I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 159

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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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As soon as I entered the manor, the smell of baking bread wafted through the air.

In the meantime, new servants seemed to have been hired, as several maids I’d never seen before politely received luggage from the coachman.

I walked down the corridor with a dazed expression at the sight of the manor I was seeing after so long.

Then, someone came running hurriedly from beside the stairs.

“Miss—!!”

The one with tears welling up in her eyes was none other than Anna.

“Anna!”

“My goodness, have you been well all this time? No, your pretty face has become half of what it was!”

Anna restlessly withdrew the hand she had extended toward me. I smiled awkwardly.

“Do I look that way?”

“Yes! Why have you become so thin? Have you been eating properly? How could…”

Then Peony, who had been standing beside her, gently scolded Anna.

“Anna, that’s enough. She must be tired.”

At those words, Anna jumped in surprise and stepped back. Then she clapped both hands to her cheeks.

“Oh my, I must have really lost my mind. Seeing your face made me so happy and relieved…”

After exhaling, Anna quickly took the small bag I had been carrying.

“Please go up to your room first. I’ve prepared everything so you can wash and have a meal.”

But I stopped nodding and looked around.

“But where is the Duke?”

Anna’s eyes widened as she asked.

“The Duke?”

“I mean Father. Isn’t he home?”

Anna made an “ah” sound and anxiously lowered her eyebrows.

“Well… actually, he waited for you all morning today.”

Then she looked back at Peony with a troubled expression.

“He went to the Imperial Palace just a little while ago. Walter went with him too. There was an urgent summons from the Imperial Palace.”

My eyes widened.

“An urgent summons? What on earth could have happened?”

Anna’s eyebrows drooped.

“I don’t really know either…”

That’s when it happened.

“The Emperor was the target of a poisoning attempt.”

Someone came down from the second-floor stairs with a tired face and spoke. I looked at the person standing before me with a shocked expression.

It was Ansun, with his usual exhausted expression clearly visible.

Ansun bowed at the waist in greeting and smiled wryly at me.

“It’s been quite a while. I’m sorry to have to deliver such unpleasant news upon seeing you.”

I was at a loss for words and closed my mouth.

Ansun continued speaking calmly as if he had expected such a reaction.

“To explain briefly, most of the elite knights went to the Imperial Palace with His Grace. So we don’t have many troops to guard the manor.”

Then he sighed.

“Also, I need to go to the Imperial Palace now too…”

Ansun looked intently at my luggage that the servants were holding and said.

“Lady, please go to the Laurent Estate for now. The arrangements have probably already been made.”

I asked back with a confused expression.

“What do you mean? Suddenly telling me to go to the Laurent Estate.”

“Well…”

Ansun started to say something but closed his mouth. Then he shrugged his shoulders.

“Because it’s dangerous. For you to stay at the manor alone.”

“…”

“Please go quickly. I need to confirm that you safely arrive at the Laurent Estate before I can go about my business.”

Then he gestured for the servants carrying my luggage to follow.

The servants standing beside the corridor moved busily.

The manor door opened wide again to reload the luggage.

Outside, an ominous atmosphere had already settled.

Twenty Tigris elite knights were lined up on both sides of the entrance. The one at the front was Kopel.

Our eyes met, but instead of his usual playful demeanor, Kopel greeted me with a formal silent bow.

Ansun looked back at me.

“This might seem a bit ridiculous, but it’s somewhat of an emergency. It won’t hurt for us to be careful.”

I was frozen in place, not knowing how to respond.

Suddenly someone hurried over and supported one of my arms.

It was Anna, her complexion having turned cold.

“Anna…?”

When I asked with a puzzled face, Anna answered incoherently.

“It’s okay, Miss. It will be okay.”

I slowly closed my mouth.

“The things you’re worried about won’t happen, so it’s okay, Miss.”

My eyes widened slightly.

‘What am I worried about?’

Anna seemed to be trying hard to calm me down.

But it seemed like she was the one who really needed calming, not me.

Something suddenly flashed through my mind.

‘…Right. Come to think of it.’

Both Ansun and Anna.

The Emperor was the target of a poisoning attempt, yet for some reason they seemed to be concerned about me.

The atmosphere at the manor was also more serious than necessary.

‘The Emperor was the target of a poisoning attempt, so why are they strengthening the manor’s security?’

As soon as I thought about it, I felt like I knew the reason.

Because something similar had happened at this manor before.

‘…Right. They said it rained tremendously that day too.’

I came outside and looked up.

The clear sky from earlier was nowhere to be seen, and it looked like it would pour rain at any moment.

