I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 55

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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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“Anna. Don’t you have anything else besides this?”

At my outcry, Anna, with colorful dresses draped over her arms, hurriedly approached.

“Here, how about this red one?”

“…Hmm. It’s too bright. Don’t you have a different shade of red?”

“What kind of different shade of red are you referring to?”

“Don’t you have a red like the Tigris symbolic color? Something with a blood-like feel.”

Anna’s eyes widened.

“We do!”

After answering, she approached the hanger full of clothes again with a much brighter expression.

A moment later, she returned holding a gorgeous dark red dress in her hands.

“Wow! That’s exactly the color I wanted.”

I smiled as I ran my hand over the luxurious velvet fabric decorated with black embroidery.

Today was the day the final match of the gladiator tournament would unfold.

“I’ll use this for accessories.”

I pointed to eye-catching blue sapphire earrings.

Then, with Anna’s help, I put on the dress and wore the earrings.

After adjusting my outfit and looking in the mirror, I saw myself looking somewhat different from usual.

“It suits you so well, Miss!”

“Really?”

“Yes! You rarely dress up this glamorously.”

I grinned and turned to look at Anna.

“Well, Father and I are today’s main characters.”

“Pardon?”

“Because Tigris will win the championship in today’s final match.”

Since the Belmart family lost in their match against Carton, Tigris was set to face Carton today.

“Yes! That will surely happen! You haven’t been sleeping properly for days because of this.”

At Anna’s words, I nodded and slipped my feet into my shoes.

‘I did stay up several nights analyzing the abilities of Carton’s soldiers.’

Glancing at the mirror, I thought I could see slight dark circles under my eyes.

But…

“Thanks to that, there won’t be any unpleasant surprises.”

I chuckled, thinking of Walter who had steadfastly helped me review materials every night.

‘His intelligence network really is amazing.’

Walter had provided me with information on all twenty Carton soldiers participating in the gladiator tournament without missing a single one.

Of course, it wasn’t just simple information about their abilities.

Personality, family background, favorite foods, disliked foods, drinking habits, combat style, abilities, and of course…

‘Why did he include how many times they go to the bathroom per day?’

That part was still a mystery to me.

“Miss, so you memorized all of that?”

“I memorized it all, and made them memorize it too.”

At my answer, Anna closed her mouth as if she understood.

I recalled the faces of the Tigris Elite Knights who had been looking half-dead while pleading for days.

‘L-Lady, please, can’t you go to sleep now?’

‘Studying at the training ground! This is illegal under imperial law! No, even under territorial law—!’

‘That’s right! It’s already been four hours…!’

But I was very firm.

‘No. If you don’t memorize up to number 17 today, you absolutely cannot go to the barracks.’

‘What?! Up to number 17?! We could easily win without memorizing information about those guys, so why…!’

The knights pleaded with faces that looked almost exhausted. But I couldn’t just let them go.

Because…

‘Those men aren’t ordinary soldiers.’

‘…Pardon?’

‘They’re an unofficial assassination squad that roams all of Carton. Their skills are exceptional, needless to say, and their leader is none other than…’

The Prince of Carton, Dein Jed.

I had known his name even before Walter investigated and brought me the information. Why?

‘Because Dein Jed will soon start a rebellion and become the king of the Carton Kingdom, overthrowing all the higher-ranking princes and princesses.’

In the original story, it was four years from now. Around the time Estelin turned twenty-two, he began his reign.

‘If things go according to the original, it’s only a matter of time before he starts a rebellion in the Carton Kingdom.’

A thin wrinkle formed between my brows.

Dein Jed was the person who began pressuring Erbia immediately upon declaring himself king, as if it had been planned all along.

Not only did he lead high-level soldiers to control the border waters, but he also constantly provoked incidents, making the atmosphere ominous.

‘Would such a warlike person participate in a gladiator tournament with insignificant soldiers?’

No, absolutely not.

The fact that the soldiers Dein Jed brought to this gladiator tournament were the royal family’s direct assassination squad was proof enough.

“All done, Miss.”

Anna, who had finished arranging the stray hairs on my forehead, spoke in a bright voice.

I nodded calmly and left the room.

As soon as I entered the corridor, someone who had been waiting outside approached me.

“Seleneae.”

My eyes widened when I spotted him.

“Are you ready already?”

Rubel nodded with a serious expression.

“I’ve completely finished analyzing the match Carton played against Belmart.”

