I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 18

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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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“Oh, when did you arrive?”

I unconsciously started walking toward the Duke but staggered in place.

Since my legs still didn’t have much strength, my ankle twisted and gave out.

“Whoa…!!”

Before I could do anything, my body tilted to one side.

At that moment, the Duke quickly approached and grabbed my shoulder.

I was so flustered that I gaped my mouth open and closed.

When I looked up, I saw the Duke looking down at me with a stern expression.

“I, I’m fine!”

Coming to my senses, I quickly stepped back from him and held out both palms.

But he didn’t let go of my arm. He just let out a deep sigh and carefully led me to sit on the bed.

“You’ve been bedridden for three months, and if you move so hastily…”

The Duke, who had been speaking with a slight frown, closed his mouth. Then he muttered very quietly.

“…Never mind. I can see you’re fine.”

Then he turned toward the door without hesitation. I asked urgently.

“Were, were you worried?”

The Duke stopped walking and looked back at me.

I couldn’t sense any emotion from his face. I muttered incoherently.

“Ah, well, Walter came earlier. He said Father had brought in a new personal physician for me…”

“…”

“He said you brought someone skilled personally. Walter told me. But that person… oh, no. I wasn’t trying to talk about that, sorry.”

I awkwardly looked away and stammered.

“Well… actually, before I collapsed, I mean when Mayer did those strange things to me. I really thought I was going to die then.”

“…”

“What I mean is, how relieved I was that you came to rescue me…”

My words slowly trailed off. Just before the room fell into silence, I hastily added.

“…But I really had no idea! That he was doing such things, so I just…!”

“I know everything.”

Then the Duke cut off my words with a cold voice. I quickly shut my mouth.

He stood motionless in place, looking at me with hardened eyes.

When I met his sharply gleaming eyes, my throat inexplicably tightened.

‘This is bad.’

To be honest, I had been anxiously dying inside since a moment ago.

‘When I should have stayed quietly, I caused a major incident.’

When I overheard that strange conversation at the manor. Or when I suspected Mayer.

I should have just confessed the truth.

The Duke is smart and strong, so perhaps everything could have been resolved very easily.

“I, I’m sorry!”

I squeezed my eyes shut and shouted.

No matter how bad our relationship was, he was the master of this manor and my father.

Yet I hadn’t given him any hint about this tremendous incident.

As a result, unsavory things happened at the manor, and I fell into a long sleep without being able to handle anything.

‘…What kind of trouble is this?’

My face kept getting hot.

Moreover.

When I woke up, not 3 days or 3 weeks but a whole 3 months had passed. And for some reason, I had returned to the feudal domain instead of the estate.

‘There must have been conflict with the temple.’

I bit my lips tightly.

With the suddenly changed environment and excessive happiness, I had stupidly forgotten for a moment.

That Duke Aleon Tigris was one of the Four Dukes who supported the nation.

That he was always walking on the thin ice of politics.

‘What should I do?’

What if he was put in a difficult situation because of me and was practically demoted to the territory…

With a haggard face, I hung my head low. That wasn’t all.

What to do about Mayer was also a huge problem.

Mayer was a serious criminal who had committed terrible acts against me, the Duke’s daughter. So if he wasn’t punished, the Duke’s family prestige would be thrown into the sewer.

But to punish him…

‘We’d completely antagonize The Order.’

The Frater Order was powerful. Moreover, lately they had even gained the trust of the great Empress Grace.

According to Mayer, they might even become the state religion soon.

If they conspired and held grudges against the family, it would only be a matter of time before it led to direct damage.

My mind grew colder and colder.

‘Just a few days ago I boasted that I would behave quietly from now on.’

After waking up, I had been constantly worrying about how to resolve this matter. But I couldn’t find an answer.

And now that I finally faced the Duke. Only one single fact kept floating around in my head.

‘I’ve completely caused trouble for the family.’

I should have stayed absolutely quiet. What could I possibly have accomplished by acting up alone?

In the end, I just collapsed without being able to do anything and made things difficult for the entire family.

Trembling with anxiety, I finally opened my mouth with difficulty in a shaking voice.

“I… I was wrong. I should have told you in advance, my thinking was too short-sighted.”

“…”

Since the Duke said nothing, I blinked anxiously.

“But, but I really didn’t know he would suddenly rush at me like that…”

The Duke just quietly looked down at me. Something surged up from inside me.

