If You Are Suited for the Villain's Secretary - Chapter 63

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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 63
***
Norbert struggled to suppress his laughter.
‘Ha! Nothing to it.’
He had never believed Jeremy Sand’s claim that his cover was blown because of the Protagonist.
Even when Randolph Maurel whined about how his nephew had ruined everything, it was the same.
Even though the Protagonist had interfered with the Imperial Auction and caused him to bungle his own operation, he refused to believe it was purely her ability.
The reason was simple.
‘What could a soft, fluffy woman possibly accomplish? She’s just following orders from that director, Aden.’
In this isolated Cabin where the Director’s instructions and commands held no sway, the ‘Protagonist secretary’ before me was merely a frightened twenty-year-old.
Norbert looked Iliana up and down with a smirk.
‘So that director has a taste for women like this?’
Unlike the generally rough-looking people around Aden—Luther, Lenox, and Laklan—she had a gentle appearance.
Her delicate features were clustered on a small face. Her large, glistening teal eyes, as if ready to spill tears at any moment, were round and gave her the impression of a deer or rabbit—fragile and pitiful.
Had it not been for her disheveled hair and the green medicine smeared all around her mouth, any man passing by would have turned to look at her.
In short, she was a beautiful woman with a delicate and harmless appearance.
‘Well… she’s not bad to keep around as eye candy.’
Aden had no idea that this ‘eye candy’ he’d chosen would strike him from behind.
It was wise to have placed someone near her.
When Norbert received the report that she had been coming and going from the Director’s residence, he nearly cried out.
‘It’s certain. This woman can bring me those documents.’
Norbert was confident that Iliana would accept his proposal.
Poison is poison, but her father’s life hung in the balance. That father she had searched for so desperately.
‘Vargas said it himself. An incompetent gambler for a father, yet she faithfully paid five million gold in interest every month just to save such a man.’
Upon hearing that her father was right before her eyes, Iliana, who had seemed greatly shocked, was now staring silently at the silhouette.
I understood her shock at being threatened with her beloved father as a hostage, but there wasn’t much time.
‘I don’t know when that Aden bastard will catch on. Judging by the guards he’s kept posted, he was preparing for something.’
That’s why I had no choice but to risk it and abduct her in front of the Investigation Bureau.
Ahem, Norbert cleared his throat.
Right on cue, a groan from ‘Father’ came from behind the glass partition.
“Ughhhh—! Ugh!”
Iliana flinched, her eyes reddening in an instant.
Norbert grinned wickedly and spoke.
“It’s not difficult to decide, is it?”
Soon the answer he’d been waiting for came back.
“Yes. You’re right. …I’ll do it.”
Iliana swallowed hard and murmured in a small voice.
“I’ll steal those documents.”
Perfect!
Norbert suppressed his delight and spoke as though he were being magnanimous.
“That’s right. This is the matter you’ve been so desperately seeking—your beloved Father’s life hangs in the balance.”
“…You haven’t harmed Father, have you? Surely you didn’t poison him like you did me?”
“Of course not. But if you fail to complete your mission? Who knows what might happen.”
“Then why did you seal his mouth shut…”
Iliana cried out through tears.
“Dad! Dad, you’re okay, right? Right? If you’ve hurt Dad, I won’t forgive you!”
‘Ugh, how troublesome.’
Yet on the other hand, I felt a sense of relief.
Seeing her cling and weep like this only made it clearer that Ruben Grecia on the other side of the glass was this woman’s weakness. Everyone has their vulnerabilities, after all.
Just as the ‘Black Label Documents’ this woman would soon bring me were Aden’s weakness.
The information on key figures and secrets contained in those documents would certainly prove useful to Crimson, but what Kaileb Crimson truly desired was the veiled information about Aden.
More precisely, information about his family and lineage.
‘The Chairman said it himself. Given how cunning Aden is, even if La Mar falls, he might seize another opportunity.’
Kaileb Crimson suspected that Aden was likely an illegitimate child of a prominent house.
That would explain why he concealed his identity so thoroughly. If the truth were revealed, it would become a fatal weakness.
Should he somehow manage to escape destruction, I would expose that information and utterly destroy Aden.
