A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 179

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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 18
Eventually, Joshua stopped trying to impress me. Instead, he leaned forward subtly and asked.
“But… what was the Second Imperial Consort’s secret? I’m seriously dying of curiosity…”
“I can’t tell you.”
“What? We’re family, so why can’t you tell me?”
“Absolutely not. It’s far too important and shocking to reveal.”
At my words, Joshua began breathing heavily, his face screaming with curiosity. But I could never tell him. Everyone knew her as Princess Katia, but the Second Imperial Consort was actually a maid. I couldn’t go around spreading that.
“…Just to me. Can’t you? I’m your older brother.”
“No. We’ve established a principle that only direct members of the Imperial family share this secret. If we make even one exception, what kind of principle is that?”
“Ugh… Why does Kiana get such high-level information instead of me…”
Joshua looked like he was dying of curiosity, and I drove the nail in by making it clear I absolutely would not tell him.
“If you’re upset about it, then marry someone from the Imperial family yourself.”
Joshua huffed but had nothing more to say. He seemed to feel a tremendous sense of deflation at how easily I’d resolved this matter alone. Lea quietly clicked her tongue beside him.
“Hey, Joshua!”
Just then, Father opened the door and came in.
“This is really fun! Want to give it a read?”
The title of the book Father handed to Joshua was “This Marriage is Merely a Transaction.” Joshua said he’d been too busy lately and his reading pile had accumulated, so he’d borrow it later.
“That’s right, yes, yes!”
Father, whom I expected to be disappointed, swung both fists and cheered.
“You should be busy with romance, not reading romance novels! Yes, that’s it!”
“Ah, what romance! I’m not in love, Father!”
“Right, don’t fall in love—get married instead! Ha ha ha! Our Joshua is really easing his father’s worries! Indeed, your generation is hopeless, so I’ll skip ahead and designate a grandchild as the heir right away!”
I quietly ate tea cakes between the two noisy people.
In any case, I was relieved that the matter had been resolved this way. The Second Imperial Consort told me she would continue steadily with the duties she’d been handling.
“Please don’t worry about such matters and focus on Academy work instead, Princess. I believe that will be what serves the Empire’s people best.”
Since the Emperor was still in good health anyway, I didn’t particularly want to take on those duties myself just yet.
“Instead, let’s discuss and decide on all Imperial family matters together. In truth… it should have been the Empress’s work, but given the special circumstances. And when His Majesty and I step back, I’ll gradually hand over all these responsibilities to you.”
When the Emperor and Second Imperial Consort stepped back, it would also be time for me to retire from the front lines of Academy work, so it was more than sufficient.
“Ideally, I should have looked after you in advance, Princess. But my heart has been in great pain, and since I come from a maid’s background, it was difficult to reach out first.”
I could understand that position well enough. I’d thought she would do well, but Imperial life had felt somewhat daunting. Now that the Second Imperial Consort said she would guide me supportively, my heart felt much lighter.
Meanwhile, Father and Joshua continued bickering about whether Joshua was in love or should get married.
‘Well, if Joshua were to fall in love, it would be more likely than with Alex. At least Joshua doesn’t have social problems.’
Whether Joshua fell in love or not didn’t particularly interest me, so I didn’t really join the conversation.
‘But I wonder how Alex is doing? He probably hasn’t reached the Northern Region yet, has he?’
* * *
A few days later.
Alex arrived in the Northern Region. No matter how swiftly he traveled on Wolf, the distance was great and it took considerable time.
And Alex was truly a calamity incarnate. The moment he arrived, he didn’t even dismount from Wolf before charging into monster subjugation with the knights. Thoroughly excited after seeing blood, he took a deep breath and gazed at the distant sky.
‘…Well, this is fine. Only…’
Blood spattered across his gleaming golden hair.
The female knights of Prelai Duchy who saw Alex for the first time all fell head over heels for him. However, after half a day had passed, they all withdrew that infatuation.
‘Something feels… hollow…’
It was better than the Capital in that I could swing a sword, but that didn’t make it particularly enjoyable.
