About Becoming My Ex-Husband's Mistress - Chapter 171

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 171. It Happened in an Instant
Priscilla, who had hastily torn up the scroll, hurried to Luderne Sellen’s side.
After exchanging a few brief words with him, she tore open a new magical scroll behind Count Veloda Genoma.
It all transpired in a single moment.
Priscilla returned to stand beside Luderne Sellen, and the two of them departed the Ship with their companions at a leisurely pace.
Zerox’s mind grew tangled.
‘Why on earth did Priscilla do that?’
No matter how he examined it, Count Veloda Genoma had been the target.
Given that she had even attempted a second casting, it was clearly a spell designed for a single person.
Considering the relationship between the two, it could not possibly be a benevolent magic.
‘Then what manner of spell is it? If it’s a single-target scroll spell?’
Though it appeared to be an accident, the actual recipient of the first scroll she had used was undoubtedly Eclite.
The moment Count Veloda Genoma stepped forward, Eclite, who had been beside him, became the person closest to Priscilla.
Typically, single-target magical scrolls were applied to whoever stood nearest to the caster.
Zerox covered his mouth with one hand and quickly moved forward.
He needed to discover what magic had been cast upon them.
First, Eclite.
“Your Highness.”
At Zerox’s call, Eclite came to a halt.
“What is it?”
Instead of answering, Zerox examined Eclite’s appearance.
Eclite raised his hand and rubbed his eyes repeatedly.
“You appear fatigued, and I was merely concerned for your well-being.”
He had spoken without much thought, simply because Eclite was rubbing his eyes.
Yet the response that came was one he had never heard before.
“Now that you mention it, I should summon the Doctor.”
“The Doctor?”
“I feel a chill creeping in as though an illness approaches, my eyes ache and feel heavy, and I’m overcome with fatigue.”
Zerox doubted his own ears.
Eclite possessed a remarkably robust constitution and had never once complained of exhaustion, even after going without sleep for two or three days.
“How strange—when did this begin?”
“It came on quite suddenly…”
Eclite continued to rub his eyes.
“In any case, I’ll retire to rest for now. A good sleep should see me recovered.”
Zerox observed Eclite’s demeanor once more. Something felt deeply unsettling about it; the scroll magic seemed to have inflicted a most unwelcome effect.
‘Could it be a curse spell?’
Of course, he had no intention of informing Eclite of this.
Rather, he hoped it was a vicious curse scroll—ideally potent enough to cause Eclite’s sudden death.
If that were to happen, the enormous debt he owed from their illicit dealings might simply vanish into thin air.
Zerox suppressed the smile that threatened to surface, covering his mouth with one hand while deliberately furrowing his brow as though deeply troubled.
“Dear me, it seems the fatigue has accumulated and is finally catching up with you. I am quite concerned. I shall send the Doctor at once—please get some proper rest.”
After parting ways with Eclite, I made my way to Melissa Bilsty’s cabin. Since I had helped support her, Count Veloda Genoma would certainly be there.
As I crossed the deck toward Melissa Bilsty’s cabin, I soon found myself unable to suppress a quiet chuckle.
Both the matter with Eclite and the issues surrounding Melissa Bilsty seemed to be resolving themselves quite nicely.
‘If I can just get through these two weeks without incident, all will be well.’
Once Luderne Sellen was eliminated, everything else would become simple.
Even if Melissa Bilsty released the copy, there would be no one left to bring the original into the world.
Of course, I had no intention of getting my own hands dirty.
I would set the ship sailing during the shipboard party.
I would lace Luderne Sellen’s wine glass with a different deadly poison than before, and somehow provoke Eclite into a confrontation with him.
If, as expected, he had been afflicted with curse magic, inciting a fight would be all the easier.
Once I claimed that Luderne Sellen had cast it, the matter would be settled. After that, it would be like adding fuel to the fire.
If both of them died in the clash, that would be ideal.
And Melissa Bilsty would feign ignorance.
The nobility would never tolerate a commoner—and one born of infidelity at that—anyway.
If I were to propose accepting her as queen, they would surely rise up like a swarm of bees, pleading that I consider the dignity of the Kingdom.
At that point, I would simply pretend to reluctantly yield to their opinions.
Then Melissa Bilsty would release the copy.
Thinking of what would unfold, my contempt for Melissa Bilsty only deepened.
‘Such a trivial creature, ignorant of her place.’
In any case, once everything was disposed of, the final obstacle standing in the way of power could only be the Princess.
Thus, the Princess of the Royal Palace would soon receive news of her demise.
Whether by assassination or accident.
It was a contingency in case the copy became an issue.
After all, the copy would merely become an unverified rumor. Even if someone believed it, if there was no Princess to inherit the throne, there would be nothing they could do.
No matter how I considered it, it seemed the favor of the divine rested upon me.
I clasped my hands devoutly, recalling the image of Priscilla offering prayers on behalf of Matilda Bilsty.
The sight of Matilda Bilsty, having received those prayers, lying utterly motionless as though frozen.
“Priscilla truly is exceptional.”
As I gazed down toward the deck, murmuring to myself, I soon lifted my head at the sound of a sharp, irritated cry.
“What are you doing? She is my maid!”
It seemed her fury was far from spent. Melissa Bilsty’s rage was pouring out through the wide-open cabin door.
