"I'm fine," she said, waving her hands dismissively. "It's just a minor injury. My cousin said it should heal within a week."
Mrs. Donovan was still worried and promptly sent for Aldoria's most renowned specialist to make a house call.
By the time the whole ordeal was finally over, it was time for dinner.
Nina looked at the table laden with rich meats and fish, and tears started streaming from the corners of her mouth.
In her past life, she'd only ever eaten cheap fast food right before she died. This was the best meal of her life, and she was so moved she wanted to cry.
Mrs. Donovan also sat at the dining table. She ladled a bowl of soup for Nina, her eyes full of gentle affection. "Nina, have some of this bone broth. Mom asked, and it's good for helping your injury recover."
Nina was taken aback by the affection and gave Mrs. Donovan a flawless, obedient smile. "Thank you, Mom."
Mrs. Donovan's heart softened, and she reached out to stroke Nina's head. "You never need to thank your mother for anything. It's my duty to give you all this."
Nina felt there was something strange about those words, but for a moment, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Her gaze flickered secretly toward the second floor. She thought about how he'd carried her on his back for a while that afternoon. After all that trouble, Ian must be hungry too. Sipping her soup, she asked, as if nonchalantly, "What about Ian? Should we call him down for dinner?"
Mrs. Donovan's previously gentle expression instantly turned cold. She smiled at Nina. "Don't worry about him. As long as he doesn't starve, it's fine. Nina, hurry and eat. All your favorite dishes are here today."
Afraid of giving herself away, Nina didn't mention Ian's name again.
After she'd eaten and drunk her fill, she went upstairs.
Mrs. Donovan had to go to her company to pick up Mr. Donovan, so she told Nina to go to her room and rest.
Lying on the three-meter-wide custom-made bed.
Nina looked around the massive, two-hundred-plus-square-meter room and began to ponder her existence.
'Misty, what's the deal with this family? Don't tell me Ian isn't Mrs. Donovan's biological son?'
Misty tutted and began to explain. *You and Ian are biological siblings, fraternal twins born to Mrs. Donovan. And isn't it good that you're the only one in the entire family who's doted on? You were an orphan in your past life. You get to experience a family's love in this one, so be content.*
Nina was speechless.
She didn't feel happy. On the contrary, she felt a creeping sense of dread.
'Is this affection even normal? Ever since I became this vicious supporting character, I feel like the whole world hates me.' Nina rubbed her chin, a little worried.
Misty was exasperated. *…You must have a persecution complex. Besides, in the early part of this book, you're the only one hurting people! What are you worried about!*
Nina was speechless.
She said, grief-stricken, 'I'm a pure and flawless gardenia, yet I'm forced to be the villainess.'
As she spoke, she clutched a milk candy in her palm and went out.
Ian was in his room, facing the wall in repentance.
Compared to Nina's spacious and beautiful princess room, his, while not exactly dilapidated, was as spartan as a shoddy hotel room. Other than a desk, a bed, and a wardrobe, there was nothing else.
Nina quietly opened the door and saw the young man in the darkness, his back ramrod straight as he faced the wall.
She couldn't help but feel a little exasperated. 'This is a total disaster for Ian. He got beaten just because I got hurt. But… this kid is too honest, isn't he? Mrs. Donovan isn't even home. Why doesn't he know how to slack off and lie down in bed?'
The sound of her opening the door caught Ian's attention. He was shrouded in darkness, but the person who arrived was backlit by the light. The warm glow from behind her spilled over her, and paired with her innocent, guileless face, she looked like an angel.
Disgust and weariness flashed in Ian's eyes. 'That girl is no angel. She's a devil.'
He coolly withdrew his gaze, his voice unable to keep the mockery out of it. "Are you here to laugh at me? Nina, you deliberately injure yourself every time, and then watch me get punished by Mother again and again because of you. Are you proud of yourself? Why was I born into this family? Why do I have a family member like you?"
It was clearly a calm statement, but Nina felt a profound sense of suffocation.
