A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 157

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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 157
13. Everything Has Returned
After awakening, the Emperor could barely support his own body as he listened to Seliet recount everything from the beginning.
“Then Ed is….”
“He should be at Prelai Manor right now.”
Seliet answered quickly.
“He’s putting in considerable effort. Still, it won’t be easy.”
She added with gleaming eyes.
“For one thing, Lady Kiana is the beloved youngest, and her older brothers don’t even have a single romantic partner. And there’s no way Duke Prelai, who just returned, would send Lady Kiana to the Imperial Palace.”
The Emperor closed his eyes briefly and organized the flood of information. Truly, it had been a succession of astonishing events, but he was by nature a man of keen intellect and swift judgment.
“First, I must ensure that the consequences of what Ed has resolved fall squarely on me.”
The Emperor spoke in a low voice.
“As long as I sit upon the throne, the blood can stain my hands instead.”
It was Hitten and Dolores who had not only sought to harm him and Edmund but had also thoroughly ruined the nation. The Emperor had no intention of forgiving them in the slightest.
“They’re still awaiting an official trial, I hear.”
The Emperor furrowed his brow and muttered darkly.
“While I’m regaining my senses, I must prepare a cruel end for them by any means necessary. Only then can I face the Prelai ducal house with dignity. And if it helps Ed even a little, that would be better still.”
“Yes. Brother Ed’s path is already treacherous enough. We need to earn points however we can.”
Seliet nodded enthusiastically. Then she asked in an uncertain voice.
“Your Majesty, did you perhaps know that Brother Ed has liked Lady Kiana for a long time?”
“Hmm.”
The Emperor smiled faintly while receiving treatment from the Imperial Physician.
“I had my suspicions. Every time there was an event, he’d glance over at that princess like a puppy every ten minutes.”
But both were too young, and since Kiana favored Lord Rodrigo, he had pretended not to notice. Besides, Edmund himself showed no particular initiative, so there was nothing for his father to intervene in. Moreover, the young Kiana had only caused disturbances in society before making a hasty exit, so there was little more to discern anyway.
But when he saw the grown Kiana during the Tailize Tree incident last time… the Emperor was instantly charmed by her. That’s when he resolved to bring them together once Edmund returned.
He himself had entered a loveless marriage for the Empire’s peace, but he did not wish Edmund to live that way. A marriage for diplomacy had brought peace to the Empire’s people, but hadn’t it ultimately left the imperial family in this state?
Seliet spoke with sparkling eyes.
“Once you meet him soon, you’ll see that Brother Ed has lost weight and become quite handsome. It’s such a relief. When Count Levin didn’t know he was Brother Ed, I was really worried… but now we don’t have to worry about losing on appearance.”
The Emperor wanted to cheer, but the pain was too great and he could only let out a groan. No matter how long it had been since he awakened, his body’s suffering was unavoidable. Even the Imperial Physician couldn’t heal the Emperor.
That was when it happened.
“Your Majesty.”
An attendant called urgently from outside.
“The Prelai ducal house has urgently requested an audience. The Crown Prince is with them as well.”
* * *
Dolores sat in a daze, breathing heavily. With the thought that everything was truly over, all strength drained from her body.
‘Hitten….’
At the end, Kiana had delivered a cutting remark—”There’s no mother as terrible as you”—and left, which made her son, confined somewhere, suddenly come to mind.
‘But… if I hadn’t done this, you would have lived forever in Edmund’s shadow.’
It couldn’t be helped. Hitten lacked everything compared to Edmund. Even knowing that… she had wanted to stand above the Prelai ducal house. She had wanted to surpass Enes.
Was all of this born from coveting Hyde?
The image of Hyde—who had been the perfect gentleman in her mind—flashed through her thoughts. Her first love, whom she had coveted so desperately, and whom she would have destroyed in any way possible if she couldn’t have him. She had never seen anything so beautiful in her entire life.
‘Yes. He was certainly a man worthy of that obsession.’
Since Dolores was also a member of the Imperial family, she understood the procedures that lay ahead.
