A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 54

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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 54
Joshua’s eyes widened.
“You… then…”
And Count Levin was my lover! The more I learned about him, the more of a mess he seemed, but he had one incredibly useful quality. Of course, he was just a contractual lover, but we had already made a deal with each other.
“If we buy in bulk and move it north, the distance isn’t that far.”
I spoke with a smirk.
“We might even be able to get it slightly cheaper?”
When my relationship with House of Purbis wasn’t bad, there was no need to go that far and damage our connection. But now it was certain to deteriorate.
‘Even if it doesn’t get worse now, someday Purbis will stab us in the back.’
I had to sever every link between us.
‘The sale of Onseok is having a tremendous impact on House of Purbis’s finances. It’s probably going to be quite a blow.’
Of course, this was just the beginning.
‘Surely they don’t think this is the end. I may look like this, but I’m supposed to be a villainess, after all.’
I was chuckling to myself when the door to the medical room suddenly burst open.
“We have an emergency patient!”
The medical room erupted into chaos.
What now? Who got hurt? Joshua and I tilted our heads in confusion as we stood up.
“Aaaahhhhh! Your Highness! Aaaahhhhh! I was wrong! I was wrong!”
Someone was carried in on a stretcher, screaming. The owner of that voice was someone I had seen earlier.
“Uaaahhhhh!”
It was Nix, the Captain of the Guard of the 1st Guard Unit. His body was devastatingly mangled. In particular, the injury to his right foot—the one I had stepped on with my high heel—was extremely severe.
Nix continued to scream in a wretched state. He seemed half out of his mind.
“Uaaahhhhh… Your Highness… Crown Prince Your Highness! It was the Crown Prince! I saw that silver hair clearly!”
‘Is he… looking for the Crown Prince right now?’
As I stared at Nix with a bewildered expression, the Spy Maid burst through the medical room door and rushed over.
“Princess, I think it would be best if you returned to Prelai Manor!”
“What? Why?”
Confusion was written all over the Spy Maid’s face.
“A chandelier fell and the banquet hall is in complete chaos.”
“What?”
“All the lights went out and it became pitch dark in an instant, and the entire banquet hall turned into pandemonium…”
Joshua and I looked at the Spy Maid with startled eyes. What on earth was this commotion about?
“When the emergency lights came back on, the Captain of the 1st Guard Unit was severely injured and the Crown Prince had returned, or so he claimed before having a fit.”
“…What?”
It was the exact same situation as with Orca. In the midst of the pandemonium, after being attacked by ‘someone,’ the Crown Prince appeared.
I swallowed hard. Nix, who was now the Captain of the 1st Guard Unit, had been the Crown Prince’s closest guard and was naturally a member of the hunting picnic.
‘In the original story, he’s a target much later… but this is already the second victim! The revenge schedule has moved up dramatically!’
In the original story, after Nix and Ben were attacked, we were dragged away on charges of treason… and there was a long gap between the first and second attacks, but this time it was really short.
The Spy Maid continued her explanation.
“So the banquet has been suspended. Everyone is leaving. There were so many attendees that the garden is packed and it’s absolute chaos.”
I blinked and listened to the explanation before asking with a cautious expression.
“Good grief, what on earth is all this about? But who actually saw the Crown Prince?”
“No one, of course. Only the Captain of the Guard is making a fuss about it. From what I heard, he didn’t even confirm it was actually him.”
The Spy Maid shrugged her shoulders.
“So Lord Rodrigo said the Captain of the Guard was too drunk and talking nonsense. It was pitch black out there, and there were so many people, after all.”
“Wow.”
Joshua clicked his tongue.
“Whether the Crown Prince actually showed up or not, the other picnic members won’t be able to sleep tonight, will they?”
The people who attended that picnic were as follows.
Orca, my fencing master.
Nix, my guard knight.
Ben, my personal attendant.
Lord Rodrigo, my closest friend.
Uncle King Enoch.
All of them were called the Crown Prince’s closest associates. All five of them shared the common trait of having noble blood mixed in, which meant they couldn’t use Insight.
