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 1.39

On the third day of our stay in the House of Lias, I allowed myself a bit of a leisurely morning. As I opened my eyes, the adventurer’s outfit gifted to me by Lord Finley came into view. Even in my half-awake state, I was enveloped by an immense sense of happiness.

“I wonder if a dress could be made from the same material as that outfit.”

“I looked into it, but apparently, the material is rather difficult to handle. It seems it’s not well-suited for creating garments with elaborate designs.”

She already checked… That’s Eliza for you.

“That being said, I suspect it simply hasn’t been done before because no one’s placed such an order. We could start by requesting a simple dress to see what’s possible.”

“If that’s the case, could I ask you to make the arrangements?”

“They’ve already been made.”

I really would like to know where her confidence comes from.

After breakfast, a response arrived from Father and Mother. Since they were currently in the territory of Flores, the letter had been delivered quickly via wyvern. The letter to Professor Alibara in the royal capital should be arriving soon as well.

“I was nearly shot down personally by the Lord of the domain.”

When I heard this from one of the soldiers of the House of Lias, I felt the bl00d drain from my face in an instant. Apparently, Father had stopped them just in time.

“My sincerest apologies…”

“No, not at all! I was truly moved! To face three wyverns head-on, alone—there’s no one else in this domain who could have done such a thing, save for my Lady!”

He reported with visible excitement.

Mother wrote that if Fred could come to Flores, she and Grandfather would personally examine him again. While no cure was currently known for his condition, that was primarily because past patients had all been elderly and had not pursued aggressive treatment. Moreover, it wasn’t even clear whether aging was the true cause.

(The part about Grandfather’s involvement feels like it carries an unspoken implication…)

Father’s letter mentioned that similar symptoms had appeared among people in his own homeland. In those cases, the issue was managed through the use of potions that restored magical power.

“Potions, huh…”

Since they hadn’t appeared in the original story, I had assumed they didn’t exist in this world. But apparently, magic recovery potions do exist—just not in this country. They can’t be imported either. Not only is the production method a closely guarded secret, but they also have a short shelf life. We’ll have to produce them domestically.

“But at least we’ve found one possible solution.”

Lord Finley spoke with conviction as he looked down at the letter. It’s not a fundamental cure, but if he can live comfortably by taking potions, it’s a valid contingency. It’s suitable enough for a second plan. Honestly, I wonder why none of us thought of potions sooner. That’s just how unfamiliar they are to us.

“But who knows how long it would take to develop potions?”

Luca had a point. Our country lacks any foundational knowledge about them to begin with.

“Shall we consider recruiting researchers from abroad?”

It wouldn’t be as easy as it was in my previous life’s world.

“That would cause an international incident.”

Leonhart crossed his arms with a troubled expression.

As I feared, it’s impossible. The recipe must be an important national secret.

“…I once came across a record of research on the subject during wartime. It didn’t include any details, though.”

“I see. Then, may I entrust the details of this matter to Geoffrey and Luca? As a backup plan in case a full cure proves impossible, it seems worth pursuing.”

(In the original story, Lydiana researched the cause of Ice-Stone Disease—Kimoma—and used it to steal magical power from others, amassing tremendous mana for herself.)

Could we somehow use Kimoma’s mechanism? As I pondered this, my eyes met Luca’s. It seemed he remembered the story I’d told before.

“Do you think Kimoma’s properties could be of use?”

“Perhaps. It appears to have the ability to store magical energy, so I believe it’s well worth investigating.”

And so, today’s plan was as follows: Luca and Geoffrey would stop by an antiquarian bookshop before heading to the appraisal office to meet Officer Ford. Leonhart and Lord Finley would visit the Adventurers’ Guild. I was to visit the city’s infirmary.

“That’s hardly a place befitting Lady Lydiana’s presence! Lord Gauche should be returning shortly—”

The Margrave was flustered, but I had always wanted to visit, so this was the perfect opportunity.

“As an apprentice healer, I would very much like to observe the facility.”

“We are grateful. However, the people there lack proper manners. My husband fears Lady Lydiana may find their conduct unpleasant.”

It was the Margravine who responded.

