A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 23

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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 23】

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Noaren opened his eyes in the garden of the ducal estate’s main residence.

Nearly January. Despite the pervasive winter, the garden maintained like a greenhouse through magic was filled with colorful spring flowers.

Since it was a place where he had spent his childhood, the scenery wasn’t unfamiliar to his eyes, but it felt quite unreal.

“…Irene.”

She used teleportation magic. On me, forcibly.

It was an impossible thing.

With the magical power she possessed, it was absolutely impossible magic. Yet somehow, she managed to do it while even deceiving his magical senses.

She said she wanted to live, yet she overworked her body as if she wanted to die.

Looking back, Irene had always been like that.

“Look, Noah! I finally succeeded!”

“Irene… you have a nosebleed.”

“It’s nothing. More importantly, this is a gift. You said you needed magic stones, right? Now I can give you plenty!”

Eleven years old. Even when she first succeeded in magic stone conversion.

“You look like a walking corpse. Why go this far?”

“If I can just succeed in developing this magic formula, I can graduate early like you… I can sleep when I’m dead…”

Sixteen years old. Even around the time of academy graduation.

“Go to Lishie. I’m enough now.”

“…There are still creatures remaining. And Irene, you’re at your limit now. If this place collapses―”

“Noah! Stop acting like an older brother and go.”

Twenty years old. Even when the monster incident broke out during the hunting party.

Irene at those times was like a person hanging on a thread about to snap. Someone performing dangerous acrobatics, precariously maintaining balance but ready to fall at any moment.

Noaren sometimes thought. Irene was abusing herself with that stubborn effort.

So he often felt sorry for her. He wanted to tell her that we’re family so she could lean on them comfortably… no, no.

He hadn’t done that. This wasn’t right…

He needed to think of other things.

For instance, about the fact that Irene had dared to betray Baltres. About her shocking confession of attempting to assassinate the crown prince.

And.

‘I need to meet Lishie. Right now.’

Wavy water-colored hair filled his mind like fog, and the woman who possessed it. All his thoughts moved toward one purpose.

Noaren Baltres immediately moved to the Citadel.

Leaving behind the faint childhood memories.

* * *

Eastern part of Hilbarsia Imperial Palace, the Prince’s Chambers.

The castle with its sleeping master was still brilliant and luxurious, but in the silence, undeniable anxiety and tension creaked like broken floorboards.

It had already been two months since the critically injured crown prince was brought in by the Countess’s hands.

Even though his external injuries had long since healed completely, he still hadn’t awakened, so those who secretly doubted the Countess’s divine power began to whisper.

“Um, Countess. Excuse me.”

A maid carefully spoke up.

The Countess staying at the imperial palace sat beside the unconscious crown prince today as well, not moving an inch.

“Young Duke Baltres has come to see you.”

“Please tell my older brother I’m sorry? I still… want to focus on His Highness a little more.”

The noticeably thinner Lishie gently issued her refusal to see visitors.

For the past two months, she hadn’t met any visitors other than the Emperor for the same reason.

So the maid, who would normally worry but not ask twice about her intentions, hesitantly said.

“The Young Duke added that, um… he has something to say about the missing Princess…”

Thud!

Lishie, more agitated than the maid had ever seen her, stood up knocking over her chair. Her already pale face turned white as paper.

“…I, I should meet my older brother.”

Staggering as she walked, Lishie grabbed the door handle herself despite the maid’s attempts to stop her.

“Lishie.”

Noaren was right there in front of her.

A faint floral scent and the herbal fragrance the Emperor smoked wafted from him. He had come from an audience with the Emperor.

‘Did he figure it out? How? How much?’

Thump thump.

‘Did he report to His Majesty about older sister?’

Her heart was beating violently but her whole body grew cold instead. Lishie couldn’t speak and only moved her mouth.

The maid, reading the unusual atmosphere between the two step-siblings, quietly retreated with backward steps.

“This isn’t a suitable place for conversation.”

“Ah, y-yes, that’s right. Then this way…”

Lishie guided him to the reception room separated from the chambers. As soon as Noaren, who looked particularly displeased, sat down, he struck like lightning.

“This makes it seem like it’s your castle.”

“…His Highness gave permission.”

