A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 68

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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 68
“I haven’t really done anything special for him. What exactly caught his interest in me?”
As I clicked my tongue and spoke, Joshua nodded vigorously.
“Right. That guy really does have unique tastes. Is there no one else he could like, so he’s interested in you? And you’re already in a relationship too.”
“….”
“So absolutely not with some perverted weirdo with such strange preferences.”
“….”
I decided not to discuss this topic any further. It wasn’t particularly important anyway.
“Regardless, don’t worry about Sezare and me. Since it’s a contractual relationship, we’ll break up once we both achieve what we want.”
“Hmm. I have a bad feeling about this….”
Joshua seemed bothered by the term “contractual relationship,” his brow furrowing. I quickly spoke up.
“We didn’t even write up a contract like ‘contract period is one year, after which we must break up.'”
“Hmmmm.”
“We didn’t make any agreement like ‘absolutely no physical contact.'”
At those words, Joshua’s eyes gradually relaxed.
“That does put me somewhat at ease.”
And in the end, he agreed to sell the news of my relationship with Sezare. In exchange, I said I’d include Sezare’s ruffian-like behavior to make the breakup seem natural.
“Only write what’s based on facts.”
I cautioned him, recalling that Sezare had said he didn’t care about his reputation at all.
“Don’t cause unnecessary harm to others.”
“Others, you say!”
Joshua clapped his hands.
“I quite like that word.”
“And one more thing.”
I added one final point, truly wrapping up the topic.
“Create a column too. Talk about how the Crown Prince seems to have returned, and cover that story day and night.”
“Why?”
“I have someone I need to pressure.”
“Hmm… understood. That’s not difficult at all.”
Joshua answered while rolling his eyes. He seemed to be organizing the instructions I’d given him.
‘It’s convenient just giving orders. It feels like I’m back to being a professor.’
Glancing sideways at Julius and Grandfather, who were bickering again, I fell quietly into thought.
‘The Third Queen is both Hiten’s biological mother and his backer.’
No matter how much we cooperated, only I knew the future.
‘I can’t just leave her alone in many ways.’
That was when it happened.
“My Lord! My Lord!”
The Butler knocked on the door and rushed in urgently.
“What is it this time?”
Grandfather asked wearily. The Butler answered breathlessly.
“Melissa, the Princess… or rather, the Priestess has arrived.”
“What?”
The Butler’s face was filled with bewilderment—he hadn’t received any advance notice. I, too, lost my composure in that moment.
* * *
“So what you’re saying is.”
Grandfather looked quite exhausted in his office.
“You’re quitting as a Priestess.”
“Yes….”
Melissa nodded, her voice trembling with tears.
She was still beautiful, but her unkempt hair was visibly dull and matted, and her cheap clothing was covered in pilling.
“It was just so incredibly difficult….”
Melissa’s hands had become quite rough.
Though she had endured my harassment, she had still lived as a Princess of Prelai. She could never have experienced such grueling work as the service duties at the Convent.
It seemed that right after her regression, she had made some vow without reason—”I received divine revelation! I’ll abandon Prelai’s Castle and become a Priestess!”—but once she actually tried it, it proved too difficult, so she came back. Well, there’s a reason most people don’t become Priestesses.
Grandfather sighed and spoke quietly.
“Did you choose the path of a Priestess without knowing how difficult it would be? When you insisted you had received divine revelation and absolutely had to enter the Convent, where was that conviction then….”
“Yes…. I was truly wrong, Grandfather. I was so young. But one’s path can always change, can’t it?”
Melissa continued carefully, glancing at me sideways.
“So… didn’t Kiana also return from the Academy? Kiana, I understand you. I’m sincere.”
“No.”
Of course, I wasn’t about to let Melissa—of all people—drag me into her mess. So I cut in immediately.
“I was there for six years. But you couldn’t even last six months, could you? To be precise, you didn’t even make it sixty days. What are you trying to pull here?”
“B-but unlike the Academy where you can study comfortably, I was serving without sleep or food….”
