A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 44

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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 44
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The Lorelei published a small piece about the romantic rumors between Kiana and Sezare, but it garnered little attention. The entire Capital was abuzz with the upcoming Imperial banquet. Especially since it was a birthday celebration for Hitten, who was being touted as the next Emperor—how magnificent it would be.
Of course, Hitten’s banquets hadn’t always been this lavish from the start. Five years ago, they were quite modest. The Crown Prince had disappeared, so he couldn’t celebrate his birthday with joy.
But as one year passed, then another, and another…. The Crown Prince remained missing, and Hitten’s influence only grew.
The Emperor was unconscious far more often than he was conscious. The Empress refused to participate in any Imperial Palace events, claiming she was grieving her son’s disappearance. So there was no one to stop Hitten.
Each year, the scale grew larger than the last, and with time, each celebration became slightly more splendid than before. And so, before long, Hitten’s birthday banquet had become even more magnificent than the Emperor’s birthday celebration.
“Your Highness, Prince Joshua has sent you a mountain of dresses!”
Alice, Kiana’s personal maid, was in exceptionally high spirits from morning.
Sadly, Kiana still didn’t know Alice’s name. But while she couldn’t remember any of the other maids at all, she distinctly recognized Alice as ‘that muscular, toned one.’ She always called her ‘spy’ though.
“Really? Let me see.”
Kiana, who had been playing chess alone after waking late, set down her board and flipped through the dresses Alice had brought.
“It’s so nice that Prince Joshua always chooses the finest dresses for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
And Kiana spoke sulkily without even properly examining them.
“They’re not my style. Go sell them to Joshua for money and buy new ones. Joshua’s the only one who’d pay extra for those things anyway. What’s he doing sending the same boring dresses?”
“….”
Alice found it difficult to argue with that opinion. Joshua had sent about thirty dresses plastered with designer logos.
Along with a very unpleasant note.
“And I’m wearing the one I picked from the latest catalog last time.”
“Yes…? That, that… checkered? Again?”
“Again?”
Kiana spoke with wide eyes.
“There’s no such thing as the same checkered pattern in the world.”
“Do you know what that is?”
Alice sighed deeply and dejectedly.
“Prince Joshua and Your Highness are subtly alike. Your tastes are practically identical.”
At those words, Kiana snorted and slammed the table with a bang.
“How dare you say such a ridiculous thing? I’m really angry now. There’s only one way you can atone for this sin, cof….”
“Did you not sleep well last night either? Let me brew you some herbal tea!”
Alice cut her off before the ‘cof’ of coffee could even leave Kiana’s lips and dashed out.
Watching her go, Kiana breathed painfully. That maid had terrifyingly sharp instincts. She’d been trying to pretend to be angry just to sneak in a cup of coffee….
Kailon, the Prelai Manor’s physician, had ultimately declared that any more caffeine was dangerous for Kiana.
She’d even tried bribing him, but Kailon wouldn’t even meet her eyes. Kailon was an elderly doctor who had served the Manor for a long time. So perhaps he’d reached an age where even bribes felt like a bother.
After sending Alice away, Kiana sighed deeply. It was because she’d had nightmares again last night.
“Piyak was originally Kiana’s summoned creature!”
Piyak appearing while crying and wailing, of course….
“After all that talk about having a daughter who looks like me, you finally got your wish. Hyde, are you happy?”
“So happy, Enes. How can there be such a beautiful baby?”
Kiana’s dream of people who appeared to be her parents, going on endlessly about things she couldn’t even remember. That dream always ended with a young Enes crying her eyes out.
“It’s so unfair, I’m so unfair….”
Ever since the day I first saw Piyak, young Kiana had suffered from such dreams so frequently that her governess once brought her to the Prelai Manor’s physician.
Kailon, the manor’s physician, diagnosed her with “dreaming of her desires repeatedly due to excessive psychological burden.” He advised against informing the family elders. Kiana herself agreed, not wanting to become a child who dreamed due to greed.
