Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 64

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

“Wait, could it be… that Black Mages and people like that might not receive blessings either?”
“I’m not entirely certain about that. Black Magic isn’t within our area of study, as we pursue the natural order of things, while Black Magic seeks all manner of unnatural pursuits.”
I was the most unnatural existence in this place. So… the fact that the demon Neo had reacted to me might have been because of my possession. Which meant I might lack the aptitude to become a Black Mage.
But there was no need to tell Serena and Sven about this. If I were to mention that this was a world from a novel and that I had possessed one of its characters, Serena would likely be the first to drag me to a proper physician.
“I see.”
I simply nodded slowly and said nothing more about it.
“Why did you call for me in the first place? If blessings aren’t necessary…”
Once all his questions were answered, Marcel reverted to his usual manner of speech.
“Well, it’s nice to chat about life and such things.”
When I smiled faintly, he made a disgusted expression.
“Priests cannot marry.”
“…You seem to have forgotten that married women can’t marry either. What are you thinking?”
“That is rather suspicious, though.”
He glanced around, rolling his eyes.
“Why did you ask me to come here in the first place?”
The place where I had secretly summoned Marcel was none other than Labonis Manor. It was where I had begun construction using the money earned from Redian’s paintings and Madeline. The exterior was now complete, but aside from this room where Marcel and I sat, it was virtually empty.
“It’s a strange place, truly. Desolate and somehow…”
I still lacked sufficient funds to complete everything.
Marcel had ridden here without much thought, only to be brought here in utmost secrecy by Serena.
I had come to Labonis Manor in secret on my way from Eldspie Viscount’s Residence. And in this room, there were only Marcel and me.
“You even provided me with fresh clothes.”
He had declined several times, but I insisted, saying it would be warm, and made him change.
“Yes, it’s nothing much.”
I glanced out the window. Carriages were slowly approaching in the distance. And since this room had large windows positioned right along the road, it was perfect for catching glimpses of passersby.
“Take off your ring too.”
“Pardon? Why?”
“There’s no one around anyway. I’m just curious.”
“This ring is one with my body.”
“…If I add one gold coin to the donation…”
“If you wish, please feel free to look all you like.”
Marcel politely removed the ring and handed it to me. As the ring left his hand, his divine power departed as well, and his silver hair instantly transformed into a beautiful shade of blue.
‘Hmm.’
With the silver hair unique to priests gone and dressed in plain clothes, he truly looked like a beautiful young man.
‘Now that I see him again, he certainly does have it.’
His expression had become docile for just one gold coin, but even accounting for that, his face was pleasant to look at.
‘He’s a fraud, but he really does look noble. Just looking at his face makes one feel sanctified.’
Melancholic black eyes. Skin as white as snow from rarely seeing sunlight. His delicate, finely-chiseled features resembled a beautiful young man from a pure romance manga.
“I’m a good priest, even if I am a fake.”
“You are.”
I nodded seriously.
“Your face, or rather, something about your face.”
At my words, he flashed a brilliant capitalistic smile. And in that moment, carriages rushed past along the street. Marcel probably wasn’t thinking anything of it, but they were all watching us—desperately so.
“Come back again in about three months.”
“Again, you say? Come back?”
“Of course. And don’t mention that you came here at all.”
“Don’t mention it?”
“A young married woman and a Priest alone together at the Third Estate… what would people think?”
“But Your Highness orchestrated this entire situation in the first place!”
The fact that he spoke fluent Imperial perfectly confirmed this would become a truly troublesome rumor.
If humor was the measure by which Duke Icard judged sincerity, then the Imperial tongue served that purpose for Marcel.
“Who would know that?”
Marcel wore an exasperated expression, but ultimately nodded in agreement.
“And when you leave, I’d appreciate it if you’d depart secretly, following whoever guides you out.”
“It’s not as though I’ve committed a crime. Why on earth…”
“Consider it a donation. I’ve added an extra gold coin to what I mentioned earlier.”
