I Became The Younger Sister Of A Dying Woman - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Her Lies

“I’m just so glad to have you,” Linzel said as she let go of Mini’s hand. The touch of Mini’s hand seemed to restore her waning strength.

“You are such a sweet girl, Miss. And it’s not hard to follow you around; it’s my mission!”

“I hope I live long enough for you to continue your mission for a long time…….”

“I’ll stay with you until the day your hair is as white as an onion root.”

The words were like a proposal.

“Sure. Let’s do it,” Linzel responded cordially.

“You agreed!”

“Yes. We’ll be together until our hair is white, whether it’s leek roots or onion roots.”

As it turns out, this was the second time today Linzel had heard something resembling a proposal.

One from Hernan, the other from Mini.

“I guess I am truly blessed.”

She had so many good people in her life.

By the way, they say that good people attract good people.

‘Maybe I’m the nicest person in the world……. Hmmmm,’ Linzel thought wistfully.

Then, another good person came to visit her.

It was Letty, who entered her room without knocking.

“Linzel! Are you back from your date with His Highness Hernan?”

At Letty’s entrance, Mini stepped out of the way.

Letty climbed into bed and snuggled into Linzel’s arms. Then, as usual, she pressed her body against her sister’s side.

The regularity of her breathing. The familiar warmth of her body.

It all still felt so lovely. Even in the midst of Linzel’s suspicions.

She didn’t wait long to respond.

“Yeah. I came back from my date with him.”

“The two of you. Isn’t that going too well?” Letty asked slyly.

Linzel felt a little embarrassed. So, as if to complain, she lightly tapped the top of Letty’s head with her finger.

Letty didn’t take offense and started giggling.

Every now and then, whenever Linzel gently touched her without hurting her, she would giggle, as if the act confirmed Letty’s affection for Linzel.

When Linzel thought about it, it was a strange feeling. Because those feelings were between the ‘real Linzel’ and Letty.

Just like the real Linzel, she had spontaneously placed a hand on Letty’s head, right?

Somehow…… she felt like she really was the ‘real’ Linzel, not just someone possessing her.

Had she completely immersed herself in the character?

While meeting Letty, Linzel decided to try to relieve the awkwardness she was feeling towards her.

“By the way, I was walking down the main street with His Highness Hernan earlier, and I saw Sir Handsome.”

“…….”

Letty paused for a moment, then asked, “Was…… he alone?”

“No. He appeared to have company, but I didn’t get a good look. It was just a quick glimpse,” Linzel lied casually.

She waited for Letty’s reaction. She hoped Letty would answer her honestly when she mentioned that there was someone with him. She desperately wanted her sister to admit that it was her.

Even if Sir Handsome had a second companion, Linzel hoped Letty would confess to meeting him.

Finally, Letty’s voice came.

“I see.”

That was it. Letty did not disclose the fact that she met Sir Handsome. Why?

Linzel continued the flow of the conversation, hiding her disappointment.

“Sir Handsome seems to be doing fine without me.”

“Did that bother you?”

“Yes.”

‘It bothers me that you didn’t tell me you were meeting with Sir Handsome,’ she thought bitterly.

“Never mind. You broke up with him anyway, and you’re getting on well with His Highness Hernan now.”

Linzel couldn’t help but notice. Because now she knew, without a doubt, that Letty lied to her.

Hernan’s warning words echoed in her ears.

‘Why are you so sure she hasn’t lied to you?’

Linzel turned from her forward-facing position and pulled Letty into a hug. Letty snuggled into her arms and buried her face in her chest.

“Letty. The apothecary you said you were going to earlier. Did you get there?”

“Yes. I got some medication to help you, and it’s pink in color, so I thought it would match us somehow.”

It could have been the drug Linzel was looking at.

“Hey, can I have some?”

“Sure. When you’re feeling better, we should go together. You’re out of breath after a short walk these days.”

“Yeah, right.”

‘Judging from the fact that she didn’t hesitate to visit the apothecary with me, there didn’t seem to be any reason for the timing of her visits.’

It must have been a mere coincidence.

Then the question is, what about Sir Handsome…….

