My Replacement Fiancée, the Saint’s “Failure” of a Sister, Is Acting Strange – Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Shape of a Dream – 3

ㅤ”We broke off the engagement.”
ㅤ”Huh?”
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ㅤA week had passed since I heard that the Saint had successfully purified the land in question. My father had received the report directly from the Saint, and I couldn’t attend due to other official duties, but Joshua had briefly informed me that the knights, the Magic Division, and Lily were all safe. He said that no one had sustained any serious injuries, as there were magicians capable of using healing magic, including Lily, present at the scene. Except for one person.
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ㅤWhen I heard that Oswald had been seriously injured protecting Lily, and that he was afflicted with miasma so potent that even the Saint couldn’t dispel it, leaving him unable to even stand on his own, the first thing that came to mind was the image of my father from the past. Perhaps it was better than losing his life, but I heard that Oswald was bedridden, and there was no prospect of recovery. I wondered what would happen if Lily was left alone, crying beside her fiancé, who was immobilized after protecting her.
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ㅤHowever, there was nothing I could do, even if I worried about it. If even the Saint, Lily, and the elite Magic Division couldn’t do anything about Oswald’s injury, there was no way I, who could only use basic magic, could help. I couldn’t even offer comfort to Lily, who would likely be devoting herself to caring for her fiancé, as we weren’t even friends. I was spending my days feeling helpless, able to do nothing but pray, when it happened.
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ㅤI saw a white dress swirling in the hallway of the royal court. I instinctively thrust the documents I was holding into Joshua’s hands and ran towards the figure, who turned out to be Lily, carrying a thick book. She looked slightly surprised to see me running towards her, but she quickly smiled and bowed. Oh no, my heart is pounding. I pretended not to notice the loud heartbeat, which was too strong to be attributed to running.
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ㅤ”Thank you for your hard work in subjugating the magical beasts and purifying the land. I heard that this marks the end of the Year of Calamity. I’m grateful for your contribution…….I’m glad you returned safely.”
ㅤ”I’m honored by your gracious words.”
ㅤ”About……I heard about Oswald. I’m sure you’re worried as his fiancée, but stay strong……Um……”
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ㅤAs I stammered, searching for the least burdensome way to express my concern, Lily made a face as if to say,”Oh, right.”
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ㅤ”We broke off the engagement.”
ㅤ”Huh?”
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ㅤI doubt my ears at her nonchalant words. For a moment, I couldn’t process it, and I think I made a rather foolish expression.
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ㅤ”Uh, um……Why?”
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ㅤThe only question I could manage was a simple one, and Lily, asked this, averted her gaze slightly and said,”I dislike men who are weaker than me.”
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ㅤ”……You’re lying, aren’t you?”
ㅤ”Ah……”
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ㅤHer face clearly said,”Oops.”She must have completely forgotten that I can see through lies. I took the thick book from her arms as she looked down, embarrassed.
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ㅤ”Your Highness?”
ㅤ”I was just thinking of taking a break. Would you mind keeping me company if you have time?”
ㅤ”Y-Yes.”
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ㅤWhen I took her free hand and started walking, Lily, still bewildered, obediently followed, perhaps out of guilt for having lied earlier. It’s probably not proper to touch a woman so casually, but I told myself that it was alright since we were both currently unengaged.
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ㅤI brought her to the courtyard of the royal court. Some people take their breaks here during lunchtime, but at this time of day, most people are working, so it’s empty. We sat side by side on a bench that was as inconspicuous as possible.
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ㅤAs I remained silent, Lily, who initially seemed a little uncomfortable, began to speak haltingly.
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ㅤ”……I sent my sister to Oswald’s place in my stead.”
ㅤ”Why?”
ㅤ”She’s admired Oswald for a long time, and when she heard about his injury, she was distraught.”
ㅤ”So you gave up your fiancé?”
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ㅤI couldn’t help but frown. Even if she loves her sister dearly, is it really necessary to go that far?
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ㅤ”Yes. Well, I was going to break off the engagement eventually anyway, even if he had returned safely. It’s just a matter of whether we ended it amicably or I unilaterally broke it off, but I think it was sudden and inconsiderate to Oswald. I also forced my parents to agree.”
