I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 99

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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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“Kyaah! It’s a bug!!”

Estelin, who had been walking ahead, jumped back in shock.

Because of this, Rosette, who bumped her nose against Estelin’s back, let out a groan and covered her face.

Estelin quickly turned around and said restlessly.

“Rosette! Are, are you okay? I’m sorry, there was a spider the size of a fist in front…”

Rosette waved her hand as if it was nothing. Then she moved the frightened Estelin behind her.

She casually swept away the spider web with her hand and said.

“What’s so scary about bugs? They don’t even bite anyway.”

Estelin made a “hiik-” sound and stood close behind Rosette. I burst into laughter and chimed in.

“There are quite a lot of bugs though.”

Estelin made a tearful face.

“Exactly, there are way too many. I don’t want to be a burden, but I keep getting startled…”

I smiled at Estelin reassuringly.

“It’s okay. There was definitely a cave around here, right? Once we arrive and light a fire and set up a barrier, the bugs won’t swarm around anymore.”

Estelin reluctantly nodded and started walking again. I also followed her, moving my steps while looking around.

‘Even though it’s the same forest, the atmosphere is different from the Cursed Land.’

The Cursed Land was full of only straight birch trees. That’s why it felt gloomy, but this place was different.

Basically, the vegetation was lush and full of green everywhere.

‘It’s like a forest where spirits would appear.’

The moment I admired it inwardly.

“Wait. Stop for a moment.”

I heard Rosette’s voice and turned my gaze forward.

Then I saw her crouching down after stopping mid-walk.

I approached Rosette and asked.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Rosette glanced back and said in a very small voice.

“…No. Is someone sleeping over there?”

My eyes widened.

“What are you talking about? Someone’s sleeping?”

However, after taking a few steps forward, I could really see someone lying down in the distance.

Their body was half-hidden by bushes, so only their legs and feet were visible.

“Could it be an outsider?”

Estelin muttered in a frightened voice.

“Maybe a criminal hiding from a manhunt?!”

“How could that be? The Academy jurisdiction’s security is so thorough.”

Rosette lightly scolded her for making a fuss. I frowned and carefully approached forward.

The lower body exposed outside the bushes wasn’t moving at all.

“Are they dead?”

It was the moment I whispered softly.

“Shal… rina.”

A faint groaning sound leaked out from within the bushes.

Rosette, Estelin, and I, who had frozen momentarily, made eye contact with each other. Then we hurriedly ran forward.

When we hastily cleared the bushes, the upper body of a stranger lying with a pale face was finally revealed.

Looking at his face, he was an elderly man. Rosette urgently said from beside me.

“Look over there.”

Where she pointed, there was a steep cliff.

From the dirt that was dug up here and there and the trampled grass, it seemed the old man had rolled down from that cliff.

“Fortunately, aside from his broken ankle, there don’t seem to be any serious injuries!”

Estelin, who had started healing at some point, shouted.

I nodded and began pulling the old man out of the bushes with Rosette, grabbing his arms.

Only after struggling for a while could we move him to a flat area. It was because the old man was quite large.

“…rina, …Shalrina. I…”

The unconscious old man was muttering incomprehensible words.

Estelin, who was looking at him worriedly, said.

“We should help him regain consciousness first.”

Rosette nodded and began gently shaking the old man.

“Hey there, grandfather. Please open your eyes.”

“Mmm…”

The old man frowned and shifted his body.

How much time had passed? Finally, the old man’s eyes opened completely.

The old man looked around as if he didn’t understand what was happening and furrowed his brow.

“What, why am I…”

He muttered as he struggled to sit up.

“How… how did this happen.”

The old man’s gaze slowly passed Estelin and Rosette and turned to me.

He opened his mouth with a confused face.

“Who on earth are you people?”

The old man asked, but I couldn’t answer. Chills ran down the back of my neck.

‘This can’t be.’

My lips, which had been stiffly frozen, slowly parted.

“…He looks alike.”

“What?”

Rosette tilted her head and asked back, but I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from screaming.

This person… looks exactly like Rubel!

“I don’t really see it?”

“I don’t see it either. Where exactly do they look alike?”

At Estelin and Rosette’s words, I beat my chest and answered.

“He looks exactly like Tatio! From those eyes and nose bridge to his lower face, they’re completely identical! It’s like they’re carbon copies!”

Rosette and Estelin tilted their heads. Then they looked at the old man sitting across from them again.

The old man sighed deeply and opened his mouth.

“…Stop staring at me. You’ll wear out my face.”

Estelin widened her eyes and waved her hands.

“Oh no, I’m sorry…! I didn’t mean to offend you!”

