Volume 1 Chapter 46 Mean Villainess, Excited for Treasure Hunting
The air is cool and a bit damp, and I smell a faint moldy odor.
It's dark, and there are no windows.
The walls are made of concrete, no, they're made of stone.
The stones piled up are not very fancy.
There are lights on the walls... no, torches... wait, is that open flame... oh, it's magic.
I guess they are lighting the fire with magic.
Open flame, huh.
What does open flame even mean?
I hear a sound like rumbling.
A sound?
It also sounds like a voice.
It's a deep sound that seems to come from the ground.
When I listen closely, it feels a little scary and makes my skin crawl.
'...the cost is a thousand-year curse'
I could hear the voice.
I've never heard it before, but I somehow understood the words.
'The key to breaking it is 6 souls...'
As I listened to the deep sound, I saw a faint light.
It was a light that seemed both scary and divine.
The light gradually got bigger.
If it keeps getting bigger like this, I'll be swallowed by the light.
But wait, if it spreads like this, the person next to me will... then at that moment, I──...
"Eek!"
"Lady!? "
──I jumped up.
"...I was kind of dreaming..."
"Are you okay, Lady?"
"Hmm, it's okay..."
It felt like it was an important dream, but I almost forgot about it because of my scream.
"Is it cold?"
It wasn't until Rolus asked me that that I realized that I had been rubbing my arms the whole time.
"It's not cold, but I have goosebumps"
I got goosebumps even though it wasn't cold or I was feeling chills.
I feel a bit sick.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
Rolus knelt at the bedside and looked into my face.
"Do I look sick?"
"No, it doesn't look like you have a fever at all. It doesn't look like you have a fever..."
So Rolus touched my forehead, and I gently held his hand.
"My right hand is strangely cold"
Rolus noticed the difference in temperature between my hands and was surprised.
"Lady... let's call a doctor, a doctor"
"No, you don't have to call them. Please, Rolus, stay by my side"
"Yes... I see, but..."
Rolus seemed to be worried about whether to stay kneeling or get up, moving up and down nervously.
I decided it was a good height and clung to Rolus's neck.
"Don't leave me alone."
I said this while holding on.
"Did you have a scary dream?"
Rolus asked in a small voice.
"Maybe, yes. I can't remember, but it felt really scary."
When I answered, Rolus slowly started to gently rub my back, even if it felt a bit awkward.
My right hand, which had lost warmth, felt a little warmer.
"Thank you, Rolus. You made me feel a bit calm."
I slowly let go of the arm I was holding on to, and Rolus knelt down again.
"...Are you okay now?"
"Yep. I'm okay now, thank you."
I gently patted Rolus's head, which was just the right height, and I felt like Rolus's cheeks turned a little bit red.
"Lady, shouldn't you rest today?"
"I'm not resting! Today is the school trip!"
Even though it's a school trip, we won't be walking too far.
We go to a place not far from the school and do something like a little treasure hunt there. It's just an event.
Although it was just an event, I had been looking forward to this excursion for a long time.
Because the stone fortune teller said that there might be good quality gemstones lying around where we're going today.
It turns out that the place is the remains of a temple that was used long ago, and if you're lucky, you might find some gems lying around that contain magical power.
I asked if it was okay to pick up something like that and take it home, but apparently it was.
You might be able to pick up a stone that can be used for divination, and picking up gems from the ruins of a temple is a completely RPG thing.
My excitement is rising.
I'm just so excited.
By the way, the purpose of doing something like a treasure hunt is not to pick up the jewels, but to search for treasures that the teachers have hidden beforehand, so the jewels are just a by-product.
Even if my goal was purely jewels.
"But Lady, how are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling better now. The temperature in my hands is the same again. Oh, and please don't tell Father or my elder brother, okay?"
"...No, um"
"If they hear that I'm not feeling well, they'll come rushing back. They just left the day before yesterday!"
We were all together as a family for a short time, but Father and my brother went home quickly.
They must have been busy.
If I say I'm sick now, they will definitely come back, and while it's okay for them to come, I feel bad for the butler who will have to deal with it.
The other day, even though he was busy, he had a face that seemed like he was struggling.
If Father ends up having a tough time, it feels like he deserves it, but I feel sorry for the butler since he's just caught in the middle.
"But"
"I'm absolutely fine! Please, for Father's sake."
"..., I understand."
Rolus clearly looked like he didn't want to, but he nodded.
"Then, I will"
"take you to school."
I was planning to go alone since attendants can't come on field trips, but it seems Rolus will come with me to school.
"Is that okay?"
"Yes. I'll be able to wait at school."
"At the usual Mister Bruno's study?"
"Yes"
"I got it"
* * *
That's why I came to the temple ruins.
I had heard that it was a former site, so I was worried that it might be a ruin, but it was built like a small, well-maintained old castle.
There are about 6 pointed roofs, large and small.
"Elena, are you feeling okay?"
It was Leve who asked me that question.
"Okay?"
"Yeah. He said you were feeling sick this morning, so Rolus said."
Damn Rolus, you've already told Leve about this morning!
"I wasn't feeling sick. I just had a scary dream."
"I see. But if you get sick, please let me know. Rolus begged me earnestly, and I would feel bad for him if something happened to you."
"I get it. Rolus is so overprotective."
Leve smirked a little at my words.
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