Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

Time passed slowly yet quickly.

A lot of time had passed since Luka left for the battlefield.

At first, each day without him was so empty.

I realized again how much that child occupied a large part of my life.

It was like homesickness.

Although how could a person become a hometown, to me he had that level of meaning.

For a while, the Duke’s family members were a great support to me when I was so low-spirited.

They even took another trip to the west for my sake.

Also, I gained a family as precious to me as the Duchy’s people.

“79th floor.”

I opened my lips on the magic circle as I entered the Magic Tower.

At the same time, the white magic robe I was wearing fluttered in a gentle breeze.

The cloak hiding my hair came off, and my silver hair, now grown below my waist, scattered.

Soon I closed my eyes to a momentary light and opened them again.

The place I arrived was the 79th floor of the Magic Tower. It was where the Tower Master’s top disciples gathered.

“You’re late.”

A voice stopping me was heard as I was heading straight to the herb room.

When I quickly turned my body, red hair was visible in front of my eyes, somehow having come this close already.

“You startled me! Lihid, I told you to make some noise when approaching!”

He seemed satisfied with successfully surprising me again, as he stroked my head with an amiable smile.

“You should be grateful for helping build your nerves.”

“I don’t know when that human will ever grow up.”

Larisha passed by us bickering, carrying a mountain of research reports.

“Sister Larisha, don’t just go, scold him!”

“Why is Larisha ‘sister’ but I’m just Lihid?”

“Become someone worthy of the title first, hmph.”

At my words, Jen rose from his chair and said:

“Miss, does that mean I too…”

“Should I call you Brother Jen?”

“No, that’s not good either.”

“How silly…”

I continued walking, leaving behind Lihid who was still muttering why he wasn’t called brother.

It’s been almost 2 years since Luka left and I entered the Magic Tower as a mage.

“She used to be small and cute, but now it’s puberty. Puberty…”

Lihid’s gloomy voice was heard.

As he said, I had grown so much that I could feel myself shooting up in height, making my grumbling to Luka seem ironic.

Even this mage uniform was newly received because the size became too small.

The ones who shared my growth were the 79th floor magic team.

Jen, Larisha, Lihid, and the Tower Master on the 80th floor.

“Lihid, come help me manage the herbs.”

At my words, he grumbled that it was bothersome but eventually came to me.

The bond I built with them over the past 2 years was thicker than I thought.

Like a mischievous older brother dealing with his youngest sister, Lihid often played pranks on me but readily helped when I asked for assistance.

The two of us sat side by side in the herb room and managed each species accordingly.

While his hands were busy moving, Lihid said:

“By the way, you’re supposed to be the Magic Tower’s healing mage, but you haven’t trained your healing powers even once until now.”

I also spoke while mechanically moving my hands:

“There’s nothing more to learn when I can even use secret techniques.”

“That’s true, but…”

Lihid didn’t know the reason why I only managed herbs like this without using magic.

The only one who knew about my incurable disease here was Jen.

“Ria, my little sister. Are you really quitting now?”

Lihid muttered, pouting his lips.

He always called me his little sister.

“If I quit, will you stop calling me your little sister?”

“How could that be. I just…! I feel like it’ll be lonely without you.”

Lihid burst out speaking but soon added his true feelings quietly.

‘I’ll be a Magic Tower mage as the Tower Master’s disciple only until I’m eighteen.’

That was the rule I set when I first set foot in the Magic Tower as the Tower Master’s disciple.

The Tower Master, my master, saw my firm attitude and smiled kindly without asking anything about that rule.

Time flew by like an arrow, and already the day to quit being the Magic Tower’s healing mage according to that rule was approaching.

“Why are you quitting anyway? Would you reconsider if I promise not to surprise you anymore?”

“Well, maybe.”

“Then I should refrain for a while…”

The reason Lihid was so curious was that preparations for my departure to the Carven Kingdom were in their final stages.

The Rayes magical tool business had been hugely successful and funds were secured, and according to the original story development, a treasure would soon be discovered in the Kingdom of Carven.

“…Ah, right.”

