Please Bully Me, Miss Villainess!

“Um… I still don’t quite understand. Why can’t we use dispelling magic on the Madam?”

“Are you joking? You fool! Do you want to dispel me along with it? That would kill Lena!”

Although dispelling magic can remove ordinary ‘Nightmares’, doing so would also separate the little fox spirit acting as a guardian.

It is precisely because Ryuka is by her side providing magical power that Madam Lena can preserve her life like this. Otherwise, with the life force remaining in the body’s original owner, she wouldn’t be able to hold on for long.

The long-term magical power supply relationship has already bound their souls together. Now, the two have become mutually dependent—neither can leave the other. If separated, the fox spirit with weakened magical power would immediately dissipate, and Madam Lena’s life would be in immediate danger.

This is also why Ryuka strongly opposes using dispelling magic.

“Besides, that thing can’t be dispelled with ordinary dispelling magic! If it were that easy, I wouldn’t have gone to such lengths!”

“Then what should we do…”

“Didn’t you already come up with a solution just now?”

“…Eh? The method to transfer the ‘Nightmare’… is it possible?”

“You can’t do it alone, of course. But if I help you, we can transfer the ‘Nightmare’ onto you, little one!”

Ryuka playfully twirled her tail and began circling around little Elsa.

Although this little one is young, her magical power is unexpectedly abundant, making her very suitable as a vessel for the ‘Nightmare’.

Ryuka had already made calculations in her mind. She was confident enough to convince the other party.

In her, Ryuka could see a shadow similar to herself.

“……..”

Even though she had already made up her mind just moments ago, when she actually heard that the method was indeed possible, little Elsa hesitated.

The consequences of having one’s life force absorbed by a ‘Nightmare’ were now clear to her.

“Also, this matter is related to your master.”

Ryuka casually dropped words that caught Elsa’s attention.

“…The ‘Nightmare’ issue is related to the Young Miss?”

Hearing this, her heart immediately tensed up.

“The bloodline of you humans is quite fascinating…”

The slender fox eyes stared at her, making Elsa feel unable to move.

“Lena’s daughter also has the same constitution as her. In other words—if Lena dies, this ‘Nightmare’ will go to your Young Miss. Well… it’s what you’d call a vicious cycle.”

Little Elsa had heard older wanderers say that foxes are cunning creatures, so ‘no matter what, try not to provoke them as much as possible.’

Beasts are, after all, just beasts—selfish creatures.

But for the fox girl before her, Lena’s life was the most important thing.

To make a final gamble for Lena’s safety, she was willing to expend her last remaining magical power, even if doing so would make her disappear completely from this world.

Even if after doing all this, the other party wouldn’t be able to sense her existence, she would still do it without hesitation.

She could see her own shadow in Ryuka.

This feeling of wanting to repay was the same as her own.

Ryuka gave Elsa the choice.

“—Will you do it, or not?”

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

“Guess~ who am I~?”

The cold sensation on her face startled little Elsa out of her deep thoughts.

Cold little hands came from behind and covered her eyes.

“…Young Miss, did you just return from outside?”

Although her vision turned pitch black, Elsa wasn’t worried.

Because there was no need to guess at all…

But it was clear that the Young Miss didn’t really intend for her to guess, either.

She probably just wanted to play the ‘guess who’ game… or perhaps she just wanted to say that line?

However, when the person behind her removed their hands, Elsa turned around and noticed that her face and nose were red from the cold.

“My hands are so cold~ Help me warm them up?”

She pouted and extended her hands.

…Does she want to act spoiled with me?

“Yes, please give me your hands.”

They’re really cold…

Little Elsa cupped her hands and brought them to her mouth to breathe on them. Letting the warm air circulate between her fingers,

She watched herself repeat this action, seeming somewhat lost in thought.

“Young Miss… is something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing…”

Although she could hear her trying to maintain her usual tone, the perceptive little Elsa still noticed something unusual in the hoarse end of her voice.

In this weather… without bringing maids or servants, why did she go outside?

Besides her face being red from the cold, Elsa noticed that the area around the Young Miss’s eyes was also red.

…Has she been crying?

The Young Miss must be very worried about Madam’s illness too.

Since that day, the time Lena could remain conscious has been getting shorter and shorter.

When visiting her, she’s always in a state of unconsciousness.

Even someone who doesn’t understand medicine at all can see that Madam’s physical condition has already become quite bad.

This morning, when she went to fetch water for the Young Miss, little Elsa overheard the maids whispering among themselves.

Everyone was saying that the duchess probably wouldn’t make it through this winter.

Not just the maids, almost all the servants had such rumors.

Although they wouldn’t show it in front of their masters, compared to herself, the Young Miss was more sensitive to these things and couldn’t possibly have not noticed.

Like this…

Did she hide somewhere to cry alone because she didn’t want to worry everyone?

Thinking this, little Elsa put down her hands and hugged her.

“…Elsa?”

Yvonne hadn’t reacted yet, and almost lost her balance from this sudden impact, stepping back several steps.

But she didn’t seem to want to let go, and hugged her back as she followed.

“—Your body!”

She looked up at her and said seriously:

“Young Miss’s body… let me warm it up too!”

Although she knew this was a somewhat clumsy excuse, she just didn’t want to see the Young Miss with that sad expression.

If it could restore her spirits, she would do anything.

With a voice that seemed relieved, breathing out air with a slight tremor, she also reached out and hugged her.

“Then I’ll leave it to you… please warm me up.”

Her voice was a bit choked up.

After receiving her response, the strength in her arms became even tighter.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

—If it’s you, you should be able to understand my feelings to some extent, right?

Ryuka’s voice sounded in her ear.

—If things continue like this, this family will only face a tragic cycle of fate.

—However, you can end all of this.

She knew well that she herself didn’t have much value.

If someone like herself could be exchanged for the Young Miss’s happiness in her life from now on…

Then the answer was very clear.