I Became The Younger Sister Of A Dying Woman - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Are You Sure You Like Me?

Letty, who had been concentrating on Linzel, noticed Izekiel’s appearance only belatedly.

“……Y-Your Highness Izekiel?”

“Yes. Good to see you, Letty.” The greeting had a somewhat lukewarm tone before Izekiel continued bluntly with, “You saw it too, right? That Linzel got hurt.”

“…….”

“Don’t even think about denying it. You were watching her. I saw it.”

Letty nodded her head slowly. Her face, unable to meet his gaze, was pale. She seemed bewildered.

What was the reason for her agitation?

“Why did you just watch?”

“That’s because…… Linzel had His Highness Hernan by her side.”

“Even if that’s the case, if you two are close sisters, shouldn’t you have rushed to check on Linzel’s well-being right away?”

“His Highness doesn’t get along well with His Highness Hernan. You don’t know what it’s like to have a close sibling.”

The sound of her words was sharp.

He wondered if this was the same Letty who had greeted him so shyly. Izekiel voiced his doubts.

“Lady Letty….. do you like me?”

Of course, he had never received a confession from Letty.

But based on everything Linzel had done over the years (her efforts to connect Izekiel and Letty), he could deduce that Letty had feelings for him.

Although he was ashamed to admit, he had also pondered on how he should respond if she were to confess.

However, the Letty he faced today seemed indifferent towards him.

If she liked him, she wouldn’t have been so confrontational. She would have made excuses to justify her behavior.

“I… I do,” Letty answered belatedly. “And I don’t want to confess this way, so please pretend you didn’t hear what you just heard.”

Izekiel was at a loss for words. Even after receiving a confession, he didn’t feel any excitement. The only thing that grew was the thought that Letty didn’t genuinely like him.

Suddenly, Letty began stammering and rushed off somewhere.

“……You-Your Highness, I apologize for my words!”

Izekiel watched her retreating figure. Letty seemed to be heading towards Linzel.

Just as he was wondering what was going on……, he realized that Linzel’s situation was not normal.

Izekiel followed behind Letty. The doubts about Letty were erased from his mind.

His mind was filled only with worry for Linzel.

* * *

Linzel smelled a familiar scent.

It was the scent of her favorite oil, the one that she had gifted to Hernan and to his family.

She pushed up her heavy eyelids.

Then Linzel saw the ceiling, which felt completely different from her room with its luxurious wallpaper.

The color was dull, and the ceiling wallpaper looked like it hadn’t been replaced in a long time…….

Just then, a voice rang out from someone who had noticed that she was awake.

“Linzel! Are you awake?”

It was Hernan, whose face brightened up.

She tried to sit up, but she froze due to a terrifying headache.

“Lie down. I will summon the palace physician.”

“Okay. Cough, cough.”

As Linzel answered, she realized that her mouth and throat were extremely dry. As a result, she had a dry cough that didn’t seem to stop.

Hernan handed her a glass of water, and then stormed out of the room.

After taking a few sips of water, the cough subsided. The headache remained, but it was bearable.

Finally, she looked around. The view of the room, which had become somewhat familiar, appeared before her eyes.

A large room with little furniture. The few pieces of furniture are as old as the wallpaper…….

The most expensive looking piece of furniture seemed to be a cupboard.

Inside it, familiar items were on display.

The item was a beautiful glass bottle that didn’t match the shabbiness, adorned with elegance.

That was the glass bottle containing the oil she gifted to Hernan. This was Hernan’s room, where she stayed for about a day.

‘Was this place always this shabby?’

It was a fact that Linzel hadn’t realized until now. Well. She had no idea.

On the night of the wedding, she cried a lot, and today, the following day, she was mostly asleep due to feeling unwell.

As the door that had been closed suddenly swung open, several people rushed in.

“Li-Linzel!”

“Miss!”

“My daughter!”

It was Letty, Mini, and her father who appeared.

She waved her hand towards them, even though she had injuries, like a victorious warrior.

The man who appeared after them was a surprise.

“Are you okay?”

Even Izekiel, who hadn’t spoken to her during the entire banquet, had come to visit.

* * *

Except for a slight cut on her forehead that was bleeding, she wasn’t seriously injured. The headache she felt when she just woke up had mostly subsided.

However, she had blue bruises on her legs, arms, and waist…… all over her body.

She guessed it was because she’s so prone to bruises.

The palace physician who examined her emphasized the need for rest and left the room. Linzel sent her family and Izekiel away when the physician left.

