I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 171

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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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“Michael? How did you get here…?”

Paul stammered as if confused.

The Emperor, who had been looking at him with a strange gaze, opened his mouth.

“I called him.”

“Your Majesty…!”

Paul hurriedly bowed his head. His gaze shook unsteadily.

“How long was I unconscious?”

The Emperor’s voice was quite serious.

Michael answered.

“Today is the fifth day.”

“I see. It was a curse, wasn’t it?”

Paul flinched and trembled while keeping his head bowed.

But he quickly gathered himself and listened to the conversation between the Emperor and Michael.

“It was indeed a curse. The poison in the tea you drank on the day you collapsed seems to have become the medium for the curse.”

“…And the culprit wasn’t found.”

“I’m sorry to say, that’s correct.”

The Emperor sighed and rubbed his rough cheek.

“How did it go – did the envoy from Tasen arrive safely in the Empire?”

“I understand that Oscar is monitoring the situation.”

The Emperor’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“Oscar? What is Milan Regent doing?”

Paul, who had been listening, hurriedly raised his head.

“About that, Your Majesty. Milan Regent is…”

But Michael was faster.

“The Regent went to Wincenty Barony to find an antidote. He should have received word that Your Majesty has awakened by now, so he’ll likely return soon.”

Paul looked at Michael with a bewildered expression.

“What business does Milan Regent have accompanying the search for an antidote? There must have been mountains of unfinished work while I was bedridden – what happened to all of that!”

“Chairman Oscar handled most of it. When Lady Tigris came to the palace, it was also the Chairman who let her in.”

“…Hah.”

The Emperor let out a sigh. His face showed an expression of disbelief.

Paul, observing the Emperor’s complexion, hurriedly spoke up.

“Y-Your Majesty, let me explain…”

“You be quiet!”

The Emperor’s gaze was ice-cold.

“You summoned every single noble, didn’t you, Paul.”

“Yes, yes…?”

At Paul’s foolish question, the Emperor showed an openly displeased expression.

“What were you thinking? What was your reason for suddenly summoning the imperial nobles to the separate palace?”

Paul’s complexion turned pale.

Come to think of it, he had encountered Duke Harold on his way here.

The Duke had said that the Emperor had given him permission to return to his estate.

‘That means he knows everything about how the nobles were being detained at the Imperial Palace…’

Paul hurriedly opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty! It’s not like that, there’s been a misunderstanding…”

Then he stopped.

‘…Wait, how did he catch on so quickly?’

Paul’s gaze slowly turned toward Michael. He immediately hardened his expression frighteningly.

“Did Cardinal Michael perhaps tell you such things? Your Majesty! I would never…!”

“I heard it from the Empress!”

Paul’s eyes widened as he closed his mouth.

“As soon as I regained consciousness, the Empress came to see me.”

“Y-Your Majesty.”

“As soon as I collapsed, you wanted to gather the nobles at the separate palace, and Grace was so anxious about it that she had Duke Belmart deploy troops at the Imperial Palace.”

“Th-that was…”

“What kind of chaos is this-!!”

With his mind going blank, Paul kept his mouth tightly shut.

Even in the midst of this, he could clearly see that Grace had cut ties and pinned the blame on him.

But before he could think of a countermeasure, the Emperor’s stern voice flew at him.

“You’d better answer honestly. My patience isn’t what it used to be.”

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“While I was hovering between life and death! Were you trying to convene a general assembly?”

Paul, startled, desperately waved his hands.

“N-no, it wasn’t like that!”

“When the Dearmant horde appeared in Rision. You raised your voice at me, the supreme ruler of the Empire.”

“Th-that was!”

“I understood then. No matter how insolent you were, I thought it was understandable from the Order’s position and let it slide! But what if you cross the line again this time?”

“…”

“Are you really testing my patience?!”

In front of Paul, who couldn’t give any answer, the Emperor’s eyebrows rose fiercely.

“What you were trying to pull is obvious! You were going to push through the construction of the Central Temple, weren’t you?! Taking advantage of my unconsciousness!”

Paul flinched and raised his eyes.

And he looked at the Emperor with complex eyes.

‘…I wondered if he had found out about my plan to rename the Empire as a sacred nation.’

If Simon was making such a misunderstanding, it was fortunate amid the misfortune.

A hint of relief flickered in Paul’s eyes.

The Emperor, seemingly unaware of this, continued his tirade.

“I am the sun of the Empire! Why don’t you understand that the rise and fall of the Order all depends on my hands!”

“…”

“While you were only scheming for the Order’s benefit, Michael found the saint and saved my life!”