I could feel Anna’s trembling as she supported my arm.

I placed my hand over Anna’s while keeping my mouth tightly shut.

Because I now completely understood why she was so frightened.

Since Selene was nine years old then, it was probably ten years ago.

It was a day with thunderstorms, and Duke Tigris was away from the manor just like today.

That day, the Duchess was attacked.

“Selene!”

Estelin came running across the garden. Beside her was Rosette with a pale complexion.

“Are you okay? Nothing happened to you?”

I nodded my head.

When I turned around, I could see the Tigris elite knights who had already surrounded the manor without gaps and taken up defensive positions.

Inside the garden, there were also countless Laurent knights.

“Wh-what on earth is all this…”

Beside Estelin, who was glancing fearfully outside the gate, Rosette spoke.

“Let’s go inside first. This isn’t something to talk about here.”

At the same time as those words, thick raindrops began to fall from the sky.

Soon there was a flash of light followed by a rumbling thunder.

It was quite a tumultuous weather for spring rain.

“So you’re saying the Empress summoned all of the Four Dukes? Even Duke Haren?”

“That’s what I’m telling you. She said if they don’t come, she’ll consider it treason.”

My head cleared and settled.

‘Should I say it was fortunate that I brought Rubel to the Empire?’

Over the past few weeks, I had spent quite busy days within Rishion.

First, I completed the entrance ceremony and preliminary education, and in my spare time investigated the Temple and the ancient god Fluma.

Monitoring the movements of the Kingdom of Sorad was equally busy work.

Rubel was the same. He devoted himself to training without missing a single day.

He went through three different instructors that Duke Haren had assigned him in less than a month.

It was because his learning ability was indescribably remarkable.

Even after completing that packed schedule, he continued training to handle mana at night.

And he didn’t forget to come see me in his spare time.

When I briefly left Rishion for my first outing, he followed without hesitation.

However, this time he didn’t accompany me as a knight of Tigris like before.

He accompanied me as the Prince of Haren and my prospective fiancé.

“Come to think of it, where is Tatio?”

I answered calmly.

“Duke Haren owns a manor in the Empire. He doesn’t use it, but there’s someone who manages it, so he probably went there.”

“That’s a relief then.”

Silence fell once again. I looked at Estelin’s face full of worry and asked carefully.

“Duke Laurent also went to the Imperial Palace, didn’t he?”

“Yes. When we arrived, he had already left the manor.”

“Do they have any suspects for the culprit?”

“The servant who poisoned His Majesty’s tea was found dead by suicide… so currently that person seems to be considered the most likely culprit.”

“…But since they committed suicide, it’ll be difficult to torture them to find out what kind of poison it was.”

Estelin nodded with a pale face.

“That’s right. Seeing that even powerful healing abilities can’t detoxify it, it doesn’t seem to be a simple poison…”

Rosette sighed beside us.

“How did this happen right when we went out? I was hoping to rest properly for once.”

Though her voice was complaining, I knew Rosette was trying to ease our tension.

Estelin looked up with a start.

“But what happened with you, Selene? I was surprised when I suddenly received word that you were coming here. Did something happen at the manor?”

“Ah, that’s…”

I blinked with a troubled expression and smiled awkwardly.

“Everyone at the manor didn’t like me staying alone at the manor.”

Rosette’s eyes widened.

“Why?”

“There was a similar situation before, and that’s when Duchess Tigris, no, our mother passed away.”

Rosette closed her mouth. Estelin’s complexion turned pale.

“…I know. That day… That’s right. That happened.”

When I nodded, Estelin stared at me with sad eyes.

“You must have been very scared, Selene. Of course Tigris Estate would be safe, but still, there’s no need to stay alone. You did well to come.”

I smiled sheepishly. Rosette said.

“Anyway, both Duke Tigris and Duke Laurent. It seems difficult for them to return today.”

“…”

“Selene, are you okay?”

I slowly raised my gaze.

The reason Rosette asked if I was okay was because I had been looking forward to talking with the Duke, that is, Father, right up until before the outing.

While at the Academy, I had been steadily exchanging greetings with Father through communication stones.

But still, I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.

The story about the sacred relic, the story about my abilities.

Even all the secrets that the ancient god Fluma and the Temple were hiding.

I had only confided in Estelin and Rosette, but there were many stories I hadn’t even hinted at to Father yet.

‘I was planning to tell him everything this time and apologize for hiding it all this while.’

Suddenly the Emperor was subjected to a poisoning attempt.

‘What the hell is going on.’

My brow furrowed slightly.

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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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