I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 164

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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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The next afternoon.

“There’s nothing particularly detectable.”

Ansun shook his head as he set down his teacup.

Aleon let out a sigh with a complicated expression. Duke Laurent, who was sitting beside him, did the same.

They had already been holed up in the separate palace for two full days.

It was because of the ridiculous order that the major imperial nobles must guard the Imperial Palace since the Emperor was critically ill.

During the two days they stayed in the separate palace, the palace was in turmoil with various incidents.

First, Prime Minister Milano and five palace officials departed for the southern Wincenty Barony.

It was to discover the identity of the poison the Emperor had consumed.

Of course, there were also movements within the Imperial Palace to cure the Emperor’s condition.

The scholars and pharmacists belonging to the Imperial Palace didn’t step out of their respective research labs even once.

Ansun, who happened to be making a name for himself as a capable alchemist, was, strictly speaking, a victim.

He had stepped into the research lab to ‘lightly’ check whether the antidotes the pharmacists had concocted were acceptable, when,

“This is a newly concocted antidote! However, there are parts we cannot verify with our capabilities…”

“…”

“If Your Lordship could review it, we would express our gratitude wholeheartedly!”

“…Wholeheartedly, to what extent?”

“The maximum I can offer is 10 gerums per day…”

“Let’s look at it right now.”

He ended up joining the investigation unexpectedly.

Of course, there was also the influence of Duke Tigris, who urged him saying that the Emperor’s condition needed to improve so they could return to the manor even a little sooner.

“Strange indeed. All circumstances point to poison being in the tea, yet nothing is actually detected.”

Duke Laurent, Calypso, muttered in a voice mixed with sighs.

He stared at the teacup Ansun had brought with a very uncomfortable expression.

Aleon, who had been keeping silent, opened his mouth.

“It might not be a liquid-form poison.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. It could have been a gaseous or some other form of poison. If no poison was detected in the teacup, that’s the only remaining possibility.”

Calypso’s eyes gradually widened.

He quickly turned his head and ordered the palace officials who were waiting behind them.

“You heard that just now. Expand the scope of investigation in that direction.”

The palace officials bowed and quickly left the inner chamber.

Ansun, who had been standing awkwardly by the door, did the same.

“Then I’ll be going as well. There are quite a few things I need to do separately.”

When Aleon nodded, the door was soon completely closed.

A calm silence flowed through the inner chamber where the two dukes, Aleon and Calypso, remained.

Calypso was the first to speak.

“You have a troubled expression, Aleon.”

“That’s obvious. We’re about to replace the imperial throne again after ten years.”

“Watch your words. What if there are listening ears?”

Aleon let out a sneer. And he pointedly gestured around.

“How could there not be listening ears? This is the Imperial Palace. I said it because it doesn’t matter much who eavesdrops anyway.”

“Ha.”

Calypso burst into a hollow laugh.

“You’re probably the only person in the entire Empire who would say such things so casually.”

“…What’s so surprising about that now.”

Silence fell again. Aleon closed his eyes tightly and leaned back against the sofa.

His mind was endlessly complicated.

It was yesterday morning when he entered the palace after hearing the news that the Emperor had collapsed.

He had to leave the manor as soon as he finished breakfast, without even time to change his coat.

It was natural that he couldn’t see his daughter, whom he had been waiting for since weeks ago.

And that would be the same for Calypso Laurence right in front of him…

“Why exactly are you bothering me since morning?”

Still with his eyes closed, Aleon spat out irritably.

“If you’re done with your business, go to your separate room. I want to rest now.”

But Calypso didn’t budge from his seat and smiled.

“Rest? You’ve already rested enough, haven’t you? I don’t know how long it’s been since I rested this well.”

Aleon barely swallowed a sigh.

As soon as the Emperor collapsed, the Empress summoned all the provincial nobles, including high-ranking aristocrats, to the Imperial Palace.

And after providing them with inner chambers in the separate palace, she forbade them from going out for personal reasons.

“What do you think the reason is?”

Calypso’s gentle voice was heard again.

Aleon finally couldn’t stand it and opened his eyes. Then he silently raised his upper body and glared at Calypso.

“I told you. I want to rest, so get out.”

“I judged it like this. It’s to safely pass the imperial throne to the Prince.”

Aleon closed his mouth.

Calypso continued in a flat voice.

“Do you know? Duke Belmart brought private soldiers into the Imperial Palace. Well, it’s supposedly to protect the Empress and Prince.”

“…”

“But their number is as many as three hundred.”

Aleon gave no answer.

No wonder the outside of the palace was noisy; it seemed Belmart’s army was occupying the front yard.

‘It would only be possible because the Empress gave permission.’

