Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 142

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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 142

The Knight Captain? Or… it could be the Butler. Or perhaps the Head Maid.

I narrowed my eyes and quickly speculated about who might have reported this, then soon shrugged my shoulders. It didn’t matter who it was.

After all, I had deliberately acted to provoke such reporting from the employees.

“I was establishing discipline. As you know, Father, the employees’ attitudes have been quite arrogant and presumptuous.”

At my words, Father slowly turned around. He was frowning slightly.

“Since you said you had intentions toward the Young Duke, I thought you would have the sense to conduct yourself appropriately. Did I have excessive expectations?”

Even under Father’s gaze filled with reproach, I answered nonchalantly.

“How could I just watch dogs that dare to act insolently toward their master?”

“If unnecessary discord reaches the Imperial Palace, your position will become quite difficult.”

“If internal discord leaks outside, that’s because of poor internal discipline, so I should establish order even more strictly from now on.”

“Anelli.”

Father’s expression hardened.

“Must I tell you that now is the time to remain quiet?”

Father’s face as he said this looked somewhat frustrated. Probably because resolving the situation was taking longer than expected.

Father likely believed he could quickly wrap up the situation with Heinrih’s help after bringing me out of the Imperial Palace.

Since he didn’t plan to hide me for long, he must have immediately excluded Sister from practical affairs.

I smiled brightly at Father.

“I heard you’ve coordinated with Prince Heinley, but does His Majesty still harbor suspicions about my whereabouts?”

“The Prince has already told His Majesty that you were kidnapped. I also reported that Roam would secretly step in to resolve this to avoid unnecessary trouble for the Temple.”

Despite things proceeding as planned, the fact that I still had to remain hidden meant the other party wasn’t reacting as expected. From what I could tell, Heinrih seemed to be doing well in his role of buying time.

I hid my rising satisfaction and readily nodded.

“Then I’ll stay here and reveal myself at the appropriate time, claiming to have been rescued by Roam.”

As I muttered in a light tone, Father urged me with a strained voice.

“Yes, you must stay quiet. Not cause problems like today.”

“With Sister’s followers scattered everywhere, what use is it for me to stay quiet?”

When I asked with wide eyes, Father frowned.

Though his face showed displeasure toward me, I naturally ignored that emotion and continued speaking.

“What if they can’t control their loyalty to Sister and make some rash report to His Majesty the Emperor?”

“Anelli.”

“Or Sister, having lost her position to me, might harbor resentment and rush to the Imperial Palace. Come to think of it, Sister has been busy going out frequently lately. Do you happen to know the reason?”

When I mentioned Prisian Sister’s outings, Father’s complexion darkened slightly.

Father probably felt something suspicious too. He would know that Sister wasn’t the type to step down quietly.

He was just unable to closely monitor Prisian Sister’s movements while dealing with the aftermath of spiriting me away from the Imperial Palace.

Father spoke with a solemn expression.

“Prisian is not a child who would harm Roam.”

“It feels like you’re saying that I am a child who would harm Roam.”

Father’s eyes trembled slightly.

If I felt that reaction meant affirmation, would that be my own inferiority complex?

“Do you still keep Lilia’s prophecy in your heart?”

A somewhat cold voice flowed from between my lips. Father seemed surprised by my question, raising his eyebrows before returning to an impassive expression.

“I already told you I don’t believe that.”

“…But I wonder if Sister truly doesn’t believe those words either.”

Father swallowed and turned to look toward the training ground again.

It looked exactly like an attempt to avoid the current topic.

Of course, I had no intention of ending the conversation here.

“Father, I’m facing hostility from many people simply for returning to this mansion. Today’s incident was merely the minimum defense I took to protect my safety.”

“You are Roam’s second daughter and the Creator’s Reviver. No one here would be hostile toward you.”

“The Roam’s second daughter they remember is the Empire’s villainess who became dew on the execution ground. Since when has Roam believed in the Creator’s protection?”

A cynical laugh escaped me without realizing it. Father looked back at me with displeasure at my sarcastic words.

Before Father could scold me, I quickly continued speaking.

“I understand that you can’t publicly present me yet. I can wait. So please don’t scold me too harshly for doing a little disciplining while I wait.”

Father didn’t answer. Probably because he acknowledged that the household atmosphere had been poor due to recent events.

