A World Where You All Are The Villains - Chapter 40

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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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40.

“It made the newspapers…?”
The feeling was peculiar.
It wasn’t that I worried they might be searching for the culprit.
It was that I couldn’t imagine Serge Belnak’s filthy temperament would allow such a headline to run without interference.
In any case, since this was an article directly connected to me, I hurriedly read through the entire piece.

「Last evening, Grand Duke Serge Belnak, the host of the victory celebration banquet for the Tejeron conquest held at the Imperial Palace, was attacked by an unknown assailant at the Fourth Guest Palace.
Grand Duke Belnak is an S-rank Awakener possessing telekinetic abilities and is well-known as the “Undefeated Legend”—having recorded not a single failure since his first deployment to Lucher Gate at age fourteen.
According to eyewitnesses at the scene, the Grand Duke appears to have been struck on the forehead with a blunt object and walked out of the Guest Palace bleeding profusely.
At the time, the Grand Duke was in an extremely agitated state…」

‘In other words, he was absolutely furious.’
A satisfied smile spread across my face.
Reading the full article, I grasped the general situation.
The mention of “eyewitnesses”—plural—suggested that multiple people had witnessed him stumbling out with blood streaming from his head.
Given how prominently this was featured, that much was certain.
As the saying goes, a rumor travels a thousand miles, and even a Grand Duke couldn’t suppress gossip spreading so freely.
Or perhaps, while he was busy trying to contain the rumors, he failed to notice a political rival seizing the opportunity.
Someone like the Crown Prince, for instance.
“Perhaps he should have behaved better in his daily life.”
I clicked my tongue at the content that tarnished the Grand Duke’s reputation, then burst into quiet laughter.
Nancy gave me a puzzled look as I suddenly snickered while reading the newspaper, but I couldn’t help it.

― You were shamefully knocked unconscious by an unknown assailant.

The words I’d muttered back then had become reality and were now exposed to the entire world—there was no way my satisfaction could be incomplete!

「…The Imperial Investigation Bureau has begun its investigation, but it is reported that no decisive clues capable of identifying a suspect have yet been discovered.
Given that this incident was a direct attack on Grand Duke Belnak, the host of the banquet and Commander of the Northern Region, significant political and military repercussions are inevitable…」

“Why make such a grand fuss over this…?”
The culprit was likely beyond finding anyway.
At the phrase “no decisive clues were found to identify a suspect,” I let out a bitter smirk.
Fortunately, everything seemed to be unfolding exactly as I’d anticipated.
‘That’s right!’
Then, suddenly remembering the evidence, I called out urgently to Nancy.
“Nancy, where’s the dress I wore to the ballroom? You haven’t already had it laundered, have you?”
“No, ma’am! I only collected it in the basket. Shall I bring it?”
“Yes.”
Moments later, I safely retrieved my lifeline from the inner pocket of the dress Nancy brought.
Then I opened the safe hidden deep within my dressing room.
I placed Serge’s cravat fragment and ruby brooch beside Eston’s garments I’d stored there earlier.
And gazing down at them coolly, I murmured to myself.
“…I hope I never have to face these again.”
No matter how much that man controlled the Imperial Palace and strutted about with confidence, he wouldn’t want to be classified as a “reckless danger to society.”
Though it was unfortunate that the scandal made it into the newspapers and brought him shame.
Well, it wasn’t something I did anyway…
‘It’s all your own karma.’
In a way, we’d exchanged blows once each, so there was little reason to feel wronged.
He might not have felt the same, but I certainly did.
‘I hope there’s never a reason to take this out again.’
Quietly repeating this to myself, I finally closed the safe door.

***

The next day.
I sought out the Greenhouse early in the morning.
The weather was far too beautiful to waste away confined to my Room.
Yet that cursed pollen allergy prevented me from setting foot in the meticulously maintained gardens or courtyards.
The Greenhouse became my second choice by default.
“…This is rather nice.”
Upon stepping through the door, my eyes widened in astonishment.
What I had glimpsed through Edith Blake’s dreams was merely a fraction of the whole.
The interior, adorned exclusively with foliage plants and devoid of a single flower, resembled a miniature fairy forest.
Soft moss carpeted the floor, and sunlight filtered through the verdant thickets.
The occasional crystalline birdsong—whether from released birds or not—mingled gently with the babbling of an artificial fountain.
It was a scene of tranquility, coziness, and serenity.
‘A space meant solely for Edith Blake, they say….’
According to the Butler, the Greenhouse was remarkably a birthday gift from the Duke to his daughter, who lamented her inability to venture into the gardens.
Was she seven or eight years old then?
‘He must not have known she wouldn’t awaken by then.’
The Duke’s hypocrisy twisted my insides.
I heard that after her quarrel with Dylan, Edith Blake rarely visited the Greenhouse.
Likely, she wished to avoid recalling those unpleasant memories.
‘Sigh, how foolish….’
Each time I discovered the softer side of Edith Blake, my feelings grew complicated.
I entered the Greenhouse with a bittersweet smile.
‘In any case, Edith Blake is me now.’
A space prepared solely for me—there was no reason to shun it because of one treacherous fool.
Avoiding the damp moss, I ventured deeper inside and sprawled carelessly atop the lush vegetation.
The plants beneath me were likely ornamental specimens, but I paid no mind.
‘With all that wealth, replacing a few plants would be trivial.’
With that thought, I opened the book I had brought.

