A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Episode 18】

“I don’t know. From what I can see now, it won’t be easy to forget.”

“Why?”

“She’s a fool who pretends to be smart.”

Giselle smiled brightly and spoke as if summarizing.

“So, we need to take good care of Irene so she can let go of her lingering feelings for the crown prince.”

Lingering feelings.

It was an expression that would have given Irene a fit of rage if she had heard it, but unfortunately she wasn’t present here…

In their perception, she had become a devoted and pitiful fool who was used by the crown prince, and a woman who was still depressed because she couldn’t forget that bastard.

The fact that Irene had harmed the crown prince with the intention of killing him, and that he was still hovering between life and death, wasn’t particularly important.

“I will definitely cut off that bastard’s neck.”

Ally’s eyes flashed blue-green with murderous intent.

It was a resolution that somehow missed the point, but this too wasn’t particularly important.

* * *

This is strange.

“…What are you guys doing?”

“Reading, obviously reading.”

Nishe, who answered like that, was holding a book titled 【How to Kill a Cheating Husband】 in a delinquent posture with his legs up on the desk.

He didn’t even seem to be reading it, but kept flipping pages noisily and adding commentary.

“Wow, that’s right. This kind of trash should be thrown away ‘without regret’. It’s better for mental health to ‘forget’ quickly.”

Look at that.

He put strange accents in as if someone was supposed to hear it. From the atmosphere, it seemed like that someone was me, but I had no idea why he was acting like that.

Ally, sitting three spans away from such Nishe, recited in a steady tone, word by word.

“I will never be used by you again, you cowardly piece of trash.”

“…”

She was holding open a book called 【Introduction to Revenge Studies】.

She recited such passages once every three minutes while glancing at me, but I couldn’t understand what it meant at all.

Thanks to that, the quiet library that workaholic Juansi and I, absorbed in making magical tools, used to share became much more bustling.

‘It was convenient for concentrating.’

This castle didn’t have a dedicated workshop like the ducal residence, and the room I was currently using had a desk but was basically a bedroom, making the environment inconvenient.

For me, the library was a perfect place.

It was indeed befitting a workspace used by a veteran butler. Spacious, comfortable, with no noise except the scratching sound of his pen.

…That was until yesterday.

“Juansi. Aren’t you going to kick them out?”

“I don’t have such authority. They’re not particularly bothersome either.”

“No, butler. Didn’t you once say that even my breathing here was disruptive?”

“I don’t recall saying such a thing.”

Swoosh!

Juansi was processing an enormous amount of documents quickly today too, with an incredibly shadowed face.

Seeing that, I couldn’t bring myself to complain further. I changed targets and scolded Nishe and Ally.

“Quiet in the library. Don’t you know? Read quietly.”

“Tsk, what don’t you know? Reading while speaking is effective.”

“What are you saying. Are you studying with that book? Memorizing it?”

You’re talking nonsense.

Nishe’s expression crumpled with dissatisfaction, as if he didn’t like my retort.

“…Don’t you feel anything?”

“What. I’m busy, don’t bother me.”

“Aren’t you deeply moved or something? Don’t the sentences seem like they’re about you? Don’t you think, ‘Ah, I should live like this’?”

“Not particularly?”

“Ha, this one’s really a blockhead.”

“Why are you suddenly cursing? There are few people as smart as me.”

Difficult magic formulas – snap snap snap, mana calculations – click click click. These are all things I can do because my brain works well.

Even while distracted, I quickly organized the formulas for the new magical tool on paper.

‘I should make a vacuum cleaner.’

An ingenious magical tool that would suck up all the dust in this musty castle. Should I say it feels different that the day has come to make something like this?

Magical tools could be used by non-mages too, with accessory-type items containing defensive magic being the most expensive and popular.

Among them, the number one bestselling magical tool was the one I made. My business built on my specialty… but…

‘Tsk. I should have put my name on the brand.’

Since it was produced and distributed under the family name, all rights and profits from the magical tools I developed in the past belong to the family.

Back then, Baltres was essentially me, so I didn’t think much of it… but the more I think about it, the more damn regrettable it is.

They’re still benefiting from my work even at this very moment?

“Ha, I really shouldn’t have just stabbed Chessier for nothing. I should have taken everything I could before leaving…”

If there had been even a little leeway in the situation, I would have pulled out even the pillars of the family mansion and fled into exile.

Preferably stealing the family treasures too.

