A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 39

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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 39】

 

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“Lishie!”

 

A face twisted with anger, a low and rough voice.

 

Noaren, disheveled from head to toe, grabbed Lishie’s wrist and stopped her in her tracks.

 

“…Brother.”

 

Lishie had no choice but to face him.

 

This made her deliberate visit to the Duke’s mansion while he was away completely pointless.

 

Noaren Baltres was the last man she wanted to encounter at this moment.

 

Because he would surely ask this question.

 

“A royal marriage, you say?”

 

“It’s still just an engagement.”

 

“Ha!”

 

The laughter that cut through the air was extremely sharp.

 

Lishie shrank back. Not because Noaren’s appearance felt threatening, but because she anticipated what would follow.

 

“You seemed to care so dearly for Irene, yet you went ahead and awakened His Highness the Prince.”

 

“…”

 

“And now you’re saying you’ll become engaged to His Highness, who was Irene’s former fiancé? Do you realize how strange your behavior is?”

 

It was contradictory.

 

Lishie seemed to act for Irene’s sake, yet stubbornly frequented the Imperial Capital and worked hard to heal the Prince.

 

Though she vaguely knew there were questionable aspects, the fact remained that she had revived the Prince with her own hands.

 

“Lishie, surely you haven’t forgotten.”

 

Noaren had hoped the Prince would never wake up. Whether for the family’s sake or because he was a sworn enemy with Lishie between them.

 

However, the reason for his current anger wasn’t simply because the Prince had regained his senses.

 

“You said it with your own mouth. That you would become a ‘Baltres.'”

 

Indeed, that was true.

 

And it was already a year ago.

 

Back then, Lishie was intoxicated by the sweet sensation of being revered and called “Countess” by those around her.

 

A life surrounded by pretty things, precious things, and good things seemed to place her in a paradise above the clouds.

 

Thus, Lishie only realized something was wrong when the Prince, whom she often met as her ‘older sister’s fiancé,’ began courting her.

 

No, this isn’t right. This isn’t how it should be.

 

I stole him. The man my older sister loves.

 

When Lishie reached that thought, she happened to lock eyes with Irene, who was there at that moment. And in that instant, paradise scattered like a mirage.

 

Because she realized that paradise had been built upon Irene’s misfortune.

 

From that day on, Lishie regretted it as if punishing herself.

 

If she had known it would turn out this way, she wouldn’t have followed the Duke from the beginning. She wouldn’t have been greedy about wanting to become sisters.

 

But regret changed nothing.

 

Lishie even considered whether she should just die.

 

It was precisely then that Noaren, whom she had regarded as a kind older brother, confessed his feelings to her.

 

“You said you would become my wife. Am I wrong?”

 

“…No, that’s correct.”

 

Lishie had thought at that moment.

 

If I unite with him, the Prince’s heart will return to where it should have been directed… Such a simple and foolish thought.

 

Though she didn’t love Noaren romantically, if she had to marry anyway, she preferred him as a partner.

 

Because he resembled Irene so closely, as if proclaiming they were true siblings.

 

Even if marrying him meant no longer being sisters with Irene, which would be sad, she would still belong within the bonds of family.

 

“But I had no choice.”

 

Yesterday, Lishie experienced the worst thing in her life.

 

She felt the sensation of her soul being trapped in a cage while her body, her mouth, moved regardless of her will.

 

She had thus revived the Prince she had put to sleep with her own hands. She had even revealed Irene’s location.

 

Only after everything happened did she realize once again.

 

[How foolish! As if he could wake up on his own!]

 

“Get, get out… Get out of my body right now!”

 

[Lishie! Listen to me! Lishi…]

 

The voice living inside her was not some kind of ‘god.’

 

“I… I have to fix my mistakes.”

 

Lishie’s realizations always came too late. Perhaps because she was stupid and dull, as someone once said.

 

She had to correct all the wrongs she had built up by believing the ‘voice’ was a god.

 

If she couldn’t undo them, then at least a little.

 

“I won’t let His Highness kill my older sister.”

 

“…Lishie, don’t tell me.”

 

A look of surprise appeared on Noaren’s face.

 

Yesterday afternoon, when the arrest warrant was issued, the Prince seemed ready to declare war on Belmayer.

 

But then he suddenly postponed all those decisions, and as soon as dawn broke, announced a sudden engagement.

 

And Lishie was behind it all.

 

“It’s for my older sister’s sake.”

 

“…Sigh, Lishie. If it’s because of Irene.”

 

“She’s family, isn’t she? Unlike me, you and older sister are connected by blood. Then shouldn’t you worry, even a little?”

 

Noaren hesitated.

 

Lishie’s voice was heavier than ever before. Come to think of it, her eyes, tone, and atmosphere were all unlike her usual self.

