I Became The Younger Sister Of A Dying Woman - Chapter 68

 68. I wished this moment could last forever

I told him that I had received the roses from Lenox.

I emphasized that they were roses for Illiya.

I wanted Lenox to be safe, in case he could be of any help to me.

Of course, I don’t know if I can guarantee his safety once he finishes helping me, though.

Fortunately, Hernan did not draw his sword.

He scowled as if he were annoyed, but…….

“……Lenox seems to have been genuinely close to Illiya, as Izekiel mentioned.”

Lenox’s genuine concern for Illiya seemed to soften his anger.

Hernan spoke again, this time with regret.

“I didn’t know Illiya liked flowers. I didn’t even know if he had any friends.”

“Your Highness…….”

“I was completely clueless. I thought poorly of Illiya without knowing anything about him.”

“…….”

“Maybe I hurt his feelings.”

I reached out and took his hand, trying to comfort him.

Hernan’s hand, which had always provided me with great comfort and stability, was still warm and comforting.

“Your Highness, Hernan.”

“Uh.”

“I’m very close to Letty, but there are things I don’t know about her either.”

Strictly speaking, even family members are strangers.

It was a task beyond my abilities to know everything about someone.

“Isn’t it important to have a mindset that thinks about the other person?”

 “Because you can’t know everything about the other person, wouldn’t it lead you to think more about and consider the other person?”

I squeezed Hernan’s hand.

“It’s not too late. Even if this all started because of me, I hope that Your Highness Hernan and His Highness Illiya can improve their relationship.”

“You’re right, Linzel.”

“Because there is nothing worse, nothing sadder, than siblings not getting along.”

“As long as Your Highness continues to show sincerity, His Highness Illiya will surely recognize it.”

Hernan nodded. He wanted to improve his relationship with Illiya.

“On that note, why don’t you try to get along with His Highness Izekiel as well?”

Bringing up Izekiel’s name seemed to startle Hernan.

“Aren’t we already getting along?”

Really? When? Where?

“He is helping us with our work wholeheartedly. Well… though he can be a bit annoying.”

“Collaboration like this is something we couldn’t have imagined in the past”, he added.

That was a valid point.

However, one question remained.

‘Does Izekiel feel the same way?’

I was willing to bet everything I had on ‘no’.

These brothers. Will their relationship ever improve?

“Linzel. By the way, do you like flowers too?”

Hernan added in a low voice.

‘……From what I heard, there was no talk of that.’

I didn’t particularly like flowers.

Well, I didn’t have much of an inclination toward living things in general, whether they were animals or plants.

That was because I couldn’t take care of them in my current precarious state.

With my own life hanging in the balance, I couldn’t afford to invest in other lives.

“I don’t love them, but… if it’s a gift from Your Highness, I’ll appreciate anything.”

Still, if Hernan were to give me a bouquet, I’d better take good care of it.

Hernan’s lips curled into a smile.

He didn’t respond, but it seemed like he might consider giving me flowers one day.

“Miss Linzel! It’s time for your medicine!”

Our conversation was interrupted by Mini’s shout.

I stared at the bitter pill she was carrying.

My stomach was already churning.

* * *

I may be the only person wearing a velvet dress on a warm spring day.

Although the cold I felt yesterday had disappeared, Hernan wanted me to wear a thick dress.

He was worried that the chill would set in again.

I complied with his request.

The thick dress was a little warm, but not uncomfortable.

Instead, a warm feeling slowly settled in, which I found surprisingly pleasant.

I was leisurely sitting on the sofa in the drawing room and having tea time.

My teatime companion was Letty.

She had come to the palace to visit Izekiel.

“Linzel. Isn’t it hot?”

Letty looked puzzled at me, dressed in a velvet dress.

“A little, but I like this heat. It reminds me of the warmth of His Highness Hernan.”

Letty chuckled.

“You´re quite… verbose, aren´t you?”

“If I were more verbose, I wonder how embarrassed our Letty would be.”

In truth, there was no excessive verbosity…..

“Eek. I don’t want to hear it.”

Letty covered her ears playfully.

She was such an adorable person.

“Did you have a good time visiting His Highness Izekiel?”

I informed Letty that Izekiel’s fever had subsided but his ankle was still not healed.

“Yes. I gave him some medicine as a gift and we had a nice chat.”

A shy smile played on Letty’s lips.

