A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 84

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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 84
* * *
“I… Alex?”
On the way to the Convent, I trembled as I spoke.
“There’s an abandoned temple nearby… I’d like to stop and pray.”
Alex’s crimson eyes pierced through me. The oppressive weight of his gaze was unbearable. My voice quivered as I continued.
“B-before we go back to the Convent, I… I need to calm my mind, and also… I want to ask K-Kiana for forgiveness…”
“Why are you begging forgiveness from a god who’s been dead for ages instead of asking Kiana directly?”
“B-but still, in any case, before going to the Convent… I n-need time to c-confess to the divine…”
When I mentioned procedural necessity, Alex muttered a curse under his breath, smashed a nearby tree, and roughly headed toward the temple in the distance.
He was already a terrifying person, and now he was angry too—every second spent with him felt like torture. The volunteer work at the Convent had been truly dreadful, but all I could think was that I desperately wanted to arrive there soon.
Before the altar of the abandoned temple, I offered my prayers and took a deep breath. Now that I thought about it, when I left the Prelai Manor earlier, Kiana had handed me a note with a cold expression.
“There’s something I couldn’t say in Grandfather’s office. I really want to tell you, but I didn’t want to look pathetic in front of the family.”
“Ah…”
“Read it on the way. That’s my true heart.”
So I had quietly accepted the note and brought it with me.
What could be Kiana’s true feelings—something she was too embarrassed to say in front of the family? Perhaps she actually wanted us to get along, or maybe she wanted to see me again with a kind face later since she understood? Given Kiana’s personality, it was highly likely she couldn’t bring herself to voice such words.
Alex leaned against Wolf with a bored expression. It seemed he was probably practicing from the beginning again, unable to use most of the words he’d prepared for Kiana—”Our family and I cherish you, regardless of whether you have a summoned beast or not.” After all, speaking without mixing in vulgar language wouldn’t be easy without practice.
I quietly unfolded the note Kiana had given me from my pocket.
“…”
So it meant she was too embarrassed to spew more curses in front of the family…
‘I should just throw this away.’
I folded the note and shoved it under the altar, then left the temple.
* * *
Hiton paced anxiously within the palace.
He’d heard that Melissa had returned to the capital. Melissa Prelai… that beautiful and virtuous woman who kept catching his eye.
Even knowing the Prelai were enemies, he couldn’t help but be drawn to her. It seemed the same was true for other men—he’d heard that since Melissa’s return, young nobles had been constantly visiting the Prelai Manor.
Even Lord Rodrigo had apparently gone to the Prelai Manor and shown his face, despite the House of Purbis being in very poor circumstances.
Hiton despised himself for thinking of Melissa. This was not the time to be thinking of a woman.
Two members of the Picnic group had been attacked by the Crown Prince, causing an uproar. “Lorelai” continued to publish the Crown Prince’s name—Edmund Tailyes—suggesting he had returned. That name, long forgotten, now resurfaced.
Of course, Hiton’s mother, the Third Queen, was trying to reassure him that it would be fine regardless, but he couldn’t help but feel his nerves sharpen. And in the midst of all this, his heart wavered because of Melissa.
“…This won’t do.”
He asked his subordinate where Melissa was. The subordinate quickly answered that she was currently at the abandoned temple. It wasn’t far.
Hiton rode his horse to the abandoned temple. However, Melissa and Alex had already left.
Hiton walked slowly and stood before the altar. Though it was said to be a temple no one visited anymore, he was still of royal blood and couldn’t be entirely indifferent to it. I hadn’t met Melissa, but having come to the temple, I didn’t want to leave empty-handed.
“I too am Tailyes. It means I am also a descendant blessed by the divine.”
He stood at the altar and murmured in a low voice. It was because of the anxiety he felt about the Crown Prince’s existence, which was now becoming prominent in people’s minds.
“Please… watch over me.”
Hiton closed his eyes, bowed his head, and prayed earnestly for a long time.
When he opened his eyes, a small note appeared before him. A note hidden beneath the altar, its origin unknown. He was startled and pulled it out.
Could it be that God has answered my prayers this time? Has He granted me that ancient oracle written on the note about Tailyes’ path?
“Please watch over my future….”
Hiton murmured the prayer and unfolded the note.
“…Really, this is ridiculous!”
