I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 27
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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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I enthusiastically waved my hand at Father, who sat majestically atop his horse.
Father, who had been glancing at me, reluctantly raised one arm slowly. Then he waved his hand a couple of times very awkwardly.
I quietly covered my mouth. The expressions of the knights around us had long been colored with shock.
“H-His Grace is…”
“Waving his hand…”
Father, who had been looking at me with an embarrassed expression, adjusted his grip on the reins.
Soon the horse he rode began moving forward. Behind him followed an orderly procession of knights.
I watched them with strange emotions.
“It’s only 5 days apart… but I feel more regretful than I expected.”
“Don’t worry, Lady Selene! His Grace will return safely!”
I slowly turned my head at the spirited voice.
The knight Father had left behind to escort me was smiling with a bright face.
“What was your name again?”
I asked, looking at him who seemed not just innocent but almost simple-minded.
“It’s Casian!”
“Ah, Casian…”
Was he around my age? I nodded with an awkward expression at the knight’s face that looked far too young.
Perhaps conscious of my gaze, he spoke spiritedly.
“I may look like this, but I’m the youngest knight to join the Tigris Elite Knights! I’ll protect your safety even if it costs me my life…!”
When I shook my head disapprovingly, Casian stopped mid-sentence and looked at me with bewildered eyes.
I looked directly at him with a quite resolute face.
“Don’t carelessly say things like you’ll risk your life. If we both end up in mortal danger, make sure you save your own life first.”
Casian’s mouth fell open.
“D-Don’t say such things! A knight’s duty is to protect the Lady, no, the young miss…!”
“No, no. Everyone puts their own safety first. When faced with death, people instinctively try to save their own lives first. Ah, does that not apply to knights…?”
Casian looked at me with confused eyes. Since he was gaping, I raised my index finger and spoke firmly.
“Anyway, I’ll be holed up in the inn for all 5 days. So Sir Casian can think of it as being on vacation and rest well.”
Of course, there was a reason I was saying all this. I couldn’t have Casian annoyingly following me around while I searched for the Prince.
“B-But His Grace told me to stay close by your side…”
“Sir Casian, at this rate you’ll end up following me to the bathroom.”
Casian’s face turned bright red. He shook his head while showing his palms.
“Th-That’s not what I meant…!”
I chuckled and walked past him toward the inn’s entrance, his face red as a tomato. Then I glanced back and said.
“Aren’t you coming in?”
“Yes, yes! I’ll come in!”
Casian followed behind me, swinging both arms like a robot.
I was casually moving my pen across old paper I had gotten from the inn.
Rubel. Plau. Prince.
Lines were messily drawn over the three roughly scribbled words.
“…Should I have worked part-time at a detective agency in my past life.”
I muttered and let out a small sigh.
I had somehow arrived at the place where the Prince was, but I had no idea how to find him.
‘They said it was a rural village… why is it so big?’
It was true.
Plau was definitely rural, but it wasn’t as small as I had expected. With bad luck, I might search diligently for all 5 days and still not find the Prince.
[Child, can you hear me? Child?]
Then I heard a voice calling me desperately from behind.
I had been deliberately ignoring Adam’s voice that had been coming from somewhere in the pile of luggage.
[…Child. I’ll really stay quiet from now on. I promise. I’m very good at keeping promises.]
I let out a deep sigh and slowly got up from my seat.
Then I approached the bed and rummaged through the pile of luggage carelessly placed on it. Soon a small box emerged.
When I opened the lid and grasped the pendant in my hand, the surroundings instantly brightened and Adam revealed himself.
[Ahh… Really, now I feel like I can live!]
Watching Adam enjoy his happiness with a blissful expression, I shook my head disapprovingly.
“I clearly told you. If you keep being noisy, next time I’ll put you at the very bottom of the luggage.”
Then Adam’s face turned pale. He waved his hands frantically and said.
[Oh, my. I-I understand! I’ll really stay quiet from now on.]
I turned away from him and sat back down at the table. Among the messy doodles drawn on the paper, the three words from before caught my eye.
“…This is hopelessly overwhelming. Where should I start searching?”
I spun the quill pen around and around.
