The Abandoned Villainess Takes Everything This Time - Chapter 146

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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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146.
The day everyone had been waiting for.
With word that they could finally witness a duel between princes—a practice long forbidden—the Capital filled with crowds.
The two men competing for the Crown Prince’s position certainly held everyone’s attention.
But the reason the betting odds had skyrocketed was simple.
“The Saint will appear today, won’t she?”
It was because of Lillian.
“She will appear, but the Crown Prince’s other Controllers will face the Second Prince first, of course.”
“What a shame…!”
“But there’s no help for it.”
In duels or friendly matches, those with lower rank always went first.
Still, thanks to the question of Lillian’s participation, the odds had climbed to astronomical heights.
“She shapes her Control Power into butterfly forms! They say seeing it brings good fortune?”
“Hehe, I saw it myself once. A week later, my son was accepted to the Academy….”
“I hope I get to see it today—oh my.”
People’s eyes darted toward the VIP Seats.
“Look over there….”
“Hush, hush.”
“Iris, who opens the Barrier….”
“Hush!”
Everyone averted their gaze as though merely looking might spread contagion.
It was the VIP Seats where the Tillard Family—one of the Five Great Families—sat.
Duke Tillard.
Count Kuern Tillard.
And the Ducal House retainers appeared no different than usual.
But on Iris’s wrists, visible to all, were Silver Shackles.
‘These are what they put on prisoners granted temporary release from the Temple Prison, aren’t they?’
Under the curious stares of the crowd, Iris lowered her head.
‘This is humiliating…! If this was going to happen, why did they even bring me?’
The reason was simple.
In case Prince Kail needed her support—a gesture that wasn’t quite a gesture.
But then.
“There goes Prince Kail now!”
“Good heavens.”
“He’s brought other Controllers instead of his fiancée…?”
Securing temporary release for an S-Rank fiancée was deemed less efficient than borrowing A-Rank Controllers for the occasion.
It was practical, certainly, but it appeared profoundly cold.
No one could imagine this was the same girl who had once been beloved as the jewel of Tillard.
Yet no one stepped forward to comfort her.
“Grandfather, I—”
Perhaps going inside would be better?
But the Duke’s voice cut like ice.
“Don’t call me your grandfather.”
“…!”
“You shameful thing. You threw away the chance to become the Second Prince’s consort?”
The Duke’s already white hair seemed to have grayed further—and Iris bore no small share of that blame.
‘It isn’t just Iris’s fault.’
The artifact business had collapsed.
The Controller recruitment project was in ruins.
Even household affairs were falling apart!
Everything, absolutely everything was crumbling…!
“Wahhhhh!”
People in the front rows sprang to their feet.
The Crown Prince and his entourage, along with Baltazar’s faction.
And when Lillian’s pink hair came into view, the crowd erupted in cheers.
The Duke, watching his granddaughter slip through his fingers, clenched his fists against the railing.
‘She had her own cousin thrown into prison.’
I thought she’d waver at least once!
But Lillian had let go entirely—as though the Tillard Family wasn’t worth her attention.
‘But this time, surely….’
He had to reach out to her.
Lillian was now the only rope that could save this house.
But the Duke didn’t see it.
Kuern, his face drained of all color, clinging to his seat.
And the moment the Crown Prince and Second Prince returned to their positions, having skipped even the proper formalities of greeting,
Bang!
A translucent Barrier wrapped smoothly around the Spectator Seats, and a deafening roar erupted.
Crash!
It was the sound of poison detonating.
The peaceful competition between the princes had begun.
* * *
The rules of engagement were simple.
Defeat as many enemies as possible before the commanders entered the field.
And the two S-Rank princes must not use their Abilities directly against each other!
Kail let out a quiet laugh.
‘This plays to my advantage.’
Watch how frantically Baltazar’s people respond without him even entering the field.
“Gasp…!”
Invisible lethal poison began spreading at once.
Kail’s adjutant reported by hand signal.
– We’ll detonate the poison hidden beneath the ground.
The poison spheres buried underground were all devastatingly powerful. One mistake in their disposal and you’d be dead.
‘Though this Ruby of Amplification is proving weaker than expected….’
But it doesn’t matter.
“Crown Prince’s forces—Knights Yurel and Ignis are eliminated!”
‘The other safeguards’ were proving sufficiently effective!
Especially this Controller who’d entered the field—Marguerite Rubelli….
