I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 51

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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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“Your Majesty, Duke Tigris seems troubled.”

With a serene smile, Empress Grace placed one of her hands on top of the Emperor’s.

At that, the Emperor’s strangely cold eyes instantly softened and relaxed.

“Oh, Grace. Did I do that?”

I looked at the Emperor with surprised eyes. He had erased his sharp gaze from moments before and now wore a gentle expression.

“My. The match was so thrilling that my excitement hadn’t completely subsided. If it caused any trouble, I apologize, Aleon.”

“…It’s fine.”

I looked at Father, who answered curtly. Light wrinkles had formed between his brows.

Then the Emperor turned his gaze to Ansun and spoke.

“Right. It seems the conversation has wandered, so let’s return to the main topic. What I wanted to ask was…”

His eyes sparkled.

“How did you develop your magic power in such a short time? Moreover, your magic power is of the ‘elemental’ fire attribute. Cases of developing it are extremely rare.”

“Ah. That’s…”

Ansun trailed off and hesitated.

Soon, his head slowly turned. Toward me, of all people.

‘…It’s still a bit early.’

After briefly contemplating, I eventually stepped forward quickly.

“May I answer that, Your Majesty?”

The gazes of the Emperor, Empress, and everyone around us who had been watching focused on me.

“I am Selene of House Tigris.”

As I bowed, the Empress spoke warmly with her kind brown eyes shining.

“The child I saw at the opening ball. Very clever indeed.”

I bowed my head modestly.

“I am honored that you remember me, Mother of the Empire.”

After finishing my greeting and smiling brightly, the Empress’s eyes crinkled. The Emperor was also looking at me with more curious eyes than before.

He parted his lips as if intrigued.

“So, what does Sir Daniel Ansun’s magic development have to do with you, young lady?”

I smiled silently and gestured to Ansun, who approached hesitantly. Soon Ansun glanced at the Emperor and held something out.

Taking it, I looked directly into the Emperor’s eyes with a calm expression. Then I spoke.

“Sir Daniel Ansun’s ability being ‘enhanced’ is…”

I lifted my hand slightly, and the ‘God’s Tears’ in the medicine bottle dangling between my thumb and index finger swayed.

“None other than the result of my new business venture, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor’s eyes widened.

“What, business?”

The nobles around us were murmuring.

“Didn’t Lady Tigris just say ‘enhancement’?”

“She did. Definitely said ‘enhancement’…”

The Emperor looked like he was dying of curiosity. He stared intently at my hand, so I quickly answered.

“Yes. Recently, Sir Daniel Ansun developed an ‘ability enhancement potion’ with my support.”

“En, enhancement potion?”

A loud exclamation burst from the Emperor’s mouth. The Empress’s eyes also widened.

The nobles murmured.

“You mean magic power was ‘enhanced’? That ‘enhancement’ that’s temporary, not ‘development’?”

“What exactly is Lady Tigris saying right now…”

They all looked incredulous. And among them…

‘Duke Belmart.’

That’s right. Duke Belmart was also staring at me intently with a displeased expression mixed half with dissatisfaction and half with surprise.

But then.

“Lies!”

Someone shouted in a sharp voice right next to Duke Belmart. My gaze slowly moved in that direction.

“…Lady Meg.”

Meg Cline, who had been sitting next to the Duke, glared at me.

“Listen here, Miss Selene! How dare you tell such outrageous lies before His Majesty the Emperor?! Really, from last time…”

I widened my eyes.

“Lies? But it’s not?”

“It is too! Ability enhancement potion development is a field that countless priests and scientists have stepped forward to research, but there have been no significant results!”

The surrounding nobles nodded. They all seemed to share her thoughts.

Even Duke Belmart wasn’t stopping his granddaughter from making a scene before the Emperor.

Emboldened by people’s agreement, Meg shouted in an even sharper voice.

“I mean, really! Even that famous scholar Duklin, who made a name across the continent, lost his life trying to create an ability enhancement potion! But you succeeded at it?!”

I tilted my head as if I didn’t understand. Then Meg’s face turned even redder.

“It’s a drug that proven experts couldn’t create even dedicating their entire lives! It’s hard to believe you completed it in such a short time…”

Meg caught her rough breath and pointed at Ansun.