Peering into the cabin, I widened my eyes at the unexpected sight.
An overturned table, torn curtain rods, shattered teapots, cups, mirrors, vases, and more. It appeared she had smashed everything within reach—the cabin was in complete disarray.
“If you keep this up, I won’t forgive you, no matter who you are, Baron!”
With Count Veloda Genoma positioned behind her, Melissa Bilsty was trembling with indignation as she pointed accusingly at Baron Ugly.
Behind the Baron, whose expression had grown rigid, I could see the Mute Maid with her hair thoroughly disheveled. It appeared she had suffered some mistreatment at Melissa Bilsty’s hands.
My head tilted involuntarily.
I could not fathom why Baron Ugly would protect Melissa Bilsty’s maid. Nor could I understand why he was here at all.
It was then that Baron Ugly spoke with firm resolve.
“I cannot tolerate such outrageous behavior.”
Melissa lifted the corners of her mouth as if exasperated.
“And what will you do if you cannot tolerate it, Baron?”
Baron Ugly spoke to the Mute Maid standing behind him.
“Jeanne, you may stop working as a maid now. Your mother as well.”
Zerox could not believe his eyes.
Baron Ugly was treating the Mute Maid as if she were his own daughter.
“Understood.”
The Mute Maid even seemed to listen to Baron Ugly’s words first.
At this sight, Melissa became even more irritable toward Baron Ugly.
“Baron, she is my maid! What on earth are you doing?”
Her sharp words turned toward Jeanne once more.
“Why are you listening to the Baron instead of me?”
“B-but Miss Melissa.”
The Mute Maid seemed to be trying to say something.
That was when Zerox interjected.
“What is all this commotion?”
At Zerox’s appearance, everyone in the cabin straightened up in alarm.
Zerox’s gaze first turned toward Count Veloda Genoma.
Unlike Eclite, he appeared perfectly fine.
I clicked my tongue inwardly. I had wondered if the scroll Priscilla wrote was truly a curse.
If so, it was disappointing.
‘Perhaps Eclite is simply suffering from a common illness.’
In the meantime, Count Veloda Genoma bowed respectfully to Zerox.
“I apologize for the disturbance, Your Majesty. Given the circumstances, Melissa has been under extreme stress and venting it.”
“Why vent it on a maid?”
At Baron Ugly’s retort, Melissa bristled.
“It is my choice. Rather, it is tremendously rude for an uninvolved baron to interfere. There is no protocol for other nobles to meddle in how a house treats its servants.”
“It is not uninvolved.”
Baron Ugly spoke to Zerox with a furious expression.
“Your Majesty, I mentioned that I have a daughter.”
Zerox, nodding in acknowledgment, then struck his left palm with his right fist.
“Ah! Could that daughter possibly be this maid?”
Baron Ugly took Jeanne’s hand and stood her beside him.
“Indeed. There was something unusual about her appearance… Her name is Jeanne.”
Zerox could not help but nod at the evidence Baron Ugly had presented.
Jeanne bowed deeply to Zerox.
“If she is a baron’s daughter, the matter changes entirely. Melissa should apologize to the Baron instead.”
At Zerox’s acknowledgment, Melissa’s mouth twisted.
“Zerox! Are you in your right mind?”
Count Veloda Genoma suddenly jabbed Melissa in the ribs, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
Baron Ugly exhaled through his nose and bowed his head to Zerox once more.
“Your Majesty, I wish to protect the family I have only recently found. I will have my daughter and wife disembark and return to the Capital.”
* * *
After Zerox declared the tea party concluded, everyone headed toward the front of the Fleet. This was because we were at the Stern.
Everyone seemed careless, making this the perfect moment to use a magical scroll.
The instant I realized this, my heart began racing wildly. And in my eyes, there was only Count Veloda Genoma.
I gripped the scroll tightly in both hands.
‘All I need to do is approach him and tear the scroll. Then I can have my revenge.’
But using a magical scroll, which seemed so simple, apparently was not something anyone could do.
The timing was perfect, yet Count Veloda Genoma suddenly moved ahead.
As a result, the Knight standing beside him became the closest person to me.
In that moment, my mind became even more muddled, and a sense of dismay washed over me.
But there was no time to confirm who the Knight beside me was. I feared the golden opportunity might slip away.
I quickly took the curse magic scroll I had entrusted to Luderne Sellen and finished using it.
Fortunately, on the second use, Count Veloda Genoma was closest.
After disembarking from the Ship and returning to the Tent, Menglow sat up from the bed.
“Did you use the scroll? How was it?”
“….”
Only then did reason return to me.
Thinking it over again, a heavy sigh escaped me.
I had made a terrible mistake.
I had no idea how to apologize to the Knight who had been harmed or how to remedy the situation.
“This is serious. I made an error while using it, and it seems one scroll was applied to the Knight standing beside me.”
“Huh? A Knight?”
“Yes. I was so focused on using the second scroll that I couldn’t see the Knight’s face.”
But since it was a curse, if I investigated a little, I could discover who had been afflicted by the scroll magic.
I approached Menglow and made an earnest request.
“I seem to have caused serious harm to someone. Is there a solution, perhaps by suppressing the curse with another magic, the way it was done for Sir Jester?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————