A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 49

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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 49】

 

‘Ah.’

 

Cool-textured hands grasped my shoulders and embraced me as if confining me to his chest. Thanks to that, I buried my nose in his chest.

 

There was no need to question who owned this embrace.

 

The skin touching through the thin shirt felt cold, as if snow had been spread over a plaster statue.

 

“I cannot show her.”

 

Davuer, who had hidden me, spoke curtly as if warning.

 

…Alright, his reflexes are good, but this is way too suspicious.

 

I poked his ribs repeatedly, meaning he should at least use clumsy formal speech. Whether he understood or not, Davuer didn’t move at all.

 

Only then did I realize with a start.

 

Now that there were no sensory magic circles installed in Winter Castle, no matter how much I poked, he wouldn’t feel it differently. Like Ally and Jepi who had lost their sense of taste and picked at their food.

 

“…What exactly are you trying to do right now?”

 

Chessier growled lowly. Half bewilderment and half anger were mixed within it.

 

Then Davuer retorted without backing down.

 

“I cannot show her, so go back.”

 

This is really driving me crazy.

 

There’s no ordinary person who would treat a Royal Guard like this. Usually people would cower even without committing any crime.

 

“Remove your hood and reveal your identity.”

 

Davuer raised the arm that wasn’t holding me and coolly pushed back his hood, then replied.

 

“I cannot reveal my identity.”

 

At this point, I wondered where his restraint went in not saying ‘I’m the Duke of Belmayer, got a problem with that?’

 

Perhaps due to that shamelessness, my pulse that had been racing with tension slowly returned to its original pace.

 

“…Those eyes, they’re similar.”

 

After a long while, Chessier muttered as if to himself.

 

Though who they resembled was omitted from his words, I easily caught on.

 

As far as I knew, only the Emperor had silver-gray eyes similar to Davuer’s. And while murky gray or dark gray were common, such a bright color was quite rare.

 

“How old are you.”

 

“I forgot to count.”

 

‘Please, Davuer!’

 

I silently cried out his name.

 

I don’t know what he’s trying to accomplish by acting like this. I steeled myself to use teleportation magic if necessary.

 

This time I’d have to transport two people, but unlike with Noaren, the distance was close… I’d probably just collapse for about two days.

 

Even if it was a gamble with unknown odds, that was the only option. If our identities were exposed here, we’d be completely finished.

 

“Ha, fine. First I need to see that woman’s face, so step away from her. If you don’t cooperate with my duty, I’ll use force.”

 

Chessier commanded with a sharp, hollow laugh.

 

As he said, Royal Guards affiliated with the Imperial Court had such authority for maintaining public order. Since the Countess was involved, they’d handle it even more sensitively.

 

The people gathered here had just come to receive donations since they were told it was volunteer work, but ended up in an unfair situation. And Lishie, who could have mediated the situation, had unfortunately fainted.

 

Against the backdrop of chaotic commotion mixing the knight’s booming voice with the frightened voices of others, Davuer spoke.

 

“That’s impossible. This woman is…”

 

And he chose his words very slowly.

 

“…too beautiful.”

 

For a moment I doubted my ears.

 

Chessier seemed not much different from me.

 

“What did you just say?”

 

“I said she’s too beautiful.”

 

His voice was as smooth as it was dry and tasteless. It didn’t sound at all like someone who had fallen in love.

 

Davuer added as if tossing the words out.

 

“It would be troublesome if you fell for her.”

 

“…”

 

“So I cannot show her.”

 

I flinched.

 

I was glad my face was covered. Heat had definitely rushed to it unnecessarily.

 

I was also glad he had sensory loss syndrome. Even though we were this close, he probably couldn’t sense my agitation well.

 

Breaking the brief silence, Davuer changed the subject.

 

“You seem to know about my eyes.”

 

“…You.”

 

“I am an unrecognized bloodline of Hilbarsia.”

 

Lying so brazenly without even wetting his lips…

 

Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

 

Belmayer’s roots were in Hilbarsia. Since it was a family that branched off from the Imperial family, though faint, they were connected by blood.

 

About sixth or eighth cousins, perhaps.

 

“That can’t be. That’s ridiculous.”

 

Sure enough, Chessier was shaken.

 

Though he was born and raised as the Prince, he had never been regarded as a son by the Emperor. She only saw Chessier as a chess piece.

 

Even that, she treated as if it could be replaced at any time. Despite having no other direct children.

 

Because of this, Chessier had secretly suspected since childhood that his mother might have hidden children. It was almost like an obsession, sometimes preceding reason or logic.

