I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 150

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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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“What, we need to go to intermediate!”

“Do you even know what an Artifacter is to suggest going to intermediate? Let’s start safely with beginner level.”

At Joseph’s words, Chepri tiredly ran his hand through his hair.

Lark, who had been watching from the side, stepped forward.

“You said it’s just an ordinary magical tool. Our team all has high ability levels, and we even have His Highness Hanod, so wouldn’t it be better to push for advanced level from the start?”

Hanod remained silent with his arms crossed, just listening to their conversation.

The time limit continued to count down from the ceiling.

The argument continued, and eventually an uncomfortable silence settled over them.

That’s when Anita, the team leader who could wield the most influence in this exam, stepped forward.

“Let’s go to the place with the gold sign.”

Everyone turned to look at her with surprised eyes.

Joseph, Lark, and Chepri too.

Though each had different opinions, they all thought that opening the gold-labeled door was nothing short of a reckless challenge.

Joseph was the first to speak in a bewildered voice.

“…Um, Miss Anita. Gold means supreme level.”

“I know.”

Anita had a strangely hardened expression, but her eyes burned with fierce determination.

Lark, who was beside her, frowned.

“Miss Anita. Out of thirty-four Artifacters, there’s only one supreme level. You know what this means, don’t you? We have no idea what the difficulty of supreme level might be.”

“That’s exactly why we need to disable it first.”

Anita gave an artificial smile and gestured toward the ceiling.

“We have one hour. If we take the lead before they disable the supreme level over there, we can win just by disabling a few advanced or intermediate ones afterward.”

“Wh-what if we can’t disable it?”

Naila, who had kept her mouth shut the whole time, asked.

Anita glared at her and replied coldly.

“How could that happen? Rishion already has a history of putting students in danger with ridiculous exam assignments once before. Do you think they’d give us an unreasonably difficult task again this time?”

Everyone fell silent.

‘Professor Sadina might give us another difficult assignment though…’

To some extent, Anita’s words seemed plausible.

“Also, as Lark said, our ability levels are high. Artifacters are just fancy names – they’re no different from magical tools.”

“…”

“Are you all really scared of some mere magical tools right now?”

Anita was full of confidence.

She remembered exactly what her brother Norman Solb had told her a few days ago.

‘Generally, the difficulty isn’t that hard. If you strategize well, probably…’

‘That’s enough. I’ll handle it from here.’

‘Still, listen to the end. Among the solved Artifacters…’

‘I said that’s enough? If you want to show off, do it to those idiots working under you! Don’t try to play teacher with me.’

‘Annoying bastard.’

Among her three brothers, Norman Solb was particularly hostile toward her.

‘Maybe he’s jealous because I’m much smarter and cleverer than him.’

Anita shook off the unpleasant thoughts and took the lead toward the gold-labeled door.

“We can easily disable a supreme level Artifacter. So we need to move quickly. Obviously Seleneae Tigris will try to disable the supreme level Artifacter first too, right? What are we all going to do if we let them steal the biggest points?”

At those words, the frozen teammates hesitated.

Just as Anita was sighing in frustration at them, Hanod slowly approached her.

Anita met his gaze and froze.

Hanod’s face was completely expressionless.

He looked down at her and spoke in a small voice that only the two of them could hear.

“Anita.”

Anita’s eyes widened as she closed her mouth.

“I’ve been watching you for a very long time.”

“…Hanod.”

“I’ve always been the type to act first, and I disliked complicated things. Perhaps too light-hearted a nature for living as royalty of a nation.”

“…”

“You were the one who helped me stay centered by my side.”

Anita was confused.

Was this praise?

Was he finally realizing her feelings of watching over and worrying about him all this time?

But for that to be the case, Hanod’s expression was far too calm and cold.

“Hanod, what…”

“But right now, honestly, I’m not sure.”

Anita’s eyes widened as she froze.

Hanod looked down at her, then patted her shoulder and said.

“Do whatever you want to do.”

Anita stiffened, then quickly nodded.

Regardless of the situation, she interpreted Hanod’s words as meaning he would support her.

She passed by Hanod and grabbed the handle of the gold-labeled door, turning it.

Hanod watched Anita’s retreating figure with an expressionless face, recalling what he had been reported through the communication stone last night.

‘Your Highness, this is a very serious matter.’

He trusted Duke Bin Solb, who was Anita’s grandfather and his longtime personal tutor.

‘But to think he contacted my uncle.’

Joseph, the second prince of the Kingdom of Sorad and his uncle, was currently almost completely at odds with him.

The reason was simple.

Hanod suspected that Joseph might have killed his father, who had been the first prince.