“I researched without sleep or food too. Can’t you see how gaunt and pale I look?”
“That’s….”
Melissa’s eyes rolled before she let out a deep sigh and hung her head.
“…I’m sorry, Kiana. I spoke carelessly.”
Looking at Melissa, I felt an inexplicable surge of displeasure. It was as if my rationality was being paralyzed by a wave of hostility. And right now, I was even more furious.
‘If Piyak really was originally my summoned creature, would Melissa have known?’
And right now, the exact same typical situation was unfolding as it always did.
“How dare I speak as though I’m equal to the brilliant Kiana. I’ve hurt your feelings, haven’t I? I’m sorry.”
Melissa was clearly the one who scratched first, yet in the end, she apologized to me in front of everyone and I became the villain.
‘But… is she calculating all of this?’
Once suspicion took root, it multiplied endlessly. Before I knew it, I was glaring at Melissa with my arms crossed as if I wanted to kill her.
“Melissa, it’s late, so get some rest. You must be tired from the long journey. Kiana and Joshua, you should retire as well.”
Grandfather dismissed us. After all, Melissa was also a Princess of Prelai and had every right to return home. Just like me.
Melissa stood up with a sniffle and headed to her room, while I fell into deep thought.
‘Actually, this works out well. I might as well find out the truth.’
Shifting my perspective, I realized it was actually fortunate that my target for interrogation had conveniently come right to me.
‘Melissa, I’m sorry, but your timing couldn’t be worse.’
I now had conviction about who I was. I was not a symbol of negation but a direct descendant of Prelai, wrongfully accused. This allowed me to face Melissa with far greater confidence.
‘And I’m no longer that child who merely proved her good nature in front of others.’
There was one fact Melissa didn’t know. Grandfather and Joshua already knew everything about my dream. That dream where I appeared crying, insisting that Piyak was mine.
‘Come to think of it, this works out perfectly. I would have had to bring her here by force anyway.’
With Melissa’s arrival, this was an opportunity to actively investigate the truth behind that dream. And right in front of my family, no less.
However, there was a high likelihood that Melissa wasn’t as kind as I thought, so I needed to plan carefully.
* * *
Melissa, Kiana, and Joshua stepped out of the office together.
Melissa smiled shyly at Joshua.
“Joshua, it’s been so long! You still dress so fashionably.”
Melissa looked angelic as she smiled, then glanced at Kiana and her expression became slightly subdued. Then she rolled her eyes and spoke quickly.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I… um, I’m just thoughtlessly getting between siblings, aren’t I?”
“Melissa. What nonsense is that again?”
Joshua let out a heavy sigh without realizing it.
Kiana was his actual sister, and Melissa was his cousin. So throughout their childhood, it felt awkward to openly take Kiana’s side. Of course, usually Kiana would torment Melissa and then disappear, leaving no one to take sides with anyway.
But whenever Melissa positioned herself between them like this, apologizing as if she were lowering herself, he would respond sulkily, saying, “I hate everyone from Prelai.”
That was when Kiana, with her arms crossed, spoke bluntly.
“If you know you’re thoughtlessly getting in the way, why don’t you just leave?”
“Huh? Uh… uh.”
Melissa answered with an awkward laugh.
“Ahaha… I don’t know why, but I feel so small whenever I stand in front of you, Kiana. I get nervous and all heated up…”
“Don’t talk nonsense. When temperature rises, volume increases—what do you mean you get smaller?”
“…”
Melissa immediately closed her mouth. Only Joshua muttered very quietly, “I hope magical engineering fails… or actually, even if it doesn’t, it seems fine this time.”
“W-well then, I should go. I’m actually so tired. See you all again. Still, it’s so nice to see everyone again like this, even if we are family. The Convent was really… so difficult. The volunteer work was so exhausting.”
Melissa grabbed her skirt hem, hurriedly nodded to Joshua, and scurried into her room.
And so the corridor was left with only Kiana and Joshua once more.

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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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