The Stand-In Villainess's Contract Marriage: I Was Divorced After a Year, But For Some Reason, My Ex-Husband Seems to Be Looking for Me - Chapter 10

Her sister was sleeping with a worn-out face.

“…Why?”

Liana couldn’t help but murmur that as she tightly clenched her hands until her nails dug into her palms.

Her sister, who had endured so much hardship, was finally trying to find happiness. So why did she have to suffer from such an illness?

“I wish it were me instead.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Just as she was about to cry out loud, Liana hurriedly left the room. If her sister woke up and saw her crying, it would only make her anxious.

She rushed into her own room, stifled her sobs, and cried.

(Father, Mother… Please help my sister…)

But no matter how much she called out, her father and mother would not respond.

How long had she been like this?

After crying as much as she could, her feelings started to calm down a bit.

Now, the only person who could help her sister was herself.

She needed to think calmly about what to do next.

If she confided in Naje about her sister’s illness, he would undoubtedly find a way to prepare the money for the medicine.

Though Liana believed him to be a villain, she loved her sister dearly.

However, even for the sake of the medicine, if she were to incur another massive debt, the royal family would not permit the return of the title and territory.

And if they lost the title and territory they were supposed to inherit, it was highly likely that Viscount Hord would dissolve their engagement.

Originally, Viscount Hord had been worried about the future of the Karota family, swayed merely by Naje’s enthusiasm.

It wasn’t just about curing the illness. If she wanted to protect her sister’s future happiness, she couldn’t rely on them.

The only person who could save her sister was herself.

Liana wiped her tears and lifted her face.

It was an enormous amount of money, but it was the same as what her sister needed five years ago, when she was the same age.

“I will definitely cure my sister completely.”

She would do anything for her sister.

With that strong resolve, she felt a little hopeful.

Fortunately, her sister was still deeply asleep and didn’t wake up for a while.

During that time, Liana washed her face, put on makeup, and concealed the traces of her tears. When she returned to the room, her sister seemed to have finally woken up.

“Sister, are you okay?”

She rushed over immediately to check on her.

“Yes, I’m fine. What about the doctor?”

“It seems he was busy and left early. You must have been very tired with everything going on.”

Liana conveyed this to her sister, who looked worried.

“Tired?”

Her sister seemed relieved by those words, as she had probably been thinking it might be something serious.

Though Liana felt guilty seeing her sister’s relieved expression, she knew that if she told her the truth, her sister would never agree to receive treatment.

So, suppressing her unease, Liana spoke cheerfully.

“That’s right. He’ll be coming back in five days. He’ll bring some medicine that’s good for fatigue, so make sure to take it.”

At the mention of medicine, her sister’s expression clouded.

“If it’s just fatigue, I don’t need any medicine.”

“You must. The doctor said you shouldn’t underestimate fatigue. Besides, it’s not very expensive, so it’s okay. I can pay for it with my sewing work.”

She desperately persuaded her sister, explaining that the medicine would help supplement any lacking nutrients and that if she continued taking it for about a year, she would definitely feel better.

“But we still have debts left…”

They had to repay all of their parents’ debts by the time of the wedding a year later. It seemed this was what worried her sister the most.

“Don’t worry. Recently, my embroidery has been selling well. I can hardly keep up with the demand. I’m worried about you, sister. So please take it for my sake.”

With that, her sister finally agreed.

The doctor had said that if she continued taking the medicine for about a year, she would recover.

And her sister’s wedding was tentatively scheduled for a year from now.

Liana was determined to cure her sister’s illness before the wedding.

She wanted her sister to regain her health and have a happy marriage with her beloved.

(For that, I will do anything.)

Having told her sister to rest a little more, Liana left the room and began to think about what to do next.

To help her sister regain her strength, it would be better to feed her more nutritious food.

Her sister looked frail and delicate.

Liana realized that, unlike her sister, she had developed a rather adult figure despite eating less.

Because of that, people often mistook her for being older than her age, leading Naje to misunderstand that she was out having fun while her sister was suffering.

However, that might work to her advantage now.

(I should budget a little more for meals… And then…)

Liana wrote down her plans for the future again.

First, in five days, Dr. Amalia would be making another house call. By then, she had to pay for thirty days’ worth of medicine.

If the medicine proved effective, she would need to continue taking it for about a year.

For the initial thirty days, she thought she could manage with her savings and by selling the few precious gems she owned. Some of them were mementos from her mother, but nothing could compare to her sister’s life.

Moreover, the jewels passed down through the Karota family were all owned by her sister, the rightful heir. If she left those, their parents would likely understand.