I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 70

As was always the case on the day of a grand event, the household had been noisy since morning—no, since dawn.

Three days before the Foundation Festival, we were setting off for the capital, with not just one but three carriages.

Since this was a massive event that would attract nobles from all over, we were heading there in advance to ensure thorough preparations.

Although our duchy’s territory was geographically close to the capital, it still took over half a day of riding in a carriage to reach it.

How much would my poor backside suffer today? Damn this ridiculously large empire.

Grumbling about the vast stretch of land, I climbed into the carriage.

The people heading to the capital this time included me, my brother, my parents, Aiden, Lukas, Ian, and Jane.

Since I disliked unfamiliar people, Jane had been chosen as the sole servant accompanying us.

When she heard that she was going to the capital, Jane had practically sparkled with excitement.

That aside, I found Ian’s inclusion a little surprising, but then I quickly remembered—my family’s worries about me had not disappeared yet.

Of course. That was inevitable. My own doing.

They would probably continue worrying about me until the day I died.

I tapped my toes idly as I sat alone in the empty carriage.

My family—my parents and Aaron—were still outside, attending to last-minute checks.

Since I had nothing to do, I was the only one who had boarded early.

See? Sometimes being useless had its perks.

If only the past Selina had realized the convenience of incompetence, she wouldn’t have been so consumed by jealousy.

Yawning, I leaned my head against the side of the carriage.

Actually, I did have one concern.

Even the slightest movement on my part would probably cause my family to overreact with worry.

Well, as long as I maintained my usual stiff demeanor, it shouldn’t be a problem.

But my body was already exhausted from waking up early and preparing all morning.

I wasn’t confident that I wouldn’t shift around. And my backside was definitely going to hurt.

...Alright, enough about my backside.

With a sigh that was somewhere between a yawn and an exhale, I absentmindedly gazed out the open carriage door, waiting for my family.

Then, someone tapped against the side of the carriage.

Since the door was already open, they must have knocked on the wall instead of the door.

I turned my head lazily and saw Aiden standing outside.

"Aiden?"

"My lady."

Aiden was wearing the white dress shirt that I had chosen and gifted him along with his tailcoat.

Given his previous status as a servant, he had probably never had the opportunity to wear such formal clothing.

But it suited him as if he were the main guest of the party himself.

Wait, why was he already wearing his dress shirt for the ball?

Did he like it that much?

A strange sense of satisfaction welled up within me, and I nodded to myself in approval.

"What is it?"

Aiden had been staring at me blankly, but when I asked about his purpose, he flinched.

Why was he acting so jumpy all of a sudden?

"I came to give you this."

He held out something with both hands. He had been carrying it the entire time, ever since he had first called out to me.

"A cushion?"

It was sky blue, the same color as my hair. I squeezed it a few times—it was incredibly soft.

"Yes. It’s enchanted to minimize vibrations. You always struggle during carriage rides, so I asked my master to make this while I was at the Magic Tower."

"Oh..."

Right.

That had happened.

Back on the day of the incident, Aiden had folded up a blanket to use as a cushion for me in the carriage.

I took the cushion from his hands and examined it for a moment before sitting on it. Since the carriage wasn’t moving yet, I couldn’t really tell if it was working.

"Thanks. I’ll use it well."

At my words of gratitude, Aiden smiled.

Not the artificial smile of a servant, but the one he had started showing more often ever since he abandoned that pretense.

As I looked at him, I noticed a few strands of his hair sticking out messily.

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They were really bothering me.

Without thinking, I reached up and smoothed them down.

It was oddly satisfying.

Aiden, who had been trying to follow the movement of my hand with his eyes, accidentally met my gaze instead.

Or maybe...

Maybe he hadn’t been looking at my hand.

Maybe he had been looking at my eyes from the start.

That thought just randomly popped into my head.

Slowly, Aiden blinked. His widened eyes rounded even more.

"My lady... Thank you for the gift."

As he said that, he fidgeted with the collar of his shirt.

I glanced down at it.

...Wait.

Had he worn that shirt just so he could thank me?

Should I ask him...?

"Mm. Aiden."

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But instead of asking, I chose to send him on his way. It wasn’t exactly a pressing mystery.

Whether it was true or not, it didn’t really matter.

Besides, it was almost time to depart.

Aiden made his final farewell before heading toward the carriage he would be riding in.

"If anything happens, please call for me."

"You still sound like my personal servant."

Unfortunately, it seemed old habits died hard. He still occasionally spoke as if he were my exclusive attendant.

"It was better when I was your personal servant. At least then, I could always stay by your side."

"Huh?"

