A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 9

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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 9
* * *
Joshua watched Kiana slowly climb into the carriage.
“Well then, take care. And don’t forget what I asked you to do earlier.”
Kiana called out one last time through the carriage window.
“Kiana, it’s been six years. Six years.”
She meant investigating the Crown Prince and Prince Hitten. Joshua sighed and shook his head.
“Nothing happened, and nothing will happen. Imperial Family matters… such dangerous and complicated affairs should be left to Grandfather.”
Then he lowered his voice to a whisper.
“His Majesty the Emperor will pass away soon, and Prince Hitten will ascend to the throne. The missing Crown Prince’s position holds no meaning. Only His Majesty clings to empty hope.”
Kiana shrugged as if she hadn’t heard a word.
Watching her, Joshua suddenly noticed her face was far too pale. At first, he’d thought it was from severe motion sickness, but even as time passed, her complexion didn’t improve.
“Kiana, but…”
Looking more closely, her arms extending from the checkered dress were unnaturally thin.
“You’ve been doing well at the Academy, haven’t you? Why are you so thin, and why is your complexion so poor? On top of that, you’re struggling just to ride in a carriage—what’s going on with your physical condition?”
“I’ve been fine. And my complexion has always been poor.”
Kiana replied casually as if it were nothing.
“Why, suddenly worried? But only a little.”
Then she let out a soft laugh and added:
“For six years you barely kept in proper contact, and now…”
The window shut quickly. The carriage immediately departed. And so the carriage carrying Kiana descended the hill smoothly and soon disappeared from sight.
Joshua stood gazing at the dust the wheels had stirred up, not entering the estate right away, his delicate brow furrowing slightly.
【Why is that?】
Lea tilted her head and asked.
【What’s the problem?】
“Well, she just looked so thin. She’s gained a bit since I first saw her, but isn’t her frame a bit too small?”
【Hmm. But I’m voting for what your spoiled little sister said.】
“What do you mean?”
【If you didn’t keep in contact for six whole years, why are you pretending to worry now?】
At those words, Joshua ran his hand through his hair and grew serious.
“What are you talking about? I sent her a letter every single month without fail.”
【Really?】
“Every holiday I’d ask her to come to Prelai Manor, and I’d ask if we could visit the Academy once… but she’s the one who found it bothersome. That’s strange, isn’t it?”
【Oh, so she found it bothersome?】
“Yes. She’d barely reply once out of twenty letters, and the professors eventually sent me a letter saying, ‘Don’t provoke Kiana. She really dislikes seeing her family.'”
【Really?】
“The Academy is such a closed place that I couldn’t just visit whenever I wanted. But if she didn’t invite me, how could I go? When I heard that family could attend her first thesis presentation, I felt a bit betrayed. Did we really have to live like strangers? Well, of course, I do live like a stranger to her.”
In the end, all Scarlett could do was receive updates about Kiana from the Academy’s professors. They said Kiana was doing very well, advancing grade after grade. News came once a month that she was producing high-quality papers.
Of course, he hadn’t mentioned any of this to Melissa. After all, Melissa was the victim, and he felt no need to bring up Kiana. He’d never had deep conversations with Melissa about other subjects either.
【Ah, is that so?】
Lea readily agreed and let out a yawn.
But Joshua bit his lip, staring blankly at the path where the carriage had disappeared, troubled by an inexplicable unease. And his instinct, honed by years of handling information, screamed that this discomfort couldn’t be ignored.
“…I think I need to follow her.”
Follow? Where?
“To Kiana.”
Joshua muttered quietly.
“I need to go ask her properly. What exactly made her seem so uninterested?”
* * *
“Young Miss, shall we head home now? For lunch…”
“Let’s grab a coffee first, then go to the general store. I need to buy something before we return home.”
After telling the Spy Maid our destination, I sank back into thought in the carriage. Joshua’s reaction to the request about the Crown Prince had been oddly sensitive, and it bothered me.
‘His concern seems excessive. Is he hiding something dangerous from me?’
