A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 20

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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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【Chapter 20】

Where the needle goes, the thread follows; where the Duke goes, I go.

‘It would be troublesome if he went out without me and collapsed.’

According to Giselle, it’s thanks to my mysterious totem ability that the Duke remains fine even outside the castle.

And so, I embarked on my second outing with the Duke.

Fortunately, this time it wasn’t a cozy but boring carriage journey, but we arrived in an instant using Jepi’s natural warp ability.

To add, Jepi, who isn’t here, is currently standing guard at the border with Ally in good company.

‘What kind of incident is this all of a sudden anyway.’

I waved my hand casually at Nishe, then looked at the man who was bringing shame to his birthplace.

“Who is this… again?”

I only felt a vague sense of déjà vu but couldn’t figure out who he was. After all, there weren’t just one or two followers of Lishie.

“Mmph! Mmmph!”

But he seemed to recognize me right away.

As soon as he saw me, he struggled even more violently, and though I couldn’t understand him, he was definitely cursing.

Well, I’m famous enough that it would be harder not to know me.

‘The more I look at him, the more I feel like I should remember…’

Even while I was pondering, the man kept screaming muffled sounds without rest. His appearance was too hideous to keep looking at.

I quietly stepped back behind the Duke. I could feel his gaze from within the robe touching the top of my head.

“Excuse me. I can’t stand looking at ugly things.”

Seeing how he had almost lost his reason, it seemed the demonization had progressed quite far. He would become a complete demon before long.

There are usually three cases when life becomes tainted with magi: ingesting a demon’s bodily fluids, absorbing miasma from a demon’s corpse,

‘Or coming into contact with a contaminated region.’

The central region of the northernmost Hilbarsia is a contaminated region called the Abandoned Land.

Once called the Land of the Beginning where God’s first breath touched, now it’s nothing but a contaminated wasteland. That’s because the Rotten World Tree is located there.

I don’t know the principle, but when touched by that tree or land, whether human or animal, demonization progresses. The entire northernmost region has been sealed off for a long time because of this.

Only through safe outer paths away from the magi’s influence, and only specific individuals appointed by the Emperor could come and go.

But according to Giselle, this guy arrived in Drens by passing through the middle of the contaminated region.

“My goodness. How did he pass through there.”

The Emperor controls that land very obsessively. It wouldn’t be easy for even a mouse to get in.

‘He couldn’t have used teleportation magic or anything like that.’

Not only was this guy a non-mage, but teleportation belonged to the highest-level magic, and there were few mages who could do it without the assistance of a magic circle.

It’s magic I haven’t even tried yet.

“Mmph!”

Nishe, who stomped hard on the back of the man who was struggling while keeping his gaze fixed on me, scolded.

“Hey, he’s acting up more because he sees you.”

“Doesn’t he have an identification tag or something?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t search him because he’s disgusting.”

“Then search him now.”

Snap!

When I snapped my fingers, a silver metal tag fell from the restrained man’s chest.

It was a simple disarmament spell, and since it reacts to metal, the sword sheath that was gagging him also fell out.

“Die! God will not forgive you… mmph!”

“I can’t tell if he’s human or zombie. Ugh.”

Look at those fierce eyes.

I approached and put the sword sheath back in his mouth. And as soon as I checked his identification tag, I realized the identity behind the déjà vu.

“Do you know this guy?”

“A little? He’s what you’d call the Shame of Karte.”

I didn’t know he had become a zealot-level saint follower, but this man had every reason to hate me.

“Oh my, Princess. Were you driven out to the balcony again today, overshadowed by the Saint? Since His Highness might ask you to dance, why don’t you try being a wallflower!”

“I’m really… in a bad mood today. If you’re done mocking me, get lost before I count to three.”

“Is it okay to treat me coldly? Unlike other nobles, I’m a generous man.”

“One.”

“Even if you’re a villainess who will soon be broken off from engagement, well, I could take you in as Count Karte’s mistress.”

My memory after that is a bit patchy.

Anyway, I first shot a mana bullet at that bastard’s lower body, beat him like a drum, and as a result, my infamy rose even higher.

The incident of rendering the eldest son who would inherit the count title impotent was roughly covered up by Valtrès’s prestige. Since he had been a problematic guy from before, there were no major issues.

I did hear rumors that he went crazy after having his heir position stripped away and given to his younger brother.

“To think he’d end up in this state. How nice to see you.”

“Mmmph!”

“Ah damn, what is it?”

Since Nishe, who didn’t know the background, was shouting in frustration, I kindly gave him a one-line summary.

“Eshe Karte. Around last year, he proposed I become his mistress and then tasted… ahem. The bitter taste of life. He’s the eldest son of Count Karte.”

