[Even the Terminally Ill Can Be Happy]
It was a story about a terminally ill Young Lady with healing powers who treated the Male Leads surrounded on all sides by swarms of monsters ā and in doing so, gained their love.
Ironically, her healing powers could not cure herself, striking a balance of bittersweet tragedy and sweetness, and it was praised as a bestseller for that very reason.
And certainly, in that novel, the villainessās name had been Liselotte.
‘I only read it because I wondered what kind of novel could get so many malicious commentsā¦’
Most of the hateful comments were directed at Liselotte, who continuously tried to approach the Male Leads.
And when the constant frustration piled up and catharsis went missing, some readers began to cross the line.
Episode 78 š¬ ‘379’ comments
YellowChocolateLady: The author must be someone who falls in love at the drop of a hat. Unless you yourself are committing adultery, why would you keep Liselotte alive like this?
SiohaengForever: Dear author, stop empathizing with Liselotte lol. With 55% transparency, I can already see you behind her.
Liselotte Perida. She had been the incompetent Princess of the Perida Empire.
Why the label “incompetent”?
In the Perida Empire, every member of the Imperial Family, upon reaching the age of fourteen, entered the Temple for their DĆ©butante ā a rite to receive the special authority bestowed upon Royals by God, along with a jewel as its token.
The Male Lead, Valen Perida ā Liselotteās older brother ā received a crystal and gained powerful magic, rising to fame as a sorcerer.
But when she, too, entered the Grand Temple at fourteen to receive her authorityā¦
“You received nothing? Such a thing is impossible!”
She emerged empty-handed, leaving the priests aghast.
From then on, every little action of Liselotteās was taken as proof to judge her worth, serving as convenient excuses to brand her the “incompetent” Princess.
As if living up to the rumors, Liselotteās words and actions grew rougher with each passing day.
This tendency became even more pronounced once a divine authority manifested ā not in a member of the Imperial Family, but in the female protagonist.
Even so, Liselotte continued to enter the Grand Temple every year in hopes of receiving an authority.
But Godās power never descended upon her.
Each time, the Emperor would ask again,
“Are you certain you entered the Temple properly?”
As everyoneās doubts mounted, Liselotte at last committed something she never should have.
[Liselotte Perida was here.]
She had left graffiti as proof on the statue representing the God Donia himself.
From then on, everyone openly pointed fingers at her.
“I heard you shoved Lady Gloria the other day?”
“Sheās Royalty herself, yet abandoned by God, while Lady Gloria received an authority. Of course she must have resented her.”
“With a temperament like that, no wonder even God forsook her.”
The more they scorned her, the more she wielded her power.
Whenever the heroine showed the slightest interest in something, Liselotte would buy it out ā whether it was trinkets or people, she made no distinction.
She stirred up false sympathy, even if it meant betrayal.
‘Well, in the end, she still couldnāt stop her brother.’
At last, the Emperor made his decision.
“Liselotte, you are to be wed to Grand Duke Keilos.”
To this, Liselotte protested fiercely.
“Youāre telling me to marry the Grand Duke? To a barbarian with nomadic blood?!”
“I have already concluded discussions with the North. I will hear no further objections.”
“Father!”
Liselotte believed that the Imperial Family had cast her aside.
And perhaps it was true ā after all, half the blood of Grand Duke Keilos came from the nomads, people despised across the continent.
There were rumors that among those nomads, who were said to deal in curses, a rare few inherited a special power passed down through generations.
The Word of Command.
With words alone, it was an ability like magic ā even akin to a curse that could bind people.
If one broke a Word of Command, it would rebound as a curse. In contrast to the authority of the Imperial Family, its cruelty stood out all the more.
Liselotte, in particular, loathed everything ā from the title “Grand Duchess” to even bearing the surname Keilos.
“Noā¦ I am a member of the Imperial Family. To marry a half-bloodā¦ impossible!”
She only wished to divorce and return to the Capital.
‘Even if it meant staging protests by throwing flour and eggsā¦’
Liselotte groaned, pressing her forehead with one hand.
Looking back, if she were to file for divorce now, she wouldnāt even be able to reclaim half of the dowry she had brought.
Of course, the specifics depended on continental law, but even the most generous of laws would never side with a spouse who had not only failed to help the family, but had been a hindrance.
‘Even if she was going to divorce, she should have kept some semblance of dutyā¦’
It had already been three months since she came to the Ducal estate, and she hadnāt managed even the most basic duties of a Grand Duchess.
The only saving grace was that Grand Duke Keilos had gone on long campaigns almost immediately after the wedding, leaving her little chance to clash with him directly.
‘Sending divorce petitions every morning, noon, and night was perhaps a blemishā¦’
But at least, one had to admit, her persistence was remarkable.
To put it bluntly, Liselotte had been right.
According to the original novel, she was destined to die by his sword.
Grand Duke Keilos had long been at odds with the vassals of House Keilos, who had served since generations past.
How many would truly wish to serve a half-blood Lord?
Disdain and contempt ā and on top of that, Liselotteās scorn.
She spewed her resentment, disparaging him and tearing down everything about him.
In the end, the Grand Duke, who had endured it all, crushed those who scorned him by force.
And the result?
‘Ta-da. Liselotte was hereā¦ and then she wasnāt.’
In the novel, Liselotte was the very first to meet death by his blade.
His rampage began the moment he returned from the long subjugation campaign ā only to be met with Liselotteās demand for a divorce.
“ā¦Divorce?”
‘Didnāt that man who came in earlier also say something about divorce?’
A chilling sensation brushed against the back of her neck.
Divorce was out of the question.
Liselotte cried out urgently to the maids.
“Bring me the marriage contract right now!”
As the terrified maids flustered and scurried about in confusion, she hastily added more.
“And a law book too!”
