Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 119

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 119
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After parting ways with Knight Isidore, I sat in the carriage heading home, tapping the toe of my shoe against the floor before bumping my head against the window with a soft thud.
‘I’m naturally timid—I can’t usually initiate physical contact.’
Swept up in the moment, I had unconsciously straightened his bangs without thinking.
‘For a moment, Knight Isidore looked like a rain-soaked puppy….’
It was strange. To see someone so composed and powerful suddenly appear vulnerable. As I recalled his pallid face, which had seemed somehow forlorn, I arrived home only to find the Aide staring at me with hollow eyes.
‘I have a feeling something similar happened in the past.’
“My lady, the Duke has been terribly worried….”
I cut him off before he could finish speaking.
“I’ll pay my respects to Father first.”
The moment I entered the Office following the exhausted Aide, my father sprang up from his desk.
“You’re late.”
“It’s only nine o’clock.”
It was autumn, so the days were short, but it wasn’t particularly late.
“Summoning a child who hasn’t even fully recovered. That Visconti wretch has nothing to recommend him. Sit down for now.”
“…Yes.”
The moment I sat in the guest chair, he called to me with stern eyes.
“Deborah Simour.”
“Yes?”
“It’s true that I borrowed Knight Isidore’s strength when we emerged from the Subspace, but I’ll compensate him appropriately, so you needn’t feel indebted.”
“It’s not about feeling indebted.”
“Then all is well.”
Well what?
“I was worried you might harbor such weakness of spirit given your depth of character. If that man becomes a nuisance while you’re conducting your research, tell me. I’ll handle it.”
“Knight Isidore is someone who respects proper boundaries.”
The moment my words ended, the Duke erupted in anger.
“What?! Who respects boundaries? That fox? Deborah, there’s not a single man among them you can trust.”
“….”
“He’s clearly fox-like. His exterior and interior are definitely different!”
‘He does seem fox-like. A nine-tailed fox who enchants people.’
My father, who bore a striking resemblance to a Hollywood actor, sternly warned that handsome men never fail to live up to their appearance. Since the Duke despised Knight Isidore intensely, I abandoned my attempts to defend him and returned to my room.
‘Could Father and Prince Visconti have had some history together?’
Now that I thought about it, I knew absolutely nothing about Knight Isidore’s family. I had heard vague mentions of Duke Montes’s prowess as a Spirit Master or Orgo’s achievements as a Sword Master, but I had never heard anything about Prince Visconti.
I swallowed a sigh and collapsed onto my bed.
‘I even conducted a background investigation, but there’s really nothing to know.’
And I had used the intelligence agent described as the most capable in the novel. I tossed and turned before gazing for a long time at the crescent moon, like a watercolor painting shrouded in shadow.
* * *
‘I had that dream again….’
Ever since escaping the Subspace, I had frequently dreamed of wandering through a scorching desert, covered in sand and dust.
Could it be trauma?
I sat dazed on my bed, recalling the unsettling dream, when a cheerful tapping sound echoed against the window. Purple, who had been curled up on the pillow by my head, flew toward the window with curious eyes.
The culprit tapping at the window was a white bird. It hopped about restlessly, pacing back and forth along the windowsill.
I rose from my seat to observe the bird and let out a soft laugh. A small letter was tied to the bird’s leg with golden thread. The color of the thread alone told me who had sent it.
A delicate jasmine fragrance emanated from the small card. I toyed with it for a moment before immediately writing a reply.
I promptly tied my response to the bird’s leg and sent it off. Purple watched with a forlorn expression as Muffin flew away.
But the pain of separation was fleeting—Purple was soon reunited with Muffin.
Since the Visconti House’s Town House was also located within the Yones District, the reply arrived swiftly.
And an unexpected visitor arrived as well. The Fifth Princess.
“My dear friend, I’ve missed you terribly. I even dreamed of that scene where we discussed the practical field applications of mana purity measurement methods together. Have you?”
“I have as well.”
Though I couldn’t recall the paper’s contents, her hopeful golden eyes were so endearing that I gave her a positive answer.
“I knew it!”
I spent tea time with the Fifth Princess, who had come to visit me, and we conversed at length.
The day passed in a blur with letters that Muffin frequently brought, and the next day I went to the Academy without lingering at home. Though my dreams remained unsettled, my body felt perfectly fine.
It felt like ages since I’d come to school.
I casually glanced around, and the Magic Department students flinched, avoiding my gaze. After being caught in the Subspace, not much time had passed by the calendar, yet this ordinary scenery felt strangely unfamiliar.
“Deborah. Spare me a moment, would you?”
