A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 47

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

Chapter 47
It was amusing—when I said I was going to the Academy, she didn’t even say goodbye, yet now she was spouting nonsense about being a “true friend.”
‘Though I suppose there was a time in my childhood when I genuinely believed Judith was my only friend.’
I skimmed the letter and tossed it into the trash bin. Of course, I missed, so the Spy Maid quickly retrieved it and put it back. Meanwhile, I lifted the red flower hair ornament from the box.
‘Hmm, she spent some coin on this. Not really my style, though.’
“Lady Kiana, shall I dispose of this as well?”
The Spy Maid spoke quickly.
“It’s rather heavy—you might injure your fingers. Allow me to throw it away for you.”
It seemed everyone in this Manor treated me like some sort of paper doll. I shook my head and replied.
“No, I’ll be wearing this later. So make sure to have it ready when I dress.”
The Spy Maid accepted the hair ornament from my hand with a slightly troubled expression.
Wearing a matching hair ornament to a major social event was a way of flaunting one’s connection. Judith was truly a typical member of House Purbis—she desperately wanted to belittle Prelai while simultaneously unable to resist showing off their association.
“Yes, well…”
The Spy Maid carefully gathered the ornament and murmured just loud enough for me to hear.
“Lady Judith doesn’t seem quite as wonderful as the rumors suggest… If she were to play a trick on you…”
“Don’t worry, Spy Maid.”
I replied dismissively.
“I’m far worse and far more clever than she is.”
House Purbis wouldn’t get off with merely being played for fools today. A delightful day was beginning. I smiled wickedly and stretched before sitting at my desk.
“I’ll write a reply now, so deliver it to House Purbis immediately. And I’m feeling a bit tired, so some tea—”
“Tired? I’ll prepare some herbal tea at once!”
The Spy Maid cut me off hastily. Sigh, that routine never changes.
The moment the Spy Maid left the room, I secretly retrieved several magical artifacts from my drawer. I had quite a lot planned for today.
* * *
As the sun began to set, the Imperial banquet commenced.
Judith had claimed a seat early with Lord Rodrigo. She wore an elegant blue flower ornament in her hair and cast a subtle glance toward Hitten.
Hitten, the guest of honor, sat at the center of the dais with a pleased expression. Beside him sat the Third Queen, his biological mother, dressed in magnificent attire.
The Emperor had been in a comatose state for some time, so naturally he did not attend, and the Empress claimed illness and abstained. The sole Imperial Princess, Seliet, was also nowhere to be seen. Yet no one questioned her absence. She had become so distant from everyone’s attention.
“Quite amusing, really.”
Lord Rodrigo murmured beside Judith.
“Five years ago, we couldn’t have imagined such a scene.”
Judith nodded anew at his words.
Before the Crown Prince disappeared, the center of the dais naturally belonged to him. And beside him sat the Empress, radiating elegant charm.
So much had changed. Nix, the Guard who once protected the Crown Prince, was now Captain of the Imperial Guard and sat in the place of honor.
“So there’s nothing I can’t do either.”
Lord Rodrigo gazed at Leon, the eldest son of House Purbis, who sat elsewhere with the Duke and Duchess of Purbis, and murmured.
“In five years, I could very well be Purbis’s heir.”
Judith showed no particular reaction. She had no interest in her brothers’ struggle for succession.
Leon was simply too earnest and straightforward, always somehow managing to accomplish whatever their parents demanded, while Lord Rodrigo preferred to smooth everything over through connections. He had once been close to the Crown Prince, was now intimate with Hitten, and desperately wanted to entangle himself with Prelai through marriage.
“By the way, is Kiana really in a romance?”
Judith filed her nails as she spoke.
“Prince Hitten’s pressure has become useless now. How can he force a political marriage when she claims to have a lover?”
“She probably just latched onto some random man to avoid it.”
Lord Rodrigo scoffed as he replied.
“Even so, he’s a commoner of unknown origin. There’s no way Kiana Prelai could maintain a relationship with such a man for long. How long do you think it will last?”
He looked at Judith and drove the point home once more.
“You didn’t forget to thoroughly crush Kiana today, did you?”
“Of course not.”
Judith’s eyes gleamed as she answered.
“In the past, Kiana wouldn’t even think of attending a banquet. It was because there was a situation she feared.”
Judith was confident that she had identified Kiana’s psychological weakness.
