I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 155

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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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Hanod slowly closed his trembling eyes. Yet his vision remained white.

Selene was right.

If she were to play a part in killing him, whether it succeeded or not, Anita would be in danger.

There were still factions in Sorad that followed him. And their loyalty ran very deep.

If he died, they would never leave Anita alone.

They might even come all the way to the Empire to punish her.

And the Marquis Solb family didn’t have the power to protect their daughter from such danger.

“So that’s why Marquis Solb… tried to push Anita into the Belmart family as an adopted daughter.”

“That’s right. Or maybe he simply wanted to leave connections in the Empire.”

“…”

“Anyway, they’re all planning to move their residence to the Kingdom of Sorad. If the rebellion succeeds, the entire family would have received positions from Joseph.”

Hanod looked down at the table with hollow eyes. It was so absurd that he couldn’t even laugh.

From beside him came the sound of Roen sobbing.

Hanod finally slowly raised his gaze. And he looked at Selene.

“What’s your reason for telling me all this?”

His voice had sunk very deep.

“As you said, Lady, I’m just a powerless prince of a foreign country. One who might be eliminated by his uncle at any time.”

At that strangely self-deprecating tone, Selene stared intently at Hanod.

Then she slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

“Well, that’s obvious.”

And she said calmly.

“I’m naturally suggesting we join hands.”

“…What?”

Hanod’s gaze trembled with surprise. Selene leaned forward and spoke calmly.

“I’ll help you.”

Her blue eyes curved halfway and shone with a strange light.

“In return, Your Highness just needs to remember one thing.”

“What…”

Selene whispered.

“When the Kingdom of Sorad is turned upside down.”

“…”

“That I helped Your Highness.”

Then she smiled brightly again.

“Who knows? Maybe the Empire will be turned upside down someday too.”

“The Dean really seems to have cleared out this entire area! I kept a very thorough watch just in case, but not even an ant was wandering around.”

Casian chattered in a somewhat excited voice. I answered nonchalantly.

“It’s thanks to Tatio.”

Casian’s eyes lit up as he turned his gaze to Rubel.

“You’re truly amazing, brother! Congratulations on finding your grandfather too! I thought you were no ordinary person, but to think you carried the blood of Duke Haren…!”

“Thanks.”

Rubel answered dryly and slightly avoided Casian’s gaze.

We had come out of the abandoned tower basement and were walking along a forest path nearby.

We were returning to the waiting area for prospective students.

“That Roen fellow was wary of us until the end. What will you do if the prince doesn’t accept the proposal?”

Rubel asked from behind. I shook my head.

“That won’t happen.”

In the basement, Hanod didn’t give me an immediate answer to my proposal.

He said he wanted to think about it until tonight.

I readily told him to do so. I was confident.

“What makes you think that?”

I stopped in place. And turned around to look at Rubel.

Rubel had an expression as if he was genuinely curious.

I kept my mouth tightly shut for a moment before answering.

“…Because I already hold too much information. Hanod isn’t a fool. He can’t not know that accepting our proposal would be advantageous for him too.”

Rubel lowered his gaze as if pondering. Then he soon nodded.

“Right, that makes sense.”

I finally couldn’t hold back and slightly frowned.

As I recalled last night’s events, a weak sigh rose again.

Walter contacted me again last night.

Since our last communication, he had been continuously investigating the Solb family in secret.

Then he discovered something suspicious.

It was about the rumors spread throughout the current Empire that the Marquis Solb family was buried in debt.

‘They were all intentionally spread rumors.’

‘You mean they weren’t squandering their fortune on debt, but secretly moving money to the Kingdom of Sorad?’

Marquis Solb was pretending his family’s finances had declined within the Empire while moving all his assets to the Kingdom of Sorad.

Since this had been going on for quite some time, the Marquis had already bought up enormous amounts of land and mansions in the Kingdom of Sorad.

Evidence was also found that he had acquired several businesses including farms, breweries, and ranches.

And all the funds used for this had unclear movement routes – in other words, they were ‘laundered’ funds.

Walter immediately expanded his investigation to the Kingdom of Sorad.

