Cail put on a deliberately serious expression and began to contemplate.
“No, wait. What do you mean? What do you mean you’ll be working here?”
“I’m now a member of your organization.”
“…!”
My eyes widened as I belatedly understood his words.
Good heavens!
Cail, who should be a noble hero of the people!
To join a criminal organization!
‘Well, of course our criminal organization has been reforming and becoming kinder lately… but even so, this isn’t right!’
Moreover, Cail was wearing black clothes like the other members.
Even so, far from looking like a villain, it only accentuated his white, handsome face.
Being among rough-looking men made him look even more handsome.
Feeling somewhat of a headache coming on, I glared at the members and asked.
“Who on earth accepted him?”
“Uh, ahem.”
“H-hrm.”
“Ahem, cough, cough.”
The members who received my gaze all made strange throat-clearing sounds and avoided my eyes.
“So it was all of you who just cleared your throats?”
“Eek!”
“Urk!”
“Ugh!”
The simple-minded members couldn’t lie and give themselves away like this.
Well, it’s because they’re so innocent that they’ve been exploited by Tenes all this time.
“J-just a moment, big sister. L-look at the organization’s rules.”
Felitz quickly pulled out a document from a drawer and thrust it at me.
It was the rules we had created recently to prevent another incident like Tenes.
“Look, doesn’t it say here that new members are accepted by a majority vote!”
“….”
I looked at the rules with sad eyes.
Why did I include such a provision?
When I glanced up, I saw Cail smiling brightly, oblivious to my inner thoughts.
“Do you know what kind of work we do here?”
I deliberately put on a scary face and spoke in an exaggerated voice to drive him away.
“We follow ordinary people’s every move, make terrifying medicines, and only choose jobs that make money.”
“Whatever task I’m given, I can do better than anyone else.”
Cail answered with a solemn face.
His voice contained a very resolute determination to endure in this criminal organization no matter what.
“Ha. Fine, whatever.”
I sighed heavily while holding my forehead.
“Since it’s already been decided that you’ll work here, what more can I say?”
As I muttered in resignation, his face brightened.
“Then I’m no longer an outsider now.”
He must have taken to heart what I said yesterday about him being an outsider.
“Now I can stay here with you. During the day and night. Ah, don’t worry too much about where I’ll stay.”
I hadn’t worried. Anyway, the only room left on the third floor was right next to the stairs, farthest from my room…
“Felitz has given up his room for me.”
“Huh…?”
“That room just five steps away from yours.”
“….”
Without realizing it, I slowly turned my gaze to Felitz.
He flinched, then avoided my gaze and pretended to be busy.
No doubt about it.
He must have received something from Cail.
‘Did he get money?’
Hoping he at least got a substantial amount, I responded to Cail in a disinterested voice.
“Do whatever you want. I’ll be leaving soon anyway.”
“Leaving?”
He grabbed my wrist urgently and asked.
“Where to? No, why?”
His pupils trembled slightly.
“Huh? No, I can’t keep living here forever. I’m not even an official member, and from the beginning, I was only planning to stay temporarily…”
“Don’t go.”
“….”
“Don’t go, Jella.”
Cail reacted excessively, his eyes trembling.
“What’s with you? Why are you acting like this? Anyone would think I’m going off to die.”
Feeling awkward, I deliberately smiled and responded lightly, but Cail’s eyes reddened.
“That’s mean.”
“U-um?”
“What about the people left behind when you leave?”
Despite his reproachful voice, Cail’s face looking at me was just like a puppy whimpering, not wanting to be abandoned by its owner.
I almost weakened at the sight.
“Th-that’s right, big sister!”
“Big sister is mean!”
“Really mean!”
I snapped back to my senses and steeled my heart as the members chimed in with Cail and protested.
“Do you all have nothing better to do?”
I glared at the members, but emboldened by having Cail on their side, they didn’t back down and jeered at me.
“Anyway, I need to go out on field work, so everyone finish your tasks by evening.”
