I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 158

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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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Sadina, who had been discussing dormitory room reassignments with the administrator, turned her head.

Someone had suddenly grabbed her arm tightly.

Sadina’s eyes narrowed as she identified the person.

“What do you want?”

“Why did I fail?”

Sadina raised one eyebrow.

“What?”

“Something, something seems wrong, Vice Chancellor. The list… the list is incorrect.”

Anita smiled awkwardly.

Her lips curved upward, but her eyes weren’t smiling at all—a bizarre expression.

She continued rambling like a machine.

“Please check again. My name is Anita Solb, I was in the same group as Hanod, the Prince of Sorad, and all my other group members passed. But I… So why am I on the failure list…”

“Ah, yes. You.”

Sadina smiled. Then she slowly turned her body toward her.

“I watched your exam performance well. Your ability is decent, but you’re not very bright. You seem quite self-righteous too.”

“…What, excuse me?”

“Still, protective abilities are rare, so I was going to be lenient at first. I’m quite a compassionate person, you see. How much I agonized over it!”

Sadina tapped the document folder she was holding with her index finger.

“Why did only you fail?”

Then she spoke in a very gentle voice.

“Because only you, unlike your other group members, achieved those results despite knowing the exam questions in advance.”

Sadina smiled coldly.

“There’s no error in the announcement. You failed, Anita Solb.”

Knock knock.

The sound of knocking on the door could be heard softly.

Anita sat blankly on her bed without moving.

Knock knock knock—

The knocking grew louder.

When there was still no response, a brief curse could be heard from outside the door.

Soon there was a click— as the latch was forcibly opened. Bright light poured into the dark room.

Anita reflexively frowned and looked up blankly.

Norman Solb entered, holding keys in his hand. He wore a pitch-black bonnet and coat.

“You still haven’t come to your senses.”

Norman muttered lowly, frowning deeply as he quickly scanned the room.

He could see Anita’s luggage bag half-open and spilling out of the wardrobe.

Next to it, several textbooks and an ink bottle were scattered and rolling around.

“That damned habit of yours.”

Norman held his forehead.

He sighed briefly, then walked to the center of the room.

He began quickly gathering Anita’s belongings and stuffing them into the bag.

“Get up, come to your senses, and put on your coat. A carriage is waiting behind the tower.”

Anita’s unfocused eyes suddenly turned toward Norman.

“…Carriage?”

“Yes. We’re departing for the estate.”

Anita staggered to her feet. Then she blankly looked over Norman’s attire.

“Brother, you too?”

Norman let out an irritated sigh.

“Did you think I’d continue working here after being caught stealing exam questions?”

Anita froze.

“I was fired. Because of you. The only fortunate thing is that the Chancellor handled the matter quietly out of old friendship.”

“…”

“Without that, you and I, our entire family would have been utterly disgraced. Do you understand?”

Norman growled as he walked to the wardrobe.

He pulled out the coat hanging in front and threw it to Anita.

“Stop dawdling and follow me right now.”

Anita reflexively caught the clothes and stared blankly at Norman as he strode out of the room with the luggage bag.

What she held in her hands was a thick robe lined with wool inside.

‘Isn’t this too drab? I should pack something prettier instead.’

‘Wake up, Anita. It’ll be incredibly cold when you’re active at the Academy. Are you planning to catch a cold and bother me again?’

Her teeth clenched, and her eyes stung.

This was the clothing she had packed the night before departing for the Academy, after listening to Hanod’s words.

‘I packed it because I thought it would be cold, to avoid catching a cold.’

She never imagined, truly never knew, that she would wear it when returning home after failing the exam.

Anita held her breath.

But before she could dwell on her sadness, an irritated voice came from outside the door.

“Please, for the love of—! Can’t you move faster?”

Anita wrapped the clothes around herself with trembling hands. Then she took a step forward.

Hanod’s room was on a different floor from hers.

But before leaving, she should be able to see his face briefly.

‘I need to tell him to be careful of that girl.’

Without her there, she didn’t know how Seleneae Tigris might manipulate Hanod again.

“Brother, let me go upstairs for just a moment…”

“If you’re thinking of seeing the Prince, don’t even dream of it.”

Anita stopped and looked up at Norman.

“We’re leaving right now.”

“But…”

“If you have even the slightest desire to make up for your damned mistake, don’t say another word and follow me. I won’t say it twice.”

Norman applied pressure to the hand he placed on Anita’s shoulder. It wasn’t very painful, but it was humiliating.

Anita bit her lip hard and looked down.

Normally, she would have confronted her brother. But not now.