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ㅤJudging from the way she said it, it was a unilateral break-up initiated by Lily. I wonder if it was really okay for Oswald……for Lily. My feelings must have shown on my face, because Lily smiled slightly.
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ㅤ”There were no romantic feelings in this engagement from the beginning. Not for me, and probably not for Oswald either. He was kind to me, but he seems to be equally kind to everyone. He didn’t really propose to me; he just didn’t refuse the people around him who wanted it to happen. It was the same for me……We built trust by fighting together, but we were always somewhat distant. Neither of us had any intention of deepening our relationship. In that case, my sister, who genuinely admires Oswald, would be better suited to support him.”
ㅤ”That might be true, but……Still, Oswald’s feelings are just your assumption.”
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ㅤHe might have loved you, he might have desired the engagement, he might have been thinking of deepening your relationship. After saying that, I thought I might have sounded a bit harsh. However, Lily didn’t seem to mind and said,
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ㅤ”I told my sister to tell him that I’ve been mistreating her. Oswald is kind, so he wouldn’t send her away, and even if he had feelings for me, he would eventually come to dislike me after hearing such stories…….It’s fine if he hates me and doesn’t want to see me. I have things to do, so I don’t have the time to visit or care for him.”
ㅤ”……Are you searching for a way to dispel Oswald’s miasma?”
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ㅤI realized that the book I had taken from her hand was a record of holy magic. There would be nothing for a skilled user like her to learn from it now, but I guess she came all the way here and borrowed this old material from the library. The reason for that is obvious.
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ㅤ”I can’t let my dear sister’s fiancé stay bedridden forever, can I?”
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ㅤThere was no lie in her words, spoken with a smile. But even without this ability of mine, I’m sure I could tell that wasn’t all.
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ㅤ”……You haven’t been getting much sleep, have you?”
ㅤ”……”
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ㅤShe probably didn’t answer because she knew I would see through her lie. Lily just smiled wryly. The faint dark circles under her eyes, her body that seemed thinner than the last time I saw her. It’s not hard to imagine what kind of life she’s been leading this past week.
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ㅤ”Oswald is amazing. He said, ‘I managed to do it in the end,’ but normally, no one can activate special-grade magic. Even in the era when magic was at its peak, it was said to be a legendary, miraculous feat. He didn’t activate it instinctively when attacked by the magical beast; he must have been preparing the spell from the beginning after seeing the devastation in the village. Because I was attacked in the middle of it, he had no choice but to protect me with his own body instead of magic. Normally, his magic would never be too late.”
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ㅤLily clenches her hands tightly. Her downcast eyes, as if staring at her hands, blink repeatedly.
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ㅤ”……It’s my fault.”
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ㅤHer voice wasn’t trembling, but her feelings were painfully clear. Behind her words, spoken as if to say,”It’s for my dear sister,”there was a definite feeling for Oswald, who had protected her. It might not be love or romance, but……
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ㅤThe guilt of having caused him to be injured, of having put the man her sister admired in such a state. She’s pretending to have pushed her bedridden fiancé onto her sister, but in reality, she’s tormented by guilt and pushing herself too hard for the sake of both of them.
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ㅤ”……I hear that holy magic powerful enough to purify land requires an extraordinary amount of concentration. You probably couldn’t activate it while dealing with magical beasts yourself.”
ㅤ”But still……But still……”
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ㅤLily, who seemed to want to say that she could have done more, looked down, and thinking that she might have finally burst into tears, I instinctively reached out to her cheek. When I gently turned her face towards me, her eyes were moist, but no tears spilled out.
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ㅤ”……You don’t have to bear it all alone. There’s no one else here but me, you can let it all out……”
ㅤ”I won’t cry over anything other than my sister.”
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ㅤHer lips, which tried to smile bravely, trembled slightly. Her heart might have already reached its limit.
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ㅤ”Okay, then you’re not crying. It’s just my clumsy magic that made your eyes wet.”
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ㅤAfter apologizing with a”Sorry,”I embraced her slender frame, which was surprisingly delicate for her height. I listened to her words,”Your Highness can’t see through his own lies,”gradually turn into sobs in the afternoon sun.