I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 81

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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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“…Why the hell isn’t anyone answering.”

 

Nicolas paced around his study, muttering anxiously.

 

In his hand was a high-grade communication magical device.

 

The magical device had been blinking with a green light for dozens of minutes already.

 

It meant the communication was still on standby because the other party wasn’t accepting the connection.

 

“There’s no reason for contact to be delayed this much. Could it be….”

 

He froze in place.

 

‘Did the Lady escape alive?’

 

But he soon shook his head.

 

It made no sense for Seleneae Tigris, who couldn’t even manifest her abilities, to evade six assassins and return alive.

 

‘Then are they still disposing of the body?’

 

With that thought, his anxious mind calmed down slightly.

 

“…Right. There’s no way they could fail to handle one small girl.”

 

Nicolas nodded and anxiously opened the curtains to look outside the window.

 

The sky was dark as if it was about to rain. Beyond the garden, not a soul could be seen on the street.

 

Honestly, it seemed like even the sky was helping him.

 

The weather was perfect for carrying out the plan he had made for today.

 

Nicolas chuckled and spun the communication stone in his palm.

 

He was someone who had risen to the position of Privy Council Chairman through wit and political maneuvering alone.

 

When he heard that Meg Cline had caused trouble at the charity event.

 

When he heard that she had ultimately earned Duke Belmart’s hatred and returned with only shame instead of winning the charity event.

 

He had a gut feeling. Meg Cline would never be able to repay the money she had borrowed from him.

 

‘Why did she have to act above her station and make things difficult for me too.’

 

But there was something more important than not being able to recover the money he had lent.

 

His keen intuition, which he had relied on for so long, was somehow sending ominous signals.

 

Especially regarding the rumors circulating in the Empire lately.

 

Nicolas began using every eye and ear he knew to track down the source of those unsettling rumors.

 

And as a result, he was soon able to roughly identify where the rumors had started.

 

The identity of the person who had created the rumors was completely beyond his expectations, a very unexpected figure.

 

‘Anna Bardi.’

 

She was none other than a maid of the House of Tigris and a servant who directly attended to Lady Seleneae Tigris.

 

‘Seleneae Tigris knows something.’

 

That’s what Nicolas thought.

 

And apparently Selene intended to reveal what she knew to the world at the trial.

 

Nicolas pondered and pondered again how he could silence Seleneae Tigris.

 

However, no suitable method came to mind.

 

But just as time was passing like that, he received an unexpected contact.

 

One of the back alley errand boys who usually handled dirty work under his orders reported that he had received a request from Meg.

 

According to him, Meg Cline had asked him to divert the carriage so that Seleneae Tigris couldn’t attend the trial.

 

‘Perfect, this is it!’

 

Nicolaus Zelbero was so delighted upon hearing this news that he almost clapped. Thinking about it again, the method was quite simple.

 

‘There’s no method more certain and faster than taking someone’s life to silence them!’

 

Of course, since the target was Aleon Tigris’s daughter, he wasn’t entirely unconcerned about the aftermath.

 

But….

 

‘If things go wrong, I can just pin it on Meg Cline.’

 

Yes, there was no plan more perfect and certain than this.

 

That’s what he had thought.

 

Today. Until contact with the errand boys was cut off.

 

“Why the hell…!”

 

Nicolas shot up from his seat and glared at the communication magical device still blinking with green light.

 

It had been over an hour since he started trying to connect.

 

Despite reassuring himself dozens of times that it couldn’t be true, he kept having ominous premonitions.

 

Nicolas had no choice but to carefully put the magical device in the drawer and quickly threw on the coat that had been hanging on his chair.

 

Then he hurried toward the study door.

 

He planned to stop by the Imperial Palace under the excuse of having left some documents behind and peek at the courtroom.

 

If Seleneae Tigris wasn’t in the courtroom, then his plan would have succeeded.

 

It was just as he was thinking this and threw open the study door.

 

“There he is! Arrest him!”

 

He was startled and froze in place upon seeing multiple knights who had spotted him from the distant corridor and were running toward him.

 

He came to his senses and quickly stepped back several paces, but it was useless.

 

One agile knight instantly leaped over the corridor railing and approached him.

 

“Wh-what is the meaning of this!”

 

Nicolas shouted with a flushed face at the knight who was grabbing his arms and pulling them behind his back.

 

“Let go! Do you know who I am to dare—!!”

 

However, the knight looked down at Nicolas calmly without batting an eye and said.

 

“Nicolaus Zelbero. You are under arrest for embezzling Imperial funds, conspiring in the murder of a noble, and bribing the House of Belmart.”

