Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 167

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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 167

Where eyes should normally be, there were only black, sunken holes. Looking closely, there seemed to be some blue moss growing there too.

Though I don’t usually bat an eye at most things, this sight was quite chilling.

“From a distance, you really could mistake it for a person.”

Even Samuel muttered, unable to hide his revulsion.

[She said she suffered a lot because of her appearance. But she’s really not a bad kid!]

Mori spoke as if defending Lusaka. However, to me, Lusaka had already been branded as a wicked monster who betrayed Mori.

“Are you Lusaka?”

No answer came. Instead, as if responding to my question, Lusaka glided toward me.

Her movement cutting through the water was extremely quiet and still. That made it feel even more eerie. Should I say it felt inhuman?

“That thing is approaching.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to deal with it?”

Jeon and Samuel spoke to me one after another. Then Mori looked up at me in alarm.

[N-no! Let me try talking to her properly!]

To my eyes, it was nothing but a suspicious monster, but to Mori, even such a monster seemed pitiable.

In some ways, she was truly the Captain’s one and only successor. I eventually swallowed a sigh and nodded.

“Fine. Give it a try.”

[Thank you, Captain!]

Mori’s voice became noticeably brighter. While our conversation continued, Lusaka had stopped again and was staring blankly in our direction.

Would it be an overactive imagination to say it felt exactly like a wild animal surveying its prey?

[It’s me, remember? We talked every night.]

Mori moved closer to the water. Lusaka responded to that movement by smoothly approaching.

Now they were really close. Mori seemed relieved, thinking the other party was expressing willingness to converse.

[You know, that thing I gave you last time. You still have it, right?]

Lusaka’s head rose a bit more above the water surface. A flat pig nose and tightly pressed blue lips were revealed.

The sight of Lusaka slowly turning her face with water streaming down was horrifying.

[G-give that back. And about that human you attacked…]

Mori’s words didn’t continue. Because Lusaka suddenly burst up from the water surface.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Palides swung his sword, but it only cut through empty air. From beyond Jeon’s barrier, a large black shadow lunged forward.

“Damn!”

The shadow easily pierced through the barrier. And Samuel’s sword couldn’t cut it either.

Feeling the surroundings suddenly darken, I felt dizzy. The ground beneath my feet began sinking as if I were trapped in a swamp.

It was a force that neither magic nor divine power could block. This was.

“Lady Anelli!”

This was divine authority. The Goddess’s divine authority.

* * *

‘What is this…’

When I opened my eyes, I was in a bed.

I slowly sat up after staring at the ceiling for quite a while while lying down.

Surely I had been… just moments before…

I tried to retrace my memories, but somehow my head was hazy as if filled with smoke.

“You’re awake, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“I’ll prepare water for washing.”

‘Your Majesty the Empress?’

The respectful voices of maids reached my ears. Someone carefully drew back the curtains covering the windows. Warm sunlight flooded the bedroom.

“His Majesty headed out to handle state affairs as soon as the sun rose.”

“He said he absolutely must have lunch with Your Majesty the Empress and hurried his steps.”

“It’s almost noon, Your Majesty the Empress.”

The maids led me with gentle whispers. Like a doll, I was washed, changed clothes, and dressed up, when someone presented me with a jewelry box wrapped in red silk.

“His Majesty sent this. He said he hopes you’ll wear it during today’s luncheon.”

“Oh my, His Majesty’s gifts are always the absolute best!”

I looked puzzledly at the giggling maids, then at the jewelry box before me. Inside the wide-open jewelry box was a dazzling diamond necklace.

At that moment, an intense headache struck my head. No one around me noticed as I frowned and gritted my teeth.

“It was made by processing the Former Empress’s belongings into a new design. It took a whole six months!”

The maid who explained in an excited voice urged me to try it on. When I nodded, the maids screamed and put the jewelry around my neck.

“Oh my, today’s Empress is undoubtedly the perfect protagonist!”

Protagonist.

Hearing that word, the fog that had been strangely swirling in my stuffy head began to clear little by little.

…Ah, protagonist.

“Today is Your Majesty the Empress’s birthday! There will be the finest banquet this evening!”

The maids were more excited than I was, saying many people were waiting in the luncheon hall.

One maid held up a hand mirror for me. In the mirror sat me, wearing a shining crown and lavishly adorned.

“Oh my, His Majesty is coming!”

“He must be planning to escort you to the luncheon hall!”

“Goodness, His Majesty’s love is truly amazing and wonderful!”

The maids covered their reddened cheeks with their hands. I quietly watched the maids rejoicing as if it were their own affair, then shook my head.

“It’s fine.”

