I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 80

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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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The judge cleared his throat and neatly gathered the documents on the bench.

 

Then he looked at the two girls sitting across from each other with a table between them and spoke.

 

“I, I believe both of you know why this meeting was called today.”

 

Seleneae had been staring at Meg with an expressionless face the entire time.

 

Meanwhile, Meg kept her anxious gaze fixed on the table, unable to meet Seleneae’s eyes even once.

 

The judge, who had been watching this scene with puzzlement, continued speaking.

 

“His Majesty has expressed his wish for you two to resolve your misunderstandings and reconcile without legal proceedings if possible…”

 

The judge trailed off and glanced at Seleneae.

 

This was because the Tigris side had filed the complaint.

 

The problem could be resolved without any need for mediation if the Tigris side simply withdrew their complaint.

 

“…By any chance, does Lady Tigris have any intention of withdrawing the complaint?”

 

“I do.”

 

The judge’s eyes widened greatly.

 

He had asked the question tentatively with a slim hope, never expecting the Lady to readily agree.

 

The judge spoke with a much brighter expression than before.

 

“Well, well! That’s wonderful news indeed. Then do you have any conditions you’d like to present to the Klein family?”

 

Seleneae pondered with a serious expression for a moment. Then she answered.

 

“Regarding that, I’d like the two of us to talk.”

 

The judge’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

“Just the two of you?”

 

“Yes. I’d like to have a sincere conversation alone. After all, this is something that happened between Lady Klein and myself.”

 

The judge, unable to hide his bewildered expression, soon nodded as if he understood.

 

“Yes, if you two have a sincere conversation, perhaps the accumulated misunderstandings might be resolved. Please do so.”

 

The judge rose from the bench with a pleased expression and approached Seleneae and Meg.

 

Then he looked at them alternately and continued.

 

“There’s still about an hour left until the trial, so take your time talking during that period. Of course, it would be even better if it doesn’t come to a trial.”

 

The judge smiled awkwardly. Then he left the meeting room.

 

As soon as the door closed, Seleneae hardened her expression and spoke.

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing.”

 

Meg, who had been biting her nails, suddenly looked up and scowled.

 

She glared at Seleneae and retorted.

 

“Wh-what do you mean.”

 

“It was you. You sent those thugs after me.”

 

Meg’s face stiffened with a start. Seleneae stared at Meg with blazing eyes.

 

“Were you trying to kill me? Why do you keep crossing the line? Do you really want to be executed?”

 

“It, it wasn’t me!”

 

Meg jumped up from her seat and screamed.

 

I was so dumbfounded that I let out a short sigh and stared at Meg. Meg was trembling all over.

 

“I, I was just trying to scare you! You were being so annoying, acting so arrogant that I couldn’t stand the sight of it…!!”

 

Meg opened her tightly shut eyes and looked at me.

 

Her anxious gaze moved in turn to my disheveled hair, torn dress, and the dark bruise on the back of my hand from jumping out of the carriage.

 

Meg hung her head, turning pale, and bit her lips.

 

“If, if I left the carriage in the North District, you’d get lost… You, you wouldn’t be able to attend the trial, they said. But getting hurt like this…”

 

I watched Meg’s unfocused eyes wandering in the air and let out a deep sigh.

 

Then I slowly pressed my forehead.

 

“You’ve never been on a guillotine, have you?”

 

Meg’s complexion turned even paler than before.

 

“Wh-why are you bringing up the guillotine?!”

 

“Because you’re about to end up there for pulling this crazy stunt.”

 

Meg’s lips trembled with shock. Her eyes were completely filled with terror.

 

‘…She really didn’t know.’

 

That the people she sent were trying to kill me.

 

I sighed and got up from my seat, roughly grabbing Meg by the collar.

 

“What are you doing!”

 

Meg struggled and twisted her body.

 

I pulled her closer and muttered in a low voice.

 

“If you don’t want to be dragged to the execution block right now, stay quiet.”

 

Perhaps frightened by my words, Meg shut her mouth with a gasp.

 

Even with tears welling up in her eyes, she glared at me venomously.

 

I deliberately made an even more frightening expression and brought my face close to Meg’s.

 

“Tell me everything you know right now. If you don’t want to die.”

 

Meg’s gaze trembled anxiously.

 

From her expression, it seemed she felt wronged, but was also afraid to tell the truth about what she had done.

 

I deliberately frowned and muttered to Meg in a low voice.

 

“Do you want to take the blame for everything you didn’t do too? No matter how great your grandfather is, do you think he can even cover up the crime of ordering a noble’s murder?”

