I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?

Brother, whose expression had hardened, seemed to be contemplating something. Closed lips, weakly shaking eyes.

And judging from the fact that I was the final destination of those conflicted swaying eyes, the problem seemed to be about me.

What is it, what’s wrong with me?

“Selena, you should go back now.”

The words that came out of Brother’s hesitant mouth were dismissal orders.

“…Yes?”

What kind of situation was this? So, now that Brother is going to talk, I should go? No… why?

When I asked back confusedly, Brother completely turned his head towards me and gave me a troubled face.

The flapping lips seemed to want to say something, but in the end, the lips closed shut unsuccessfully.

However, seeing Brother’s appearance, I roughly expected what he wanted to talk about with his hesitant lips.

The subjugation.

It seems that the ‘detailed story’ he was going to share with the High Priest was related to the subjugation. Brother thought that I still didn’t know about it.

I wondered for a moment whether I would sit there, pretending not to know, but I knew that childish stubbornness would only make it difficult for everyone.

After looking at everyone’s faces for a while, I nodded and got up from my seat.

This would increase the number of people who officially knew about the subjugation.

I was pushed out of turn again.

This was why everyone was trying to use the underground by paying money. Information flowed quicker.

Ha, what nonsense was this?

“Then, I’ll excuse myself first.”

“…Yes, Selena. Get some rest.”

Without answering, I just nodded and left the room. I had a bit of a heartache, so I intentionally didn’t answer.

To him, I would be such a cute and precious younger sister that he wouldn’t want to tell me anything scary, so this should’ve been fine.

After casually closing the door and leaving the room, I let out a sigh while pressing my face with my palms.

‘I am tired.’

***

Aaron, who finished talking with the High Priest and left the parlor first, walked down the hallway alone.

It was a little past dinner time, but he remembered the papers that he hadn’t been able to process before, so he headed straight to the office.

‘I’ll have to eat dinner in the office.’

A sandwich with ham or a sandwich with cheese. Or a sandwich with both.

He thought about what to eat and the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway.

“You’re here?”

He opened the door to his office, but someone else was sitting in the chair.

Aaron looked dumbfounded, but then laughed and closed the door.

“What?”

“I came to deliver documents and have a meal together, but the owner of the room went to meet a guest. So I tried occupying the room without the owner.”

For a person who was claiming to occupy the room without an owner, the chair Lucas was sitting on was not his work chair, but a sofa for waiting.

Perhaps because of his personality, he could never sit in Aaron’s seat.

Aaron smiled bitterly, accepted the documents his friend gave him, and sat down.

“So did you eat first?”

“No. I had a servant bring it here. A ham and cheese sandwich with a salad.”

“Perfect.”

The document Lucas handed over was a written document of what he had heard from Aiden the other day.

The reduction in the number of wizards to be sent from the Magic Tower and the support for magic weapons and magic items increased proportionately.

There was also details to their usage, information about when the wizards would arrive, and the rest.

“Can I trust the Magic Tower?”

Lucas, almost sprawling on the sofa, murmured as he looked at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

“Why? Because of the magic power being detected in that marble?”

“Yes.”

Aaron picked up a pen and signed his name along with his stamp in the signature line at the bottom of the document.

That action was like a firm answer, and Lucas laughed a little.

“Until now, we only thought that monsters were acting strangely, but we never imagined that someone was manipulating them behind the scenes until the magic tower spoke. If they weren’t on our side, there would be no reason for them to take the risk and say this.”

“What if they foresaw what you would think and distracted you with a letter?”

“Well, if the magic tower stabs us in the back later, you should record it. That Aaron White, the eldest son of the Duke of White, ruined the empire.”

Among the two’s playful giggles, the voice of the maid who brought the meal came. The two of them ate the sandwiches and sat down on the sofa.

“In fact, if a wizard is behind it, the Magic Tower’s help is all the more necessary. You’ll need to know what kind of magic it’s controlling, and how to attack. Unless the entire Magic Tower is in unison, we have no choice but to join hands even at the risk of leaking information to the enemy.”

“Yes, it is.”

The two chewed and swallowed the sandwich without saying a word. Even while chewing and swallowing the sandwiches, the two were busy racking their brains.

“What happened to the High Priest? Judging by the time zone, he will stay here today.”

“Yes, I told him to stay in the guest room for the time being, not just today. I said I would provide temporary shelters for the other priests, too.”

Aaron calmly answered Lucas’s question and drank the juice. He, who frowned at the freshness rushing in, quickly reached for his next sandwich.

“Why go so far? To be honest, it’s obvious that the priest’s subordinates are not pure.”

“How would you know? What if they’re pure like Ian?”