Two of them had experienced the same incident… If that were the case, it was obvious they’d all be trembling, thinking “What if I’m next?”
“Then will Lord Rodrigo develop insomnia too? I’m looking forward to it.”
I asked hopefully.
That was when there came a knock, and an unexpected person entered. It was Sezare. He glided toward me and called out my name in a voice that was almost sweet.
“Your Highness.”
Despite the chaos outside, Sezare looked perfectly composed. His presence was so captivating that even Julius and the medical staff found themselves entranced by him amid all the confusion.
Sezare fixed his gaze on me alone, as if nothing else mattered in that moment, and spoke.
“It’s quite chaotic outside. I came to escort you back to the Prelai Manor as soon as possible.”
Even Daram let out a sigh of admiration at his perfect voice and dignified bearing. I heard Joshua muttering beside me.
“That bastard’s a pretty boy, a pretty boy… Don’t lose your nerve, keep your self-esteem, Joshua… The clothes I’m wearing cost more…”
And Julius suddenly widened his eyes in surprise and asked.
“Who is that man, Kiana? If my body recovers, I’d like to spar with him! Just looking at him, he has excellent physique!”
“He’s my fiancé.”
“Get the hell out of here before I crush you!”
“Wait, please!”
I grabbed Julius’s arm as he tried to rise up with fury flashing in my eyes, speaking urgently.
“He’s also a business partner for the Pebble ore mines I mentioned earlier! If he gets defeated by you, our business deal falls through too!”
Daram, who knew well how the world worked, also tugged at his beard and stopped him.
【If you must leave, at least do it after signing the contract!】
Daram truly raised Julius well. For nearly fifty years. And that upbringing was still ongoing…
In any case, while Julius hesitated for a moment, I quickly cleared up the misunderstanding about Sezare.
“And despite his unnecessarily impressive demeanor, he’s not very capable physically. He’s not particularly outstanding even compared to ordinary people, so please be understanding.”
At my words, Julius’s interest faded instantly.
“Hmm, if he’s Kiana’s fiancé, he’d need to be at least a Sword Master for me to even consider it…”
Then he whispered carefully to Daram so everyone could hear.
“Not bad, actually. I’ll be able to beat him and send him packing soon enough. Just one swing of my axe and that bastard Purbis will come crawling, begging me to leave.”
【Think about your back instead, you reckless fool.】
“Can’t I go home now? You’ve wrapped it all up. It seems like I can move around a bit?”
【I see. It would be better to go to the Prelai Ducal Residence instead. They have a personal physician there too.】
Daram nodded seriously.
【At least I won’t have to hear him spouting nonsense in front of others.】
Despite the chaos, Sezare merely smiled without any visible disturbance. I approached him and spoke with evident discomfort.
“Wait a moment. Actually, I had an appointment with Lord Avian, so I stopped by the Tulip Hall briefly….”
“Oh, what a predicament.”
Sezare answered with a picturesque smile.
“The largest chandelier fell precisely in the Tulip Hall. No one can go near that area.”
“Ah….”
“The banquet has ended and everyone is simply leaving, so Lord Avian has likely already departed.”
I suppose so. After all, with the meeting place destroyed, the appointment itself was ruined.
“Yes… well then….”
I nodded awkwardly. Sezare smiled with satisfaction and turned his gaze toward Joshua and Julius, speaking with courtesy.
“I shall arrange for the others to accompany you as well.”
Joshua waved his hand in response.
“Your kindness is appreciated, but we shall take the Prelai Ducal Residence’s carriage. Kiana will naturally travel with us as family.”
“The main gate is quite congested at the moment, making it difficult to board a carriage.”
Indeed, with such chaos unfolding, all the nobles would be scrambling desperately to return home. With so many attendees today, leaving the Imperial Palace would not be easy.
“Fortunately, the Count’s carriage is near the rear gate, so please use that instead.”
Sezare looked at Julius and spoke with thoughtful consideration.
“There are injured among you, after all.”
It was truly a suggestion as natural as flowing water.
“Even if you were to ride horses due to traffic, that route would be far less congested.”
In the end, we had no choice but to nod in agreement to Sezare’s proposal.

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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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