I Became The Younger Sister Of A Dying Woman - Chapter 64

64. What kind of mess is this?

In my ears, there were unclear voices of various people.

“You suit roses so well.”

“There’s no one who wears red as well as you.”

I couldn’t tell whose voice it was, or even the gender of the person.

I bent down to cover my ears.

“La-Lady Linzel!”

Mini wrapped her arms around me.

“I’ll call a doctor!”

I grabbed Jackson, who shouted.

“…It’s okay. I just felt dizzy for a moment.”

When I exhaled deeply, the strange ringing in my ears disappeared.

“Let’s go back up. Things can get difficult as time passes.”

I glanced at Jackson.

There were things that could become problematic when they cooled down.

I even pushed away Mini’s arms that were wrapped around me.

Then, an unfamiliar hand reached out.

“……!”

The hand gently brushed aside the hair that had fallen onto my face.

The owner of the hand was Mercy.

“If it’s too difficult, please let me know.”

He looked at me with sad eyes that I couldn’t understand.

“…Yes.”

After a moment, his hand slipped away.

“I’ll take the lead again.”

Mercy smiled slowly as if wondering when I emitted such a pitiful light.

I stared at Mercy’s broad back as he began to climb the stairs.

Every time he moved; a sound echoed in my ears.

It was the sound of the things attached to his clothes hitting each other.

The jingling sound echoed in my ears.

A faint ringing started, and I couldn’t distinguish if it was something from reality or something I had heard in the past.

I furrowed my brows.

Throughout the climb to the 6th floor, I didn’t engage in any conversation with anyone.

“Phew, phew.”

I was too out of breath to make conversation with anyone.

On the 6th floor, when I saw Illya’s tightly closed door, I felt a wave of relief.

I sat down in front of the door and wiped my forehead.

Even though it was a warm spring, sweat was pouring down like rain.

Damn high floors. Damn, Illiya.

Mini used the handkerchief I had brought to wipe my forehead.

“Never mind me, just place ‘those things’ in front of the door.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

The dozens of men who followed Jackson emerged from behind him.

They began to neatly place the containers they had brought carefully in front of the door.

On them were all kinds of dishes: steak, stew, turkey dishes, fish dishes, and more.

The delicious aroma filled the palace.

There was satisfaction in knowing that the instructions to bring strong-smelling dishes had paid off.

I looked at them with satisfaction and said.

“Mini, the fan.”

I opened the fan handed to me by Mini.

Then I began to fan the dishes.

The direction of the fanning was towards Illiya’s door.

Today’s strategy to draw Ilya out was <Seduce with the smell of food>.

It has long been said that humans have three desires that they cannot resist.

Those are the desire to sleep, appetite, and excretion.

I planned to use appetite to lure Illiya out.

I hoped that the delicious aroma seeping through the door would make Illiya react.

According to Mercy, Illiya only eats very small meals.

He prefers simple, unseasoned food…

But you never know.

If he had been eating like that for ten years, there was a possibility that he might respond to something more stimulating.

That’s why I deliberately timed my visit for lunchtime.

Before speaking to Illiya, I quietly said to Mercy.

“There’s no one else who would do something like this, right?”

Mercy replied confidently.

“I don’t think there will be anyone after today.”

I was satisfied. I hoped that Illiya would be taken aback by this unexpected event.

I approached the door and began fanning more vigorously.

“Your Highness Ilya. This is Linzel. I’m here again! Nice to meet you, right? “It’s great that I came, right?”

There was no response to my cheerful greeting.

Well, I didn’t expect an immediate response.

“Today, I’ve prepared a feast fit for a king for you, Your Highness! Have a meal with me before it gets cold.”

Still, no response.

“Apparently, I’m the first person you’ve ever sent a note to. Isn’t that because you think highly of me? Wouldn’t you like to dine with someone special?”

Still, he remained silent.

“Maybe you could tell me what kind of food you like. Next time, I’ll prepare that for you.”

Again, silence.

I decided to wait for now.

Until the smell of food permeated Illiya’s room even more.

I instructed Jackson to take over the fanning duty, as my wrist was starting to ache from all the fanning.

‘It doesn’t really matter if Illiya doesn’t appreciate the smell of delicious food.’

If he finds it unpleasant, he might still come out to escape the smell.

The most important thing for me was to get Illiya out and have witnesses to confirm his presence, just in case.

About thirty minutes passed.

