For the Young Villain’s Happy Ending - Chapter 68

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 68

“How troublesome.”

Raina Hart exhaled a frustrated sigh.
She had successfully descended the hidden staircase and traversed the Corridor to reach the Secret Vault, but now faced an unexpected obstacle.

“Someone’s placed a barrier here.”

A new magical barrier had been erected on the Secret Vault door that Raina Hart had carefully restored to its original state.
Even Vivian, whose body lacked magical power, could sense its presence.
The moment she reached for the vault’s handle, a sharp crackling sound erupted—sparks dancing across her fingertips.
This was a security barrier that required at least Fifth Circle magic to activate.

“Who could it be?”

Only Zikhard and I knew of the Secret Vault’s existence.
When the Imperial Family’s name changed to Heteroven in the past, knowledge of the Secret Vault had never reached the Heteroven Royal Family.
Neither Cheinols, the Emperor before the last, nor the current Emperor—the previous Imperial Prince—knew of it.

“It couldn’t be Zikhard.”

If the Grimoire of Magic remained in a subordinate state to me, it would be unable to use magic according to my previous commands.

‘Then it must be Keri.’

If Keri, who learned of the Secret Vault’s existence from Zikhard, had imprisoned the Grimoire of Magic and cast this barrier…
Raina Hart stared at the firmly sealed vault door.
There was a scent emanating from within—a scent that suggested Zikhard’s presence.
But what good would that knowledge do me?

“There’s no way to open it.”

In Vivian’s body, I was utterly powerless.
Against Kevenriak’s magic, there was even less hope.
Only someone capable of dispelling a Seventh Circle mage’s barrier could help.
Unless Raina Hart herself returned to life, such a thing was impossible.

“There’s no helping it. Let’s head back for now.”

Still, I had made progress in estimating where Zikhard was likely to be.
Raina Hart retraced her steps, looking forward to what came next.
It was the corridor connected to the Secret Vault.
There was no device that produced light in particular, but the bricks made with mana stone powder emitted a soft glow, so it wasn’t dark.

‘Mana stones. Now that I think about it, there should be one top-grade mana stone remaining in Midra’s Cave.’

Should I tell Keri about the mana stone’s location later?
If I left him the coordinates, he could teleport directly to the cave without having to go through Tiernan’s Diamond Mine on the upper level.
Though Kevenriak, being the Emperor, probably had more money than he could ever spend.
But even if not for money, top-grade mana stones were incredibly useful items for mages.

‘The mana power of a top-grade mana stone is purified mana that has been refined within stone for nearly a thousand years, after all.’

Over a long period of time, the mana contained within stone has its impurities removed, leaving only the purest mana behind.
The elixir, called the pinnacle of alchemy.
Even the materials for legendary potions said to save someone on the brink of death were top-grade mana stones.

“…Ah.”

Raina Hart, lost in thought, squinted her eyes.
A headache and dizziness struck her all at once. Her complexion quickly turned pallid as if she might collapse.
Vivian’s stamina was running out again.
At this rate, even when Vivian wakes up, she’ll have a hard time.

‘Being the female protagonist isn’t all good, after all….’

Then I realized I was in no position to worry about Vivian right now.
Kevenriak’s words from just moments ago echoed in my mind.

“Clear your schedule for later.”

It was a heart-stirring statement to hear from Kevenriak with his decadent beauty.
But it was not welcome news to Raina Hart.
What could a master and disciple possibly do by clearing their schedules to meet?

“…Ugh….”
“Urgh….”

I would just have to get through the lesson and be done with it.
Raina Hart, still trembling from the horrific memories of yesterday, lost her balance and stumbled, catching herself against the wall with her hand.

Click.

“…?”

Raina Hart jerked her hand away in surprise.
A single brick where her hand had pressed had sunk inward by about an inch.
Then, with a loud grinding sound, the bricks began to move.
Shifting back and forth, sliding to the sides, the bricks soon formed an opening large enough for an adult to pass through.

“A secret passage…?”

Beyond the opening lay another corridor.
As Raina Hart cautiously stepped forward, torches lining the walls of the passage ignited one after another.
A magical device for illumination. And the revealed passage was still vivid in my memory.

“It is an escape tunnel known only to the Imperial Family.”

Two years ago, Emperor Cheinols had fled through this passage to evade the Third Prince’s rebellion.
The escape tunnel connected the Emperor’s Palace to a villa outside Jenia.

“It seems to connect to other passages this way.”

Having discovered the escape tunnel, Raina Hart paused to consider her options.
Should I exit through the portrait chamber of the Imperial Library, or follow the escape tunnel back to the Emperor’s Palace?

“…The librarian might have broken through, so maybe I should go this way?”

That seemed like the better choice.
Raina Hart entered the escape tunnel.
As she fully stepped inside, the bricks of the secret corridor in the Imperial Library shifted once more, sealing the entrance behind her.

