I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 184

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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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Anetresha’s complexion turned deathly pale.

Her gaze moved in turn to Hanod and the two people on horseback whose identities were unknown,

and then to the massive monster standing firmly behind them.

‘I’m the one who fell into a trap?’

Her husband Joseph had entrusted her with full authority over killing Hanod.

‘I’ll trust only you again this time, Anetresha. Just do it like you did when you killed the First Prince.’

She had bribed the knights who were to escort Hanod on his return journey and disguised assassins as soldiers.

When it seemed Hanod had noticed the ambush, she even deliberately moved up the attack time.

‘There’s no need to wait until midnight. Let’s proceed right at sunset.’

However, Hanod had evaded the ambush.

The foolish assassins ultimately failed to lodge an arrow into her slippery nephew’s body.

As the sun set and the forest chase dragged on, Anetresha grew increasingly anxious.

‘This won’t do, Anita. You’ll have to step forward.’

Hanod already had a history of escaping once and dragging things out for two years.

If they missed him again this time, there was no telling how much more time would be delayed.

And fortunately, Anetresha had a secret weapon she had been carefully cultivating for a long time.

Anita Solb.

She didn’t think particularly highly of that girl.

The child was still young yet arrogant, and was always scheming.

Anita wasn’t easy to handle, and sometimes she would act impudently beyond her expectations.

But that girl was Hanod’s childhood friend.

Someone who had spent a long time with Hanod and had built up that much trust.

That fact alone made Anita Solb quite a useful card.

No matter how suspicious Hanod was, he would trust Anita at least.

So Anetresha assigned Anita a role.

If Hanod caught wind of things and ran away, she would lure him out again.

If successful, things would proceed quickly.

And contrary to her worries, Anita had done her assigned task well.

She had brought Hanod to the promised location without any particular difficulty.

Up until then, Anetresha had thought the plan was successful.

After killing Hanod, she would cut off only his head and take it to the capital.

The remaining corpse would be thrown off the cliff where no one could find it, and only the head would be shown to Joseph for confirmation.

Once they arrived at the capital that way, the rest would be easy.

When Joseph’s prepared army surrounded the palace, King Drayden wouldn’t be able to resist much.

After all, he would have no other descendants left to pass the throne to besides Joseph.

…Everything had been going smoothly.

“It seems you have nothing to say.”

Hanod’s voice was heard.

Anetresha looked up at her nephew with a dazed expression.

Before she could even open her mouth to say something, the sound of releasing a bowstring was heard – twang.

An arrow cut through the air with a whoosh.

“Ugh…!”

Sharp pain was immediately felt in her left shoulder.

Anetresha collapsed to the ground with a thud, swallowing her pain.

Hanod’s voice, as if gritting his teeth, was heard from above her head.

“I want to kill you right now.”

“…”

“But I’m restraining myself. Because I’m not the one who should punish you.”

“…”

“I lost my father and brother. Even my anger is this great, so how must His Majesty feel, having lost his son and grandson.”

Soldiers approached and bound Anetresha, Anita, and the Captain of the Knights.

Beside her, Anita struggled with a loud voice.

“Let go of this!! Ahhh! Let go of this right now…!!”

The girl who had been sobbing looked up at Hanod desperately.

“H-Hanod!! I was wrong!! I just did as I was told, just as I was told…!”

However, Anita, who had been rambling incoherently, gradually closed her mouth.

Hanod’s eyes were cold enough to freeze.

“The traitor Anetresha will be dragged behind a horse. Not a single drop of water is to be given until arrival.”

“H-Hanod…!!”

“There are no exceptions for all those who participated in treason. The same goes for Anita Solb, granddaughter of Duke Bin Solb who was once a royal tutor.”

A bleak wind swept past between them.

Anita, who had been staggering, collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Hanod turned around coldly without giving her a single glance.

“…Continue the return as soon as day breaks.”

“Thank you, Lady.”

A hoarse voice echoed softly inside the barracks.

I smiled brightly and waved my hand.

“Not at all. I got what I wanted too, so it’s fine.”

At those words, Hanod’s gaze turned to an object placed in front of me.

It was a bracelet that Princess Anetresha had been wearing, with a purple sapphire sparkling in the center.

“Would it be worth about a Pail family heirloom? If there’s anything else you want, feel free to say so.”

I shook my head.

“It’s fine. I told you from the beginning. Just remember.”

“…”

“That I helped Your Highness once.”

Hanod remained silent with his lips pressed tightly together. Then he suddenly muttered quietly.

“I…”

“…”

“I’m prepared to give you even the queen’s position, Lady.”

I, who had been examining the bracelet, paused and looked up.

“Pardon?”

Hanod was looking at me with somehow strange eyes.

“If it weren’t for you, Lady, it would have been impossible. Everything.”