“I’d like you to stop playing mistress and return to the Duke’s mansion now. Father is waiting for you too.”

“I can’t do that yet. I need to take better care of His Highness―”

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about, Lishie.”

Noaren brought out the main point like a blade.

“Why did you lie?”

Lishie felt her heart skip a beat.

Then a voice sharp as an awl and mocking echoed in her head.

[He finally figured it out! That our Countess is deliberately not waking up the crown prince! I told you, Lishie. There are no eternal secrets.]

“Ugh…”

[That the reason you watch him every day is because you’re worried he might wake up, and that everything is a show to protect that terrible demon! It’s all been exposed!]

“…Lishie?”

“It’s nothing. Just a slight headache… But older brother. What lie did I…”

“That assailant who stabbed the crown prince and ran away. You hid that it was Irene.”

I’ve been caught.

The voice in her head that only she could hear burst into cackling laughter.

“Lishie. This matter is different from the start in terms of severity.”

That day, Noaren arrived at the villa where the incident occurred not long after Irene escaped.

It was the moment when Lishie, unable to let the crown prince die, was pouring out her divine power. Seeing a face resembling Irene, a flash of realization struck him.

‘No one saw older sister harm His Highness.’

The only evidence, the magic sword, had disappeared into white stone powder, and the only witness, Lishie, was fully intent on keeping silent until death.

So she had only ‘half’ healed the crown prince. If he recovered safely and awakened, he would never forgive Irene who had harmed him.

Lishie hoped Irene would flee farther, to a safer place. She even felt elated that she could buy that precious time.

“Older sister… didn’t commit a crime.”

So even though it was an exposed lie, she answered that way.

Noaren let out a deep sigh.

“It’s a confession I heard from Irene herself, Lishie.”

“Older… Sister… did you meet her? Where… no, is Older Sister safe? Did she look troubled, or was she hurt anywhere?”

“…She looked very healthy. It seemed like she had adapted to Belmayer far too well.”

“What? Belma…”

[The demon has gone to the demon’s country!]

Even Lishie, who was ignorant of political affairs, knew that Belmayer was the Empire’s enemy, and furthermore that its leader was her adversary indicated by the ‘oracle.’

Noaren made his proposal again.

“Come back to the Duke’s mansion. Since His Highness still hasn’t regained consciousness, the marriage proposal with the Imperial family is void.”

Though his voice was like the cold north wind, his eyes held an indescribable ecstasy.

‘He doesn’t know. That I’m the one keeping His Highness asleep.’

Secretly relieved, Lishie tried to refuse indirectly.

“If you insist on staying here, I’ll have no choice but to tell His Majesty about Irene.”

If not for such a threat.

“Brother…!”

“Lishie, you’re kind, so you won’t cause trouble for the family.”

Though Noaren would never do anything to bring disaster upon the family himself, Lishie couldn’t think that far, and the threat hit her directly.

“I’ll… return to the Duke’s mansion.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Only then did Noaren leave with a satisfied expression.

In the quiet stillness, the voice inside her became sweet as if it had never been sharp.

[Now, good Lishie. Stop rebelling and use your divine power to wake the Prince.]

The same whisper as always. Lishie stubbornly clenched her fists and answered as she always did.

“I can’t do that. Older Sister would be in danger.”

* * *

It’s a dream. Or maybe not. It could be a panoramic memory.

Either way, I was clearly trapped in the unconscious world right now. Otherwise.

“I’m Li, Lishie…”

There’s no way sixteen-year-old Lishie would be greeting me for the first time with a shy face.

Since this was a full three years ago.

On this day, that bastard father of mine suddenly announced Lishie Baltres’s existence at my nineteenth birthday celebration.

“Let me introduce my daughter, the second princess of Baltres.”

It was such a big surprise that even I, the one providing the stage, first became aware of Lishie’s existence right there on the spot.

Water-colored hair, golden eyes. A clear and fresh face.

The elaborately puffed dress didn’t suit her terribly, but she was pretty enough to cover that flaw… and looked nothing like him at all.

Having finished my assessment, I naturally pretended to accept Lishie’s greeting while saying a word to father beside her.

“She’s not even your real child, you’ve just gone senile.”

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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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