I Became The Younger Sister Of A Dying Woman - Chapter 70

70. My Heart Sank

Even while admonishing Gatt, to think that I would use him to stir up the vassals once more.

“Linzel. You really did well. Hehehe.”

I praised myself, laughing like a devil.

“…La, Lady Linzel. Were you not alone?”

When I was talking to myself, Mini, who had seen off Letty, had returned.

It’s been a while, shall I put on a little act with Mini?

“Mini. I’ll tell you something just between us.”

The perceptive Mini tiptoed over and lent an ear to my words.

“Actually, I’m a fake, and inside me is the real Linzel. I was talking to the real Linzel.”

Mini, like the born actress she is, put on an expression of shock.

“Gasp! Do you mean you have a split personality?”

“If you think about it? So I sometimes have conversations with the real Linzel.”

“Then, fake Lady Linzel, pfft. Ahem ahem.”

Mini burst into laughter as if my words were absurd, then quickly composed herself.

Acting so naive when this isn’t the first or second time we’ve done this little play!

“Ahem. Then when did the fake Lady Linzel enter the real Lady Linzel’s body? A few years ago? When you were young?”

It was a question that somewhat aligned with my actual situation.

I recalled when I had possessed Linzel’s body.

Let’s see. When was that again?

“Hmm. When Letty was in danger of being forced into a political marriage with His Highness Hernan?”

At that, Mini’s face suddenly changed.

Her lips, slightly parted in an attempt to hold back laughter, twisted comically.

“Ah……”

Mini muttered something unintelligible to me, deep in thought.

“What’s wrong? Was there a problem with my answer?”

Mini couldn’t answer, and the response came from somewhere else.

“Crisis? Did you just say crisis?”

“……!”

Damn it!

The owner of that response was Hernan, who was supposed to be late.

I tilted my head back stiffly, as if unoiled.

There stood Hernan with a stern face.

This is bad. What if he’s angry?

“Uh, Your Highness. What I just said…… was a little play Mini and I often do. Please don’t misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand. Even if it’s a play……”

Hernan dropped his head after saying that much.

He looked heartbroken.

I jumped up from the sofa and quickly walked up to him as if I had never been ill.

“Um, Your Highness. My words were too much. Even if it was a play, I should have been more careful with my words……”

“……”

“And I said it was a crisis for Letty because she has someone she likes, but for me, it was an opportunity close to good fortune.”

I said this considering the original story, but Hernan couldn’t have known my circumstances.

In the original, ‘Letty’s political marriage’ was described as her crisis.

‘……No. Still, I shouldn’t have expressed it that way about Hernan. Why did I do that?’

I berated myself.

Recently, I’ve been verbally putting down Gatt and the vassals, so I must have unconsciously let my guard down.

Even after waiting for quite a while, Hernan’s voice wasn’t heard.

I glanced at Hernan’s face, which was still lowered.

As soon as I stole a look at him, he spoke.

“Do I look angry? And heartbroken? Feeling lonely? Then what do you think you should do?”

Oh. This dialogue sounds familiar.

“Was I upset? Did I pout my lips? And even couldn’t do anything because of that damn sneeze? Then what should I do now?”

It was similar to what I had said in the past when I was upset because of Hernan.

Now I think I know what I should do.

“Mini! Close your eyes for a moment!”

“Yes!”

I stood on my tiptoes. Then I puckered my lips and pressed them against his.

Chu. A light friction sound was heard.

“Your Highness. I’m sorry.”

Hernan’s head lifted as if by magic.

“You……”

Gulp. I swallowed hard enough to make my Adam’s apple bob.

Will he forgive me?

For some reason, I felt nervous.

“You’re unbearably lovable.”

That was his way of saying he would forgive me.

My legs went weak from the tension.

I grabbed Hernan’s arm to keep from falling.

“It was an action I simply can’t hate. Perhaps I liked it even more because it’s been a while.”

A languid smile spread across Hernan’s lips.

“I tried throwing a tantrum even though I knew it was a joke.”

He rubbed his lips, then suddenly picked me up.

As if he noticed my legs had gone weak.

Hernan continued speaking as he walked to the sofa.

“A tantrum I’ve never thrown even to my parents…… Now I look foolish for throwing it at you.”

“Your Highness……”

“Still, don’t say such things next time, even if it’s a joke.”

Hernan gently kissed my forehead as he set me down on the sofa.

“My heart sank, you know.”

His black hair fell down as he tilted his head, his flushed face directed only at me.

His face was suffused with an uncontrolled, wistful energy.

It was a stark contrast to his usual stoic or adorable demeanor.

He was even murmuring wonderful lines with that lovely voice of his.

It was perfect. Enough to make me fall for him anew.

“Your Highness. My heart… seems to be sinking too.”

