A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 170

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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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Side Story – Episode 9
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My pupils trembled violently as I heard the full story from beginning to end.
Fernando? To be honest, I had no recollection of him whatsoever. It couldn’t be helped—the Academy had countless students, and since I’d skipped grades, even a three-year age difference created a significant class gap.
That I’d cursed at Fernando during a lecture? Such incidents were far too numerous to count.
A mentor? I’d taken on so many students that I honestly couldn’t remember their names. Besides, “I’m troubled because I lack talent” was the concern I heard most frequently.
【Ahahahahaha!】
Piyak, perched on my shoulder, was the first to react.
【So to summarize, Kiana always acted ordinary and impartially cold as usual, and there was a junior with strange tastes who fell for that demeanor. Ahahahahaha!】
Piyak added while wiping away tears with his wing.
【Wow, this isn’t even Edmund Tailyes… he’d be perfect as a successor to sit in Edmund’s place instead. Perfect, I tell you. Ahahahahaha!】
And everyone stared at Piyak with bewildered expressions. Gisel muttered, “Wait, why is this summoned creature suddenly talking like that?”
“I… I think I still like you, Senior.”
Fernando spoke with flushed cheeks.
“Even if you’re not the same as before. Gisel said the Crown Prince would probably dislike you if you weren’t the same as you used to be, but I’m not like that. Rather…”
His face turned bright red.
“You’re so… so beautiful…”
In that instant, the first person to move was Ranaq.
“No, no! No, Your Highness! No! Successor of the Levin Domain! No! Please!”
And the Spy Maid, catching on to the situation, bolted after him like lightning.
“Your Highness! Wait! Just a moment!”
She desperately tried to restrain Edmund, who was already emanating killing intent fierce enough to murder someone.
* * *
The garden party’s atmosphere was completely ruined.
Gisel had fought quite a few battles against Edmund and the barbarians, but she’d never felt killing intent this thick. Even with Ranaq and the muscular Maid rushing forward, no one could match Edmund in physical combat. Everyone was already thinking about where Fernando’s grave would be.
“Ed.”
Kiana, quickly grasping the situation, stepped in front of Fernando.
“If you lay a hand on my junior, I won’t let it slide.”
“…Are you taking that man’s side?”
Edmund, who had stopped his charge as if by magic at Kiana’s single word, spoke with a chilling atmosphere.
“You’re taking the side of a man who confesses to my fiancée right in front of me and tells her to come to him?”
“A man? Fernando’s just a kid.”
“There’s only a three-year age difference.”
“That’s exactly why I said he’s a kid.”
“He’ll be of age soon.”
“He’s like my own younger brother.”
“Hitten tried to kill me, his own brother.”
“You said you’d forgive anything no matter what I did.”
“You’re the exception. You always have been.”
“…Anyway, nothing really happened, so put away the killing intent. He didn’t deliberately try to seduce me or anything…”
“How is this not a big deal? Kiana is beautiful. We should gouge out his eyes.”
“Eyes are only guilty of seeing! If he thought she was pretty, that’s a problem with his brain!”
“Then I suppose I’ll have to blow his head off.”
Edmund didn’t back down an inch. Gisel’s mouth fell open at this childish argument.
Was this really the same Edmund who had always regarded Fernando with such composure no matter what? He was being utterly petty toward a man who was clearly only three years younger and just a hot-headed boy.
And he was the Crown Prince and a Sword Master at that! Fernando hadn’t even done anything particularly wrong, yet Edmund was spouting nonsense about blowing his head off….
Gisel felt her heart grow cold at his pettiness. His character was small—far too small.
‘Anyone watching would think the two of them had a falling out.’
Meanwhile, Fernando also clenched his fists and shouted.
“Don’t pretend to take my side now! You knew Gisel could treat me however she wanted, yet you weren’t even there!”
Fernando’s orange eyes blazed with innocent fury.
“Honestly, this is your first time here, isn’t it? If I were your fiancée, I would never have left you alone. I would have stayed right by your side to protect you from someone like Gisel!”
“Hey.”
Kiana sighed and replied calmly.
“You’re spouting nothing but nonsense. How about you just keep your mouth shut? Then we might reach some middle ground.”
Of course, Fernando, already consumed by rage, didn’t hear her. He sputtered indignantly.
“Did you kill off that amazing personality of yours after leaving the Academy? It doesn’t matter. I’ll protect you!”
The garden party guests began murmuring, “Amazing personality?”
“Did the Crown Prince order you not to be temperamental? Or is it because of that unnecessarily kind summoned beast who keeps saying ‘I’ll endure’?”
As Fernando’s resentful gaze turned toward Piyak, who had been repeating “I’ll endure,” Piyak clutched his belly and laughed.
【Ahahahahaha!】
Gisel looked at Piyak with a puzzled expression. Piyak clicked his tongue and spoke.