The old man sighed as if he couldn’t help it and leaned his back against the wall behind him.

We had walked for a full 30 minutes supporting the old man and entered a nearby cave.

Rosette wiped her forehead, which was damp with sweat, and flopped down backward.

“Grandfather should be grateful, you know. If it weren’t for us, you would have frozen to death right there.”

“Ro, Rosette! You shouldn’t talk to an elder like that.”

Rosette shrugged at the restless Estelin.

“It’s not like I cursed at him, so what’s the problem.”

“Still…”

But then, the old man, who had been silent, chuckled. I jumped up from my seat in shock once again.

“Look! When he smiles, dimples! Even his dimples look alike!”

Rosette glanced at me and muttered irritably.

“Selene, stop it already. Do you happen to like Lord Tatio?”

I froze momentarily.

“Wh, what? Why is the conversation suddenly going that way?”

“You’ve been singing ‘Tatio, Tatio’ since a while ago. They don’t even look that similar. It’s getting tiresome.”

Estelin burst into laughter.

“Don’t say that, Rosette. Eria says that when you start liking someone, that person’s face supposedly flickers before your eyes all day long.”

“Really? No wonder! Our Estelin has become quite the romance expert, hasn’t she?”

I felt my face getting hot as I waved my hands dismissively.

“No. It’s not that, it’s just amazing how much they look alike. Look closely, they really do look alike!”

With an aggrieved expression, I looked at the old man in front of me again.

The old man was looking back and forth between me, Rosette, and Estelin with interested eyes.

He, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“…My face shouldn’t be such a common one.”

I quickly nodded and answered.

“Exactly, it’s not a common face and yet they look exactly alike? I’d like to show you sometime if I get the chance!”

It wasn’t a lie.

He really did look eerily similar to Rubel.

No, I could believe he was Rubel forty years from now.

The old man, who had been laughing as if amused, said.

“Then that fellow must be quite a handsome lad.”

I nodded.

“That’s right. He’s incredibly good-looking. Actually, handsome people aren’t that common, are they? That’s why I was even more surprised. It’s not an easy face to resemble…”

But I stopped mid-sentence and closed my mouth.

Because Rosette and Estelin were looking at me and giggling.

“Selene, you’re being way too obvious.”

“I didn’t know you liked Tatio so much. Does Tatio know too?”

I pressed my lips shut and frowned.

‘Starting with Anna, why does everyone think I like Tatio?!’

Even Estelin!

I could almost hear the sound of my plan to bring those two together crashing miserably.

It was the moment I let out a deep sigh.

“So you girls are children who came to take the entrance exam?”

The old man looked at me with a meaningful smile. I nodded.

“That’s right. We have to wait two days until the exam starts, so we were looking for a place to stay.”

“Oh ho, so you left the Central Building Garden?”

The old man’s eyes lit up with interest.

Rosette, who had gotten up from her seat, tilted her head.

“How do you know about the Central Building, grandfather?”

The old man closed his mouth. He stiffened for a moment, then rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.

“That’s…”

Then Rosette clapped her hands and said.

“I got it, you’re security for the jurisdiction, right?”

Estelin’s eyes widened.

“No wonder! I was wondering why you were collapsed in the forest. You must have slipped on the cliff?”

Rosette shook her head disapprovingly.

“Grandfather. Security work isn’t easy, please be careful from now on. You could really get seriously hurt.”

The old man, who had been opening and closing his mouth with a dazed expression, soon burst into laughter.

“Ha, haha—! Yes, I’ll be careful from now on.”

I looked at the old man laughing good-naturedly and casually asked.

“If you’re Academy security, then you belong to House of Haren, right? Do they provide hazard pay there?”

The old man stiffened and asked back.

“Huh?”

“Hazard pay. From what I saw today, forest security doesn’t seem like easy work. If there’s ever an accident, it’s really dangerous for elderly people. That’s why hazard pay is necessary.”

The hesitating old man asked quietly.

“Should… hazard pay normally be provided for this kind of work?”

I tilted my head.

“Huh? Of course, that’s an employee’s right. It seems you haven’t been receiving it, so when you go back, make sure to ask for it. And claim medical expenses too.”

“…”

And I continued seriously.

“If you keep your mouth shut, you won’t get what you deserve in this world. You have no choice but to look out for your own interests.”

But the old man seemed to not even know what hazard pay was. I sighed, feeling sorry for the old man who was blinking blankly.

“…Duke Haren too, really, I didn’t think he was like that, but for someone who’s supposed to be an educator, that’s too much. What could be more basic than properly providing workers with appropriate compensation.”

But after saying that, I tilted my head.

Because the old man was somehow clearing his throat and blushing.

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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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