Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 4
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 4
“Did you properly arrest the necromancer you went to catch, and are you here now?”
“Excellent Holy Knights are tracking him.”
So he hastily returned even though his mission wasn’t finished.
“You’re saying you returned while leaving a dangerous criminal still loose in the world. Because I left the Temple?”
“I always stand where the Divine commands and fulfill my assigned duties.”
“But because you’re standing here, innocent victims might increase?”
“The Holy Knights pursuing the criminal are outstanding individuals who will surely annihilate evil. You need not worry.”
I fell silent for a moment. When I stopped speaking, Samuel also quietly closed his mouth and stared at me.
Ever since opening the door, Samuel’s posture facing me remained unchanged from the beginning, without any slackening. Just from his upright stance, I could tell.
This man would be terribly patient and stubborn.
He who had been standing ready for an endless staring contest suddenly showed movement. Slowly lowering his gaze, he explained quietly.
“As I mentioned, the Temple understands that the Resurrected One needs time to adapt. I came only to protect your safety, with no other intentions.”
Just hearing the words, I couldn’t be more grateful. Samuel’s emotionless tone also seemed to support those words.
I smiled slightly and took a step back.
“As you say, I need time to think. However, I have no intention of letting you inside, so handle it yourself.”
Bang.
No footsteps could be heard beyond the mercilessly closed door. He seemed intent on continuing to guard outside the door. I glared at the closed door and took a deep breath.
Other Holy Knights can catch the necromancer, but other Holy Knights can’t catch me, so he came here. That meant only that man could track me down.
The reason it had to be him…
I fumbled around my neck. My fingertips caught the appearance-changing magical device. This is a Temple treasure, and that man has very outstanding divine power.
And just before, where his gaze swept was my nape. Then isn’t it all too obvious?
I let out a deflated sigh. Right, I was a bit careless. There’s no way they would have left a Temple treasure lying around carelessly. But now that I know the cause, I won’t make the same mistake twice.
Knowing the cause put my mind at ease. As tension released, deep fatigue belatedly washed over me. I stretched fully and headed toward the bed.
Physical condition management is essential for escaping, so shall I sleep for now?
Samuel still seemed to be standing outside, but well, that’s none of my business.
* * *
“We’re truly sorry, Princess…”
The Imperial Palace servants couldn’t lift their heads. That was natural. Though merely a fiancée, I was practically no different from the Crown Princess.
Everyone in the Imperial Palace served me as a member of the Imperial House. Except for one person—my fiancé Maxel.
“His Highness had urgent business, so unavoidably…”
The servant sweated profusely while listing the reasons why Maxel was canceling his appointment with me. Plausible words about international affairs, Temple envoys, and such.
However, I was a child of Roam, born to become Empress. All my learning was for surviving in this Imperial Palace, so Maxel’s transgressions couldn’t escape my notice either.
They said that because I would be Empress, there might come moments when I’d have to pretend not to know about my husband’s transgressions. Such teachings certainly existed.
If I had been in a slightly more relaxed state, I might have faithfully executed what I learned without forgetting. But that day, I couldn’t. That day…
Even on my birthday, watching him play around with another woman—and a daughter of a fallen house at that—was truly difficult to bear.
It was when mockery began circulating in social circles that the second daughter of Roam was being neglected by the Crown Prince, and when Lilia’s extraordinary affinity and kindness were beginning to stand out.
“Since His Highness seems to have forgotten, go and convey my appointment to him. In a voice loud enough for everyone present to hear.”
I smiled while refusing the servant’s suggestion to return.
“Whoever is there with him, they all must hear your voice. Understand?”
The servant conveyed my words to Maxel, who was with Lilia, as I requested. Clearly enough for Lilia, who was beside him, to hear.
That day, I sat in the empty Prince’s Palace reception room for half a day before returning. Father scolded me for clinging without pride when I could become Crown Princess just by staying still, and my sister clicked her tongue and turned away.
Mother sighed and closed her mouth, while my younger brother stood behind such a mother, fidgeting and reading the mood.
What truly hurt my pride were exactly those things. Those things.
The next day, I went to a party Lilia attended and poured wine over her head. Then, as if it were natural, I slapped Maxel who was standing beside Lilia.
Everyone saw that spectacle, was shocked, and from that day my infamy truly ignited.
