I’m a Villainess, Can I Die?

"You're going to the festival today, right?"
"Yes, Mother."
Everyone in the family looked exhausted.

Because of the lingering fatigue from yesterday, we had a simple breakfast in our rooms, and now we were gathered for lunch.
"Lucas will probably have to attend the ball again today…"
My brother trailed off as if he was slightly concerned. It seemed that Lucas would be attending the ball tonight. Well, he was quite popular yesterday… There were probably still many people wanting to talk to him.

I shrugged, signaling that I didn’t care, and continued slicing the meat in front of me.
"I'm going out with Jane and Aiden, so it’s fine."
"Even so… Ah, how about taking Priest Ian with you?"

"Priest Ian?"
"Yes."
It seemed that our family had absolute trust in the priest. No matter where I went, they always wanted him to accompany me. With this, wouldn’t it be like having three escorts?

Despite those thoughts, I nodded and accepted my parents' suggestion.
I felt a little guilty making plans for him without his presence, but I had already promised Jane we would go to the festival together. If I was going to take Jane to the festival, it seemed inevitable that Priest Ian would have to come along.
Priest, you said you were happy to help me last time, right? Please, just one more time.

"I’ll bring back some gifts."
At my simple words, the three people who had looked slightly uneasy just moments ago relaxed, as if they had never been worried at all.
I made up my mind to definitely buy gifts and picked up my fork and knife again.

I just hoped today wouldn’t be more exhausting than yesterday.
Our outing was scheduled for early evening. Although there was still plenty of time left since we had just finished lunch, Jane was already busy picking out an outfit for me.
"You’re choosing my clothes already?"
"Preparation takes time."

Jane’s cheeks were slightly flushed as she responded. She was trying to hide it, but she was clearly excited.
It was definitely a good idea to bring her along. I took my eyes off Jane, who was already preparing for the outing, and took a sip of my tea.
Across from me, Aiden and Priest Ian were sitting and enjoying tea together. They had just been informed of today’s plans.

Both of them, being kind-hearted people, accepted the schedule with ease.
Of course, whether they were truly happy about it was another matter.
Well, it’s better to just go with the flow.

I pushed the plate of cookies toward them. Both Ian and Aiden looked at me, puzzled.
"Eat up."
At my added remark, the two of them alternated between looking at the cookie plate and me before cautiously picking up cookies and putting them into their mouths.

They looked like people who had been forced to eat under pressure. It seemed my innocent act of kindness had been misinterpreted.
Ah, what a shame.
"Ah, Priest Ian."

Ian, who had been cautiously chewing and swallowing his cookie, looked at me with those dark eyes.
"Yes, my lady?"
"I want to draw something with finer details. Do you know if there are smaller brushes than the ones I use?"

"Of course."
I had given up on gifting paintings because my family treated me like some kind of national treasure artist, but I still kept painting as a hobby.
It was one of the few activities that helped time pass more quickly in this dull life, so I needed to cherish it.

I mainly talked about painting with Ian. Instead of calling a merchant to discuss tools, I usually asked Ian for advice first and then placed an order with the supplier.
Since he was the one who taught me how to paint, I saw him as a sort of mentor.
If Ian knew this, he’d probably sweat buckets from the pressure.

"You paint?"
This translation is the intellectual property of .
After a long discussion about painting, Aiden quietly asked.

His eyes were filled with curiosity.
"Yeah. I picked it up as a hobby after you left for the Magic Tower."
Hearing my answer, Aiden’s eyes curved into a gentle smile. His deep green eyes looked as peaceful as a summer forest.

"I’m glad."
It was a vague statement.
And it seemed I wasn’t the only one who thought so, as both Jane and Ian blinked at Aiden, who was smiling brightly.

Aiden glanced at the three of us staring at him, then awkwardly picked up his teacup and took a sip.
It seemed he had no intention of explaining what exactly he was glad about.
Lately, it felt like everyone was keeping more and more secrets. Or maybe it was just my imagination.

By the time we arrived at the festival, it was early evening. Even at such an in-between time, the streets were crowded with people.
"There are so many people, my lady."
Jane’s eyes sparkled as she spoke. Her brown eyes darted around nonstop, taking in the scenery.

