I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 36

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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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“Wh-what in the world is this…!!”

Baron Grimaldi’s eyes widened greatly.

“H-honey… What is this right now…!!”

His wife, Iliana Grimaldi, also looked at Rosette with disbelief.

The two staggered toward Rosette.

“Wh-when did you develop your abilities this much, Rosette!”

“That’s right! Why didn’t you tell your mother until now?!”

Rosette gathered up what she had created with an expressionless face. Then she spoke in a cold voice.

“Please take me to this year’s Thanksgiving Festival.”

The marquis couple’s faces hardened, then Baron Grimaldi immediately nodded his head roughly.

“What kind of obvious thing are you saying! When you’ve manifested such wonderful abilities, that much is natural!”

“That’s right, Rosette. Let’s go pick out a dress for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Festival right away! Since spring is coming, something bright and fluttery, okay?”

Rosette looked at them, filled with excitement, then turned around without answering.

The couple hurriedly grabbed her.

“W-wait a moment, Rosette! Why do you suddenly want to go to the Thanksgiving Festival? You’ve never paid attention to festivals before…”

Rosette turned her head with an expressionless face.

“There’s someone I promised to meet.”

The couple’s eyes widened. But their daughter was already far away.

“So, you’re telling me to make a drug to hide the identity of a prince who we thought had disappeared 10 years ago?”

Ansun roughly ran his hand through his hair and muttered in disbelief.

I nodded calmly.

“Yeah. That’s exactly it.”

“Hah, what is this again right after returning…”

He looked back and forth between me and Rubel sitting across from him in the Grand Council Chamber with a dumbfounded expression.

Then he asked in a voice that seemed to have lost its soul.

“Did you know, Your Grace?”

His gaze turned to Father, who was sitting in the highest seat.

“That the prince was alive, or that I would end up making medicine for him.”

“You’re asking me that now…! Of course, both!”

Father looked at Ansun, whose face had turned bright red, then spoke calmly.

“I knew.”

It was an indifferent answer. Ansun shouted as if his chest would burst.

“I can’t do it!”

Father’s eyebrows twitched slightly. But Ansun shouted rapidly without even breathing.

“Honestly, this isn’t right! If it were someone else, I might understand, but asking me to make a drug to hide a missing prince! I’d rather you ask me to hide a serial killer!”

“…”

“No, I didn’t even want to hear this kind of information in the first place…!”

He clutched his head and muttered desperately.

“If that person’s, no, that person’s identity gets exposed later, then my neck will also…”

As if imagining himself on the guillotine, Ansun’s complexion instantly turned pale.

“I can’t do it. No matter how I think about it, I absolutely can’t. This is just openly asking to be in the same boat, and I want to remain just an ordinary alchemist!”

Finally, unable to watch any longer, I spoke up.

“Ansun, we’re not asking you to rebel with us.”

When the word ‘rebel’ came out of my mouth, Ansun’s complexion got even worse.

“…Lady is also not in her right mind. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything.”

He stood up abruptly from his seat.

As I watched him quietly, Ansun frowned deeply. Then he asked accusingly in a lowered voice.

“Right now, when the current prince is alive and well in the Empire, isn’t hiding the former prince who we thought died long ago considered rebellion?”

“…”

“Even if we say we weren’t involved, who would believe that? The moment it’s revealed, everyone will just…”

Ansun made a gesture of slitting his throat with his thumb.

Even while doing so, he kept glancing at Rubel.

I sighed deeply and said.

“We’re just trying to handle this humanely and peacefully. So what will you do, go out and report him?”

When I gestured toward Rubel with my chin, Ansun groaned and covered his forehead with his hand.

“Frankly speaking, what wrong has he done? When he escaped from the Imperial Court, Rubel, no, Tatio was only ten years old.”

Through the fingers covering his face, Ansun peeked out his black eyes.

“Tatio?”

“Yeah. That’s Rubel’s new name. Think about it carefully, if you just hide this distinctive eye color, there won’t be any problems. I guarantee it.”

Ansun slumped into his chair as if dumbfounded.

“You know it too. Black hair is common in the Empire. Golden eyes are just a bit rare. So if we just roughly hide the eye color, it’ll be perfectly concealed.”

I channeled the insurance salesperson from my previous life who used to pitch insurance to me when I had nothing, and stared intently into Ansun’s eyes.

Then Ansun asked quietly in a trembling voice.

“…What is your real purpose for doing this?”

“Huh?”

“There must be a reason you brought a prince who was living in hiding perfectly fine! It can’t be because you were bored!”

“Ah…”

I glanced at Rubel beside me and muttered awkwardly.

“Well…”

Everyone’s attention focused on me.

“Of course it’s for the family.”

“What did you say?”

I continued while gesturing toward Father.

“Think about it. It’s not like Father is as gentle as Duke Laurent.”

The atmosphere suddenly became solemn, but I continued speaking.

“According to Walter, when we suddenly left the Empire, the Emperor even showed slight displeasure.”

Silence flowed through the council chamber.