‘Not long after that, my brother passed away too.’

His father, who had monopolized King Draiden’s favor, died, and not long after, his brother also died of illness.

‘This can’t be a coincidence.’

King Draiden sending him to the Erbia Empire was probably because of this too.

He wanted to evacuate him to a place beyond Uncle Joseph’s reach.

King Draiden loved his father, the first prince, not his uncle.

If his father had been alive, he probably would have already passed the throne to him.

But now his father was no longer in this world. The same was true for his brother.

Hanod was convinced that all of this was Joseph’s doing, coveting the throne.

But now, that Joseph had contacted Duke Bin Solb, who had been his longtime close associate.

Hanod bit his lips tightly as he watched Anita’s retreating figure.

His mind was complicated.

“Absolutely not.”

At the same time, Duke Haren spoke in a stern voice to Rubel, who stood firm in his study.

“That is absolutely not allowed. All those who graduate from Rishion are supposed to go to the Empire and swear an oath of loyalty before the Emperor!”

But Rubel’s face showed no sign of wavering whatsoever.

His expression was as if he already knew this.

Duke Haren sighed at that calm face. Then he continued in a soothing, gentle tone.

“…Rubel, why are you doing this? No matter how much you come and ask, there’s nothing I can do for you. I don’t know how many days this has been going on.”

Duke Haren closed his eyes tightly and opened them again in complexity.

“You know this too, don’t you. I lost your mother so tragically. And now I’ve finally found you…”

Though I tried to maintain my composure, my voice became disturbingly clouded.

Rubel remained quietly silent before taking a step closer to Duke Haren.

“Grandfather.”

Duke Haren startled and raised his head.

Several days had already passed since the mana verification was completed and their relationship had become clear.

But Rubel had never once called him ‘Grandfather’ until now.

“You know it too, Grandfather.”

Rubel’s calm voice echoed through the study.

“Mother was someone who could see the future. Such a person sent me to the Cursed Land, not to some other frontier. The death of Mother that followed was never….”

“….”

“Something that could be easily accepted.”

A short sigh finally escaped from Duke Haren’s lips. He gripped his forehead.

Yes, how could he not know.

She was the daughter he had searched for so desperately.

If she had been alive and by his side, he would have raised her with deep love that would make her the envy of no one in the world.

But because he couldn’t do that, even at this very moment, Sharlina was the one who made him unbearably resentful of himself.

“Sharlina’s death was….”

He painfully trailed off.

“…Yes, it was strange. There are more than a few suspicious points as well. But even so, what can be done about it now.”

Though he had never raised her with his own hands or held her in his arms even once, Sharlina was his child.

That didn’t mean he didn’t want to uncover the truth behind his child’s death.

“Rubel. When a person reaches this age, they become accustomed to making compromises.”

“….”

“The kind of spirit needed to make decisions and act on instinct has already disappeared.”

Duke Haren unconsciously lowered his gaze to the mirror placed on the desk.

His hair, turned completely white, came clearly into view.

“When I decided to bring you into House Haren and take you in. I resolved only one thing.”

“….”

“That I would not lose you so meaninglessly.”

There were many who could have had a hand in Sharlina’s death.

The Current Empress and Duke Belmart were immediately highly suspicious.

Especially Duke Belmart, who had openly displayed his ambition to make his daughters members of the Imperial Court from the moment they were born.

That wasn’t all. Current Emperor Simon Albertine was also worth suspecting.

If Former Emperor Jesper had been the perfect material for an emperor, his brother Simon was not.

He had often been indifferent to most matters from before, only paying attention to things that interested him.

He was short-sighted and impulsive, so he certainly didn’t have a temperament suited for an emperor either.

‘But even so, he became emperor.’

Wearing the crown of emperor was never an easy or simple matter.

Whatever Simon had appeared to be outwardly, if he became emperor, it meant his inner thoughts should be suspected first.

‘He may have pretended to be indifferent on the surface, but inwardly he may have been planning to drive out his brother and seize the throne from long ago.’

Moreover, during the time when imperial power was changing hands.

The Empire right after the war was still struggling to get through the aftermath of war.

High-ranking nobles gathered in their respective salons, constantly creating new political factions.

Countless secret conversations took place, and it was natural that the power structure fluctuated as a result.

It was a time when betrayal, lobbying, and tacit alliances ruled.

‘It wouldn’t be strange if some ambitious nobles among them colluded with nominal wealthy merchants to orchestrate everything.’

But what use would it be to suspect all of that now.

When people other than Rubel’s parents were already sitting in the positions of absolute power – the Emperor and Empress.

Duke Haren’s eyes sank gloomily.

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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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