“Answer me, Dad!”
Ruben Grecia—brought here to bind this woman with double shackles so she would steal such crucial documents.
To make this woman stop at nothing to obtain those documents, I needed to give her hope.
Just as I had poisoned her yet deliberately shown her the antidote.
‘If I had used a ‘Blood Contract’ on Randolph Maurel as I did before and sealed his mouth entirely, there would be no need for this.’
But those La Mar bastards had a track record of breaking Lenox’s contracts.
I still have no idea what method they used.
‘So I had no choice but to resort to this somewhat cumbersome approach.’
What Norbert said was true.
He had done no harm to the person behind the glass, nor had he poisoned him.
‘But I cannot remove the gag.’
There was good reason for that.
Norbert glanced back and tapped the glass lightly. It was a pre-arranged signal.
“You’re okay, right? Nod your head!”
“Mmph!”
The silhouette nodded vigorously.
Iliana, her expression visibly relieved, spoke through sniffles.
“I’ll save you. Don’t worry too much, Dad.”
“Mmph-!”
“The earrings Mom left me… I’ll make a promise on them. You understand, right?”
“Mmph, mmph.”
As the silhouette nodded a few more times, the lights went out.
“Take him away.”
At Norbert’s gesture, Ruben Grecia was dragged out through the back door.
Norbert clicked his tongue as he watched Iliana, her head bowed so deeply she couldn’t bear to look at the sight.
“Is that enough now? I told you clearly—I haven’t done anything to harm your father. Yet you won’t believe my words.”
“….”
“I’d hate for you to misinterpret what I’m saying as a threat. This is, strictly speaking, work—a task. If you perform it well, you’ll obtain both the antidote and your father. It’s a sort of assignment. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes. I understand.”
It was a moment.
The instant Iliana lifted her head, having steadied her breathing.
“But if you’re going to assign me work, you’ll need to give clear instructions on what the task entails.”
Their eyes met. Norbert froze.
Eyes that had seemed docile as a herbivore’s were now as calm and fathomless as a frozen sea.
There was something unsettling about it—as if staring too long would expose his own thoughts in reverse.
“The documents might be too numerous for me to move alone, after all.”
“Wh-what?”
What gleamed in those teal eyes was not tears.
It was the keen awareness of someone who had already finished their calculations.
“What exactly is the information you need?”
Iliana had understood.
‘These mad fools….’
What lay beyond the glass barrier was not her father.
***
Luther headed to the Investigation Bureau the moment he received Aden’s contact.
It took less than five minutes.
“Director!”
Aden was standing in the middle of the Investigation Bureau’s lobby.
Luther, about to call out to him again and approach, stopped short.
“Let me be clear one last time. I have no intention of cooperating with the Holy Knight Order.”
“This isn’t a matter to be handled emotionally. I’ve already contacted the outposts in addition to the knights currently stationed here at the Investigation Bureau….”
“Emotionally?”
Because Aden was acting as though he might seize Holy Knight Order Commander Ezekiel by the collar at any moment.
Even the knights themselves didn’t dare step forward—his momentum was far too ominous.
Luther had never seen such a savage expression on Aden’s face before. A chill ran down his spine.
“My secretary vanished mere dozens of steps from the front gate of the Investigation Bureau. Is that possible without the Holy Knight Order’s tacit approval?”
“Are you seriously suggesting the Holy Knight Order is in collusion with the kidnappers?”
“If that’s not the case, then you’re simply incompetent. Choose whichever explanation suits you better. That’s all.”
Aden cut off the conversation as though it wasn’t worth continuing, turning toward Luther.
His face had already returned to its usual expressionless state as he asked in a businesslike tone.
“The tracking team?”
“Y-yes, I’ve contacted them. They’ve immediately departed for the secret offices and warehouses of Crimson that we’d secured in advance….”
“The likelihood of them leaving the Capital City is slim, but just in case, have them check the outer districts as well.”
“Yes, I will.”
“I’ll take this.”
Yet as Aden withdrew the mana pistol from Luther’s holster and inspected the chamber, his movements—despite his composed expression—were remarkably rough and tense.

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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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