I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 4

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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 my goodness, Miss!!”

Anna, who had been anxiously biting her nails beside the carriage, came running over in a fluster as soon as she spotted me.

“What on earth happened! Do you know how shocked I was when I received word that you had suddenly collapsed?!”

I shook my head wearily with a face that lacked even the energy to respond. Then Estelin, who was beside me, stepped forward.

“I’m, I’m sorry. There was a small accident at the party… I told her it would be better to stay there for today, but the young lady kept insisting she had to return home.”

“Oh my… I, I see.”

Anna replied while examining my complexion.

She was looking with disbelieving eyes at how Estelin and I were holding hands tightly together.

Conscious of her gaze, I spoke carefully.

“Um… Estelin. Could you let go of this first?”

Estelin cried out “Oh, I’m sorry!” and quickly released my hand. Then she added while fidgeting with her dress hem.

“Um, as I mentioned earlier, I really want to properly repay you for what happened today. So, would it be alright if I send you a letter soon?”

“Of course. Anytime.”

“And also… just in case, I mean…”

Estelin trailed off with a troubled expression.

I realized what she was trying to say and whispered in a small voice so Anna couldn’t hear.

“…Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about what happened today. It would be troublesome if it came to light that such an accident occurred, right?”

Estelin nodded with quite surprised eyes.

House of Laurent had as many enemies as its influence was great.

There were quite a number of people desperately trying to tarnish the Duke’s honor by any means.

‘If news of today’s poisoning incident were to reach those bastards…’

All sorts of vicious rumors would spread in no time – that Duke Laurent’s prestige had fallen, that security was lax, that the retainers were problematic.

Moreover, there was actually such content in the novel too.

Right after Eria’s death, malicious rumors aimed at damaging House of Laurent’s reputation circulated throughout the estate, as if seizing the opportunity.

So Estelin had to suffer mentally for quite some time even while grieving the loss of her sister.

‘Of course, in the original story, Selene enjoyed even that.’

I inwardly clicked my tongue at that cruelty, then opened my mouth as a good idea occurred to me.

“Estelin. How about we say I collapsed just because of anemia?”

Estelin’s eyes widened.

“What? But, would that really be okay?”

“Of course. Anemia isn’t a fatal disease or anything.”

I had nearly killed her sister over there, so this was nothing in comparison.

However, Estelin bit her lips tightly and murmured in a trembling voice.

“Selene… thank you so much.”

I shook my head as if it was nothing, when Anna’s voice came from a distance.

“Miss, it’s getting cold. You should get in soon.”

It seemed she had been waiting for our conversation to end the whole time.

I nodded and approached Anna. Then I got into the carriage and said to Estelin.

“Go inside quickly, Estelin. Thank you for today.”

“Oh, no, I should be the one saying thank you. And…”

With a reddened face, she fidgeted with her earlobe and added one more thing.

“…I think I may have misunderstood you all this time. I’m sorry.”

I closed my mouth, then replied with an awkward smile.

“Come on, no need to be sorry.”

Just then, the coachman cracked his whip. The carriage began to move slowly.

Estelin’s figure visible through the window gradually became smaller. When her form was barely visible anymore.

I pulled my head back inside from the window and whispered to Anna.

“…Anna. The maid who delivered the medicine. You know who she is, right?”

“Ah, yes. I took down her affiliation information. Why do you ask?”

“Let’s exile her. Right away.”

For now, a perfect crime was necessary.

“Haah…”

I let out a deep sigh toward the ceiling. Dawn light was already filtering through the curtains.

It had been around midnight when Anna and I arrived at the manor by carriage, and I hadn’t been able to close my eyes even for a moment until now.

It was because my mind was incredibly complicated.

Among all that, what bothered me most was…

‘Why exactly did I collapse?’

God’s Tears was definitely a drug that had no effect whatsoever on people who weren’t manifesters.

‘But I collapsed. And it hurt tremendously too.’

The throbbing pain in my chest still remained even now. Though it was rapidly improving, of course.

‘…Things did work out well, that’s true.’

Duke Laurent would conduct a more detailed investigation, but there were no particular concerns.

No evidence that I did it could be found anywhere.

First of all, the situation itself had become such that I couldn’t be suspected, and the only witness, the maid from Duke Laurent’s household, would have completely left the estate by now.

‘How about saying her family got a fatal disease and she urgently had to return to her hometown?’

It was thanks to Anna who came up with a plausible excuse. In other words, there was now neither evidence nor witnesses.

But…

“The future is the problem.”

Even though this was a world I had encountered through a novel, I was still someone who had just dropped into this place overnight.