Illiya remained unresponsive.

I pressed my ear against the door, but I couldn’t hear any sound from inside.

I began to fear that the food plan had failed.

I decided to make one last plea to Illiya, hoping to avoid leaving empty-handed.

“Your Highness Ilya! Please, even if it’s just for a moment… Could you come out of the room?”

I spoke earnestly.

“I can’t explain in detail, but my life is at stake here.”

With so many eyes watching, I couldn’t provide more details.

At that moment, a faint sound came from inside the room.

Illiya, who had been silent and motionless, had finally moved!

I didn’t want to miss this opportunity, so I intensified my plea.

“……Your Highness Illiya. Please…… Please, I beg you.”

Mini’s eyes were moist, and I realized that I must have sounded too desperate.

Had my sincerity touched him? A white note suddenly appeared through the gap in the door.

It was finally a response.

“Thank you, Your Highness Illiya.”

I opened the double-folded note with excitement.

The message was as simple as ever.

⌜Is your life a joke?⌟

“…….”

Is life…… a joke?

Did this bastard think I was joking with my life?

I scrambled to my feet and kicked the door.

Bang, bang, bang!

“Hey……, Your Highness Iliya, are you trying to fight me now, huh?”

Is this guy for real? I say, let’s see!

“Let’s fight face to face! Yes?!”

It was Mini who stopped me in my fit of rage.

“Lady Linzel! Please calm down. You might collapse if you continue like this!”

“Mini! Let go! Do I look calm right now?”

“That…… what does it say…….”

Even Mercy, who had approached stealthily, read Illiya’s message.

He seemed to empathize somewhat with my anger and offered a defense for Illiya.

“Well… His Highness seems to be quite suspicious.”

“Do you think I’m joking too?”

“I’m here to assist you, Your Highness. If I thought you were joking, I wouldn’t have done so.”

“…That’s true.”

“First, please calm down. Take a deep breath.”

Whew. I took a deep breath.

Even if I kicked the door open and yelled at Illiya, he wouldn’t be affected in the slightest. He might even hand me another infuriating note.

I leaned against the door and looked up at the ceiling.

‘Ha…… Your Highness Hernan, I miss you.’

If I could see his face, and hear his tender voice, maybe this anger would subside.

As I longed for Hernan, a voice suddenly reached my ears, but it wasn’t his familiar voice.

“…… What kind of mess is this?”

I lowered my gaze.

In front of me stood a man with red hair and a deeply furrowed face.

“Your Highness……?”

Our eyes met.

I recognized the man. I called the man’s name out loud.

“Lord Lenox?”

The man who appeared out of nowhere was Lenox, who I had heard was close to Illiya.

In his hand was a bouquet of red roses.

* * *

The dining room of the Western Palace. A large table was laden with dishes.

The only people at the table were Lenox and me.

“Thank you for unexpectedly treating me to a luxurious feast, Your Highness.”

Lenox began to elegantly eat the food from the table.

I watched him with my chin resting on my hand.

It was surprising to see Lenox eating the food I had prepared without any suspicion.

‘They say he’s anti-imperial and  doesn’t seem to like Hernan much, yet he’s eating my prepared food without any suspicion.’

Lenox, who was currently gnawing on a turkey bone, answered.

“Yes. I was busy with my training and couldn’t eat on time.”

“Oh, I see. You should eat on time.”

Lennox replied grumpily.

“So, I’m doing it now, aren’t I?”

So, the food I prepared is good, but he’s going to treat me poorly?

“To be honest, you dislike me, don’t you?”

Lenox replied without hesitation.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I’m sick and tired of the imperial family.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

Lenox quietly set down the turkey bone, with barely any flesh left on it.

He asserted that there was no one else who could debone a turkey with such grace as him.

Lenox stared at me intently.

“Why should I tell you the reason?”

I responded just like Lenox, with a tone of annoyance.

“Yes. I see.”

“I will finish my meal.”

“Yes. The Lord eats the food given to him by a hated royal without question.”

Lenox commented without hesitation.

“Isn’t this food meant for Illiya?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Because if Prince Hernan played a prank with the food, it would serve as a way to protect Illiya… that’s why I didn’t suspect.”

“…I didn’t play a prank with the food.”

Lenox simply replied, “I see.”

Even if I had tampered with the food or even if it was poisoned, Lenox’s attitude was that it didn’t matter.

I remembered Izekiel’s words from earlier.