Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 22

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

Chapter 22

Unlike me who thought that way, Heinrih firmly denied my opinion.

“I’m sorry, but Princess. Unlike my younger brother, I had been paying great attention to the young lady who might become my future fiancée for quite some time.”

“…Attention?”

I had visited the Imperial Palace even before getting engaged to Maxel. To meet the Emperor and Empress.

I had greeted the princes a few times, but never spent time with them separately. What mattered for the engagement between the Imperial House and Roam wasn’t mutual love or friendship, but solid power.

Naturally, I hadn’t bothered to take note of whoever might become my fiancé at the time. The only person I needed to remember was the single one who would emerge victorious among them.

I felt a bit bewildered. If it was before the engagement, it would have been a time when he should have been busy putting all his energy into becoming Crown Prince, yet during such an important period, he was distracted by a woman?

“I harbored suspicions seeing your back, and became certain upon hearing your voice.”

To the extent that he could recognize me immediately through my back and voice?

“I wasn’t aware you had such great interest in me.”

“Since you were my brother’s fiancée, showing even a speck of interest would have cost me what little life I had managed to preserve.”

That was true. Heinrih had extremely restrained his external activities after the Crown Prince investiture ceremony. Every person he met and every event he attended could be interpreted as treasonous intent depending on how one looked at it.

I had been staring at him in bewilderment, but now I frowned. I understood his circumstances well enough. I understood, but then what was he trying to say by beating around the bush like this?

“Did you arrange this troublesome time to reminisce about old memories? Since you said you have no intention of reporting me, I’d like to get to the point as quickly as possible. I’m rather busy.”

Surely he wouldn’t be angry now about not following proper etiquette.

Despite my somewhat rude pressing, he didn’t lose the smile on his face at all. His gentle voice remained unwavering.

“Your magical tool seems to be of higher grade than mine. Mine doesn’t hide eye color.”

What exactly is he trying to do?

“Did you approach me because you covet my magical tool?”

“Just once…”

Heinrih, who had paused mid-sentence and hesitated briefly, let out a long breath and continued calmly.

“Could you dispel that appearance-changing magic?”

“Now, here?”

Could he be trying to sell me out to preserve his position? Suspicion swelled in an instant.

Regardless of his defeat in the power struggle, Heinrih was still a prince. The Empire’s First Prince.

Unlike the other brothers who were ultimately driven to death, he had preserved his life and position. That meant he possessed at least some capability.

How could I know whether he had received an offer to grant him some territory in the borderlands and bestow a grand duke title if he brought back a revived person?

“I want to see your true appearance. That’s the reason I approached you.”

So that’s it? He wants to see my face? It was so absurd that I laughed.

Is he playing games with me right now?

“Are you filming this?”

“As I said, I have no intention of reporting you.”

“It’s a world where you can’t even trust parents and siblings.”

Perhaps reading the deep distrust in my response, Heinrih smiled bitterly. After lowering his eyes and being lost in thought for a moment, he suddenly pointed to the book in my hand.

“I see that book seems to appeal to you, I’ll make it so you can take it with you.”

“This?”

“Yes.”

Of course it would be nice to take it, but the problem was that I still couldn’t trust him.

And for good reason – he had never shown me even a hint of his feelings before. Whatever the reason, someone who had lived so distantly that we barely knew of each other’s existence suddenly recognizes me and claims he’s had interest in me for a long time – who would easily accept that?

Moreover, he says if I show him my face, he won’t report me and will let me take this book. It’s not charity work, and he’d show such generosity just for seeing my face once?

“Why are you making such an offer?”

“It’s goodwill.”

As if. He and I aren’t in a relationship to exchange goodwill.

“Please just be honest with me. What do you want?”

“I already told you. Your true appearance.”

So I still don’t understand why that has value as ‘compensation.’

It seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling frustrated by the conversation going in circles. After a brief silence, Heinrih swept up his slightly fallen bangs.

“When I heard you had come back to life, I simply couldn’t believe it. The Temple had hidden you so thoroughly that not even a strand of your hair was visible. I wondered if they had perhaps… performed some horrific sorcery with your corpse. So I was here looking for materials that might explain your resurrection.”

To summarize, he wanted to confirm that I had indeed been revived. Not just being certain from the back view or voice he remembered, but wanting to see my face, alive and breathing.

‘I don’t know what difference confirming that would make.’