Linzel made up her mind to ask directly about it. She’d given her a chance to confess, but Letty hadn’t come clean.

“You know, Letty,” Linzel began, “I actually saw you with Sir Handsome.”

Letty’s body twitched. She looked surprised.

“Why didn’t you…… tell me you were meeting with him?” Linzel pressed.

“It’s…….”

Letty was silent, and Linzel waited patiently for her answer.

Letty was a much more complex person than Linzel was. 

‘Surely, she had her own reasons,’ Linzel thought.

A reason she could understand. 

“……Linzel. I’m sorry. I actually ran into him at the apothecary,” Letty began to belatedly tell her side of the story. “But I was afraid that if I said I met him, you would misunderstand that I’d been seeing Sir Handsome the whole time….I didn’t want to create a situation that I had to explain.”

Some things are better left unsaid. Letty sobbed loudly when she said that.

It was an understandable excuse. She was being thoughtful.

Linzel hugged her even tighter. And decided to believe her.

“But next time, don’t ever lie. I will be watching you from now on.”

“Yeah……. I’m sorry,” Letty replied with a sob.

Linzel decided that she wasn’t disappointed in her for lying.

On the contrary, she was glad she finally told the truth.

Even if she would never admit it, Linzel didn’t care if there was more to her story about her accidental encounter with Sir Handsome.

After all, he wasn’t an important person in Linzel’s life.

She just hoped Letty wouldn’t lie to her again. But something strange happened.

Even though she forgave her and understood her story, Linzel couldn’t get Hernan’s warning out of her head. 

(T/N: I never thought that the eyeball grave guy would be the one with common sense xD)

‘Why are you so sure she never lied to you?’

Was there anything else Letty had lied about?

Linzel couldn’t help but grow curious about that fact.

* * *

Back at the palace, Izekiel was preoccupied.

It was market day, and something had happened while he was out that was hard to deal with.

By the time he had finished, the sun had risen.

“Haa……. I’m tired.”

He sank deeper into his chair and closed his eyes. His eyes stung from looking at the papers for so long.

When he closed his eyes, he saw the face of Linzel, her full, red lips speaking nonstop. The way she was trying to explain everything to him wasn’t so bad.

No, it was actually…… quite cute.

At least it was much nicer to look at her than Letty, who couldn’t even talk to him properly.

A small curve formed at the corner of Izekiel’s mouth. It was a small smile that he hadn’t even noticed.

His thoughts drifted to Letty.

He hadn’t seen her in quite some time; they’d only bumped into each other occasionally at the palace.

Linzel had spoken openly of Letty’s good qualities, trying to draw him closer to her. It was as if she wanted him to like Letty.

Letty’s face, which he would occasionally glance at out of the corner of his eye, was lightly blushing.

‘It’s pretty obvious that she has a crush on me,’ he thought.

It wasn’t the first time a girl he barely knew had taken a liking to him.

With his impeccable looks, good physique, and trendsetting fashion sense that made even his own brother steal his clothes, he wondered what girl wouldn’t like him.

It wasn’t a boast, it was just the truth.

“Letty Valencia, Le…….”

As he was repeating her name over and over again, he remembered something unexpected.

He opened his closed eyes.

He remembered meeting the young lady of the Duke of Valencia at a banquet years ago.

He had forgotten all about it.

He had talked to her quite a bit. She was a good speaker, and he had taken a liking to her.

She even blushed, and Izekiel thought to himself that he must have won her favor.

He even thought about meeting her separately afterwards……, but that was when he had a lot of work to do. His work was more important than meeting a girl.

So, he never met her again.

And as he worked harder and harder, he naturally forgot about her.

Even now, the memory of that day was not so clear. But at least he could remember her name.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Linzel Valencia.’

“It was definitely Linzel I was meeting then.”

But when they met again recently, she acted as if they had never met. Had she forgotten she’d met him?

“Linzel Valencia……. She definitely seemed to like me back then.”

That, too, was strange. The two sisters of the Duchy of Valencia would meet him several years after that.

One of them, Letty, who he had never officially met, seemed to like him while the other, Linzel, who he had met, shunned him.

Why?

Izekiel knew he had to meet Linzel again. He wanted to clear up the mystery.

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