Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 99
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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 99
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“Is this truly all you promised to show me?”
Ophelia closed her eyes tightly as she faced yet another catastrophic outcome.
“I am deeply sorry. This failure is entirely my fault….”
Prostrate before the altar, she trembled like an aspen leaf while pouring out endless apologies.
Ophelia had hoped Miya would demonstrate exceptional healing prowess at the Aracron Academic Conference and earn recognition from prominent external figures. But this year, Aracron’s conference had failed to draw crowds.
It was because of Emmanuelle’s blunders.
After the public humiliation and Emmanuelle’s complete abandonment of her paper presentation, Aracron had become a laughingstock. To minimize external ridicule and criticism, Philaf arbitrarily reduced the conference’s scale, destroying the stage where Miya was meant to shine.
Miya’s opportunity to demonstrate her abilities had been ruined.
‘It’s Deborah Simour’s fault again! That damned woman!’
Ophelia clenched her fists so tightly that blood pooled in her palms.
“You’ve taken another substantial amount of holy blood this time. You’ve been squandering it as though it were yours to spend freely.”
The Eccentric One who dealt with insects tapped the armrest with a pale hand, muttering ominously.
“He said he no longer trusts you and will not grant you another opportunity.”
“I am sorry. I have committed a sin worthy of death. P-please, s-spare my life.”
“That is not my concern. Reflect deeply upon your suffering and beg for his mercy.”
Francois, the smooth-featured man seated to the right, spoke coldly before gesturing. Figures in pitch-black robes emerged from the darkness and dragged Ophelia down from the altar.
As the Eccentric One listened to her anguished screams echoing through the Underground Stairs, he rested his chin in his hand and parted his bluish lips with a grave expression.
“What becomes of Miya now? If Ophelia is gone, we lose her handler….”
“He instructed me to take charge. …Also, he seemed quite displeased with Deborah Simour.”
Francois answered the Eccentric One’s question.
‘I must make a fool into a saint. And I must contend with the princess of the Simour Family on top of it all.’
Miya’s capabilities fell far short of Francois’s expectations. Though she might enjoy some popularity among the common folk thanks to the lavish use of holy blood, her presence in the central High Society was utterly unremarkable.
Yet the investment already made could not be easily discarded. Above all, the figure they served still seemed to hold expectations for Miya Binoshu. For those fanatics, his word was as absolute truth.
“Spare no support. In the end, Miya Binoshu must become a true saint—one capable of determining the throne itself.”
“Understood.”
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After the group conference.
I asked Margaret to compile a list of useful Information Guilds in the Capital. After that, I set aside my complicated thoughts for once and relaxed at leisure.
I had been working frantically, juggling various tasks, and fortunately tomorrow was the weekend.
‘I’ve been far too diligent because of the conference.’
I enjoyed delicious cuisine and desserts, received a massage from my attendants, and leafed through a newly acquired novel.
‘I finally feel like I’m living.’
The trap is that this comfortable, leisurely life is merely a trial version….
‘They gave me everything for simply not marrying, then took it all away.’
Still, once the Armand branch opens at the West Gate, my position is guaranteed and profits are assured. I made a meaningless vow to quickly accumulate ten billion and become a family head, then live like a complete vagrant, before entering the room where the holy water was kept before sleep.
It was to commune with the holy water.
“What? Where did it go?!”
To my shock, the holy water egg I had carefully enshrined in the last room at the end of the corridor contained only an empty shell. Seeing the vacant holy water egg, I stood dazed for a moment before hastily searching the surroundings.
‘Doesn’t the master usually wake up in front of their owner? It visits every night, so I’ll just wait a bit.’
I had already prepared to stand and applaud at the miracle of birth, tears ready to flow.
‘I’ve read far too many novels.’
Fortunately, the room where the sacred water was kept had its door firmly locked, so the small creature wouldn’t have been able to escape far.
‘Sigh, this turtle is nothing but troublesome.’
Moving about on all fours like a turtle myself, I was carefully inspecting beneath the furniture when I heard a rustling sound from somewhere and held my breath.
Crackle, crackle.
The small sound was coming from the table.
‘What is that?’
A small, white turtle was licking the magical stone placed on the desk.
‘It’s a bit startling, but if it’s cute, that’s all that matters, right?’