【It’s amusing, but this is getting a bit pitiful, don’t you think? Ahahaha! And you call this first love? You don’t even understand that Kiana’s personality can’t be killed off! Ahahaha! Before that happens, our first-year dropout loser of a sub-marquis would be dead first! Ahahaha!】
At the unexpected harsh words, Fernando’s face turned crimson.
【Kiana, don’t you think it’s time to end this experiment? It doesn’t seem like we can go any further anyway.】
…Experiment? Gisel blinked at the strange word.
Kiana sighed and nodded.
“Yeah, you’re right. Can’t be helped. Ed, stop teasing him. What’s the big crime in secretly harboring feelings for someone?”
“It’s a crime. Nursing feelings for Kiana in the shadows for years like that?”
“Is that so? I heard a nice self-introduction.”
“….”
Kiana slowly turned her head to look at Gisel.
Gisel flinched without thinking and hunched her shoulders. There was a strange madness glinting in Kiana’s eyes.
“Lady Gisel, how did it feel when I kept using the word ‘comrade’ in front of others while acting pitiful?”
“…What?”
“It seems like I’m lowering myself, but it actually sounds like you’re mocking me, and it just makes you angrier, makes you want to hit me, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, yes! Exactly!”
“Even staying silent feels suffocating, and when others hear the word ‘comrade,’ it seems like they’re mocking me even more, and you just want to shut that mouth of mine one way or another… isn’t that right?”
“Oh my… yes, that’s right….”
Gisel nodded as if entranced. And she agreed vehemently.
“Honestly… what irritates me more is that it looks good in front of others. I’d honestly prefer if she just hit me outright or bullied me openly.”
“Hmm.”
I nodded slowly.
“As expected, that’s how normal people would feel. I wanted to run some experiments with other subjects too.”
“…Pardon?”
“When I was young, there was someone who acted kind in front of others while calling me ‘direct bloodline’ to my face. Thinking about it now, that was really grating, but I wondered if maybe I was just strange for finding it annoying.”
“It’s not just grating—it’s absolutely maddening.”
“As I thought.”
I nodded once. This was the moment my hypothesis was proven: “What Melissa did was clearly something that grated on other people’s nerves too.”
“Anyway, I wanted to test that theory. Don’t feel wronged. It’s true that Gisel spoke ill of me behind my back and mocked me, telling me to climb onto the roof myself.”
I turned my head back toward Fernando with a cunning yet composed expression.
“Fernando, or rather, Lord Viscount.”
“Y-yes?”
“As you can see, I was conducting an experiment. Ed normally never leaves my side. I had to force him away for this. Does that clear up the misunderstanding?”
“…Uh… well…”
“And my nature hasn’t changed. I’d also like to clear up the misunderstanding that my summon is kind. I hope you’ll regard me as your benefactor and treat me with proper respect going forward.”
“…”
“If you’d just kept your mouth shut like I said, you’d have at least gotten halfway there…”
I clicked my tongue and went over to Edmund’s side, linking my arm through his in a soothing manner. I gently stroked his back, which still radiated killing intent.
“For your sake, I’ll calm Ed down, so please proceed with the garden party without us. Well then, that’s all. Oh, and.”
I was dragging Edmund toward my room when I suddenly remembered something and looked at Gisel.
“About the rainwater that keeps pooling under the wooden building’s roof…”
Gisel blinked, then realized I was referring to the situation from earlier.
“Next time, try changing the design from straight to curved. The rainwater will flow down faster and won’t pool as much.”
“Curved? But isn’t a straight line the fastest?”
“It’s easy to think that, but mathematically speaking, the curve of fastest descent is actually the fastest. It’s called a cycloid… well, you should understand roughly, Lord Viscount, so I’ll explain it before I leave.”
Edmund immediately interjected.
“That won’t do. You shouldn’t speak another word to Fernando. I’ll handle it.”
It was truly pathetic how he was trying to prevent her from speaking to someone who clearly wasn’t even in her league. Gisel’s fantasy shattered completely.
“Suit yourself.”
I shrugged and smirked. Then I said one more thing to Gisel before turning away completely.
“Anyway, I may not have used my body, but I did help you directly. You understand, right?”
Gisel just blinked blankly.
“Stop pretending to be kind. You can’t actually help directly anyway, can you?”
She was certain she’d said exactly that… Gisel sat there with a vacant expression, watching my back as I dragged Edmund away, feeling utterly hollow.
【That’s why you shouldn’t carelessly talk back to someone you don’t fully understand.】
Piyak, who had decided to stay at the party with the Spy Maid to eat more delicious food, spoke leisurely.
【In the Capital, no one can touch Kiana. But now that she’s even mastered Melissa’s skills on top of everything else, there’s really no one who can stand against her anymore.】
Gisel sank into a chair on trembling legs. Fernando also collapsed beside her, muttering.
“Phew… Thank goodness… she hasn’t changed… Lady Kiana is still as clever and ruthless as ever…”
Watching this, Piyak shook his head in disapproval.
【They say somewhere in this world there exists someone similar to oneself, yet to encounter someone so alike to Edmund in such a manner…】

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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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