A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 24

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 24
I stared intently at the Owner. The mask obscured his facial features, but everything from the earring on one ear to his rings, belt, and shoes were luxury items—and prominently branded at that.
“Well, I’m not sure.”
I rose slowly and grasped the Owner’s hands as if expressing gratitude. Then I furrowed my brow and spoke.
“It wasn’t beginner’s luck or the mystique of gambling—just a bit of strategy, really.”
That’s when Piyak, who had been pretending to be a doll in my arms, suddenly took flight. With his beak, he forcefully tore the mask from the Owner’s face.
“What—what is this!”
The Owner quickly tried to cover his face. But at that critical moment, I held his hands firmly, and he missed his chance.
Thus the Owner’s face was exposed to everyone in the Club House. Simultaneously, the establishment erupted into chaos.
“Wait, who is that?!”
“Arrest him!”
Immediately, several Guards who had been concealed throughout the Gambling Hall stood and restrained the Owner.
“It’s the wanted criminal Alin Keirif!”
The hidden Guards revealed themselves, and the Club House descended into pandemonium.
Beneath the Owner’s mask lay an unfamiliar face—still one of utter bewilderment. Well, having one’s mask suddenly torn away and being seized by the Guards would certainly cause anyone to lose composure.
I gazed at him leisurely and shrugged my shoulders.
“My goodness, I thought he was my older brother. That gaudy appearance draped in luxury brands looked exactly like Joshua Prelai.”
Then I hugged Piyak close again and added,
“Really, it’s as if he dressed intentionally to match him. Even the hair…”
I tugged sharply at his blonde hair as I spoke.
“…looked like a wig.”
Naturally, those lustrous long golden locks came right off, revealing ordinary brown hair beneath.
“Good heavens!”
“I thought he was Lord Joshua Prelai too!”
People cried out amid the chaos. Many had already assumed the Club House Owner was Joshua, and Joshua had no friends willing to actively step forward and say, “That man isn’t Joshua Prelai.” It was the perfect environment for misunderstanding.
“Oh my.”
I clicked my tongue and spoke.
“So he wasn’t Joshua—he was a Joshua stalker. Copying someone’s fashion when there’s nothing else to imitate? What is this madness?”
In the original story, this was one of Prince Hitten’s traps against the Prelai.
“Treason requires substantial funds. So where did the Prelai obtain such backing? Testimonies are pouring in that the Club House Owner is Joshua Prelai.”
In truth, the Club House Owner was Alin Keirif, a Class-One wanted criminal whom Prince Hitten protected. Rather than being imprisoned, he conducted business under the guise of Joshua Prelai—a transaction orchestrated by Hitten. It was an exceedingly meticulous and sinister trap, exploiting the ambiguity surrounding Joshua’s immense wealth.
Alin Keirif appeared only when major problems arose to clean up the situation. Yet those rare appearances…looked unmistakably like Joshua to anyone. Long blonde hair, luxury brands with prominent logos….
Because he wore a mask, no one could state it with certainty. Still, the ruffians frequenting the Club House all made similar assumptions behind closed doors—that Joshua was making a fortune here.
Remarkably, Joshua himself knew of this. However, he deemed it unnecessary to respond and paid it no mind. “Even if someone imitates me, they gain nothing from it. Perhaps they’re simply impressed by my fashion sense,” he thought dismissively.
In reality…he was merely being self-absorbed, thinking, “They must have wanted to imitate me quite badly,” and felt secretly pleased. Joshua was the type to darkly cherish all the attention directed at him.
At appropriate times, the Club House would close and Alin would disappear. Joshua never imagined how that rumor would later become a noose around the Prelai’s neck in ways he couldn’t foresee…. Thus Prince Hitten had been continuously working within the Club House to transform rumor into fact.
‘In other words, if I expose his face before the Club House closes, Joshua’s innocence is proven.’
This was an incident that needed resolution eventually. I decided to handle it swiftly while I was already here at the Club House. So I employed some strategy to bring Alin Keirif before me.
