I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 123

“Young Lady, you seem to be in a very good mood today.”

Aiden asked cautiously after scooping a bit of cake from the plate in front of him. I mirrored his movement, taking a small bite of my own dessert and nodding.

“Yeah, we decided to go on a trip.”

“A trip? With your family?”

“Yep. And you’re coming too.”

“...Pardon?”

Aiden blinked in surprise at the unexpected travel plans that now included him.

Of course he was coming. Naturally. Wherever the needle goes, the thread follows, right? He’s my one and only guard knight—of course he has to come.

“You’re coming. So are Jane, Sir Lukas... oh, and Priest Ian. The doctor might get lonely otherwise. Anyway, what do you think? Nice, right?”

Aiden blinked again, then let out a soft puff of laughter and nodded.

His round, pale eyes looked so gentle that I found myself smiling too.

Yes... this is exactly what I wanted. A peaceful moment like this.

The trip was scheduled for ten days later.

The preparation time felt a little tight, but honestly, it wasn’t that tight for me. When your lifespan is only three weeks, having ten days to prepare is practically giving you half your life.

Jane, Aiden, and I spent the entire day in my room, chattering about the upcoming trip.

“You’re especially lively today, Young Lady.”

That evening, while drawing the curtains and preparing the bed, Jane glanced at me and remarked. Aiden had already gone off-duty, though not without giving me a proper goodnight.

Today was the last day either of them had to stay with me all ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) day, per Father’s orders. That worked out well. If they were with me constantly, they might notice when the symptoms appeared.

“Am I?”

“Yes, it’s lovely to see.”

“Is that so? Then I’m glad.”

Drowsiness tugged heavily at my eyelids. I blinked slowly and replied to Jane. She stole another glance at me and chuckled.

What’s so funny? Never seen someone doze off sitting upright?

“I should sleep early tonight. I’m so tired.”

“Yes, you really do look it. Well then, have a good night. See you tomorrow, Young Lady.”

“Yeah. Good night, Jane.”

I whispered quietly and burrowed under the covers before Jane even left the room. I could feel her quietly exiting. And once again, I was alone.

Still... today had been wonderfully peaceful. If every day that remained could pass just like this one, that would be more than enough. With that thought, I closed my eyes.

The next morning, I awoke clutching my head, which was buzzing loudly. The headache wasn’t severe, but I also had a burning sensation in my stomach and a sharp pain in my solar plexus.

Did I get esophagitis or something? Serves me right for lying down right after eating...

My mind hazy, I groaned to myself—then suddenly remembered something and flung the covers off.

I moved quickly to the mirror and unbuttoned my nightgown just enough to check near my chest.

“...Damn it.”

Right beside the leaf, a single petal had bloomed. Bold and distinct. An unwelcome sight if there ever was one.

The moment the petal bloomed, the symptoms started. What an honest spell.

I buttoned up my nightgown again and trudged back toward the bed. But after only a few steps, my legs gave out and I collapsed to the floor.

It wasn’t because of the pain. My mind just... couldn’t keep up.

Seeing the petal in person—it was devastating. More than I’d expected. More than I’d prepared for.

I was perfectly fine yesterday. Everything was peaceful yesterday. So what was this? Why now? Why so soon?

I curled into myself, knees drawn up, and buried my face in my arms.

I felt like a castaway, stranded alone on an uninhabited island in the middle of a vast ocean.

The despair didn’t last long. It couldn’t. I didn’t have the time to spend the rest of my days wallowing in misery. So I pulled myself together and carried on with my day like normal.

Meals with my family were every other day. Today, I ate lunch alone in my room. Then I called in Aiden and Jane to share some dessert. Later, I had a short walk planned.

There was still time before that, so I sat down at my desk again. I opened the drawer and pulled out the paper.

The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

The one where I’d written a single, short wish yesterday.

Tap, tap, tap.

I drummed my fingers, the ones not holding the quill, against the desk.

My head was a mess. The throbbing headache was more bothersome than I’d expected.

2.

I started by writing the number. Then, I jotted down the first thing that came to mind.

2. Funeral portrait (painting).

I’d instinctively written “photo” at first, then remembered that photographs didn’t exist in this world and changed it to “painting.” I wasn’t even sure people here used funeral portraits, but... I wanted one. Just because I never had one in my previous life.

I probably didn’t even get a proper funeral back then. My pitiful body might’ve rotted in some abandoned construction site, left all alone.

So this time, I wanted to do it right.

3. Say goodbye to my family in person.

This would be for two weeks from now—when I’d have about one week left to live.

I’d tell them myself.

That I was grateful.

That I was sorry.

That I loved them.

Just thinking about it made my hand go limp. I dropped the pen. The melancholy was too much to keep writing.

I carefully put the paper back in the drawer and leaned back, exhaling a hollow sigh.