 

Nicolas looked with hollow eyes at the knight who was binding his wrists together with rope.

 

Then he came to his senses and shouted desperately.

 

“Wh-what are you talking about! I never did such things! Untie this immediately! How dare you arrest me, the Chairman of the Privy Council, without any evidence…!”

 

“Do not resist.”

 

The knight spoke coldly while watching Nicolas writhe like a worm.

 

Nicolas glared at the composed-looking knight and gritted his teeth.

 

“I am the Chairman of the Privy Council who advises His Majesty the Emperor! Do you think His Majesty will stand for this when he finds out? Are you confident you won’t regret it later!”

 

After ranting and raving, Nicolas frantically looked around. He was thinking of asking anyone for help.

 

He spotted servants hiding behind walls, glancing at him furtively.

 

Nicolas looked at them with hopeful eyes and shouted.

 

“Yes, you there! Come here immediately! You must drive out these ruffians! How can you just stand there watching!”

 

As Nicolas struggled violently, one maid on the first floor who had been looking up at him hid behind a pillar in terror.

 

Nicolas let out an exasperated sigh and shouted.

 

“Aaah—!! You stupid, useless fools! When I return, I’ll personally cut off your heads! How dare you not even recognize your master and do this to me…!”

 

But Nicolas stopped mid-shout and closed his mouth. He felt a strong impact on the back of his head.

 

He lost consciousness and his head dropped forward.

 

“How noisy indeed.”

 

A man approached the limp Nicolas.

 

“Lord Levi. Should we escort him directly to the Imperial Palace?”

 

Walter nodded at the knight’s words.

 

“Please do so. Oh, you’ll need to be careful not to let our lord catch sight of him on the way.”

 

“…By lord, you mean Duke Tigris?”

 

“That’s right. If His Grace spots this man, he might go into a rage and try to kill him on the spot. Probably all of you knights together couldn’t stop him.”

 

The knights nodded as if they understood Walter’s words.

 

With Aleon Tigris’s abilities, it was certain that even if they all rushed him together, it would be useless.

 

“Understood. Then we’ll see you at the Imperial Palace shortly.”

 

The knight lightly hoisted the limp Nicolas onto his shoulder. Then he nodded to Walter and went down the stairs.

 

Walter watched for a moment, then took out a communication magical device from his pocket and contacted Selene.

 

More people than expected had gathered in the courtroom to observe.

 

And most of those gathered were glancing at the same place.

 

“I apologize for causing you concern.”

 

When I bowed my head politely, the other person shook their head as if to say it wasn’t my fault and let out a short sigh.

 

“I have no face to show my Lady. To think such an unpleasant incident occurred on the way to the Imperial Palace of all places.”

 

The person across from me was none other than the Emperor of Erbia, Simon Albertine.

 

“I’m the one who should be ashamed. The trial was delayed because of me, taking up Your Majesty’s precious time.”

 

I said glumly, drooping my eyebrows as much as possible. The Emperor shook his head from side to side.

 

“It’s not just anyone, but Lady has been attacked. I need to know what audacious person ordered such a thing.”

 

At his words, the judge who had been observing from the center of the tribunal quickly spoke up.

 

“The Imperial Knights are currently escorting a person identified as a prime suspect here.”

 

“I see. I’m curious about what kind of person it is. What on earth were they thinking to do that to Lady Tigris…”

 

The Emperor glanced at Father, who was sitting with an indifferent expression in a seat slightly away from his own.

 

“…Still, I hope there won’t be any bloodshed in the courtroom. Duke Tigris.”

 

Father silently nodded at the Emperor’s words. The Emperor smiled as if relieved.

 

This time, he turned his gaze to the opposite side to look at Duke Belmart seated in his chair.

 

“My heart is not at ease, Duke Belmart.”

 

“…I apologize.”

 

Sebin Belmartre bowed his head.

 

The Emperor leaned back against his chair and shook his head from side to side.

 

“Well, don’t all children grow up fighting? I too always quarreled with my friends when I was that age.”

 

Even while speaking, the Emperor kept glancing and watching Father’s reactions.

 

The Emperor cleared his throat with a “Ahem-” and said.

 

“In any case, it’s true that Miss Cline was rude to Lady Tigris, so I hope the Duke understands that point well.”

 

Duke Belmart nodded. Meg Cline sat beside him with her head deeply bowed.

 

As silence briefly fell over the courtroom, the judge who had been quietly waiting for the Emperor’s story to end spoke up.

 

“Then first, according to the complaint filed by House of Tigris, I will ask Miss Meg Cline a few questions.”

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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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