A World Where You All Are The Villains - Chapter 72

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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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72.

“Insane, this is that thing.”
“Pardon? That… thing?”
“The heart of an earth dragon or whatever it’s called…!”
At my sudden outburst, both the Butler and Eston’s eyes went wide.
“I… I have been explaining this to you all along, Miss…”
“Sigh… This is really it, Butler.”
I exhaled and muttered under my breath.
“H-how could you possibly know such a thing, Miss?”
“He said he caught it himself.”
“Wh-what?! An earth dragon, you say?!”
The Butler gasped at my words.
Regardless, as I gazed down at the box with a troubled expression, something caught my eye.
Suddenly, I noticed something angular glinting beneath the necklace.
“What is this…?”
A familiar black envelope.
I hadn’t noticed it immediately because the box’s lining was also black.
I reached out and swiftly pulled it free.
It bore the exact same appearance as the curse letter I had torn to shreds not long ago.
The moment I recognized it, my brow furrowed involuntarily.
I hastily opened the envelope.
Then I saw handwriting scrawled roughly across the page.

「How do you like my gift?」

It was quite a talent, how he could reveal his nature in just the opening line.
‘…I don’t want to read this.’
Yet to prepare for this unpredictable man, I had to read on.
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them again.

「I never expected much, knowing full well how ruthlessly cold-hearted the Princess is.
But as expected, you have a talent for surprising people.
I thought you’d simply abandon it in the alley and leave, yet you called a Healer and even had them treat it!
When did you say so harshly that you didn’t care whether it suffered or died, and which side is truly the Princess’s real heart? Your nature is quite peculiar.

In any case, I understood well enough that you held me in the highest regard.
So despite my ailing body, I took up pen myself and wrote a personal letter to the Duke.
I’ve sent along a few trinkets gathering dust around the manor as a bonus, so don’t be too moved by it.

You must be disappointed that you couldn’t tell your father the truth about our outing, but there will be plenty of opportunities to meet again in the future.
I’ll see you again soon.

―Serge Belnak

PS. Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention this before.
Blue diamond doesn’t suit you at all.”

“That lunatic…!”
Crumple!
I crumpled the letter with trembling hands.
‘How can someone write something so infuriating in every single sentence?’
From beginning to end, including that final postscript, there wasn’t a single point that didn’t make my blood boil.
At my reaction, both the Butler and Eston widened their eyes in shock.
“M-Miss. What’s wrong? What on earth is written in there…?”
“A curse letter.”
“A curse letter?! That couldn’t possibly be in there. The Grand Duke brought it straight to us…!”
Eston protested as if deeply wronged.
“Ah. So that letter from back then was…”
Meanwhile, the Butler let out a sigh as if he had just realized something.
Regardless, I tossed the letter, which I’d crumpled into a tight ball, into the fireplace.
Whoosh!
The flames that had been quietly smoldering suddenly flared up with fervor at the new kindling.
“My goodness…”
The Butler clicked his tongue, while Eston asked with a startled expression.
“Is it really alright to just burn it like that?”
“Yes. Better not to keep it around and invite bad luck.”
Besides, if anyone happened to see it, it would be a disaster.
Crackle, crackle.
I watched the letter turn to ash and fade away, then let out a weary sigh.
And I prayed earnestly.
‘Please, let me never have to see him again!’

