I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 4 Part 7

“Daughter!”

My family, who had noticed me, was running towards me from the end of the corridor.

While I already expected it from my father, it was extremely unusual to see my typically calm mother running frantically with wide eyes.

“What on earth happened? Poisoning! Are you alright even standing like this?”

“Daughter, are you in a lot of pain? How much does it hurt? Hmm?”

My already overwhelmed mind felt like it would explode from their consecutive questions. But looking at their worried faces, my heart weakened, and I couldn’t bring myself to say anything strange. Even Con, who used to tease me if I fell and got hurt, was silently looking at me with concern.

It’s nice to see them after such a long time.

I smiled affectionately, looking at the faces I missed. It would be better to quickly alleviate their excessive worries.

“I’m fine now.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not hurting anymore.”

“…What are you talking about?”

Unable to find a way to explain, I scratched the back of my head and elaborated.

“The poison has been healed. I’m completely fine now.”

“…….”

My family exchanged blank looks at each other. It was expected. No one in this temple knows the full story.

My mother was the first to regain her senses. Amidst her continued confusion, she asked, visibly pleased and wanting to confirm once again.

“So, you’re unharmed?”

“Yes.”

“Daughterrrrrr!”

Upon hearing my response, my father tightly hugged me, unable to hold back tears even though I was already healed. I shook my head as if to say that there was no need to cry as I watched my father uncontrollably cry.

In the midst of that, Father Oscar appeared. After introducing himself, he passionately made a more fervent claim than before, his face filled with even more faith.

“It’s a miracle! A miracle has come to your daughter!”

My family stared at him with baffled expressions, then quickly brightened up after hearing his explanation.

“Unbelievable, our daughter has become a recipient of a miracle….”

Considering I had just been critically ill just yesterday, it wasn’t unreasonable to think that way. Unable to let out the whole truth, I could only laugh.

Perhaps due to the rubble, family members who hadn’t seen each other for a long time were given a meeting room that was usually only allowed for important guests. They seemed to gain confidence after seeing a perfectly fine me, which assured them that everything was alright. They quickly regained their liveliness as if they had never been worried.

“Have you become closer to the holy knights?”

Con did not hesitate to ask questions that satisfied his selfish interests. For once, Mom didn’t hit him in the head even when he asked outright.

“Yeah, so have you gotten any closer to a Stella? It’s not bad to have a priest with a bright future.”

“Sister, sister. If possible, a holy knight. Brother-in-law should give me a strong backing… Ouch!”

Eventually, Con screamed in pain as Mom caught his ear. Where did he get the audacity to talk about being a holy knight when he doesn’t even have holy power?

While sticking out my tongue towards my pitiful little brother, Dad also asked a similar question with a smile.

“Our daughter is so beautiful, but isn’t there anyone interested in her?”

They say even a hedgehog finds their kids adorable.

Of course, objectively speaking, I didn’t have a repulsive face. But I hadn’t felt as confident about my appearance as I did when I was younger, perhaps because I’d been seeing Prim, who is uniquely beautiful, so often lately.

Without even realizing it, I sighed and brushed my wrinkled eyebrows.

“Dad, I came here to work. The temple isn’t like the social circles.”

Forget dating, I might just end up spending my entire life in the temple doing purification work!

“I know, I know. I was just curious so I asked.”

As soon as I replied a little sternly, I glanced lightly at my cute dad, who tucked his tail right away. But my mom, who didn’t back down, openly let out a sigh of disappointment.

“I heard that the third daughter from the Roche family recently got married to a priest she met during her training.”

“……”

It’s not that I can’t understand why my parents are in a hurry. I would already be in my mid-twenties next year. Although I haven’t completely passed the marriageable age, it’s not strange to get married and have a child at this age.

The reason lies in the fact that I kept postponing my duty of service.

At first, I was afraid that the development of the original work would start as soon as I met the female lead. It felt like my life would be completely taken away from me.

Everyone dreams of being the main character of their own life. But not everyone can have that good fortune.

When I first regained the memories of my past life, it was hard to accept the fact that my life was predetermined. I couldn’t believe, and didn’t want to believe, that I was just a villainous supporting character.

Even after I personally met my cousin who appeared in the novel, it took quite some time to acknowledge that fact. And the fact that I remembered going to the same ball as Prim through that cousin was disheartening.

Occasionally, I harbored futile hopes. Maybe if I didn’t meet her and did well, I could avoid it. Not as a supporting character to the protagonist Primis Starring, but because I wanted to live as the main character of my own life, as Duna Valorem, no matter what.

However, I had no way of knowing exactly when Prim would enter the temple, and there was no way to avoid it as Stella. My mom kept urging me to quickly finish my duty of service, but I couldn’t muster the courage to submit the documents.

