I Became The Younger Sister Of A Dying Woman - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Outcast

“Well, they’re late,” Hernan replied, sitting down across from me.

 You can start eating first.”

And so, they began their meal.

Linzel shoved food into her tiny stomach until she felt like it would burst.

Hernan, whose physique suggested he would eat a lot, was surprisingly not a big eater.

“Your Highness Hernan seems to be eating less than I thought.”

“When you’ve been on the battlefield for a long time, there are often times when supplies run low. In preparation for those times, we try not to increase our intake unnecessarily.”

‘Ouch, such an unfortunate reason.’

“But hasn’t the civil war ended now? What do you think about increasing your intake again?”

“How amusing.” 

“What? What’s amusing?” 

“You, who eat as much as a flock of birds, are concerned about my stomach.”

“I eat more than a flock of birds!”

“You haven’t seen the giant bird species, Shuvil, that lives in the southern forest. Even if it consumes a single human, it still considers it an insufficient meal.”

“…….”

“We used to throw spies infiltrating our ranks to that bird as its prey.”

Hernan adjusted the knife in his hand.

Although she also had a meager knife in her possession, his knife seemed to have a more menacing aura.

Unconsciously, Linzel gulped down a dry swallow. Why did it feel like her life was being threatened?

“I suppose you won’t encounter that bird in the capital, will you?”

Hernan replied as he plunged the knife into the center of the steak.

“If food becomes scarce, it will come looking for the weakest human. Even if it’s in the capital.”

‘Heuk. It’s like he’s saying it’s coming after me!’

Linzel wrapped her hand tighter around the fork she was holding.

“Wait. Why aren’t you laughing? I was just joking…….”

The joke was too harsh!

Linzel became deeply concerned about this man’s interpersonal relationships.

Perhaps in the original story, Letty, who became Hernan’s bride, had also heard numerous cruel jokes.

She could only imagine how the weak-minded Letty must have felt after hearing that joke…….

Letty could have been with Hernan, feeling like a chicken in a cage witnessing her comrades being killed one by one.

“Your Highness, I prefer to hear you laughing than joking.”

Linzel expressed her words in a roundabout way, so as not to hurt Hernan’s feelings, then she quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, we’re nearing the end of the meal and there’s still no sign of any vassals.”

“There’s no need to worry too much. There have been many cases where they didn’t show up for the meal, even though they were supposed to be here. “

“Huh……?”

Did he mean to tell her that it was common for vassals to disobey their masters? In a society of status?

“Well, I didn’t really chastise them for it, because they might have urgent business to attend to. And when it was really urgent, they were on time.”

“Still – it’s a meal for the prince, and I don’t think it’s appropriate for anyone to neglect to show up,” Linzel insisted.

“There must be urgent matters that I am not aware of.”

‘Could it be, Hernan? Are you being bullied?’

Linzel couldn’t fathom it. He’s so big and intimidating, so how could people be crazy enough to bully him?

“Are you worried that I am being bullied?” Hernan asked like a mindreader. 

She nodded her head.

“It’s not that I’m being bullied, I have given them freedom.”

But the situation sounds exactly like bullying…….

“It allows the two of us to enjoy all this food together.”

He’s… an outcast….

“Maybe they’re just making room for us.”

Hernan laughed like a fool, as if their private meal was romantic.

In these moments, apparently he had the ability to become incredibly positive.

No matter how much Linzel tried to think positively, she couldn’t help but feel that Hernan’s subordinates were clearly ignoring him.

Perhaps it was because Hernan was not well received in the palace.

She felt sorry for him. And she had a feeling that she knew the reason why he was being ostracized.

“Your Highness… Do you make jokes to your subordinates as well?”

“Yes, I do. Is there a problem?”

There were a lot of problems. Problems that only Hernan, the party involved, was unaware of.

Nevertheless, Linzel shook her head.

It was obvious that Hernan would be heartbroken if she told him there was a problem. Aside from Hernan’s strange jokes, she didn’t like the idea of those involved deceiving him.

Yesterday, Linzel wondered if those same vassals were related to his peculiar room interior.

She decided to ask.

“Your Highness Hernan. Are there any designers or people in charge of decorating your bedchamber? Any of your vassals maybe?”

“That’s right. I don’t know exactly, but I’m told that the vassals repaired it after my long travels.”

Again. Again, the vassals.

Linzel was convinced that they had made a mess of Hernan’s chamber.

“Is there anything wrong with my room design?”

“Well…rather…”

‘The vassals are terrible, terrible! How dare anyone bully my husband,’ Linzel fumed inside.

Wasn’t it a servant’s duty to trust and follow his master, regardless of how strange he may be?

She wanted to scold them.

“Tell me who these vassals are that did not come today.”

* * *

After the meal, Hernan said he had to attend to business. It was the morning meeting, where even the emperor attended.

Linzel asked him if she should pay her respects to the emperor and empress

“It’s okay,” he replied. “They told me you didn’t have to come to greet them too often because they were concerned about your health. They simply wished for you to live well in the palace.”