Aleon, who swallowed his inner sneer, replied slowly.

“So what are you trying to say.”

“Do you remember? When the Previous Emperor passed away.”

Aleon flinched.

The separate palace was calm and quiet.

It didn’t feel at all like the Emperor was struggling between life and death in the main palace at the same time.

“Aleon. Yesterday and today, I suddenly had this thought. We back then… shouldn’t we have done like they are doing today.”

“…”

“We shouldn’t have just been sad about Jesper’s departure. We should have led private soldiers and seized control of the palace.”

“…”

“And we should have become the fence so that the Former Prince could safely inherit the throne.”

“…”

A silence of a different nature from before, much heavier and colder, descended.

Aleon stared intently at Calypso. Calypso chuckled.

“I guess I can’t be alone because that has become a regret. You know how I get lonely.”

Aleon frowned with an absurd expression.

“Really…”

“Also, it’s hard to ignore when you’re making such a troubled expression.”

“What?”

“Aleon. Let me say just one thing. How untrustworthy must you usually be for that to happen?”

At the sight of Calypso smiling leisurely, Aleon’s lips parted slightly.

“Are you crazy, Calypso?”

“Hardly. I’m now talking about how a child’s avoidance of conversation is basically the parent’s fault. Selene’s not opening up to you is also entirely your fault.”

Aleon’s eyes slowly widened.

After staring at Duke Laurent with a speechless expression for several seconds, he said.

“…Where did you hear that?”

“I didn’t hear it, I read it. Your expression.”

“….”

After the Diamant Incident that occurred in Rishion.

Aleon’s insides had been restless without fail every single day.

‘Why won’t she tell me?’

‘Your Excellency, if you ask me that….’

When he couldn’t stand it anymore and complained, Walter would make an expression as if he found it absurd.

As a result, Aleon simply couldn’t find an answer.

He had already noticed long ago that Selene was using abilities through the relic.

There had been a commotion in Rishion, but how could he not know about it in the first place?

Though their relationship was rather distant, he was still Selene’s father.

There was no way he wouldn’t notice the way her mouth area would strangely stiffen when she lied,

or how her blinking frequency would noticeably decrease.

And most decisively, most of the tasks Selene entrusted to Walter were already being reported to him as well.

If he knew what the child asked Walter to do, he could naturally see what kind of plans she was preparing.

‘Recently, it seemed like she was protecting the Sorad prince.’

Aleon quietly frowned.

It wasn’t difficult to notice the things Selene was hiding.

If he put his mind to it, he could thoroughly investigate everything.

But he deliberately chose not to do so, and instead pretended not to know.

For the very simple reason that Selene seemed to want to hide it.

And above all, he thought that if he waited, someday that child would open up to him directly.

When the child was very young.

When she would readily call for ‘mama’ but rarely said the word ‘papa,’ causing him worry,

he often remembered the advice Hemera had given him.

‘Wait patiently, Aleon. Don’t be impatient.’

So he waited.

It wasn’t time yet.

Someday she would open her heart to him.

Until then, pretending not to know would be less burdensome for that child too.

But then, in the midst of all this, the Diamant Incident erupted.

When the child disappeared in the forest.

When the relic commotion occurred.

When he met his daughter again among the magical beasts.

There were many things he wanted to ask. But Aleon swallowed all those questions.

He didn’t know what expression to wear or how to ask.

It was such a difficult time for him that he could confidently say he had never agonized more in his life.

Even after things were roughly settled, he constantly felt like he was an incompetent father.

But when that frustration and helplessness reached its peak….

I have something I want to tell you in person. I’ll be going out soon, so let’s meet then, Father.

I miss you.

He received a letter from Rishion.

Aleon felt his heart sink when he saw that last sentence that seemed to be written with deliberate pressure.

He counted down the days until the outing Selene had mentioned.

Resolving to listen calmly to whatever his daughter said, whatever she confessed.

And resolving to confess all the stories he had kept hidden inside as well.

Little did he know that on the very day he could finally see his child’s face after such long anticipation, he would suddenly be dragged to the Imperial Palace.

Aleon looked at Calypso again with a bewildered expression.

Except for Walter, he had never revealed his troubled feelings to anyone.

He was puzzled about how this annoying fellow knew about his and Selene’s affairs.

“You read expressions?”

“Yeah. You used to make that face all the time before too, didn’t you? Especially when you fought with Hemera—it was a face that came out often then, so it was quite nostalgic to see it after so long.”

Aleon opened his mouth, feeling bewildered and slightly uncomfortable.

“What are you, Calypso….”

“What are you worrying about? Just make the child a little more comfortable.”

“…What?”

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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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