I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 62

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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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“Th-that’s not it! This match was only because Rin Anosa failed to properly fulfill her role as leader…!!”

 

“That’s right. Rin Anosa did fail to properly fulfill her role.”

 

Baxter’s expression brightened slightly. However, Selene smiled coldly and added.

 

“If I were Rin Anosa, I would have beaten you all half to death as soon as the match ended.”

 

The waiting room fell into a chilling silence.

 

“In the military, disobeying orders is also a serious crime, yet you dare raise your fist against your leader?”

 

Baxter flinched. However, he soon shouted with a menacing expression.

 

“No! What business is it of yours from the start! We don’t belong to Tigris, we belong to His Highness Prince Dein Jed of Carton!”

 

And then he continued, breathing heavily.

 

“If His Highness finds out you barged in here and committed such rudeness…!”

 

“His Highness?”

 

Baxter shut his mouth.

 

Selene let out a sneer, then shrugged her shoulders.

 

“His Highness, indeed.”

 

Baxter couldn’t make any reply. Then Selene stared at him with cold eyes and muttered.

 

“Perfect. It seems I can ask His Highness directly what he thinks of this situation.”

 

The next moment, a familiar figure entered from outside the door.

 

“…Y-Your Highness?”

 

Baxter’s face turned deathly pale.

 

At first, I had planned to just ignore it.

 

It’s not like I didn’t know Dein Jed’s personality, and I didn’t particularly want to get involved in the affairs of Carton’s soldiers.

 

But.

 

‘I didn’t know my ability would work on beastmen too. Of course, it didn’t feel very good… That woman will probably have to lie down for a few days.’

 

Rubel’s casual muttering bothered me.

 

Also,

 

‘It’s about someone named Dosha. She was eliminated and leaving the arena, but I felt sorry for her somehow. I guess it reminded me of Eria.’

 

After hearing Estelin’s story, I became even more concerned.

 

…And decisively.

 

‘The sisters Rin and Dosha. They lost their parents to an epidemic, and because of that, they were constantly kicked out of orphanages. I understand they wandered between beggar gangs before being taken in by an aide serving Dein Jed.’

 

‘So their bond must be deep. If we take one of them hostage, we might be able to steer the match in our favor.’

 

Walter probably meant their story from a strategic perspective, but I felt strange somehow.

 

Maybe it’s because I lived alone in my previous life.

 

‘…I’m weak when it comes to orphans.’

 

So at first, I thought I’d just take a quick look and return.

 

Rin’s expression as she endured Dean’s cold gaze in the arena bothered me,

 

and Estelin readily said she wanted to check on Rin’s physical condition after hearing my story.

 

But…

 

‘Have you ever acknowledged me as your leader even once?’

 

‘You’ve been busy interfering and picking fights with me at every turn because I’m from a beggar gang!’

 

I hadn’t expected ‘The Shadow’ to have such problems.

 

When that Baxter person raised his fist against Rin, my body moved first before I knew it.

 

I was already feeling a bit troubled inside, thinking the situation had gotten too big.

 

“What’s all this about?”

 

I watched Prince Dean with slightly relieved eyes as he looked around the waiting room.

 

His gaze moved in turn to Rin and Estelin sitting huddled in the corner, Baxter, and then to me.

 

I opened my mouth with an awkward smile.

 

“Um, may I explain?”

 

Dean’s eyes widened slightly. Soon, he who had been frowning slightly opened his mouth slowly.

 

“I stopped by to check on my soldiers’ condition before going to the banquet hall. I didn’t expect to see the Lady here.”

 

“Ah, well…”

 

I glanced at Baxter, who stood as if nailed to the spot, and said.

 

“I’m sorry, but I experienced something quite unpleasant from Your Highness’s soldiers. I couldn’t just let it pass.”

 

Baxter and the other soldiers’ faces hardened to a deathly pale.

 

“Y-Your Highness! That’s not it, we were—!!”

 

Then Dein Jed, who had smiled slightly, raised one hand as if telling him to be quiet.

 

The waiting room became quiet again. Dean’s gaze turned to me. A very formal and pleasant smile appeared on his face.

 

“When it wouldn’t be enough to please the Lady. What could my soldiers have done?”

 

I widened my eyes, then inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

 

I had worried he might be displeased that I came to see his soldiers on my own, but fortunately that didn’t seem to be the case.

 

‘The reason Dein Jed is favorable toward me…’

 

He probably wants to hear about the God’s Tears, and because he saw it with his own eyes today.

 

The noble hierarchy of the Erbia Empire shaking.

 

Duke Tigris, whom everyone thought had no presence, pushed out Belmart at the banquet.

 

Belmart was the Empress’s maternal family. So it was natural for the state guests to watch my reactions.

 

“Did Your Highness know?”

 

At my question, Dean smiled and tilted his head.

 

“That Carton’s soldiers made fools of Your Highness and Tigris, as well as the entire Erbia Empire?”

 

Dean froze momentarily. The smile on his face gradually faded. Baxter hastily made excuses from the side.

 

“M-made fools of!! Your Highness, please listen to me first…!!”

 

However, his mouth suddenly shut. He was clutching his throat with a face turned blue.

 

‘Predator’s Rage?’