Of course, it was a dangerous topic. But I’d expected Joshua to be indifferent about it.
After all, we hadn’t seen each other once during my time at the Academy. Not a single family member had invited me to the Prelai Manor, and they didn’t attend my graduation ceremony. The letters they’d sent numbered fewer than ten. Even when I sent word that my family could attend my first thesis presentation, they ignored the invitation…
‘But why is he pretending to be so concerned now? It’s not helping.’
Besides, Joshua had no insight whatsoever.
“Imperial Family matters… such dangerous and complicated affairs should be left to Grandfather.”
Following Joshua’s logic, hadn’t the entire family ended up facing execution after entrusting everything to our elderly, sickly grandfather?
“His Majesty will pass away soon, and Prince Hitten will ascend to the throne. The missing Crown Prince’s position is meaningless. Only His Majesty clings to vain hope.”
Vain hope…
That was wrong too. I began slowly recalling the past.
* * *
I was thirteen when I first saw Melissa, and that moment remained vivid in my memory.
“From today on, you’ll be living together with Melissa. She’s the same age as Kiana. Get along like real siblings.”
She was the daughter of my uncle who had left home years ago, insisting on marrying against everyone’s wishes. When my uncle and his wife died while living hidden among commoners, Grandfather took in their daughter.
When Melissa, dressed in shabby clothes, greeted us shyly, the governess took her hand warmly.
“Welcome, Miss Melissa. You’ll become a proud member of the Prelai Family from now on. You look very much like the young master.”
The “young master” here referred to my father’s younger brother and Melissa’s father, Rocky.
“The direct line of the Prelai Family can summon Summoned Beasts. Sometimes, even the branch families can summon them. So you’ll need to learn the concept of Summoned Beasts first…”
Then Melissa spoke hesitantly.
“Actually… I already have a Summoned Beast. Piyak, would you come out?”
A yellow lark that had been perched in a tree flew down and gently landed on her shoulder.
Don’t fear this new environment. Everyone will love you, Melissa.
The House of Prellay designated only one heir, and only the heir’s children were recognized as the direct line. My father was already designated as the heir. Therefore, Melissa belonged to the branch family.
It wasn’t uncommon for branch family members to summon Beasts occasionally. Still, branch family members who could summon Beasts received recognition within the Prelai Family equivalent to the direct line.
Melissa, stroking Piyak, looked at us with a bright smile.
“I want to see everyone else’s Summoned Beasts too. Especially yours, Kiana—we’re the same age. What’s your Summoned Beast?”
At that innocent question, I spun around and dashed straight into my room.
From that day on, I began having dreams where Piyak kept crying out, “I’m Kiana’s!” And whenever I saw Melissa, I’d be seized by a strange impulse, constantly tormenting her with accusations like, “Piyak was originally mine—you stole him, didn’t you?”
By the time I turned sixteen—six years ago from now—I finally rushed at Melissa with a blade in the dead of night and was caught by the servants. Everyone saw it as my excessive brutality. I had always been excessive.
But back then, I harbored a purpose that no one else knew about.
“What is this… It actually worked?”
Ever since Melissa arrived when I was thirteen, I had been secretly teaching myself magical engineering and crafting magical artifacts on my own. After years of painstaking effort, the magical artifact I created was one that could change eye color.
I hadn’t wanted to make my own eyes red. I wasn’t foolish enough to suddenly change my eye color and become the laughingstock of everyone.
My true target from the beginning was none other than Melissa. By changing only Melissa’s eye color, I aimed to silence anyone who would say, “Anyone can see that Melissa is more suited to be the Prelai Family’s daughter.”
Everyone would certainly find it strange when they saw Melissa’s eye color suddenly change one day, but that wasn’t my concern. After all, no one else would even think it possible to change eye color.
To activate that magical artifact, I needed the user’s blood. So that night, I rushed at Melissa with a blade, but the servants caught me. And it was then that my Grandfather scolded me severely for the first time.

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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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