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Aaron smiled and replied with a sandwich in one hand.

If anyone saw him, his tone and expression were so light that it was like he was out for a picnic.

The corner of Lucas’s mouth went up at Aaron’s calmness. Purple eyes shone brightly between the deep smiles.

“Ha, what a joke.”

The voice filled with ridicule was cold.

“That’s right. They can’t be pure. They’re the ones who left Ian like that. Ian doesn’t even realize that it’s wrong. Just like someone who has been brainwashed. How can such a person be pure? But it has value. No matter how much the power of seeing God has declined, it still remains as a peaceful and sacred image to the common people. It will be quite effective in stabilizing the villagers.”

Lucas nodded his head at Aaron’s explanation. Lucas, whose eyes were still shining with the corner of his mouth raised, was just like a villain in the dark.

“Yes, I suppose so. It would be quite useful as a pillar for those who are insecure. And well, at least borrowing some funds to rebuild the temple, or getting some donations… They must have been aiming for something like that.”

Lucas remembered the temple he visited to pick up Ian.

The white space and even the faces of those who were stricken with greed in the white space. Since the high priest was the head of such a place, he would do more, not less.

Underneath a face that looked like a person, there must have been dark greed.

‘Yes, just like myself.’ Feeling the seething hatred, Lucas burst into a small laugh again.

Whether this ridicule was directed at the High Priest or himself, he himself did not know.

***

After leaving the parlor, I headed straight for my room. Perhaps it was because it had been a long time since I dealt with someone outside the mansion, my mind and body were tired.

I was tired of just talking like that. My stamina was really something.

After giving myself a round of applause, I started to sleep early. I had a dream after a long time.

No, I dreamed every day… To be precise, it had been a long time since I had a dream of a butterfly.

A bunch of white butterflies flew out of nowhere and formed a familiar human figure.

Selena. Me, myself.

Before I could even say hello, Selena grabbed me by the collar and began pouring out her anger, just like before.

The problem was that I couldn’t hear what she was saying because her voice wasn’t coming out like before.

No, what are you saying? There was no calmness to be found in the child who struggled as if she was drunk and had lost her mind.

“Wait a minute, calm down… Calm down.”

It wasn’t just me who couldn’t hear her, was she also unable to hear me? I tried to calm her down several times, but somehow she didn’t listen.

Now, by the time I was about to get seriously angry with myself in my dream… A faint voice came from somewhere.

‘Ger… ous… dan… g…’

Selena stopped moving for a moment at the stuttering voice, like music from a broken radio.

Apparently, that sound was heard by the both of us.

Selena lowered her hand that was gripping my collar and looked at me. The sky-blue eyes were wettening… She was going to cry again.

But she didn’t shed a tear. Selena just slowly raised her arm and pointed in the direction the sound was coming from.

‘Ger… ger… o… ous… dan….’

The sound stammered more than before. It seems to be gradually fading away. I closed my eyes to focus on the receding sound.

Gerousdan? What does this mean…… ?

Gerousdan…… Ger, ous, dan. gerousdangeousdangerousdan……. Dangerous?

When I finally understood the meaning, I suddenly opened my eyes and returned to reality.

As it was still midnight, the surroundings were filled with darkness. Just like the space I was in, it was pitch black.

It was reality. It wasn’t that space.

In the gaps of my hazy mind, the sound of my own breathing was rough in my ears.

I blinked slowly, trying to get used to the darkness.

After how long had passed, the chandelier, swaying in a very small way from the ceiling, began to catch my eye through a gap in my vision where nothing could be seen in the dark.

‘Oh, I’m in reality.’

Only then did I let out a huge sigh of relief and let go of the tension in my body. The relaxed body was sluggish, as if all the muscles had been pulled out.

“Whoo.”

Anyway, the butterfly dream was clearly a nightmare. I was so tired after the dream. I put my hand on my throbbing forehead, and I felt damp, cold sweat.

Why would I sweat on a chilly autumn night?

I wiped the sweat off my sleeve, slowly got up and sat down against the head of the bed. I was done sleeping for today.

“Ah.”

I was thirsty. My throat was dry.

I must have screamed while dreaming, so it was so dry that it itched.

“I’m about to catch a cold, but…”

Maybe it was because I was in so much pain after coming to this world, but now I could tell myself that I was sick. So, it could be said that I have improved quite a bit compared to the previous life when I had to be unaware of pain.

Getting cold, this stamina, this is… no, this is… bad.

By the way, getting cold until I was sick made me a burden. ‘Please don’t do that, my body.’

I crossed my arms and stroked my arms to negotiate a compromise with my body.

Uh, but what was this?