Until the Substitute Saintess is Loved: The Sister Sent to the Convent as the Villainess Heals Everyone's Hearts with Her Healing Powers - Chapter 32

“Honestly, what a cramped little room. Is this truly sufficient for entertaining someone of my standing?”

My sister-in-law, who had introduced herself as Rosalina upon visiting the convent, erased her smile the moment she entered my room. For some reason, Bennett was standing by her side.

She was the only maid who had ever shown me kindness in that miserable earl’s household.

While pretending to persecute me in front of others, she had always secretly helped me.

Seeing her here at the convent as Lupina’s companion filled me with growing anxiety.

Thank goodness I was wearing my veil.

I could never have maintained a composed expression otherwise.

“Well, I suppose it’s more than adequate for someone like you.”

Strangely enough, my sister-in-law seemed to be in good spirits today.

Normally, I would have been beaten for the slightest offense.

(Herbal tea won’t do…)

I could vividly imagine my sister-in-law throwing it aside if I served the herbal tea I usually drank.

I had no choice but to use the black tea Lord Landrick had given me. I’d been carefully rationing it, so thankfully there was still some left.

“Hmm… This isn’t the tea served at the royal palace, is it?”

Just from the scent, Lupina seemed to recognize it. I was right not to serve the herbal tea.

“I had some left from a previous gift.”

“That would be from Lord Landrick, I presume?”

Hearing his name made my heart skip a beat.

“Well, I needn’t even ask. There’s no way someone like you could afford such expensive tea served at the palace.”

She chuckled lightly and, for some reason, gestured for Bennett to take a seat.

“Be a dear and serve Bennett some tea as well. She likely never gets to taste tea served at the palace, does she?”

“…Forgive my intrusion.”

Though her expression remained neutral, I could sense Bennett’s unease.

I prepared a cup of tea for her and offered it.

(Drinking tea at the same table as a maid…? What on earth is my sister-in-law planning…?)

Bennett was important to me, but my sister-in-law had never had any particular connection with her.

Or perhaps their relationship had changed after I left the earl’s household.

But as far as I could recall, my sister-in-law had never even taken tea with her favorite maids.

To my sister-in-law, those of lower rank were insignificant. While some maids at the earl’s household were daughters of minor nobles, most were commoners. Bennett was one of them.

I couldn’t understand why she had brought Bennett, who didn’t even hold a baronetcy.

“Now, Rosalina. I’ve come today to restore our original positions.”

“Original positions?”

“Yes, that’s right. I was originally supposed to come to this convent. I sent you in my place, but now that you’re engaged to Lord Landrick, that changes everything. I was truly shocked to hear you could get engaged without going through our family just because you’d left the earl’s household! Who knew a nun could become engaged with the abbess’s permission? Because of that, my arrival here was delayed.”

“…I don’t understand what you mean. He became engaged to me.”

“Oh, no, that’s not right. It wasn’t you. He proposed to me, Lupina. You understand, don’t you? He loves me, after all.”

My sister-in-law tilted her head as if stating the obvious.

She had always despised him.

She disliked that he protected Lady Bejular Schmaritt, whom she saw as a rival, but couldn’t eliminate him because he was royalty.

It wasn’t just once or twice that I had been beaten while she vented her frustrations.

So why was she suddenly claiming that Lord Landrick had proposed to her? Even if she didn’t despise him, this shouldn’t be something to rejoice about.

After receiving Lord Landrick’s proposal, my main concern had been Lupina.

But I knew she disliked him, that my father, Earl Ivor, would be pleased if I could be used as a political pawn, and most importantly, that as a nun, I could marry with the abbess’s permission, not the earl’s household’s. That was how I was truly able to become engaged.

“…!”

Suddenly, Bennett clutched her chest.

“Bennett?”

She had been sitting quietly until now, but something was clearly wrong.

My sister-in-law maintained her cheerful smile.

“Ugh…”

“Bennett!”

I rushed to her side as she slumped to the floor, her face contorted in pain.

(She’s deathly pale. Was she forced to come here despite being unwell?)

While rubbing her back, I tried to use healing magic, but nothing happened.

“Finally, it’s taking effect.”

Her light chuckle sent a chill down my spine.

“Sister…?”

“How many times must I tell you not to call me that? Are you stupid?”

“I-I apologize, Lady Lupina. But what have you done to Bennett?”

“You already know, don’t you?”

The one thing my healing magic couldn’t cure.

Even petrification I could now heal—the only thing beyond my power was poison.

“What did you make her drink?!”

“What does it matter? I’m not going to tell you.”

“Why are you doing this? What purpose does it serve? Please, hurry and treat her!”

“Don’t worry. It’s just a little painful, but she won’t die immediately. I chose something that takes its time, working slowly and thoroughly.”

My sister-in-law played with the ends of her hair, amused.

(What did Bennett do? I don’t understand why she’d be poisoned and brought here.)

I had antidotes in this room, but they were useless without knowing the specific poison.

The infirmary had more varieties, and even if they didn’t, I could prepare one myself. But without knowing what poison she was given, I was helpless. Giving her random antidotes could be poisonous in itself.

“Bennett, Bennett, what were you given? Please, tell me. Let me save you.”

She should still be able to speak.

But Bennett weakly shook her head.

Did that mean she didn’t even know when it was administered?

