A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 5

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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 5
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“Kiana has arrived? Now?”
Scari Prelai, the head of House of Prellay, wore a startled expression upon hearing his butler’s report.
“Yes. She mentioned being fatigued and that she should rest first. She said she would greet you tomorrow.”
At the butler’s continued report, Scari let out a sigh.
Scari Prelai was the Duke of Prelai and a strikingly handsome elderly man with an imposing stature and sharp, refined features. Like one of the few Sword Masters in the Empire, his sturdy frame exuded an overwhelming presence.
His taciturn nature always commanded an aura as immovable as a mountain, and now his brow furrowed as he muttered to himself.
“Without any notice, she suddenly appears? What on earth could this be about…”
Worry flickered across Scari’s icy face.
The memory of sixteen-year-old Kiana was vivid—a small girl who had locked herself away in her room all day, tormenting only Melissa, and a granddaughter who would awkwardly avoid him whenever he tried to approach her warmly.
In truth, Scari found Kiana’s waywardness deeply troubling. So when she left for the Academy and never returned all these years, he felt quite bewildered.
“Kiana… she said she would stay there indefinitely? Never once visiting the Prelai Manor? Did my scolding her at the end wound her heart so deeply?”
To those words, his second grandson Joshua responded with a grumble.
“Well, she herself acknowledged that she deserved that scolding, didn’t she?”
“Regardless, she’s been in that countryside for years now. We should bring her back…”
“No, just leave her be. If you force her back, it’ll backfire like it did with me. I hate it here to death, so she probably hates it too. Besides, she has things she wants to do there.”
“But what’s so terrible about this place? Hmm?”
“A mother who abandoned her children and ran off with a lover, a father who left his children and the house, a grandfather too generationally distant to properly comfort his adolescent grandsons, and then…”
“…”
“An older brother Alex who draws his sword at every opportunity, a rebellious second brother Joshua who’s handsome with good fashion sense but is clearly a scoundrel, and a cousin Melissa with an innocent face who subtly scratches at your nerves, I suppose?”
At those words, Scari could only maintain silence. Hearing it laid out like that, it didn’t seem like a place one would want to return to at all. Indeed, the environment was far from conducive to raising children properly. In essence, all they possessed was money, power, honor, and status.
‘But still, her sudden return… could it mean her heart has changed now that adolescence has passed? Has she matured?’
Kiana and Scari were not close. But that was nothing unusual. No one in the Prelai Family was close to one another.
Yet regardless, Kiana was Scari’s sore spot among them all…
‘This time, I should speak with her as one adult to another, more sincerely.’
In any case, Kiana’s sudden return was the most surprising thing that had happened to him in recent times. In fact, far more surprising than the assassination attempt that had just occurred.
“As ordered, Lord Alex has already departed to track down Helen’s relatives, and we’ve sent a letter to Julius. It seems we’ll need to use ‘Insight’…”
So even as his butler continued his report, Scari merely nodded absently. Then he issued a quiet command.
“Assign Kiana a capable maid. One who can report promptly if Kiana behaves strangely. Especially assign a sturdy one who can prevent her from becoming too attached to Lord Rodrigo.”
“Yes, understood. It’s already deep into the night—shall I prepare her sleeping quarters?”
“No.”
Scari shook his head.
“I’ll stop by the greenhouse for a moment.”
The butler bowed deeply in acknowledgment and departed.
The elderly master, now alone, rose slowly with a weary expression and disappeared into the greenhouse at the corner of the garden.
* * *
Perhaps because I had returned home after such a long time, my dreams were particularly turbulent. They were dreams I had often had when I was at the Prelai Manor before.
【Piyak is Kiana’s summoned beast! Kiana had Piyak taken away by Melissa!】
Plagued by nightmares, I woke early at dawn.
‘I’d left the Academy, so there were no more paper deadlines pressing down on me. I wanted to sleep in a bit.’
“It’s so unfair… I’m truly, so incredibly unfair….”
A young mother who looked exactly like me was collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Count Selere Levin made an enormous research donation this time. He specifically named Professor Kiana Prelai. Your place is precisely here at the Academy. The Academy cannot function without you, hehehehe.”
It was an upgraded nightmare that even featured the Dean’s face at the end.
In any case, when I woke up, I already had a dedicated maid assigned to me. She was tall with an impressively muscular build. I glanced at her firm forearms and casually asked.
“Has Grandfather woken up?”
“The Duke fell asleep in the early morning hours. He likely won’t wake until afternoon.”
“I see. Then I should pay my respects in the afternoon.”
“Yes, understood. Ah, the eldest young master and the second young master, and Miss Melissa… no, the nun either aren’t here.”
“I know.”
My eldest brother Alex had left for the provinces yesterday under Grandfather’s orders, and my second brother Joshua had branched off long ago. Melissa had gone to the Convent not long ago, so only Grandfather and I remained in this house.
“And last night, many letters arrived from the Academy.”
“Ah, is that so? Just throw them all away.”
The contents of letters from the Academy were predictable. They’d be asking what I planned to do about the research currently underway. The Academy barely functioned without me.
I was exceptionally intelligent and hardworking, so research projects had piled up since my doctoral days. To such an extent that external research requests would sometimes specifically name me as the requested researcher.
‘I was involved as a co-researcher in all sorts of projects. Without me, the Academy would be in complete chaos.’
And by now, they would have discovered that I’d already submitted cancellation requests for all the patents I’d authorized in the Academy’s name, causing quite the uproar.
‘The Dean hates losing money more than anything. He must be in terrible distress right now. I’ll let him suffer for a while, then torment him on an even higher level later.’
I hadn’t forgotten the grudge I held against the Dean. I’d gotten some short-term revenge last time, so now I was planning long-term harassment. As I was grinding my teeth, the maid politely asked.
“Then shall I prepare breakfast for you now, Miss?”
“No. My stomach isn’t very good in the mornings. Just bring me a cup of coffee. And I’ll be going out, so prepare for that.”
The maid’s expression showed considerable shock at my words. She carefully asked.
“Um, Miss? Your stomach isn’t well… and you want coffee?”
Before my regression, my position was that of a professor. Therefore, I was genuinely surprised and praised her for the novelty.
“Did you really just talk back to me? This is a situation I’ve never even imagined?”
The maid immediately fell silent. I added flatly.
“I know Grandfather assigned you, but you still have to follow my orders.”
“…Yes?”
“What? You’re a spy Grandfather put here to watch me.”
At my words, the maid couldn’t even respond properly and bowed with a look of defeat.
“I-I’m so sorry!”
“It’s fine. You didn’t want to say it? You did it because you were told to. I went through graduate school too, so I understand. Spare me the insincere apologies—just go get me that coffee, would you?”
“W-won’t you replace me as your maid?”
“Why would I? Then another spy would just come. It’s better to keep you. Besides, this will be good experience for you.”
We were in an era of employment crisis. I spoke carefully and kindly, the way I’d addressed students during my time as a professor, even worrying about the maid’s career prospects.
“If you want to confidently tell people elsewhere that you have experience as a spy who obeyed the family’s highest authority while secretly watching an innocent, clueless young lady, you’ll need at least a month of service.”
“….”
“You’re grateful for my consideration, right? So hurry and bring me that coffee, spy. And I’m warning you—if I hear the words ‘bring me coffee’ come out of my mouth one more time.”
And I was a balanced advisor who also taught the harsh realities of the world.
“I know full well that Ilbavachi is a competent spy, but I’d dismiss him without hesitation for being an incompetent fool who can’t even bring a single cup of coffee despite it being his actual job.”
“Y-yes, I’ll fetch it right away!”

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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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