No matter how much I tried to act composed, everything was unfamiliar and frightening.

And among all that, what bothered me most was that I had too little information.

‘No wonder I even confused character names at first.’

This was perfectly natural.

Who reads web novels meticulously like studying? You just roughly follow the flow and skim through quickly.

‘Besides, Selene wasn’t even a major character. She was memorable enough as a character, but still.’

That was right. Selene was even just a supporting villain who appeared briefly in the middle and then disappeared.

One of those many villains who appeared and disappeared to inflate the protagonist’s narrative.

I let out a small sigh and rubbed my forehead with my palm.

“After overcoming a big hurdle, here comes a small one…”

This must be why they say human life is all the same everywhere.

Perhaps from not sleeping, my eyes felt heavy and I sensed a faint headache. I shook my head.

‘…Whatever. I’ll think about it after I wake up tomorrow.’

I habitually looked at the clock hanging on the wall and saw that the time had already passed 5 o’clock.

‘This is bad. I can only sleep for an hour at most… wait.’

However, I soon stopped mid-frown and hesitated. My eyes gradually widened.

Come to think of it, I didn’t need to wake up at six o’clock. There was no workplace I had to commute to in this world.

The corners of my mouth, which had been stiff, slowly rose.

No matter how dirty and petty it was, it had been that love-hate company I grudgingly attended while carrying a resignation letter because of next month’s living expenses.

But…

I’m now an unemployed person living off others? Really?

“…Amazing.”

An exclamation escaped me.

As I buried my body in the bed with a dazed expression, the soft blanket wrapped snugly around my skin.

I’m only feeling it now.

‘I guess this is what it’s like being a daughter of a noble family.’

The bed is soft, and the blanket is warm.

It was incomparable to the cheap 9,900 won blanket I used to sleep under in my previous life.

On top of that, everything was basically spacious and large. The room, the windows, the bed too. Was it about king size?

“…So this is why everyone was crazy about possession and reincarnation.”

This is so fun. Life is thrilling.

I closed my eyes with a face that couldn’t grasp reality.

Through the dim dawn light, I could hear birds chirping. It seemed like daybreak was approaching.

‘I’m scared to fall asleep.’

What if I wake up and it was all a dream?

But such worries didn’t last long. I soon fell into a deep sleep.

When I opened my eyes, the sun was high in the sky.

As I got up feeling refreshed, I saw Anna sitting in front of the blazing fireplace, knitting.

“Anna.”

When I called out with a hoarse voice, Anna looked up and approached me with a worried expression.

“Miss, are you alright? You seemed to be sleeping deeply, so I was waiting without waking you.”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

Anna smiled with relief and tidied my disheveled hair.

‘It seems Selene didn’t usually torment Anna too.’

If she had, Anna wouldn’t be this friendly toward me.

Or maybe their relationship hadn’t soured yet?

I stopped worrying about it. Anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to have a good relationship with the person I’d be spending the most time with.

“Are you feeling better? The rumor that you collapsed yesterday has already spread throughout the Estate.”

Her green eyes were filled with worry.

“Did you have anemia? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“…Come on, it’s just anemia.”

Then Anna sighed with a deliberately stern expression.

“Miss, your health is my top priority. How about seeing a doctor even now?”

“It was just temporary.”

Anna muttered ‘Still…’ then suddenly widened her eyes as if remembering something.

“Oh, then what happened with that laxative?”

I jerked my head up.

“…Huh, huh?”

“The one you said you’d definitely make Miss Estelin take.”

I hastily looked away and blinked.

“Oh oh, th, that was resolved well! I changed my mind halfway through and threw it away before Estelin could eat it.”

Anna opened her mouth in surprise.

“Then why did you send that maid back to her hometown yesterday?”

“Th, that was just in case…?”

Anna’s eyes slowly narrowed. Suspicion arose in her green pupils.

She made a ‘hmm’ sound and said.

“But you really hated Miss Estelin, didn’t you?”

“…”

“Even with this incident, I opposed it so much but you pushed through stubbornly. Now you’re saying you suddenly changed your mind and stopped…”

I tried my best to appear nonchalant as I answered.

“I, I don’t really dislike Estelin anymore.”

“What?”

“I mean, Estelin isn’t that bad of a kid… and, it’s true that I was a bit harsh before, right?”

“…Miss. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

It seemed this world was the same in finding it strange when someone suddenly changes.

I cleared my throat and leaned back, shaking my head.

“No way. I’m perfectly fine.”

Anna stared at me intently, then reluctantly nodded.

“…If you say so, Miss.”

Then she clapped her hands together, saying ‘Oh my, that’s right!’

I looked at her with puzzled eyes.

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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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