“If you made such a potion, how can he be so fine without even side effects! How can you tell such lies!”

I quietly watched the fuming Meg, then drooped my eyebrows and asked back in a deliberately dejected voice.

“…Lady Meg, what exactly is the problem?”

Meg jumped up from her seat with wide, incredulous eyes. Soon she shouted angrily.

“If, if he really developed an ability enhancement potion, there’s no way he could be so fine! That research is extremely dangerous!”

“So?”

“‘So’?! I told you! Already countless scientists have lost their lives to those experiments, and also…”

“Then there must have been some wrong premise in the experiments until now.”

Meg closed her mouth. I shrugged and continued.

“Or maybe Ansun was a more excellent talent than them.”

“…Wh, what did you say?!”

“Regardless of the past, ‘we’ completed the ability enhancement potion. We even named it already. ‘God’s Tears.'”

As I finished speaking and smiled brightly, Meg’s eyes filled with shock. Her face was turning blue in real time.

I took a small deep breath to suppress my laughter.

It wasn’t that I hadn’t expected this reaction. But…

‘This is more fun than I thought.’

Even in the original novel, the appearance of ‘God’s Tears’ was an enormous event. So this level of commotion was quite predictable.

But the reactions of the Emperor, other nobles, and especially Meg were really like a variety show audience.

I cleared my throat and continued while suppressing my amusement.

“Of course, it’s true that we had many concerns about ‘side effects’ during the development process. But in the end, it was resolved well. As you can see.”

“Th, that’s impossible, stop lying…!”

“How did you do it?”

Meg was about to argue something but closed her mouth.

The Emperor, who had half-risen from his seat, asked in quite an urgent voice.

“How exactly did you do it!”

I looked at the Emperor with a slightly surprised face as he shouted without dignity.

A strand of his well-groomed bangs was sticking out over his forehead, as if he had run his hands through his hair.

I barely suppressed my rising smile and thought.

‘He has reason to be curious. The Imperial Court has been pouring enormous budgets into this research every year.’

The Emperor was still waiting for my mouth to open. I quietly looked at him.

‘How did we do it?’

The method was very simple. We just had to dilute and stabilize the God’s Tears that Ansun had created.

But diluting God’s Tears required a special solution.

And that solution was…

“Father of the Empire. I’m truly sorry to say this, but…”

Then I smiled brightly and said cheerfully.

“That’s a trade secret, so I cannot tell you.”

“…What. What did you say?”

The Emperor staggered and gripped the armrest of his chair.

But it was true. The identity of that liquid was the core of our business after all.

‘Am I an idiot? To show all my cards like this.’

I drooped my eyebrows smugly at the Emperor, whose eyes looked like they were about to pop out. Then I clasped my hands together to look as respectful as possible.

The medicine bottle was clutched tightly in my hands.

“J-just now, what did you….”

To the Emperor who kept stammering as he looked at me, I muttered quietly with a thoroughly dejected expression.

“I’m truly sorry, Your Majesty. But in such a public setting….”

“…In a public setting?”

“The potion Sir Daniel Ansun created will surely greatly strengthen the Empire’s power. But if I reveal business secrets in such an open setting….”

The Emperor, who had been frozen in a daze, closed his mouth.

I quickly let out a deep sigh. Then I parted my lips as if I had no choice.

“But if Your Majesty so desires, I will tell you. The truth is, God’s Tears is….”

“S-stop!!”

As expected, the Emperor urgently cut off my words. I kept my head deeply bowed while lifting both corners of my mouth into a grin.

‘I knew it.’

The Emperor was looking toward the state guest seating across from us with an anxious face.

‘When such an incredible drug has been developed in the Empire, would he want to reveal the secret to other kingdoms?’

Because my head was deeply bowed, my face was completely hidden by my long hair.

I was secretly making a sinister smile underneath when I suddenly made eye contact with Ansun, who had been watching me from the side.

He shuddered. His face looked like he was scared to death.

Feeling awkward, I cleared my throat and mouthed the words.

‘What are you looking at.’

Then I quickly raised my head again with a dejected expression.

The Emperor, still unable to calm his excitement, was staring at me with his golden eyes gleaming.

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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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