If You Are Suited for the Villain's Secretary - Chapter 51

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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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If the Villain’s Secretary Suits Me
Chapter 51
However, the moment I opened the doors to the Trading Company upon arriving in the Capital City, everything changed.
I simultaneously understood why Luther hadn’t received any contact and why Aden had told me to keep my eyes closed.
“You are Aden, the Director of 【La Mare】, correct?”
The first thing that caught my eye was silver armor gleaming in the light.
Beyond that lay scattered documents strewn haphazardly across the floor, an overturned cabinet, and Luther—whose face bore an expression of menace I had never witnessed before. Then my vision swayed sharply.
Aden had pulled me behind him, shielding me from view.
“Yes, I am.”
At the cool timbre of Aden’s voice, I lifted my gaze and held my breath.
Over Aden’s shoulder, the face of the man in silver armor finally came into focus.
“On suspicion of attempted murder of nobility, I hereby announce the commencement of indefinite surveillance and seizure of all branches of the Trading Company 【La Mare】, effective immediately. This order has been commanded by His Highness Helios Medior, the Regent.”
Hair so pale it seemed almost sacred white, and eyes of a fresh, verdant green.
I knew who he was.
“Furthermore, under the blessing of the Divine, I, Ezekiel Lask, Commander of the Holy Knight Order, hereby declare this investigation to be lawful and within my authority.”
Ezekiel Lask.
He was Helios Medior’s Commander of the Holy Knight Order, and
“Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
the brother of the original story’s heroine, and
“I understand.”
a childhood friend of Calix Arden Blight.
***
In “Legacy of the Black Wave,” Ezekiel Lask was a quintessential Holy Knight.
Stubbornly loyal, devout to the point of seeming dull, and so righteously steadfast in his principles that he embodied the very ideal of knighthood itself.
In other words, he was the most reliable ally imaginable for the protagonist Crown Prince Helios,
‘This is absolutely maddening!’
but from the perspective of a secretary to a prospective villain, he was an infuriatingly difficult interrogator.
Especially as an interrogator, he was the worst.
“I’ll ask once more. That poison—the very one that nearly stole an entire lifetime—you’re truly claiming La Mar has never dealt in it?”
For reference, this was the third time Ezekiel had posed this question since the interrogation began.
He simply changed the descriptors: ‘the poison that nearly stole a lifetime,’ ‘the poison that plunged the Central Region into chaos,’ ‘the poison that brought Medior to ruin.’
Listening to him, one might mistake him for a poet rather than the Holy Knight Order’s commander.
Was this some guilt-inducing interrogation technique?
But instead of guilt, my patience was being tested, so I answered as calmly as I could.
“Yes.”
Ezekiel’s pale green eyes rolled toward the magical device connected to my wrist.
The so-called lie detector—which sensed my pulse and blood pressure—remained silent.
‘At most, I would have received orders this morning. For a surprise inspection, they’ve certainly covered all the bases.’
After the lie detector came a body search conducted by a female knight.
My communication device was confiscated, and even my glasses were taken.
I protested that they were personal belongings, but was dismissed. They claimed they might be magical devices and would return them after the interrogation.
‘This is excessive. It’s only because my eyesight is naturally good that I can manage without them. What would they do to someone who actually needs glasses?’
Ezekiel, who had been staring intently at the silent lie detector, asked as if to confirm something.
“Did you know in advance that an inspection would take place?”
Was he asking because he suspected I’d taken some potion to suppress my pulse?
I answered firmly.
“No.”
Ah.
The moment I answered, a sudden realization struck me.
‘So that’s why Aden didn’t tell me there might be an inspection. Even though he knew that was the only thing Luther wouldn’t be informed about.’
Had the lie detector sounded at that moment, no matter how much Ezekiel embodied the ideals of knighthood, my interrogation would have become far harsher.
Was it Aden’s consideration? Or merely a calculation to eliminate even one variable?
As I pondered this, Ezekiel spoke.
“Then how do you explain the near-lethal dose of Delphinea poison detected in the wine that was shipped directly from La Mar’s Branch 11 to Marquis Vito’s Residence?”
