The Villainous Young Lady Would Even Risk Her Life for Her Beloved ~ Her Fiancé, the Prince? By All Means, Please Be Happy with the Heroine! - Chapter 1.33
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- The Villainous Young Lady Would Even Risk Her Life for Her Beloved ~ Her Fiancé, the Prince? By All Means, Please Be Happy with the Heroine!
- Chapter 1.33 - A Delightful Dinner
The Margrave of Lias treated us to an exceptionally lavish meal—what one might call the local cuisine. Sautéed meat from a bull-like magical beast, slime jelly, an omelet made with the eggs of a massive bird and the fruit of a man-eating plant…
“Delicious!”
Hearing the names of the ingredients sent a shiver down my spine, but everything was well-seasoned and flavorful. The food in this world is usually on the bland side, so it felt like I was indulging in something decadent for the first time in a while.
“Ah, I’m so relieved! Finley insisted that this would be to your liking, but to be honest, I found it hard to believe…”
“Lady Lydiana is not someone who would be intimidated by such ingredients.”
Finley had such a high opinion of me! What an honor!
(I wonder if Sir Finley prefers strong-willed women?)
Iris certainly fit that type. And from what I could see, his mother did as well. The Margravine of Lias had her hair cropped short and, despite her noble title, the only jewelry she wore was her wedding ring.
She hadn’t been present at the New Year’s party, so this was my first time seeing her in person. What a strikingly beautiful and formidable woman. If Finley had been born a woman, he would surely have looked just like her. I couldn’t help but admire her.
“You’re staring too much…”
Luca subtly nudged me in warning.
“My apologies. I imagine it must seem unusual to you to see a noblewoman dressed this way.”
“Not at all! You look absolutely stunning—I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”
“Haha, thank you. But I only keep my hair like this because it was burned off by a wyvern.”
She laughed as she explained.
“Though, honestly, I’ve come to like this style, so the wyvern just gave me a good excuse.”
Finley’s parents were far more openly affectionate toward him than I had expected. Not just his parents—everyone, from the wyvern keepers to the gate guards, seemed to care deeply for him. More accurately, the vassals of House Lias appeared to love the entire family.
(Thank goodness… Sir Finley’s heart won’t suffer any wounds in this timeline.)
Even if Iris would have healed those wounds in the future, it was better if he never got hurt in the first place. I wanted nothing but happiness for my favorite.
“Pardon me! I’d love to stay longer, but I must take my leave. Enjoy yourselves!”
Suddenly, Fred stood up from his seat. He was smiling as always, but his complexion looked pale. I had heard that his ice-stone disease had been cured, but… A vassal quickly rushed to his side, supporting him as he unsteadily exited the room.
“I should—”
“No! Lady Lydiana, there is no need to trouble yourself. The healer has already seen him.”
The Margrave spoke firmly, though a hint of sadness was in his voice.
“My brother just gets tired easily. He exerted himself too much today.”
He reassured us with a smile, trying not to make us worry, but I could see the sorrow in his eyes. There was only one thing I could do—help in any way I could.
It seemed that everyone else present had the same thought. We exchanged glances, wordlessly confirming our resolve.
◇◇◇
“If Lydi hadn’t insisted on coming to Lias, would we have remained unaware of this?”
“Maybe… Do you think we’re meddling too much?”
We were gathered in Luca’s guest chamber, deep in discussion.
It was understandable that they wouldn’t want the heir’s health issues to be widely known. However, from the hushed voices of concern throughout the estate, it was clear that his condition was no secret within these walls.
“How many soldiers do you think came to me, the so-called ‘terrifying duke’s daughter,’ and begged me to save Lord Fred?”
“Five, to be exact. And that doesn’t include the cooks, the servants… I found their lack of propriety quite concerning, to be honest.”
“They were desperate. Cut them some slack.”
“His popularity is incredible.”
They were speaking so freely! But it was true—on the way back from dinner, every person in the manor had looked at me with expectant eyes. Now that I thought about it, everyone had been unusually kind and accommodating since our arrival. It might not have just been because I was the one who discovered the cure for ice-stone disease; they must have been hoping I could do something for Fred.
“It seems they are already considering passing the heirship to Finley.”
Eliza’s maid always had reliable information.
“And it seems the Darj family, to whom Lord Fred is engaged, has been making demands as well.”
“What kind of demands?”
This was the family of that woman who attacked Finley in the original story. Nothing good could come of this.
“They wish to transfer the engagement to Sir Finley instead.”