Since he was a criminal constantly prepared to flee, a direct assault would be useless. Moreover, he had already colluded with the upper echelons of the Capital Guard, so officially reporting him to them would accomplish nothing. Thus I needed to create considerable commotion to force him to reveal himself.
‘And what causes the most certain and greatest scandal in a Gambling Hall? A sudden windfall, of course.’
I dropped the cards I’d been holding onto the floor with a soft thud. Gambling really wasn’t my taste. Ugh, this kind of game where money slips through your fingers—it was truly unsuited to me. Too vulgar, too unbecoming of nobility.
“Spy Maid.”
So I gave my instructions with resolve.
“The Club House will be closing soon. Before that happens, quickly exchange all these chips for currency.”
The Club House had already descended into chaos. The Capital Guards who had been lying in wait were creating a scene as they arrested Alin, searching every corner of the establishment. Staff members were fleeing, and guests were panicking in confusion.
“Hurry, convert it all to gold coins. Before this becomes even more of a mess.”
“Yes!”
The muscular Spy Maid disappeared faster than anyone else. And soon after, a sturdy man with blue hair stood before me.
“Thank you, my lady. Thanks to you, I was able to capture my family’s enemy.”
“Yes, congratulations.”
Only then did I remove my mask and smile softly. The man standing before me also removed his lion-shaped mask.
This man with blue hair and brown eyes was named Avian Risineus. He was the captain of the 5th Guard Division of the Capital Guard. His skin was tanned and healthy-looking, his expression gentle, and his round eyes appeared kind. Avian was also the second son of the Risineus House, one of only three Ducal Families in the Empire.
Before coming to the Club House, I had sent a letter to Avian in the Capital Guard. It said: ‘If you secretly infiltrate the Club House right now without informing your superiors, I will help you capture Alin Keirif.’
Originally, the Capital Guard and the Club House were already colluding with each other. So normally, it would have been impossible to conduct a covert operation at the Club House. But the moment Alin Keirif’s name was mentioned, the situation changed. It was obvious that Avian would come no matter what, even if only with a small elite force.
Alin Keirif became a wanted criminal because he murdered the Duchess of Risineus and fled. Once a clerk working for the Risineus House, Alin Keirif killed the Duchess, stole her jewelry, and escaped. After that, Avian, the second son, decided to join the Capital Guard himself, determined to capture Alin Keirif by any means necessary.
The Capital Guard was an organization structured purely on merit regardless of status, and it held the greatest public authority in the Capital. In fact, to prevent personal gain, those who rose to the position of Guard Captain were forbidden from marrying. Therefore, it was extremely rare for a high-ranking noble to join the Capital Guard.
So the fact that Avian joined the Capital Guard and rose to become the 5th Guard Captain was evidence of how deep his resentment toward Alin Keirif ran. Since Avian had even lived under the same roof as Alin, he could recognize him instantly just by seeing his face.
‘If he finds out that the Crown Prince has been backing Alin Keirif, all hell will break loose. Please, let all hell break loose.’
I looked into Avian’s eyes and spoke carefully.
“For such a vicious criminal to openly conduct business in the Capital, there must certainly be someone backing him. Please investigate first.”
And I added firmly.
“Directly from the Risineus House.”
I meant for him to interrogate them personally as the involved party, rather than leaving it to the Capital Guard and the Imperial Palace. That way, there would be less room for Hitten to interfere in the middle. I didn’t know how loyal Alin was to Hitten, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
“Yes, I understand. Let us leave this place first. It’s truly an unpleasant location.”
For the upright and exemplary Avian, the Club House was clearly out of place.
“I only knew this as a social gathering place for nobles, but I never imagined it would be so filthy.”
He genuinely seemed to find this place repulsive.
“It should have been cracked down on in the Capital long ago. I wonder why the upper ranks of the Capital Guard have been turning a blind eye to it.”
Avian extended his hand to me as if to escort me. I paused for a moment, looking down at that firm hand.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————