I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 89
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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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[Child, there’s absolutely nothing for you to be hurt about. Amon is originally that kind of personality, he’s cold to everyone. Really!]
I left Adam behind as he chattered with exaggerated gestures and entered the room. After placing the old book I brought on the nightstand beside the bed, I said calmly.
“He seemed to particularly dislike me though.”
Adam approached me in surprise.
[No, no! Why would Amon dislike you? You’re such a cute and lovely child!]
I tilted my head and asked Adam.
“Is Amon Amasius’s nickname?”
Adam’s eyes widened before he quickly nodded.
[Yes. It became a habit and I forgot for a moment. As you said, I call Amasius ‘Amon.’ His original name is too long and difficult, isn’t it?]
I nodded.
“The name Amon is much easier to call than Amasius.”
Then I quietly frowned.
“But why does Amon hate me so much? We even just met for the first time.”
At this rate, it seemed I wouldn’t even be able to have a comfortable conversation, let alone borrow his abilities.
Adam, who had been struggling beside me, said frantically.
[Hmm! I think Amon was in a sensitive state since he hadn’t been awake for very long.]
I stared at Adam, who was smiling awkwardly, with suspicious eyes.
Adam’s expression was definitely different from usual somehow. As I gazed at him intently, I asked in a low voice.
“Adam. Are you hiding something from me?”
Adam jumped back in shock. He held out both hands and shook his head vigorously.
[Me? What would I hide? I swear there’s really nothing I’m hiding at all.]
“Then why have you been struggling like this since earlier?”
Adam hesitated and stepped back.
Rolling his eyes, he suddenly yawned awkwardly.
[Uh, um… I was so enthusiastic about welcoming Amon that fatigue suddenly hit me. I should probably get some rest.]
And then he disappeared instantly without giving me a chance to stop him.
I stood frozen in place with a dumbfounded expression, staring at the now empty air.
“So, it will be quite a long journey, so it would be good to have winter clothes tailored in advance.”
“…”
“Miss?”
“…”
“Miss, are you listening to me?”
“Huh?!”
I was startled by Anna’s voice calling me and looked up.
Anna was looking at me with her head tilted.
“Miss. Are you alright?”
“Huh? Oh! I’m fine. What did you just say?”
When I asked frantically, Anna narrowed her eyes and said.
“…I was talking about winter clothes for you to wear when going to take the exam.”
“Ex, exam?”
“Yes, you’re leaving for the Academy Jurisdiction in a few weeks. To take the Rision Academy entrance exam.”
My pupils finally widened.
“…Ah, right. That’s right.”
As I held my forehead, Anna looked at me intently with meaningful eyes.
After keeping her mouth tightly shut for a long while, she muttered.
“I think I know why you’re acting like this, Miss.”
I looked up in surprise. Anna’s green eyes were shining sharply.
“Wh, what am I doing?”
“What do you mean what? You haven’t been able to concentrate at all since earlier. Also, you were seriously ill a few days ago.”
I gulped. Anna was scariest when she had those eyes.
Kind and gentle Anna had a ghostly intuition.
Moreover, her gaze was so fierce that sometimes when I met her green eyes, I wondered if Anna actually knew everything about my true identity.
My heart pounded.
‘Did she hear me talking with Adam? Did she also catch me cheating with Adam’s abilities?!’
Just as I was thinking that.
“It’s because of Tatio, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
My frozen eyes widened at the unexpected statement from Anna’s mouth.
“Oh my, Miss! How do you plan to live in this harsh world with such a tender heart!”
Anna approached and grabbed both my hands. Then she looked at me like looking at a baby and said.
“Do you miss Tatio that much?”
I blinked with a blank expression.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”
Anna glanced at me and continued.
“I know everything. That you two have that kind of relationship.”
My mouth gradually opened, but Anna looked excited.
“I’ve seen Tatio often coming and going through the window to your room, Miss. Of course, I haven’t told anyone.”
Anna, who said that, added ‘I’m surprisingly loyal, aren’t I?’ and laughed.
“Still, I didn’t know you’d be this troubled just because Tatio left for his estate. The Master would be terribly disappointed if he knew.”
I, who had been frozen with an absurd expression, suddenly came to my senses and waved my hands.
“It’s not like that!”
“…Hmm?”
“Where do you see that Tatio and I have that kind of relationship? It’s really not true!”
“Then why did you look so sad when seeing him off?”
I blinked blankly at Anna’s words.
A few weeks ago, Rubel returned to Tigris Estate first.
