A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 59

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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 59】

“N-no, sir!”

“Report properly.”

“Y-yes, sir. I encountered them!”

“When I say report properly, I mean give a detailed report following the five W’s and one H. Again.”

Noah Ren warned with a sharp edge to his voice.

Uncontrolled magical power was flowing out with fierce intensity. Ben instinctively realized that if he made a mistake twice, he wouldn’t be forgiven.

Though trembling like a herbivore facing a predator, his mind, sensing the crisis, began working at high speed.

“A few weeks ago, that is, on the night His Grace the Duke entered the Imperial Capital. The eld… the eldest young lady suddenly appeared on the rear gate forest path and interrog… no, asked about the manor’s situation.”

“And then.”

“I, I had no choice…! I really had no choice but to tell her. That His Grace the Duke was absent and the young Duke was a bit unconsci… drunk, no, that…”

Ben chose his words as carefully as possible.

The young Duke standing tall before him reeked of alcohol.

The smell was so strong you could believe he was made of liquor, yet his complexion was pale as plaster rather than flushed, creating an eerie contrast.

“That… he was in the same state as now… something like that… Other than that, she didn’t say much else.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, yes!”

Noah Ren muttered with sunken eyes.

“I see… So Irene was at the manor that day…”

His sensitive and cold atmosphere was no different from before, but somehow his attitude seemed strangely off.

For instance… yes, he looked depressed.

Ben, standing with all his muscles tensely coiled, thought he’d gotten caught up in something bad and rolled his eyes nervously.

The twin-braided maid who had been holding her breath grabbed his arm as if to pull him down and whispered almost soundlessly.

“Now’s our chance. Let’s escape.”

The atmosphere at the Duke’s mansion had been poor for months, but now it was seriously dangerous.

Secretly holding a funeral for someone who died as vermin. This couldn’t be considered the behavior of a sane person.

No matter how high the Baltres family’s power… No, even that power probably wasn’t what it used to be.

Because Irene Baltres had finally crossed the line. And she was still having a tremendous impact even in death.

“Anything else?”

Noah Ren suddenly called out to them as they were about to leave. Ben, greatly startled, asked dumbly.

“Pardon?”

“Were there any other unusual circumstances?”

“Ah… well. Oh! She was with some man. It seemed like they were holding hands the whole time…”

Ben frowned as he tried to recall the memory.

“I couldn’t see his face since it was all covered, but he was tall…”

“…”

“So he had a similar build to that person. Hic!”

Rolling his eyes this way and that, Ben suddenly realized where he was carelessly pointing and immediately clenched his hand and bowed his waist.

“Y-Your Highness the Prince! I pay my respects!”

Noah Ren, who had noticed the Prince’s arrival much earlier, looked at him without even observing proper courtesy as a subject.

Chessier silently waved his hand to dismiss Ben and the maid from the garden, then spoke first.

“So the rumor about holding a funeral wasn’t just gossip.”

Their relationship was far too awkward for casual conversation.

Noah Ren responded with a rough voice.

“…Why have you come all the way here?”

“Do you think Irene is dead?”

With that one question, he became certain that the Prince had definitely gone mad. He had to be. It was a question only someone who didn’t believe could ask.

That day, Chessier had definitely seen Irene’s corpse.

Whether it should be called good luck or bad luck was unclear. Shortly after he arrived at the gate station, Irene’s body had turned to dust.

Since it happened to be raining, even that dissolved in the rainwater and disappeared. All Irene left behind were the clothes she wore and questions.

“Then does Your Highness believe that child is alive?”

Noah Ren didn’t want to believe it either. But having seen it that way before his eyes, he couldn’t deny it.

“…Irene is dead.”

He still remembers it vividly.

The moment he recognized that death, excruciating pain came as if his head was pierced by iron bars. Along with a lightning-like realization.

“Noah!”

He doesn’t hate Irene.

In fact, he had never hated her even once. Irene was his family. There was never a moment when he didn’t think of her that way, not once…

Then why had he until now…

“She’s alive. So there’s no need for a funeral.”

Chessier sharply denied it.

Though he spoke as if certain, he actually knew. That it was merely his own wish.

“It’s an imperial command that all of Baltres lend their strength to searching for Lishie. Questioning the responsibility for that day comes after, His Majesty said.”

He continued speaking matter-of-factly.