The moment the turtle clinging to the magical stone looked at me with innocent eyes, I clamped my mouth shut to stifle a scream threatening to burst out.
From finding the artifact to hatching. Though the entire process hadn’t been smooth, this single adorableness alone felt like compensation for all the hardship I’d endured.
Just as described in the novel, it was a cute little turtle with a body and shell both pristine white. It was small—about the length of my ring finger—with a firmly closed mouth and sapphire-tinged eyes that gleamed with an intelligent glint.
Yet those sparkling eyes were greedily eyeing the magical stone. As if it wanted to eat it.
‘Now that I think about it, I definitely took two magical stones from the Magic Training Hall, but one is missing.’
Had it already eaten one?
Remarkably, as the turtle licked the magical stone again, its size gradually diminished.
“Chirp?!”
After finishing its meal, the creature made an adorable sound and stared at me intently before letting out a small burp.
“Hello.”
“Chirp!”
As our eyes met closely, the tightly closed mouth opened slightly. It seemed pleased with its full belly, gently rubbing its head against my finger. I’d heard that if you speak frequently to an egg before Purple hatches, the sacred water will consider the caretaker as its master and respond accordingly—and it was true.
“Do you remember my voice?”
As I gently stroked its round head, the turtle blinked its large eyes several times before suddenly crawling up onto my palm. Freshly hatched, yet it moved with surprising speed, making me flinch in surprise. Truly, this was no ordinary turtle—it bore the qualities of a spirit hybrid.
“Your name is Purple.”
“Chirp?”
“How’s that? Nice, right? This is such a good name because I’m Deborah, and in English, purple means….”
The response was lukewarm, so I rambled on with explanations as if making excuses. The creature tilted its head slightly each time I finished speaking, as if responding to my voice.
It was excessively adorable.
I nearly screamed again but barely composed myself, carefully stroking Purple’s head.
“Good girl.”
“…?”
“I’ll buy you lots of delicious things.”
“Chirp!!”
‘Huh?’
…In that instant, the reaction was distinctly different from when I introduced myself. Remarkably, despite being freshly hatched, this sacred water had very clear preferences.
“You like delicious things?”
“Chirp!”
It responded enthusiastically to anything delicious, and it seemed magical stones were quite to its taste.
‘Mana stones cost more than premium beef…’
I couldn’t fathom how Miya managed to raise this catastrophically inefficient sacred beast. Seized by doubt, I gently stroked its shell, and Purple blinked its enormous eyes slowly before drifting into slumber.
‘I have plenty of money, and it’s adorable, so everything works out.’
Purple’s mouth curved upward in a faint smile, as if dreaming pleasant dreams.
‘Goodness, why is it so impossibly cute?’
The urge to ascend to heaven from sheer cuteness was almost overwhelming.
‘I need to maintain my dignity as a villainess. This is serious trouble.’
I stifled a small cough, carefully lifted the tortoise, and returned to my chamber, setting it down upon the finest cushion.
‘I’ll raise this sacred beast in the most luxurious manner befitting a companion of the Simour Family Estate’s lady.’
I gazed contentedly at the sacred beast I’d finally acquired after such long effort, then fell into a deep sleep.
The next day.
Hoping to sleep in since it was the weekend, I groggily opened my eyes at the sensation of something nibbling my finger. The tiny baby tortoise had grown to the size of my palm and transformed into a juvenile tortoise.
“Chirp!”
‘Cute things should always be appreciated at their best.’
“Are you hungry for breakfast?”
Purple’s eyes gleamed brilliantly as it nibbled my finger again. I offered bread as a test, but it spat it out with a bright, adorable expression. Figs seemed more to its taste—it chewed them contentedly, though with a somewhat pouty demeanor.
‘It’s quite picky.’
“Fine, you win.”
I handed over a precious high-grade mana stone, and a faint blush appeared on Purple’s cheeks. I felt oddly like a capable provider.
“Eat plenty.”
“Chirp!”
Purple devoured half the mana stone in an instant, then suddenly leaped onto the back of my hand with a triumphant expression before crawling eagerly up my arm.
“What is it?”
The creature, which had been staring intently at me, suddenly transformed into a massive orb of light and began slowly seeping into the skin of my forearm.
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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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