I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 126
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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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It’s not a good idea.
Hanod had definitely said that. But Anita Solb couldn’t give up.
‘Think about it carefully, Hanod…! Doesn’t something seem strange? Seleneae Tigris has already gotten her hands on two sacred relics.’
A few years ago, when Seleneae Tigris had changed like a different person. Anita remembered that time clearly.
Everyone was shocked by the news that a strange priest from the temple had brainwashed Lady Tigris, but she focused on a different fact.
‘What? The Lady didn’t return the sacred relic?’
Even though the temple had shown willingness to negotiate several times first, she didn’t even bat an eye.
‘Sacred relics aren’t worth just a penny or two. They’re precious items that have been kept secretly, reluctant to even be revealed publicly.’
How could she monopolize it on her own? Does she know what kind of item that is!
Surely the temple knew that fact too. That’s why they tried harder to get the sacred relic back.
‘But in the end, they couldn’t get it back.’
It was called compensation for damages, but Seleneae Tigris had gotten the sacred relic into her hands at almost a robbery level.
As if she had been greatly coveting it from long ago.
‘Whatever happened, a sacred relic is excessive compensation for just being brainwashed a bit.’
This wasn’t the only strange thing. Something that happened relatively recently also bothered her.
Duke Tigris, who rarely engaged in direct combat after the war ended, suddenly led all his elite soldiers and set out for Ruden Island.
‘Everyone was curious about why he bothered to go to that place that had already become the barbarians’ territory.’
The news that followed was utterly absurd.
‘Lady Tigris said she wanted a sacred relic.’
‘A sacred relic? That sacred relic the barbarians stole during the war?’
‘So he led an army all the way to Ruden Island to retrieve that sacred relic? Oh my, his love for his daughter is extreme.’
Once again, sacred relics were mentioned.
‘She must have a refined hobby of collecting sacred relics.’
Hanod had said that, but Anita was very suspicious.
‘…Hanod. Sacred relics are amazing, but unless you’re a High Priest, you can’t expect any particular effects from them. In other words, to ordinary people who haven’t trained in divine power, sacred relics are just lumps of scrap metal!’
‘So?’
‘So what I’m saying is, why collect sacred relics that are damn hard to obtain and completely useless? Especially not just anyone, but Seleneae Tigris!’
Anita even raised her voice at Hanod in frustration.
‘There must be some ulterior motive behind this. Two out of three have already fallen into that girl’s hands!’
‘…’
‘Do you know what’s even stranger?’
However, she couldn’t continue her words to the end.
‘…Why don’t you stop it, Anita.’
‘What?’
‘You sometimes go too far.’
Hanod looked down at her with a somewhat displeased expression, then left without even listening to the end of her words.
Anita clenched her fists and swallowed the words she couldn’t finish down her throat.
‘She only manifested abilities after getting her hands on sacred relics each time.’
After getting her hands on the first sacred relic, she manifested protective abilities.
After obtaining the second sacred relic, she manifested several other abilities.
‘Just manifesting two or three abilities is praised as incredible.’
Even she and her three brothers could still only handle one ability each.
It made no sense no matter how much she thought about it that the unmanifested young lady had suddenly manifested so many abilities.
‘Definitely, there’s definitely something in those sacred relics.’
There’s definitely something unknown to the public.
Otherwise, there’s no way Seleneae Tigris could have manifested such tremendous abilities like a lie.
Anita looked at Hanod’s back as he had already moved far away and thought.
‘I’ll definitely uncover it, just wait and see.’
That girl was a lowly existence who shouldn’t dare get involved with Hanod.
‘But a marriage proposal? How dare such a girl have a marriage proposal with Hanod.’
How wonderful and noble a person Hanod is!
He was Sorad’s future and a precious being who monopolized King Drayden’s favor and trust.
He was like an unreachable sun that she didn’t dare look up to carelessly.
But that arrogant girl…
‘I don’t see why I should answer your question.’
From their first meeting, she had been rude to Hanod, and recently she had even openly shown displeasure and avoided him.
‘How hard it is to catch Hanod’s eye, yet she doesn’t even know to be grateful.’
She couldn’t let Hanod continue to be interested in such a stupid girl.
‘That I, Anita Solb, am much more qualified than that idiot…’
She definitely wanted to prove it.
“You’re the one being reckless!”
Anita approached Selene without being defeated by the surging anger.
“I had a duty to expose your lies! I had to see that suspicious object! Meanwhile, you deceived the entire Academy and Empire with that object!”
Selene looked at her with a coldly hardened face. Anita unconsciously swallowed her saliva.