“…”

“I didn’t know he was a knight. Though he’s probably terrible at it. He was famous as a playboy.”

“…”

Thwack!

Nishe, who had been silently quiet, suddenly struck Eshe Karte’s head with his sword sheath.

Thwack! Thwack!

…Three times.

The force was so strong that Eshe Karte couldn’t even make “mmph” sounds and fainted with his eyes rolled back.

“Nishe! Are you crazy? What if he dies!”

There’s a mountain of things to find out – how he came to Belmayer, for what purpose, whether there’s someone behind him!

I don’t know either since it’s an incident that didn’t appear in the original!

I crouched down to check if the guy was still breathing, when the Duke grabbed me and pulled me up.

“…Are you worried?”

“Of course. We need to keep him alive to question him.”

His shadowed gaze became strange.

Why is he looking at me like I’m an idiot who worries about the opponent even after getting beaten up?

Nishe muttered.

“Hah. What is this, even being a pushover has its limits…”

“Why am I a pushover? Did I say something wrong?”

“You’re… never mind, just forget it.”

The knight who annoyingly sighed right in front of someone turned his gaze toward his lord.

“What should we do?”

“…”

The Duke silently raised his arm. Since he was right behind me, I ended up looking like I was embraced in his arms.

Soon, magi began rising from his fingertips.

The magi circled around Eshe Karte as if it would touch him but didn’t, then disappeared. Magically speaking, it looked like an act equivalent to detection magic.

‘Come to think of it, I don’t really feel repulsed by magi anymore.’

At first it was suffocating and unpleasant, but now it was only slightly uncomfortable at most.

Rather, Eshe Karte’s much weaker magi felt incomparably more disgusting.

‘What’s the difference… is it the face?’

Just as I was falling into reasonable doubt.

The Duke, who seemed to be in a bad mood for some reason, commanded.

“First, confine him underground. We need to interrogate him.”

The ‘underground’ wasn’t something like Winter Castle’s underground prison.

He who said he treasures what’s in Winter Castle didn’t let the uninvited guest—a half-demon who came saying with his own mouth that he “came to take the evil Duke’s head”—into the castle.

Instead, he imprisoned him underground at the Drens Security Forces Headquarters.

Due to the special nature of being a border region, Drens’ local security forces had a somewhat more military character, and surprisingly, their superior was Nishe.

“We greet Commander-in-Chief Nishe!”

“The transferred prisoner has been successfully escorted underground.”

Snap snap!

The disciplined soldiers gave crisp salutes and opened the path leading underground.

Nishe waved his hand dismissively as if annoyed.

“Yeah, good job. Go wait. Don’t be nervous.”

“Yes, sir!”

Though they seemed very tense, being civil servants, they didn’t show the trembling fear that ordinary citizens would.

They gave proper greetings to me and the Duke standing behind Nishe with our identities hidden, then left their positions.

Actually, I had just learned that he was a commander-in-chief holding military authority and the leader of some knight order.

The knight who seemed more capable than he looked asked crookedly.

“You really won’t wait here?”

Apparently quite reluctant to show the interrogation scene to a freeloader, this was already the third time he’d asked the same question.

I’d usually respect boundaries, but.

Since this sudden situation might be a butterfly effect caused by me, I want to confirm it directly.

“I’m following along. Why, the Duke might collapse if separated from me, right? Let’s go safely.”

I sold out the Duke.

Only then did Nishe reluctantly accept it.

“You won’t see anything pleasant. Don’t regret it.”

He’s stating the obvious.

“It’s not like I’m the one being tortured, so why would I?”

“Ugh. Let me stop talking.”

Nishe stomped down the stairs making loud noises.

Then suddenly, a pure white hand was extended in front of me.

“Irene.”

The Duke, having pulled back his hood, gazed at me.

With him doing this, it felt as if this place was a ballroom rather than a dreary military base.

The princess who used to wait for someone’s escort no longer exists, yet he made me feel that way with a single simple gesture.

“…”

Rather than being for my sake, it’s probably just simple etiquette displayed based on memory or habit.

It has no meaning beyond that, and if I decline, he’d withdraw it immediately. And he’d never extend his hand again after that.

“…I’ll gratefully accept the courtesy.”

In the end, I chose to take that hand.

“Just so you don’t misunderstand, I absolutely don’t want to be treated like a lady.”

“I see.”

“It’s because the stairs are dark. I might miss a step.”

“Yes, I understand.”

A cool sensation like touching snow, the gentle pressure gripping my fingers, the winter scent of a man quiet as a ghost.

My fingertips tingled for no reason.

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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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