Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 159
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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 159
Father narrowed his eyes and stared at me.
“Are you saying you can solve this problem?”
“It’s a monster attack. Do you think I, as a Reviver, wouldn’t be able to handle it?”
Father didn’t answer.
And through that reaction, I could tell that Father didn’t trust the ‘divine power’ bestowed upon me in the slightest.
Even though I had been revived after my head was severed and reattached.
It was a kind of habit. Anyone from Roam was like this. The habit of trying to find comprehensible interests in all relationships and phenomena somehow.
Father asked.
“Come to think of it, you also dealt with the Dura’han in the Imperial Palace. Have you gained powerful strength?”
“If I had such power, it would have shown long ago. This is simply an inexplicable ‘divinity.'”
If I had powerful strength, there would have been no reason to suffer while being chased by pursuit teams.
Father would be thinking that way. That if I had power, I wouldn’t be swayed by the Imperial House or Roam like this.
The symbolism of being a Reviver was all I had, and Roam could sufficiently wield and utilize that much. Naturally, the inexplicable and unrealistic ‘divinity’ wouldn’t be part of that calculation.
I had no intention of resolving Father’s doubts. So I changed the subject with a nonchalant tone.
“You don’t mean for me to go and just put on some plausible act and come back, do you?”
“…”
That was probably what he meant.
Father, who had been silent with an ambiguous expression, spoke in a softened voice.
“It’s because I’m still not used to you being the Creator’s Reviver.”
Father saying that seemed to regard me as a stranger.
Father’s appearance of being bewildered by my existence was amusing. To think that Father, who always felt like a wall, would show such confusion.
Pretending not to notice Father’s emotions, I turned my gaze and said.
“Fortunately, there are mages from the Magic Tower staying at the Imperial Palace, so I can seek their help. Since this attack is suspected to be magic, won’t they cooperate actively to clear their suspicions?”
In the old days, the Magic Tower might have ignored this matter. Or like Dekin’s case before, they might have drawn a line saying it was someone’s individual transgression and withdrawn.
But this time, Jeon would step forward. He had told me that I could receive the ‘Magic Tower’s guarantee.’
I didn’t think Jeon would have made an uncertain promise.
I continued speaking.
“Since things have come to this, I want to do it thoroughly. As someone who will become the Young Duke of Roam, I can’t leave behind suspicions that I might be a fraud.”
“I’m pleased that you properly understand the position of Young Duke.”
Hearing Father’s dry praise, I smiled slightly.
“Of course. Although I’m not in the position of having studied as an heir for long like my sister, I too have lived long as a direct descendant of Roam.”
So isn’t it natural for me?
“I know all too well.”
What would bring shame to this family.
* * *
The Reviver, who had been secluded for a while, showed herself again.
The ignorant citizens of the Empire thought that just as she had saved the Imperial Palace, this time she had appeared to subjugate the monsters of the Lindea River.
However, among the nobles, rumors secretly spread that the Reviver had been kidnapped by someone and barely escaped.
They said that if the monster attack incident hadn’t occurred, she would have been imprisoned somewhere forever, and they secretly picked and listed among themselves the families that would covet the Reviver.
The first was undoubtedly Roam. The place that had the audacity to steal the Reviver from the Imperial Palace and was most desperate to bring the Reviver into their family.
As if to lend strength to their speculation, the Duke of Roam announced that the Reviver was staying at Roam.
The Duke expressed it euphemistically as having an opportunity to care for his own daughter, but no one took those words at face value.
“Caring for his own daughter. ‘That’ Roam?”
“Even a passing dog would laugh at that.”
The noble ladies giggled, and the family heads remained silent.
It was even more so because news of Presian’s marriage, as if fleeing in the night, had also become known.
“My, there’s never a peaceful day.”
“They say it’s a proud noble family, but I don’t particularly want to be on the same level.”
The nobles mocked familiarly. Just as they always had. It was what they did best and what they quite enjoyed.
The family that had never once been the subject of ridicule began to be seriously talked about on people’s lips.
* * *
Father had audiences with the Emperor two or three more times to discuss matters regarding my personal safety.
Whether there were some conflicts of opinion in the process, Father’s face was full of fatigue each time he returned from the Imperial Palace.
The returning Father also had long conversations with Mother, and there too he went through an unsmooth process and finished the conversation with an uncomfortable expression.
Minte, who had sat on the lush tree branches hanging outside the library window and listened to Father and Mother’s argument, relayed their conversation to me without missing a single detail.
‘Has Mother decided to push Seiri as Young Duke?’
It was a conflict of opinion between Father, who wanted to put me forward as Young Duke, and Mother, who wanted to keep me simply as a member of Roam.