I hadn’t quite caught what he said, so I asked again.

But Aiden just shrugged—exactly the way I always did—before walking off.

...What was that about?

I peeked out of the carriage, watching him for a moment before returning to my seat.

To my seat, where Aiden’s soft cushion awaited me.

The cushion’s effect was amazing!

Even as the carriage rattled over forest paths and now sped along the main road toward the capital, I could barely feel any vibrations.

The only clues that the carriage was actually moving were the shifting scenery outside the window, the occasional jolt of the floor beneath my feet, and the slight trembling of my shoes.

I had my cushion to protect me, but the others in the carriage remained perfectly poised and elegant, as if the discomfort of the ride didn’t faze them at all.

Being a noble definitely wasn’t for just anyone.

"Selina, are you uncomfortable?"

While I had been busy marveling at my cushion and pitying the noble way of life, my mother carefully asked from beside me.

"No, I’m fine. Aiden gave me a cushion."

As I spoke, I patted the seat beneath me. My mother’s worried expression softened, and she glanced curiously at the cushion.

"But even so, wouldn’t it still be tiring?"

"It’s a magic cushion that cancels out vibrations."

I pulled the cushion out from under me.

Since I had been sitting on it for a while, it was slightly warm. Holding it in my hands for a moment, I then passed it to my mother.

It was a little embarrassing to hand her something that had been warmed by my body heat.

She studied the cushion with interest before hesitantly trying it out.

Both my father and Aaron immediately turned their attention to her. More precisely, to the cushion she had just sat on.

"Oh my!"

Mother let out a small gasp of surprise.

"It really works! You can’t feel the vibrations at all! Dear, do you want to try? Oh, Selina, would you mind if I gave it to your father?"

"Of course not."

Excited like a young girl, my mother eagerly passed the cushion to my father. He, too, examined it with interest before testing it out.

"Oh."

Even from my father, a deep murmur of admiration slipped out.

"This is excellent... Truly, there’s a reason mages are so highly valued."

...Wait.

For this?

Was this the reason mages were respected?

For a brief moment, my image of mages shifted—from powerful warriors who hurled fireballs and soared through the sky—to inventors who casually produced household conveniences.

Still, no matter how elegantly they sat, it seemed even my family members weren’t immune to sore backsides.

"Here you go, Selina."

The cushion, having passed through both my parents’ hands, was returned to me.

For a second, I considered offering it to them instead, but since I wasn’t in the best condition today, I decided to take it back without a word.

I’d have to ask Aiden if he could ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) make more later.

With that, the conversation in the carriage naturally shifted from the cushion to other small, trivial family discussions.

Plans for a picnic after the autumn hunting festival, when would be the right time for Aaron to marry, and even talk about my birthday—which was still a long way off.

As I listened to these little conversations, I blinked slowly.

The warm sunlight, the clear blue sky. The occasional rattle underfoot. The murmur of voices and soft laughter.

If peace could be described, it would be this moment.

I usually dozed off in carriages, but today, for some reason, I didn’t want to sleep.

I wasn’t actively participating in the conversation, but I still wanted to stay awake.

I just liked this—this moment itself.

"Even if there’s no set path, maybe by living, you’ll figure out how to be happy. Maybe you’ll find a reason to keep going."

The shrill voice of the past Selina echoed in my mind.

I blinked slowly and let my gaze wander over the smiling faces of my family.

Mother, Father, Aaron.

Even though my mother and brother weren’t related to me by blood, their soft expressions, the air they carried about them—they truly resembled each other.

And right now, I probably looked like them too.

In my past life, before I had given up on everything, I had hated how little I resembled my family.

If only my hair were a little darker. If only my skin tone were a little different. If only my fingers were longer...

In staged family photos, my differences had stood out sharply. As a child, I had spent a long time just staring at those pictures.

But now... If someone painted a family portrait of us, we would look exactly alike.

A strange lump rose in my throat, pressing tightly before vanishing.

I instinctively reached up to touch my neck.

Immediately, my family turned their concerned eyes toward me.

"Selina, what’s wrong?"

"The long journey must be too much for you. Should we stop and rest?"

"Yes, let’s do that. It would be best."

A chorus of concern.

I shut my eyes briefly and shook my head.

"I’m fine."

Even though I spoke calmly, their worried expressions didn’t fade.

My father was even reaching for the rope to call the coachman, probably about to order the carriage to stop.

See? Even the slightest movement from me, and they worried.

But somehow, these little worries didn’t feel bothersome.

"Right now... this is perfect."

A life where everything had felt like a burden, and yet—this moment, this strange, unexpected peace... was nice.