 

The beastification abilities of the southern regions were considered more remarkable as they developed further.

 

Among them, ‘Predator’s Rage’ was a tremendous ability that could subdue an opponent’s body with just a gaze.

 

Like herbivores freezing before a predator, those controlled by that ability showed reactions similar to Baxter’s.

 

‘He can already handle Predator’s Rage to this extent?’

 

I looked at Dean with tense eyes. Dean’s voice echoed through the waiting room that had fallen into chilling silence.

 

“Made fools of. I’d like to hear the details.”

 

I nodded.

 

“Exactly as I said, Your Highness.”

 

“…”

 

“Except for a few, Your Highness’s soldiers do not acknowledge Rin Anosa as the true leader of ‘The Shadow.'”

 

The smile on Dean’s face disappeared. He seemed surprised that the words ‘The Shadow’ came from my mouth.

 

I continued calmly.

 

“A moment ago, in the arena, you asked me. Whether I had analyzed Carton’s soldiers. I answered yes.”

 

“…”

 

“I know these aren’t ordinary soldiers. I also know they’re an assassination organization belonging to Your Highness. However, I haven’t told anyone else.”

 

However, at my words, Estelin’s eyes widened.

 

‘…Oops. Estelin didn’t know.’

 

I glanced at her and added sheepishly.

 

“Ah, Lady Estelin just found out now though…”

 

Fortunately, Dean shook his head as if it didn’t matter.

 

“Please continue.”

 

I nodded and continued speaking.

 

“Your Highness would agree as well. How important the role of a leader is in a military organization.”

 

“….”

 

“But they deliberately disobeyed Rin Anosa’s orders. During the match, they let Dosha get captured, and just now they even committed insubordination.”

 

“….”

 

“Purely to put Rin Anosa in a difficult position.”

 

Dean’s expression gradually hardened. Soon he asked in a very low voice.

 

“Are you saying, Lady, that my soldiers deliberately lost to the Tigris Elite Knights?”

 

I hesitated before nodding.

 

“They disobeyed their superior’s orders out of useless pride, and as a result they were defeated….”

 

“….”

 

“It wouldn’t be wrong to say it was intentional.”

 

Dean’s gaze slowly turned toward his soldiers. But then Rin suddenly stood up from her seat.

 

“My lord. I am ashamed. I should have done better, but I failed to….”

 

“No. Rin Anosa did her best.”

 

I quickly cut off her words.

 

“From what I found out, Anosha has been going around various parts of the Empire these past few days, working hard to gather information about our military.”

 

Rin stared at me with surprised eyes. I glanced at her briefly before continuing.

 

“Since her subordinates gave her no support at all, she must have made tremendous efforts to do well on her own. Even though the burden must have been immense.”

 

Dein Jed had no response. He was just maintaining silence with a complicated expression.

 

I quietly observed his mood.

 

‘This person was definitely going to remove Rin from her position as commander.’

 

Just before, right after the match ended, Dean’s gaze toward Rin had been utterly cold.

 

I knew his character well.

 

Being thorough and perfect in everything, he would definitely hold someone responsible for the pathetic defeat in the match.

 

And that person would most likely have been Rin.

 

Of course, whatever decision he made had nothing to do with me.

 

But now that I had come here and learned what kind of treatment Rin was receiving, things were different.

 

“…I became interested in Rin Anosa.”

 

Everyone’s gaze turned toward me.

 

“Also, Dosha Anosa’s abilities were tremendous. In fact, Dosha Anosa was the number one target of caution for the Tigris Elite Knights.”

 

After finishing my words, I stared intently at Dean.

 

You should understand by now, right?

 

The reason why you shouldn’t carelessly dismiss the Anosa sisters.

 

When I turned my head, the Anosa sisters were looking at me with strange expressions.

 

Just then, Estelin finished her treatment and approached cautiously. I quickly said.

 

“I hope I haven’t taken up too much of Your Highness’s time. I’ve told you everything I saw and heard, so I’ll take my leave now.”

 

Then I quickly grabbed Estelin’s hand and pulled her along.

 

“Estelin, shall we go?”

 

Estelin nodded and greeted Dean.

 

“Well then….”

 

It was when we had stepped back one pace.

 

“If it weren’t for you, Lady, I would have overlooked this situation.”

 

I stared at him with a bewildered expression. Dean was looking at me with a complicated face.

 

After glancing once at his soldiers, he soon showed a formal smile and nodded lightly.

 

“I won’t forget this favor. Including the fact that you kept the secret about Shadow.”

 

His navy blue eyes sparkled. He added with a relaxed smile.

 

“Then I’ll see you at the Banquet Hall in a little while.”

 

“…Yes, then.”

 

I nodded with a dazed expression and slowly began walking.

 

When we had almost completely exited the corridor, I heard Dean’s voice from behind calling his aide.

 

“…Ru. Drag them all out except for Rin and Dosha, and Hover.”

 

“You should also exclude Blaine and Ebi. They seemed to follow Anosa’s orders well during the match.”

 

“Good. Do that.”

 

“Y-Your Highness! You can’t! We were just! Ugh, aaaahhh—!!”

 

After that, terrible sounds echoed through the corridor one after another. I flinched and grabbed Estelin’s hand, hurrying up the stairs.

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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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