The Adopted Heroine Who Stole My Health

The day of Marquis Arcel’s execution was approaching.

After his crimes were fully revealed, the capital became bustling with activity.

His crimes, such as secretly supporting those who attacked the palace 18 years ago, abusing and attempting to kill the princess, were all grave offenses too heavy to be handled by anyone, leaving the people in shock.

Of course, the fact that the princess, who was thought to be dead, was still alive and her true identity was also revealed.

On the day of his execution, people gathered in the square. As the knights led the Marquis through the crowd and tied him up, it happened.

Thud!

A stone flew from somewhere and hit Marquis Arcel on the forehead.

“Tch.”

The Marquis groaned, barely lifting his eyelids.

“Damned b*stard! Fall to h*ll!”

An elderly man who lost his son – a knight – in the attack 18 years ago stood with a cane in one hand and a stone in the other.

“Is your child the only one who matters? How could you secretly support a criminal organisation that has taken so many lives – including my son, who was proud and honoured to become a Knight of the Empire?”

Thud.

A stone struck the Marquis in the shoulder, causing his eyes to narrow in anger.

Under normal circumstances, a mere baron would not have dared to speak to him in such a manner. But now, as he tried to respond, the only sound that escaped his throat was the harsh scraping of metal.

“Ugh…”

After enduring prolonged t*rture, the Marquis finally gave up any attempt to express his anger.

However, the frustration that had built up inside him made his chest feel unbearably tight, and his steps grew slower with each passing moment.

“Come on, hurry up and move!”

But the knight paid no attention to his condition and dragged him forward with all his might.

Marquis Arcel, too weak to resist, stumbled along like a lifeless puppet.

But as he was pushed towards the guillotine, the brutal reality of his fate finally hit him.

‘Is this really how I must die?’

Though his body was broken from the t*rture, an unexpected surge of strength coursed through him.

He struggled desperately to free himself from the knight’s iron grip, but there was no way he could overpower him. Within moments he was overpowered, his neck forced into the guillotine.

“Ugh…”

Marquis Arcel trembled as he met the eyes of those awaiting his execution.

Now that he had been dragged to this point, the deep resentment that had been festering within him surged violently in his chest.

He had only briefly supported the group that had attacked the palace – after that it had been the Stein family, Clara’s paternal relatives, who had continued to support them.

Most of the major incidents were caused by his now missing, cursed wife and daughter.

And if he had known that Ciela was the princess, would he have treated her the same?

‘If I had known, I would have treated her well a long time ago!’

Even recently he had treated Ciela quite well, so why did he have to face such an end?

The image of Ciela, who had looked at him with nothing but loyalty for more than ten years, and the cold, stern look she had given him when she had spoken as if she knew everything, appeared in his mind at the same time.

“The condemned criminal has committed numerous sins too heinous to mention. His crimes are as follows.”

As the executioner recounted his sins, the cold image of her shattered in his mind.

All that remained in the Marquis’ mind was Ciela, a woman who had starved for the love of her family.

The goose that had laid the golden eggs. A foolish child who cried in need, but was happy just to hear her name called. If he promised to be better, maybe that would stop the execution.

He no longer had the rationality to tell if it was a vain hope or not.

“…la!”

The Marquis forced his voice out, trying to call out to her.

“…Ella!”

Amidst the crowd eagerly awaiting his death, he desperately searched for Ciela.

“Execute him!”

But before his last wish could be granted, the executioner cut the rope holding the heavy blade.

The sharp shadow of death fell upon him, mercilessly stealing his last breath.

Through the Marquis’ fading vision, he could still see the crowd cheering. Their faces twisted with contempt and scorn, their voices filled with curses, praying that he would never find peace – even in the afterlife.

Until the moment his eyes closed, not a single soul mourned his death.

***

At the time of Arcel’s execution, Ciela climbed a sturdy, windowless tower.

The knight leading the way unlocked the heavy door with a key.

