I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 82

Now that I thought about it, I recalled Lukas mentioning something about “monsters” while speaking with that low-ranking noble yesterday.

Monsters... I knew nothing about them.

That was only natural. In the original novel, monsters had never appeared, and all the information I had was based on that flimsy book. So of course, I was completely clueless.

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When I tilted my head in confusion and looked at Lukas, he nodded slowly and began speaking again.

"Twelve years ago, there was a massive monster subjugation war. The empire gathered forces from all over to fight."

This was another thing I had never heard of.

Squeezing romance and conflict with a villain into a single-volume novel left no room for backstory.

What a useless book.

I silently listened as Lukas continued.

"The battle took place in the northern forests of the empire, where the monsters had established their roots. For nearly a year, humans and monsters slaughtered each other without rest. Day after day, they killed and were killed. And in the end, the victors were the humans."

For a brief moment, Lukas’s expression turned bitter.

"There were tragic sacrifices, but the monster subjugation was ultimately a success. It brought peace to the people. After the war ended, there were fewer than ten reports of monster sightings. Even then, those were only in the first one or two years after the war."

The fact that people had to die was unfortunate, but the outcome—the war ending in victory and peace—was undeniably a happy ending.

Well, until now, that is.

The fact that Lukas was bringing this up in response to my question about my family’s exhaustion meant the situation had already changed.

And sure enough, his expression hardened as he spoke again, his voice laced with tension.

"That’s how it was. At least when it came to monsters, we maintained peace. But recently, that peace has begun to crack."

"Recently...?"

I echoed his words, a bad feeling creeping up my spine.

"Monsters have started reappearing."

A heavy silence followed.

That was how things went in moments like this—whenever something important and shocking was revealed, silence naturally settled in.

Lukas took a sip of tea before continuing.

"There’s a military unit dedicated to managing monsters. They’re stationed in the north, where the monsters once had their stronghold. Their job is to eliminate any trace of them, no matter how small."

"And even with all that, monsters are becoming a problem again?"

"Yes. Because they’ve started appearing in completely unexpected locations. Not in the north, but in the capital. And more importantly..."

"...White territory."

"Correct."

His voice was light, as if praising a student for getting the right answer.

This bastard.

"Did the survivors migrate from the north?"

I tapped my nails against the table as I voiced my speculation.

Lukas’s gaze flickered to my fingers before returning to my face.

"No. That’s unlikely."

His denial was absolute, spoken with unshakable certainty.

"...Why?"

"According to the reports from the military unit, no monsters have been spotted near the northern regions. If survivors had moved south, they would have left behind tracks, or at the very least, been seen during their migration. But there was nothing.

Which means... the monsters appearing in the capital and White territory didn’t travel here. It’s as if they just... materialized out of nowhere.

Like they emerged from the ground. Or dropped straight from the sky."

I glanced at him briefly before lowering my gaze to the reddish tea in my cup.

This was significant information. I needed a moment to process it.

But Lukas didn’t give me the chance.

"Monsters appearing out of nowhere. And not just anywhere—in the capital and White territory, the second-most developed region in the empire.

With a situation like that, how could anyone not be exhausted?"

Yeah. That made sense. Of course, they’d be exhausted.

Twelve years of peace had begun to crumble, and of all places, our territory had become the center of it.

My family—who oversaw this land—must have been drowning in work, unable to rest for even a moment.

While I lay in bed, idling away the hours, while I indulged in my hobbies without a care, they had been busy, running themselves ragged.

I flicked my finger against my teacup.

Ripples spread across the liquid’s surface before slowly settling.

I watched in silence before finally speaking.

"People without power should stay put. If they overreach and meddle in things beyond their ability, they only bring trouble upon themselves.

That’s what I believe, at least."

Lukas tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable.

He looked at me as if asking, What are you talking about?

I met his puzzled gaze, then tapped my cup again.

"But just for today, that belief is kind of pissing me off.

The fact that I can’t do anything to help my family...

The fact that I have no power, and all I can do is stay silent and pretend not to see."

I tapped the cup again.

Ripples spread across the tea, just as they had before.

"If I were even slightly more useful, I could at least share some of their burdens."

A quiet confession.

It had always been easier to do nothing.

That way, no one would expect anything from me. No one would try to make me do anything.

I had no lingering attachment to life, so why should I bother? It would be nothing but an inconvenience.

