A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 84

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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 84】

“…Daesingwan?”

“According to what I barely saw with these poor eyes, it seems the Daesingwan has recently joined the Countess Search Party.”

My face immediately crumpled at those words.

I already knew that the Countess Search Party led by Chessier was in the Northern Empire. And that Noaren was with them too.

A few days after Mel came to the castle, I heard that the search party stationed in the north had begun combing through that place like hunting for lice.

In the midst of all that, the entire mountain range was in chaos for quite a while due to the vermin incident. I expected that being close by, they would quickly notice the anomaly there. I also speculated that the unprecedented vermin extinction would be seen as a trace of the Countess.

“After investigating the mountain range a bit, the search party is still doing nothing. Strange, isn’t it?”

“Very.”

Since no one with awakened sanctity has newly appeared, Lishie would still be considered the Countess. From the Empire’s standpoint, she’s someone they can’t carelessly let slip away.

In other words, it was unnatural that after discovering the trace of the mountain range, all movement had stopped instead.

“And in the midst of all that, the Daesingwan joined them…”

I frowned and searched my memory.

He was someone who either knew or didn’t know. I had only met him briefly a few times at annual events.

Among those, if there was something memorable.

“If the Princess wishes to enter the temple, we must open it for you. I’ll prepare a prayer room befitting your reputation as the Golden Mage.”

…When he pretended to be noble while asking for money?

His words meant that if I gave money, he would lift the ‘temple entry ban’ I received for causing trouble at the consecration ceremony.

In noble society, a temple entry ban is considered an enormous social disgrace, so most would try to resolve it with money.

However, I had a bad relationship with the temple, and out of pride, I didn’t want to bow down asking them to look favorably upon me.

“It’s an unappealing proposal, so I’ll decline. Didn’t God tell you to earn money fair and square?”

“…Fair and square. I’ll take those words to heart.”

Then he smiled good-naturedly.

Whatever his true feelings, his appearance was quite decent, and that smile looked creepily devout. In many ways, he’s the type I don’t want to associate with.

Though his role wasn’t that significant, he also appeared as a sub male lead in the ‘original work’… wait.

That may look like it, but it’s fate written by God. In other words, all the characters appearing there are chess pieces moving to achieve God’s desired purpose.

‘That purpose is primarily to ruin my life.’

So all the main characters in the original work were composed of people deeply connected to me. The Valtrès family, of course, and even Chessier.

But the Daesingwan is different. Among the main characters, only he had absolutely no connection points with me.

That means he’s a character who exists ‘importantly’ in God’s perception even without being entangled with me.

Suddenly, an exclamation escaped my lips.

“Did he perhaps switch over there?”

That evil god must parasitize someone. Probably after being driven out of Lishie’s body, he would have found a new vessel.

I don’t know well what method God uses to choose vessels, but it was probably quite urgent. Wouldn’t he have immediately sought out an existence within his perception?

I voiced the hypothesis that flashed through my mind.

“The evil god might have gone to the Daesingwan.”

“What? Why such a conclusion…”

Since Giselle looked at me with eyes demanding an explanation, I added while holding my complicated head.

“It’s only circumstantial evidence for now.”

If that were really the case, both the reason why the Countess Search Party is quiet now and why the Daesingwan joined them could be the evil god’s will.

I had a bad feeling.

“Giselle. From now on, don’t watch the Duchy and instead focus more on monitoring the search party situation, okay?”

“My eyes aren’t what they used to be, but I’ll try my best. The Duchy is—”

“The Duchy is fine. I can send other eyes there.”

If Belmayer is changing, I don’t necessarily have to rely only on Giselle. There are ways to obtain information other than supernatural abilities.

‘And coincidentally…’

I know of a certain talent.

* * *

“If I go to the Empire, I’ll really die!”

The top floor bedroom that was half-forcibly bestowed upon me.

Mel grabbed my hem and wailed loudly.

Regardless, I sat down on the couch while dragging Mel, who clung to my shins like a cat and wouldn’t let go.

“Yeah, you won’t die. Go and work.”

There’s a saying about putting the right person in the right place.

Mel, who can’t cook or do laundry, is actually high-level personnel who could have bought several mansions in the Duchy with the compensation she received from me and still had money left over.

So I gave her a mission befitting that.