“Just as I thought. So, this is what’s important to you. Even though she’s just a commoner.”

My sister-in-law stood up and kicked both Bennett and me together.

The blow, delivered with no restraint, brought sharp pain to my abdomen, making me gasp for air.

“What… are you doing…? She has nothing to do with this, does she?”

“Oh? But she does. She holds affection for you, doesn’t she? That’s clear betrayal against me.”

“That’s not true. She holds no particular affection for me. You know that, Sister.”

Bennett cared for me deeply.

I had healed her mother—her only family—with my healing magic.

But I had asked her never to openly assist me where others could see. So, from my sister-in-law’s perspective, Bennett should have appeared no different from the other servants.

“That’s right. She always kept a blank expression, pretending indifference even when I was about to strike you.”

“Then why…?”

“Because she tried to follow you. When it was decided you would go to the convent in my place, the other servants acted as usual. But this one, though not particularly close to me, volunteered to go to the convent, didn’t she? And you refused her. That’s when I realized. You two share a special bond.”

Seeing her laugh so joyfully, I understood she truly intended to kill Bennett.

(To think she noticed back then…)

All because she cared for me, Bennett had become entangled in this.

“…I’ll do whatever you say. Please, save Bennett.”

I bowed my head deeply.

Only my sister-in-law could cure the poison.

To save Bennett, I had no choice but to rely on her mercy.

“Fufu, finally being obedient, aren’t you?”

My veil was torn away violently.

“Now, Rosalina. Did you truly believe a woman of mixed, lowborn blood like you could replace me? How could you, with that old woman’s hair, that whitish silver?”

“Ah, ugh…”

She yanked my hair with all her strength, and a pained sound escaped me.

If I showed pain, it would only encourage her torment.

My sister-in-law hated my face.

Because despite being an illegitimate child, I closely resembled her.

She struck my cheek repeatedly and mercilessly with her folding fan.

My sister-in-law hated my hair.

Because it was silver, just like hers, so similar you couldn’t tell them apart unless seen side by side.

Still pulling my hair, she slammed me forcefully onto the floor. Strands of hair snapped with a sickening sound, remaining in her hand. She tossed them away as if they were filthy.

“Oh my, have I rendered you speechless? How boring.”

She stomped on my leg with the heel of her shoe.

This time, I managed to endure the pain.

Back at the earl’s household, worse abuse had been commonplace. My sister-in-law would be satisfied once she had her fill of tormenting me.

“Don’t… Lady Rosalina. Please… forget about me… Please, be happy…”

Tears welled in Bennett’s eyes as she watched me being tormented.

Even speaking must have been agony due to the poison.

“Do you actually believe I would simply return to the earl’s household as if nothing happened?”

She turned back to Bennett and grabbed her chin.

“If you die and Rosalina still doesn’t obey, well then, I’ll have your mother disposed of.”

“Wha…?”

“Oh my, is that so surprising? A mere commoner dared to defy me, a noble and a saint? Did you think you alone would bear the consequences? I can easily find a reason to dispose of your mother. Are you stupid?”

“Ah, aah, aaaaaah!”

“Ahaha, how ridiculous! Why can’t you understand something so simple? It must be because Rosalina is foolish, so those around her are foolish too!”

As Bennett wept in despair, my sister-in-law laughed heartily, genuinely amused.

(Why isn’t anyone coming to this room…?)

With all this commotion, surely someone should have come.

“Ah, waiting for help is pointless. I cast a soundproofing spell around this room the moment I entered. No sound from here reaches anywhere else. Well? I suppose someone like you, who can barely manage healing, wouldn’t understand that.”

Then, as if struck by a thought, my sister-in-law began healing Bennett.

Color returned to her face, which had been completely listless.

“You look confused? Truly a dull woman. How tiresome to have to explain everything. But I suppose if I don’t make things perfectly clear, you might do something unnecessary. Out of kindness, I’ll tell you. She is a hostage.”

“A hostage…”

“Yes. I’ll keep her by my side. She’s important to you, isn’t she? Go ahead, tattle to Lord Landrick if you wish. That is, unless you no longer value her life.”

As my sister-in-law chuckled, I realized I was completely powerless.

Following her command to change clothes quickly, I removed my nun’s habit and put on the dress my sister-in-law had brought.

I understood now why she had been wearing that wide-brimmed, frilly hat—to conceal her face.

Finally, my sister-in-law healed my body. I felt the pain from my struck cheek vanish instantly, restored as if nothing had happened.

“We can’t have anyone seeing you like this, can we? What if rumors spread about a sister who abuses her dear younger sister? Now, hurry up and get out. The earl’s carriage is waiting right outside the gate.”

Shoved out of the room, I hurriedly left the convent without being seen by anyone. The hallway that had once sparkled brightly in the sunlight was now as dull and gray as the raincloud-covered sky.

As long as I obeyed, Bennett would never be harmed. So she would be safe. I would never defy my sister-in-law.

If this second exchange became known to anyone, Lady Lupina would surely kill Bennett without hesitation.

I would never see everyone at the convent again. Never see Lord Landrick again either.

I no longer had the veil to hide my face. If we met, he would surely recognize me.

(Lord Landrick…)

Inside the earl’s carriage I had rushed into, I stifled my sobs and held back my tears.