I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 174

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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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“Selene!”

Estelin came running across the garden of the Laurent Estate.

Then she politely bowed to Father beside me.

“Have you been well, Duke Tigris?”

“Yes.”

I smiled awkwardly at the sight of the two looking uncomfortable.

We had just arrived at the House of Laurent. We had a lunch appointment scheduled at the manor.

“You came quite early.”

Then I heard a grumbling voice from behind.

Duke Laurent was standing behind us, having arrived at some point.

Father let out a tired sigh.

“What do you want me to do about official duties running late?”

“Oh, right. I suppose that would be the case.”

Duke Laurent placed a hand on Father’s shoulder and smiled.

Then he turned his gaze to me.

“More importantly, congratulations, Selene. On receiving the title of Saint.”

I glanced back at Father and smiled awkwardly.

“Thank you, Duke.”

Duke Laurent patted my shoulder a couple of times as if he was proud.

“Estelin has been talking about you quite a bit. She’s full of enthusiasm about helping you develop your holy power from now on.”

“F-Father…!”

Estelin waved her hands with a reddened face. Duke Laurent burst into laughter.

Then he stretched out a hand as if to change the subject and pointed ahead of us.

“Well, anyway. Let’s go inside first. It’s past mealtime, so you must be hungry.”

We nodded and moved our steps inside.

Lunch was flawlessly perfect.

‘It would have been nice if Eria were here. That child loves this steak very much.’

The main dish steak was made from the meat of a deer called Renix that could only be hunted on the plains of the Laurent Domain.

The meat was as delicious as it was expensive.

‘Of course, this doesn’t apply to the House of Laurent, which is practically the source of Renix meat…’

The Duke seemed quite bothered by Eria’s absence.

Sure enough, Estelin, who was walking beside me, said:

“Eria has been strange lately. Yesterday and the day before, she keeps going out.”

Then she sighed.

“She’s returning in two days, so I won’t see her for a while again, but it seems she doesn’t want to spend time with me anymore.”

I asked Estelin, who looked somewhat sad, playfully:

“Could it be that she has a lover?”

“A lover?!”

Estelin jumped up from her seat.

“Well, yes… Eria is already fourteen, isn’t she? She’s certainly old enough for that.”

“Al-already…”

Estelin, who had been looking down at the ground with a shocked expression, raised her gaze.

“Come to think of it, really… Goodness, I thought Eria would always be a baby…”

I held back my laughter and started walking again. Estelin hurriedly followed behind me.

“Come to think of it, whenever Eria comes home, her cheeks are always flushed.”

“Really?”

“Yes! And she laughs to herself at random times…”

I nodded inwardly.

‘If her cheeks are getting flushed and she’s giggling to herself at random times…’

Eria must definitely be in love.

It’s embarrassing to say, but I knew because I had been acting the same way for the past few months.

Ahem, I cleared my throat and said:

“Don’t worry too much about it. Eria is so sharp, she wouldn’t pick up some strange guy from somewhere.”

“Right? He should be kind and good…”

Estelin, whose eyes were filled with worry as she trailed off, looked at me.

“But what about you, Selene? Did you have a good talk with the Duke last night? The atmosphere didn’t seem bad at the dinner table.”

I smiled awkwardly.

“I’m not sure. I said I would try.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

I closed my mouth without answering.

Last night, I had told Father everything I could reveal at this point.

This meant that Father now knew most of my situation.

‘Compared to before, this is really remarkable progress.’

But there was just one thing.

No matter how much courage I mustered, there was something I couldn’t say.

Namely, that I wasn’t the real owner of this body.

I absolutely couldn’t bring myself to reveal that truth.

That was on a completely different level from the other secrets.

‘…I can’t reveal it now, and I won’t be able to even decades from now.’

I forcibly shook off the thoughts that began rising in my head. And I smiled awkwardly at Estelin.

“You know I’m originally a bit clumsy at conversation. I guess that’s why.”

Estelin, who had been looking at me with a surprised face, quickly shook her head.

Then she firmly grasped my hand.

“Selene. You’re doing well even now.”

“…”

“You’ve had many big problems in such a short time, but you’ve bravely overcome them all. So whatever it is, you have nothing to worry about in the future.”

Instead of answering, I smiled awkwardly.

And as I walked awkwardly, I suddenly asked:

“Wait, come to think of it, where’s Rosette? I thought she said she would stay at the Laurent Estate for the entire outing period.”