“…”

“Ahem, of course there’s still a lot left to do. It’ll get busier after returning. We have to deal with Joseph’s army too…”

“I sent you elite soldiers for that, didn’t I? His Highness Dean also provided military support from Carton.”

While we were confronting Anetresha here, great turmoil was occurring in Sorad.

Joseph’s forces in Sorad were stronger than imagined.

This was because the army he unofficially possessed far exceeded the number of the Royal Army.

Therefore, until a few months ago, it wasn’t a situation where they could wage an all-out war, but…

‘Then let’s do it this way.’

I came to a conclusion.

To directly provide military support to Hanod and King Drayden.

House of Tigris secretly dispatched some of its trained elite soldiers.

What was surprising was that King Dean of Carton had also provided military support to Sorad.

He had openly stationed his army in Sorad’s territorial waters.

I guessed he had made some kind of deal with King Drayden.

Hanod spoke seriously.

“Come to think of it, Dean of Carton helping me is also… all because of his connection with the Lady.”

I blinked and replied.

“That may be true, but His Majesty Dean has his own reasons for helping Your Highness. It’s not entirely because of me.”

“Still, it wouldn’t have worked without you.”

“Pardon?”

“I couldn’t have done it without the Lady.”

His eyes calmly met mine directly.

“What I said earlier wasn’t a joke.”

“…”

“I sincerely want the Lady to become my queen.”

“…What?”

When I looked at him with a bewildered expression, Hanod continued.

“Our first meeting. At the prospective student gathering. I felt uncomfortable with the Lady’s contemptuous gaze toward me.”

There was no wavering in his eyes.

“Just thinking about the fact that the Lady disliked me made me feel suffocated, like having a thorn stuck in my throat…”

“…No, Your Highness.”

“But now I understand. What that emotion really was.”

Hanod gazed at me intently.

“I think I like the Lady…”

Just then.

Suddenly, the tent covering the barracks was gently lifted.

Someone appeared through the open entrance.

It was Rubel, wearing a very subtle smile on his lips.

Hanod furrowed his brow.

“…Prince Hallen?”

Rubel lightly ignored him and slowly approached my side.

“What’s the matter? I’m having an important conversation with the Lady right now. But if the Prince suddenly enters like this…”

Then he stopped speaking.

Because Rubel had knelt on one knee and placed a hand on my cheek.

His thumb slowly brushed under my eye.

“You look tired, Selene.”

I glanced at Hanod with a flustered expression.

Hanod looked back and forth between me and Rubel with a dumbfounded expression.

Rubel spoke without even glancing at him.

“Let’s go to the barracks. I’ll take you there. You haven’t slept properly for days.”

Rubel’s thumb that had been touching under my eye fell away.

He completely covered my hand with his large hand.

“Your hands are cold too.”

Then he naturally took off the coat he was wearing and draped it over my shoulders.

“What the…”

Hanod’s bewildered voice came from across.

Only then did Rubel turn his gaze to Hanod.

The two men’s gazes met briefly, then Rubel spoke.

“Selene will not become Sorad’s queen.”

It was a calm and gentle voice.

“And Selene doesn’t need your gifts either.”

“…Prince. What are you saying right now,”

“Don’t be mistaken, Prince. The things you can offer are things Selene already has or can easily obtain in the future.”

Rubel smiled very neatly.

“Even if she wants something different… I’ll be the one to give it to her first, not you, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“…”

“So I hope you won’t create such uncomfortable situations anymore.”

I looked at Hanod, who was frozen with a dumbfounded expression, and let out a deep sigh inwardly.

There was a bad habit of Rubel’s that only I and a few others knew about.

Namely, when he got angry, he would actually smile even more cheerfully.

“Prince Hanod really has no sense. He followed you around so much at the Academy, how could he not know until now?”

I asked brightly, but no answer came back.

I glanced sideways to look at Rubel walking beside me.

Since he had given me the coat he was wearing, he was dressed in just a thin tunic.

Thanks to that, his body line, which had grown even larger over the years, was more clearly visible.

I cleared my throat.

“Ahem! Suddenly talking about giving me a queen’s position. He was saying nonsense.”

Rubel had no answer this time either.

I watched his silent walking profile and carefully grabbed his sleeve.

Then Rubel stopped in place and turned his head toward me.

His facial features became even more distinct with shadows cast by the light.

“Are you angry by any chance?”

“No.”

I tugged on Rubel’s sleeve once more.

“Then why are you acting like this.”

Rubel kept his mouth shut for a moment, then tilted his head slightly.

“…I’m just wondering what I should do.”

“About what?”

“About the men who propose to you.”

I opened my eyes wide.

“Today was the first time I received one? From Prince Hanod?”

“No, there’s one more.”

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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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