You know that feeling when you’re too nervous?

At that moment, I saw Hernan’s eyes widen.

He called my name haltingly.

“Li, Li, Linzel.”

“…Yes?”

“You. Nosebleed…!”

He pressed his sleeve against my nose.

I grinned like an idiot.

Knowing that this nosebleed wasn’t from being sick, but from falling for Hernan.

It also felt a bit like déjà vu. Hehe.

“Li, Linzel! Pull yourself together! I scolded you too harshly! It’s my fault.”

Hernan was seriously worried about me, who was unfazed by the nosebleed.

Oh, Your Highness. This nosebleed is because I like you so much. Don’t worry.

***

Hernan said he would carry me all the way to the West Palace.

I rejected only once, asking why he would go through such trouble when we had a carriage.

I planned to pretend to give in if he insisted a second time.

As expected, Hernan didn’t disappoint my expectations.

“Carrying you, light as a feather, is hardly difficult. I could carry you all day long.”

I responded as if I had no choice but to comply with his firm insistence.

“I’ll follow Your Highness’s words.”

And so, I was being carried by Hernan as we walked to the West Palace.

As soon as we neared the West Palace, a sneeze that had been quiet for a while threatened to come out.

I sniffled and asked Hernan.

“Sniff, by the way, Your Highness.”

“Yes.”

“Is there a flower garden near the West Palace? It seems my pollen allergy flares up whenever we come near here.”

“A flower garden…”

Hernan didn’t seem to know either.

He had never shown much interest in Illiya.

He might know as little about Illiya and his palace as I did.

“…I’m sorry, but I don’t know.”

“It’s okay! You might not know!”

“I’ll find out what’s nearby instead.”

“That would be great. Achoo!”

The sneeze finally escaped.

I looked at the group carrying flowers following behind Hernan.

‘I wonder if today’s allergy is because of the flowers we prepared?’

The answer was unknown.

The one who greeted us at the West Palace was Mercy.

“Your Highness. You’ve come with His Highness Hernan today. Welcome to both of you.”

Hernan frowned as soon as he faced Mercy.

Not because the elaborately dressed Mercy looked strange, but because he was taken aback.

Hernan whispered to me as we climbed to the 6th floor.

“Was there such a person in the West Palace? It’s disconcerting.”

“I was really surprised when I first saw him too. You haven’t heard rumors about Mercy either, Your Highness Hernan?”

“Asking me about palace rumors is a mistake in itself.”

Fair enough. Hernan has only recently started staying at the palace.

“He doesn’t seem to be a bad person… It wouldn’t hurt to investigate, right?”

Hernan nodded.

“Leave it to me.”

But you know what?

I had a feeling that even if we probed Mercy, we wouldn’t get much information.

Not that Mercy’s past was clean.

It just felt like he had hidden his past thoroughly. So that no one would know.

While I was thinking, we arrived at the 6th floor.

Much faster and easier than when I had struggled up by myself.

Hernan set me down in front of Illiya’s door.

Despite carrying me for quite a while, he showed no signs of fatigue.

However, his eyes were heavy with emotion.

Hernan couldn’t take his eyes off Illiya’s door.

“Your Highness Hernan. I’ll try speaking first.”

“…Alright.”

I spoke in a sweet voice.

“Your Highness Illiya! It’s me, Linzel. I’ve come again today! Were you perhaps waiting for me?”

As usual, there was no answer.

If there had been an immediate response, I might have fallen over in shock.

I continued to convey my message steadily.

“Today, I’ve prepared flowers that Your Highness likes. This is better than food, right?”

I gestured to the attendants holding flowers.

It was a signal to place the flowers in front of Illiya’s door.

Soon, a small garden was arranged in the corridor.

Red flowers, blue flowers, white flowers… beautiful flowers of unknown species created a spectacular scene.

I suddenly remembered Letty’s garden.

That garden. I wonder if Letty is still tending to it well these days.

After briefly recalling that place, I covered my nose and mouth with the handkerchief I had brought.

“Your Highness. Ah, achoo! Despite my pollen allergy, achoo! I prepared these flowers for you.”

Honestly, I was overacting a bit.

I thought I might gain Illiya’s sympathy with some dramatic sneezing.

But once again, there was no response from Illiya.

Without showing any disappointment, I knocked on the door as usual.

Knock knock.

“Will you respond today if I kick the door?”

“Kuk.”

The owner of the small laugh was Mercy.

At first, he was startled… but now it seemed he too enjoyed my door-kicking antics.

I put my index finger to my lips. It was pressure to keep quiet.

It was then that Hernan, who had been silent since coming to the 6th floor, spoke.

“Has it always been like this?”

“Yes…”

“Let me try now.”

Hernan stepped forward a couple of paces and stood face-to-face with Illiya’s