Today’s meeting had certainly gone smoothly.

“I’d love to see you in a wedding dress.”

How beautiful would Letty look in a wedding dress?

In the original story, Letty and Izekiel’s wedding did not take place in “Don´t love me, since I’m dying”.

That broke my heart.

So much so that I wouldn’t mind dying after watching Letty’s wedding.

“You again. There are no words you can’t say.”

“I’m just asking because I hope you’ve found love. In that sense… are you going to confess first?”

Letty’s head tilted in confusion.

“Well, I don’t mind who confesses first. The real issue is whether our hearts are in sync or not.”

“Are you implying that His Highness Izekiel doesn’t seem to like you very much?”

Letty replied with a sigh.

The smile that had graced her face disappeared.

“I get that feeling.”

That fashionable little brat!

How could anyone look down on Letty, who was so beautiful, kind, and good-hearted?

I couldn’t understand Izekiel.

I… for Letty’s love, for the sake of our health, even married Hernan.

“Could it be that His Highness Izekiel has someone he likes?”

I asked, just in case.

There was no such character in the original story.

But Letty said.

“…It seems like he might.”

“What?!”

I was flabbergasted.

Despite there being nothing between Izekiel and Letty, it still felt as if Izekiel was being unfaithful.

“Linzel. Do you happen to know who the woman His Highness Izekiel frequently meets is?”

“A woman he frequently meets…..”

Since living in the palace, I did meet Izekiel quite often.

Sometimes by chance, sometimes when he visits me, and more recently with the Illiya matter.

But I never got the hint that he was seeing or liking another woman.

“Well, I’ve been meeting him quite often lately……”

“…….”

“Oh, don’t take this the wrong way! Do you know about His Highness Illiya? That person…….”

I told the story of how I was struggling with Hernan and Izekiel to get him out of the West Palace.

“Mmh. Linzel. I didn’t misunderstand, don’t worry. We’ve had enough of that.”

“I’m glad you didn’t misunderstand. Phew.”

“Go on.”

“Yeah! It doesn’t seem like Izekiel has a woman in his life. I haven’t sensed any signs of him being interested in someone.”

“Could it just be my imagination?”

I gave a small nod of my head.

“Hmm. There may be someone who he is interested in, but maybe it´s still at a weak level?”

“Letty, you can do it! Crush them all!”

“Should I also try and break His Highness Izekiel’s heart? Hehe.”

Letty burst into a hearty laugh.

George and Bush. Those were Hernan’s nicknames that I would occasionally hear when I had forgotten.

I joined in her laughter.

“Of course! You’re more than capable. Why? Because you’re so pretty and kind, just like me.”

Praising Letty and inadvertently myself was absolutely not my intention.

“You haven’t changed, Linzel.”

There was a strange nostalgia in her words.

A hint of melancholy began to seep into Letty’s smile.

Letty was radiating an inexplicable sense of imminent departure.

At that moment, Letty’s image started to blur.

I couldn’t tell if it was my eyes playing tricks on me or if Letty’s figure was genuinely fading.

“Le-Le-Letty!”

I called out her name urgently. I wanted to hear her voice.

Letty responded faintly, almost as if she was fading away.

“Yes. Linzel.”

Before I knew it, I had moved closer to her, from the opposite side where I was sitting.

Without saying a word, I embraced Letty. I could feel her presence.

She hadn’t been about to vanish like an illusion.

Letty’s shoulder, now in my arms, trembled slightly. I held her even tighter.

“Linzel. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. I just wanted to hug you.”

“You can hug me as much as you like, however you want. If hugging me makes you feel better, then hold on to me with all your heart.”

Letty had always been like this. She would do anything to comfort me.

“Remember when you used to say that, Letty? You won’t go away.”

Letty repeated the same words as if reassuring me.

“Yeah, I won’t go away.”

“Promise me, Letty. Promise that you won’t disappear either.”

Letty replied briefly.

“Yeah.”

“You won’t disappear, right?”

“Mmh. I won’t go anywhere, leaving you behind.”

Letty’s small hand gently swept my back, as if to assure me.

The warmth of her delicate hand felt just as comforting as Hernan’s.

A body slowly relaxing from the heat, Letty that won’t disappear, the pleasant scent of black tea, the spring breeze coming in from outside the window, and Letty’s warm touch.

I wished this moment could last forever.