Disqualified as a Villainess - Chapter 7

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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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#7.

“I’m so sorry, please forgive me just this once. The debt has been suffocating me, and I had a moment of weakness. Without me, my family might be killed by the Debt Collectors. Please….”
Daisy began pleading, her complexion ashen.
Octavia, her lips curved in a faint smile as she gazed down at the woman, turned to Lothear.
“Lock her away somewhere no one will find. She’s useless, but she has her purpose.”
After all, I had already planned to use her as leverage against Baron Ravishi.
After the servants and Daisy were dragged away,
people dressed in black swiftly erased any evidence that could implicate Octavia and cleaned up the scene.
Fortunately, there appeared to be no witnesses.
Lothear removed his coat and shook it out before speaking.
“I never imagined you would summon me in such an extraordinary manner.”
“You wouldn’t come no matter how many times I called.”
Octavia replied with aristocratic indifference.
I had exploited the manual that mandated immediate response without reporting to superiors whenever the person under one’s protection faced danger or a critical incident occurred.
“Now then, Lothear. Do you know which man I absolutely cannot afford to lose?”
Lothear draped his coat over Octavia’s shoulders as she sat elegantly on the bed in her nightclothes, and answered.
“The pickpocket, perhaps?”
I had intended to seek his expert opinion on the matter of meeting Admiral Kelsedny naturally while appearing foolish, but upon hearing such a characteristically blunt response, I abandoned the idea immediately.
“Miss, I heard you did not return home after attending the Banquet last night. Surely you weren’t arguing with people all night.”
The handsome bespectacled secretary, who seemed well-suited to his profession, maintained his usual composed expression and tone.

Favorability Decreased [+5]

Yet by the numbers, he was undoubtedly reproaching me for whatever fresh disaster I’d caused.
His primary occupation consisted of cleaning up my messes, covering them up, lobbying on my behalf—the usual.
He didn’t hate me, but he didn’t particularly like me either, making him the perfect secretary in every practical sense.
“I didn’t call you here because something needs cleaning up.”
“Then it’s another bout of your pathetic lingering affection for the Prince. I’ll take my leave.”
“No.”
I seized my resolute secretary by the arm and held him in place, then placed a hand against my cheek, arranging my expression into one of bashful revelation.
“I’ve moved on from that… inferior creature. I want a different man now.”
Lothear’s eyes widened as though the heavens themselves had split open.
“So here’s the thing—I need a gift to build my network. As you know, I can’t move freely through the Royal Palace and Temple right now.”
“You mean bribes for the Holy Temple Society executives and the Royal Family. Your target must be of considerable rank.”
True to form, my capable secretary grasped the situation instantly.
“Money works faster and easier than brains.”
In short: the price of friendship.
I was planning to construct a cold, transactional relationship devoid of genuine affection or loyalty—pure calculation.
The fourth-ranking Princess’s birthday was approaching soon; if I won her favor with a gift, I had a strong chance of obtaining unrestricted access to the palace.
“I heard a decent item came up at auction. Even though funding dried up, surely there’s still budget left this month?”
“You mean the Radiant Stone? I’m afraid the budget is insufficient. You’ve already exceeded the allocated amount. You did crash into five nobles’ carriages and paid for all the repairs, after all.”
It wasn’t intentional.
I’d only ever driven on autonomous mode; I simply hadn’t adapted to manual operation yet.
“Then what can I afford?”
Lothear withdrew his ledger, flipped it open, then snapped it shut again.
“Only last year’s calendar, I’m afraid.”
He was suggesting that I had become a complete pauper.
I snapped out of my daze and quickly regained my composure, launching into negotiation.
“Lothear, do you have any money? I’ll pay you back with interest later. And I’ve been planning a personal venture—the profits would be split eighty-twenty.”
“That won’t do.”
“Why? Explain it logically.”
“You won’t repay it.”
He adjusted his glasses and spoke with an expression of perfect logic.
‘Even my critical-thinking subordinate doesn’t trust me. Is this really acceptable?’
Deciding I’d made my case sufficiently, I continued.
“Based on everything we’ve discussed, convey to Father—clearly yet with emotional appeal—that I’m genuinely remorseful, harbor no lingering feelings for the Prince, and am committed to improvement.”
Lothear withdrew his ledger and began writing. The scratching sound ended quickly, suggesting it was more for show, but I had no choice but to trust him.
“And absolutely don’t tell Father about the miserable, tragic ordeal I endured today. I don’t want to worry him.”
“Of course. I’ll present it as heart-wrenching melodrama that’s difficult to hear without tears.”
My secretary—whose instincts and work ethic were impeccable—nodded and closed his ledger.
If I’d done this much, even Father, who’d declared he never wanted to see my face again, might soften his heart somewhat.
“One more thing.”
I smiled brightly.
“I have a scoop for the press. A scandal involving Admiral Kelsedny….”
“I’d rather not touch the Imperial Royal Family and end up dead from sudden illness.”
Without waiting to hear her out, the secretary refused firmly, and she leaned in close to add her next words.
“The target is me.”
He stared at Octavia with an expression of utter bewilderment before slowly lowering his gaze.
“Is this to become a topic of high society and cultivate connections with the Royal Family?”
That was part of it, but behind the scenes, negative public opinion would certainly take root.
A scandal between a noble Imperial Prince and a commoner—the arrows of criticism would inevitably rain down on the one perceived as overstepping their station. At this rate, I could establish an unstoppable reputation-destroying enterprise.
“Indeed, a perceptive man is refreshing.”
“Please refrain from such troublesome remarks… How do you intend to handle the aftermath?”
“What aftermath?”
“Even if it goes out as mere speculation, the risk of false reporting is considerable. The responsibility would fall on our shoulders.”
“No—make it definitive reporting.”
Watching his puzzled expression, Octavia crossed her arms and lifted her chin.
“It’s the reason I stayed out the night of the banquet.”
In that instant, Lothear’s expressionless face drained of all color.
Thud.
The notebook clutched in his hand slipped free and fell to the floor.
“Why is that actually true?”
He asked in a tone that suggested he simply could not believe it.
This was a catastrophe of such magnitude that the Ludovisi Representative would have no choice but to summon his daughter.