That was why, until now, I had been completely satisfied with my life as Selina.

But not anymore.

Until I fell ill, I would continue living by my family’s side.

Yes, I would be living with them.

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And yet, the fact that I couldn’t do anything for them left a bitter taste in my mouth.

It was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. That I was even thinking about this.

When I first arrived in this world, even breathing had felt like a chore. I had been so terrified and exhausted by life that I clung to Selina’s wish as an excuse to escape the world.

I had been ready to give up on everything.

And yet, somehow...

I had ended up like this.

Waiting for my family in an empty house.

Greeting them with open arms.

Feeling a dull ache over the fact that I didn’t have the power to help them.

When had I started caring?

I had no idea.

A long silence stretched between us.

For the first time in a while, I had let myself slip into cynical thoughts.

Lukas simply sat there, quietly watching me.

And then, he broke the silence.

"Tomorrow, none of the duchy’s members will be attending the ball."

...What?

That was unexpected. But also interesting.

Since they were high-ranking imperialists, I had assumed they would attend all three days in a row.

I stopped tapping my teacup and lifted my gaze to meet Lukas’s.

"Everyone is exhausted. And once we return to the territory, there will be a mountain of work waiting for us. So they decided to use our stay in the capital as an excuse to take a break for a day."

Ah, right.

Once the ball ended, they would have to return to the territory.

And after that, they would be busier than ever.

From an outsider’s perspective, it might seem indulgent to attend a grand ball in the capital while the territory was facing trouble.

People always judged based on appearances, after all.

At least, since ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) this was a royal ball, it had provided them with a justifiable reason to come.

If it had been any other event, they would have been harshly criticized.

"That sounds nice."

I murmured, and Lukas propped his chin on the table in a slow, relaxed motion.

His round, white eyes gleamed as if he could see right through me.

Like a snake.

And as if he had noticed my thoughts, his lips curved into a smirk.

Through the slight gap in his mouth, I could almost see the flicker of a red tongue.

"We talked about tomorrow’s plans in the carriage."

...Plans?

Weren’t they resting tomorrow?

"I thought they were staying home to rest?"

"No. We’re all going out together."

"But... didn’t you just say they were resting?"

"That is resting."

That’s resting? Going out is resting? Oh...

I didn’t get it at all, but everyone had their own way of relaxing.

I nodded, reminding myself to respect different preferences—until something felt off.

Wait.

If they were all going out together...

"Does that include me?"

"Of course."

But I hadn’t heard anything about this from my family.

They had been chattering away, exhausted yet excited, before heading off to their rooms—but no one had mentioned tomorrow’s schedule.

Or... had they?

Could I even trust my own memory?

Caught in a battle between my sense of self and my unreliable recollection, I suddenly thought—

What does it matter?

Whether or not they had told me, it wasn’t important.

At this moment, the only way I could be of any help to my family was this.

Following along without complaint.

Wow. What an incredible contribution.

I scoffed at myself and mimicked Lukas’s posture, resting my chin on my arm atop the table.

Seeing me copy him, Lukas tapped his own teacup—just as I had done earlier.

"As we discussed our plans for tomorrow, everyone looked happy.

Especially..."

His words trailed off.

He studied me with that familiar mischievous look but spoke in an oddly calm voice.

"Especially when talking about you, Selina."

"...Me?"

"Yes, you.

Where to take Selina.

What to do with Selina.

Would she enjoy it?

Every time your name came up, the exhaustion inside that carriage would lift in an instant."

I could picture it.

My family’s smiling faces.

They must have been laughing the same way they always did around me—warm, genuine, happy.

"That’s the kind of person you are.

Someone who makes people happy just by existing."

...

I was stunned.

To hear such kind words coming from his mouth...

He said he wasn’t drunk, but was he actually drunk?

The thought hit me so hard that it felt like a physical blow.

Lukas, oblivious to my internal turmoil, simply smiled.

Then, the hand that had been tapping his teacup extended outward—pointing directly at me.

I blinked at the unexpected gesture, unsure of what he meant.

A soft chuckle escaped him.

"You are already enough.

So don’t wound yourself."

Ah.

That was the most main-character-like thing I had ever heard from him.

And yet, it didn’t suit him at all.

I stared at Lukas for a long moment before raising my cooled teacup and taking a sip.

My parched throat felt just a little less dry.