As I walked down the corridor, I encountered Bert Dean.
Upon entering the Dean’s Office, he instructed the Teaching Assistant to bring tea. The dessert was from Armand. My uncle always prepared cake from Armand whenever we had a meeting.
He remembered the words I had once carelessly let slip, and whenever I saw his scar, I felt a pang of sympathy, so I could never refuse his threats to increase my lectures.
“I wasn’t pleased that such an incident occurred after your Academy lecture. How is your body?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“To think you got caught up in the internal affairs of the Montes House.”
So everyone truly didn’t know the exact truth of the incident.
It was true that I had been trapped in the Subspace because of Philaf and suffered for it, but the cause of the incident had become known quite differently from the facts.
I learned the truth thanks to the Fifth Princess.
The story had been embellished to make it seem as though Philaf impulsively stole a family heirloom out of resentment toward Duke Montes, and that I and Knight Isidore had gotten caught up in the commotion that occurred within the family.
Since Philaf happened to be under strict confinement for a long time due to his father’s pressure, the rumor gained credibility.
In truth, he harbored resentment toward me for rejecting his marriage proposal.
Philaf also seemed to have an inferiority complex regarding Knight Isidore.
Since I had no desire to become the protagonist of a love triangle scandal, the distorted rumor that made it seem like a Montes House matter wasn’t unwelcome.
The wealth and power of both Houses were truly formidable.
They blamed everything on the Montes House and exiled their sole heir to a distant place.
“Deborah. You must be exhausted, so take a break from both lectures and classes until the end of this week.”
Lost in thought, I snapped back to attention at Bert Dean’s words.
“If you wish, I’ll arrange a lecture position as quickly as possible. I underestimated your enthusiasm.”
“….”
“I’m joking. Eat the cake.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Ah, how is the basic textbook coming along?”
“Well, sir.”
Bert Dean was tremendously pleased with the foundational mathematics text I had created for Enrique’s tutoring. He wanted to distribute it to students admitted through the Gifted Program. He even mentioned that if it were well-written, he would accept it in lieu of a graduation thesis.
‘If it gets published, I’ll earn money and graduate.’
It was a sweet deal.
“Then I shall take my leave now, sir.”
With no lectures today, I was free.
“Let’s go together. My body feels stiff—I’d like to take a walk.”
As I strolled slowly through the Courtyard with my uncle, a familiar face appeared in the distance. And so did the people around Knight Isidore, their expressions dazed as they stole glances at him.
In truth, I had promised through Muffin yesterday to meet him briefly at the Academy today.
‘He arrived sooner than I expected.’
Knight Isidore moved toward me but hesitated upon seeing my uncle standing beside me. Even from a considerable distance, the confusion that flickered across his jade eyes was vivid and clear. He seemed to have mistaken Bert Marquis for my father.
“Is that flamboyant handsome man Prince Visconti?”
My uncle’s long scar twitched slightly.
“Yes, sir.”
“There seems to be no reason for a knight to appear in the School of Magic except for you.”
“….”
“He appears to have taken a liking to you, but don’t meet with him too frequently. There are quite a few foolish men who become arrogant with just a little kindness, losing all sense of propriety and deluding themselves into thinking they’re something special. Do you understand?”
“…Yes, sir.”
“Remember that.”
Bert Marquis, who had been regarding Knight Isidore with cold eyes, left behind a characteristically sharp piece of advice befitting Simour before turning back toward the Academic Building.
“Every time, a new obstacle appears….”
Knight Isidore muttered something incomprehensible.
“What did you say?”
“I won’t give up anyway. No, I can’t.”
“I’m not sure what you mean, but stay strong. Why did you want to meet today anyway?”
He smiled faintly, his pale face luminous.
“Do we need a reason to meet? I just wanted to see your face. …Without any pretense between us.”
“Well, we did agree to get to know each other and stay in touch.”
And yet he sent a messenger bird with an astronomical value fit only for wartime communications just because I mentioned staying in touch.
“…You listen to my words far too well.”
Excessively so.
“They stay with me. In my mind. Not a single word forgotten.”
My heart sank.
“Could you…say such things less frequently?”
I replied to Knight Isidore, suppressing my trembling heart with effort.
He must have left his filter behind when he emerged from the Subspace. How could he say such embarrassing things so naturally?
“Why?”
Bewilderment appeared on his face.
“Sigh…never mind.”
“Where shall we go?”
“Well, I heard that a second branch of my favorite shop just opened.”
We made our way toward the West Gate, our footsteps crunching softly against the fallen leaves scattered across the path.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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