“Should I start with the market where the most people gather?”
No.
As I had seen earlier, the market was a place where countless people came and went. I might just end up wasting time.
[Um… child?]
I glared at Adam with narrowed eyes.
“Again, you’re talking again! I clearly said if you keep bothering me…”
[N-No! I just have a good idea. I thought it might help you…]
My expression softened.
“…What kind of idea?”
[Do you remember when I said I could help you last time?]
I recalled the moment I first met Adam and slowly nodded.
[Then do you also remember what I said at the end?]
After thinking carefully, I exclaimed “Ah!” and looked at Adam.
“You said you could show me what I want to see…?”
[That’s right!]
I stood up abruptly with a brightened expression. Then I slowly frowned.
“But you didn’t tell me what the price would be back then.”
Adam’s eyes widened.
[Price?]
“Yes, the price. You didn’t clearly explain the price, so I can’t just freely use your abilities. I was so anxious when I showed my powers to Father and Walter a few days ago…”
Then Adam shook his head.
[Child, I can swear to you. The price won’t be something too great for you.]
“What do you mean by that?”
[I’m a very reasonable soul. You’re the only person who can communicate with me like this anyway. What good would it do me to ask for a huge price from such a person?]
“Then?”
[I can’t tell you now, but my price will be something very light and simple for you. So there’s no need to be afraid of borrowing my abilities.]
I looked at Adam with suspicious eyes, then slowly nodded.
“It’s not something like asking for my remaining lifespan or killing someone I love, right?”
Adam burst into laughter.
[Not at all. The price for you will simply be fulfilling a small request of mine.]
Finally, I slowly removed the suspicion from my face. Then I exclaimed brightly.
“If that’s really all it is, I want to borrow Adam’s eyes to find Rubel!”
Adam nodded.
[That’s entirely possible. However…]
He approached me and spoke with a cautious face.
[Lending you my eyes is very difficult for me too. It requires stamina that’s different from ordinary abilities.]
“Then…”
[Yes, what I show you will only be for a very brief moment. And for a while, you won’t be able to use my other abilities. Would that still be okay?]
I fell into thought for a moment.
If I borrow Adam’s eyes now, I can find clues about where Rubel is. But the problem comes after that.
‘It means I won’t be able to borrow the guardian’s ability for a while….’
My brow gradually furrowed.
‘Anyway, I’ll be staying in this countryside for 5 days, and after that I’ll be with Father… Would there be any need to borrow Adam’s ability?’
Come to think of it, hadn’t I been getting along just fine without Adam until now?
…Except for being helplessly defeated by Father Mayer.
My mind spun rapidly. After busily thinking for a while, I soon muttered quietly.
“…In the long run, getting the Prince in my hands is much more important.”
My gaze turned toward Adam.
“Please lend me your eyes.”
[If that is what the child wishes.]
Adam smiled and approached me, extending his hand.
As his softly glowing hand slowly touched my forehead, my vision turned white and then an unfamiliar scene unfolded.
“This is….”
I was looking at the world through someone else’s eyes.
The first thing I saw was a vast hill spread out wide with a flock of sheep wandering over it.
When I turned my head, I saw trees with only bare branches remaining and a reed field spreading widely to one side.
“This place is….”
As I muttered in a daze, this time a blue sky spread out before my eyes.
A flock of migratory birds was crossing between the sparse clouds in the clear sky.
Then suddenly the vision began to shake.
The owner of the eyes had gotten up from their spot and started walking somewhere.
At the end of the line of sight, an old cottage stood on the hill.
“Ah….”
The next moment, I let out a sigh mixed with regret.
The world became dark and then the scene inside the inn room unfolded again.
“Is that the end…?”
When I narrowed my eyes and stared at Adam, he laughed awkwardly.
[Haha, it’s my first time lending my eyes to someone too….]
I glared at Adam for a moment, then soon grinned.
“I’m joking. It was very helpful. Thanks to you, I have a rough idea.”
[If the child says so, then that’s fortunate.]
“Then by any chance, the owner of that vision just now was….”
[…Yes. It was the world seen through the eyes of the one you’re looking for.]
I slowly nodded my head. Then I abruptly stood up from my seat.
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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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