Having laid hands on royalty, I should have been executed immediately, but my status as fiancée and the previous day’s circumstances were taken into consideration. His Majesty pardoned my crime with three months of house arrest.
“You should have just executed me then.”
If it had been then, wouldn’t I not have been resurrected?
Having such idle thoughts, I sat up. Though I tossed and turned several times due to the terrible bed, thanks to sleeping for a few hours anyway, I felt less fatigued.
Pressing firmly on my throbbing forehead while sitting on the edge of the bed, my mind, which hadn’t been working properly from just waking up, gradually became organized.
I thought it strange to have idle thoughts as soon as I opened my eyes, but I had a trashy dream during the brief sleep last night. For Maxel to appear.
“What an inauspicious start to the morning.”
Muttering irritably, I thoughtlessly flung open the door to ask for washing water. Then I stopped short at the massive figure in front of the door.
“You woke early.”
Ah, this man was here, right.
“So you’re, what was it, Samuel Bent?”
Since I wasn’t conscious of it, an irritated tone slipped out. Samuel nodded without any particular change in expression.
“Yes, thank you for remembering.”
“Were you standing like this all night?”
“As I mentioned, it’s to protect the Resurrected One’s safety. Please don’t mind it.”
I don’t really like persistent men.
Crossing my arms and leaning crookedly against the doorframe, I replied cynically.
“I’m about to wash now, so I can’t help but mind it. I’m too timid to comfortably undress with a man stationed beyond the door.”
“You need not worry.”
“Would that be as easy as you make it sound?”
When I replied irritably, Samuel hesitated. Frowning slightly, he declared without a moment’s hesitation.
“Even if the Resurrected One were standing naked, you could not arouse any interest in me.”
Oh ho. Look at this bastard?
The pride and stubbornness faintly glimpsed in his gray eyes made me guess at his temperament.
Right, so he’s not a docile personality? If other young ladies had heard such words, they might have wailed in shame or fled the scene. At the very least, they might have been intimidated.
“What a fortunate confession. Then I’ll undress with peace of mind.”
But what to do? I’m not like that.
“I’ll keep your guarantee in mind, and if I get hot while washing, I’ll trust you and open the door.”
Replying indifferently, I turned around without listening to his response. I seemed to feel his gaze on my back.
Ha, this has become troublesome. How can I shake him off to buy as much time as possible?
Confirming the door was closed, I dragged my feet back to the bed. Then I flopped down carelessly and buried my face in the blanket while pondering.
That I couldn’t arouse interest even naked?
As that insufferably arrogant voice came to mind, my fists clenched automatically.
“…”
I bolted up and opened the door again, and Samuel, standing in the same position as before, looked at me.
Passing by him to find an inn employee, I stubbornly had them prepare bath water from the early morning breeze.
In the largest bathtub, earnestly requesting they fill it completely with water.
* * *
Even though I deliberately made water sounds while washing, Samuel didn’t budge from outside the door. What a stubborn bastard.
They say the first thing Servants of the Divine cultivate when entering the Temple is patience, and those words were completely accurate.
Thanks to that, I unexpectedly took a bath and wasted morning time despite waking early.
If Samuel intended such pointless delay, he had succeeded brilliantly.
“I’ll escort you appropriately, so don’t mind me and go about your business.”
Even after finishing all preparations to go out, Samuel graciously suggested to me as I hesitated to leave the room.
“How do you know what I’ll do?”
“It doesn’t matter what you do.”
“Right. Since you’re someone who wouldn’t be interested even if I bathed right next to you, you wouldn’t care at all what I do.”
Is the reason Samuel’s words don’t sound pleasant because my nature is twisted?
“Correct. It seems proven by this morning’s events, which is fortunate.”
I’m starting to get confused whether he’s responding to the surface words or countering the sarcastic undertone.
At this rate, I might waste precious time absorbed in another pointless war of words.
I left the lodging for now. Samuel followed while keeping distance from me.
Thanks to my mind calming while walking, I rationally retraced the current situation.
And I finally reached the conclusion that tolerating him for now would be better. Upon consideration, keeping that one by my side would be more beneficial.
This city is a place where thousands of pilgrims and tourists come and go each day, so no matter what excuses they make, they can’t keep it sealed for long.
The longer it’s delayed, the more protests will pour in, and then they’ll have no choice but to reveal the real reason for the blockade.
Naturally, the Temple, not wanting that to happen, would have summoned Samuel to secure my custody as quickly as possible.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————