***

The following morning, at Admiral Kelsedny’s Residence.
Serkan, as always, maintained his composed demeanor while delivering his report to the Admiral.
“And regarding the investigation you ordered concerning Octavia Ludovisi….”
The Admiral, who had been half-listening while fiddling with a Rubik’s cube, lifted his gaze slightly.
“There was an intrusion by an unknown assailant last night, but she managed to escape the crisis by immediately summoning her attendant secretaries. Based on this, it appears she has not completely severed ties with her family.”
Click.
The Admiral made no response, continuing to manipulate the cube. It rotated between his long, gloved fingers, shifting colors with each movement.
Serkan added what he considered the most important detail.
“Fortunately, she is unharmed.”
“And?”
Serkan found himself uncertain what else warranted mention.
Should he perhaps recount her ideal type, today’s astrological fortune ranking, or her birth flower?
The Admiral, observing his aide’s grave silence, pressed further.
“Has any unusual ability or transformation manifested recently?”
“No supernatural abilities whatsoever, though there is something noteworthy….”
Serkan trailed off, rifling through documents as he continued.
“Her spending patterns have changed. She has begun purchasing not luxuries, but flasks, chemical reagents, thermometers, and texts on magical dynamics.”
“That holds no interest for me.”
It was like a game of twenty questions.
Serkan desperately racked his mind for an answer the Admiral might wish to hear.
At that moment, a knock sounded, and another aide entered, saluting.
“Sir, there appears to be something requiring your immediate attention.”
The aide carefully placed a newspaper upon the desk and withdrew.
The Admiral’s indifferent eyes, which had been toying with the cube, shifted toward the paper.

「Great Empire Prince and Commoner Daughter of Financial Powerhouse Family—Scandal of Historic Proportions!」

Upon reading the headline, the faint clicking of the cube ceased abruptly.

「On the night of the Royal Palace Victory Banquet, a clandestine encounter between the daughter of a renowned entrepreneur who rose from commoner origins and the Empire’s Prince, who had just returned from concluding the naval campaign.
Witnesses report that the two departed the Banquet Hall at staggered intervals, and the following morning, the entrepreneur’s daughter was observed leaving the Prince’s Quarters…」

Serkan glanced at the article with curiosity, his eyes widening in surprise.
Even on the train ride, the story remained the same—Admiral Kelsedny and Octavia Ludovisi.
“Your Excellency, I shall swiftly contain this before the rumors spread further. We must summarily execute the journalist who dared publish baseless falsehoods about the Royal Family and dismiss those responsible at the editorial level….”
“It’s all factual.”
“Pardon?”
At the Admiral’s terse reply, Serkan stiffened visibly.
In truth, there wasn’t a single inaccuracy in the article.
It was true that she had left the Banquet Hall early, and though the reason remained unclear, it was equally true that she had been in his Quarters and departed the following morning.
“Then, that means….”
The officer couldn’t conceal his bewilderment.
Had he ordered the investigation out of genuine romantic interest in her?
Of course, it wasn’t ordinary masculine sentiment, but even the Royal Family possessed preferences and possessiveness.
‘I had no idea he was asking me to investigate her favorite jewels and flowers—and here I was conducting actual civilian surveillance.’
He had never imagined that the first person his superior showed interest in would be the woman called the Kingdom’s greatest evil and the standard of beauty itself.
“When Your Excellency inquired about Lady Octavia’s particular changes, you were curious whether she had fallen for the Admiral….”
“That is not it.”
The Admiral shook his head firmly, his hands clasped together on the desk.
“A commoner facing the Royal Family would likely perish, unable to withstand an Apostle’s power.”
“By ‘facing,’ do you mean in combat, sir?”
At Serkan’s innocent question, Admiral Kelsedny’s eyes narrowed with displeasure.
“Are you suggesting I’m the sort of man who summons an ordinary woman to his chamber in the dead of night to spar with her?”
Serkan, belatedly realizing how simplistic his remark had been, stared at the Admiral with his mouth slightly agape.
‘Surely not… but did he actually…?’
The Admiral’s order had apparently meant to observe whether Octavia would survive or perish.
The Admiral exhaled a deep sigh, his expression reluctant.
‘I suppose I’ll need to meet her directly.’

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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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