 

“I, I…”

 

“Meg Klein, get a grip.”

 

“…”

 

“The people you sent tried to kill me. If I had been just a little unlucky, I wouldn’t be here right now, and you would have become a murderer, not just a liar!”

 

When I shouted, Meg squeezed her eyes shut. Finally, her lips parted.

 

“I, I just wanted to prevent you from coming to today’s trial!”

 

Meg waved her trembling hands and sobbed.

 

“Th-then the trial date would be postponed, and I was going to try to find some solution during that time…!!”

 

I loosened my grip slightly on her clothes. Then I spoke in a somewhat softer voice.

 

“Then why on earth did those guys try to kill me? What you ordered was probably just to take the carriage to the North District.”

 

Meg pushed away my hand and sat down on the floor, crying loudly.

 

“I don’t know either! I don’t know! Why those guys did something I didn’t even tell them to do… But it wasn’t me! I really never told them to ki-kill you or anything like that!”

 

She trembled with her shoulders, completely terrified, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

 

“If, if I had known they were such violent people, I wouldn’t have made the request in the first place! I just thought since the Chairman introduced them, they would handle difficult tasks that nobles find hard to do…”

 

I had been listening to Meg’s words in a daze when I started.

 

“Chairman?”

 

Meg nodded while sniffling without dignity.

 

“Yes! He said any noble would use errand boys for troublesome tasks. So I just asked them to leave the carriage in the North District and run away! Then you wouldn’t be able to come to the mediation meeting, and the trial would be postponed…”

 

Meg was rambling when she suddenly grabbed my hand tightly.

 

“It, it really wasn’t me! Those guys acted on their own! Are, are you going to report me? You’re not, right? I don’t want the guillotine! I really don’t want it! Please believe me!”

 

I looked down at Meg, who was crying pitifully and pulling at my hand, then firmly pushed her away.

 

Meg looked up at me with a shocked expression.

 

I turned around without hesitation and headed for the door. Meg stared at me helplessly from behind.

 

“My mercy toward you ended last time. Now we’ll discuss the rest at the trial.”

 

With those final words, I closed the door and left the mediation room.

 

“Seleneae Tigris!!”

 

I could hear Meg’s scream-like voice from behind.

 

I limped away with a stern expression.

 

“Miss!”

 

Anna, who had gotten out of the carriage, came running to me, swaying as if she might fall.

 

“Wh-what happened? Oh my, what should we do!”

 

Anna’s eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the bruise on my arm and stamped her feet.

 

Then someone approached quickly from behind with a stern face. It was Father. Rin was standing beside him.

 

“Selene. What on earth is this!”

 

Father hesitated and stopped his hand as he tried to touch my disheveled hair, then closed his mouth.

 

I could hear the sound of teeth grinding from between his clenched jaw.

 

“What exactly did they…”

 

I quickly shook my head and spoke soothingly to Father.

 

“Father, I’m fine. More importantly, what happened to that bastard?”

 

I asked, looking back and forth between Rin who was beside me and Father.

 

Rin stepped forward.

 

“He’s in the luggage compartment. As you instructed, bringing him back alive was quite difficult.”

 

It seemed Father had been fighting with Rin the entire way here, saying he would kill that bastard.

 

I nodded as if I understood, when Father spoke in a stiff voice.

 

“The trial has been postponed by two hours.”

 

My eyes widened.

 

“What? Can it be postponed so suddenly like that?”

 

“In that physical condition, you absolutely cannot attend the trial. They were going to postpone it for several days, but Walter insisted so much…”

 

I closed my mouth.

 

Walter knew every single detail of how thoroughly I had prepared for today.

 

I had planned to accuse Nicolaus Zelbero together in today’s trial.

 

While exposing what Meg Cline had done to me to the world, I also intended to reveal Nicolaus Zelbero’s crime of embezzling imperial funds.

 

But Nicolas was currently monopolizing the Emperor’s trust.

 

So I had to be careful in every aspect.

 

‘That’s exactly why I spread rumors about Nicolas in advance.’

 

For several weeks now, stories about him had been circulating as rumors throughout the Estate.

 

That there was an official who embezzled imperial funds, and a nobleman in quite a high position had received that money.

 

By now, those rumors would have reached the Emperor’s ears as well.

 

In this situation, if I accused Nicolas, I could naturally expose his crimes without it being too sudden or out of nowhere.

 

Of course, the Emperor’s sense of betrayal toward him would also be doubled.

 

After pondering for a moment, I muttered quietly.

 

“Um… Father.”

 

Father looked at me with concern.

 

“I think I’ll need your help again this time.”

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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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