I glanced at the book I was holding and took a slow deep breath. Then I turned the gem in the center of my necklace to the opposite side.

The smile that had been constantly present on Heinrih’s face as he gazed at me gradually faded away.

And when finally even the tips of my dull red hair turned silver, an exclamation-like murmur escaped from Heinrih’s lips.

“It was real.”

He neither approached me nor moved away. He just stood there, unable to take his eyes off me.

“You really came back to life. By God’s blessing.”

And I found Heinrih’s reaction uncomfortable. Honestly, it was half bewilderment, half absurdity. There had been many who secretly admired me, but I had never even considered Heinrih. Such naive emotions from a member of the Imperial House.

His persistent gaze that showed no intention of looking away was burdensome. When I quickly moved the gem again to change my appearance, Heinrih, who had been staring at me blankly, also came to his senses as if waking from a dream.

“Now that you’ve confirmed it, all your curiosity should be satisfied, right? May I go now?”

“Princess.”

Heinrih lowered his gaze with a bitter expression. His cheeks, which had been slightly flushed while looking at my true appearance, had turned pale. He spoke in a mournful voice with his eyelashes cast down forlornly.

“I want to say I’m sorry.”

Could this have been a trap?

I looked around in surprise, but the office showed no change at all. Of course, the tightly closed door remained the same.

“I’ve wanted to apologize for not being able to help you in time, using the excuse of preserving my own life. I’ve regretted it constantly.”

Ah, that apology. What was I thinking. I thought he was apologizing for selling me out.

While I was calming my startled heart by patting my chest, Heinrih was truly looking down as if seeking forgiveness from me.

Surprisingly, this was the first apology I had received since being revived. And it was from someone completely unrelated, not from those who had betrayed me.

Looking at his shadowed face, I opened my mouth calmly.

“I’m asking because I wonder if I’m not remembering correctly, Your Highness.”

His moist red eyes, as if about to cry, held me in their gaze. Ah, the Imperial bloodline really does have good looks. Only good looks.

“When did I ever ask Your Highness for help?”

“…You never did.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As I smoothly curved my lips upward, Heinrih’s pupils trembled.

“So you’ll understand that there’s no apology for me to receive either.”

I’ve humored him enough at this point.

I passed by him and grabbed the door handle. Heinrih didn’t stop me. He was just watching me with the same forlorn expression.

As I was about to open the door and leave, I suddenly stopped. Even then, Heinrih hadn’t taken his eyes off me.

Looking into those earnest eyes that I had never received even from Maxel, I erased what little smile I had been wearing.

“If I may ask for Your Highness’s goodwill one last time, I’d like to request that we never meet again, even by chance.”

His hurt feelings showed in his red eyes. Being so senselessly infatuated with a woman like this, no wonder you lost the Crown Prince position.

Such an indifferent thought occurred to me, but fortunately it didn’t come out of my mouth.

“I don’t know how this will sound, but you resemble Maxel.”

When Maxel’s name came out of my mouth, Heinrih’s expression stiffened.

“I feel like I might unconsciously hit you.”

Leaving behind Heinrih, who had turned pale and frozen, I finally left the office. I was still bewildered, but since I got the book and wasn’t reported, I could understand this much time being wasted.

I don’t know what it was about, but since the ending was good, let’s consider everything good.

* * *

“This is a library book! Are you resorting to theft now?”

“I received it as a legitimate gift.”

“That’s nonsense…!”

Leaving Jeon anxiously looking out the window, worried that problems might arise, I sat on the bed. I opened the book, but the content wouldn’t register in my mind.

「I’ve wanted to apologize for not being able to help you in time. I’ve regretted it constantly.」

There were times when I desperately wished for someone’s help as I became isolated and felt early death approaching.

When my family abandoned me, when Maxel abandoned me, when my friends left me.

Coughing up blood alone in bed at night, I had such thoughts. If only someone would help me. If only someone would understand my injustice and resentment. Oh, anyone, please.

If Heinrih had extended his hand to me then, would something have been different?

If he had helped me in time as he said. If he had risked his life for me without considering his own precarious position.

If I had received such love before I died, if I had at least witnessed it, I would have….

“Lady Anelli?”

Lost in thought without turning a single page of the book, I suddenly snapped back to attention.

When my eyes met Jeon’s, who was looking at me with a puzzled expression, my consciousness returned from drifting through distant memories.

“Are you alright?”

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