Father could probably sternly correct the employees’ attitudes if he stepped in. However, the reason he didn’t do so was because Father already knew that ruling through force couldn’t bring about true submission.

Prisian Sister had earned her retainers’ respect on her own. Father would expect me to conduct myself the same way.

“The person they should serve now is me, not Prisian Sister.”

So I spoke even more leisurely and gently.

“You should think about the future.”

Without appearing impatient. As if I was arranging everything.

Without letting it show that I wasn’t considering this family at all.

* * *

The day the Empress would move had arrived.

The Empress’s maternal family was in a city right next to the Imperial Palace, and since they could travel directly through the Warp Gate, the journey wasn’t long either.

‘Will the Empress really collapse?’

Why on earth was Dura’han involved in this? Was it simply because the Temple defined Dura’han as evil, so they blamed all misfortune on Dura’han?

I paced around the room anxiously, lost in thought.

I was still confined to Roam’s mansion, indirectly grasping the surrounding situation through Dura’han and other beings.

I had kept close surveillance in case Lilia might pull some trick, but she hadn’t particularly left the mansion. She did have conversations with Mother, but they were all efforts to avoid being kicked out of this mansion.

Of course, Lilia had also emphasized her usefulness to me several times.

However, since my attitude wasn’t proactive, she seemed to judge that I was difficult to win over.

“Captain, nothing will happen.”

Palides casually spoke to me.

“Contact will come soon. Let’s distract yourself with other work while waiting.”

Even Samuel suggested I calm down. The fact that even he, who usually acted composed, said such things meant I looked quite anxious.

‘Jeon promised to report periodically with Nadab…’

I tried to calm my mind.

Anyway, I was at Roam’s mansion, and there was nothing else I could do here but wait.

So it would be better to distract myself with other things as Samuel suggested.

“What is Lilia doing?”

At my question, Tristan, who had been perched by the window, fluttered up and answered.

[The last report I heard was that she was embroidering in her room.]

Tristan was taking turns with various insects to monitor Lilia.

Even at this moment, insects that had been lurking in Lilia’s room were busily coming and going to report to Tristan.

“She might be waiting for her prophecy to come true.”

“…Probably so.”

Perhaps because my expression still wasn’t good, Jigol quickly interjected.

[Should I go monitor her? I’ll give her a beating if necessary!]

[Don’t think about causing trouble and stay put.]

[Minte! Minte should go meet Nadab!]

[Nadab still has a long way to go before returning, you idiot.]

Listening to Jigol and Minte’s conversation helped ease the tension somewhat. This kind of noise seemed much better.

I sat down at the desk while listening to their trivial conversation.

There were tasks I needed to handle as the prospective Young Duke piled up on one side, but I didn’t even glance at them and opened a drawer instead.

What I took out was a map. I had taken it out to roughly plan the route in my head for how to move once Roam’s affairs were concluded.

“You can travel in a straight line from the capital to Beladia Valley.”

Samuel, who had checked the map over my shoulder, casually added.

“Before going, I need to find the remaining three knights.”

At my words, Minte hopped up onto the desk.

[They must have all awakened too. Just like how I found you and came to this city, Captain, they must be looking for you as well.]

“Will I be able to meet them as soon as I leave the city?”

[I can’t guarantee it, but they’re definitely somewhere in the vicinity. Since Captain has reclaimed the key to Beladia Castle, their memories have become clearer just as ours have.]

While listening to Minte’s words, I unconsciously looked down at my palm.

It was the hand that had absorbed the key to Beladia Castle. Since there hadn’t been any notable changes afterward, I had forgotten about it, but hearing Minte’s words made my palm feel strangely itchy.

“What kind of people are the remaining knights?”

All the knights I had met so far had strong personalities but were knights who showed complete loyalty to me.

So I vaguely thought that the remaining three would probably be the same, and asked Minte with that assumption.

[They are…]

But for some reason, Minte couldn’t readily speak up.

“Minte?”

As I looked at Minte with confusion, Palides suddenly shouted.

“Captain! The ring is glowing!”

Just as Palides said, I could see the ring sparkling. When I quickly connected the communication, Jeon’s voice came through along with crackling static.

―…Nelly-nim!

“Jeon?”

―This is terrible…!

The moment I felt that the intermittently breaking voice sounded somehow urgent.

Bang!

…With a loud crash, the communication was cut off.

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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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