Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 29

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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 29
“Your complexion looks rather poor.”
Duke Simour observed me fiddling with the daisy, his expression stern. It was shocking that two people had now pointed out my appearance.
‘That bastard Philaf. How dare he damage my precious skin—skin without a single blemish or enlarged pore?’
This face was my most treasured possession, and my irritation toward Philaf only intensified.
Duke Simour’s brow furrowed as he watched my jaw clench rigidly.
“If this is because of that Montes boy, I urge you to maintain your dignity, Deborah. You are Simour’s only daughter. To engage in such childish behavior—the sort even infants would not resort to—why would you invite such trivial gossip?”
It seemed the incident at the Academy had reached Duke Simour’s ears, for he spoke to me with evident displeasure.
‘Damn it! I’ve worked so hard to rebuild my favorability after it plummeted so far.’
Something churned and bubbled within me. I met the Duke’s cold gaze directly and opened my mouth.
“It is not because of that foolish Montes who cannot comprehend simple words.”
“What?”
“Given my past conduct, I understand your skepticism. However, this time—unlike before—there will be no actual witnesses who saw me tormenting that young lady.”
“….”
“Because I did not torment her. The rumors are merely a byproduct of Philaf Montes carrying around an injured young lady. That is all.”
“Indeed, the rumors do seem concentrated solely on Montes’s actions….”
The Duke remained suspicious, yet he accepted my explanation.
‘Philaf’s audacity in parading through the courtyard while cradling a princess was truly extraordinary.’
As a result, I tended to fade into the background—like a dark wallpaper that beautifully illuminated the couple’s radiant love.
“Besides, if you had caused trouble, you would have done it the moment Montes appeared with that woman.”
‘A one-dimensional villainess—so easily convinced once again.’
Sensing that Duke Simour wished to believe me this time, I felt relieved and quickly pointed to the daisy.
“My poor complexion stems merely from concern for this flower. After all, it is the Rose Garden that Father himself designed.”
Duke Simour’s eyes narrowed at my words.
“Concern for a flower? That is rather unexpected.”
“Precisely as I say. As you can see, only the daisy’s leaves are wilting.”
At my words, he bent down to observe the daisy closely.
“…Now that you mention it, it does appear that way.”
“It is no mere impression. The soil here is unsuitable for daisies to thrive.”
“How did you come to know this?”
I pointed toward the brilliant blue hydrangeas blooming in the distance.
“The fact that the hydrangeas are blue rather than red indicates the soil is acidic. Daisies are not an appropriate species to cultivate in acidic soil.”
My explanation captured Duke Simour’s interest, and curiosity flickered in his cold eyes.
“So, Deborah, what do you intend to do with these daisies? Since you are concerned about flowers that cannot flourish in this soil, will you uproot them all and transplant them elsewhere? But the flowers will wither and die in the process.”
True to form for a mage with a strong scientific mind, the Duke immediately began probing for solutions. I had successfully diverted his curiosity away from the unpleasant subject of Philaf, exactly as intended.
“Father, why should we remove the flowers when the problem lies with the soil?”
At my counter-question, he tilted his head.
“Surely you do not mean to alter the soil itself? To my knowledge, there is no magic that can change soil composition to help flowers thrive.”
“There is no need to rely on inefficient magic.”
This world had a tendency to depend far too heavily on mana and magic. While mana was infinite and magic nearly omnipotent, this reliance often prevented people from solving problems through simple observation and reason.
“Then?”
“If we simply spread charcoal on the soil, this problem resolves itself.”
“Charcoal? Why?”
“Charcoal can neutralize the acidity in the soil. It contains alkaline components that counteract acidic properties.”
“You’re right—it’s certainly far simpler than using magic.”
Duke Simour rubbed his thin lips and nodded lightly, then suddenly fixed me with a peculiar gaze.
“But I’ve never heard that charcoal can neutralize acidity before. Deborah, how on earth did you learn such a thing? Judging by how you’ve let the daisies wither like this, even the gardener seems unaware of it.”
“…I discovered it by chance while browsing through books in the Library.”