“…”

“…”

While lost in idle thoughts, I suddenly realized the silence felt strangely awkward. I couldn’t even hear the sound of Juansi’s pen.

Three pairs of eyes were directed at me with expressions as if they had a lot to say.

“…Why? Do you have something to say to me?”

Nishe, who irritably ran his hands through his long platinum hair, turned his head away from me completely.

Then he burst out angrily at Ally.

“Damn it. Hey, you said this would work? It backfired!”

“…I will correct the approach.”

Ally apologized with dignity like a general who had despaired at failing to meet her master’s expectations. The book she had been reading just moments before was thrown and flew away.

Around that time, Juansi let out a short sigh and shook his head from side to side.

What is it?

Am I the only one who can’t follow this flow?

“What the hell is it? You guys know you’re really weird today, right?”

When I questioned them because I was too frustrated, Nishe looked at me as if I was the frustrating one and waved his hand dismissively.

“Ugh, I don’t know. You’re weirder, you fake smartass.”

* * *

The next day.

“The crown prince is ugly, right?”

Jepi asked abruptly, just like his entrance. It was completely out of the blue, but I obediently answered.

“Why suddenly? He’s on the handsome side.”

Blonde hair and blue eyes, he’s a male protagonist with a shiny face just like a fairy tale prince.

Are there even ugly male leads in the world?

The next moment, Ally smacked Jepi on the head.

Thwack!

“Idiot! It’s more helpful if you keep your mouth shut.”

“Violent thug.”

“If you don’t like it, hit me back. Though it’s impossible with your skills.”

“I was going easy just now. With your skills, you can’t even reach me.”

Soon Jepi and Ally exchanged glances, chattered noisily at each other, then disappeared from in front of me saying they were going to spar.

The next day.

In the library where only the two of us remained after a long time, the butler suddenly spoke up.

“The Empire’s people are utterly ruthless.”

His tone was as usual, but why was he bringing up such an awkward topic? I pointed out gently.

“You’re not talking about me, are you, Juansi?”

“…I was referring to the Empire’s Imperial Court. They use and discard people so easily.”

“Ah. His Majesty the Emperor does have that tendency.”

She was a thorough rationalist, a monarch who truly judged the usefulness and worth of everything. Her standard was whether it benefited the Empire or not.

That’s why she permitted the marriage with Lishie, who was superior compared to the villainess. If she hadn’t been a saint, she never would have allowed it.

‘Chessier grew up quite harshly for an only son.’

The Emperor was even more ruthless toward her own bloodline, so Chessier lived desperately even though he had no rivals to compete with.

But if Chessier remains unconscious, what happens to the throne? The Emperor does have a nephew though.

Well, it doesn’t matter to me anymore anyway.

“…”

Juansi’s gaze as he observed me was somehow strange. He had an expression that said this wasn’t right.

The day after the next day.

“Did you starve in the Empire?”

I was tasting cookies at Coco’s request to master baking when Nishe suddenly barged into the kitchen and made a sarcastic remark.

I shielded the cookie plate with my arm and snapped back.

“Do you want some too? No way. These are mine.”

“Oh! I-I’ll make more for you!”

“Ha. What noble lady obsesses over food like this?”

Nishe, who seemed to have prejudices about ‘noble ladies,’ looked at me with pitying eyes.

“You’re so skinny. You should definitely eat them all.”

…Ugh. That ruined my appetite.

And then the day after that again.

“Irene, I found an old portrait of the master. Want to look at it together?”

Giselle, who came to find me without warning, was struggling to carry a frame wrapped in white curtains in her arms.

“…Don’t tell me you carried this all the way here just to show me?”

“He’s so incredibly handsome that no one could even compare.”

It was a statement that somehow sounded meaningful.

Since I was getting tired of their continued antics from the past few days, I asked without thinking deeply.

“Why are you all acting so weird lately?”

It was way too strange.

They clearly wanted something from me, but no one was being straightforward about it and were just subtly probing.

Now they even want me to appreciate the Duke’s beauty? What’s the point of that?

“Stop this and just tell me. What do you want me to do?”

“Huh? I don’t want anything though?”

“Giselle, I’m going crazy from frustration.”

This situation had been repeating for days without any progress, and it was driving me absolutely insane.

Giselle, who had carried the large and heavy portrait all the way to my room, pretended not to hear my plea and set the frame against the wall before removing the covering.

Swoosh!

“Look at this first, Irene.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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