“Is that all? The Temple also hates us. No, they’re probably grinding their teeth looking for anything to find fault with.”

“…”

“So we have no allies in the world. In times like this, shouldn’t we prepare thoroughly?”

I felt Rubel looking at me from beside me.

I glanced at him and then whispered firmly to everyone as if telling a very important secret.

“Haven’t you thought about this? That Tatio might become our weapon.”

Ansun had a completely stunned expression.

“We just need to protect Tatio for the time being. If you think about it, we’re asking to become symbiotic partners.”

Rubel beside me chuckled.

“You won’t even say you’ll just help, even as empty words.”

I coughed awkwardly with an embarrassed expression. From across the table came Ansun’s earth-shaking sigh.

“I should have just stayed with the mercenary group back then…”

“…”

“What wealth and glory was I seeking that I followed all the way here…”

It was a voice that sounded as sad as if the world had collapsed. Father, who had been watching him, muttered indifferently.

“Then I’ll raise your salary a bit more.”

Ansun turned his head sharply and glared at Father with resentful eyes.

“No matter how money-crazy I am, this isn’t something that can be solved with salary…”

“Double your current amount.”

Ansun immediately shut his mouth. Then he looked at Father with trembling eyes.

And asked as if he couldn’t believe it.

“…Really?”

“That’s right.”

Ansun flinched, but I was able to notice the subtle change in his expression.

“Double the amount…”

He muttered and looked at me.

Though there was still some discomfort in his gaze, it wasn’t the face of someone who looked like he was about to die at any moment like before.

I quickly said to Ansun.

“If you can’t believe it, should I write up a contract? If that would make you feel much more at ease.”

But Ansun’s eyes had already changed.

“Double the amount… well… You are someone who keeps your word once spoken.”

Glancing back and forth between Father and me, he finally muttered quietly.

“…Then I’ll start working on it for now.”

It was truly an incredible speed of attitude change. I smiled brightly and said.

“Good! You made the right choice.”

But Ansun added firmly with deliberately serious eyes.

“But if things go wrong, I’m running away immediately. Even if you tell me to cough up what I’ve eaten, it won’t work. I absolutely won’t cooperate. You understand, right?”

As I nodded, Father’s lips opened.

“Then this matter is concluded.”

Having finished speaking, Father rose from his seat without hesitation. But Father’s steps, which had been heading toward the exit of the conference room, suddenly stopped.

He turned back to look at Ansun and asked.

“…Oh right. Is that ability enhancement drug I mentioned before still under development?”

My body, which had been about to rise from my seat following Father, froze with a start.

Ansun looked at me with puzzled eyes and muttered.

“That’s already been completed though.”

“Then why haven’t you reported it yet?”

“Ah, the rights have already been transferred.”

Father frowned as if asking what he meant and turned completely toward us.

I broke out in a cold sweat and quietly rose from my seat. But I had no choice but to freeze at Ansun’s words that followed.

“Lady bought it. Already a long time ago. I thought you knew about it, Your Grace.”

I felt the piercing gaze directed at me and smiled awkwardly.

“Haha, well…”

As I scratched my head and quietly raised it, I saw Father staring directly at me.

But Father’s expression was, how should I put it…

‘Why does he look so unbothered?’

“I see.”

It was true.

Father, who muttered briefly, just left the conference room as if it was no big deal.

I stood there awkwardly, then quietly turned around and muttered.

“Well… let’s go too.”

Beyond the huge window that occupied one wall of the conference room, new buds were about to sprout.

Duke’s Palace Corridor.

“Did you also ask Ansun Daniel about the ability enhancement drug?”

Walter asked, following behind the Duke. However, Aleon shook his head.

“The rights have already been transferred.”

“What?!”

Walter’s eyes widened as he stopped short.

“No, to whom other than Your Grace would someone belonging to Tigris transfer those rights?”

The Duke had no answer.

“Please tell me what happened! If the rights have been transferred, we need to get them back…”

“They were transferred to Selene.”

Walter’s mouth fell open as he stopped in place.

But Aleon just continued walking calmly. Walter, who hurriedly caught up with the Duke, asked.

“Wh-why would the young lady want that…”

“I don’t know either.”

Walter tilted his head at the absurd answer, then soon opened his mouth in bewilderment.

Because the Duke, who rarely showed expression on his face, was unusually raising the corner of his mouth crookedly.

‘Why is he smiling in this situation?’

As he frowned in confusion, the Duke muttered.

“Just like how she snatched the holy relic from those filthy Temple bastards.”

“…”

“She was even keeping track of the Imperial House and Temple’s movements for the family.”

Aleon’s mouth corners kept rising endlessly.

“The more I see of my daughter…”

“…”

“She’s really smart.”

Walter stopped in place, dumbfounded.

Aleon, who smiled wickedly, muttered once more.

“…Really, incredibly smart.”

Walter watched the Duke’s retreating figure with a shocked expression.

It was the beginning of the Tigris family’s ‘daughter-obsessed’ saga that would soon make a name for itself throughout the Estate.

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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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