But even for Walter, gathering information from a foreign country in a short time wasn’t easy.

While he was struggling with these difficulties.

Help came from an unexpected place.

The Carton Kingdom.

Intelligence agents from the Carton Kingdom stationed in the Kingdom of Sorad had approached Walter.

They selectively provided exactly the information our side needed.

Quietly and skillfully, in secret.

Thanks to this, Walter was able to grasp the current situation of the Sorad royal family relatively quickly.

That Prince Joseph was planning to bring down King Drayden to seize the throne.

That not only had he already killed the First Prince and First Prince’s son, but now he was even conspiring with Marquis Solb to eliminate Hanod.

‘It’s useful information. Information we really need right now. But why? The Carton intelligence agents have absolutely no reason to suddenly help us.’

‘I thought the same thing. But it turns out they all seem to be Dein Jed’s people.’

Hearing that, I remembered.

What Prince Dean of Carton had said to me at the Thanksgiving gladiator event.

‘I won’t forget this favor. Including how you kept the secret about Shadow.’

At the time, I thought it was just conventional courtesy. But he actually kept his promise.

‘If I had known he had abilities in this area too, I would have built more friendship back then.’

Of course, I didn’t think he provided information simply to repay a debt.

Sorad and Carton were countries entangled in complex interests with the Empire between them.

‘Either way, Dean himself must be gaining something by helping us and Hanod.’

I could guess the inside story quite accurately.

Dean was someone who would soon stage a rebellion in Carton. And that rebellion would succeed.

I had seen it in the original story.

In the original story, he immediately declared himself emperor right after becoming king.

Dean’s power as emperor grew rapidly. Later, he even threatened the Erbia Empire.

‘As if such tremendous things could just happen overnight out of nowhere.’

In the original story, and even now.

Dean was quietly building his power and influence while holding his breath.

He recruited those he could recruit, and continued to create allies for himself. Spanning across the entire continent.

‘There’s nothing better than this incident for doing such things.’

Through this matter, he intervened in Sorad’s succession war—not too deeply, but certainly effectively.

By indirectly helping Prince Hanod of a neighboring country in distress, he put him in his debt.

If Hanod successfully ascends to the throne, he will surely help Dean in the future as well.

What goes around comes around, and politicians are particularly sensitive to such things.

Moreover, our family, a high-ranking noble house of the Empire, was also involved in this matter.

Considering the current situation where House of Tigris’s influence is growing ever larger, Dean had no reason not to align himself with this alliance.

‘Clever. Without getting too deeply involved, he’s turned both Tigris and Sorad into allies.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly and reflected on the conversations that had taken place in the basement earlier.

This matter was already somewhat on track.

Walter was continuously monitoring the situation, and Hanod would accept our proposal.

Given that, what was currently weighing on my mind was something else entirely.

I looked at Rubel standing across from me and spoke quietly.

“Your suggestion to bring Casian here was a good idea.”

Rubel glanced at Casian.

Casian was standing some distance away, waiting for us.

It seemed he had noticed the atmosphere was unusual and had stepped aside.

“Your plan to go meet the prince alone was too dangerous from the start.”

I stared at him intently before responding.

“This is Rishion. Halen’s Royal Guard members are scattered everywhere, and Sir Gaspard would have been secretly assigned as escort too.”

“….”

“Besides, would the prince recklessly attack me? Even if a conflict did arise, it would just be minor injuries at most….”

“Selene.”

Rubel frowned and cut off my words.

“What are you talking about right now.”

He took a step closer and spoke seriously.

“It’s not a minor injury.”

“What?”

“You getting hurt. It’s not minor at all.”

I looked at him silently before lowering my gaze.

Then, after taking a breath to compose myself, I spoke to Casian who was standing far away.

“…Casian. Tatio and I have something to discuss, so could you give us some space for a moment?”

Casian, who had widened his eyes, immediately responded.

“Ah, yes! I’ll do that! Please take your time.”

He bowed his waist and disappeared into the thicket.

Only after confirming that Casian had completely disappeared did I look at Rubel.

“So you.”

“….”

“You were so worried about me that you kept avoiding me all this time?”

Rubel froze momentarily.

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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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