Facing those endlessly quiet eyes, her nape suddenly felt chilly.
However, she quickly put on a calm voice.
“T-this has perfectly revealed it. The source of all your abilities was the sacred relics, and without the sacred relics, you’re nothing.”
But Selene remained silent. Then she murmured lowly.
“So what about it.”
Anita flinched and closed her mouth.
“It’s not like I stole someone else’s property like you did. What’s wrong with using my own things as I please?”
Selene’s face as she approached was perfectly expressionless.
It was completely different from her usual face that had mysterious smiles or playfulness.
Anita bit her lips and glared at her with raised eyes.
“How is that yours? You stole it from the temple. You should have returned it.”
Selene’s eyes widened. She soon burst into cold laughter as if amused.
Then she approached and grabbed Anita’s wrist with a snap. Anita panicked and pulled her body back.
“What are you doing…!”
“Why are there similar humans everywhere I go.”
Selene frowned. Anita swallowed her saliva and looked at that sight.
“According to your logic, we should immediately execute His Majesty the Emperor and destroy the Empire. What do you think about that?”
“What, what did you say?”
“Ah, King Drayden and Hanod, whom you love so much, should also leave Sorad Palace.”
“What is that!!”
Selene whispered.
“Why? They stole everything anyway. It’s only right to give it back.”
“…What?”
“The Erbia Empire was built by stealing the lands of tribal states before continental unification. Sorad isn’t much different either. The previous king there was the leader of a rebellion, wasn’t he?”
“….”
“It’s a dirty throne stolen by killing the previous king, so by your logic, everything should be spat out and returned to its original place. Isn’t that right? I didn’t know you were preparing treason.”
Anita’s face turned pale. Even though she knew no one was around, she reflexively looked around.
“I, I wasn’t talking about that…!”
“No, that’s exactly what you were talking about.”
“….”
“Trying to make your shallow logic sound plausible somehow, picking and choosing things you’ve seen somewhere only when you need them.”
Anita’s face turned red. Selene looked down at her without moving an inch.
“If someone like you has been called a prodigy since age three, I can tell the level of House Solb.”
“What, what?!”
“I don’t know how your thoughts can be shorter than mine, raised rudely under a single parent.”
At the mocking voice, Anita closed her mouth. But Selene’s face showed no sign of wavering.
“I hate people like you the most. Humans who know how to look down on, belittle, and torment people while just attaching various reasons to it.”
“….”
“And on top of that, stealing so despicably.”
The wrist caught by Selene began to throb. She felt a tingling pain even in her back due to tension.
Anita breathed shallowly.
“Do you know how many people got hurt because of you? If only I had the sacred relic….”
Selene muttered coldly.
“Rosette wouldn’t have had to bleed, Estelin wouldn’t have had to experience mana depletion… None of that would have happened. That royal descendant you look down on so much wouldn’t have ended up like that either.”
Selene glared at Anita for a long time. Then she slowly released the strength from the hand gripping Anita’s wrist.
And muttered self-mockingly.
“What was stolen wasn’t originally mine, so I should have returned it? You know perfectly well what the temple did to me.”
“….”
“Anyone would think I stole bread from a starving child.”
Anita froze stiffly in place.
“Get ready to go back.”
At the calm voice that followed, Anita’s jaw stiffened. A small grinding sound leaked from between her tightly clenched teeth.
“…You’re so brazen it’s almost laughable.”
Selene raised one eyebrow and looked at Anita.
Anita whispered quietly.
“In the end, you were just an empty tin can with nothing inside. Yet monopolizing excessive attention despite that… not even knowing what’s important.”
“….”
“Just because Rosette from House Grimaldi got hurt, your heart aches so much, but you were going to leave Hanod, who collapsed from mana depletion, neglected until dawn?”
Selene let out a short sigh.
But soon her eyes widened at Anita’s next action.
Anita was gathering mana at her fingertips.
White light began clustering in the air.
“Everyone should know… what kind of person you really are.”
The next moment, a bright cluster of light rushed toward Selene.
The white radiance wrapped around her body in a huge embrace as if it had been waiting.
“What are you doing right now…!!”
“I learned while being chased by monsters. That they react to mana.”
Anita smiled and stepped backward.
“This time, you’ll have to be the bait alone.”
“Anita Solb!!”
“All of this was your fault for lying in the first place anyway.”
The barrier created by squeezing out the last of her mana illuminated Selene’s surroundings as bright as broad daylight.
“It’s not my fault.”
Anita muttered, sensing the presence of monsters gathering from the surroundings.
Then she ran alone toward the central building.
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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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