Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 91
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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 91
More important than how or why I was revived would be my symbolic significance. What they want are all the benefits they’ll gain from having me stay by their side.
So they can smile brightly and spout pleasant words even while keeping a monster like me around.
It was ridiculous. The ghost who clung to me begging for rest felt much more pure than these tiresome Imperial Palace people.
“Have you forgotten why you pushed me to the execution platform? It was because I beat your beloved fiancée to the point of fainting.”
Back then you glared at me with disgusted eyes, but what’s this now?
I suppressed my urge to immediately pour out criticism because of a new figure that caught my eye.
“If you keep me here, how heartbroken will that fiancée be?”
I raised my voice in a dry tone while wearing an openly mocking smile.
“Or is mistreating your fiancée your preference?”
“Anelli, I never mistreated you.”
“Who said I was talking about myself? I mean your current fiancée.”
Maxel was paying more attention to my words than ever before. So he failed to notice the presence behind him.
I cast my gaze casually over Maxel’s shoulder and deepened my smile slightly. I was truly pleased by the visitor to the Prince’s Palace who appeared at such perfect timing.
Fortunately, she also recognized me and froze in place. Good thing Lilia recognized me at a glance.
“I heard while wandering here and there. That you miss me?”
When I deliberately spoke in an even clearer voice, Lilia turned her wide eyes toward Maxel.
“What?”
“How long has it been since you took a new fiancée, yet you show lingering feelings for your former fiancée?”
Behind Maxel, I could see Lilia’s face turn pale. Not only Lilia but several maids attending to her were with her, and judging by their expressions, they had clearly heard my words.
“…”
Lilia didn’t call out to Maxel. Instead, she bit her lips tightly and glared at Maxel’s back. She probably wanted to see Maxel deny it.
I was somewhat satisfied since I had scratched at both Lilia’s and Maxel’s insides as I had hoped.
I was about to completely ignore Maxel whether he denied it or not, when he suddenly approached me.
“If I said I missed you, would you stay?”
What the hell is this crazy bastard saying right now?
I looked at Maxel in disbelief, when behind him, pale-faced Lilia shouted sharply.
“Your Highness!”
Maxel, who had been so focused on me that he didn’t even know someone had come behind him, finally snapped to attention. Maxel visibly panicked upon discovering Lilia trembling with clenched fists.
“Lilia?”
“Your Highness, what on earth is going on? Why is Elder Sister here? And what did you just say?”
“That’s…”
Flustered Maxel couldn’t answer immediately and fumbled. At his attitude, Lilia’s eyebrows shot up.
“You missed her? So what the village chief in Riddle told me was true? You clearly said it wasn’t back then!”
Oh, so the village chief of Riddle confirmed the truth of my words with the person involved. I thought that village chief wasn’t in his right mind, but I didn’t expect him to so blatantly upset Lilia.
At Lilia’s reaction, Maxel urgently tried to appease her.
“Lilia, I think you’re misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? I just heard what Your Highness said!”
“There’s a reason for that.”
Lilia’s large, beautiful green eyes began to moisten. Those were tears I had once seen to the point of being sick of them.
When tears formed in those eyes, no one could pretend not to notice. Except for me.
‘Seeing how she immediately starts squeezing out tears, it still works well on people, doesn’t it?’
Just as Lilia was about to burst into delicate sobs in earnest, new footstep sounds echoed in the corridor. Mine, Maxel’s, and Lilia’s gazes simultaneously followed that sound.
The owner of the quick footsteps revealed himself at the end of the corridor. Looking around, he walked almost running toward me as if he couldn’t see Maxel and Lilia.
Color returned to his face as he approached.
“So you were here!”
“I greet the First Prince.”
Heinrih, who was probably about to call my name, finally regained his senses at my distant greeting. After hesitating briefly, he nodded with a calm tone.
“I’m pleased to meet you like this, Princess.”
“What brings Elder Brother all the way here?”
Maxel, who had been looking at Heinrih with bewildered eyes, asked in a sensitive tone. Heinrih, who had been ignoring Maxel and Lilia until then, reluctantly turned to look at them.
“His Majesty commanded me to escort the Princess.”
“What are you talking about? Anelli is mine to…”
“Initially, he commanded so, but he worried that since you don’t have a particularly good relationship, the Princess might feel uncomfortable. He was also concerned about putting your fiancée in an awkward position.”
Heinrih calmly looked between Maxel and Lilia and added politely.
“Indeed, His Majesty’s insight is remarkable.”
He slightly raised the corners of his mouth and extended his hand to me.
“Princess. If it’s alright, I’d like to guide you.”
“It would be an honor.”