‘This won’t do. I’m a hopeless lunatic with no answers.’
He swallowed his pain with melancholic eyes and thought.
‘This isn’t the feeling of beating someone up…’
In the end, he trudged toward Prelai Castle with a gloomy expression.
After that, to lift his spirits, he headed toward Dolores and Hitten, whom he had saved for last.
And a few hours later.
Hitten lay gasping on the stone floor with a pained expression. Already having difficult days, now that Alex had visited once, he felt like he was losing his mind entirely.
“Really…”
Hitten muttered while tears streamed down his face.
“Really… just kill me instead… so all of this can end…”
Unable to even take a step due to the pain, he was rolling on the ground when something suddenly caught his eye.
“…What? What is it?”
The Northern Region was a cold place where drafts entered everywhere, and the wind brought a small note from the corner right before his eyes.
“Ahhhhhhh! Ugh! Ahhhhhhh!”
Upon seeing the note, Hitten tore at his hair and wailed.
He was terrified that Alex might visit again the next day. Fortunately, however, Alex departed for Prelai Ducal Residence the next day.
* * *
The next morning, a pink letter envelope arrived urgently for Alex.
In the Empire, there was a tradition of using pink letter envelopes to announce marriages. Upon seeing the clear Prelai seal imprinted on the envelope, Alex’s heart sank.
“Could it be… that K-Kiana is getting married?”
With trembling hands, Alex read the letter and immediately mounted Wolf to head back to the Capital. It was absurd to return to the Capital after being in the Northern Region for only a day, but it was truly news he couldn’t ignore.
“Damn it, what is this…”
Even as he rode toward the Capital, Alex laughed hollowly at the absurdity.
“Marriage? Marriage? Am I really going crazy?”
When Wolf stopped to rest after running for a while, Alex took out the pink letter envelope from his pocket and read the letter once more.
Brother, are you doing well slashing things up there? I’ve decided to get married.
The letter was from Joshua.
Ah, don’t misunderstand. Don’t congratulate me either. It’s not because we love each other, but because we have things to gain from each other that we’re getting married.
“What the hell…”
I’ll explain the situation roughly in case you’re curious.
We discovered that we work quite well together whenever we handle something jointly.
Neither of us is interested in the opposite sex anyway, and then one day that woman suddenly proposed to me first.
I accepted because there was truly something I desperately wanted to know.
Since we both have things we want to gain from each other, it’s only possible if we’re bound by this level of trust.
In any case, here’s the conclusion.
This marriage is simply a transaction.
Ah, I’ve also attached the location and date of the wedding. The bride-to-be wanted the wedding as soon as possible, so I set the date earlier.
Whether the wedding happens or not, honestly, I don’t even need to attend. I’ve never had any desire to see my brother, and I’m sure he feels the same way about me, doesn’t he?
“××…. This bastard….”
Alex ground his teeth.
“You didn’t even write down who the bride is!”
He had no particular desire to attend Joshua’s wedding. Julius had also expressed his reluctance with a dismissive tone: “Joshua’s wedding? I don’t have to go, right? That bride probably isn’t normal anyway.” Yet Alex found himself with no choice but to gallop toward the Capital. He was far too curious about who this strange woman was that Joshua had made a deal with to marry.
And as he tucked Joshua’s letter into his chest, he furrowed his brow and muttered.
“Ah ××…. But where’s the letter Kiana gave me?”
He always kept it in his pocket, but the letter he’d received from Kiana was nowhere to be found. Since it was just a small note, he must have dropped it during combat. With only memories of swinging his sword and rolling around in the Prelai Duchy, he had no way of knowing where it had fallen.
“××…. At this rate, I’ll have to hurry and ask Kiana to write me another one.”
Alex blew on his bangs to tidy them, then mounted Wolf again.
“But what kind of crazy woman marries someone like Joshua? And she even asked for the wedding to be arranged quickly?”
The wedding date was so urgent that he’d have to ride hard just to arrive before it took place.
【I’m curious too. Let’s go faster!】
Even Wolf, excited, ran faster than ever before.
Even Wolf ran faster than ever before, excited.

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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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