Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 125

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 125

The love I know is anxious and fearful.

It requires constant effort to protect, and you must stay on edge all day to prevent it from being taken away. You must also polish yourself to perfection to be worthy of that love.

That was the love I experienced, and that was the love I learned.

‘So this isn’t love, but rather a kind of… comfort.’

Comfort that I, exhausted by people, gained from discovering my only ally. The desire to lean on someone.

The conclusion I reached after giving up sleep last night was reasonably convincing.

“You look so beautiful today too!”

As I dressed for the final banquet, the maids competed to exclaim in admiration.

Not only had I rested well yesterday, but I had also declared I wouldn’t meet anyone until just before today’s banquet began and lay around lazily, so they seemed to have concluded on their own that they needed to humor me.

After nodding appropriately and leaving the palace, I met Heinrih who had come to greet me, just like on the first day.

The banquet hall wasn’t far, and we had several things to discuss, so we decided to walk while taking a stroll. Thanks to deliberately wearing comfortable shoes, my feet felt at ease.

As we entered the cloister leading to the banquet hall building, Heinrih casually started a conversation.

“You rested, so why does your complexion look even worse?”

“It can’t be worse. You must be seeing things.”

As I stared straight ahead with a serious expression, I felt his puzzled gaze examining me from the side.

“More importantly, how was yesterday’s banquet?”

When I quickly changed the subject, he escorted me while lowering his voice.

“They approached.”

After confirming that the palace servants were keeping an appropriate distance from us, he quietly added a question.

“What on earth did you tell them?”

The ‘them’ Heinrih was referring to was Roam. As expected, Roam had tried to approach using the banquet.

Since I wasn’t doing any outside activities at all, it was only natural for them to use such official occasions.

“I said I was being confined.”

“…They believed that?”

Heinrih muttered in a bewildered voice. He could react that way since he didn’t know Roam’s atmosphere. I nodded nonchalantly.

“If not for that, they wouldn’t be able to interpret why I’m staying put in the Imperial Palace like this.”

Since Roam had no idea about the existence of the key I was trying to find in the Imperial Palace, they would have tried to find other reasons for me.

They might have figured out that I was trying to bring down Lilia or Maxel somehow.

But they would have concluded that my abilities only went that far.

“Don’t they think it’s to protect the Imperial Palace?”

“You know they’re different from any other vassals. They firmly believe that protecting the Imperial Palace can only be achieved through a close relationship between the Royal Court and Roam.”

“What an arrogant notion.”

“Yes, that’s why Your Highness must sweep them all away.”

Since Heinrih had already decided to take down both Maxel and the Emperor simultaneously, it would be better in the long run to replace everyone at once, even if it was difficult.

“There are many who have been suppressed and waiting for opportunities. So filling their empty positions won’t be difficult.”

Heinrih, who had been narrowing his eyes and gauging something internally, glanced at me.

“But really, do you intend to accept the Duke’s invitation?”

“Didn’t you already agree with Father? To quietly extract me.”

Heinrih would want the Reviver to continue staying in the Imperial Palace, so why would he help with the escape?

What convinced Roam, who had such doubts, was Heinrih’s pure love story. The explanation was that Heinrih loved me so much that he decided to act according to my wishes.

Well… it’s not entirely wrong.

“That’s something we already planned together, so I did agree to it.”

Heinrih, who had been hesitating while moving his lips at my words, carefully continued.

“…His Majesty is already choosing the wedding date.”

“For Your Highness and my engagement?”

When I asked back with a chuckle, Heinrih shook his head and replied in a gloomy voice.

“Not engagement, but marriage.”

His voice seemed to contain the embarrassment he was feeling right now.

‘To think he’s working so hard for nothing. His expression will be worth seeing later.’

I bit my lips tightly to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out.

Then I ended up recalling yesterday’s events. And simultaneously, the leisurely smile that had been playing on my lips disappeared in an instant.

I quickly cleared my throat and erased the thoughts in my head.

“Ahem, hmm. So you told Father about that?”

“I did hint at it to the Duke yesterday, but I’m not sure if he’ll rebel against His Majesty as we intend.”

Heinrih furrowed his brow. He seemed to distrust Father.

“Father approaching Your Highness means Roam has made all their decisions. Roam doesn’t move rashly.”

All deliberation and trial and error ends within the family. Since I appeared at the Imperial Palace, Roam would have been constantly watching me and deliberating, holding countless meetings internally.

Father moving meant they had filtered through dozens of plans and reached a single conclusion.

And I was confident that conclusion was what I had intended.

“Oh, about Jeon.”

Then, Heinrih changed the subject.

“…Yes.”

“He suddenly tried to get permission to use magic today, so I connected him to the Magic Department, but do you know what he’s trying to do?”

I turned my gaze away, feeling guilty, and tried to keep my voice calm.

