Chapter 21

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: I'll Raise the Villain Properly - Chapter 21

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21

If she saw me in this ghostly state, Amelia would faint just as that woman said.

"So, if you want to meet Amelia, stop by the mansion first and get treated."

"......Understood."

"Just hold on a little longer. We'll arrive at the Bellomon Ducal Residence soon."

Lucella's firm tone lasted only a moment before her face filled with worry again, and Claude stared at her intently.

"It seems like enduring is more your burden than mine."

"Pardon?"

Claude placed his hand over Lucella's, which rested on his knee. She flinched at the sudden touch.

"Your hand is ice-cold. Like a block of ice."

"Ah......"

Only then did Lucella become aware of her own condition.

Not only was her entire body frozen stiff, but her arms ached like they might fall off from all the unpracticed shoveling she'd done. Her hands and feet were freezing, yet strangely, her insides felt hot. It was as if her organs were being gently warmed.

Claude moved the hand that had touched hers to her flushed cheek. It was burning with fever.

"And you seem to have a fever too."

"......"

"Not just me—you should take care of yourself as well, my lady."

With that, Claude turned his piercing gaze to the physician sitting beside him. Only then did the physician recall that Lucella had been battling the cold all through this late night.

And on top of that, she'd even helped him remove his outer coat for Claude.

"Good heavens, your body's like a lump of fire."

She hadn't felt the slightest bit ill until now, but after hearing the physician's diagnosis, her head suddenly began to throb painfully. Her body started shivering too, as if a flu was coming on.

'I have to hold on. To tell Amelia about her uncle.'

Lucella poured all her remaining strength into staying conscious. Amelia was waiting for her uncle, and Claude was hurt far worse than she was. She couldn't collapse here.

"We've arrived!"

Thanks to the fast pace, the carriage quickly reached the Bellomon Ducal Residence. Servants who had come out to greet them ahead of time helped Lucella and Claude down.

"Good heavens, miss! What happened to you?!"

Riley cried out in shock upon seeing her state.

"Your body's burning up...... Come inside right away!"

Riley wrapped a blanket tightly around her.

Lucella, led away by the maids as if under arrest, suddenly stopped in her tracks. Dizziness from the fever was overwhelming her.

'I can't hold on anymore.'

Sensing her limit had come, Lucella forced the words out through her constricted throat.

"Riley, go to the Vusnie Orphanage for me. As fast as you can."

"Pardon?"

"Bring the girl named Amelia to the mansion. Tell her her uncle's here. She must be waiting......"

"What are you— Oh no! Miss! Stay with us!"

Those were the last words Lucella uttered. With that brief request, she lost consciousness.

Startled by the commotion outside, Amelia stood on tiptoe to peer out the window.

A carriage bearing the Bellomon Ducal Residence crest was parked in front of the orphanage.

'Not today either.'

Realizing it wasn't her uncle, Amelia's face darkened. But she quickly shook her head to dispel the thought.

'Even if it's not Uncle, that's fine. I like Lucella too.'

She should go greet them warmly.

Amelia stepped out of the playroom, picturing the face of the one adult she could truly trust.

But the person who stepped out of the carriage wasn't Lucella.

The woman at the entrance was one of the adults who had come at Lucella's call on the day the director and staff were dismissed. Heidi emerged from the office to greet her.

"Riley, what brings you here? Where's the Lilfrey young lady?"

"She's not feeling well, so I came in her place. She asked me to handle something for her."

Amelia's heart sank at that moment.

'Lucella's sick?'

Did she fall ill from my overly burdensome request? Or was the orphanage work too exhausting?

As worry enveloped her and Amelia bowed her head, it happened.

"Who's Amelia?"

Her name popped up out of nowhere, and Amelia looked up.

"The girl over there is Amelia. Why?"

"The miss said to bring the child named Amelia......"

Riley's eyes widened as she looked toward where Heidi pointed.

"She looks exactly the same......"

"Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

Ignoring Heidi's puzzled question, Riley approached Amelia.

"You're Amelia, right?"

"Yes."

Riley extended her hand to Amelia, who nodded.

"Let's go to your uncle."

Amelia stared blankly at the offered hand, then suddenly lifted her head.

"Your uncle's waiting for you."

Without a moment's hesitation, Amelia climbed into the Bellomon carriage. Edwin and the children, woken by the noise, asked where she was going, but she had no mind to answer.

The carriage carrying Amelia sped off and soon stopped in front of the Bellomon Ducal Residence.

"This way."

After getting out, Amelia followed Riley.

After walking a long way through interiors as grand as a palace, she finally reached a room.

"Do you want to go in alone?"

Riley, aware of Amelia's situation, stepped aside.

Thanking her for the consideration, Amelia stood before the door and took a deep breath. Crossing this threshold would let her meet the uncle she'd dreamed of.

'What if it's not Uncle?'

If it wasn't her uncle but someone else, and all her hopes crumbled...

Thinking that far, Amelia shook her head vigorously.

'It's someone Lucella brought me to. Not just anyone.'

So, she had to believe.

Gulping down dry saliva, Amelia cautiously knocked on the door. She planned to open it once she got permission from inside.

But there was no sound from beyond the door.

'Why's it so quiet?'

Just as Amelia was about to knock again—

Bang!

The door flew open with a somewhat urgent sound effect.

As the door opened, sturdy, long legs like those of an old tree appeared. The owner of those legs had bandages wrapped around his right foot.

Amelia blinked a few times and looked up.

There was...

"Amelia."

...the face she'd longed for so dearly.

"Amelia, right?"

"......"

She had so many things she wanted to say upon seeing her uncle, but strangely, her throat tightened, and no voice came out.

"......Uncle Claude."

Amelia forced sound from her constricted throat.

"Amelia, my niece."

His eyes, so like her father's, crumpled in a mess of emotion. Biting his lip, Claude scooped up the frozen Amelia in his arms.

"Sorry I'm late."

"......"

"I've missed you so much, Amelia. So very much."

"......Hic."

Those words were the trigger.

The Amelia who'd been pretending to be a mature adult vanished.

"Hic, waaah!"

Back to being an ordinary seven-year-old, Amelia buried herself in Claude's embrace and let out her pent-up sobs.

I had no idea how long I'd been lying there.

I only sensed that quite some time had passed from the occasional sound of the door opening and the cool refresh of a new wet cloth on my forehead.

"Auntie, don't die! Waaah!"

Lucian's heartbroken wails reached me now and then.

I wanted to reassure him that Auntie was fine, that I'd never leave him behind and die, but I couldn't move. My body felt like a waterlogged cotton ball, heavy and limp—not even opening my eyes was easy.

I drifted in and out of sleep a dozen times or so. How much longer did I lie there?

"Miss, are you awake?"

Lifting my sticky eyelids, I saw Riley's worried face.

"Ri...ley?"

"Yes, it's me. You seem a bit better now."

"Mm."

As I shifted my achy, listless body, a sudden thought made me throw off the covers.

"Right. What about Amelia?"

"Sigh. Calling for Lady Amelia the moment you wake up."

Riley shook her head as if she couldn't scold me.

Lady Amelia. From the change in how she addressed her, I realized.

"You met her."

"Yes. She met Marquis Agris. They're staying together in the mansion now."

"Thank goodness......"

I let out a sigh of relief. It was truly fortunate that the two had reunited safely.

"They hugged and cried so much, it made even my eyes well up watching. The servants watching them were in tears too...... I almost cried myself."

She teared up recalling the moment, but only briefly. Riley left to fetch the royal physician. Soon after, the Bellomon family's royal physician came to examine me.