「The First Awakener」

By its title alone, it appeared to be a profound historical tome, yet it was required reading for children in this world.
Books written for children proved useful for obtaining information in simple, intuitive terms.
“Gate Wave. Gate Wave….”
Flip, flip.
Since I had no interest in learning who the first Awakener of this realm was, I turned the pages rapidly.
Halfway through, I finally discovered the information I sought.

「
【Gate Wave】
An unstable zone where Gates appear and disappear irregularly at fixed intervals.
The Gates that manifest in this zone are not significantly affected by whether monsters are subjugated or not, and since their scale and number are random, no one can predict them.」

「A representative region of Gate Wave is the gorge between the Caspian Mountain Range.
Using Horn Rock as a reference point, along the Silvaren River flowing below the gorge, approximately 17 kilometers…」

As I grasped the concept of Gate Wave, I suddenly furrowed my brow.
“…In game terms, is it like a respawn zone?”
Gates opening infinitely—it was truly a horrifying prospect.
Fortunately, the explanation continued that several of the first Awakeners had sacrificed themselves to erect a massive barrier around that region and seal it.
It was certainly a fantasy-like setting.
“Can you reach it through spatial teleportation?”

― But this bastard teleported me to the Gate Wave, apparently.

As I mulled over what the male lead had said in the Ballroom, I felt an inexplicable sense of dissonance.
“It seems like a pretty important setting… Why wasn’t it in the novel?”
【Saving the Abandoned World】 frequently featured incidents related to Gate occurrence sites.
But no matter how hard I racked my memory, I couldn’t recall any episode about Gate Wave.
In fact, it seemed like it wasn’t even mentioned at all….
‘Ultimately, wouldn’t resolving this be necessary for a truly perfect happy ending?’
Perhaps since the barrier prevents damage to other regions, there’s no need to resolve it.
There were so many things not in the novel that dwelling on it further seemed pointless.
Then, suddenly, a sense of déjà vu struck me.
“Come to think of it….”
I read through the section describing Gate Wave once more.

「Not significantly affected by monster subjugation, with random scale and number.」

In other words, even if we succeeded in suppressing the Gate, another would open elsewhere.
“…!”
Realizing this, I shuddered involuntarily.
There had been exactly one case like this in modern times.
“…This is something I experienced before I died.”
It was an unspoken rule that a location where a Gate had closed would never produce another.
Yet that rule had been broken—two Gates had emerged from the same place.
That day when Yu Ji-han abandoned me and fled, leaving me alone to be sucked into the Gate.
“…What? Then was that a Gate Wave too?”
I was confused.
I had only thought of it as an anomaly, but wasn’t it quite similar?
“…Ah.”
My expression, which had grown serious, soon softened as I shook my head.
That was excessive speculation.
After all, this place is a novel based on someone’s creation, and I’ve even seen the actual book itself.
‘Besides, if Gate Waves existed in modern times, there would have been chaos long ago.’
It was more plausible to assume that someone had cursed the book to trap me inside it.
“Being in a fantasy world, I’m thinking of all sorts of things….”
Tap.
I closed the book I’d been reading and set it aside carelessly.
Then, shielding my eyes with one arm, I savored the peace I hadn’t felt in a long time.
As I listened to the gentle trickling of water, drowsiness began to creep over me.
That was when it happened.
Click—.
Suddenly, I heard a presence from the Greenhouse entrance.
“Nancy, could you bring me some water?”
Only my dedicated Maid knows I’m here.
So I naturally extended my hand toward the approaching footsteps.
“…?”
But as time passed, no cold glass of water was placed in my hand.
Sensing something amiss, I lowered the arm shielding my eyes.
“Nancy?”
The silhouette was far too large to be Nancy.
Silver hair, gleaming like scales in the sunlight streaming down upon us.
A man looking down at me with a somewhat awkward expression.
“…I’m afraid I didn’t bring the water after all.”
“….”
“Could you spare me a moment of your time?”
It was the male lead, Ethan Blake.

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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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