This year was my last chance. And as if caught in the whims of destiny, I met Peidos and Prim as soon as I entered the temple.

The real protagonists of this world.

“If it’s fate, whatever. We’ll meet when the time comes.”

My dad, who was keeping an eye on me as I muttered in resignation, stopped my mom from saying anything.

“Yeah, I’m satisfied as long as our daughter is healthy. I thought I was going to faint when I heard the news of your poisoning last night.”

Then he re-enacted the moment of surprise and clutched his chest while lying down. I burst out laughing for once at my foolish dad’s hilarious performance.

The lively atmosphere that continued with trivial conversation took a turn when Peidos entered with an unfamiliar woman. My parents and Con awkwardly greeted them, half-rising from their seats.

Peidos, dressed in a neat uniform, delivered the ceremonial greetings and opened his mouth.

“I apologize for interrupting your enjoyable time.”

After bowing lightly to me, he briefly introduced himself while looking at my family.

“I am Peidos, the Commander of the St Gabriel Knights, who was in charge of guarding the purification group to Luticia. I have no words to express the suffering that your daughter has endured. I deeply apologize.”

The honest protagonist apologized even to my family. He slightly lowered his head at their unstoppable behavior, and suddenly I noticed Con with his mouth wide open.

That’s right, the leader of the St. Gabriel Knights is no different from an idol.

The only person who was surprised wasn’t just Con. My parents were also wide-eyed and looking at him with the same enthusiasm as when I first saw Peidos Carmel.

Perhaps it wasn’t only because he achieved great accomplishments at a young age. I had a feeling there was a reason behind his beyond human appearance.

“I called the magician for Sagah for a more thorough examination. Is it okay if I have him examine you for a moment?”

“…Ah, sure.”

My dad even subtly pushed me when he mentioned an examination. He had an obvious restlessness, as if the agitation he felt when he first heard the news had returned.

“Miss Duna, would you please sit down for an examination?”

Whether it was because we were in front of my parents or not, he used honorifics when speaking to me. I nodded my head appropriately, keeping my excited heart under control despite the slight change in tone.

Then the ducal magician approached me as if she had been waiting. As she spread her palm and placed it on top of my head, I could feel a warm energy flowing through my body.

The magician held that pose for a while and then spoke with a confident tone.

“There’s nothing wrong.”

“…Hah, thank goodness.”

My dad was the first to respond, his anxiety evident. My mom and Con relaxed as well, sighing with relief.

Peidos was the same. His expression, which had been as stiff as a stone, noticeably softened as soon as he heard the magician’s assurance. The way he lightly closed his eyelids and exhaled revealed just how worried he had been.

I felt both grateful and sorry at the same time, it was a rather complex feeling.

“Rest well and don’t use your power forcibly for a few days. We have temporarily suppressed your power.”

“…What?”

I perked up as the magician spoke. Peidos, who sensed something strange, asked again.

“You mean her powers are forcibly suppressed?”

“Yes. It seems it was temporarily done when treating the poison, but oh, there’s no longer any poison or magic, so you don’t need to worry. While using your powers may not pose a significant risk, I mentioned it could cause side effects.”

“…….”

I swallowed slowly. His explanation gave me a stronger conviction.

This wasn’t a miracle. It was clear that Keene was involved.

My family members who couldn’t keep up with the conversation exchanged busy glances with puzzled expressions on their faces, signaling me to explain quickly.

With nothing else to say, I just smiled awkwardly.

Peidos’s complexion had darkened, and he began to tap his finger on his thigh as though he was deeply contemplating something. In the suffocating stillness, I could only wait for him to speak.

Finally, he lifted his head. Sadly, I couldn’t read anything from our locked eyes.

“…I’ll come back later to confirm. Miss Duna, please rest well and have a good time with your family today.”

Dry words with a hint of grace. He answered in a small voice, bowing his head deeply.

“Yes….”

He paid his respects to my family and left the room with the magician. As I watched the slowly closing door, I anxiously chewed on my lips.

* * *

After being granted a short outing, I returned to the temple after having a meal with my family.

About half of the conversation that went on throughout the evening was about Peidos.

The point being, to bring in a wonderful son-in-law.

“I also thought I had found the perfect son-in-law at first.”

If only he wasn’t the male lead.

I walked forward, trying to calm my bitter thoughts. Just when I thought it was the perfect time to bring up my complaints, I felt disappointed once again after escorting them to the magic circle.

I absentmindedly counted the days until my first vacation, and suddenly realized that this was not the right time to think like this.

Shaking my head to clear away the useless thoughts, I headed towards the East Building as I had planned earlier. But when I finally reached the entrance, I started to hesitate again.