keep giving this response?”

“What does that mean?”

“…A continuous red circle indicates a curse or death energy by a dark mage.”

So the tool detected my curse too?

“…What’s death energy?”

“It shows remaining lifespan. The stronger the death energy, the closer to death.”

I looked at the tool in shock. The red signal kept beeping. Mr. Henry held my hand tenderly.

“Madam, as a normal noblewoman, you wouldn’t have been cursed. So… it seems you have only a limited lifespan—”

“…Really?”

“Yes. Normally, lifespan can’t be measured, but because you have a rare disease, it can be diagnosed. At this reaction level…”

Mr. Henry fell to his knees.

“Madam, you have only about 1–2 years left.”

“Ah….”

“I’m sorry, Madam. I, Henry Hanson, will find a new way to cure your illness!”

I was so tense, I didn’t know how to react.

“One year? What do you mean, our Madam?”

Bettina, who had started crying, hugged me.

“It’s so sad for our Madam. You could finally be happy.”

Creak—

Through the slowly opening door, pale Erich and Raymond appeared.

Erich squeezed his eyes shut in despair, and Raymond knelt unconsciously.

“It… it’s a lie, right? I misheard?”

“…It’s probably true.”

“This can’t be.”

Raymond jumped up loudly.

“I need to report this to the master immediately!”

“Sir Raymond, wait!”

“Madam! We’ll bring the master!”

These people… I’m fine!

-Child, I don’t think it’s time to intervene.
-What if the truth comes out?
-When have you ever lied? They misunderstood on their own.

I heard the laughter of the trees in my ears.

-Now, enjoy the chaos. Watching the mansion turn upside down because of you will be fun.

…Could I really do that?

“Looks like I need to escape.”

Until Johan came down, I seriously considered an escape plan.

The summer festival was in full swing.

Since it was a grand festival, guests from the Empire and neighboring kingdoms were invited. Among them, the most important carriage stopped in front of the beautiful mansion.

Swirling waves wrapped around stars.

The heart of the Allied Kingdom, the powerful maritime nation, Royam.

A young woman jumped out energetically from the carriage. She had Royam’s signature brown skin and chocolate-colored hair tied in a ponytail.

Princess of Royam, Diana.

“New sister, are you really okay returning to the Empire like this?”

Diana worriedly looked at her new sister.

“The Empire can only hold bad memories for you. What if you meet that woman again…?”

Fair-skinned, light brown hair, hazel eyes with an orange hue.

Diana’s beautiful new sister smiled kindly.

“Yes, it’s fine. I’m happy to be back in my homeland, the Empire.”

“Right, you’ve missed the Empire all this time.”

Diana furrowed her brows.

“I don’t understand why my poor new sister should suffer because of that crazy villainess!”

“…Diana, don’t be so angry.”

“You have scars you can never forget! That villainess lives shamelessly without a single apology!”

Diana panted in excitement.

“I thought Libertan would be punished for treason, but she became the Duchess Blanchet and lives arrogantly. How can the world be like this?”

“I’m fine. I’ve forgiven everything.”

“I’m not fine! If I meet that woman, I won’t stay calm.”

Then the Queen of Royam spoke sternly.

“Don’t act rashly.”

“Mother!”

“No matter what happens, remember your actions reflect on Royam.”

The Queen held her daughter-in-law’s hand tenderly.

“Don’t worry, my child. Royam is no Empire, but it is not powerless. Especially since you’re our family, I won’t stand by if our family suffers.”

“Thank you, Mother. But I’m not married to Hessen yet…”

“If your wedding is in a few days, you’re already practically family.”

Touched by the Queen’s words, the daughter-in-law’s eyes welled with tears. The Queen patted her reassuringly.

Soon, Cinderella, Miryu, who would become Queen of Royam, blinked her long eyelashes.

“They should have died together for treason.”

Libertan’s fake lucked out to become a duchess.

Thankfully, the Empire still called me the greatest villainess, just like before she left to become Crown Princess.

“…No one will believe my lie.”

Miryu smiled happily at the Royam mansion.

“No one will trust her.”

Yet she nervously fiddled with the choker around her neck.

I arrived at the party, dazzlingly dressed. Everyone had been too worried for my safety, making it difficult to move.

“At least this is fortunate.”

After the misunderstanding about my lifespan, everyone obeyed all my requests.

Thanks to that, I could attend the party alone without Johan.

“A party for the Allied Kingdom…”

This gathering was for nobles of the Allied Kingdom to meet lightly after arriving in the Empire.

“Perfect for forming connections with the Allied Kingdom nobles.”

If I fled to the Allied Kingdom, the Empire would have difficulty finding me. If I went to sea, they would never find me.

“If I have connections with the nobles, it will be easy to ask for their understanding.”

So I needed to learn as much as I could about the Allied Kingdom today. Even better if I gained favor.

The Allied Kingdom nobles at the party looked at me in shock. I was familiar with this reaction.

But they just glanced at me, and no one approached to greet me, leaving me awkwardly standing.

“I thought they’d act practically since this is a noble-centered gathering.”

Given my reputation, they didn’t dare openly approach me.

“But the host should come greet me.”

Then one young lady whispered loudly enough for me to hear, “Why is that villain here…?”

“Do they think we don’t know about her crimes? How shameless…”

I elegantly took a step toward her. The young lady, initially pretending not to notice, paled as I approached. When I reached her, she bowed.

“Madam Blanchet, I am Nadia Mors from the Depep Kingdom.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Mors. Sorry, which house is Mors from?”

“A count’s family in the Depep Kingdom.”

“I see. I’m not very familiar with other kingdoms.”

I smiled gently at Nadia.

“But you seem to know me quite well?”

“Ah, that is…”

Nadia clutched her skirt tightly.

“My apologies, Madam Blanchet. It may be difficult for you to hear…”

I looked at her sincerely, concerned.

“No, Miss. If you apologize rashly, I might misunderstand you.”

“……”

“That the Depep Kingdom tried to slight the Empire…”

The surrounding atmosphere stirred at my words. I smiled subtly.

“Of course, it’s just a joke.”

“……”

“Though it could become true.”