Please Don’t Die, My Lady

Chapter 25

“Why… why are you by the princess’ side?”

“Well, because we spent the night together.

And you, who might you be to ask such a question?”

While I clutched my throbbing forehead, the two of them began exchanging words, their eyes locked in mutual distrust.

Sena didn’t answer Ariana’s question and instead turned her attention to me.

It was exactly the kind of development I expected.

“Spent… the night? …Princess.”

To be honest, I wanted to ignore her.

But I couldn’t dismiss the concern and doubt on her face—not after everything I’d received from Sena, whether I’d wanted it or not.

After hesitating for a moment, I chose to respond to Sena before addressing Ariana’s earlier question.

“…Yes, did you call for me?”

“Did you really stay in Warton’s room last night?”

It was true, so I nodded.

After all, I had been there.

Ariana, visibly irritated, let out an exasperated sigh, likely annoyed by the repeated confirmations.

Sena’s expression, which had been a mix of doubt and unease, shifted entirely to unease upon hearing my answer.

She probably thought something had happened to me.

And honestly, she wouldn’t be wrong.

Something did happen.

I just happened to feel unnaturally good about it, probably thanks to the drug’s peculiar effects.

It made me wonder if this was one of the so-called “benefits” of narcotics.

Oh, great, now I’m thinking about it again.

My head’s going to be useless for a while.

Whenever this happens, my mind gets filled with nothing but thoughts of the drug.

Pressing my temple with my fingers, I felt a growing sense of discomfort, as though the inside of my skull was itching.

I wanted to claw it out.

Sena, seemingly alarmed by my gesture, hurriedly continued speaking.

“…Are you sure you’re okay?

No, of course not. Something must have happened to you. I should treat you—”

“You don’t even answer me,” Ariana interjected.

“So, Princess, who is this girl, exactly?”

Since Sena refused to answer her, Ariana decided to direct the question to me instead.

Now I had to expend twice the effort.

Couldn’t they cut me some slack?

“Princess~?” Ariana elongated her words, urging me for a response.

I turned to her and began thinking about how to answer her question.

Who is Sena?

I tilted my head slightly, silently asking myself.

I knew the basics: Sena Blomberg, her name, her appearance, her status as Hans’s friend. But defining the relationship between Sena and me—the part Ariana was probably most curious about—didn’t yield any clear answers.

We weren’t family, lovers, or enemies.

Friends? Definitely not.

Honestly, the closest description would be a master-servant relationship, but saying that outright would create a whole new set of problems.

So… an acquaintance?

That seemed appropriate. After all, it’s a broad term that encompasses all types of human relationships.

Satisfied with my answer, I finally spoke.

“Sena Blomberg from the next class over.

She’s… an acquaintance of mine.”

“An acquaintance? Hmm…”

Ariana narrowed her eyes, her tone trailing off.

Though I’d given her an answer, it was clear she wasn’t convinced.

She must have thought there was more to it.

And honestly, she wasn’t wrong—Sena’s behavior was excessive, given the nature of our relationship.

It was unreasonably clingy and persistent.

Even now, look at her.

Her hand is already glowing with a healing spell, reaching toward me.

I wasn’t even planning to avoid her touch this time, resigned to letting her do what she wanted, when Ariana suddenly grabbed Sena’s hand.

She wore her signature disarming smile, feigning innocence as if she didn’t know what she was doing.

But it was clearly intentional.

For a brief moment, their eyes met, darting quickly between each other.

The tension between them escalated, shifting from caution to outright hostility.

“…What do you think you’re doing?”

“What else? Stopping an impudent subordinate from touching the princess, of course.”

Sena frowned at Ariana’s smirking response.

She tugged her hand several times, trying to free it, but failed each time.

Ariana showed no intention of letting her go or allowing her anywhere near me.

Eventually, Sena raised her voice, frustration boiling over.

“…Hah? You, of all people, have the nerve to say that?

Who’s the one touching the princess the most, without a shred of shame?

I was just trying to heal her, like always! Heal the wounds you left!”

With each word Sena shouted, her voice grew louder, echoing in my ears.

And with each sharp sound, the itch in my head intensified.

I wanted to flip my skull open and scratch it raw.

It was hard to tell whether it itched or hurt anymore.

Instead of pressing my temples, which might draw attention, I dug my nails into my wrist to distract myself.

The sensation of my nails biting into my skin was unpleasant, but it was surprisingly effective.

My mind felt a bit clearer.

Maybe the itch had been in my arm all along.

“Oh my, is that so? Truly a saint, aren’t you!

What should I do? Your halo might purify a villainess like me completely.”

Ariana let out a light laugh at the end of her words, but her face quickly darkened into a stern expression.

The sudden shift in demeanor, sharp and contrasting, seemed to catch Sena off guard.

“But tell me, if you disliked seeing the princess get hurt so much, why didn’t you stop it in the first place?

Someone as strong, virtuous, and intelligent as Lady Blomberg—why did you only ever treat wounds that had already been inflicted, repeating such meaningless acts?”

