A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 31

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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 31
Six years ago, the Crown Prince went on a hunting picnic with his five closest confidants. At that gathering, he fell off a cliff in a rather anticlimactic manner and has not returned since.
And the person who benefited most from his disappearance was none other than Prince Hitten. Could that accident have been orchestrated by the Crown Prince’s inner circle with Hitten pulling the strings behind the scenes?
But there was no evidence. Hitten wasn’t even present at the scene.
“In any case, Orca has gone mad, spouting nothing but that the Crown Prince has returned….”
Joshua spoke with sunken eyes.
“Prince Hitten apparently called for Orca after a long time. He said he would do his best to find any clues that might exist.”
I offered no response. In any case, the developments had diverged significantly from the original story. And if this future related to the Crown Prince was something I had changed…
In the end, there was only that letter.
‘Wait, is he informing me that he’s alive and well like this? That’s quite violent, isn’t it? He could have just sent a reply….’
I searched through my memories.
“…How did things come to this?”
“I was betrayed. That’s all.”
“What should I do….”
“I survived, so I’ll take my revenge. Don’t worry too much.”
Even I would never have killed Orca. Rather, I would have driven him mad like this, plunging everyone else into a state of terror. The Crown Prince returning after six years—those involved must feel as though they were sleeping peacefully and suddenly struck by a bolt from the blue.
‘Hastening that revenge was my original plan, but to be pulled along like this by just a simple greeting….’
In any case, the original story never explained why the Crown Prince didn’t reveal himself immediately but instead began this cruel revenge in secret.
‘If Piyak brings a reply, there might be room for further deduction.’
I decided not to tell my family about this. After all, anything involving the imperial family was dangerous. Just as that young man had warned me back then—never become entangled with him—it was best not to speak of such matters until things became certain.
While I was lost in thought, Joshua spoke.
“In any case, it’s not really our concern.”
No, it’s very much our concern….
Joshua continued with a sarcastic tone as he sipped his tea.
“At least Prince Hitten won’t be able to pay attention to Prelai. How could he care about your marriage to Lord Rodrigo at a time like this?”
“Ah.”
I blinked and spoke.
“I already resolved that.”
“How?”
“I got a lover. So if I say a political marriage is no longer an option, that settles it, doesn’t it?”
“Pfft!”
“Cough cough cough!”
Grandfather and Joshua sprayed out the tea they were drinking. And simultaneously they cried out.
“What? A lover? Who on earth? What damned bastard….”
“Could it be Avian Risineus?”
And when Avian’s name came from Joshua’s mouth, I was utterly shocked.
“…Why is that man’s name coming up?”
“That guy was hitting on you at the Club House, wasn’t he? Is that bastard’s eye really that bad?”
No matter how much we disregard each other as blood relatives, his eye couldn’t be that bad. I was about to lodge a formal protest.
Joshua added ominously.
“Then those useless eyes of yours need to be plucked out right now.”
At that, Grandfather also slammed the table with a loud bang.
“What? A model student famous for his excellent character harassed our reckless Kiana? This infuriating bastard!”
The phrasing was a bit odd, but regardless, I quickly waved my hand in response.
“He didn’t harass me—he was simply expressing gratitude, Grandfather. I caught a fugitive for him, after all. And Avian is the Captain of the Guard. He’s someone who can’t marry.”
“A captain of the guard can quit anytime.”
Joshua chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
“Now that you’ve caught the fugitive he was pursuing, is there any reason for him to remain captain of the guard?”
“…I suppose not?”
Now that I thought about it, he had a point.
“Well….”
Joshua’s eyes narrowed.
“Avian Risineus is hardly comparable to that contemptible Lord Rodrigo. The man is unnecessarily rigid and quite naive. But still….”
“The House of Risiniss was never in the same league as the House of Purbis to begin with. Besides, their second son has been virtuous since childhood. But still….”
Grandfather also muttered reluctantly. I scratched my chin and spoke.
“Well, he certainly seemed that way. So upright and virtuous that just being near him made you reek of naivety. Like Melissa—I really didn’t like it.”