Knowledge I’d picked up in a science class in my previous life—but I lied and said I’d found it in the Library. There was no way the Duke would bother searching through all those books to verify my words.
“Ah, so that’s why you’ve been frequenting the Library recently. To care for the flowers in this Rose Garden….”
Duke Simour, satisfied with his own interpretation of my actions, suddenly coughed loudly and shook his head.
“Hmm. You’re truly incorrigible. Do you love this Rose Garden I designed so much?”
“…Because it’s a garden more beautiful than jewels, crafted with your dedication, Father. As a member of Simour, I wanted to maintain this garden beautifully.”
Was it just my imagination that my acting skills and improvisation had improved since arriving here?
“Honestly, I’d prefer you showed interest in fields that would help your deplorable grades rather than flowers, but I must say I’m impressed.”
“I do have interest in fields that would help my grades.”
Watching the Duke’s eyes, which held profound contemplation, I quickly cast my line. There was something I’d wanted to confirm here all along.
“What is it?”
“Recently, while frequenting the Library, I’ve been studying not only flower research but also magical formulas.”
“You’re studying formulas, of all things?”
Obvious bewilderment flickered across Duke Simour’s silver eyes. He seemed both flustered and inwardly exasperated.
‘Wow, he really underestimates me.’
Well, it was unavoidable. This was Deborah, who had despised even basic arithmetic formulas of the lowest difficulty. She and formulas were practically incompatible.
But I was a science student who could solve calculus.
“Hmm. Deborah, regardless of what you do, the attempt itself is what matters—so do your best. The process of effort holds meaning in life.”
The Duke murmured in a voice tinged with sympathy. His tone carried compassion for his daughter, who possessed the weakest magical talent among all direct and distant relatives.
“…However, Father.”
I began speaking in an deliberately solemn tone.
“What is it?”
“Why is everyone so slow at solving formulas? Honestly, I thought snails were crawling around.”
“What do you mean?”
“Problems I solve in less than a minute, other students cling to for over five minutes. It’s frustrating to watch.”
During magical formula class, Professor Kyle demonstrated a strong determination to make each lesson his masterpiece, assigning similar types of problems before leaving.
‘Mana-enhancement auxiliary magic?’
It was supposedly a formula that strengthened the destructive power of offensive magic, but to my eyes, it was merely an arithmetic sequence. On the first day, I’d solved it immediately since time was precious, but this time curiosity struck me, so I looked around before leaving.
‘I found something interesting.’
Everyone was solving it according to the inefficient formula created by Tegea’s Archmage.
“Everyone’s so slow at solving formulas?”
The Duke’s expression showed interest.
“Yes. To give a simple example, for problems like calculating the total mana quantity when deploying wide-area magic, everyone spends ten minutes, but I can solve it in five.”
“How on earth are you supposed to obtain it in five minutes?”
At the Duke’s bewildered question, I offered a knowing smile.
Just as I suspected. It was now certain that there was no ‘formula’ here. I would need to examine the formula books more thoroughly, but seeing how even Duke Simour—the Empire’s most brilliant mind—reacted that way, my hypothesis had to be correct.
“To be honest, five minutes isn’t even necessary. One minute would suffice.”
“You have absolutely no talent for humor, Deborah. Stop it.”
“How could I possibly jest about such a matter? If you doubt me, verify it yourself. I’ll demonstrate it right before your eyes.”
“Let’s go to my office.”
Realizing my demeanor was unusual, Duke Simour hastily led the way.
He urgently instructed his Aide to bring a wide-area magic formula problem, and the moment I sat at the table, I asked carefully.
“Father, would you perhaps be willing to show me first how you solve this formula?”
“Of course.”
The Duke solved the wide-area magic formula using the method developed by the great sorcerer of ancient Tegea. I was uncertain whether there had been no advancement in formulas since ancient times, or whether mana could only be manipulated through this particular method.
Since I lacked mana sensitivity, there was no way for me to verify it.
“Father. Must formulas always be solved in such a slow and inefficient manner?”
At my question, the Duke looked caught off guard, his eyes narrowing with confusion.

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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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