Disqualified as a Villainess - Chapter 37

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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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#37.

Jeriel lifted his eyelids as a hand gently stroked his hair.

“…Father?”

Father gazed down at him with a faint smile.

“Jeriel, your mother was actually deeply worried about you. But she’s someone who cannot show weakness before others.”
“She didn’t hate me?”
“That’s right. Your mother kept her distance because she feared losing you and your brother as well. Just as I did—she was afraid that loving too much would make you disappear.”

Those in power must never love what is fragile and weak.
Understanding Father’s words, Jeriel placed his own hand over the warm one touching his cheek and nodded.

“Then… is it all right for me to love Mother?”
“Yes, no one will scold you for it.”
“What a relief.”

Jeriel smiled brightly.
“You’re a good child, a true angel of January.”
He offered the warm smile he had worn in life.

“Even if you cannot see me, Father will always be by your side.”

The child understood that pleas not to leave were meaningless.
As if etching Father’s cherished image into memory, tears gathered in his reddened eyes as they blinked slowly through the haze.

“Goodbye, Father.”

The child released the shadow that had fallen across his heart, opposite to the memories with Father.
So that happy memories would no longer become sorrow.
“Let us return to family.”
Emerging from the shadow, the child chose life—where precious people remained—over a peaceful death.

***

As consciousness returned to me, I gazed upon the ornate ceiling fresco of the Ceremony Hall, where four apostles were depicted.
Descartes, Circe, Anaxia, and Ginesa.
Among them was an image of the Apostle Descartes piercing the heart of the traitor apostle Ginesa with a long spear.
“Jeriel!”
As sensation returned to me piece by piece, the Crown Princess’s voice, which had sounded distant like an echo, grew near.
“Jeriel! Are you awake!”
The Crown Princess Dekima, who typically maintained dignity and composure in any situation—much like the Northern Grand Duke—wore an expression I had never seen before.
It was the face of someone who had only come to understand the value of something precious after losing it.
The Crown Princess held Prince Jeriel tightly, burying her face against him.
“I’m truly sorry. It was my fault for neglecting my duty as a parent.”
She apologized repeatedly, stroking the child’s face.
The young prince in her embrace laughed weakly, his appearance now completely restored, as if he had been seen in the shadows.
“Just like Father, who went to the Heavenly Kingdom… were you worried about losing me and my brother too? That’s what Father said when I just met him.”
“You met Father?”
The Crown Princess’s eyes widened, and her hand stroking the child stilled.
“He said he didn’t come to find me because he was afraid Mother would cry upon seeing me. He said he couldn’t show weakness…”
Perhaps recalling her deceased husband, she turned her head away, drawing a deep breath. She was struggling to hold back her tears.
“Jeriel, I’m sorry for not playing with you all this time.”
Lucas also grasped his younger brother’s hand.
Prince Jeriel’s eyes glistened, and he buried his face deeply before breaking into tears.
“Waaahhh!”
Prince Jeriel finally wept like the child he was.
Watching this scene unfold, I exhaled in relief.
“Thank goodness.”
So that no child would suffer as I had, I had wished in my previous life to save the child and reunite him with his family—a desire I had finally fulfilled in this life.
It was truly a moving scene of reconciliation and reunion, but…
“Ahhhhh!”
The moment I saw the window appearing before my eyes, I let out a scream.
First Sin: Hypocrisy
First Trial Result – Leniency

Dislike System consumed through equivalent exchange [4,000]

So much Dislike suddenly disappeared like this.

Current total Dislike [118]

Dammit, eighteen.
I hadn’t been holding back—I’d been recklessly burning through favor actions this whole time.
“What happened while I was swallowed by the Shadow?”
I grabbed Kimihee, the priest who usually held me in contempt, and demanded answers.
“The Admiral, the Saint Man, and the Saint tried to save you and Prince Jeriel. After that, the Saint’s sacred artifact released divine power, and everything worked out somehow.”
It was a characteristically dismissive summary from Kimihee.
‘So the vanished Dislike was the price for amplifying and using Saint Uriana’s divine power. Another unconscious activation.’

“Critical condition. Emergency protocol activated.”

I recalled that emotionless voice I’d heard from within the Abyss.
As I reviewed all the premises, I remembered the auxiliary system I’d used in my past life.
It was a biometric-linked system that provided information through a status window—health conditions, schedules, weather, and more.
When it judged an emergency, it could activate emergency protocols to summon rescue teams or even deliver electrical shocks to the heart.
When I thought about it, the structure wasn’t fundamentally different from the Dislike System that displayed status values.
“Hey, C-Lee. Did you happen to possess me alongside me?”
I asked on the off chance, but there was no response.
‘It’s highly likely that the Dislike System, with its autonomous judgment function, intervened in my critical situation.’
I’m grateful for being saved, but burning through Dislike points right up until the moment of death seemed incredibly inefficient….
Still, fortunately my greatness would remain unknown, and everything would be wrapped up with the exploits of state-level figures.
Just as I was relieved, I saw Logan approaching with an impressed expression.
“Octavia, are you… okay? You tried to save Prince Jeriel? I guess I misunderstood you because of your shabby manner of speech all this time.”
No matter how unaffected you are by the Dislike System, I can’t have you spreading praise like this.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. It was all for money, honor, power, and survival instinct.”
I made excuses in the tone of a cold-blooded schemer consumed by ambition.
Though I tried to display as much Dislike-worthy behavior as possible, the gaze of the Crown Princess, who was cradling the unconscious Prince Jeriel, was far from ordinary.
“Such humility. Even those with abilities fled in panic, yet the courage to step forward with a powerless body deserves commendation. Hear me! Let it be widely known and celebrated that Octavia Ludovisi possesses a spirit of sacrifice and a warm heart.”
No!
I desperately hugged Kelsedny Admiral, the first person I could see in front of me.