“Please wait here. We’ll go in alone.”

“But His Majesty the Emperor…”

“We will only meet someone who is already unconscious.”

“Understood. But if anything happens, please call immediately.”

“Yes, I will.”

The knight started to hand her a lantern, but Patrick effortlessly conjured up a ball of light.

When they reached the room at the top of the tower, they found Lilia lying lifeless on the floor

“It’s true.”

It was said that when the fallen fairy tried to leave Lilia’s body and escape, she used too much force. As a result, Lilia had never woken up since that day.

‘According to Patrick, Lilia should have died.’

However, Lilia had been spared death by the Emperor’s order to keep the criminals alive until Ciela awoke.

The rest of the criminals were tortured but kept alive. After Ciela regained consciousness, they were executed one by one.

First, Theodoro and his followers were killed.

Then the direct members of the Stein family who had supported them met the same fate.

And finally, today, the Marquis Arcel was executed.

Now only Lilia remained.

But Ciela had asked the Emperor to spare Lilia’s life as a favour.

Looking down at Lilia, who lay motionless, a strange light appeared in her eyes.

“Patrick, please.”

Ciela gestured to Patrick.

“Sigh. I promised, so…”

Patrick scratched his head, seemingly reluctantly, but then reached out his hand to Lilia.

A pure white light enveloped her and, as if against all expectations, her eyelids, which had been closed for so long, fluttered open.

Finally, Lilia lifted her eyes to see Ciela standing before her.

Her lips parted.

“…Why?”

Her voice, barely a whisper, carried a tangle of emotions.

Weakened, she struggled to form words, her lips moving soundlessly several times before she finally managed to speak.

“…How did you come back to life?”

Of all the things she could have said after waking up, these were her first words.

Ciela crouched down, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

“Maybe it’s not your time to die yet. Besides, there are things I must return to you.”

“What…?”

Cough!

Lilia, who was about to ask what she meant, suddenly turned and coughed.

Cough! Cough! Cough! After a violent spasm of coughing, she spat out blood. Only then did her foggy mind seem to clear, and Lilia furrowed her brow.

“It hurts…”

The pain was so overwhelming that Lilia couldn’t even pinpoint where it was coming from.

It felt as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer, her entire body burning from the inside out.

A sickening churning in her stomach made her feel as if she would vomit its contents at any moment.

The agony was unbearable and tears streamed down her face as she sobbed from the sheer pain.

“I’ve kept my promise, Lilia.”

Ciela’s voice was calm, almost indifferent.

Lilia looked up at her, confusion clouding her painful eyes, as if she could not comprehend what was happening.

“I promised to give you back what I took from you.”

Ciela gripped Lilia’s chin, forcing her to meet her gaze.

Blood – partially dried and carelessly wiped away – clung to Lilia’s pale, trembling lips.

“I have returned everything as promised – the status of being the daughter of the Arcel family involved with the rebel forces, and all the pain caused by the curse. So, what do you think? You’ve got it all back. Are you happy?”

“No. I didn’t want this.”

Cough, cough.

With trembling hands, as weak as a newborn lamb, Lilia clutched the hem of Ciela’s clothes.

Though she struggled to breathe, she exhaled heavily, pleading desperately.

“I am a victim too. I only found out later that Theodoro was the one who orchestrated it all. So…”

“So?”

“Please, spare me.”

Ciela scoffed at the desperation in Lilia’s eyes.

As Lilia claimed, she may not have been directly responsible for the curse itself.

But she had been manipulated since childhood – isolated from her friends, cast out of high society and thoroughly alienated, becoming a figure despised by all.

Even though Ciela knew that Lilia was slowly dying, carrying the curse in her place, she had resented her for simply being alive and had repeatedly pushed her into a corner.

Was Lilia really innocent?

“Everyone would think I was the one who killed you. All I did was keep my promise to you.”

Ciela released Lilia’s chin and stood up.