“She probably forgot about it while buried in the countryside, but I’ll make sure that frightening situation happens. I’ve already prepared everything, so don’t worry.”
The reply Kiana had sent this morning was exactly what Judith had anticipated.
That was when a servant rang the bell to announce a new guest’s arrival.
“Lady Kiana Prelai has arrived! Count Sezare Levin has arrived!”
Everyone turned their curious gazes toward the entrance. It made sense—both of them were making their first appearance at a formal social gathering.
“Ah….”
And a gasp escaped from everyone’s lips. They were all captivated by Sezare’s appearance, which Lord Rodrigo had mockingly dismissed as commoner stock.
Sezare, dressed in a neat formal uniform, exuded an aura that dominated the space by his mere presence. His expression was leisurely and playful, as if he were mocking the dazzling grandeur of the banquet hall itself.
Judith, who had been staring at Sezare with her wits scattered, only regained her composure after some time had passed. She quickly searched for Kiana’s hair ornament.
‘Just as I thought!’
Kiana was wearing the red flower hair ornament that Judith had sent that morning. Of course, she was dressed in a beige checkered dress with a ribbon that clashed terribly with the ornate floral accessory.
Murmurs began to spread around them—”Ah, so Lady Kiana and Lady Judith really are the closest of friends.” It was exactly what Judith had intended, but she found it even more satisfying that Kiana still hung on her every word.
“This is going smoothly.”
Judith muttered with a smirk.
“Even easier than with Melissa.”
Melissa had endured her torment silently, yet somehow always made sure others witnessed it. She would display such a pitiful yet resilient expression, earning sympathy from countless men in the Capital.
But wasn’t Kiana a dark villainess who received no one’s sympathy? Making her into a villainess was remarkably easy. All she had to do was subtly provoke her into tormenting Melissa in front of people, and then once Kiana left, spread rumors saying “She’s so vicious!” No one would take her side.
Of course, she felt a twinge of envy that Kiana had appeared with such a handsome and impressive man like Sezare. But after all, Sezare was a commoner. He wasn’t even in the same league as herself, who was aiming for a position beside Prince Hitten. Besides, once she looked away, his face became strangely difficult to recall. He wasn’t as impressive as she’d thought.
Having thus achieved psychological victory, Judith touched her hair ornament with a refreshed mood.
* * *
The moment we arrived on time, the first dance began. Naturally, I danced the opening waltz with my partner, Sezare.
“Count Levin.”
As I stepped through the movements, I spoke with genuine admiration.
“You dance really well, don’t you? I didn’t expect much since you said you weren’t good with physical coordination.”
“Ah, well.”
Sezare answered with a gentle smile.
“I was just being modest. I’m not quite that uncoordinated.”
“Really? Was that it?”
“At that time, I was simply being cautious because you had been drinking, my lady.”
Sezare flashed a deep smile and spoke.
“Under normal circumstances, I could easily handle that crowd, let alone the dock ruffians. So if you need protection in the future, feel free to call on me.”
“Hmm. Have you actually been to the docks? Not the western ones, but places like Alford Harbor in the Capital?”
Suspecting he was boasting without ever having been there, I interjected, and he answered immediately.
“Of course. I go there frequently even at night, but I always return safely.”
“Ah….”
What in the world—he frequents that place?
From what I witnessed at Alford Harbor last night, the atmosphere was genuinely terrible. At night, it swarmed with criminal organizations looking to make a quick score and the criminals entangled with them. According to Avian, it wasn’t originally this bad, but ever since the Captain of the Guard changed a few years ago, enforcement has become lax.
If he frequented such a place despite not being a sailor, the picture was becoming clear.
‘He’s worse than I thought… If he’s a thug to this degree, it’s really troubling.’
When the Academy called for his funding, he seemed to have enormous wealth, but was it all dirty money?
Then again, the probability of someone chosen based solely on appearance being perfect in character was slim. Initially, I thought as long as he didn’t frequent the club house, it would be fine, but if garbage kept piling up like this, it was truly problematic.
‘This won’t do. If I keep getting entangled with him, I might end up caught up in something unsavory too….’
It was only natural that a handsome man who wasn’t trash wouldn’t still be single.

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