“I will reorganize the search party under my leadership. I’d like you to help me track down those behind this.”

“…I see.”

His words sounded as if there was a purpose that took priority over finding Lishie.

Ah. He had forgotten about Lishie.

But Lishie… Lishie didn’t matter to him. Noah Ren thought with his mind muddled by alcohol.

There was definitely someone behind this incident.

The one who kidnapped the Countess and killed Irene.

He had a strong conviction that finding that person would solve all the confusion and questions in this series of events. Perhaps regret over past events was driving his thoughts.

He willingly took Chessier’s hand.

* * *

“…Why are my ears so itchy?”

Is someone badmouthing me somewhere?

Well, I’d be hearing insults every second anyway, so it’s nothing new. I rubbed my ears unnecessarily, then cleared my throat and asked again.

“Ahem. Anyway, if you saw this earlier, why didn’t you tell me?”

Giselle slightly avoided my gaze as she answered.

“…I was afraid you’d worry unnecessarily.”

“About who? The Prince? Baltres?”

“All of them. You’re tender-hearted, Irene.”

What kind of angel does she think I am?

With her saying this, I was completely speechless. I couldn’t interrogate her further and sank deep into my chair.

‘So… they suddenly became invalids.’

Because I died?

Since then, both the Baltres father and son, and Chessier too, none of them have been in their right minds. Well, they’ve completely stopped eating and drinking, and their magic power is on the verge of going berserk.

To me, it was an absurd story. I hadn’t thought my presence was that significant to them.

I expected something like, the troublemaker finally left, or she’s causing problems even in death.

But lately my expectations rarely come true, and their expressions when I last saw them were also…

“…I don’t understand what’s what.”

“Just ignore it, Irene. Humans are originally foolish creatures who only realize something’s precious after they lose it.”

Giselle offered this as advice. I leaned my head against the chair and looked at her with just my eyes rolling.

“But you’re human too.”

“…That’s right. You’re correct.”

After hearing about my funeral from Mel, I had come straight to find Giselle in the study first. The news from the Empire I had heard from her so far was nothing significant.

In conclusion, it was all just talk about everything being fine.

The Countess’s disappearance case was shrouded in mystery. Well, it wouldn’t be easy to find any traces of it.

Since the person holding the key had suddenly died in such a bizarre manner. It would be difficult from the start.

However, since I had been spotted in Belmayer before, this connection hadn’t been completely severed…

“But that child, are you going to bring her into Winter Castle?”

Suddenly, Giselle shifted the topic to Mel’s story.

It was fortunate that Jepi, who happened to be there, discovered my subordinate and brought her back, otherwise Mel would have either been eaten by vermin in the snow-capped mountains or died of exposure.

Despite having no combat skills, she had good courage, choosing the dangerous mountain path to avoid the blade-like pursuit of the Royal Guard.

Anyway, this wasn’t a matter for me to answer.

“Why are you asking me? The Duke is right there.”

As it happened, Davuer was currently lying on the couch in the study with his eyes closed. He seemed to be sleeping, but that wasn’t the case.

I hadn’t noticed because he didn’t show it, but it seemed the trip to the Empire had been quite taxing on him, as he had been lying down like this more often.

Slowly lifting his eyelids, he spoke in a drowsy voice.

“The ducal position. Didn’t you say you would take it?”

“…Hm?”

“So do as you wish.”

His tone was as plain as always, which made me even more dumbfounded.

Staring blankly at his calm face, I suddenly came to my senses and asked while searching my memory.

“W-wait a minute. Have I ever said I’d take the ducal position… I mean, I have, but wasn’t that just a casual remark?”

“I don’t say things I don’t mean.”

His matter-of-fact response was truly concise. Indeed, as he said, I couldn’t even find anything to argue against.

He didn’t know how to joke, didn’t know how to make things up, and above all… he was unpredictably willful without warning.

Davuer raised one corner of his mouth slightly.

“Duke Irene Belmayer.”

“…Me?”

Does a ducal position normally get passed to a third party so carelessly like this? Shouldn’t that not be allowed?

As if reading my thoughts, he added.

“Your vassal seems to agree as well.”

“That vassal… you mean, surely not…”

When I turned my neck with a creaking sound, feeling like I might get a crick, Giselle smiled brightly and gave a thumbs up.

These crazy people.

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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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