“Don’t worry. You’ll never die.”

“What do you mean? Cough!”

“Your body was so damaged, it would have been no surprise if you’d died already. But because I made sure you stayed alive, that’s why you were able to open your eyes. Instead…”

“…”

“Now, until your natural lifespan runs out, even if you want to die, you won’t be able to.”

Lilia’s face immediately turned pale.

If she could still think clearly, she would realise how unbearable it would be to continue living in her current state.

Desperately, she tried to reach out and grab Ciela, but the only sound echoing through the room was the clanking of tightening chains.

“Sister, please.”

Avoiding her touch, Ciela stepped back and gracefully lifted the hem of her skirt.

This image would be forever etched in Lilia’s mind, making her resent her fate for the rest of her life and wish for nothing but suffering.

“I hope the rest of your life will be peaceful, Lilia Arcel, daughter of the Arcel family.”

She said her final goodbye.

***

As they descended from the tower, Patrick wrapped his arms around himself, his body shaking slightly.

“I had never seen fairy magic used like that before.”

Fairies could not take life or cast curses – but they could do the opposite.

But he had never imagined using their power in this way.

The human woman once known as Lilia would now live a life of suffering, her broken body forced to cling to existence.

She would live out the rest of her days in agony before finally meeting her end.

Humans may seem weak, but they are truly terrifying.

“Now I can finally eat all the food I want, right?”

“Yes. That was the condition. But what about the fairy you brought with you?”

“Ah. She’ll take care of herself.”

“I see.”

Ciela looked at him as he wiped the drool running down his chin.

As she opened the door leading out of the tower, the warm sunlight fell on her. Squinting slightly, she soon made out a figure approaching her through her narrowed vision.

“Calix.”

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Calix stopped in front of her. As the soft sunlight enveloped his back, his smile seemed to shine even brighter.

“It seems you finished your work early today.”

Her family, still unfamiliar to her, had been causing Calix trouble lately.

“His Majesty has given me a mountain of tasks today, as always. But who am I?”

“Calix.”

“Exactly. I’ve done all I needed to do today. The troublemakers are all occupied for now, so it looks like it’ll be just you and me for a while.”

Standing behind them, Patrick snorted in disagreement as he heard these words.

‘Just the two of them?’

It certainly didn’t feel that way, but Calix was making such a big deal out of it.

Patrick gave him an annoyed look before shaking his head. **Yes, the obstacles should disappear.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the confused knight beside him and teleported them away.

“You are right. It’s been a long time since we’ve been alone like this.”

Ciela smiled faintly and reached for Calix.

As their hands met, she felt his firm grip – the warmth of his touch bringing a deep sense of security.

She realised that every time she held his hand, she always felt comforted.

It was like burying her face in the soft warmth of a cat’s fur – comforting and familiar.

The same warmth flowed from their joined hands straight into her chest, settling deep in her heart.

“Good.”

Ciela suddenly spoke softly as a thought crossed her mind.

“It feels so empty without Titi.”

“I also feel very lonely, because I can’t sleep at the side of my precious master.”

Ciela looked up at him and made a suggestion.

“Would you like to live with me then?”

Calix, who had been walking beside her, suddenly stopped. When he stopped, Ciela stopped as well. Looking at him, who had wide, rabbit-like eyes, Ciela said casually,

“We agreed that if I lost the bet, we’d get married.

Ciela lifted her free left hand and gently stroked his cheek.

“Let’s get married.”

“I was going to say that first.”

Calix instinctively tilted his head towards her touch and trailed off his words. With a gentle smile, he took her left hand in his.

“Will you allow me to spend my life loving only you?”

Calix carefully removed the engagement ring from her fourth finger and pulled another ring from his pocket.

Only then did Ciela realise that the ring on his own finger was no longer the engagement ring – it was something else.

‘That was why he came.’

She rose to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

“Does that answer your question?”

Calix grinned playfully and leaned closer.