“…Well. I have no idea.”

Since he came to the pavilion early in the morning, I sent him away without even seeing his face – could it be related to that?

“If even you don’t know, it might be personal business.”

Heinrih casually lost interest. And I tried hard to cool down my mind. The banquet hall was approaching just in time.

“…”

Seeing the noise and bright lights of the banquet hall naturally brought to mind the countless people who would be inside. Thanks to that, I was able to quickly regain my composure.

As I repeatedly vowed to maintain my calm internally, Heinrih suddenly asked as if something had occurred to him.

“But before you leave, don’t you plan to destroy Maxel’s Palace?”

“Do you really want to destroy it?”

Or do you have other intentions?

When I glanced at Heinrih by rolling my eyes, he answered in a gentle tone.

“There’s no reason to lie now. It’s always been an eyesore. I was so disappointed when only the roof flew off.”

Fortunately, his sentiment was the same as mine. However, the emotion reflected in Heinrih’s eyes seemed much more intense than mine.

Well, it’s amusing, but I wonder if it’s worth being this persistent…

“The matter in Roam comes first, so I’ll destroy it after that’s finished if I have time.”

“Thank you. If you just let me know the date in advance, I’ll take care of evacuating the palace people.”

Heinrih smiled brightly and thanked me. I stared at him quietly, then calmly looked away.

So this is how terrifying men can be when they hold grudges. I should be careful not to earn Heinrih’s resentment.

‘…Have I already earned his resentment because I rejected his confession?’

I considered asking casually but decided against it. No point stirring up trouble.

* * *

Maxel and Lilia didn’t attend the banquet. Though the Emperor tried to put a good spin on the Crown Prince’s behavior, the real intention was to express dissatisfaction with me.

After being humiliated by Samuel and Jeon on the first day, they would have prepared thoroughly to counterattack somehow on the second day, but when I didn’t attend, their mood was completely twisted.

Whether it was something not agreed upon with the Emperor, even the Emperor’s complexion wasn’t very good as he tried to cover for them.

Eventually, the Emperor left the banquet hall early, and the Empress also declared shortly after that she would leave the guest reception to Heinrih.

As a result, a very good environment was created for Heinrih today as well.

‘It’s comfortable for me too without Maxel and Lilia.’

Before going to the balcony where I was supposed to meet Father, I danced a couple of times out of courtesy.

Once with Heinrih as my partner, and once with Samuel.

Then the nobles, who had only watched nervously on the first day and couldn’t even get a chance on the second day, finally started approaching me cautiously on the third day, but since the ceremonial courtesy display was already more than finished, I mercilessly rejected their dance requests.

After that, I surveyed the banquet hall while gauging the timing to naturally head to the balcony.

‘He’s not here?’

Jeon, who I expected would come running to me as soon as I entered the banquet hall, was nowhere to be seen.

‘…Did something happen at the Magic Tower?’

Or is there another problem? As I thought about him, I suddenly realized that I didn’t know much about Jeon.

At most, what I knew was that his mother had passed away, and he had an older brother who was expelled from the Magic Tower after getting involved in succession disputes?

What I had required of him during our travels were various miscellaneous tasks, and I didn’t need to know his personal information to assign him those duties.

Then from now on….

“Reviver.”

An attendant holding a tray with glasses approached me.

“I’ve brought the wine you ordered.”

I had never asked for wine to be brought. So this was a signal from someone.

I gazed at the bright red wine swirling in the transparent glass cup, then obediently accepted it.

“I should go get some fresh air. If the Crown Prince looks for me, tell him for me.”

“Yes, understood.”

As I moved, there were several people trying to stealthily follow me toward the balcony. However, since I had asked Samuel for help in advance, he took care of it by leading the priests to block their path.

After glancing at the nobles being caught and proselytized by the priests, I entered the balcony.

It was the exact same spot I had entered before to watch the Crown Prince’s Palace being destroyed.

“You haven’t been waiting long, have you? Father.”

When I asked leisurely, Father, who had been standing in the shadows, stepped forward and revealed himself.

Father paused for a moment and slowly looked me over.

“I was very worried when I heard you were confined, but I’m relieved to see you look healthy.”

Unexpectedly, his first words were completely normal greetings asking about my well-being.

I had expected the conversation to continue in a similar manner to Mother’s, so I was flustered, but soon nodded nonchalantly.

“You look healthy too, Father.”

“I was quite surprised when I heard the story from Melonia.”

Bringing up Mother’s story, Father moved his body to a slightly brighter spot. I had expected him to approach ambitiously, but that wasn’t particularly the case.

Rather, he felt somewhat dark, which was strange.

“Do you really miss home?”

“I thought you had already finished all preparations to take me away.”

“To the position of Prisian?”

Father narrowed his eyes.

“Do you really desire that position?”

I almost let out a bitter laugh without thinking.

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