“Even if I am displeased, I can handle it myself. You needn’t worry—I won’t do anything as the rumors suggest.”

“P-p-please, perish the thought!”

The Margrave became even more agitated. Just what kind of rumors has he heard…?

“In fact, we’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people attacked by hidden wyverns. Please feel free to bill us for half the cost.”

Ignoring the frantic Margrave, the Margravine continued the conversation.

“I’m still just a trainee, so I’ll consider it a learning experience.”

The Margravine laughed heartily, while the Margrave beside her grew even more flustered.

◇◇◇

On the way to the infirmary, Eliza gave me a gentle scolding.

“You should have told me from the start if it was that difficult.”

“That would not have been appropriate. My Lady, you are the fiancée of the First Prince, a Duke’s daughter, and more importantly, a guest who saved the heir of this domain. Please recall your position. Ordinarily, even speaking to you casually would be unthinkable.”

“W-What!? Now you say that—!?”

“Lately, you seemed to have forgotten, so I took the liberty of reminding you.”

When she stated it so firmly, I had no choice but to accept it. Still, I remembered what Mother had once told me—that there are many people beyond my reach who truly need healers and medical care.

(The House of Lias is said to be one of the better-supplied regions in the country when it comes to medicine…)

But that’s only to a degree—thanks to adventurers from other nations bringing in supplies, the situation was somewhat manageable.

The infirmary was far cleaner than I had expected. Several large rooms resembled hospital wards.

“Complete healing requires money, so after receiving treatment here, most patients stay to rest for a while.”

A knight from House Lias, who was accompanying me, explained.

“My deepest apologies for making you come all this way!”

A man sprinted toward us at full speed—this must be Gauche. His hair was still a mess with bedhead; he must have just woken up. He was desperately trying to smooth it down with his hands.

“I’m the one who should apologize for arriving unannounced. Were you resting?”

“No! I merely overslept a bit…”

It was easy to see he was exhausted. His magical power probably hadn’t fully returned yet, which meant he had used a significant amount of energy on healing spells.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Though Gauche hesitated, he allowed me to see the patients who had been attacked by the hidden wyverns. To be honest, if I hadn’t experienced what happened at the House of Olden, I might have looked away. Their bodies bore deep, brutal gashes. There were five of them… Healing them to this point must have been an immense effort.

All of them were groaning in pain, clearly still suffering. With Gauche’s permission, I began casting healing spells.

The first patient was a young female adventurer. A deep slash ran from her right shoulder to her left side, and another cut sliced diagonally across her face from her forehead. Her body was already covered in scars, but I made sure that none of the new wounds would leave a trace.

The second was a large man whose abdomen had been torn open. It was a miracle he had survived. I could feel traces of Gauche’s healing within, but the surface still looked painful. I cast my spell to fill in the torn flesh.

“What do you think you’re doing to them!?”

Suddenly, a middle-aged man burst into the room, shouting angrily.

“Frey, stop this at once!”

The knight and Gauche quickly stepped between me and the man—he must be Frey, the other healer. His hair was wild, sticking up in every direction.

“Please, calm yourself, Dr. Frey. Lady Lydiana is casting healing spells on the patients.”

The knight of House Lias tried to explain, but Frey’s anger didn’t subside.

“I know that! A noble girl meddling halfway through—how much is she planning to extort from them later!?”

“Frey!”

It seemed he knew who I was. Still, yelling at a child in an attempt to intimidate her was deeply unpleasant.

(Too bad for you! I may look like a kid, but I’ve already lived a full adult life!)

“That’s not for you to worry about. I’ve been instructed to bill House Lias for half the cost.”

I smiled calmly, making it clear that his shouting didn’t bother me in the slightest. That would probably annoy Frey even more.

Just then, I finished treating the large man. Now that the pain had subsided, his face relaxed as he drifted off to sleep.

“I’d like to focus on treatment. May we continue this conversation later?”

There were still three patients in the room, moaning in pain. Perhaps Frey had remembered that—

“Tch!”

With a loud click of his tongue, he stormed out. I ignored him and moved on to the third patient. Still, it had been quite a while since I’d encountered such blatant hostility.