I hadn’t dreamed such dreams at the Academy, but upon returning to Prelai Manor, I found myself dreaming them again like I had in childhood. I slowly moved my fingers to grasp the bishop, trying to forget last night’s dream.
Alice, who had brought herbal tea at some point, gazed at Kiana’s hand holding the chess piece as if enchanted.
“Princess? That’s….”
“A bishop.”
Kiana remained terribly thin, her complexion pale and sickly to anyone’s eyes, yet she passionately loved checkered pieces. Moreover, that princess with such distinctly lovely features was… remarkably intelligent and bold compared to others. So being near her often left one in admiration. It was hard to understand why six years ago she had locked herself away in her room like that.
“I apologize, Princess. Since I don’t know chess well… I’m afraid I’m not good company for you.”
“It’s fine. I’m used to conversing with myself.”
Whenever Kiana said such things, Alice could recall her childhood. At some point, whenever there were social gatherings, she would make excuses about being ill and hide away.
‘Why on earth did she do that? No one at Prelai Manor said anything to her, so why….’
Yet Melissa relentlessly tormented her, causing people to shake their heads in disapproval.
Normally, Kiana would quietly go to the Perbes ducal house and follow Lord Rodrigo around. I heard that only Judith, Rodrigo’s younger sister, became her friend.
“And Princess.”
Alice, gazing at the chess board Kiana played alone, quietly relayed the Head Maid’s instructions.
“The Duke wishes to see you for a moment.”
“Oh, really? Just a moment… let me finish this game. But why is he calling me?”
“He says you haven’t yet properly paid the price for healing Hou….”
At the word “price,” Kiana threw down her chess piece and jumped to her feet.
“Let’s go at once. I wanted to ask Grandfather for something anyway before the banquet.”
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Perbes Ducal House.
Rodrigo came to his younger sister Judith’s room and asked in surprise.
“Judith? What are you doing?”
“Writing a letter to Kiana. There’s the imperial banquet tomorrow.”
Judith smiled and held up her quill pen.
Naturally, Judith was not pleased with Kiana’s return.
The Empire had three ducal houses: Prelai, Perbes, and Isinis. Since the Isinis house had no daughters, there were only three princesses in total. Of course, everyone wanted to be the most noticed among them.
Prelai had wielded summoned beasts for generations and maintained close ties with the imperial family, making it the most powerful of the three ducal houses. So from childhood, she had despised how everyone valued the Prelai princess more highly than herself.
‘That’s why Kiana went to the Academy and Melissa to the Convent—this outcome pleased me more than anyone else.’
But in some ways, Kiana had always been an easier target for Judith than Melissa.
In childhood, Kiana always came to the Perbes ducal house to see Rodrigo, and Judith kindly welcomed her each time. Kiana thus followed her, thinking of her as a very good friend.
It was easy to coax her into tormenting Melissa even more. Especially when Kiana acted wickedly toward Melissa in front of others—it was so thrilling.
Each time, the Perbes Duke and Duchess were delighted as well.
“In your generation, Perbes will surpass Prelai. You’ll write a new history for the Perbes ducal house.”
The Perbes Duke and Duchess, like Judith, acknowledged yet envied Prelai. So when Enes, the Prelai Duke’s daughter-in-law, died in disgrace, they spread the scandal more eagerly than anyone.
And behind the scenes, they openly spread rumors: “Is Kiana Prelai really truly of Prelai?” Kiana Prelai, who resembled Enes so closely, was like a blemish on the proud Prelai house.
Moreover, the Perbes Duke was quite pleased when he learned that young Kiana harbored affection for Rodrigo. Scari’s eldest son Hyde never returned from the capital, Alex was a lunatic, Joshua was a ruffian, and if Kiana were to marry Rodrigo….
Then while Prelai crumbled, Perbes could absorb all of Prelai’s vast wealth and honor. For Scari Prelai would never discriminate against his grandsons, no matter how incapable Kiana was of summoning beasts.

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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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