I smiled radiantly as if to show off and placed my hand on Heinrih’s. Glancing sideways at Maxel, he stood there stiffly with a hardened face.
Right beside him, Lilia with tears welling up was clinging to his arm.
Even without Lilia, Maxel wouldn’t be able to stop this. He would have easily noticed that Heinrih wasn’t lying right now.
Heinrih was in a position where he couldn’t move even the smallest action according to his own will. At least within the Imperial Palace, he couldn’t falsely claim an imperial command in front of the Crown Prince.
So it must be true that the Emperor entrusted my reception to Heinrih.
“I’ll quickly clear the area, so have a good time with your fiancée.”
Heinrih smiled at Maxel and turned around while escorting me. I gladly turned as he led.
As we passed by the two people, I felt Lilia’s green eyes particularly persistently examining my face. She seemed to want to find something in me.
Though I don’t know what.
We left the Prince’s Palace. Only when we finally reached a proper guest room did my heart calm down. Once we were alone, Heinrih lowered his voice and asked urgently.
“How did this happen, Anelli? How did you end up coming to the Imperial Palace?”
It was hard to believe this was the same person who had acted so leisurely earlier. Looking at him now, even his attire wasn’t neat. It seemed he had rushed over upon hearing the sudden news of my appearance at the Imperial Palace.
I coughed awkwardly and averted my gaze diagonally.
“It’s a long story.”
“Do you know how worried I was when contact suddenly cut off?”
Oh right, come to think of it, I had forgotten to contact Heinrih when the magic device returned to normal.
“Ah, I’m sorry about that. That’s also a long story.”
Even at this moment, this was the Imperial Palace where there might be listening ears anywhere. It wasn’t an appropriate space to lay out all the detailed circumstances. At my answer, Heinrih closed his mouth with a frustrated expression.
“But how did you end up being assigned to watch over me?”
For the Emperor to change his mind before even a few hours had passed. He must have intended to publicly showcase the connection between the Crown Prince and the Reviver by entrusting me to Maxel.
At my question, Heinrih hesitated. He furrowed his brow as if he had heard a difficult question and answered slowly.
“As soon as I heard the news that you had suddenly appeared at the Imperial Palace, I went to see Father. …I knelt for the first time in a very long while.”
He explained that he had persuaded the Emperor by bringing up my notorious past reputation, arguing that entrusting me to Maxel would instead fuel resentment.
Along with the words that since such an opportunity would never come again, it would be better not to create any possibility for problems.
What surprised me was that the Emperor had accepted Heinrih’s persuasion. Even though he had knelt down.
That made sense, since the decision to keep me here was entirely based on considering the ‘influence of the Reviver.’
If Heinrih and I appeared to become close, it could actually be bad for Maxel, who is the Crown Prince.
The fact that Heinrih had previously handled Maxel’s schedule in his place too… it felt like an ominous sign.
“A maid will come, so we can’t have a long conversation. I’ll secretly visit again, so don’t be surprised.”
“You’ll come secretly?”
At my bewildered question, Heinrih gave an awkward smile.
“You probably won’t believe it, but I will. I can do that.”
After hesitating briefly, he whispered in an even smaller voice.
“Do you truly think my life stems from Maxel’s magnanimity?”
“Well…”
Well, of course I thought it stemmed from the victor’s arrogance. Maxel, having become Crown Prince, wanted to emphasize that he was magnanimous and generous.
In fact, Maxel was often pleased with Heinrih’s existence, staying quietly in the palace like a dead mouse. He would sometimes mention such situations proudly to others.
Heinrih was a prince who barely survived after defeat. He survived because it was certain that recovery was impossible.
Because he had lost everything he had.
Maxel had been confident that Heinrih could no longer oppose him. That Heinrih had given up on the throne.
‘But in reality, he hadn’t given up?’
Realizing a possibility I had never considered before, chills ran down my spine. Heinrih stared intently at my face, then took a step back. Just then, there was a knock and maids came rushing in.
“Well then, rest comfortably, Princess.”
As if he had finished his business, Heinrih turned around without looking back. The door closed, and as I stood there dazed, still reeling from the shock, the maids approached and bowed at the waist.
“It is an honor to serve you, Princess.”
My brow furrowed automatically at the unexpectedly large number of maids.
“I don’t think I’ll need dedicated personal service. I’m not planning to stay long.”
“His Majesty has given strict orders to serve with utmost care, even if it’s just for one day.”
I considered dismissing a few of them, but then gave up. Rather than trying to send them away and arousing unnecessary suspicion, it would be better to pretend to cooperate obediently and then strike from behind.
Anyway, everything had progressed too suddenly. They must have been surprised by my sudden disappearance—I wonder what Jeon and Samuel are doing now.
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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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