I Became the Heroine’s Stand-in - Chapter 100

Ersivan finally revealed himself. In just a few days, he had become noticeably gaunt.

Diana had intended to shower him with reproaches the moment she saw him, but when she actually looked at him, the words wouldn’t come. Perhaps her heart had weakened at the sight of his unexpected weariness. Though he looked somewhat worn down, his massive frame still loomed as he strode through the doorway. His destination was the bed where Diana lay.

“…Di—… Lily.”

He had nearly called her by her real name in front of everyone. Fortunately, the initial sounds were similar enough that he was able to recover quickly. Diana didn’t notice; her ear had been pressed against his chest as he pulled her into an embrace, momentary blocking out the sound.

Ersivan Valencia was always a surprisingly effective opportunist. Diana took a shallow breath, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of her face pressed against his firm chest.

“Are you alright?”

The words fell upon the crown of her head rather than her ears. She felt as if her lips might bruise if she tried to speak while being held so tightly. Instead of answering, Diana simply nodded her head up and down.

“…That is a relief.”

It was fortunate that his back was turned to the room, or everyone would have witnessed his smile. His affectionate behavior was already disconcerting enough; if they saw anything more shocking, they might have fainted.

Truly, truly a relief, Ersivan thought as he stroked her hair.

The sound of her soft breathing against him was incredibly precious. How much had his heart withered while waiting to hear that breath, to feel that warmth once more? Even though he knew she was flustered and embarrassed, he did not pull away quickly. Perhaps he secretly wished that this fleeting moment would stretch into eternity.

Gulp.

The sound of someone swallowing hard broke the silence. It was followed by a chorus of awkward throat-clearing and suppressed chuckles.

“Kardel.”

“…I wasn’t the one laughing.”

At the mention of his name in that low warning tone, Kardel immediately waved his hands in denial. It was a confession born of pure terror. Ersivan turned only his head to glare at Kardel, his expression full of irritation. It was a look that clearly said: Whatever you have to say is none of my business.

Look at that face. Just look at it. Kardel felt pity for Diana, who was still pinned in that embrace and couldn’t see a thing. If she could only see his two-faced nature, she’d snap out of it and run away.

“Should we leave the room for you?” Kardel asked sarcastically, unable to stomach the scene any longer. Truly, watching his friend’s nauseating duplicity was more revolting than he had imagined.

After a moment of silence, Ersivan tightened his arms around her one last time before finally ending the restrictive embrace.

“I have somewhere I must go.”

“Again?”

“…Again?”

Kardel’s question was sharp and annoyed. Diana’s question, though not as cynical, carried a similar weight and managed to hold Ersivan back. Looking between the two, Ersivan finally answered while locking eyes with Kardel.

“I have somewhere I must go for a while. Not for long, but it will take a few more days.”

“…”

“It isn’t anything dangerous or strange. It’s just for personal reasons.”

At his solemn tone, Kardel nodded reflexively. But the more he chewed over the words, the more he felt like Ersivan wasn’t actually talking to him. The tone was as disrespectful as ever, yet the underlying meaning was strangely tender.

Ersivan smoothed out his disheveled clothes after his heart-wrenching parting from Diana. He was just about to take a step toward the door when a hand caught the hem of his jacket. Following the small fingers, he saw the culprit was, as expected, Diana.

“I will return soon.”

“…But.”

“It is not dangerous, nor is it anything strange. It really is just for simple personal reasons.”

Beguiled by his gentle voice and manner, Diana found herself mesmerized. By the time she snapped out of it, he had already retreated far away. Was it really alright? He didn’t look like he was lying. But it could be that Ersivan’s acting skills had improved, or that Diana’s mind was too weak to see through him. Her anxiety didn’t fade.

Hoping for a second opinion, she called out to Kardel.

“Kardel.”

“…My Lady. I’m sorry, but I’ve suddenly decided I want to be alone for a moment.”

She was rejected immediately. Well, she thought, he must be troubled seeing his friend in such a precarious state. Diana left Kardel to his thoughts with such innocent assumptions.