Dislike increased [+1,500]

Favor increased [+1,200]

The Admiral’s dislike and the Royal Family’s fervent favor clashed fiercely against each other.
Just then, the Ceremony Hall door creaked open.
“I heard a miracle occurred—someone returned from the Chaos Space!”
“Was it through the ritual led by the Saint, the Saint Man, and Priest Chloe?”
“Someone went into the Chaos Space with them—who was it!”
Realizing the situation had resolved favorably, people waiting outside and journalists began pouring in en masse.
Saint Uriana wiped her tears away with an emotional expression.
“Octavia… without you, it would have been impossible. Only after witnessing your sacrifice did I recognize my mistakes and repent. I was so worried Prince Jeriel would be lonely that I visited him every day to keep him company, didn’t I? Even on that day when I persuaded him to make the right choice….”
She wiped her tears away mournfully while speaking to the journalists.
The curious eyes of the exclusive journalists fixed upon me.
Please, shut up! Don’t spread such heartwarming stories! For me, they’re horror stories!
“The Admiral and the Saints performed a miracle and saved me! I did nothing!”
I desperately tried to insist “She’s the kind one! She’s good!” but I couldn’t stop the exponentially plummeting dislike points. Was this how it felt when stocks you’d invested your entire fortune and borrowed loans for crashed?
‘If I stay here, I’ll die.’
To survive, I had to escape this damned praise prison as quickly as possible.
I didn’t have the confidence to break through the journalists gathered at the entrance.
Admiral Kelsedny looked down at me clinging to him with an expressionless face.
“My mood is poor right now. You’d better let go before I throw you.”
For someone facing imminent death, it was merely a cute threat.
I grabbed his jaw, trying to pry away from him as he clung to me like an octopus.
“I apologize in advance. I find myself in a difficult situation.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and met his gaze.
Within his dark pupils, I could see the golden light surrounding them rippling like waves. His jet-black hair swayed chaotically before stilling.
My lips were touching his cheek.
His chest, pressed against mine, filled with breath before stopping at a certain point.

Dislike Points Increased [+3,000]

I barely managed to slip past the deadline, and I released the tension that had been coiling my shoulders.
The public kiss rendered the surroundings silent as if doused with cold water, but soon flashes erupted from every direction with rapid clicks, and chaos ensued.
“Is the rumor of you two dating true!”
“Since when! How did you meet?”
Amid the excited voices of journalists and the clamorous shutter sounds, I found myself thinking that his cheek, felt against my lips, was unexpectedly soft.
I felt his body stiffen, turning rigid as if petrified.
‘Equivalent exchange and all that nonsense—I know exactly how to use this man for free.’
With my lips still pressed against the Admiral’s face, I whispered low.
“Shall we run away together? Otherwise….”
Then I added, adopting the most pitiful and sorrowful expression of a kitten in distress.
“We announce our marriage right in front of the journalists, then declare our divorce immediately after.”
“What kind of insane nonsense is that.”
My desperate plea to turn him into a divorcé in ten seconds apparently worked, for the man who had been standing rigidly released a held breath and wrapped one arm around my waist.
Snap.
With the sound of fingers snapping, the location changed in the blink of an eye.

***

Thud.
“Oof!”
Thrown defenseless onto the bed, I only realized I was in his room after glancing around.
He had rescued me. I decided to graciously overlook the irreverence of this noble prince, who dared to hurl the body of a lowly commoner.
Strangely enough, he seemed to do whatever was asked of him.
“Ah, I nearly died.”
Still lying down, I tilted my head back and sighed.
Oddly, he wasn’t throwing a tantrum as usual—neither ordering me out of the room nor spouting rude remarks.
Standing before the bed, he clutched his head as if suffering from a headache. He clearly looked exhausted.
‘Did he expend a lot of power rescuing us?’
Since his ability’s core—the supernatural ability core—was damaged, even royalty would naturally face risks.
“Um….”
“If you don’t leave soon, you’ll regret it.”
He spoke in a weakened voice, somehow pleading.
“Can’t I stay here?”
I looked up at him with pitiful eyes.
If I left now, I’d face an enormous barrage of affection and meet an execution ending.
Surely it was time for him to return with some sharp threat, like offering to have me exit through the window instead.
“….”
The Admiral merely bowed his head, covering his face with his hands, and remained silent.
Only the sound of parched breathing, as if barely enduring something, could be heard.
“Perhaps….”
I swallowed hard, asking the question with a mixture of hope and dread.
“Was that your first time as well?”
At my question about his chastity, the Admiral lowered the hand that had covered his face and lifted his gaze.
A shadow fell across me as I lay staring at the ceiling.
He was studying me quietly.
Just as I was wondering what to say, his tightly pressed lips suddenly relaxed and softened.
“Sigh.”
With that exhale, his eyes turned toward the ceiling.
Then his massive frame tilted toward me as if collapsing.
Thud.
“Oh.”
Without thinking, I grabbed his waist.
He trapped me between his arms, supporting his weight on the sheets with both hands.
At a distance where our breaths mingled, his gaze remained fixed on my face.
‘Again?’
No matter how many times I experienced his sudden shifts in demeanor and being thrown onto the bed, I never grew accustomed to it.
Once more, his eyes had transformed into a complete golden hue.
Though his expression was languid and relaxed, the golden brilliance in his eyes was so vivid that he resembled a starving beast that had finally discovered prey.
That man’s eyes… they had lost all reason.
A low, gravelly voice scraped against my cheek with his breath.
“You said you regretted it.”

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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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