She had neither the strength nor was it the right situation.

Even right now, several new students were gathered at the end of the corridor, glancing at her and Norman.

They kept whispering something while looking at Anita.

“This way.”

Anita followed Norman, who led the way, leaving them behind.

Norman, who had been an administrator at Rishion, knew the tower’s hidden passages very well.

When he opened a rusty iron door at the end of the third-floor corridor, narrow stairs leading outdoors appeared.

The stairs were steep with no railings. Anita unconsciously looked down the stairs and froze.

As Norman had said, a carriage bearing the House of Solb’s crest was indeed waiting below.

Norman, who had gone down first, loaded Anita’s bag into the luggage compartment. Then he opened the rear seat door and gestured.

Anita descended the stairs with an expressionless face and got into the carriage. Norman immediately followed.

The moment the door closed with a thud.

“Is this the child?”

Anita looked up startled. Someone was already in the dim carriage.

“Yes. Please forgive me for introducing her in such circumstances due to the unfavorable situation.”

Anita stiffly looked back and forth between the unknown woman across from her and Norman.

“Though still immature, she possesses everything you desire. She’s clever and quick at calculations, so she’ll surely be helpful.”

“I see. I trust the words of Duke Solb and you. You deliberately ruined your exam to help me? What a truly wise young lady.”

The woman smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Around her wrist was a bracelet made of pure gold. In the center was embedded a brilliant purple sapphire.

The woman extended her pristine white hand toward Anita.

“Please take care of me, Lady Solb. I hear there will be many occasions for you to help me in the future.”

“…What?”

The woman’s eyes widened, then she made an “ah” sound and laughed.

“Right, come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself. This is just like me. When I’m in a hurry, I often forget proper procedures.”

Norman immediately interjected.

“What do you mean, Your Majesty? There are no procedures you need to follow.”

Anita flinched and stiffened, then slowly opened her mouth.

Your Majesty?

She quickly turned her head to look directly at Norman. The woman smiled elegantly.

“Your Majesty, really now. You’re quite impatient.”

Norman replied with a painted smile.

“Then what else should I call someone who will become the Queen, if not Your Majesty?”

The woman didn’t answer. But a very satisfied smile appeared on her lips.

She looked intently at Norman and Anita as she spoke.

“Still, I’m merely a princess consort for now. Whether I become Queen or not depends on what you and Lady Solb do, doesn’t it?”

Only then did Anita manage to part her tightly closed lips.

“So, Sorad’s…”

“Oh, yes. Now you seem to remember.”

Seeing the woman’s smile made her mind go even blanker.

“Jose… no, why is His Highness the Second Prince’s consort…”

Joseph, the current Second Prince of Sorad.

He had taken a princess consort twenty years younger than himself at a relatively late age.

Annette Peil.

The woman before her was undoubtedly her.

“I’ve finished talking with Duke Solb, but I still have things to discuss with you.”

Annette smiled sweetly.

“You’re such close friends with my husband’s dear nephew, aren’t you?”

The exam was completely over.

Rishion reassigned dormitories for the successful candidates.

The entrance ceremony was held privately.

Thanks to the earlier schedule disruptions, by the time preparatory education was finishing, the winter winds had died down.

The weather warmed quickly, and the Empire welcomed spring.

“…I can’t get out.”

As I quietly removed my hand from the carriage handle, Rosette and Estelin’s eyes widened.

“What are you talking about now? You’ve been singing about wanting to go home for the past few months?”

“No, that’s true, but…”

“Get out quickly! I promised to go see a play with Estelin this afternoon. Even if we go prepare now, we’ll be late.”

“A play? Rose, aren’t you going to stop by the manor?”

Rosette waved her hand dismissively as if answering was bothersome.

“Recently, another set of twins came to the manor. Just to avoid seeing that sight, I won’t go home during this outing period.”

“That’s…”

As I trailed off with surprised eyes, Rosette said.

“Forget it, our parents probably don’t even know I’m out anyway? They weren’t particularly interested in me from the beginning.”

“…”

“Anyway, so get out quickly. Even if that’s how it is for me, you have someone waiting for you at home with their neck stretched out.”

When I turned my gaze, I could see the guards waiting outside the door.

From their attire, they were ones Father had sent directly.

“Since it’s been so long, I should explain what happened properly too.”

“That’s right, Selene, you’ve had a lot on your mind. I’ll be praying that your conversation goes well.”

Estelin smiled warmly as she chimed in. I nodded and reluctantly got out of the carriage.

It was the day I finished the long journey and set foot in the Empire for the first time as an official Academy student.

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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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