Although our relationship wasn’t particularly good, I was actually glad the Duke was there.

It was fascinating that in this life I had parents I had never even seen in my previous life,

‘Sometimes he really felt like a parent.’

Although it was only a few times, I felt it every time I had meals with him.

That he was matching my pace.

The words Ansun had directly told me when I went to deliver news about getting him a vacation also came to mind clearly.

‘Two days vacation? His Grace gave me fixed holidays instead. And do you know what he said so creepily?’

‘What did he say?’

‘He said to eat well and sleep well while working from now on. Something about someone being concerned… Who exactly is concerned?’

Actually, I think I was happy each time that happened.

I think my heart fluttered and I also had expectations on one hand.

That’s why I didn’t want to cause more trouble.

I just wanted to quietly become a good and well-behaved daughter like I had told him before.

What I said about being scared of getting kicked out of the house wasn’t a lie.

I had already seen many parents abandon their own children. Me too, and the orphanage was full of such kids.

Of course it was because of brainwashing, but the Duke and Selene had lived hating each other for a long time.

On the first day I opened my eyes here, didn’t I hear people chattering at Estelin’s birthday party?

‘There are rumors that she’s unwanted even in the Tigris family, you know?’

But for this kind of thing to happen again so soon.

When even biological parents abandon their own children, who would love a troublemaking child whose relationship went sour long ago?

Especially that cold and rational Duke.

‘…This was an opportunity.’

The chance that I too could become family with someone.

I already knew countless times what happens when you covet something beyond your station.

Not even realizing my tightly bitten lips had turned white, I trembled with my shoulders.

“The temple is… no, I mean Father Mayer is…”

Strange words kept flowing from my mouth.

But then, the Duke took a step toward me. I reflexively shrank back at his sudden movement.

However, when I carefully raised my head, I saw him making a strange expression that wasn’t anger.

His tightly closed lips opened very slowly.

“…Since earlier.”

“…”

“What are you being sorry about.”

His jaw was completely rigid. I looked up at him with confused eyes.

“Why do you keep saying such things…”

At that moment, the Duke’s voice trembled slightly. I stared at him anxiously.

I caught sight of a complex expression as if he was suppressing his emotions.

“If you’re curious about Father Mayer’s whereabouts, he’s barely breathing right now.”

“What…?”

“He’s in the dungeon beneath the feudal domain.”

I opened my eyes wide. So in the end, they tortured Father Mayer to show the family’s power.

Then relations with the temple must be completely ruined. Whatever the case, there would have been disadvantages to the family, and if I was pushed out of the estate because of that…

“As, as expected, because of me… I’m, I’m really sorry, really…”

“Stop.”

But at the sudden voice, I slowly closed my mouth.

“That apologizing… please stop, I’m begging you.”

The next moment, when I unconsciously looked at him, I froze in place.

Because the Duke’s expression had completely crumbled.

“Selene. You’re reproaching me right now.”

Not understanding his words, I slowly widened my eyes.

“What?”

“…Yes. I failed to protect Hemera, and this time I put even you in danger, so you must be resentful.”

After letting out a long breath, he covered his face with one hand. Then he slowly lowered his head.

An eternal silence followed, and soon his rigid broad shoulders began to tremble pitifully.

I stared at him blankly, frozen in shock.

“That day, I mean, failing to protect Hemera.”

“…”

“If I could, I wanted to kill myself. I really thought about it countless times. But…”

His face, always cold and composed, must have been a mask.

“Hemera appears in my dreams every night…”

Trailing off painfully, he soon collapsed to the floor. Thanks to that, I could see his face head-on.

From the Duke’s eyes, which I had only thought were scary because they were red, tears were flowing endlessly.

“…F, Father.”

I spoke reflexively. The word “Father” coming from my mouth felt strange even to me.

However,

“Selene, please. If you hate me, rather curse at me and treat me coldly. Those words of apology, just those words, please.”

“…”

“…When you say such things, I can’t bear it anymore.”

“N, no. I don’t hate you.”

I, who had been stunned, muttered without knowing it.

Although I wasn’t the real Selene, looking into the Duke’s eyes made my lips move on their own.

“It’s not because I hate you or resent you. …Really.”

The Duke’s pupils wavered. I continued speaking as if possessed by something.

“That was something that couldn’t be helped. Originally, things rarely go as we want them to…”

“…”

“Please don’t cry…”

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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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