A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 100

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 100
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The next day, at the rear gate of the Imperial Palace Prison.
The Countess of Alcyone stumbled out in a disheveled state. She should have been released two weeks later, but a guard had suddenly shoved her out. Because of this, no one from the Alcyone County Estate had come to meet her.
As she shuffled forward unsteadily, a private carriage pulled up in front of her. Eager to return to the Alcyone County Estate, the Countess of Alcyone decided to board it.
“Take me to the Alcyone County Estate, please.”
She gave the order in a hoarse voice and climbed into the carriage. The moment she entered, she realized she had fallen into a trap.
“Hello there.”
The carriage she thought was empty already had passengers inside.
“…Lady Kiana? And…”
And they were truly unexpected people. Kiana, whom she had tried to frame for theft, and her lover, Sezare.
The Countess of Alcyone braced herself mentally.
Kiana was a genuine genius of magical engineering. After what she had demonstrated at the Cordiac Charity, no one could dare challenge her anymore. How could one devise a scheme against someone who evaded all manner of traps using magical artifacts no one had ever heard of?
Moreover, her nature was wickedly cruel. So the Countess of Alcyone prepared herself mentally for torture using innovative magical artifacts inside this carriage.
“I’m sorry, Lady Kiana. I was… actually just following orders…”
The Countess of Alcyone prostrated herself and begged. Kiana answered coldly, her expression unchanged.
“Of course. What power would you have had, Madam? When your superior orders you to do something, you do it. I understand such hierarchies very well.”
The Countess of Alcyone hesitated, unsure how to respond.
‘Superior…’
Lord Rodrigo could not strictly be called her superior. Kiana spoke with folded arms and a matter-of-fact tone.
“Empress Dolores ordered you to do it. It’s obvious at a glance.”
What…? She said that…? Without even a single roundabout courtesy phrase? The Countess of Alcyone, accustomed to various social niceties, opened her mouth in shock.
“I saved you from your predicament. If Lord Rodrigo’s name hadn’t come up, you would have been finished. You seem smart enough to understand that, don’t you?”
And she spoke so bluntly on a first meeting?
“Moreover, I’m the one who got you out of that terrible prison two days early.”
The Countess of Alcyone let out a shallow sigh. So that’s why her release date was moved up…and the private carriage arrived right on time.
“Madam, Empress Dolores never intended to save you in the first place. You understand that, don’t you?”
Kiana asked with eyes that said ‘Surely you’re not so foolish as not to know that?’ and the Countess of Alcyone answered absently.
“…Yes.”
“Yet you only did what the Empress ordered you to do. Isn’t that right?”
“…Yes.”
“Then you must feel wronged, having served faithfully at the Empress’s side as her lady’s maid for years?”
“…”
“Silence is consent. So in this situation, who is your benefactor? Me, right?”
“…”
“I said silence is consent earlier, didn’t I? Thank you for understanding.”
Kiana smiled and folded her arms. There was nothing wrong with what she said, yet something felt oddly manipulative.
And beside her, Sezare began fanning, asking if our Lady Kiana found it a bit warm in the carriage. The Countess of Alcyone thought the scene itself was quite bizarre.
A cold-hearted villainess with a lovely appearance who showed mercy and spoke no falsehoods. A commoner-born nobleman attending to her every gesture, radiating nobility from head to toe despite her small stature.
Dolores wielded even greater power in society than the Empress herself. So the Countess of Alcyone, her closest lady’s maid, was thoroughly versed in all the rumors of high society.
Kiana and Sezare together were the perfect kindling for people’s sordid imaginations. Sezare’s reputation was abysmal. He was handsome enough to turn heads, but rumors circulated that he frequented nothing but dens of ruffians.
A villainess and a ruffian—what indecent things must they be up to together! Kiana visited the Marquis’ Mansion daily, returning late into the night… The two of them never went anywhere, just holed up in the mansion… Kiana’s complexion brightened while Sezare’s grew sallow… How scandalously close were they? How much was Kiana tormenting Sezare in bed!
‘But… seeing them in person…’
The Countess of Alcyone felt an odd emotion watching them.
‘It’s actually quite sweet and thrilling?’
Especially in the way Sezare gazed at Kiana—honey was practically dripping from his eyes.
‘They’re so conscious of each other that even a fingertip’s touch makes them both tense!’
This was a tension that couples who had gone all the way could never produce.
“Well, Madam.”
Kiana regarded the Countess of Alcyone with eyes curved like crescents.
“I can overturn this testimony in an instant.”
“Pardon?”
Kiana gestured to Sezare with her eyes.
Sezare quickly produced a magical artifact from his pocket. The moment he activated it, the brief conversation from before played back.
“Madam, Empress Dolores never intended to save you in the first place. You know that, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Yet you only did what she commanded. Isn’t that right?”
“…Yes.”
The Countess of Alcyone’s face turned ashen in an instant.
‘What… what is this?’
Kiana smiled slyly as she spoke.
“This is a recording magical artifact. It can record about eight seconds.”
“No, this is…”
“There’s a related thesis at the Academy. Research on a magical artifact that can record one second. Of course, one second is useless for anything, so it was never commercialized.”
Kiana explained calmly to the speechless Countess of Alcyone.
“But if you add Espra flower petals, the mana supply increases enough to allow eight seconds of recording. I’ve already submitted a follow-up research proposal on this.”
“…Pardon?”
“Even if you later claim ‘This recording is fake, made by Lady Kiana’s artifact!’ I can submit this device to the Academy to prove it’s genuine.”
“…Pardon?”
“In other words, you’re completely finished now, with no room left to scheme.”
The Countess of Alcyone felt her head spinning. She thought she’d maneuvered well enough in high society, but this was a trap with no escape route.
In fact, the Countess of Alcyone hadn’t even thought to claim ‘that recording is false!’ Yet Kiana had anticipated even that possibility and completely crushed her will to resist.
‘Who could possibly stand against that?’
The Countess of Alcyone’s face crumpled in despair in an instant.
‘She carries all sorts of extraordinary things and is prepared for every conceivable scenario!’
Of course, anyone could purchase magical artifacts. But there was no one who wielded them so freely and opportunely. Most people simply dismissed them, thinking ‘A magical artifact? One second? Hardly useful…’
“Let me summarize.”
Kiana spoke gently.
“Once this is revealed, you’ll have confessed before me that Empress Dolores ordered you to do this.”
The Countess of Alcyone’s face went white. Hearing just those eight seconds without context sounded exactly like that!
Yet Kiana spoke with absolute confidence.
“And I can hand this magical artifact over to the Empress whenever I wish.”
“No, that won’t do!”
The Countess of Alcyone cried out immediately.
It would be better to expose everything to the world than to let that fall into Dolores’s hands—she would be as good as dead. Good heavens, Kiana truly was ruthless. She had no qualms about disposing of people without lifting a finger herself.
“Then, thinking about this very logically.”
Kiana smiled with satisfaction and clapped once.
“The Countess will have to obey my every word like a dog, won’t she?”
In that moment, the Countess of Alcyone understood.
All this time in prison, she had believed this was all a trap aimed at Lord Rodrigo. After all, Kiana had plenty of reasons to despise House of Purbis. But now her understanding shifted. Kiana had been targeting her from the beginning—the Third Queen’s trusted lady-in-waiting, the Countess of Alcyone.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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