 

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have done that.”

 

The marriage with Noaren had too many externally unresolved issues anyway.

 

Starting with them being siblings, the Duke wanting to make Lishie Empress in place of the discarded Irene, the Emperor wanting to bring the Countess into the imperial family…

 

And even the public, who were enthusiastic about the love story between the Prince and Countess they learned from gossip magazines.

 

Until now, she had no intention of becoming the Prince’s companion. Because it would mean betraying Irene.

 

But the situation had changed.

 

Lishie decided to break her promise with Noaren and fulfill everyone else’s expectations except his.

 

She had finally accepted Chessier’s proposal.

 

On the condition that he wouldn’t search for Irene.

 

“If older sister dies, I’ll kill myself too.”

 

“Please, Lishie! It’s dangerous!”

 

Whether that threat worked well, or whether he was just playing along with her after she suddenly tried to throw herself off, was unclear.

 

But she was certainly sincere.

 

“I’m going to get Father’s approval and return to the Imperial Capital immediately. The ceremony is right around the corner.”

 

“Lishie!”

 

“Brother should just continue worrying about the family.”

 

Lishie pushed away Noaren’s hand that gripped her wrist tightly as she spoke.

 

“Because I’ll take care of worrying about older sister.”

 

Even now that the ‘voice’ had disappeared, her head was ringing.

 

It had only temporarily retreated and would return. She might have her body stolen again.

 

Rather than questioning what the identity of that voice was or what it was trying to do through her, Lishie thought of only one thing.

 

What would help Irene.

 

“Lishie, you choose. Instead of just stupidly staying still, try doing something of your own will.”

 

‘This time, I’ll make the right choice for sure.’

 

Or rather, about making a ‘choice’ that would be helpful.

 

* * *

 

“You’re going to the Duke’s mansion?”

 

Davuer’s gaze in the mirror became sharp.

 

Having changed my clothes to the maid uniform of Baltres Mansion from my memories, I adjusted my appearance in front of the mirror.

 

Due to mana limitations, I couldn’t change my facial features so they remained the same, but at a glance, I looked like an ordinary maid with brown hair and brown eyes.

 

“There’s something I need to confirm.”

 

The view outside the window had already darkened.

 

During this time, we had surveyed the streets of the Citadel and reviewed our plans. Nothing had changed significantly from the beginning.

 

“At this hour of night?”

 

However, the timing had changed.

 

According to the original plan, I should have hurriedly appeared in the Citadel, but with the wanted order temporarily suspended, we had gained some breathing room.

 

So we decided to postpone causing a ‘commotion’ until next week, when Lishie and Chessier would announce their engagement and make their appearance in the Citadel.

 

I intended to use the free time in between to visit Baltres Mansion in the Citadel.

 

Tonight, right now.

 

“It’s nighttime, so it’s perfect for moving secretly, isn’t it?”

 

“You’re not a cat burglar.”

 

“But I am going there to steal something, aren’t I?”

 

Davuer frowned as if asking what I meant.

 

“There’s a saying: strike while the iron is hot.”

 

There were two reasons why I wanted to go to the Duke’s mansion now.

 

One was to receive news about the current political situation from my ‘informant’ there.

 

This person had remained in the Citadel even after I was driven out, constantly delivering related news like a sparrow, and was the one who informed me of Chessier’s whereabouts on the day I stabbed him.

 

Of course, it had been a long time since communication was cut off when I hurriedly fled to Belmayer, and I was visiting suddenly without any prior notice…

 

‘They shouldn’t have switched masters already.’

 

They were quite capable and reliable, but their loyalty came from my money, not from me personally.

 

“We’re lacking information right now. I have a skilled spy who’s been under me for a long time at the Duke’s mansion.”

 

*Skilled spy: Refers to an experienced infiltrator. In this story, it’s used as slang for a competent undercover intelligence agent.

 

And the other reason was.

 

“And while I’m at it, I’ll steal the family heirloom.”

 

I had regretted not being able to take what I should have from the family due to fleeing so urgently.

 

‘Now that the opportunity has come, how can I not steal it?’

 

Moreover, since the heirloom originally belonged to the Temple, it might help extend Davuer’s lifespan.

 

It’s better to have as many possibilities as possible.

 

“We can’t be separated, so let’s go together.”

 

Then Davuer extended his hand to me.

 

“If you’ll hold it.”

 

“…I was planning to do that anyway.”

 

Well, this is just for suppressing magi anyway.

 

I took his hand and left the room, giving an unnecessary warning to Jepi and Ally who were sleeping side by side.

 

“You two better not cause any trouble!”

 

“Yawn, Irene, don’t you cause trouble either…”

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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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