The Sickly Villainess: No, I Wasn’t Poisoned! I'm Just Frail! - Chapter 3

I was beyond exasperated, my headache joining the relentless ache in my stomach. Pressing my hand to my forehead, I finally spoke.

“If you’re truly set on this, then fine—I’ll accept the annulment, Crain. I’m utterly disappointed in you.”
“K-Kataryna…”

“I’ll inform my father myself. Our families’ heads can handle the matter of reparations and compensation.”

“Wait, Kataryna!”

I rose to leave, only to be halted by Crain’s call. What on earth did he want now? I glared at him, my patience wearing thin.

“…Is there something else? I have classes this afternoon and would rather get to my next lesson.”

“This is goodbye, after all. Won’t you stay for one last cup of tea with me? Just one, as childhood friends…”

I wanted to decline, but a server in a maid’s uniform arrived just then, placing tea in front of us—likely ordered by Crain in advance.

Ignoring him and walking away crossed my mind, but it wasn’t the maid’s fault. Leaving so abruptly would be unnecessarily rude. Resigned, I sat back down and took hold of the teacup before me.

“…Very well. Just one cup.”

“Thank you, Kataryna! I’m really happy to have this last afternoon tea with you.”

“…Good for you. I feel terrible.”

This time was pure agony for me.

Though Crain and Cathy didn’t seem to notice, nearly every gaze in the salon was directed toward our table. After all, discussing a broken engagement in such a public place was bound to attract attention. Students were glancing at us, whispering in hushed tones and watching with unabashed curiosity.

“Ugh…”

Realizing how many people were watching made my stomach twist painfully, as if something was carving into me. The stress had finally exceeded my tolerance, and I felt nauseous, like I might throw up at any moment.

Hoping to get this over with quickly, I took a sip from my teacup…

“Ugh…!”

In that instant, an overwhelming pain erupted in my abdomen.
Before I could even swallow the tea, “something” surged up from my stomach.

The thought of vomiting in front of all these people was horrifying. I tried to keep it down, but I couldn’t stop it—the contents of my stomach forced their way out.

“Gah…!”

A torrent of blood burst from my mouth.

The thick, dark red liquid spilled onto the table and trickled down to the floor.

“Aah!”

“Hiii!”

Crain and Cathy screamed in terror, watching in horror from across the table.

But I had no strength to care about them.

I collapsed from my chair, hitting the floor, which was now wet with my own blood.

“Agh…”

“H-Hey! She collapsed!”

“Ahhhhhh!”

Panic erupted around the salon as people reacted in various ways—some fell out of their chairs in shock, others ran to call for help, while many stood frozen in place.

“Guh…ah…”

Even as blood bubbled from my mouth, I used my last bit of strength to reach out, grabbing Crain’s leg.

It was an unconscious, desperate act, like a drowning person reaching for a lifeline.

“Poi…son…”

Muttering my last word, my consciousness was swallowed by a dark, all-encompassing void.