“No poison was found in the other wines. If poison was detected only in the wine destined for Marquis Vito’s Residence, I believe contamination within the residence during storage is the most likely explanation.”
“Are you suggesting the servants or maids of Marquis Vito’s Residence? That they would suddenly wish to harm the master they’ve served for decades?”
“The one actually ‘harmed’ was the servant who inspected the wine. I’m merely pointing out the possibility of third-party involvement.”
“Third party. To whom are you trying to shift responsibility?”
“If a knife sold by a merchant is used for murder instead of peeling fruit, is that the merchant’s responsibility? This was never our responsibility to begin with. Your phrasing is somewhat misleading.”
Though Ezekiel’s questioning was relentless, I decided to treat it as a high-pressure interview.
“But if I had to speculate, it could have been a servant of Marquis Vito’s Residence, a messenger, another guest scheduled to attend the gathering, or perhaps even a competitor of La Mar.”
“You believe Marquis Vito’s Residence wine cellar is so openly accessible to just anyone?”
“La Mar is no exception. The Wine Cellar of Branch 11, the headquarters, and other branches—none of them have security so lax that they’d accept someone harboring intentions to harm high-ranking nobles, whether as a customer or employee.”
I deflected the barrage of questions without losing my smile, and Ezekiel’s brow furrowed sharply.
His handsome features hardened into a forbidding expression, the severity of his sharp lines becoming almost frightening.
“It seems you’ve forgotten you’re currently under investigation. Don’t answer questions with jokes.”
But I, who knew the faces of debt collectors and sailors, and had just witnessed Luther’s crumpled expression, didn’t bat an eye.
“If it came across that way, I apologize. But I’m being sincere.”
“For a secretary who’s been here only a month, you have remarkably unwavering faith in the organization you work for—or rather, the Information Guild.”
Ezekiel asked with a frown.
“Or is it faith in The Director you serve?”
The question itself was cold, though it sounded almost like he was scolding a child—and I was certain that wasn’t my imagination.
“Don’t you think it’s precisely because you don’t know that you can answer so confidently? Don’t make rash declarations. If those suspicions prove true, the price for hastily defending him won’t be paid off with merely a month’s salary.”
It seemed Ezekiel believed I’d been deceived by Aden since I’d only recently joined.
That I was parroting whatever he told me without truly understanding the darker side of La Mar.
So he apparently thought the lie detector wouldn’t even activate.
‘He’s thinking I genuinely believe Aden’s words as truth.’
Before me, Aden had already been interrogated by Ezekiel.
Seeing how he was now pressing me, perhaps he’d concluded during that interrogation that Aden was hiding something.
But Ezekiel likely didn’t know that Aden’s secret was none other than his true identity.
‘He still hasn’t recognized him—Calix Arden Blight.’
In the original story, it wasn’t until the very end that Ezekiel realized Aden’s true identity was his old friend Calix Arden Blight.
Yet Aden knows Ezekiel. What must he have been thinking all this time, being treated as a criminal by his old friend?
I couldn’t quite imagine it.
“The point is, you don’t need to keep faith with The Director just because you’ve worked together for a mere month. That’s not loyalty—it’s recklessness and blind obedience. Remember that.”
Coincidentally, Ezekiel was saying exactly what I myself was thinking.
I had absolutely no intention of going to prison with Aden or meeting some pitiful end alongside him.
“Yes. I agree with what you’re saying, Holy Knight Commander.”
“Good. Considering the short time you’ve worked here, if you cooperate with the investigation now, your sentence will be minimized….”
“Which is precisely why I must speak to La Mar’s innocence, Holy Knight Commander.”
Ezekiel paused.
“It’s not about keeping faith. I’m protecting my career and my workplace, Holy Knight Commander.”
I spoke with absolute conviction.
“It’s too precious to lose because of someone’s crude scheming.”
The lie detector remained silent once more.
Watching it, Ezekiel lifted his gaze. Our eyes met—his pale green irises locking with mine.
It was only a moment. A strange expression crossed his face.
He seemed to see a fanatic in me, then a pitiful young professional, and then, very slightly….
‘That’s odd.’
This stubborn Holy Knight Commander actually seemed persuaded by my words.

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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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