I Only Tried to Seduce the Villainess Sister Who Was Supposed to Kill Me - Chapter 50

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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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50.

At my answer without the slightest hesitation, Lloyd’s face hardened stiffly.

I felt briefly sorry, thinking I might have spoken too firmly, but no matter how I thought about it, that name was definitely terrible, so I didn’t correct myself.

“I-I didn’t ask because I particularly liked it either. I was just curious if you would say you liked such a name too.”

Lloyd made what wasn’t quite an excuse in response to my serious expression and looked out the window.

Feeling like the atmosphere had become awkward for no reason, I too scratched my cheek with my index finger and turned my gaze toward the window.

A very brief silence.

It was Lloyd who broke that silence.

“But about your power. It has the same nature as Theor’s, but it’s definitely a different power.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Can you be certain that power is not a dangerous one?”

I paused momentarily at the sudden question.

Having no idea what intention lay behind his asking, I met eyes with Lloyd who was staring intently at me.

Lloyd, who averted his gaze first, propped his chin on the window sill and continued speaking.

“From a very young age, I learned from His Imperial Majesty about those who seek to possess powers that humans should not have.”

The Emperor had instilled in Lloyd the dangers of evil things ever since the current Empress poisoned Lloyd’s mother.

As soon as Lloyd’s mother died, he learned of her wickedness, and from then on did his utmost for the safety of Lloyd, the Crown Prince.

But even so, the current Empress constantly targeted Lloyd’s life, evading the Emperor’s protection.

She was a woman who had brazenly pulled down the existing Empress and risen to the Empress’s position, so no one was unaware of how great her abilities were.

Especially after the Empress learned that the Emperor was trying to depose her, she even made the Temple, which was hostile to the Imperial Court, into her ally, binding the Emperor’s feet.

In the end, the Emperor gave up on bringing down the current Empress and focused only on Lloyd’s safety, and in that process learned that dark sorcery, which had been forbidden and disappeared hundreds of years ago, had been revived.

“His Majesty suspects that you might be using dark sorcery.”

“…What?!”

My eyes widened at the completely unexpected words.

He thinks of me as a dark sorcerer?

I truly couldn’t even imagine he would think that way.

“It would be better to deliver the oracle quickly.”

Theor said with a slight frown.

As it happened, I had just decided to reveal everything instead of only part of the originally planned oracle, so I nodded and said I would speak first at the Emperor’s audience.

I continued, saying that before meeting Greim, I would first demonstrate my power and say it would soon be revealed through the oracle.

But to do that…

I looked at Lloyd.

“Since His Imperial Majesty won’t trust me, please arrange for Theor to attend the audience together, Your Highness.”

“…Is that necessary? He would believe you if you went with me. I’ve already seen that hideous… no, that healing power of yours.”

“Since my black magic is similar to but different from dark attributes, I think it would be easier to explain with Theor present.”

At my words, Lloyd glanced at Theor and seemed to think about something for a moment.

Then he soon nodded once and said.

“Good, then we can all go together. However, for Theor to attend the audience with you, we need justification.”

“Ah.”

That’s true too.

Imperial audiences were such sensitive matters that justification was absolutely necessary.

It meant that light reasons like ‘might as well bring him along while we’re at it’ wouldn’t work at all.

When I looked troubled, Lloyd let out a short sigh and continued.

“Well, justification can be created. We could even use the rumors about you and Theor that are going around these days.”

“Rumors?”

“Rumors?”

“Oh, do neither of you know?”

Lloyd said with his lips curling up as if amused.

“Perhaps because you were partners during the Hunting Festival, rumors are spreading throughout the Empire. That you two are passionately in love.”

“What?!”

I screamed without realizing it and covered my mouth with both hands.

Passionately in love? Us?!

Feeling my face burning terribly, I unconsciously fanned myself with my hands and asked Lloyd.

“My goodness, such rumors are going around? Specifically, how passionate are we supposed to be? Are we supposedly about to get engaged before our coming-of-age ceremonies?”

I was just babbling whatever came out from embarrassment, but Theor nodded once and said to Lloyd.

“That would be sufficient justification then, engagement.”

“What!”

My eyes widened to the point of popping out at words spoken as calmly and lightly as ‘shall we go out this weekend?’

“You don’t need to worry, Elinea. Although we’ll join urgently under the justification of consulting His Imperial Majesty about my engagement with you, we won’t actually get engaged.”