Estelin made an “ah” sound and answered.

“She has some business at the manor for a moment. She said she’d be back by evening.”

“I see.”

“Yes.”

Peaceful silence descended on the corridor again.

The sound of birds chirping softly could be heard through the window beside us.

As I was listening to that sound absentmindedly, Estelin chuckled.

“It was like a vacation outing, but it passed by too quickly, didn’t it?”

When I nodded, Estelin answered brightly.

“Still, I’m looking forward to it. When we go back, we’ll receive proper education, so I think there will be quite a lot to learn. And Selene, you have things you need to do separately too.”

I looked out the window with serious eyes.

‘I did become a Saint following Michael’s advice…’

When I thought about developing the holy power that was supposedly latent within me, I felt a bit overwhelmed.

I wonder if Father had been feeling like this all along.

All of this was too sudden for me.

Perhaps reading my complicated expression, Estelin spoke again in a lively voice.

“I’ll help you earnestly. I learned the methods thoroughly from His Eminence the Cardinal.”

Estelin’s eyes sparkled brightly.

I had no choice but to force another smile and began walking down the corridor again.

Then, something in the distance caught my eye.

I stopped in my tracks.

“That room is….”

An old teal nameplate hanging on the door.

That was definitely Lady Kione’s painting room that we had all tried to visit together last time.

“That’s the room, right? Lady Kione’s Secret Gallery.”

Estelin smiled as if embarrassed.

“Yes, that’s right. Really, Eria, giving Mother’s painting room such a strange name… Selene?”

Estelin, who had been speaking, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

It was because I had started walking briskly toward that room.

I reached the door, checked the nameplate, then quickly asked.

“About the painting we couldn’t see that time. Could I take a look at it now?”

Estelin, who had been frozen, hurriedly approached. Then she nodded with a bewildered face.

“Ah, yes…! Of course.”

She approached the door and opened it.

Soon the dark interior was revealed.

I quickly scanned the barely visible interior with serious eyes.

‘That time, definitely….’

Inside, several paintings were standing against the wall. In the corner, I could also see the shape of a canvas covered with cloth.

But because the curtains were tightly drawn, I couldn’t examine the paintings in detail.

Estelin quickly approached near the window inside the room.

“Just a moment, I’ll draw back the curtains.”

Then she grabbed the thick black curtains and began pulling them apart to both sides.

Soon, the room gradually brightened.

I narrowed my eyes while fixing my gaze on a medium-sized painting placed in front.

‘It was some kind of portrait.’

That day, through the slightly opened crack in the door, I had briefly glimpsed one of Lady Kione’s paintings.

But something was strange.

For a moment, I felt like I had seen Lady Kione’s painting somewhere before.

‘What was it? There’s no way I could have seen Lady Kione’s painting before.’

Just as I thought that, the curtains were completely drawn back.

Brilliant sunlight poured into the room.

I squinted at the suddenly brightened surroundings, then shifted my gaze back to the painting.

And slowly opened my mouth.

After that….

“Selene!”

My legs gave out and I collapsed to the floor.

“Kione, what are you painting this time?”

The painting had been created quite a long time ago.

“She said she’s going to paint a self-portrait.”

“A self-portrait all of a sudden?”

The Empress’s Palace on a certain day over ten years ago.

On the lawn where spring flowers bloomed profusely, soft fabric was spread out cushily.

The woman lying on it with cushions propped behind her was Charlotte, the Empire’s Empress, also known by another name as Sharlina.

She closed her eyes with a peaceful expression, her hand resting on her heavily pregnant belly.

“I like the sound of Kione painting. It seems to make my heart feel peaceful.”

“Then shall I paint beside you too?”

“No, Hemera, I’ll pass on that.”

Playful voices went back and forth.

The woman called Hemera approached the canvas that was in the middle of being colored, with a curious expression.

Then she checked the painting and opened her eyes wide.

“Kione, didn’t you say you were painting a self-portrait?”

“Yes.”

Hemera looked back and forth between the painting and Kione, then soon touched Kione’s hair with gentle hands.

“Why did you paint it with black hair? That’s not your hair color.”

Kione let out a small laugh.

“Ah, this is me from the past, so that’s why.”

“You from the past?”

“Yes. I thought it wouldn’t be bad to leave one behind. I’m going to forget everything later anyway.”

A warm spring breeze brushed past between them.

“If not me, who would remember?”

“….”

“Me from my previous life.”

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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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