“You’re returning to your position as an undercover spy, Mel.”

Having served as my eyes and ears for the past days, Mel was naturally well-versed in the Empire’s affairs. I couldn’t think of anyone else more suitable for this job than her.

Mel would probably be able to bring back higher quality intelligence on developments than what Giselle could ‘peek’ at.

Of course, there were some minor problems.

“Miss…! I’ll do anything else but that! Cleaning, gambling, grooming… That’s right, I’m good at makeup!”

“Ah, well.”

Mel’s makeup skills were indeed superior to anyone I’d ever met. Come to think of it, that was also the pretext I used for keeping Mel by my side at the Duke’s mansion.

But still.

“Are we having balls here, tea parties here? What’s the point of grooming? It’s bothersome and really useless.”

“Well, wouldn’t it be nice if our Miss became prettier?”

“I’m already pretty as I am.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Her reaction is somehow unpleasant.

When I glanced down, Mel rolled her eyes while pursing her lips inward. Instead of scolding the impudent maid, I spoke soothingly.

“Would I send you to die? I have deep thoughts about this. And you have many shops in the Empire too.”

Though I was pushed back enough to decide on abandoning everything and going into exile, Mel’s Information Guild was an amazing cell organization with ‘shops’ even in remote mountain areas.

I don’t know exactly how much Mel was exposed, but such an underground information network couldn’t have been completely destroyed. Even high-ranking officials frequently use it.

Then Mel hesitantly confessed.

“I was too embarrassed to say this, but… I, I… actually got backstabbed by the Guild Leader!”

“Oh…”

“That bastard ratted out my information to the Royal Guard. He reported everything, even when I infiltrated the Imperial Capital and copied the guard deployment. My bare face was exposed too, so wanted posters were distributed throughout the Duchy! I became a complete beggar and serious criminal…!”

…How wronged must she feel to speak without even breathing.

I roughly understood the situation. When Mel expressed that her tail got caught due to a mistake, she probably meant that trusting that person too much was the mistake.

So that’s why she fled over the mountain in a hurry without even having time to disguise herself. Roughly guessing, I said to the sniffling Mel.

“Mel, but I can’t do this without you.”

Well, there really is no other person.

“If you take on this job, I’ll help you get back your money and guild. I’ll pay you separately too.”

“…Sniff.”

Perhaps a different light flickered in Mel’s moist eyes.

To become free from the wanted status, I just need to repeat something similar to what I did in the Duchy. If a human made by Ally gets executed instead of the real Mel.

If I set up the stage like this, she’ll handle it herself.

Sure enough, having thought it over, Mel, who was almost completely won over, wiped her nose and asked.

“…Then I just need to periodically report the Empire’s developments to you?”

“Yeah. Receive that and also investigate the Daesingwan’s background.”

I slowly added.

“…And also investigate about Sephirot.”

“Sephi… Huh? That ancient heretical organization? It was completely wiped out long ago, so there’s nothing left now.”

“Just. It feels unsettling.”

Of course, Sephirot had all its believers within the organization, as well as anyone connected to them, executed without exception. That was already ten years ago.

But the more I thought about it, the more strangely unsettling it felt, and I had a premonition that I hadn’t had that nightmare for no reason.

“Anyway, please, Mel. I’ll assign Ally as your escort until you get settled again.”

“I don’t want her!”

Mel fluttered and shot up abruptly.

Ally snorted at that shrill outcry. For someone who had been quietly sitting there, her tone was quite irritated.

“I don’t want to either. I’m only doing this because Irene asked me to. You should be grateful.”

“Miss, she’s not a guard, she’s a thug!”

“Irene, let’s just not care whether this one lives or dies.”

Are they close friends or bitter enemies?

In any case, it was certain that getting caught between these two would be exhausting. I sent them both out together as they bickered.

Soon, Lishie, who had been sitting like a wooden statue on the couch across from me, hesitantly spoke up.

“…Older Sister, why are you looking for that religious order?”

Her voice and pupils trembled with somewhat anxious undertones. The dragon, curled up like a cat on Lishie’s lap, grumbled.

【Hey, your hands are idle. Tell her to keep scratching this one’s back, contractor.】

They seemed to have grown quite close, perhaps from being in the same space while I was bedridden.

‘…Though that guy might just be using Lishie’s fingers as a back scratcher.’

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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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