Seeing my face turn pale as a sheet, Theor spoke as if to reassure me.

I should have naturally nodded and said I understood, but without realizing it, the words “Why not?” slipped out.

“Is it because I’m a countess from a commoner-origin marquis family? But our house is incredibly wealthy, you know? And I’m an only daughter. Of course, I wouldn’t dare dream of becoming the Grand Duchess of the Etheran family, but… no, what am I saying right now…”

I tried to recover from the words that slipped out without my realizing, but the more I tried to recover, the more of a mess it became. In the end, I stopped mid-sentence and covered my face with both hands.

To me in that state, Theor spoke in a gentle voice.

“I mean I won’t do anything you don’t want, Elinea.”

“Ah…”

So it’s not that he dislikes the idea of engagement with me.

As I unconsciously felt relieved and nodded, Theor’s lips stretched long.

“Anyway, so we’ll apply for His Majesty’s audience regarding your engagement, but won’t actually get engaged?”

“Of course. Engagement? We haven’t even had our coming-of-age ceremonies yet.”

“Engagements are originally often made before coming-of-age ceremonies too. Ah, that doesn’t mean we’re doing it, so you don’t need to worry.”

When I spoke seriously in response to Lloyd’s words, Theor again spoke as if to reassure me.

“It’ll happen soon enough.”

Lloyd chuckled and muttered as if to himself.

Theor seemed not to have heard, and though I heard it, I pretended not to.

I felt there was no need to argue over such nonsensical words.

* * *

Having an audience with the Emperor together with Theor wasn’t easy, as Lloyd had said.

Even though he had personally met with the Emperor first to discuss it, approval didn’t come quickly, so we had to wait quite a long time in the reception room.

Meanwhile, the perceptive Theor said the Empress’s rats might be watching, so we pointlessly had affectionate expressions while making trivial conversation or deliberately laughed as if embarrassed.

During that time, several servants came in and out of the reception room asking if we needed anything more, or saying we had to wait a little longer.

Thinking that among them might be the Empress’s rats made me slightly shudder.

Then, the Emperor’s messenger attendant entered the reception room, bowed, and said.

“There is word from His Majesty to escort you to the Audience Hall.”

At those words, Theor nodded once and extended his hand to me.

I smiled with crinkled eyes at his natural escort and took his hand.

Since there was no particular description of the Audience Hall in the original work, my mouth fell open unconsciously at the mysterious space that seemed twice the size of the reception room.

The chair where the Emperor sat and the table placed in front of it, and below that, separate less ornate tables and chairs.

Around them, pale white wind barriers were set up so conversations couldn’t leak out, making me think this was definitely the Audience Hall.

“So you are the countess of House Brencia.”

The Emperor, who had Lloyd’s features combined with dignity, spoke first in a resonant low voice that seemed to vibrate the air itself, before we could even greet him.

I became tense automatically and unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.

“Elinea Brencia greets the Sun of the Empire.”

“Theor Etheran greets the Sun of the Empire.”

“Sit.”

The Emperor spoke with a nearly expressionless face.

The crushing pressure made it hard to breathe.

I hadn’t known the aura possessed by the Empire’s Emperor would be this tremendous.

In the world I originally lived in, the Magic Tower and Temple were dominant, so the Emperor was merely a symbolic monarch, making the presence of the Emperor before my eyes now so fresh and surprising.

“I heard from the Crown Prince. That you are the owner of a new oracle.”

The Emperor went straight to the point, and I bowed my head while feeling extremely tense.

“Yes, I can use black magic that resembles the dark attribute of the Etheran Duke who is here.”

“Not black sorcery.”

At my words, the Emperor asked without a moment’s hesitation.

As expected, he seemed to suspect that my power was black sorcery.

Even though Crown Prince Lloyd must have clearly told him it wasn’t, seeing that he was still wary of me, I realized he didn’t understand the differences between black magic or attribute abilities and black sorcery at all.

So I thought I should first make him understand the difference between black sorcery and black magic before explaining the differences between dark attribute magic and black magic.

“Your Majesty. I humbly report that black sorcery is not an ability given by the gods, but an impious sorcery created by humans. That power, unlike attribute abilities or the black magic I possess, is a power that demands a price. It is a forbidden technique that can only manifest in complete form by sacrificing the pain and soul of a life.”

At my words, the Emperor’s eyes widened slightly.

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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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