She wasn't affected by Ian's emotions. Pushing the door fully open, she leaned against the frame, raised an eyebrow, and spoke the truth. "Why else? Because I'm the vicious female supporting character, and you—you're my cannon fodder little brother."
Ian was speechless.
Misty: *…Do you even hear yourself right now?*
Nina: 'My mouth gets itchy if I don't tell the truth.'
No one would ever imagine this was the world of a book, so even if Nina spoke the absolute truth, no one would believe her.
Ian simply decided to ignore Nina.
A warmth brushed against his palm as Nina pressed a perfectly wrapped White Rabbit creamy candy into his hand.
This was the second time Nina had given him candy today.
He looked down in a daze, then violently threw the candy at Nina's face.
The hard candy scraped against Nina's delicate cheek, leaving a distinct red mark.
His voice suddenly rose, his eyes glaring at Nina with hatred. "Take your things and get out! I don't need your fake kindness! Get out!"
Nina ignored his hysterics, instead rubbing the sore spot. 'Ouch, that really hurts.'
Misty gloated, *You didn't really think doing a few good deeds would change their impression of you, did you? My previous hosts were just like this. In the end, they didn't complete their missions and died miserably. It's better to just be evil to the core.*
Nina turned and walked away, completely ignoring Misty's words.
She limped out, expressionless, in search of a bucket and a ladder.
Misty: *What are you doing?*
Nina: "Just now, I had an epiphany. As the vicious female supporting character, if someone hurts me one bit, I should pay them back a thousandfold!"
Misty was speechless.
It was so rare to see a host with such self-awareness.
In the end, Nina hoisted a stepladder onto her shoulder, carried a bucket in her other hand, and completely forgot about her injured foot.
She set up the ladder next to Ian and started climbing, bucket in hand.
She unceremoniously dumped the entire bucket of heavy milk candies over Ian's head. The candies fell to the ground, bouncing and scattering everywhere.
The hard candy wrappers scratched more marks onto Ian's face. Only then did Nina's lips curl into a smirk. "There are a total of one thousand candies scattered on the floor. You must pick them all up, eat every last one within two months, and then fold the wrappers into a thousand paper cranes for me. Otherwise, I have ten thousand ways to make you get out of the Donovan family. Oh, right." Nina's eyes curved into crescents as she gave him a sweet smile. "If you dare to throw away the candy I gave you, or share it with anyone else, I'll drive the Vivian Sterling you like so much out of Aldoria. I also have ten thousand ways to make her die in an 'accident'."
Ian's eyes widened in astonishment, then anger. "You dare!"
He wasn't angry about Nina's absurd demands, but that she was once again threatening to harm an innocent person.
Nina slowly descended the ladder. "Why don't you try me and find out?"
She shouldered the ladder and left, completely ignoring the fury of the person behind her.
Only after Nina left did it dawn on Ian.
'How did she know that I have a secret crush on Vivian Sterling?'
It was a secret only he knew. This crush was silent and hidden. How could Nina possibly know about it?
In that instant, a sense of shame washed over him, as if the most secret corner of his heart had been spied upon.
His hatred for Nina rose to a new level.
'If… if Nina dares to harm Vivian Sterling, I'll make sure Nina dies in an accident first!'
「In her room.」
Nina cradled her swollen toe and wailed, "So painful, so painful! Revenge is sweet for a moment, but I forgot I'm still injured."
Misty's calm voice was tinged with exasperation. *I finally understand why heaven bound me to you. 'Pure and flawless'? You're clearly a villainous gardenia! You're so twisted it's abstract. Honestly, are you trying to make him get diabetes before he sacrifices himself for the female lead at the end?*
Nina huffed. "That would be letting him off easy. He'd actually get to taste something sweet."
She opened her phone, tapped on WeChat, and decided to check the original owner's frequent contacts.
A red dot glowed next to "New Friends."
Someone named [Vernal] had sent her a friend request.
Below it was a note: [I'm the patient's older brother.]