“Ugh!”
She couldn’t block even a simple attack without help from the Shadows.
‘So she’s not Lillian—nothing special.’
Lillian was dangerous partly because her power had no apparent limits.
‘But she adapts to Abilities far too well…!’
It seemed their strategy was to conserve her stamina until the very end.
Just then, his adjutant signaled again.
– Now we’ll detonate the final one.
The most potent poison.
Once it detonated, even those in the waiting area—Evren and Lillian—could be affected.
But—
“The… the poison—”
Kail’s eyes widened in disbelief at what unfolded before him.
From beyond the earthen wall, Marguerite lowered both hands with a knowing smile.
“My apologies.”
“…!”
“I didn’t realize the poison sphere was quite that large.”
How could she…?
Seeing his reaction, Marguerite’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Even if I look like this, I’m the chief Controller of our own household!
“You see, we know the method to disarm it?”
And have for quite some time.
Back when we first met Miss in the Northern Region and returned to the Capital.
‘That’s when the Second Prince buried the Ability Mines in the ground.’
And the principle to disarm these was exactly the same.
“Our Miss taught us the method herself.”
Lillian had once instructed them to learn this, for times when she might not be present—
‘But there will never be a time when Miss isn’t here!’
She’ll always be with us.
Always!
* * *
“Ah, seriously.”
Lillian grumbled afresh, her patience wearing thin.
Not at our side’s fighting—no, our team was performing beautifully, absolutely splendidly.
But once she grasped what the Second Prince’s faction was doing, she developed a sudden case of high blood pressure.
‘Their ability stats have climbed far too much.’
Through the recent Revenant subjugation, Lillian had assessed their true strength.
And the Ruby of Amplification shouldn’t have boosted them this high.
‘Because I gave them a fake one in the first place.’
Which meant they had hidden unfair equipment elsewhere.
Using artifacts that aren’t Control Power artifacts is cheating!
‘At this point, he doesn’t even resemble the original protagonist anymore, but if you’re going to use that title, at least fight with some honor and integrity, please….’
Ren, having grasped the situation, let out a soft laugh.
“Sometimes I think you’re prophesying.”
“I told you. That Tillard uses underhanded means.”
“Why do you know my brother so well?”
“….”
Oops.
That’s dangerous.
Lillian smoothly dodged the answer.
Right now Ren was like a very volatile iced Americano.
The slightest touch and he’d explode—there was no need to mention another man’s name and drive him to madness.
Though she couldn’t help thinking about it.
‘Evren.’
She had to sense whether he was coming.
‘Since I bear the Marking, I’ll know for certain.’
Why people describe it as a leash, or as a heart walking outside one’s body.
‘You’re not here right now.’
Lillian closed her eyes.
World annihilation was frightening and heavy. But first, she’d deal with the crisis at hand.
“Ren.”
A brief timeout.
“I’m going to go discipline those cheaters.”
* * *
Ren watched Lillian go to clean up the trash with a faint smile.
But moments later, he touched the nape of his neck where the Marking lay.
‘Hah.’
The pain from the Marking was one problem.
Using that insurance Markus had taught him—it was wearing down his stamina for nothing.
‘That man needs to show up soon.’
He could feel it in his skin—the one lurking, seizing any chance to steal Lillian away.
His old self.
* * *
The Tillard Family’s VIP Seats.
Kuern watched the match with anxious eyes.
It felt as though he were sitting on a bed of nails.
‘I… I wanted to distance myself from the Second Prince.’
But the family was desperate to seize Lillian’s hand.
‘There was that time Iris embezzled taxes. You, my dear cousin, handled it quietly.’
‘Ah, no—the Empress knows of it too—’
‘Even so, that such misfortune befell my fiancée… and you concealed it….’
‘That…’
‘What do you think would happen if this became known to others?’
There was no choice but to secretly lend out the family’s heirlooms.
Teeth clicking anxiously, he heard a voice that set his nerves on edge.
“So you were here.”
A stir rippled through the crowd.
The Tillard Family shot to their feet at once. Iris’s face flushed red with frustration, but Lillian didn’t spare her a glance.
“I’ve come because there’s something I need to say to the Tillard Family.”
“…So have I.”
The crowd held its breath.
“Come back.”
The fearsome Duke Tillard bowed at the waist.
“I will apologize for everything that has passed.”
“….”
“Return now to your proper place, the position you should have enjoyed all along.”

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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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