Hiton irritably tore up the note and threw it away.
* * *
At that same moment, in a corner of the imperial palace, a small greenhouse.
“…This makes no sense.”
Seliet trembled as she held open the Lorelai newspaper.
“Our Lady Kiana… Why on earth, what could she possibly be lacking….”
The Lorelai contained an article stating that Kiana had been frequenting her lover Sezare’s residence daily these days. In truth, it was an article Joshua had written out of sheer necessity for gossip material, being far too busy with other matters.
Joshua had been overwhelmed with work—he needed to investigate Enes’ past and, more importantly, had to visit the Prelai Manor constantly.
With no other choice, he was writing the article about Kiana’s romantic involvement in the Lorelai, but Joshua despised this reality. Thus, he had unavoidably inserted his personal bias—negative impressions of Sezare.
“Ugh… such a low-quality ruffian….”
The Lorelai subtly portrayed Sezare negatively. Of course, following Kiana’s words, he hadn’t published “false information.” He maintained the atmosphere befitting a hero who saved the Levin territory, but added that he was clumsier than expected, that he frequented dirty places like clubhouses and Alford Harbor.
From Joshua’s perspective, he was laying groundwork for an eventual “breakup article.” After all, Joshua was a vicious third-rate journalist who gave no consideration to Sezare’s circumstances.
“No way!”
Seliet threw down the Lorelai and angrily began pulling weeds with fervor.
“Absolutely not. I can’t let our Lady go to this trash… it would be such a waste.”
A pile of weeds began accumulating at remarkable speed in one corner of the greenhouse.
“I’ll interfere no matter what! The only one truly worthy of our Lady is….”
Seliet cried out resolutely, clutching the weeds.
“Someone at least on the level of Brother Edmund!”
Of course, she wasn’t particularly close to Edmund. Yet he was the finest man she knew.
Such a generous older brother who showed kindness even to a half-sister he wasn’t close to. Always timid herself, she had always held his such qualities in high regard—a man who possessed everything.
“Brother will return. He must.”
It was half wishful thinking, but Seliet wanted to believe it. After all, the Lorelai had been continuously mentioning the Crown Prince lately, subtly adding predictions that he would return.
“And if Brother Edmund were connected to Lady Kiana… I could see them at the imperial palace every day.”
Edmund would be a perfectly suitable, excellent match for Kiana—manageable enough for her. If only he would return alive. Besides, wasn’t Kiana Edmund’s first love?
Edmund had never said it himself, but Seliet had noticed where his gaze always lingered. This was possible because Seliet, having no friends, had quietly observed others at various social gatherings.
“Lady Kiana is truly beautiful and lovely, isn’t she?”
Seliet had even probed him about it once.
“Well, that’s true, but….”
At that time, Edmund had carefully managed his expression and answered as casually as possible.
“That’s not the entirety of what makes the Princess remarkable.”
Unable to press further due to their lack of closeness, she had sensed that it wasn’t merely her appearance that captivated him, but something more significant. Edmund was a perceptive and observant person.
He had even noticed that his half-sister, whom he wasn’t particularly close to, loved history, and had given her the keys to the imperial library’s third archive, saying, “These are books I no longer read much myself, so they might be more useful to you.” The rare, ancient history books she had selected from there remained invaluable to her.
Edmund Tailyes and Eli Prelai had sealed the power of the last dark sorcerer, Ortson, in that region.
Particularly, the aspect Seliet loved most was ancient history.
The Tailyes, blessed by God, and the Prelai, who commanded summoned beasts, had sealed away the evil forces that opposed them.
Seliet chuckled shyly to herself, thinking how the bond between Tailyes and Prelai was just like hers and Kiana’s. Of course, if Kiana had heard that, she would have said, “They’re nothing alike.”
Seliet added quietly, her heart swelling with emotion.
“Of course… I’ll need to help him lose some weight. Let me assist with that.”
That was when Seliet’s eyes caught sight of a flower bud just beginning to form.
“Oh!”
“The Espra flowers will be blooming soon, won’t they? When they do, I’d love it if you could send some to the Prelai Manor.”
Kiana had asked Seliet to bring her Espra flowers because she wanted to craft a sound-amplifying magical tool. Seliet gazed tenderly at the Espra bud and let out a cry of joy.
“It’s finally blooming!”

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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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