I suddenly stood up from my seat.

“Lihid, I need to go to the 70th floor.”

“You’re going to meet that weirdo again? Leaving all the work to me!”

“Please, Brother Lihid!”

At the words I added at the end, Lihid paused for a moment and then started working again while grumbling.

After leaving the room, I headed straight for the magic circle and called out ’70th floor.’

Then I was instantly transported to the lower floor.

It was to find the mage Lihid had called a weirdo.

“Evan, I’m here again.”

Startled by my voice, Evan turned around.

He pushed up his monocle and said:

“Please don’t startle me. I might die of shock.”

Oh dear, I must have picked up Lihid’s habit without realizing.

To me smiling awkwardly, Evan opened his mouth as if I had come at a good time.

“The task you requested has just been completed.”

At his words, I smiled brightly.

“Really?!”

“The surface of the medicine produces normal medicinal effects, but when it dissolves inside the body, hidden components appear.”

“What kind of components…”

“Components that induce ‘Bruelle’.”

“…!”

As the expected results matched, I finally realized that what I had put so much effort into for a long time had meaning.

Two years ago, the incurable disease ‘Bruelle’ that nearly drove the Empress to death.

While healing it, I discovered traces of poison and requested a component analysis of the most suspicious medicine from the family doctor.

However, there was a seal on the medicine that prevented component analysis, and there was no one in the Empire at the time who could break it.

The only person who could solve this, the eccentric mage who was said to return after completing his studies in a year, made me anxious by delaying his return date.

Yes, it was Evan right in front of me.

The family doctor’s words that he was capable despite his unique personality were true.

Seeing how he clearly detected the components in just a month after taking on the request.

“To think Bruelle was a disease caused by poison, this should be published as a paper immediately…”

“Please don’t do it right away, but in about a year. It’s not like papers are written that quickly anyway.”

This fact shouldn’t be spread right away.

It could reach Lady Jeria’s ears by chance.

This was a secret bullet.

A bullet to hand to Luka before I leave.

It was something that needed to be done quietly, just as a sniper doesn’t reveal their identity to their target.

‘I even hired a guild to capture the former imperial doctor who had fled. Everything is prepared.’

While Luka was rolling on the battlefield, Lady Jeria steadily increased her forces in the imperial palace.

She would be quite a troublesome opponent for Luka when he returns.

What could bring down even such an iron fortress like Lady Jeria in one go was… the attempted poisoning of the Empress.

It was something she had actually committed.

That’s what the former imperial doctor confessed under torture.

“Could you organize this result so it can be used as evidence?”

“That’s possible for an additional fee.”

“I’ll pay double.”

“If you wait one day, I’ll bring it to the 79th floor myself.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

I left with a pleased smile.

* * *

As the evening sun was setting, the Tower Master came to me while I was managing herbs and making medicine again with Lihid.

“You’ve worked hard today too, Ria. You can go home now.”

“Yes, Master!”

“Sob, I’m jealous.”

“See you tomorrow, Lihid.”

I bowed to the Tower Master and left the room, leaving behind Lihid who was pitifully touching the ground.

“One month left.”

An aged voice stopped my footsteps.

Even without a subject, I could understand what he was talking about.

He meant the day I would leave the Magic Tower, which had become like home.

“That’s right. I’ll work hard for the remaining time too, Master.”

I moved my steps without turning around so as not to show my bitter smile.

Returning to the Duke’s mansion through the Magic Tower’s magic circle, I trudged towards the window.

“Haah…”

The work at the Magic Tower wasn’t tiring at all.

Rather, researching herbs was interesting, and being with colleagues was enjoyable.

My sigh wasn’t from being tired of work.

I would soon have to part not only with the Magic Tower but also with everyone at the Duke’s mansion.

The Duchy’s mansion, dyed in sunset colors, was as beautiful as always.

I hope they won’t feel the emptiness I felt when sending off Luka.

I flopped down on the bed, unknowingly becoming gloomy, but soon slapped my cheeks and said:

“Pull yourself together, you can come back after saving your life, right?”

I will return as if nothing happened, no matter what…!