To be precise, he went to Count Bastin’s Domain at the southern end of the estate.
After showing his abilities to everyone in the finals of the gladiatorial event, excessive attention had been focused on him.
‘It would be better to stay away from the Empire for a while.’
‘I think the same. Go stay in the estate ruled by Count Bastin. I can trust that man.’
Rubel obediently nodded at the suggestion from Father and me.
Count Bastin was the person who had been Father Mayer’s godfather, someone I had met once before.
He was also the one Father trusted most among Tigris’s retainers.
As I was lost in thought at the time, Anna said.
“See, you can’t answer. You were so upset the day Tatio left that it broke my heart too, Miss.”
“That was…!”
I swallowed the words that had risen to my throat and sighed as if frustrated.
‘It was because of Estelin!’
If Rubel left like that, the opportunity to connect him with Estelin would disappear for a while, so I was disappointed about that!
Realizing that having them meet once or twice wouldn’t be enough, I had been devoted to orchestrating chance encounters between the two for a while.
“Oh my, I came to the training ground by chance and Tatio is here? Estelin, say hello.”
Or,
“Ah! I forgot and left my handkerchief at Laurent Estate? Rubel, could you go get it for me? Estelin probably has it.”
While fabricating the same situation.
With an aggrieved expression, I frowned and said.
“That had different circumstances!”
Anna seemed unconvinced. However, she soon smiled brightly and said.
“Alright, alright. If you want to hide it that badly, I’ll cooperate with you.”
Then she chuckled as if I were adorable, muttering ‘At times like this, you’re just like any other girl, aren’t you?’
I looked at Anna with bewildered eyes.
Anna had already gotten up from her seat and was quickly tidying up the messy room.
It was because quitting time was approaching.
Finally, after even checking my bedding, Anna said.
“Anyway, you need to pull yourself together, okay? I’ll look into and order the clothes you’ll wear when you leave.”
“….”
“Then rest well.”
Anna gave me one affectionate smile and left the room.
I stared blankly at the closed door in a daze, then let out a hollow laugh.
It seemed like I had caused some tremendous misunderstanding, but I wondered how I could resolve it.
As I swallowed the rising sigh with a troubled heart, my eyes suddenly caught sight of the red ancient book placed on the nightstand.
I approached the bed with a sullen face and sat down.
Then I glared at the ancient book with resentful feelings.
“This is all because of you.”
The reason I had been looking completely out of it lately was because of this damn ancient book.
Because Amasius, no, Amon hadn’t shown himself even once since disappearing from the Underground Library.
Moreover, there was something even more troubling.
I gripped the pendant hanging around my neck tightly.
Adam hadn’t appeared either.
“These people… no, these sacred objects are really.”
I glared at the pendant and bit my lip.
Adam had been avoiding me for almost a week now.
Every time he appeared, I asked about why Amon disliked me, so he seemed to have decided not to appear before me at all.
“They’re the ones who made me feel isolated in the first place.”
On the day I found the second sacred object, Amon had been hostile toward me from the start for some reason.
Moreover, he even made meaningful remarks here and there, saying I resembled that woman or something.
Adam was the same. The Man, he said. Who on earth is The Man?
Adam seemed to know everything, but despite asking several times, he never told me.
‘This is so frustrating!’
I flopped down on the bed with a hopeless feeling.
Could there be another past life I don’t know about? Did I do something terrible to Amon there?
That’s why he hates me!
Then why did Adam like me? From the moment we first met, he acted like he’d give me his liver if I asked.
After racking my brain this way and that, I let out a short sigh.
Usually in novels or movies, if you pressed them this much, they’d reluctantly spill their story.
But Adam and Amon were far too tight-lipped.
Pulling myself together, I bolted upright from my position.
At this rate, I felt like I wouldn’t gain anything before leaving to take the Academy exam.
Walking over to the nightstand, I picked up the ancient book with meaningful eyes. Staring intently at the ancient book, I said.
“Let’s have a talk.”
It would look crazy to anyone watching. Talking to a book. But fortunately, there was no one in the room except me.
I spoke again.
“It would be better to come out while I’m asking nicely.”
Still no response.
I let out a deep sigh and chuckled.
“So that’s how you want to play it?”
Without hesitation, I approached the window and flung it wide open.
Then, like a pitcher throwing a ball, I raised the hand holding the ancient book high above my head.
“I definitely warned you.”
My muscles tensed as the ancient book was about to fly far from my hand.
[St-stop, stop—!! Alright! I got it, you violent woman!]
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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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