‘Still,’ Linzel thought, ‘I should visit them at least once.’

When would be a good time?

At that moment, she heard Hernan’s voice as he walked with her to her room.

“Do you see it? That place is the central library of the palace, known as ‘Rosa Penellope.’” 

Hernan pointed to somewhere reflected in a window in the corridor with his fingertips.

“And deep inside that place are the Royal Archives.”

Linzel looked at where his fingertips were pointing.

There stood a beautiful building with walls of a delicate pink hue and rose vines adorning them.

“I’m really curious about the archives,” she said absentmindedly.

What they would be like. What secrets they would hold.

“I think your performance has earned you the recognition of the Duke of Sevilla.”

“Wow! Really? That’s great news! Things are progressing quickly.”

“I’m glad to see you happy. It brings me joy as well.”

“Hehe.”

After finishing our tour of the library, they started walking again.

Soon, the couple arrived in front of Hernan’s room. Before parting ways, they had one last conversation.

“And soon, we’ll also receive permission from the Duke of Cardis.”

Once again, Linzel couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Wow! Really?”

“Yeah. There’s a hunting competition coming up. It seems we can gain recognition there.”

The Ducal family of Cardis was renowned for its swordsmanship, so it seemed the negotiations would involve hunting-related matters.

The tasks for getting inside the archives were unfolding more smoothly than she had anticipated. At this rate, it seemed like Linzel would be able to enter the archives before a month passed.

Hernan added, as if he hadn’t finished, “I’ll make sure you get to catch the bird Shuvil you’ve been curious about at the hunting competition.”

“Well, I actually don’t want to see that bird for real…….”

It preys on the weak! I’m a weak person!

Of course, I’ll get to see the Shuvil that Hernan killed…….

“I’m kidding.”

“Now,” Linzel chided, “Before you make jokes, please declare that you are about to make a joke.”

Hernan gave a weak smile instead of a reply.

‘Why doesn’t he talk back to me……!’

“Oh, by the way, one last thing… There is an old tradition in the hunting competition.”

Wait. An old tradition in hunting tournaments.

Linzel had a feeling she knew what it was because it was mentioned in the original work.

She played along and said, “During the hunting competition, the competitor wears an accessory given by the person who supports them, right?”

“You know about it.”

In the original, Letty prepares two handkerchiefs.

One to give to Hernan, whom she was forced to marry, and the other to Izekiel, whom she really liked. Letty kept looking for an opportunity to secretly give Izekiel her handkerchief.

But the opportunity didn’t come easily, and then Izekiel appeared, wounded.

Letty rushed over and wrapped her handkerchief around Izekiel’s bleeding palm. As their fingertips touched, a strange tension filled the air.

It was truly the moment love blossomed. And Hernan was watching the whole thing. 

‘It was the first time Hernan had ever felt jealous.’

This was the beginning of their love affair.

“Linzel. Is there anything else?”

Hernan looked at her with anticipation in his eyes.

She knew what he wanted, but Linzel was tempted to play a little trick.

…… It was never her intention to seek revenge on Hernan, who had startled me with the imposing Schuvil bird.

“Please take care and hunt well, Your Highness!”

“Anything else?”

“Thank you for taking me here, Your Highness!”

“Yeah. …… I’ll… take my leave.”

Hernan let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping, and turned away.

“Your Highness……!” Linzel called out to him loudly.

Hernan turned around at lightning speed. She could almost see the message “Finally……!” written across his face.

“Watch out for the ants under your feet,” Linzel quipped. “There are quite a few in the palace!”

“…….”

“Because innocent lives are precious, hahaha.”

In contrast to her cheerful voice, Hernan’s voice was gloomy.

“Yeah. Haah…… I’m really going to leave.”

She waved until he was out of sight. Hernan looked back at her every now and then.

When he was completely out of sight, Linzel burst out laughing.

Even Mini, who had been silently observing our conversation, chuckled, “Lady Linzel. You knew what His Highness Hernan wanted you to say, didn’t you?”

“You noticed? I wonder why Hernan couldn’t tell.”

How can a person be so innocent?

“Yes, he’s scary to everyone except for Lady Linzel, but he was kind of cute earlier.”

“Well, His Highness was always cute, you know?”

“I’m pretty sure you’re the only one in the Empire who finds His Highness Hernan to be cute.”

“What an honor.”

It could also be said to be great luck.

After all, Hernan would have been looking forward to her telling him she was going to give him an accessory.

Pretending to be unaware, Linzel acted clueless, but of course she was going to give him the accessory.

She wanted to surprise Hernan, who probably wasn’t expecting anything.

‘Maybe I’ll get a handkerchief like Letty.’

Linzel wondered if Letty would also prepare a handkerchief. A handkerchief for her crush, Izekiel.

Of course, unlike the original, she wouldn’t prepare a handkerchief for Hernan. 

‘Come to think of it, I seem to have forgotten to return the handkerchief I received from Izekiel before.’

Linzel wondered if Izekiel had forgotten that he gave her a handkerchief.