“I simply didn’t have the chance.

If you don’t catch them in the act, it’s all pointless anyway.”

“Hmm? But that’s not true, is it?

You had plenty of chances to intervene, to catch them red-handed.

Ah, now I remember. I caught a glimpse of you back in the classroom that day.

You ignored it then—so why are you acting this way now? Did something suddenly ignite your emotions?”

“…That’s…”

Oh, that’s what she’d said before.

That she ‘saw’ me being hurt and became concerned.

So, does that mean she had the chance to step in but chose to ignore it?

But is that really such a terrible thing?

Most people would turn a blind eye if they saw someone they didn’t know being mistreated.

Back in that classroom, not a single person who wasn’t hostile toward me came to my aid.

Afterward, only Sena sought me out to offer help.

Objectively, Sena is kind.

At least her intentions are sincere.

So why is she so flustered now?

Her trembling pupils and faintly pale complexion reminded me of someone who had just been stabbed where it hurt most.

Ariana wasn’t the type to miss such an opportunity.

With a picture-perfect smile, she quickly continued speaking.

“I understand. You must have been worried about retaliation.

For a lowly baron’s family from the frontier, offending a count’s daughter would have been quite burdensome, wouldn’t it?

But if you were going to stay silent, you should’ve stayed that way. Why are you getting involved now? Did you lose your composure?”

Then, pulling Sena’s arm closer, she whispered into her ear.

I watched as Sena’s expression visibly soured.

“I know I’m not in a position to say this, but isn’t your behavior a bit… ambiguous?

It’s like you’re trying to advertise, ‘I’m a good person.’”

“That’s not true! I’ve been trying to help the princess ever since then.

I was just too startled at the time…”

“Oh~ Is that so? I see, I see.

Well, if that’s what you want, I suppose I should tell you something.”

Ariana’s playful tone filled me with an inexplicable sense of dread.

I released my left wrist, where I’d been gripping too tightly, and something began to drip.

I opened my mouth, but only heavy breaths escaped—no words came out.

I needed to stop this.

Whatever Ariana was about to say next was undoubtedly…

“It would be best if you stayed away from the princess from now on.

If you don’t… something terrible might happen to the rest of the Blomberg family.

I heard you’re close with them. What do you think they’d feel?”

“You…!”

Right, a threat.

When crushed under the weight of noble rank, resistance becomes impossible.

Sena’s complexion, already pale, turned ashen.

My mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but no sound came out.

Even if I had managed to speak, it wouldn’t have changed anything.

What good is being called ‘princess’ now?

I’m no better than a commoner.

What could I possibly do in a dispute between noble families?

As helplessness set in, I lowered my gaze slightly.

A droplet of blood slid down my wrist and stained the rug beneath me.

When did it get like this?

After the first sting, it hadn’t hurt much.

“Hmm? Why the silence? Isn’t this what you were pushing me to say all along?

Ah, or were you really just that stupid? Ahahaha!”

Ariana’s mocking laughter echoed through the empty hallway.

As the atmosphere grew increasingly hostile, something hard pressed against my back.

Startled, I turned to see it was a wall.

I must have been backing away without realizing it.

With a sigh, I sank fully against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor.

Honestly, I couldn’t stand any longer.

Even though I hadn’t done much, my strength had completely left me.

From where I sat, I looked up at the two of them.

They were still glaring at each other, entirely ignoring me.

In truth, my presence in this conversation was irrelevant.

Even though I was the topic, my opinions weren’t considered.

No one even noticed I was bleeding.

Listening to their words, you’d think they’d solve any problem that arose for my sake.

What am I to them?

A decorative doll?

A trophy to prove their righteousness?

A fragile glass ornament?

Whatever it is, I doubt they see me as an equal human being.

I probably seem more like a pet.

“What are you standing there for? Get lost.”

“……”

Ariana, her mocking tone suddenly gone, spoke sharply, and Sena, despite biting her lip in frustration, turned and walked away.

A maid, who had apparently been listening nearby, suddenly appeared and hurried after Sena.

Oh, that maid.

She must have been the one helping Sena look for me.

I guess Ariana’s warning wasn’t just for Sena but extended to anyone who tried to approach me.

Unwilling as I was, the only person who showed me kindness was now gone.

Should I feel sad about this? Relieved?

I don’t know.

Either way, I felt a little depressed.

I brought my hand to my left wrist again.

Using my nails, I pressed into the deep marks that had already formed, digging further.

A sharp pain surged through me, and a faint groan escaped my lips.

But the effect was immediate—the cloud of melancholy began to lift.

Stimuli that don’t kill me paralyze my mind and relax my body.

I must have been through too much recently.

I’ve grown so numb that only something this extreme registers anymore.

The scattered cuts on my wrist now formed a long, continuous line, as if drawn with a knife.

It really does look like I slit my wrist.

Not that I’ve gone that far yet.

Still, what if someone misunderstands? Heh.