“….”

The escape tunnel was long, but there were no forks in the path.
I was confident in my ability to remember routes and navigate directions, so I pressed forward without hesitation.

“This Imperial Prince, or rather, His Majesty the Emperor, died in the escape tunnel.”

When all the Imperial Family members had perished and the Emperor’s coffin arrived before Kevenriak.
That was what Person had told me.
The Imperial Prince who ascended to the throne had fled from a subordinate attempting to kill him and met his end in this place.
Whether they had cleaned the escape tunnel separately when collecting the Emperor’s remains, there were no traces of the carnage visible.

‘The culprit—the subordinate—went missing, so there’s a high probability they were a Dark Mage. Damn it. Who was it? Who could it have been….’

I suppressed the surge of emotion rising within me.
How could I not feel indignant? How could I not wish to capture that mage and exact vengeance?
But I had to distinguish between what I could do and what I could not.
Time was not my own.
At any moment, Vivian might awaken and her soul would have to depart from her body.

“Is there no way to remain in this world as a spirit? Even if it takes decades, if I could uncover their identity and place a curse of resentment….”

Thud.

“…?”

Then I stopped as a small object I had kicked flew forward before me.
As I picked up the object and examined it, something peculiar caught my eye.

“…This is….”

A sachet.
It was something I had seen before.

***

The exit of the escape tunnel connected to the Study of the Emperor’s Palace.
Behind a grandfather clock that creaked open, I emerged.
As I entered the Study, my gaze remained fixed on the sachet in my hand as I fell into thought.

‘I’m certain.’

As I stepped out into the bright light, no longer shrouded in the dim glow of torches, the object from my memories aligned perfectly with the sachet in my hands.

‘Fourteen years ago, it sat at the head of sleeping Vivian’s bed.’

Now it lay empty, but back then it had contained the shell of a fruit with sleep-inducing properties.
The fruit itself served as the primary ingredient for potent sleep-inducing fragrances, while even the shell alone could cure insomnia.

‘It was strange to place something like that at an eight-year-old child’s bedside.’

I had made a note of it on the day I returned to check, so the memory remained vivid—the person who appeared to be the sachet’s owner.
The person who seemed to be the owner of the sachet.

“…Simona Asperada.”

I murmured the name aloud.
Vivian’s stepmother, the Duchess of Asperada.

“Why was this lying on the floor of the escape tunnel?”

A Duchess’s possession in the escape tunnel used by the Imperial Family—it was peculiar.
Lost in thought, I left the study and made my way back to my chambers.

“Lady Vivian Asperada.”

Person spotted me in the corridor and called out.
I concealed the sachet in my palm before responding.

“Ah, Sir Person.”
“Were you at the Emperor’s Palace?”
“Yes, that’s right. Has His Majesty the Emperor returned to the palace?”

As commander of the Emperor’s personal guard, Person’s duty was to protect the Emperor—unless something unusual had occurred.

“No. I was searching for you, my lady.”
“For me?”

So Person had been wandering the Emperor’s Palace looking for me.
Bewildered, I asked him to explain.

“Would the same meal as this morning be acceptable for lunch?”

So he was asking about the menu.
At this point, I wondered if Person was moonlighting as the Butler of the Emperor’s Palace.

“Yes. Perfect.”

I had no reason to be particular about it.
Raina Hart nodded eagerly at the pleasant suggestion.
Then, curious about where the Emperor had gone, I asked him.

“Then where did His Majesty go?”
“He disappeared via instantaneous teleportation, but since he did not mention his destination, I cannot know. There is nothing for me to do.”

Person shrugged slightly and laughed bitterly.
The white uniform signifying the First Knight Order was almost embarrassing to wear.
Seeing Person’s dejected expression, I found myself patting his shoulder without thinking.

“Don’t worry, Sir Person. You’re doing well.”
“…?”

Person was taken aback by the sudden encouragement from the noblewoman.
Encouragement from a noblewoman far younger than himself, one who seemed not to know even the first character of swordsmanship.
Though it should have wounded a knight’s pride, Person soon crinkled the corners of his eyes in a smile.

“Thank you.”

From the first day, I had thought it—Vivian Asperada resembled him in some way.

“Person, you will become the commander of the First Knight Order.”

My lord, whom I missed so dearly and held so tenderly in my heart.
Had those words not been spoken, I would surely have already abandoned my future somewhere and continued on with a meaningless existence.

“Oh, but.”

Raina Hart withdrew her hand from patting Person’s shoulder and asked him a question.

“Could you do me a favor?”
“A favor… my lady?”

What sort of favor could it be?
Person nodded even as I pondered the question.
For reasons I couldn’t quite explain, I found myself unable to refuse anything Vivian Asperada asked of me.

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