She looked just like me when I first saw the ballroom yesterday.
Feeling a sense of camaraderie, I grabbed Jane by the collar and pulled her closer. I was worried she’d get too excited and end up getting hurt.
Jane let herself be pulled beside me without protest, but she still kept looking around eagerly. She looked like a puppy seeing snow for the first time.

Puppy, stay still.
Well, truthfully, Jane wasn’t the only one excited about the festival.
Since this was the Founding Festival, the imperial family had reportedly invested ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) quite a bit of budget into it.

Brilliant fireworks, streets filled with stalls, music playing in the background. It was enough to get anyone excited.
And excitement often leads to accidents.
Crash!

An accident occurred nearby.
A drunkard, stumbling along the street, crashed into a wooden stall that seemed to be under construction.
With a loud thud, the man let out a yell, drawing everyone’s attention.

But that wasn’t the end of it.
The wooden frame of the stall, which hadn’t been properly secured to the ground, wobbled dangerously before collapsing with a tremendous crash. Several people who had rushed over at the man's scream were caught up in the accident.
Fortunately, no one was directly crushed by the wooden beams, but some people fell in shock, while others were hit by flying splinters and ended up sprawled on the ground.

"What should we do?"
Jane looked at the chaotic scene with a worried expression.
Good question. What should we do?

I scanned the mess quickly.
A broken stall, fallen tents, scattered wooden beams. And among them, five people groaning in pain.
It was quite the commotion.

Well, first, we should probably call the guards… but before I could even finish that thought, a group of guards was already rushing toward the scene. The loud crash must have alerted them early on.
Capital guards are really efficient.
As I watched them swiftly handle the situation, someone called me from behind.

"Selina."
It was Ian.
"Yes?"

When I turned to look at him, Ian stared at me with his usual stiff expression. His face was firm as always, but his eyes were trembling like there was an earthquake inside them.
This was his usual reaction when he was debating whether he should say something or not.
"Go ahead."

At my calm words, Ian finally made up his mind and spoke.
"I want to help these people."
Ah.

I slowly looked around again at the injured. One, two, three… five in total.
"Won’t it be too much for you?"
Ian’s divine power was impressive. It had even healed the gash on the back of my head before.

But if there was one downside to his ability, it was that his power was rechargeable.
His divine energy had a limit. Once he used it all up, he would be completely drained.
Then he’d have to rest and recover before he could use it again.

Honestly, the injuries didn’t seem serious enough to completely drain him, but who knew? Someone might have a broken leg.
If he treated them all, he might not collapse, but he’d definitely be exhausted.
Which meant no more festival, just a straight return to the mansion.

Ian knew this, which was why he was asking for my permission.
"Alright, it’s fine."
Ian licked his dry lips briefly before nodding with a firm, devout expression.

Why was he so tense?
Honestly, I didn’t care whether I went back home or not.
I only came along because Jane wanted to go.

Speaking of which, I turned to Jane to check her opinion.
Jane, who had been anxiously watching the scene, met my eyes and nodded, just like Ian had.
Such a kind girl.

I asked Aiden next, and he quickly replied that he was fine with it as if he had been waiting for the question.
After receiving everyone's approval, I turned back to Ian.
"Go ahead. It’s your power—use it as you see fit."

Only then did Ian’s stiff expression relax slightly.
As I watched him bow to me, his entire being radiating the essence of a devoted priest, I gave him a small nod in return.
I let out a quiet sigh as I watched Ian step toward the center of the commotion.

I’m not even the protagonist, so why do accidents keep following me?
At this rate, I might start getting scared of stepping outside.
Lost in my internal monologue about the absurdity of my life, I began scanning the area for a place to sit while waiting for Ian to finish.

Just then, Jane called me in a soft voice.
"My lady."
As soon as I turned to look at her, Jane flashed me a bright smile—one that looked suspiciously like a sales pitch meant to win my trust.

"I’ll stay here. My lady, you should go ahead and explore with Sir Aiden."
…What on earth is she talking about?