A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 123

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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 123
“Wait, why are we moving so fast?”
I’d always thought Sezare had a slender build, but being held in his arms made the difference in our sizes strikingly apparent. I protested by squirming in his embrace as I spoke.
“I just said I liked you, and now I’m hearing talk of marriage? Is that what’s happening?”
“I’ve already named our children ten years ago. Besides, I have no intention of letting you go anyway, so wouldn’t it be better if you stopped moving?”
“What? Why would you not let me go?”
“Because I want to play with the Princess like this.”
The word “play” suddenly brought certain letters to mind.
No, he’d been sending such obscene replies to my worried letters… Sezare chuckled softly and continued.
“When I was with you in the Research Lab, I wanted to do this instead of research. But if the Princess keeps moving like that…”
His lips nearly brushed against my ear, causing my shoulders to tense.
“It disrupts my carefully planned progression.”
Only then did I understand what he meant by not moving, and my cheeks flushed crimson. So I squirmed even more as I asked.
“But didn’t you use informal speech with me before? Even six years ago today?”
“Indeed.”
Sezare laughed helplessly as he watched me writhe, then pulled me closer and pressed his forehead against mine before answering playfully.
“Perhaps it’s because we’ve spent so much time together like this… it’s difficult to change my manner of speech. It seems those times we spent together were truly happy for me.”
Sezare spoke in a somewhat strained voice.
“As Sezare Levin, I never imagined I could experience happiness.”
I could feel the sincerity in his words. Of course, considering he’d been cleaning the Research Lab just moments before, it was somewhat peculiar.
“But there is one thing I’d like permission for.”
Sezare closed his eyes slightly as he continued.
“I want to call you by your name, Princess.”
Until now, he’d consistently called me Princess, always maintaining a gentlemanly distance and proper courtesy.
“Ah… yes, please do.”
“Kiana.”
“…What?”
“Kiana, Kiana.”
My name, pronounced precisely from his lips, sounded strangely sweet, and my cheeks flushed instantly. Had my name always been this soft and delicate? His lips brushed against my ear, tickling me.
“This is severe.”
Sezare closed his eyes slightly as he continued speaking.
“It’s only been a short time since I was completely disappointed in my mother and dealt with my uncle, yet here I am, losing my composure before the Princess like this.”
That’s right… today wasn’t simply a good day… I shrank my shoulders as I asked.
“What will you do from now on?”
“Normally, I would have gone to Arun and immediately investigated dark magic in greater detail. That’s precisely why I couldn’t return to the Imperial Palace right away. If I finally returned only to fall victim to some unknown poison again, that wouldn’t do, would it?”
Listening to Sezare’s words, it seemed even I would have had difficulty returning to the Imperial Palace easily. There were many suspicions, few trustworthy people, and the variable of dark magic to consider.
“But since the Princess asked me not to go to Arun…”
He blinked languidly and lifted my waist, positioning me on top of him. Even as he did so, his expression showed concern that his weight might suffocate me.
“Originally, I planned to ask the Spirit about dark magic, and if I learned nothing significant, I would return immediately.”
Of course, with his long arms and legs wrapped tightly around me, there was no way for me to escape from his embrace.
“Just to be safe, let’s organize the Levin Domain’s military forces and position them near the Capital first.”
The Levin Domain’s military… I’d suspected as much ever since I overheard Avian mention it earlier. Over these six years, Sezare had cultivated his own military command in the Levin Domain, apparently prepared to reclaim the Capital by force if necessary. So that’s what had kept him so busy lately….
“Normally, I would have needed to conduct more behind-the-scenes maneuvering to account for unforeseen circumstances, but thanks to someone, the matters with the Guards and House of Purbis were resolved in an instant.”
Sezare gazed at me with affectionate eyes and spoke.
“Of course, Lord Rodrigo remains, but I’d like to deal with him far more ruthlessly than the other four.”
I couldn’t help myself and met his gaze as I replied.
“You can do this, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
It was encouragement laden with considerable sarcasm. I spoke quickly while nestled against him.
“Leave Arun to me.”
I was planning to enter the Arun region soon and rescue my father, Hyde Prelai, who had been trapped there for seventeen years. And now I had one more reason to go to Arun.
According to the Spirit’s words, there was one more opportunity for dark magic remaining. Somehow both Hitten and Dolores had seemed at ease, and it seemed that was the reason why.
“To be honest, I don’t want to send you somewhere so far away alone. I mean it when I say I’ll do anything for you, Kiana.”
He spoke in a languid yet resolute voice.
“I helped you even when Lord Rodrigo used Hitten to pressure you.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Remembering the past incident suddenly, I spoke with a serious expression.
“So that’s why you told me not to back out when I proposed the contract relationship? Because you’d already taken care of it beforehand?”
“Yes.”
Sezare answered without the slightest hesitation.
“As I mentioned then, I’m trash, so I didn’t want to miss such an opportunity.”
He added with a small laugh.
“If there are chances to grow closer in the future, I’ll seize them no matter what. Even if I have to act despicably.”
“Ha… this determined man.”
I shook my head and sighed. Sezare spoke playfully.
“I was a good person back then, believe it or not.”
I suppose he was… Recalling the plump young Crown Prince who used to laugh so cheerfully, all of this did seem alien.
“Now that I think about it, I have something to tell you too.”
In any case, if he was going to boast, I should boast as well. So I spoke quickly.
“I kept missing the timing to say this, but six years ago, it was our Hou who detoxified Your Highness the Crown Prince’s poison.”
“Ah….”
For the first time, an expression of surprise flickered across Sezare’s eyes, which had been burning with intensity. He looked completely unaware.
“I thought all this time that I had detoxified it myself. I was already shocked just by the temporary paralysis of my body….”
“Yes. If it hadn’t been for Hou, you likely wouldn’t have survived. In any case, because of that….”
Since a flood of new information had poured in, now it was time to consider various scenarios and formulate a new plan.
“Shall we make a plan now?”
“Kiana? Your eyes… seem a bit strange?”
“We must strive for the best possible future.”
Sezare flinched for a moment. It was just like Piyak when he first saw me surrounded by memos.
“Now then, let’s divide the situation into about twenty-three scenarios and establish hypotheses, and then think up to seven countermeasures for each.”
“….”
“And prepare writing materials.”
Suddenly, the image of that bright-eyed, chubby Crown Prince Edmund overlapped with Sezare’s face. Before I could stop myself, the question “How did you manage the diet?” rose to the tip of my tongue.
The young Crown Prince Edmund Tailyes—so round and affable-looking, with a kindness that seemed boundless. So I patted him soothingly and spoke.
“For now, let’s just make a plan first… Next time we meet, let’s play the next stage somewhere other than the Research Lab.”
He kissed my cheek and whispered regretfully.
“Since I listen well to the Princess, I’ll make sure to only go as far as naming the child before getting ahead of myself.”
Lost in recalling that hazy boy from memory, I had let my guard down. Unlike that boy, Sezare was cunning.
And the cookie crumbs I shed that day—Sezare cleaned them up. Every tiny speck that had stuck to my body between my clothes.

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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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