“I’ll accompany you.”
Cail quickly followed behind me.
“No. I’m going with Felitz. Felitz, come here.”
“….”
Then Cail glanced at Felitz.
“Ack!”
After exchanging glances with Cail, Felitz suddenly clutched his forehead and trembled.
“I-I don’t feel well today, so I think I need to rest, big sister.”
Following Felitz, all the members I pointed to unanimously refused to come along, claiming they weren’t feeling well.
As I stared at them in disbelief, I spotted Tenes quietly cleaning in the corner.
“Perfect. You, come with me…”
“…Quack.”
“….”
Tenes collapsed onto the floor.
Cail whispered in my ear with a satisfied smile.
“Now I’m the only one left, big sister.”
The moment that low voice settled in my ear, I involuntarily shuddered.
The term “big sister” that I heard from the members every day somehow sounded dangerous in this moment, giving me goosebumps.
“I’ll accompany you, big sister.”
“I-I’m not your big sister, so don’t call me that!”
I exclaimed in alarm, to which he asked with an innocent face.
“Then what should I call you, big sister?”
“Call me like you usually do! Like usual!”
He replied with his eyes curved happily.
“Yes, Jella.”
***
Our first destination was the Imperial Palace.
I went with the medicine I had promised Niel yesterday.
This was the first time I had made medicine for therapeutic purposes since the skin medicine for Emily and the ambitious hangover remedy I had created.
I searched through all the thick pharmaceutical books but couldn’t find a remedy for eyes and skin corroded by poison.
Then I happened to find the formula in Jella Irene’s notebook.
However, I wasn’t sure if it would work.
‘When even the imperial doctors and prime minister couldn’t cure it, how could a mere medicine…’
Despite my doubts, I prepared the medicine according to Jella Irene’s records.
I had neutralized any potential toxicity by dropping a bit of mana, so it shouldn’t be dangerous, but I couldn’t help feeling nervous.
Niel drank the medicine I handed him without hesitation in one gulp.
I watched, holding my breath.
The color gradually returned to Niel’s eyes, and the raw flesh on his right cheek that had been painful to look at filled in.
“How is it? Can you see well?”
Niel blinked his eyes slowly, then answered with a gentle smile.
“I think my vision has returned.”
“Wow…!”
I exclaimed in amazement.
‘I must be a genius.’
Of course, it wasn’t a formula I developed myself, but one I followed exactly as Jella Irene had written down.
The corners of my mouth crept up at the thought that I had accomplished what the imperial doctors couldn’t.
At the same time, I felt proud.
‘I healed a sick person.’
In this world, I had always been a villain, but for the first time, I felt like I had done something helpful for the world.
The villainous fate that I had so desperately wanted to change in my past life but couldn’t, I, who had been reincarnated as a trashy villain, had changed it!
My heart was somehow feeling warm and fuzzy.
“How…”
“Huh?”
Hearing a muttering voice, I turned around to see Cail staring at the empty medicine bottle in Niel’s hand.
“My, it seems the subordinate Miss Jella brought doubts her skills.”
Niel, who had been quiet, burst into laughter and provoked Cail.
“Did you perhaps think Miss Jella would make poison?”
He was speaking with an elegant smile, but it was clearly a provocation.
“I did think it would be nice if you died from poison.”
However, Cail countered in a calm voice, not backing down.
“But you’re still alive. Unfortunately.”
It was a monotone voice without emotion, but that too, was clearly a provocation.
Since yesterday, neither of them had given an inch.
“….”
“….”
Silent sparks flew between the eyes of the two men staring at each other.
‘Please… could you fight somewhere I’m not present?’
I looked at them with a pitiful expression, like a shrimp caught between fighting whales.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
midori
thanks! oohh i loved the angst of jella saying she’d be leaving. i think it would be fun if she actually did leave and they all chased her, at least this time they can follow/chase her,rather than wait for her. Ms, you’re not a shrimp, you’re the treasure!