***

Time flowed swiftly, and the long-awaited Equinox Commemoration Day dawned.
The nightmare from the Imperial Palace banquet was being recreated.
Forced awake from the crack of dawn, I was being kneaded and prodded from head to toe without mercy!
“Miss, did you know? This total lunar eclipse is a super blue moon that only happens once every ten years!”
“….”
“To see a blue moon over the sea… isn’t that incredibly romantic?”
Nancy chattered away excitedly.
“Next, we need one aloe mask, one rose oil, and two royal honey creams. That’s all!”
“Yes!”
The Butler took command once more, orchestrating the proceedings.
I muttered my grievances with half-lidded eyes, barely keeping them open.
“But why… do I have to go through all this just to travel across the sea to an island?”
“Today is more special than any other day! The Duke has issued a solemn command to prepare you in the finest condition, Miss.”
“But why!”
“Perhaps he has the Flower of Equinox in mind….”
At the Butler’s words, I nearly let out a scoff.
‘How ambitious of him….’
The champions of the subjugation war were four male leads, after all.
And since there was no heroine to court this time, perhaps some of them wouldn’t be as enthusiastic as they were in the novel.
‘For instance, Vincent and Serge….’
Vincent feared Awakener rampage, so there were many descriptions of him shirking during combat.
Serge, true to his title as the Northern Grand Duke, didn’t care whether Gates opened or closed as long as it wasn’t in his own Territory.
From my own experience, both of them were exactly the type to behave that way.
So without the reward of ‘Ruellin’, why would they bother competing for first place….
‘Dylan would probably be the most enthusiastic, at least.’
He had an innate inferiority complex, which fueled both his competitive spirit and his desire for honor.
In that regard, Ethan was much the same.
The fact that they both held the positions of First and Second Knight Commander within the Security Bureau said as much.
In conclusion, regardless of who won, none of them would court me.
“….”
Seeing my rotten smile and silence, the Butler’s expression grew solemn.
Nancy, sensing the mood, tried her best to lighten it.
“S-still! Since you’re attending a banquet after so long, wouldn’t it be nice to dress up prettily?”
“I’m already pretty even if I do nothing. So just do it roughly, please….”
A villainous extra like me—nobody cares whether I’m dressed beautifully or not.
But they all ignored my desperate plea.
It wasn’t until close to noon that the preparations finally ended.
By the time I finished my makeup, had my hair styled, and put on the dress, I was utterly exhausted.
The dress I was to wear for the eve ceremony was one that Nancy had selected previously.
I had originally tried to choose a simple dark purple dress with minimal decoration, but the Butler and the Maids vehemently opposed it and talked me out of it.
“If you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to tell the Duke, Miss!”
With the Butler invoking the Duke’s name and making such a fuss, I had no choice but to relent.
Apparently, since the banquet was being held at the Outdoor Funeral Grounds and was a meaningful annual event, they insisted on maintaining proper decorum.
So the compromise we reached was the most radiant design among the conservative options.
The off-shoulder dress, composed of two layers, had a shimmering blue sheer fabric densely embroidered with silver thread over a white lining.
It matched my eye color, and at first glance resembled a night sea reflecting moonlight—not bad at all.
As I was about to put on accessories, the Butler brought something I hadn’t anticipated.
“This is….”
Heart-shaped crimson jewels wrapped in a golden chain gleamed brilliantly.
A necklace set made from the heart of some earth dragon—or earth worm, whatever—that Serge had thrust upon me.
I furrowed my brow.
“…Why this of all things?”
“Since the dress is conservative, wouldn’t it be better to emphasize the accessories? Besides, it complements the blue tone quite well.”
“There are plenty of other accessories. For instance, something Father gave me.”
“If you wish for a coordinated color scheme throughout, I shall fetch that instead.”
The Butler answered smoothly.
He was pointing out that the blue diamond necklace and the dress’s color were identical.
Even I had to admit the color coordination would be perfect, so I had nothing to say.
But that didn’t mean I wanted to wear something ominous that Serge had given me!
Sensing my reluctance, the Butler spoke with considerable seriousness.
“In my humble opinion, this is perhaps the most fitting accessory for this commemorative ceremony.”
“In what way?”
“Since it’s made from a magical beast found only in Caspian Gorge, wouldn’t it further elevate the prestige of the Duke’s Household?”
“But I didn’t even catch it myself, so what prestige am I elevating?”
“What does that matter? What’s important is that you, Miss, are the one who possesses the earth dragon’s heart! By that logic, wouldn’t every accessory elevate the prestige of its wearer?”
“….”
Now that he put it that way, I had nothing to say.
It was a mystery why this man suddenly became so eloquent only in these particular moments.
As I remained unconvinced, the Butler suddenly lowered his voice and whispered.
“And it seems the Grand Duke gave this gift with this day in mind….”
“….”
“What if you wear something else instead and end up receiving another curse letter…!”

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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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