Regardless of what Grandfather and Joshua said, Avian Risineus was outside my sphere of interest. I sighed and spoke.
“Anyway, my lover is absolutely not Avian. It’s actually Count Sezare Levin.”
“…Ah.”
Joshua responded half-heartedly and leaned back against the sofa. He looked utterly disinterested. While Grandfather tilted his head at “Count Sezare Levin?”, Joshua spoke as if relieved.
“That works. So it’s just for show then. That’s why you went looking for Count Levin yesterday and even visited his estate?”
“…What? How did you reach that conclusion?”
“Why would you seriously date some reckless fool who hangs around the Club House?”
It was an argument I couldn’t refute. Grandfather brightened and set down his teacup.
“A reckless fool, you say? Even if Kiana is a bit odd, she’s not foolish enough to seriously date such a man. Is it just for appearances?”
In the end, I nodded and answered.
“Yes. I plan to break up with him when the time is right. To be honest, it is a fake relationship for show.”
Joshua shrugged once and spoke.
“Right. It’s perfectly suited to deceiving others’ eyes for a while. As long as you two don’t make eye contact too obviously, you’ve chosen your partner well.”
“I’m getting praised for choosing Sezare by you?”
“First, since he’s of commoner origin, you can cleanly break up with him whenever you want without him clinging to you.”
Joshua explained while counting on his fingers.
“Second, even if he does cling to you, he’s a count from a remote region, so Grandfather can easily suppress him with his power.”
“I see.”
“Third, he has no unnecessary ties to the imperial family, so he won’t behave as messily as Lord Rodrigo.”
In essence, he was evaluating Sezare as a high-ranking noble with the title of count, but with such a weak backing that I could use him freely. What? I was smarter than I thought? Grandfather also gazed at me with an expression of “Ah, so that’s why…” and smiled contentedly.
In truth, I hadn’t thought that deeply about it, but hearing Joshua’s explanation made it sound plausible.
Joshua rolled his eyes and asked.
“But let me confirm one thing. Did you tell him that this is merely a contract and that you will absolutely never love him?”
“I didn’t say anything like that.”
There was no way I would say such a thing—I had been planning to develop into a real relationship with him when the opportunity arose.
“What about those words promising to step aside immediately if another woman you liked appeared, or suggesting we break up cleanly after just one year?”
“Of course I didn’t say that. There’s no such thing as ‘clean’ in my life. I’ll never let you go until you’re no longer necessary.”
“Good.”
Joshua laughed with satisfaction. From the look of it, he seemed to be comparing this to the romance novels he’d read.
“Then you won’t actually make eye contact while having the romance of the century. Should I write an article about it in Lorelai?”
“Just mention it casually. There’s no need for a full feature.”
I answered thoughtfully.
“As you said, now that the Crown Prince has suddenly appeared, Prince Hitten won’t have time to pay attention to me or Lord Rodrigo.”
Wait. Hold on. Come to think of it, there was no real need to ask Sezare to pretend to be in a relationship yesterday. If I’d known the Crown Prince would appear and cause such a commotion like this.
‘I thought pressure would come down on me starting today itself…’
But from what I heard, Hitten seemed to have no time to spare worrying about someone like me. It was clear that Lord Rodrigo’s and my marriage would fizzle out like this.
But well… at least I didn’t lose out on the deal since I traded for the secret laboratory. It seemed both Grandfather and Joshua were fully prepared to eliminate coffee, stimulants, and digestive medicine from Prelai Manor entirely. I’d even made a promise with Sezare not to break up.
I spoke casually and stretched.
“Anyway, there will be an imperial banquet soon, so there’s plenty of opportunity to announce it publicly to others.”
That was when there came a sudden knock, and the Butler entered with an urgent expression.
“My Lord!”
It was the first time since I suddenly came to the Capital that the Butler had worn such a startled expression. Grandfather also seemed surprised, furrowing his brow as he looked at the Butler.
“An urgent message.”
The Butler continued.
“His Majesty the Emperor has awakened, and he is coming directly to Prelai Estate right now.”

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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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