“I shall vanish like air, like wind, like shadow. Thank you.”
“In any case, don’t forget that this is a secret.”
I gave him a firm warning.
“Don’t even speak with anyone who might become entangled and cause problems.”
“…”
Marcel turned his head away without responding to me.
“Marcel?”
“…”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“The person most likely to cause problems is Your Highness…”
Well, that was certainly true.
“Hmm, then don’t speak with… anyone.”
Marcel looked as though he was dying to leave this place.
I needed to stretch out the time a bit longer, but there was nothing more to discuss with Marcel.
“Shall we play chess?”
Games were indeed the best way to pass time in awkward situations. According to my memories before possession, I seemed to have played a few matches with my older brother, but this was my first time since then. However, I had always been quite skilled at such games in my previous life.
“You play well, chess. Though it’ll be tedious against Your Highness.”
“Thirty silver per game.”
“Where’s the board? Let’s set it up right now.”
Thus I won three consecutive games and took home ninety silver. There was no reason I couldn’t defeat a mere Priest in a strategy game like this.
“Just one more game! Just one more!”
“Now go. You need to leave.”
Marcel thrashed about with wild eyes and eventually even pleaded with me to call for him again, begging me to do so as soon as possible. In any case, Marcel made his brief visit and departed.
Of course, to deceive the eyes of the villa’s staff, he left through the estate and then made a brief appearance at the villa afterward.
From the next day onward, rumors about Kail Dart Labonis naturally began to spread. With the Capital being where it was, and Marcel—who normally stayed confined to the Temple—being seen here, there was no way the people wouldn’t notice.
“He’s quite handsome, they say.”
“His expression is genuinely gentle and soft.”
Gentle in front of donations, but well, that’s beside the point.
“The way he conversed with Laria was quite affectionate. His manners seem impeccable too.”
“His attire is neat and refined, and his blue hair is truly beautiful.”
“The two of you played chess together? You must be quite close.”
Coordinating with that, the instructions I had given meant Kail had stopped by his territory briefly to handle only intermediate management before departing for the Capital.
“They say he grasped all the problems in the territory in that short time.”
“He apparently issued an enormous amount of directives in just one day before leaving.”
“But they say all of it was remarkably sharp and meticulous.”
That was only natural.
I, who had been living right beside Hanua, had held back for so long before issuing all my directives at once.
The few people working at the Viscount’s Manor were all from the Bestian Dark Information Guild in the southwest. They didn’t know my existence precisely either—they only followed Serena’s orders.
‘Of course, I could have placed one of the Bestian Dark Information Guild members as a proxy and had them act the part…’
I simply smiled quietly as I watched people speak various things about Kail.
‘If I used an actual person, my capable father, the hidden hand, might catch on. There’s also the risk of betrayal. Kail must be someone absolutely, without question, beyond reproach.’
And a person absolutely beyond reproach was someone who didn’t exist in this world.
“Laria, what do you think after conversing with him?”
I received such questions at every tea time.
“Since he said he’d be heading to the Capital soon, I didn’t get to see him for long. It turns out we had a brief connection before my marriage, so it wasn’t our first meeting.”
When I recited my carefully prepared answer naturally, everyone listened with interest.
“He’s simply a gentlemanly person with a shy disposition. He won’t be staying long anyway, and he finds it embarrassing to go around greeting people here and there.”
Since he was the owner of Kail-Hanua, whom everyone was curious about, the rumors spread quickly.
Kail Dart Labonis was nineteen, with blue hair and black eyes, a delicate handsome man with a gentle expression, and possessed exceptional ability in territory management.
And I planned to summon Marcel regularly to maintain these rumors until I made my escape.
‘Since we met alone for quite a long time, I can’t say it outright, but some sordid rumors will gradually emerge.’
Scandals of that sort were things that couldn’t be stopped no matter how hard one tried.
I blinked and thought.
‘That’s how I can move into the second phase.’

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