Upon hearing that, Paul’s face stiffened again.

“Did you just… say saint?”

“Yes! Saint! If it wasn’t a saint who saved me from dying of a curse, then what was it? What would have happened if Lady Tigris hadn’t been there!”

“…”

“According to Michael, it was a dangerous curse that wasn’t even known to the public. She came to the Imperial Palace prepared to be expelled and managed to purify it…”

The Emperor’s voice was filled with emotion.

Paul barely swallowed the sigh that was about to escape.

The Emperor clicked his tongue and looked at Michael beside him.

“Is Lady Tigris coming to the palace now?”

“She should arrive soon.”

“I see.”

The Emperor glared at Paul again.

“You will be confined to quarters. It would be best if you stayed out of my sight for a while.”

Paul’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Your Majesty, you will need me! Without me, how will the minor sacred rituals and purifications within the Imperial Palace…”

“No need to worry. Cardinal Michael has agreed to oversee them for the time being.”

“Wh-what do you mean by that?”

The Emperor slowly frowned.

“Are you interrogating me right now?”

Paul froze in bewilderment, then quickly shook his head.

“N-no, that’s not it… I apologize. For a moment I…”

“Hevan! Drag this insolent fool out immediately!”

Soon the commander of the Imperial Knights guarding the entrance to the bedchamber strode forward and blocked Paul’s path.

“Please leave now, Cardinal.”

“But…!”

Paul hesitated and stepped back, unable to continue his words.

Beyond the knight commander’s body blocking his view, the Emperor’s voice could be heard.

“Tell me more about the purification performed by Lady Tigris. If it was a curse so powerful that even Michael couldn’t notice it, does that mean the Lady possesses divine power?”

“It’s quite complicated to explain. From what I’ve personally observed, the divine power the Lady possesses is indeed quite special.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Paul desperately strained his ears as he was being pushed away.

“To put it bluntly, the Lady is a soul chosen by God. Though she hasn’t fully awakened yet.”

Paul’s eyes widened in shock.

“A chosen soul? Are you saying the Lady’s divine power is not ordinary?”

“Yes. The Relics all respond to the Lady as well.”

The Emperor’s face hardened in surprise as he muttered to himself.

“Weren’t the Relics something that even Pope Pector couldn’t fully resonate with?”

Michael nodded. Then he continued.

“Your Majesty, I have seen the Lady’s vessel with my own two eyes.”

The Emperor looked at Michael.

“Currently, the Lady’s divine power is at a minimal level. However, the vessel that can contain it is larger than that of the current Pope.”

Paul froze in place with a pale complexion.

Michael’s voice continued to be heard.

“The Lady will manifest tremendous abilities in the future.”

“…”

“When that day comes, there will be no one throughout this entire continent who possesses greater divine power than the Lady.”

Paul’s hands trembled weakly. The situation was taking a serious turn.

Nevertheless, Michael’s calm voice continued.

“Your Majesty. Lady Tigris saved Your Majesty’s life, and she is also a precious talent who will become the hope of The Order in the future.”

“…”

“Therefore, if you would grant permission, I would like to discuss with His Holiness the Pope about bestowing upon the Lady the title of Saint.”

With those final words, the inner door of the chamber closed firmly right in front of Paul’s nose.

The beginning of spring.

Winter, which had desperately poured cold rain, had completely passed.

The rumors that had swept through the Empire about the Emperor being on the brink of death slowly but surely subsided.

It began when the Emperor started appearing one by one at official occasions.

In the noticeably stabilized atmosphere of the Empire, students from Rishion who had come out for outings were enjoying their vacation.

Once they returned to the Academy, there would be no time to rest properly until this time next year.

On the evening three days before their return.

A grand banquet was held in the Imperial Palace garden where new buds had grown a span tall.

“Congratulations, Aleon.”

The Emperor’s voice echoed through the banquet hall.

His voice, having fully regained its strength, seemed even more dignified.

“I am honored.”

“Honored, indeed. It is I who should be grateful. Thanks to you, I saved my life.”

The Emperor smiled brightly and patted Duke Tigris on the shoulder. Someone approached them.

“I greet the Empire’s sole sun, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, Lady! How is it? Do you like the banquet I prepared?”

Selene politely clasped her hands together and smiled.

“Yes. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a grand banquet.”

“It’s the official day when the Lady has established herself as a Saint of The Order, so I can certainly do this much.”

As Selene smiled again, the hem of her pure white dress swayed gracefully.

Eyes naturally gathered below her fair, long neck.

Above the pearl-decorated front of her dress, a pendant that she hadn’t hidden unlike usual times was sparkling.

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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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