The Terminally Ill Villainess Goes on a Journey - Chapter 4

The first night aboard the luxury train was quite comfortable.

The large bed that occupied about a third of the cabin was much more comfortable than expected. It wasn’t too soft nor too firm, perfectly enveloping my body when I lay down. The pillow also fit me just right, making it easy to fall into a deep sleep.

The thing I had worried about the most was the noise, but it wasn’t as bad as I had expected. The sound of the train became a kind of white noise that actually made me feel more at ease.

At some point, the soft light filtering in through the window gradually woke me up.

When I opened my eyes, I was met with a breathtaking sunrise outside the window.

“…Wow. Amazing.”

I unconsciously sat up and gazed out at the view.

The train was running along the coastline, and the golden morning light was shimmering beautifully on the deep blue sea.

‘Is this what makes train travel special? This is my first time experiencing it.’

Knock, knock.

A knock was followed by the door opening.

“Good morning, Miss! Did you sleep well? Are you feeling alright?”

“Good morning, Sophie! Yes, I’m fine.”

Even without asking, Sophie looked well-rested.

She walked over to me and joined me in looking out the window.

“I asked one of the staff earlier, and apparently, this is the Landa Sea. The train is heading towards Lisman Station. The sunrise is stunning, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s wonderful. I’m really glad I came here.”

Yesterday, I had been thrown into confusion after unexpectedly running into one of the male leads, but that feeling had long faded.

The moment I saw the beautiful sunrise, all I could think was how glad I was to have embarked on this journey.

Sophie chuckled as she watched me pressing my face against the window again, lost in the scenery.

“You should get dressed. I’ll go prepare some fresh water for you. Breakfast will be served soon, so you’ll need to head to the dining car.”

“Oh. Alright!”

First-class passengers dined in the dining car by default.

Last night, I had already experienced an extravagant dinner.

‘It was absolutely divine…’

The table had been filled with all sorts of delicacies and luxurious dishes, the likes of which I had never experienced even in my past life.

It was another taste of both travel and capitalism.

I wondered what would be served for breakfast today.

After washing up, I changed into a dress and made my way to the dining car.

As I entered, soft classical music played in the background. Passengers moved about, quietly conversing while enjoying their meals.

A train attendant who had been waiting nearby approached me.

“Good morning, traveler. Allow me to escort you to your table.”

Yes! Great!

…At least, that’s what I thought internally. Outwardly, I simply nodded with an elegant expression.

‘Now, let’s see. What’s for breakfast today?’

As soon as I sat down, I subtly turned my head to scan my surroundings.

I was curious about what the other passengers were eating.

Looking toward a nearby table, I noticed a man reading a newspaper.

His face was obscured by the paper, allowing me to openly observe his meal.

His table had a plate of fragrant toast, coffee, butter, jam, and a bowl of soup.

‘Ooh, a proper brunch. Nice.’

One of my small dreams had been to enjoy a good breakfast while traveling.

I nodded in satisfaction.

The elegant classical music, the warm sunlight streaming in through the windows, the quiet murmurs of people enjoying their meals—everything was perfect.

‘Well, aside from how crowded it is…’

My gaze lingered on the man who had yet to touch his food, completely absorbed in his newspaper.

‘But seriously, with so many people here having breakfast, why is he just sitting there reading? What an inconsiderate passenger.’

Maybe it was because he wasn’t moving at all, but the man stood out more than anyone else.

‘It feels similar to when I first saw Harry and Finn yesterday…’

Just as I was absentmindedly staring at him, the man slowly lowered his newspaper, revealing his face.

“…Wow.”

I couldn’t help but gasp.

He was stunningly handsome.

For a moment, it felt like the entire dining car had brightened.

The sunlight filtering through the window illuminated his silver hair and pale complexion, making him look almost ethereal. His long eyelashes cast delicate shadows as he remained focused on his newspaper, giving him the appearance of a beautifully sculpted statue—despite his inconsiderate behavior.

And then…

Something about him looked incredibly familiar.

‘…Wait?’

My brow furrowed as I mentally recalled the novel’s character descriptions.

My eyes slowly widened in shock.

‘No way, it’s Albert…!’

Yet another male lead was sitting right next to me!

***

Albert von Hasit.

The only male lead whose name included the middle name ‘von.’

A prince of the Hasit Empire and soon-to-be crown prince.

I gazed at his silver hair, glistening beautifully under the sunlight. It shimmered like the ripples on the sea I had seen that morning outside the train window.

‘Silver hair that beautiful is rare even in the empire.’

Along with his long eyelashes and sharp nose bridge.

Not only in my past life, but even in the world of romance fantasy novels, his striking looks stood out. That only confirmed he was indeed Albert.

He and I were already acquainted. Once upon a time, marriage discussions had taken place between our families, and for a while, we had even been close friends.

And that was exactly why he hated me so much.

‘But seriously, why is he here…?’

Panic hit me belatedly.

Running into any male lead was already a problem, but Albert was an especially big problem.

He was the true male protagonist of this novel—and the one who would kill me.

I vividly recalled the moment Irene was executed in the novel.

[For the crime of attempting to assassinate the saintess of the empire, Lady Irene Hartmann shall be executed.]

Albert, like some kind of psychopath, had mercilessly beheaded Irene in the novel’s final act.

By his side stood Emily, and just before the guillotine blade fell, he had covered Emily’s eyes.

After all, he was always exceedingly gentle and affectionate toward his own people—especially Emily.

‘Though I never actually got to see the ending since I died before finishing the novel.’

Maybe because I had recognized the man who was supposed to kill me, my body instinctively shuddered.

At that moment, his gaze, which had been focused on the newspaper, shifted toward me.

Across the dining car aisle, our eyes met.

“……?”

“……!”

Oh, crap.

I quickly turned my head away and shut my eyes tightly.

‘Don’t recognize me. Don’t recognize me…’

But contrary to my desperate wish, Albert folded his newspaper with a sharp snap and placed it down.

Then he rose from his seat and, with long strides, approached me.

Oh no. I needed to run…

“Lady Hartmann?”

Before I could react, Albert was standing before me, his brows furrowed.

“Why are you on this train?”

“Ah…”

I looked up at him and forced a smile.

…I was screwed.

***

Clatter, clatter.

The dining car remained a picture of tranquility.

Soft classical music played, and passengers quietly sipped soup or spread butter on their bread.

At one particular table, however, the atmosphere was tense as two people sat staring at each other in silence.

‘…Damn it.’

I had sensed something was wrong for a while now.

‘Why are the male leads on this train…?!’

The more I thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. Running into another male lead?

Since the train had departed yesterday, that meant they had all boarded at the same time. It was hard to believe this was a coincidence.

Two of the male leads had boarded on the same day as me?

‘No way… Are the other male leads on this train too?’

I subtly glanced around, but no one else of note stood out.

Eventually, my gaze landed back on Albert. He had been sitting there with his arms crossed, not touching his food, just staring at me.

‘I wish something dramatic would happen right about now.’

But the train continued smoothly on its course, completely indifferent to my wishes.

Albert, who had been silently watching me, suddenly spoke, “Why are you on this train?”