“I have somewhere I must go for a while… It isn’t anything dangerous or strange…” “I will return soon… It really is just for simple personal reasons.”

“That damn bastard thinks I’m some kind of bridge for his romance,” Kardel grumbled inwardly, tearing Ersivan apart in his mind.

The afternoon at Valencia was exceedingly dull. It was impossibly peaceful and, by the same token, impossibly boring. Diana glanced at the figure seated next to her bed. Kardel had pulled up a chair and had been guarding her side for several hours.

Kardel himself claimed he was “nursing” her, but it felt much more like he was acting as a warden. While he did help whenever Diana needed something, he provided none of the actual peace and quiet a patient required.

When Diana pointedly closed her book with a thud, Kardel’s gaze immediately followed. He shook one of the books from the pile on the desk, interpreting her action as having finished her current read.

“Since you’re done with that, do you want to read this one?”

For the record, there were already three or four books piled next to Diana’s bed. This meant she had already read through three or four volumes.

“…What is that one?”

“The Talent Born Once in a Century: Kardel.”

“The title is remarkably blunt.”

“It’s actually quite a good read.”

“…Are you serious?”

As Diana narrowed her eyes, the skin beneath her right eye puffed up slightly. It was a very clear expression of disbelief. To an outsider, it might have seemed cold, but for Diana, it was merely a defensive mechanism.

Isn’t there a saying that a person will go crazy if they look at the same thing all day? Diana was on the verge of proving that saying true.

Master Magic in 3 Days!, Magic for Beginners, The Greatest Talent Raised by the Magic Tower, Must-Read Books for Aspiring Mages.

These were the titles of the books she had been reading for the past few hours. The themes were all remarkably similar. For instance, the author of every reference book was the same person, and the subject of every biography was also the same person. Tired of it all, she shook her head in refusal.

And yet, her hand still reached for the book. Even when she wanted to refuse his kindness, her heart wouldn’t let her. Kardel’s proud face, as if he had known she would take it, was endlessly irritating. Diana glared at him with a sulky expression before opening the first page.

“So, are you planning to stay here all day?”

“It wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“I’ll stay put even if you don’t guard me so closely.”

“Guard?”

“It feels like you’re monitoring me.”

“…Monitoring? Nonsense.”

Kardel paused for a moment to hide his reaction. He thought he had maintained a perfect poker face—his voice hadn’t trembled, and his tone was as steady as usual.

“You are, though.”

But his thoughts were just thoughts. Despite his efforts, a small laugh escaped Diana’s lips. She was far too quick-witted.

“Fine, fine. Yes. I received a low-class order to tattle on you if you do anything foolish.”

“His Grace isn’t the type of person to do that.”

“The guy you know might not actually be the guy he is.”

“Hmm, if you’re trying to drive a wedge between us. I know very well that His Grace really isn’t that kind of person.”

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly as she spoke. She had changed so much from the woman Kardel used to know. The old Diana would have become dejected, her eyes becoming moist with unshed tears.

He’s exactly that kind of guy. How naive, Kardel thought, snorting inwardly as he chewed on a slice of apple Daisy had brought. It was amazing how she believed so firmly in Ersivan’s manufactured image. Diana seemed to believe that the rumors floating around were false.

Even though there is no smoke without fire.

Ersivan Valencia was definitely a man crazy enough to monitor her every move if necessary. Kardel wondered why she trusted him so blindly, and he could only think of one reason.

“You like him, don’t you?”

The question was half-serious, half-teasing.

“…Pardon?”

“I’m saying you seem to love your husband quite a lot.”

Sure enough, a crimson flush spread across her face. She tried her best to hide it, but her skin was far too fair and translucent to conceal the blush.

“No, I—what are you…”

The way she covered her mouth with her hands was undeniably that of a girl in love. Kardel blinked, surprised by her extreme reaction. Meanwhile, the light pink on Diana’s skin turned a deep, burning red.

“That… there’s no way…”

Wow, how pathetic.

That thought flashed through Kardel’s mind. To reiterate: watching a friend’s love life was incredibly disgusting and utterly horrific.

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