I closed my eyes, then turned to look out the window.

The bright blue sky of winter stretched overhead, with the cold wind brushing past the glass. I wanted to see the spring sky. The summer sky too. I wanted to live through a peaceful autumn.

Of course, none of that was possible. My list of impossibilities kept growing.

At the end of that brief, bitter thought, I got up from my chair. I reminded myself to stop thinking like that—but somehow, those thoughts always found their way in.

I stood and stretched, hoping the motion would chase the dark thoughts away.

“All the flowers are gone now.”

“It’s winter, after all.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

I murmured while walking through the garden, and Aiden answered.

Yes. It was winter. The flowers that had once bloomed so abundantly were now wilted, leaving only bare branches or stiff green leaves.

Even the grass beneath our feet had lost its vitality.

I reached out and snapped a dry twig from a nearby bush. The little branch was no bigger than my finger—thin and brittle like a bone.

I rolled it between my fingers a few times before letting it fall.

“When do you think spring will come?”

“Since winter’s just begun... probably in about four months.”

A perfectly practical answer. Yes... four months.

“That’s... long.”

Aiden silently looked at me.

I met his gaze and smiled softly. His ears turned red in an instant. Was it the cold?

“I’m going to get a new dress tailored. You should get one too.”

Aiden stopped walking and looked at me. It seemed like he was about to ask why, so I spoke first.

“It’s a bribe.”

“...What?”

“It’s so that when I need help again, you’ll come running.”

Even though I probably wouldn’t get the chance to.

“You don’t need to bribe me. I’ll come no matter what.”

The firmness in his voice was comforting. I felt a little less bitter inside. Amidst all the bare branches of winter, Aiden’s eyes still looked like the height of summer.

You... you’re like spring.

“I know. I just... wanted to see it. You, wearing something I gave you... it looked really good on you.”

Good enough to lift my spirits. That’s why I wanted to give you a gift before I go. Because I wanted to feel better. A selfish reason I kept hidden behind a quiet smile.

Aiden nodded slowly.

That night, I wrote a letter to Vivian.

I invited her to join me for a dress fitting with Madame and also extended an invitation to the duchy’s New Year’s banquet.

Vivian was... well. A strange case.

At first, I thought she was just a social climber with a merchant’s eyes. But somehow, she’d grown on me. Outside of the people in the duke’s household, she was the one I saw the most.

She also wrote me letters during the time the duchy was overrun by monsters. Whether she meant the words or not, those letters had brought me a small, undeniable comfort.

So I wanted to at least say a final farewell. I wouldn’t tell her I was sick—just a simple check-in. Inviting her to the New Year’s banquet was the last gift I could give her.

...But what if the banquet ends up overlapping with my funeral? I hope I can at least live long enough to see it. Is that too greedy?

The letter went out with express delivery, and her reply arrived the very next day.

And the day after that was the date we’d agreed to meet. I’d pushed for the earliest possible day—I didn’t have time to waste.

“Lady Selina!”

“Welcome, Lady Vivian.”

Vivian entered the room with bouncing steps and hurried toward me. Her movements were so lively, I almost laughed. It was so her. Madame followed behind her.

“It’s been a while, Madame.”

“It’s an honor to be invited again, Lady Selina.”

Aiden, standing behind me, gave the two of them a slight nod in greeting. Vivian, who had been shining her eyes at me, finally seemed to notice Aiden’s presence.

Honestly, I don’t know if I should call her perceptive or completely oblivious.

“Oh my, it’s been a while, Sir Aiden.”

The last time Mia and Aiden had met face-to-face was at that tea party at the duke’s residence. They hadn’t interacted during the imperial banquet.

So, considering she’d called him “Sir” without hesitation—though he’d only recently become a mage—it seemed she wasn’t entirely clueless.

But then again, what did it matter? I was going to die soon. Whether Vivian was sharp or dull didn’t concern me. It would only be a problem if she noticed my illness, but I had no visible symptoms yet, so there was nothing to worry about.

“Let’s all have a seat.”

I gestured to the tea table, where light refreshments had been prepared.

The four of us sat down and exchanged brief pleasantries before beginning in earnest.

“You’re having an outfit tailored for Sir Aiden as well?”

“Yes. You could say that.”

I gave a vague nod and began flipping through the catalog Madame had brought. First, I’d pick something for myself. Since it was winter, all the dresses in the book were for cold weather.

“Lately, more extravagant designs have been popular.”

As I flipped quickly through the pages, Madame spoke up in a slightly urgent tone. She must have thought I wasn’t interested in any of them.

That wasn’t it. I was just impatient. My mind was racing, and it was showing in my movements.

To ease her worry, I slowed my hands. I turned the pages more carefully now and opened my mouth.

“I’ll prepare a dress for you too, Lady Vivian.”