“Oh my, but…”

“Tell him not to come.”

The maids sighed at my firm words. However, she quickly conveyed my wishes to the Emperor’s attendant.

After the Emperor’s attendant left, I stared blankly into the mirror. This time, I gazed intently at the diamond necklace hanging around my neck.

I caressed the necklace with my fingertips. The sparkling jewels were unrealistically beautiful.

Such a necklace would only suit a protagonist. Not a villainess.

“It’s already time!”

It didn’t feel like I’d rested much.

“You must go to the banquet hall!”

“The banquet hall?”

Didn’t I just wake up? I thought I hadn’t even gone to lunch yet?

The maids who heard my muttering burst into giggles as if it were amusing. Oh my, you already finished everything including dessert and even took a walk with His Majesty!

At someone’s answer, I suddenly felt full. Somehow my soles also felt numb as if I’d walked for a long time.

It was truly an amazing sensation.

“It’s already evening! You need to leave now to arrive on time.”

At the maid’s words, I looked toward the window. I could see outside where sunset light was falling. To block the increasingly cool air, a maid was closing the window.

I slowly got up. The maids said to wait for the Emperor’s escort, but I left the room on my own.

My head was now completely clear, and I began carefully observing everything unfolding around me.

Those I encountered while passing through the long palace corridors all bowed deeply to me without exception.

Their greetings were filled with reverence.

Leaving all those people behind, when I reached the massive Imperial Palace Central Hall, the gatekeeper announced my arrival.

The protagonist of this banquet and mistress of the palace, the most noble woman in the Empire and the Emperor’s companion.

The massive, heavy doors opened slowly, and brilliant chandelier light, cheerful music, and noisy chatter all poured over me at once.

At the front, chairs for the Emperor and Empress were placed on raised steps, and around them, lavishly dressed nobles were waiting for me.

The Emperor, who had been sitting in his chair, stood up upon seeing me.

His broadly smiling face overflowed with love and happiness.

“My Empress.”

He spread both arms to welcome me. The nobles who had filled the banquet hall to capacity to celebrate my birthday gracefully knelt.

I slowly walked down the long central path they had created for me.

The Emperor, as if unable to wait for my slow steps, strode down the stairs and stood before me.

“The most noble companion of mine in this place. I congratulate you on your birthday.”

He extended his hand to me as if requesting an escort. His golden hair, sparkling as if sprinkled with gold dust, flowed smoothly with his head movement.

Those magnificent blue eyes gazed straight at me, capturing my radiant appearance completely.

I smiled faintly and reached my hand toward him.

My hand passed by the hand he was extending toward me and touched his chest.

To the most ornate first button among those he had fastened all the way up to his neck.

“That bastard never buttoned his shirt all the way to the neck in his entire life.”

Crack.

As I gripped the button tightly, the sound of threads tearing rang out.

“…Empress, what are you saying?”

Looking at his flustered face, I smiled even more brilliantly.

“He used to whine like a child, saying it felt stuffy.”

When I yanked it forcefully, the button finally tore off.

The beautiful melody that had been flowing stopped, and every gaze in the banquet hall fixed on me.

Though so many people were in the banquet hall, a heavy silence enveloped us, so quiet that not even breathing could be heard.

“Empress. Don’t you recognize me, the one you love?”

Confusion and doubt filled his blue eyes. Seeing that made me laugh involuntarily.

Naturally, it wasn’t laughter from joy.

I was simply dumbfounded.

“What do you intend to do by stealing a dead woman’s dream?”

I felt a faint vibration from the floor. The floor that had felt solid gradually became soft and squishy, and I felt my legs sinking down.

But I wasn’t surprised. This was merely a crudely crafted illusion crumbling.

Since I had found the pendant that had been disguised and hidden as something ordinary, I didn’t care whether this ridiculous stage collapsed or not.

“If you wanted to put me to sleep, you should have brought a more plausible and interesting dream.”

The deeper my mockery grew, the more the expression on the Emperor’s face disappeared.

“Ah, but there was something I really wanted to try doing.”

Toward the Emperor’s face that had become expressionless, I spat. It was clumsy but I did it quite well.

“Thanks to you, I fulfilled my wish.”

When I gripped the stolen button tightly, it melted into my palm as if being absorbed, just like when I had received the key from Diearis long ago.

After confirming the face where the blue eyes had disappeared, leaving only a darkly sunken space, I turned around. Outside the open banquet hall was so blindingly bright that I couldn’t tell what was there.

However, my steps toward the outside were unhesitating.

A terrible scream echoed behind me. Without looking back, I walked straight out.

It was time to escape from this disgusting dream as quickly as possible.

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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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