DKVM Ch 15

Chapter 15

Brian was a doctor, but he had studied magic briefly and could read mana.

“For now, I sent her back with the reassurance that Sir Brian knew how to alleviate her illness.”

He didn’t mention that Vivian’s condition would improve with Rahel’s presence.

Both Karlz and Owen recognized Vivian as a pretty bright kid, but that’s about it.

They couldn’t reveal Rahel’s condition.

“Lucky for Rahel, that kid just happens to be her playmate.”

That applied to both that kid and Rahel.

Vivian would be relieved of her illness, and Rahel would be able to take in more mana and become stronger.

It just so happened that the town where I had come down to hide Rahel’s powers was home to a child with a rare disease that would enhance Rahel’s powers, and that child happened to be the one who caught his eye and became Rahel’s playmate.

It was a strange coincidence, and he wasn’t sure about it.

‘Sometimes life brings you luck like that.’

In any case, it was one more reason for Karlz to be pleased with the commoner kid.

“And it seems like the young lady likes Vivian too.”

Karlz’s eyes lit up with interest at Owen’s words.

They had tried to give Rahel a playmate in the capital several times, but she never seemed interested.

He hadn’t expected Rahel to get along with the child either since having the two children play was just a cover for Rahel’s identity.

“That’s good.”

Karlz rose from his seat and walked over to the window. It was his habitual spot when he needed to think.

Just then, he saw a familiar figure on the mansion’s porch.

It was Vivian.

And then he saw a man carrying her into a carriage.

It was Karlz’s first time seeing Dias, but he recognized him instantly because of the striking resemblance of the father and daughter.

‘He must have heard she’d fallen and come to fetch her,’ he thought.

But….

‘That face looks familiar.’

It was definitely a face he hadn’t seen before, but it was strangely familiar.

He tried to get a closer look at the face, but it was no longer visible because the man had just gotten into the carriage.

The carriage pulled away.

As Karlz searched through his vague memories, he suddenly recognized the face.

‘But he’s…dead.’

Karlz watched the carriage leave the villa with narrowed eyes, then called to Owen.

“Owen, I want you to do some more research into Dias Hessen’s past.”

It was unlikely to be the man he remembered, but it couldn’t hurt to fill in the blanks.

* * *

In the carriage on the way home, I waved my legs in the air happily.

‘Hehe, I’m glad things worked out.’

I was surprised when I got sick and fainted,

but at least it gave me a reason to stick around as Rahel’s friend.

‘Plus, I got one over on the nanny who doesn’t like me.’

And best of all.

‘Rahel and I became real friends.’

I viewed the memory through rose-colored glasses.

Earlier, the pain had been so intense that I felt tears stinging my eyes, but now I realized that it was bearable.

‘Earlier the pain seemed like torture, but looking back on it, the pain was bearable.’

Anyway, now that I’ve solved the problem of befriending Rahel, the next step is…

‘I have to stop Rahel from going to the dark side.’

What if I succeeded in befriending her, but she still turned against me like she did in the original?

‘There’s no way that Rahel, the villainess in the original, could defeat Allan, the male lead of the original.’

Then not only Rahel, but I, her closest confidant, could be executed.

Of course, my life would be spared if I left Rahel before she could commit treason…

‘I don’t want to leave Rahel to just live alone.’

I could still clearly see Rahel’s eyes full of fear that she would be abandoned, along with her genuine concern for me.

I didn’t want to abandon her.

‘First, let’s help Rahel grow up happy.’

If I could make the emperor let go of his repressive mentality, maybe I could stop her from going to the dark side.

As I pondered how to make Rahel happy, I suddenly felt a gaze on me and looked up.

My eyes locked with my dad, who was staring at me.

As I looked at Dad, I noticed something different about him.

“Dad, where are your glasses?”

“Huh? Ah…”

He rubbed the corners of his eyes out of habit and then seemed to realize that he didn’t have his glasses.

“Oh, I was so busy, I forgot. That’s why some men were looking at me. What if those men fall in love with me?”

He said it playfully, but I noticed.

In the briefest of moments, when our eyes met, I saw the fear in his eyes disappear.

I had seen those eyes before.

‘Every time I’ve been sick, he’s been afraid.’

Afraid he’d lose me.

‘I’m the only family he has anymore.’

My mom died of an illness when I was a little kid, so I don’t remember much.

And my dad’s family disowned him before he married her.

When I asked him why, he didn’t really answer, but that’s not the point!

I’m the only one he has now.

‘He must have been very surprised to hear that I had fallen.’

I realized how surprised and scared he must have been when he heard that I collapsed.

At the same time, I felt sorry for him.

I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Dad flinched in surprise.

“…Vivi?”

“Don’t worry too much, Dad.”

Because I won’t be sick anymore.

“I’ll listen to the doctor and I’ll be better soon. So I’ll live a long time with you.”

I can’t tell him Rahel’s secret, which hasn’t been revealed to the public yet, but I reassured him as best I could.

After a moment of silence, he pulled me into a tight hug.

“Yes, you will. It’s going to happen.”

For some reason, his voice sounded a little dry, but I decided to ignore it.

After all, it’s kind of embarrassing for a grown man to cry. [T.L. Note: Lies! ]

…Not that I should be crying myself.

I patted my dad on the back and made a promise to myself.

‘I’ll twist this into a happy ending.’

For the sake of my poor dad who only has me to rely on!

* * *

A few days later, I visited the villa again.

It was just like any other day, except for one thing…

“Princess?”

Rahel was waiting for me in the central hall of the mansion!

I was greeting the maids as usual, when I spotted Rahel and sidled up to her.

“Have you been waiting for me?”

But Rahel turned away, avoiding my eyes.

“No.”

“No~ but it seems like you were waiting for me.”

“That’s not it.”

“Then why were you out here?”

After a pause, Rahel gave an excuse.

“…To ask you to come into the mansion, not the greenhouse.”

In truth, she could have told me through her maid.

But the fact that she came out here and waited for me means that she was waiting for me, right? Ha, ha.

But I decided to let it slide since Rahel seemed embarrassed.

‘Maybe she’s embarrassed because today is the first time we’ve really talked to each other since we met a few days ago.’

I chuckled and changed the subject.

“Okay, well, that’s fine, but what are we going to do today anyway?”

“…I haven’t thought about it.”

Rahel reacted flatly to my slick response and gave back a normal answer.

“Um… Ah! Can we check out the library? Last time I walked by, it looked like it was really big.”

I said, casually grabbing Rahel’s hand, which was half a step ahead of me.

Then Rahel’s steps came to a screeching halt. At the same time, I felt my hand twitch.

‘Ack. Are you trying to make me fall?’

The last time she held my hand was right after I collapsed, and she said it was because I was weak.

There’s no guarantee that Rahel will hold my hand again today.

Just as I was preparing myself to be rejected by Rahel, a shadow fell across our backs, and a familiar voice called out.

“There you are, Vivian.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Butler.”

The butler smiled his usual benevolent smile and announced his business.

“The duke wishes to see you.”