“…What? What did you just say!?”
What?! What?! WHAT?!
“Lydi! Calm down!”
“They claim that since they were originally sending their daughter to marry the heir of House Lias, it is only natural to transfer the engagement.”
“That is utterly ridiculous!!”
Are you kidding me?! Are you kidding me?!
My anger exploded, and I momentarily forgot about social decorum, location, and even my own choice of words.
“Indeed, it is absurd. Such an unprincipled proposal will never be accepted. Surely they must know that.”
Geoffrey remained composed despite my outburst.
“They’re simply desperate to have their daughter become the Margravine.”
Leohart, on the other hand, though not as vocal as I was, sounded just as displeased.
As we debated how to deal with these schemers (mainly me planning revenge), a knock sounded at the door.
“House Lias has trouble securing brides.”
It was Finley! The moment I saw his face, my fury dissipated.
“Sorry. I could hear Lydi yelling from outside.”
He chuckled, stepping inside and murmuring, Thanks for getting mad for me.
“Our territory’s main industry is tied to the Monster Forest, after all. You’ve seen my mother—being the Margravine means putting your life on the line. It’s not easy to find willing brides. But since the territory is always prosperous, struggling noble families sometimes push their daughters on us as if they were selling them off.”
“Unbelievable!”
“Right? It’s awful.”
My “Unbelievable” had actually been directed at the fact that House Lias had trouble finding brides, but everyone except Finley seemed to understand my true thoughts. Leohart even sighed at me.
House Lias was ranked equal to a marquisate. They had financial stability. But noblewomen these days dreamt of glamorous city life, so they avoided the rugged, perilous frontier lands. How utterly spoiled!
(There is no way I’m letting a family like that marry Finley off! I’ll stop it! I’ll absolutely stop it!)
Ideally, I wouldn’t let them marry Fred off to them either—but I’d deal with that matter later.
“Let’s do this!!!”
Everyone seemed to sense my burning determination. Though, I wished they would stop staring at me from a slight distance.
“Sir Finley, I apologize for overstepping, but… may we do everything in our power to find a way to save your brother?”
“Honestly! You always cater to Finley first.”
Leohart muttered in discontent, though he still kept his gaze fixed on Finley, waiting for his response.
“To be honest… ever since I heard you were coming, I had been hoping for this outcome.”
For once, Finley spoke hesitantly, as if he were nervous.
“Even just now, on the way here, I was trying to think of an excuse to ask for your help… I know it’s selfish. I’m sorry. But please—I beg you, save my brother.”
(Selfish!? What is he talking about!?!?)
Could it be that he thought he was taking advantage of my feelings for him!? Huh!? What do I do?! I wouldn’t mind being taken advantage of at all!!!
“Of course, Finley. But why do you think it’s selfish? Asking a friend for help is never something to be ashamed of.”
Leohart encouraged him as well, seemingly caught on the same point.
“Wanting your brother to get better is only natural!”
“Exactly! Seeking a better life is an instinct for all living beings.”
Luca and Geoffrey also chimed in with their support.
“No… that’s not it… I—I don’t want to be the head of the house. I don’t think I can do it in my brother’s place, and I don’t believe anyone else can either. There are things I want to do with my own life… and deep down, I realized that part of why I want him to recover is for my own sake. That’s why I feel so selfish… I’m awful. I’m sorry.”
How painful must it have been to bare his heart like this? He could have easily hidden his true feelings behind the simple justification of “I want to save my brother,” and no one would have questioned it. But instead, he was being completely honest with us, his would-be allies.
(In reality, he probably has two reasons—he genuinely wants to save Fred, and he doesn’t want to inherit the title.)
In the original story, Finley was more sly and mischievous, always hiding his true thoughts. That version of him was undeniably charming, but this Finley—the one who was pure, earnest, and honest even with himself—was so incredibly endearing.
“Understood! I, Lydiana Flores, will do everything in my power for the future of both Lord Fred and Sir Finley!”
Finley blinked in surprise at my sudden loud declaration. Adorable.
“That’s right. If we can cure Fred, both of you will be happy. There’s no need to put yourself down so much.”
“First, let’s assess the current situation.”
“Ah! I’ll write letters to Father, Mother, Aunt… and Professor Aribara.”
Leohart, Geoffrey, and Luca were also brimming with determination.
“Sir Finley! Please arrange for a wyvern to be ready at first light tomorrow!”
“…Got it!”
Relief softened Finley’s expression.
And just like that, our first day in Lias came to an end.
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