I let out a sigh of relief. We absolutely, definitely had to win.

If we lost the laurel crown to Carton in the final match, the Emperor’s trust we had barely gained might plummet again.

But if we win, things would be different.

We could lend strength to Father, who had been pushed out of politics,

And the probability of me living a comfortable life here without worrying about family destruction would increase.

And…

‘I might be able to get revenge on that damned temple.’

The temple that had brainwashed Seleneae, who was living perfectly fine in the original story, made her kill Eria, and used that as an excuse to destroy our family.

It wasn’t certain, but they might have even killed Rubel’s mother, the Former Empress, and possibly even the Former Emperor.

“I’ve got you now, completely.”

I muttered lowly and gripped the pendant around my neck tightly.

“Seleneae Tigris has just arrived.”

At the secretary’s words, Dein Jed slowly opened his closed eyes. His navy blue pupils reflected the sunlight and gleamed sharply.

His gaze turned toward the bright blonde girl entering the arena.

With her long hair flowing down her back, she was dressed glamorously, even at first glance.

“She arrived earlier than expected.”

He muttered in an intrigued voice. Ru, the secretary standing beside him, nodded.

“It seems she intends to check on her soldiers’ condition before the match.”

The corners of Dein Jed’s mouth curved upward in a pleasant arc.

“…She’s pretty, and thoroughly prepared too.”

His eyes gleamed with amusement as he followed Selene’s steps.

She was already moving toward the seats near the Emperor in the center of the spectator stands.

It wasn’t far from his own seat in the Imperial Box.

“The Emperor must have given her a good spot.”

“It seems to be thanks to the ability enhancement potion he saw during the preliminary matches.”

At Ru’s answer, Dean raised his head as if just remembering something.

“Right. Is there still no reply to the letter I sent to that woman?”

“No. The head butler sent a response instead. He said Lady was unwell and unable to check her correspondence…”

“She’s unwell?”

Dein Jed turned his head again to look at Selene.

She was smiling brightly with a very healthy complexion, chatting with the people around her.

Dean chuckled softly.

“She doesn’t look sick at all.”

At that moment, her eyes, which had been explaining something to a knight beside her, turned toward him.

Dean and Selene’s gazes met across several people between them. However, the next moment Dean was slightly surprised and stiffened his expression.

Because Selene had smiled sweetly at him.

“…What’s this?”

He asked quietly in a bewildered voice. Ru also stared toward Selene and stammered.

“It seems… she greeted you.”

Dean looked at Selene with a strange gaze.

She had already turned her attention away from him and was walking down the stairs leading to the Military Barracks.

After watching her for a moment, he quietly rose from his seat. Ru asked.

“Where are you going?”

Dean smiled wickedly without answering. His deep eyes, characteristic of southern peoples, curved into a perfect crescent shape.

“Since she won’t meet me, I’ll have to go find her myself.”

Ru found himself staring blankly at Dean without realizing it.

‘…Whenever he smiles like that, he always causes trouble.’

But he was already far away. Ru blinked anxiously.

‘Nothing bad will happen, right.’

Soon shaking his head to dismiss his worries, Ru had no choice but to quietly follow Dean.

Dein Jed, or rather Dion Jed, the 13th son of Spardel Jed, King of the Kingdom of Carton, was, in a word, a troublemaker.

Dirty bastard.

Shame of the royal family.

Such harsh words always followed wherever he went. Even his brothers and sisters were no different in cursing him.

‘If there’s a disgrace to the royal family, it would definitely be you, Dion.’

‘Surely you don’t still harbor resentment toward Father over matters concerning your mother.’

Resentment?

Dean always thought. Could it really be called resentment?

Wasn’t resentment the heart that harbors grudges and plots revenge?

However, what was deeply rooted in his heart wasn’t mere resentment. It was closer to murderous intent.

Dean’s mother was a resident of a small baronial estate located in northern Carton.

An ordinary girl who was born and raised in a house by the coast.

That was until Spardel Jed, King of Carton, who had visited the village by chance, dragged her out of her house and imprisoned her in the Royal Palace.

Dean’s mother gave birth to Dean alone in the Royal Palace.

The King quickly lost interest in her, threw Dean a prince title, and neglected them both.

Perhaps it was a natural story, but Mother had to spend half her life trapped in the lonely royal castle.

And finally, the day she escaped from the Royal Palace was Dean’s fourteenth birthday.

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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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