I couldn’t be certain whether Mother had decided to accept Lilia’s proposal. However, at least regarding the matter of smoothly elevating me to Young Duke, it was right to see that she had changed her mind.
There would be various causes. The rumors currently circulating in high society would be one of them.
‘In any case, she wants to show that Roam is too noble to be obsessed with something like a Reviver, is that it?’
It seemed she wanted to show that they weren’t desperate enough to even commit kidnapping to bring the Reviver into the family.
“Second Miss, it’s time to depart.”
A careful call reached my ears as I was lost in thought.
Having already finished preparing to go out, I calmly stood up.
Today was the day I would show myself before the Emperor again.
And… it was also the day to meet with the Magic Tower personnel who would guarantee that the Lindea River attack was the work of monsters.
“To think the day would come when the Magic Tower vouches for a Knight’s words.”
Letting Father’s words, mixed with subtle emotions, go in one ear and out the other, I turned my gaze outside the carriage.
Since I had never officially gone to see the monsters, I couldn’t receive the guarantee. Instead, Samuel had agreed to step forward.
So he had left the Roam Estate early a few days ago. Since he was originally a guard we had accepted with the plan to send him away once he felt stable within the family, it wasn’t difficult to send him back out.
「Will you be alright?」
Right after I said I would send him away, he asked that.
Though his facial expressions usually didn’t change much, that time his face was unusually full of worry.
「If you do your part at the Imperial Palace, I’ll be fine.」
「But this place is…」
「Sir, you can’t continue staying here forever while hiding your identity.」
Palides didn’t matter since he had no connections with any human on this earth, but Samuel was a publicly known person.
Even if it was fine for now since I was secluded at the Roam Estate, once I showed myself before people again, surely some faithful person would recognize Samuel’s voice or build.
Fortunately, Samuel didn’t seem inclined to argue with me at length.
「I’ll see you at the Imperial Palace.」
It was fortunate that he didn’t insist. If he had shown another unreasonable stubbornness, I would have had trouble finding an excuse to remove him.
I said to Father.
“Once I receive the Magic Tower’s guarantee, I intend to go to the Lindea River immediately.”
“…Will you be alright without knights?”
“It’s better to go quietly. If I rashly lead troops and stimulate the monsters, causing a bigger commotion, that would be terrible, wouldn’t it?”
What Father wanted from me was to elevate Roam’s prestige, not to get involved in unnecessary disturbances.
“I’ll assign a few Roam knights as guards.”
I was about to decline saying it was fine, but soon gave up. If I refused even this, there was room for it to look suspicious.
Glancing at Father, who took my silence as agreement, I shifted my gaze a little more.
In the carriage, besides me, were Mother, Lilia, and Seiri. Lilia, who hadn’t come out of her room for several days, looked thoroughly haggard as if to prove she had been ill.
Seeing her insist on going to the Imperial Palace together in such a state, Preshi’s death must have been quite a shock to her.
Did she sense my gaze? Lilia turned her head. Meeting my eyes, she opened her mouth with a slightly hoarse voice.
“Do you really think there will be monsters at the Lindea River?”
Lilia would know that Preshi died while following me.
I answered while pulling up the corner of my mouth crookedly.
“Yes. Because there were others who suffered at the hands of monsters even after Her Majesty the Empress was attacked.”
“Those people… you think they were attacked by monsters?”
“Of course, the investigation results say they were different from the monsters that attacked Her Majesty the Empress. But they’re monsters nonetheless.”
Staring intently at Lilia’s pale face, I said nonchalantly.
“Who knows. Maybe a real Dura’han actually appeared.”
My words probably sounded sarcastic.
Father pressed his forehead and clicked his tongue briefly.
“The Temple made a useless announcement.”
The Temple’s announcement had thrown the Empire’s citizens into anxiety, which soon led to fanatical praise toward the Reviver.
My value as one who was revived to stop the rampant evil had skyrocketed. This meant I could act even more freely than I do now.
It also meant that Mother would view such behavior of mine with displeasure.
‘Return what belongs to Roam to Roam?’
If I grew too large for Roam to handle, would they really be able to say they’d take me back as Roam’s own?
A jewel too expensive to afford would only bring disaster if one tried to possess it by force.
Would my proud Mother really want me if she couldn’t control me as she wished?
I glanced at Seiri, who was sitting close beside Mother, only rolling her eyes around.
‘Especially when there’s a perfect last resort that suits her taste exactly.’
Even if she wouldn’t want to send me outside of Roam, she probably wouldn’t particularly want to establish me as the young duke either.
Thinking this, I lowered my head.
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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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