A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 33

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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 33
The Emperor’s benevolent expression hardened ever so slightly. He then spoke with a hint of difficulty.
“I appreciate your concern, Lady Kiana. However, you… well, that is to say…”
The Emperor carefully chose his words before letting out a soft sigh and continuing.
“I understand you have not yet acquired the special abilities of Prelai.”
The Emperor, too, seemed unaware that Piyak had come to me. Not that it would have changed much if he had known—after all, it was Melissa who had summoned Piyak in the first place. Grandfather and Joshua likewise could not immediately say something like “Kiana has a summoned creature.” Everyone in the Capital knew that Piyak had been Melissa’s summoned beast. It was obvious that claiming I possessed Piyak would do little to help my reputation, and no one would recognize it as a legitimate summoning anyway.
I answered respectfully.
“Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”
That was my sincere feeling.
“Con… sideration?”
The Emperor asked cautiously, and I continued with composure.
“You see, Your Majesty, even though you believe I am not a ‘true Prelai,’ you did not cast me out saying ‘It’s obvious someone like you would be useless—you don’t even deserve to be here.'”
At my words, the Emperor’s face flushed slightly.
“You responded sincerely to the nonsensical questions of this ‘useless girl who claims to be Prelai, takes up space, and hears all of Your Majesty’s private affairs’—despite all that.”
“Ahem, ahem!”
“And finally, instead of saying ‘You clearly can’t summon—how presumptuous,’ you circumlocuted and said ‘you have not yet acquired the ability.'”
I bowed deeply once more to express my gratitude, then looked into the Emperor’s blue eyes.
“That is why I could feel Your Majesty’s consideration and warmth.”
Joshua and Grandfather exchanged glances. Their expressions seemed to say, ‘She’s handling this perfectly without us stepping in… but why does it feel like she’s criticizing him even though she isn’t?’
“Ahem, Lady Kiana? I, well…”
The Emperor, finding it difficult to respond to my excessively respectful demeanor, kept clearing his throat. It was then that Grandfather, smiling broadly, interjected.
“Yes, Kiana. What is your solution?”
“Duke?”
At the Emperor’s suspicious tone, Grandfather could not hide his satisfaction and spoke.
“Your Majesty, I believe you can trust this child.”
“…Did the Duke just praise his own descendant?”
The Emperor let out a long, heavy sigh before looking at me. His eyes had already changed. Grandfather’s “positive tone” carried that much weight.
“Lady Kiana, what do you need? I will prepare it immediately. Will it take much time?”
“I can quickly purchase the necessary items by stopping at a shop.”
I answered calmly.
“So you may proceed to the Tailyze Tree at once. Oh, and I would appreciate it if one of your guards who is skilled with a bow could accompany us. That is all.”
The Emperor wore a slightly confused expression.
But soon after glancing at Grandfather’s face, he nodded as if he had made a decision. His expression said he trusted Grandfather even if he did not trust me. I felt anew just how much trust Grandfather commanded as the head of the Prelai household.
“Then go at once.”
The Emperor rose abruptly.
“As the lady suggests, I shall accompany you. It will not take long.”
* * *
The Tailyze Tree commanded a remarkable presence in the Imperial Garden. This was my first time seeing the Tailyze Tree from such proximity. Even craning my neck to look upward, I could not see its crown—the tree was impossibly tall.
Upon arriving at the Tailyze Tree, the Emperor stood before the steps and asked with eager anticipation.
The Emperor, who had arrived at the Tailies tree and stood before the stairs, asked with an expectant expression on his face.
“Well then, how should we proceed?”
“If you would just wait a moment, that should suffice.”
Before coming here, I had stopped by the item shop. I was so thrilled stuffing my bag full of items that I could hardly contain myself. While sitting in the carriage, I was in such good spirits that I scribbled a note in the corner of some paper saying something like, “Well, I’m on the Crown Prince’s side too, you know.” In any case, it was certain that the Emperor was on the Crown Prince’s side.
Unlike the Empress, whose position was somewhat ambiguous. The Empress was certainly grieving, but she didn’t seem to be actively awaiting the Crown Prince’s return. She simply remained in seclusion, showing no signs of political maneuvering whatsoever. That was why Prince Hitten and his biological mother, the Third Imperial Consort, had seized control of the political sphere.
In any case, the Spy Maid quickly retrieved what we had prepared from the carriage.
“…My lady? What is this? What on earth is it?”
The Emperor approached with curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
“It is a magical artifact capable of rapidly raising temperature. It is called a Portstone, and you may think of it simply as a fire that extinguishes quickly.”
“Oh, such a thing exists?”
“Yes. It is far too expensive and lacks sufficient duration to be commercialized.”
In truth, that was the case with nearly all magical artifacts. Everyone simply lit a fire instead of using a Portstone.
In any case, this situation was somewhat different. I took out a piece of parchment before the tree and began my calculations.
“Let me see, if the Elysek weighs forty-four pelots…”
After completing my calculations swiftly, what I withdrew was a rather large balloon-like device.
“And what is this?”
“Now, I shall attach the Elysek here.”
Since the Elysek was not securing properly, I rummaged through my bag, wrapped it in paper, and attached it to the device.
“And then…”
After that, I placed the Portstone inside the device and activated it. Simultaneously, the device inflated and began to drift gently upward into the sky.
“Ooh!”
The eyes of everyone watching widened. As I watched the device drift skyward with the Elysek suspended beneath it, I spoke to the Guard.
“The Portstone’s duration is not long. When I tell you to shoot, aim for its back and drop it onto an appropriate branch.”
This was one of the projects I had been planning to conduct at the Academy before my regression. In theory, people could be transported this way as well. I had even named it the “hot air balloon.”
“How utterly fascinating…”
The Emperor gazed upward, murmuring to himself. I seized the moment and responded.
“Would you like me to explain the principle?”
“I would.”
At the Emperor’s reply, I smiled broadly. Such an open smile was exceedingly rare for me. I could hardly express how delighted I was to be asked to explain.
“You see, air expands when heated. Because of this, it becomes lighter than the surrounding air, which is why it rises upward.”
“…Pardon?”
For a moment, I detected a note of confusion in the Emperor’s voice. Of course, I continued enthusiastically.
“Allow me to explain in greater detail. First, one must understand the concept of buoyancy.”
“Hmm…”
“If you look at the formula here,

F

=

p

g

V
and that’s why…”
“….”
As I launched into a proper explanation, the Emperor’s expression darkened, as did those of the Guard standing beside him. Yet they were forced to remain close to me throughout Elysek’s ascent. And before my regression, my profession had been a professor.
“Remarkably, even the air surrounding us is a fluid, and it follows the laws of fluid dynamics…”
Regardless of what my audience thought, as long as I could force them to stay beside me, it meant I possessed the mental fortitude to endlessly discourse on topics that delighted me. I had always dreamed of such an environment. One where my listeners could not escape from me.
“Isn’t it absolutely fascinating, Your Majesty? The fact that the world operates according to such mathematical principles?”
“Y-yes, quite so.”
“Ah, now would be the perfect moment. Shoot the arrow now.”
The moment my words ended, the Guard—who had been wearing a vacant expression—quickly released the bowstring. The Portstone was still effective, so Elysek could rise a bit higher. But if it deviated from a safe trajectory and failed to land on the tree, that would be problematic.
The sharp arrow struck true, severing the string that had been suspending Elysek. With the string cut, the apparatus veered off its trajectory and flew away, while Elysek settled safely onto a very high branch.

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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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