A Strange But Effective Villainess Life - Chapter 98

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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 98
* * *
In the dead of night.
“This letter arrived remarkably quickly.”
The man who received the brief letter laughed with genuine delight.
To Sezare, Kiana was a walking contradiction. Back when he possessed everything and wanted to give her anything, she showed no interest in him. Yet now, having lost everything and with nothing left to offer her as Crown Prince, she alone was the one who genuinely helped him.
And still, whenever Sezare stood before her, he could only revert to that most pathetic version of himself.
‘You see, Kiana.’
Sezare chuckled softly, resting his chin in his palm.
‘I’ve always loved you, even back when you didn’t think much of me.’
He read the sentence—one dripping with displeasure—over and over, thinking to himself.
‘I loved you even when I foolishly fell from that cliff and suffered.’
In truth, the reason he’d changed his eyes to gold was because the last glimpse he’d caught of Kiana showed a checkered pattern woven in golden thread along the hem of her skirt. He’d simply wanted to remember that golden light forever, so he’d changed his eyes to gold.
‘It hurt so incredibly much….’
His body, remembering that pain, tensed for a moment. Yet even so, his face thinking of Kiana never lost its smile.
‘No matter what form I take, no matter who I become, I’ll keep loving you in exactly the same way.’
He slowly picked up his pen. He wanted to finally answer the postscript from her letter—something he’d been unable to do for so long.
* * *
Piyak returned faster than expected.
“…He’s already back?”
Even I, who usually tells him to try harder, was astonished.
“How did he get here so quickly?”
I blinked in confusion as I asked, and Piyak answered with a thoughtful expression.
【That’s what I’m wondering too.】
It was far faster than anticipated. Who would dare call Piyak a ‘rather useless summoned creature’ now?
When I looked at Piyak with a puzzled expression, he shrugged his shoulders.
【It feels like Piyak has become an incredibly impressive summoned creature, so… I’m feeling quite proud about it.】
In other words, he’d developed a sense of professionalism. I unfolded the letter Piyak had brought.
“What?”
I gasped in surprise, my mouth falling open. Now that I’m using formal speech, he’s using formal speech too, right?
‘The day we meet at the Imperial Palace’… It seemed my ultimate goal really was to return after all.
‘Well then, I’ll have to go back to the Imperial Palace. I have plenty to say too.’
I hadn’t written anything related to my family, worried the letter might fall into the wrong hands. For instance, nothing like how my grandfather’s summoned creature saved you. So I’d planned to boast about that the moment I met the Crown Prince.
But the letter didn’t end there.
I furrowed my brow slightly. This seemed to be a response to the postscript of my last letter.
【Good heavens! What? What? What?】
Piyak, reading the letter over my shoulder, fluttered his wings in even greater excitement.
【So that chubby Crown Prince liked Kiana all along! Good heavens!】
I stood there blankly, holding the letter.
‘But why would the Crown Prince, who seemed to have everything, like me?’
I’d shamelessly misbehaved in front of the Crown Prince, bullied Melissa, and pathetically chased after Lord Rodrigo—so why was this different?
I was surprised at first, but what followed was a deeply awkward feeling. After all, I had no interest in the Crown Prince whatsoever, and lately it seemed I’d developed feelings for someone else.
And I was someone who couldn’t bear to watch such situations unfold. If someone I had no interest in claimed to like me, I needed to put up an iron wall to feel at ease. I suspected that in the original story, Melissa’s failure to do so had caused trouble for everyone.
‘Now that I think about it, Avian’s invitations have stopped too.’
Back then, the drawing room had caught fire, and they were doing renovations on the townhouse, so they couldn’t invite guests.
‘I haven’t seen him since the charity event either.’
Still, the sudden silence suggested he’d simply bounced off my iron wall. It was a relatively satisfying conclusion.
I didn’t want an uninterested man to harbor feelings for me and suffer alone. But I also felt awkward about coldly saying, “I don’t like you.”
‘But it’s ancient history anyway, right? It’s already been six years… If I were the Crown Prince, I doubt I’d have time to worry about childhood crushes or anything like that now.’
I hesitated, but ultimately decided not to send a reply. When you’re unsure, staying silent keeps you in the middle ground. Besides, I had nothing pressing to say anyway.
【Piyak wants to play! I don’t want to work anymore!】
Meanwhile, Piyak tirelessly repeated his usual complaints. He was truly consistent. So I declared a rest period for him.
“Is that so? Then why don’t you just rest comfortably at Prelai Manor? There are no more letters to exchange with Room 1135. You don’t have any urgent tasks now, so get some proper rest for a few days.”
【Wow, hurray!】
Piyak cheered excitedly.
Of course, I noticed. The fact that he didn’t say he’d rest for life when I told him to rest for a few days meant he really did want to become a powerful summon.
‘I wish I could fulfill that wish for you.’
True summoning. If only I could achieve that with Piyak… But I still hadn’t figured out how Roki had stolen Piyak’s summoning in the first place. So I still had no idea how to accomplish a summoning I’d never managed before.
I simply smiled as usual, not wanting to burden Piyak unnecessarily.
“And if you’re going to train for life, you need to rest often. Next time, let’s increase the weight too.”
Piyak opened his beak and clicked his tongue with a look of exasperation.
【…Wow. So you’re just going to give me more work after all. Didn’t you say you’d grant my wish?】
“Of course. Did you really think I’d bat an eye just because you whined?”
Piyak protested sarcastically at my words.
【Piyak wants to become someone as unwavering as Kiana. How can a person be so unshakeable?】
So I answered calmly.
“Increase your mass.”
【Pardon?】
“Heavy things don’t shake as easily as light ones.”
【…Magic engineering is doomed.】

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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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