A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 208

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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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Commemorating the Webtoon Adaptation
Side Story 11
* * *
Indeed, Hitten was at the Tailize Tree. The moment he offered the Elysek, light emanated from the tree.
The instant Melissa entered the garden, an attendant blocked her path.
“Would you mind waiting a moment? The Prince is currently in prayer.”
“Ah, I see? Prayer… How long might that take?”
“I cannot say, but he has only just begun.”
“It should be finished within thirty minutes, yes? I heard that even the Crown Prince uses this path…”
“Ah.”
The attendant smiled broadly as he spoke.
“The Crown Prince is not in the Imperial Palace today. He departed for a picnic this morning.”
“What?”
“Is Lady Kiana not absent? I understand that Lord Rodrigo and Prince Enoch arranged this outing for them after so long.”
Melissa felt her strength drain away. Edmund’s absence from the palace meant this trip had been for nothing.
“Is that so? Then when will he return?”
“I cannot say. He joked that if he fails to catch something worthy to present to Lady Kiana, he might stay for two or even four days.”
Two or four days?
Melissa barely swallowed her irritation. A month had already passed while Piyak carried the note, and it seemed Kiana and her family would arrive soon.
Naturally, there had been no word of their departure, but the people of Count Prelai’s household were not the type to maintain such frequent, affectionate contact anyway.
Even the Head Maid and Butler were simply murmuring to themselves, “They should be arriving around now,” and making preparations accordingly.
‘And yet, with the Emperor unwell and receiving only a limited number of guests, I cannot use some trivial excuse to return to the palace every day…’
With Edmund’s return uncertain, I could not afford to visit the palace day after day.
‘Piyak’s abilities are somewhat lacking… Well, there’s nothing to be done about it.’
Melissa was quick to give up on impossible matters. It was better to avoid suspicion or appearing strange, and to wait for the next opportunity. After all, there was still considerable time before the two of them reached marriageable age.
In that case, there was no pressing need to meet Hitten now either.
“Then tell the Prince I’ll visit him another time. I don’t wish to disturb his prayers.”
Melissa spoke kindly before turning to leave. As she did, she pulled out the note that Piyak had brought from her pocket.
‘It would be troublesome if I were caught taking Kiana’s torn diary home.’
The servants happened to be cleaning the garden entrance. Melissa slipped the note among the fallen leaves piled on the hand cart, then departed the palace at leisure.
* * *
In truth, Hitten had gone to the Tailize Tree hoping to offer a prayer for the success of this “picnic.”
The picnic consisted only of Edmund’s five closest confidants.
It had been in the planning stages for three years, but could not be executed because Edmund had only chased after Kiana. However, when Kiana suddenly departed for Count Prelai’s territory, the opportunity finally arose.
‘O God.’
Hitten closed his eyes and prayed earnestly.
‘Please watch over us…’
He had waited for so very long.
How many years had he been praying like this?
“Your Highness! Your Highness! There’s an emergency!”
Hitten spun around in startled surprise without realizing it. One of his subordinates came rushing toward him.
“The Crown Prince has been subjected to an assassination attempt!”
“…What?”
Not that he was ‘assassinated,’ but that he ‘survived an assassination attempt’….
I had a bad feeling about this.
“The Picnic members who attempted to murder the Crown Prince all died on the spot… Ugh!”
The subordinate cried out as he approached but collided with a cleaning cart piled with fallen leaves. As the leaves scattered down, the subordinate crashed into it as well.
“What? All dead? All five of them died on the spot?”
Without thinking, Hitten rushed over and helped the subordinate up. Normally, he would never extend such courtesy to an inferior, but his mind wasn’t functioning properly now.
“They’re all dead, right? They all died without saying a word, right?”
I didn’t know how the situation had unfolded, but if I became entangled in it, that would be far worse. That’s why I had secretly sent additional personnel with orders to eliminate everyone if things went wrong….
‘I was praying to the gods just moments ago. It should be fine… They’re all dead anyway. The dead tell no tales.’
Hitten caught his breath and recalled the Tailize Tree once more.
That was when something crinkled beneath Hitten’s feet as he helped the subordinate up among the fallen leaves.
Why on earth would such an unexpected note appear in this place filled only with fallen leaves….
As Hitten frowned, the subordinate whispered breathlessly.
“It, it seems the Crown Prince has already reached the realm of a Sword Master… He definitely consumed poison, but since it was incomplete, he apparently disposed of all five without issue!”
“This is….”
Hitten swallowed dryly and muttered.
“It’s fine. Everything’s fine. They all died on the spot… Nothing will happen. There’s no evidence anyway. There are no variables. All secrets were buried with Roki.”
And he trampled the uncomfortable note beneath his feet right there.
* * *
The next morning at dawn, at Duke Prelai’s residence.
“Why are you doing this all of a sudden? Huh? What on earth is this about!”
Melissa had been sleeping with Piyak when she was suddenly dragged out. When she arrived at the reception room in a daze, an unbelievable sight unfolded before her eyes.
“Could it be… G, g, g, great uncle?”
He was a middle-aged man with a massive build like a barbarian yet strangely delicate features. It was definitely Hyde, who had been in the barbarian territories all this time.
“Are you Roki’s daughter?”
“Y, yes?”
“I know everything. That you stole my daughter’s summoned beast! Kyaaaaaaah! Annihilation! Destruction!”
What happened next proceeded like lightning.
Hyde crushed Prelai’s heart on the spot, and Piyak returned to being Kiana’s summoned beast.
All of Melissa’s deeds of stealing Piyak and acting as though it were her own were exposed. It was only natural that everyone in the Prelai household was enraged.
Of course, while the Prelai residence was in such turmoil, the Imperial Palace was hardly at peace either. There had been an assassination attempt on the Crown Prince. Moreover, it was orchestrated by five people who were considered his closest associates.
“Go to Duke Prelai’s residence.”
Last night, around midnight, Edmund returned to the Imperial Palace, organized all matters, and finished notifying each household.
Though he handled the affair itself coldly according to procedure, the Empress wept and begged him to spare her uncle, which consumed much time in consoling her. Only after the Emperor rose from his sickbed and ordered the Empress to be removed and confined did the matter finally conclude.
So by the time Edmund, who had stayed up all night, finally had a moment of respite, morning had already arrived. And the moment he had time, he declared he would go see Kiana.
“The Princess arrived with her family at dawn, I hear? Since the Princess saved my life, I should go express my gratitude.”
My tongue still tingled from the poison, but I had truly been able to save my life thanks to Kiana.
I was able to see through Lord Rodrigo’s final act of pretending to sacrifice his life for me. Had I let my guard down and fallen for it then, I would have plummeted off that cliff regardless of being a Sword Master.
“Why did I meet Lord Rodrigo? Well, that frivolous man came looking for me of his own accord. He kept visiting, saying there was no reason to change his mind until just days before the engagement ceremony. Though he did go see Melissa too, without hesitation.”
Edmund clearly remembered Kiana’s offhand remark. A man who would flirt with his own fiancée-to-be hardly seemed like the type to sacrifice his life for him.
Wanting to lose weight before the wedding for some reason, he had eaten only a single bite of the sandwich brought in a lunch box and secretly discarded the rest. There was no doubt the sandwich contained a poison that worked on the imperial bloodline.
In any case, it was all thanks to Kiana. Edmund truly believed this.
Of course, his world had grown darker with today’s betrayal… but still, the brightest light had kept him alive until the very end.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince? I heard you haven’t eaten anything… Aren’t you hungry….”
“Never mind. I’m fine.”
Edmund answered with a bitter expression.
“Nothing tastes like anything anyway.”

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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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