The Abandoned Villainess Takes Everything This Time - Chapter 18
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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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18.
What is this about!
The Shadows exchanged glances with wavering eyes.
Given Our Highness’s personality, we knew he’d keep someone useful by his side!
But an engagement?
Are they really that compatible?
Even they knew well that there was absolutely no way Evren had fallen for Lillian Tillard.
Such soft, mushy affairs would never happen.
Because Tarandia is that kind of clan!
There’s no way he’d have affection!
But still…!
Elias ignored his subordinates’ eyes that were dying of curiosity.
Evren had already given his orders.
‘Don’t carelessly spread talk about the imprinting.’
The fewer people who knew that his heart was wandering around outside, the better.
No matter how loyal someone was, it would be terrible if they were tortured by enemies.
Elias turned his gaze to Jeanne.
“Jeanne.”
“…! Yes!”
“You will be in charge of Miss’s escort.”
…If I entrust it to a man, it might be dangerous somehow.
The Shadows looked at Jeanne with sparkling eyes.
‘Wow, jackpot, jackpot.’
Work is dangerous but familiar, so it’s boring.
But who knew such an interesting event would suddenly happen!
Elias nodded toward the dazed Margaret.
“Margaret.”
“Y-yes?”
“From now on, you will serve as Miss Lillian’s maid. Please inform her about the Controllers’ work.”
“Yes…!? B-but!”
Margaret became flustered and urgent.
“Sir Elias, you must reconsider… How, how can we have a Tillard human-“
“Miss Lillian has calmed His Highness the Prince’s rampage.”
“…!”
It was an absolute declaration.
Even if there were countless other talents and reasons, this was ultimately why they needed to bring in a Controller.
Rampage. Because an ability user’s life depended on it.
“So from now on, please serve Miss well with proper respect.”
“…Yes.”
Margaret finally gave a kneeling bow.
“Miss, from now on, please… take care of me.”
“Yeah, sure. Margaret.”
“…!”
Margaret’s eyes widened.
What? She acted like we just met today for the first time.
But she knew my name?
However, Lillian was already leisurely moving away like a butterfly.
‘There’s no way that woman really stopped His Highness the Prince’s rampage.’
After being powerless for 20 years, suddenly awakening was unbelievable.
She must have used some cunning trick. In the worst case, it might even be black magic.
‘I need to drive her out, even if I have to use somewhat rough methods.’
That was true loyalty.
* * *
Lillian naturally knew all the Controllers’ names.
Who had created the foundation for Iris to shine in social activities?
‘I organized all their names and face information for her.’
She also knew this kind of reaction would come from the Controllers’ side.
A rolling stone wouldn’t be welcomed.
‘I wasn’t trying to roll in here either.’
Margaret did attend to her.
However, she kept her mouth tightly shut and rejected Lillian with her whole body.
She maintained all the courtesy befitting a noble lady, so there was nothing to find fault with.
‘Passive aggression is quite impressive.’
But Lillian decided not to mind it.
At most, she’d be here for a year anyway.
If she could make a safe exit before then, it would end even sooner.
‘There’s no need to tell the villain or Sir Elias about something like this.’
But Lillian had forgotten something.
The fact that she’d have an escort knight assigned.
“Please take care of me from now on, Miss!”
“Oh… yes.”
Sir Jeanne has become my escort?
‘I’m grateful since her skills are well-known.’
Every time Jeanne greeted Lillian cheerfully, Margaret radiated an aura of humiliation with her whole body.
As if she had been betrayed.
Well, they must have known each other as colleagues for a long time before Lillian came.
“Um, Sir Jeanne.”
“Yes, Miss?”
“You don’t need to worry about me too much beyond escort duties.”
“Huh? Ah. Ah-!”
Jeanne grinned. She understood this awkward atmosphere too.
“Don’t worry, Miss. Everyone’s like that because they haven’t seen your abilities.”
“It’s hardly anything as grand as abilities.”
“But! You stopped His Highness’s rampage, and this!”
Jeanne raised her fist.
It was to show the ring that Lillian had hastily repaired for her.
“If they had seen you fix this, they would have bowed their heads on their own.”
“That was really just emergency treatment.”
If she had done it properly, she should have at least filled it with the same metal…
But Jeanne shook her head.
“Even with a Controller present, ability users always have to be careful, right?”
“…”
“So you probably don’t know how much help it is to have someone look after us like this.”
Controllers often envied ability users.
Because their physical abilities and powers transcended the level of ordinary people.
But they must have their own troubles too.
‘Like when sleeping, or if it activates even slightly wrong, it’s immediately dangerous.’
Abilities circulated continuously in the body like blood.
But was it realistically possible for a Controller to stick around 24 hours a day?
That’s why artifacts were no different from respirators for asthma patients to ability users.
This was why Iris could be praised without having to go on expeditions, claiming she disliked monsters.
“Now, now, so you must finish all your food today!”
“Mmm… I ate all the fruit I received.”
“Shadow doesn’t count fruit as a meal, please eat just a little more!”
Lillian nodded awkwardly.
Lillian had plenty of experience clinging to others.
But she had almost no memory of receiving things that others offered first.
Let alone proper protection from a dedicated knight?
She couldn’t even remember such a thing.
So she felt good about it.
‘But let’s not get too accustomed to luxury.’
Good dreams always hurt the heart once you wake up from them.
* * *
Eventually, they arrived at the Temple of Aetherna.
The temple was a pristine white building that looked hygienic no matter which region you visited.
The priests came running down the stairs like rolling balls.
“Y-Your servant of God greets Your Highness the Prince. What brings you to such a place?”
“There’s someone in my party who was injured during a mission. I request treatment.”
“Yes, Your Highness. But who is the person beside you-?”
“She’s my retainer who said she wanted to use the measurement artifact.”
“A measurement artifact at this age…?”
The priest glanced at the veiled Lillian with suspicious eyes.
Why would a fully grown adult need to use the ‘measurement center’?
Usually abilities manifest at three or four years old.
At the latest, it’s all finished by age ten.
There was no way this remote priest would know Lillian’s face.
‘But it’s very rare for adults to get measured.’
The fact that Lillian had awakened was extremely valuable information.
There was nothing good about leaking such information here, to a priest who wasn’t even an ally.
The villain had made a refreshing offer.
‘Manipulation, I can do that for you?’
Please become emperor safely. Please.
So Lillian recalled old times.
The days when she ran a workshop and put on acts to get loans.
“Ah, priest. It’s nothing else…! Please allow me to perform 108 prostrations in prayer before the sacred relic for my younger brother’s university admission!”
Perniers had educational fervor among nobles that was just as intense as her previous life.
When the entrance exam period that comes in spring arrives?
‘Families across the nation go into chaos…’
The priest, who had been suspicious for a moment, soon laughed heartily with good humor.
“Oh my, sister. You know that’s just superstition… Even if you pray to the sacred relic, university admission is based on grades…”
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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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