It was Hernan who hadn’t said a word while she was being examined.

She wanted to be alone with him. Hernan, who sat on the corner of the bed, was dressed in a white shirt.

However, his shirt was stained with blood, probably from when he embraced her while she was bleeding.

“Your Highness, Hernan. I think you should change your shirt.”

“In my haste, I forgot to change. Is it unsightly to see?”

It wasn’t unsightly. Linzel could only feel a sense of wild beauty from him wearing a bloody shirt.

Even his slightly bloodied face had reached a dangerously sexy point.

Even if Linzel had met him on the battlefield, she felt like she wouldn’t have been able to take her eyes off his beauty.

‘But then, Hernan would pluck my eyeballs out…….’

Unaware of her thoughts, Hernan seemed to take her silence as an affirmation.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll change right here.”

“Okay.”

Hernan opened a large closet and changed into a new shirt. She stole glances at his magnificent physique, sneakily and discreetly.

But when Hernan sat on the edge of the bed, she lowered her gaze as if she hadn’t seen anything.

“Are you okay? Does it hurt?”

‘Are you okay?’ – It seemed to be the most common phrase she heard from Hernan.

It was nice that he was worried about her, but it reminded her bleakly of the fact that she was sick.

“I’m fine.”

It wasn’t just a reassuring statement to put him at ease. There wasn’t any serious pain.

“Next time, don’t save others. Your health is the top priority.”

Hernan was firm.

“I will, but since I saved the young master Leal, won’t I receive recognition from the Duke of Sevilla?”

“That might be true, but I still hope you prioritize your health.”

“Yes. I also want to get healthy soon.”

If only she could have enjoyed the banquet with Hernan all night. If only she could have stepped on his shoes a few more times.

Hernan gently brushed her cheek with his hand.

“But at least with you being unwell, we have time to ourselves.”

It seemed like he was trying to assuage her disappointment, but it could also sound like he didn’t care about her health.

Hernan seemed to realize that point belatedly and started making excuses.

“Oh….. Not that I never want you to get better… It’s just that I prefer being alone with you rather than being stuck at a banquet.”

“Anyway, you want me to think positive, right?”

“Yes, yes, like you’ve been telling me to be positive.” Hernan looked like he was trying to mimic her way of speaking and failing. He sighed, “It’s difficult.”

“But Your Highness, your sincerity was conveyed well,” Linzel murmured as she burrowed into his arms. “Thank you for worrying about me.”

It was astonishing to think that this cute and charming man, who had been the villain in the original story, now considered her his bride.

‘I don’t want him to be the villain this time, I want him to be happy.’

Should she not divorce him to achieve that?

Her thoughts drifted away.

Hernan’s regular pats on her back lulled her to sleep.

‘I want to love Hernan with all my heart.’

That was Linzel’s last thought before falling asleep.

* * *

It was early in the morning, not long after dawn.

Several knights, dressed in armor, were circling around a spacious courtyard, practicing their swordsmanship.

Among them, one man stood out with his physique and face.

It was Hernan.

“Phew. Let’s call it a day for morning exercises.”

“Yes! Your Highness!”

Hernan threw on a robe and entered the palace. As he walked to his study, he couldn’t stop thinking about Linzel.

Her adorable and amusing nicknames at the wedding venue. Her pitiful plea to live.

The way she’d collapsed in the ballroom. And this morning, the way she’d slept like a baby.

But as Hernan entered the study, his expression turned serious.

‘I… I want to live.’

Linzel’s words kept echoing in his mind.

“Your Highness. It’s a little late, but congratulations.”

The one who spoke to Hernan was Gatt.

After the wedding ceremony, he hadn’t had a proper conversation with Gatt due to the chaotic situation.

“Thank you.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“But, Gatt. There is something I need you to do now.”

As Hernan uttered those words, haunting memories flashed through Gatt’s mind.

The cloak, the shirt that Hernan ordered to get him……. That type of thing.

Gatt responded confidently without any confusion this time.

“Which of His Highness Izekiel’s clothes can I bring this time?”

He was confident he could get him anything. He had never been interested in fashion, but now he was up to date with the latest trends.

But Hernan just glared at him.

“So, you treat me as someone who only covets Izekiel’s clothes.”

Wasn’t that true?

Gatt was taken aback.

“T-That’s not it. It’s just that I’ve recently obtained a lot of clothes from His Highness Izekiel…….”

“Enough. Your task is to…….”