 

And perhaps due to family circumstances, Chessier and I had similar aspects. I could roughly guess his current state of mind too.

 

He must be confused and complicated. Old trauma would surface, making him lose his composure…

 

‘…So this is how it turns out.’

 

Though unintended, somehow just changing Davuer’s hair color had become a masterstroke.

 

Finally, Davuer delivered the finishing blow with his words.

 

“Please let us leave here as we are. His Majesty will reward you generously.”

 

* * *

 

Crash!

 

When Chessier swung his hand, the mirror reflecting him shattered with a tearing sound, breaking into pieces.

 

It was deep night. The Prince’s Bedchamber, darkly tinted without a single proper light, was a mess as if rebel boots had trampled through it.

 

He stood blankly in the middle of it all.

 

Blood flowing from his palm, deeply pierced by fragments, formed a small puddle on the floor.

 

“Your Highness, please hurry and stop the bleeding…”

 

“Pelbarte.”

 

Chessier spoke without even turning his head toward the knight who had come to find him for a report.

 

Unlike someone who had just been smashing various objects to express his rage, his tone was calm.

 

“How is Lishie?”

 

“…She fell asleep a moment ago.”

 

The Countess, who had secretly slipped out of the Imperial Capital and boldly conducted volunteer work on the streets, had belatedly come to her senses.

 

No, it was closer to simply regaining consciousness. The Countess clutching her head and screaming into the air didn’t look sane at all.

 

These past few days of preparing for the sudden and grand engagement.

 

During this time, Lishie’s mind and behavior had been erratic, like a person with two personalities in one body.

 

The moment abnormal symptoms were discovered, the Emperor forbade Lishie’s outings and issued a gag order throughout the entire Imperial Capital.

 

Lishie had probably gone mad.

 

Or was going mad.

 

Since the cause was unknown, it couldn’t be treated. Even the divine power called a miracle from God couldn’t cure the Countess’s illness, making it practically incurable.

 

“She can sleep after causing such a commotion.”

 

It was also troublesome.

 

It was too irritable to be words directed at a loved one. Chessier ran his hand through his hair without recognizing his own annoyance.

 

His hair, with the magic drug’s effects worn off, had returned from black to its original golden color.

 

Bloodstains clung thickly to the golden hair symbolizing the Imperial family.

 

The knight reported stiffly, trying not to displease his master’s mood.

 

“The identity verification process for all those gathered at that location has been completed. I will separately compile and submit the list of those who received divine blessing.”

 

“….”

 

“Of course, we issued gag orders to them regarding the Countess’s service today, but….”

 

“Since people of that caliber witnessed it, rumors will spread in secret unless we cut out everyone’s tongues.”

 

Fortunately, the fact that Lishie had gone mad was not revealed. If it was simply regarded as the good deed of a kind-hearted Countess, there would be no other problems.

 

However.

 

“Did you find those two people?”

 

“We are currently searching. My apologies, Your Majesty.”

 

“Never mind. It’s my mistake.”

 

Chessier recalled the memory from a moment ago.

 

When he had moved personally to find the missing Lishie, the moment he actually found her, he felt a sensation as if all his nerves were drawn to one place by something.

 

Like a newly hatched bird seeking its mother, like frantically examining a burn wound.

 

In the place he turned to look, those eyes were there.

 

Brown eyes that seemed to burn like sunset, catching the orange light of the dim streetlamps.

 

Chessier was captivated by those eyes that seemed very close even from a great distance.

 

The woman’s face glimpsed beneath the hood covering her head quickly disappeared without a trace before he could properly perceive it. Only then did he take in the overall scene.

 

In a corner away from the commotion, a suspicious-looking pair of man and woman standing like shadows.

 

He approached them before thinking.

 

“A bastard child, you say….”

 

And he ended up encountering an unexpected existence.

 

That arrogant man who babbled about being of Hilbarsia bloodline right in front of him.

 

That fellow presented no proper evidence whatsoever.

 

However, from his pale gray eyes and dry expression that revealed not even a fragment of emotion, Chessier couldn’t help but see the Emperor overlapping with him.

 

It wasn’t simply a matter of appearance.

 

“….”

 

A moment’s agitation caused him to lose sight of the two people right before his eyes. In the blink of an eye, they had already disappeared as if melting into the shadows.

 

An indescribable unpleasantness rang through his head.

 

Perhaps it felt as if the scar on his chest from the previous day was reopening. Since it was a place that no longer even bore a scar, it was a strange phantom pain.

 

“…That woman.”

 

He really should have gotten a proper look at her.

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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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