A formal trial had not yet taken place. She and Hitten would now face trial in the presence of all the high nobility. Edmund would likely preside, or perhaps the Emperor would regain his senses and conduct it himself.
‘It’s been so long. I’ll see you again, Hyde.’
Even so, Dolores bit her lower lip as she thought.
‘…Now that it’s come to this, I’ll remain forever in your memories. Even if I appear pathetic and suffering, if I can see even once your beautiful, refined face distorted because of me…’
At first, it had been painful when Hyde returned as Duke Prelai, but now it felt like things had worked out for the best. If she could see that perfectly noble visage one last time, she felt she would have no regrets about any of this, no matter what.
* * *
We heard that the Emperor had awakened and immediately set out for the Imperial Palace with Edmund. Since the palace was still receiving minimal visitors, only Father, who had guarded the slate tablet, along with Piyak and I, who had uncovered everything, accompanied him.
“Ah…”
And the moment we arrived at the Emperor’s chamber, we witnessed a poignant reunion between father and son.
“Finally… your baby fat is gone…”
The Emperor pulled Edmund into an embrace and murmured in a tender voice.
“…I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any help to you.”
Edmund grasped the Emperor’s hand and smiled faintly, speaking as if it were no matter.
“I’ve experienced it myself. It’s truly a vicious poison. I… was saved by Hou’s immediate antidote, but my sense of taste still hasn’t returned.”
“Ah, I see.”
The Emperor nodded.
“I can’t taste anything either. Of course, compared to this pain that feels like my entire body is being beaten, that’s nothing…”
He brushed Edmund’s face once and sighed, then spoke.
“So that’s why all those plump cheeks have disappeared…”
“Pardon me for a moment. Your Majesty, this is not the time for this. If you’re in such terrible pain, we should resolve it quickly.”
Father spoke in a hearty voice as he separated Edmund from the Emperor.
The Emperor’s eyes wavered slightly as he looked at Father. His clothes were plastered with luxury brand logos, his frame had grown excessively large, his gestures were rough, and his manner of speech was crude and improper—all of which seemed to perplex him.
“If you destroy this fragment directly, Your Majesty, your body should recover.”
I held out the heart fragment shard that Father had brought to the Emperor.
“The distorted power of the Tailize Tree will return, they say. I too recovered my summoned beast after destroying my heart fragment.”
“When we meet next time, I wanted to see the Princess’s summoned beast, and it seems my wish has come true.”
Now that I thought about it, we had indeed spoken of that at the very end.
“I hope I’ll be able to see the Princess’s summoned beast next time. It may take time, but…”
Piyak spread his wings proudly on my shoulder. The Emperor looked at me and smiled faintly, then accepted the heart fragment shard I offered.
“Then…”
After taking a deep breath, the Emperor drew a short dagger from his bosom.
“I need to recover quickly so I can properly execute Dolores and Hitten at the trial that’s coming soon.”
And in one swift motion, he brought the dagger down upon the heart fragment shard. Light burst forth from the destroyed fragment and instantly seeped into the Emperor’s body. We all let out small exclamations of wonder at the truly miraculous sight.
“Wow.”
“My goodness…”
“Oh, hell!”
Of course, the curse was uttered by Father…
And the Emperor, having absorbed all the light, underwent a visible transformation. His pallid, sickly visage bloomed with vitality in an instant.
“…Heavens.”
The Emperor murmured breathlessly.
“Truly… truly, there is not a shred of pain left… And yet…”
The Emperor, muttering with overwhelming emotion, gazed suspiciously at the minuscule fragment remaining in his palm and spoke.
“What is this? Why has everything else vanished, leaving only this?”
A piece no larger than a thumbnail remained. Father tilted his head and answered.
“Hmm… When Kiki shattered it before, it disappeared without a trace so swiftly, but this… I cannot fathom what it is. Could there be a place that has not yet recovered? Perhaps there remains some dark magic still unresolved…”
The Emperor shook his head quietly.
In that moment, a hypothesis suddenly flashed through my mind.
“Ah!”
Unresolved dark magic, something not yet recovered… I gazed at Edmund and smiled brightly.
“You should try breaking this! Your sense of taste might return!”
There was still one thing remaining.

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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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