The Abandoned Villainess Takes Everything This Time - Chapter 71
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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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71.
Lillian, receiving the Emperor’s favor?
The Emperor rarely even meets with the heads of the other four great families!
They call him a ‘madman’ because his intentions are unknowable, but in the end, he was Tarandia.
A ruler who attracts others precisely because he exists beyond human understanding.
‘That child, with such a person…’
The Duke swallowed dryly.
“My, my. You’re so entranced you’ve lost your wits completely.”
From behind Duke Tillard came a familiar rough baritone voice.
“Enoch Baltazar.”
“I haven’t gotten dementia, so don’t call my name.”
Neither of them were on good terms anyway.
However, the veins on Duke Tillard’s hand continued to bulge.
“How dare you try to connect my blood to His Majesty?”
“Your blood? Me reconnecting with His Majesty? Me!”
Duke Baltazar chuckled.
With his naturally fierce appearance, even a small smile made him look incredibly sinister.
If a bandit had dignity, this is what he would look like.
“Ah, yes. You wanted to hear these words, didn’t you?”
“What nonsense are you trying to spout?”
“In-law!”
“…!”
“Yes, in-law. You wanted to hear these words, didn’t you?”
Duke Baltazar began his expert-level mockery.
“The child is getting engaged and you haven’t contributed anything, yet your eyes only glitter with resentment and greed.”
Even if you disowned her, you should have at least checked on her once.
You should have at least pretended to swallow your pride and ask for forgiveness.
To do nothing and simply hope for Lillian to return.
“Your Grace?”
Just then, Lillian, who was about to move, approached with quick steps.
“Your Grace, what’s wrong? His Majesty and everyone else are going inside together…”
Lillian, who had come to suggest they move together, stopped abruptly.
Duke Tillard kept his mouth firmly shut.
Speak first, he thought.
Just as you always did.
You used to read the room because you lacked ability, yet acted as if the Tillard family was the only thing in the world!
But Lillian simply gave a clean, single bow.
Even that was done only out of courtesy to avoid being criticized.
Then she turned toward Duke Baltazar.
“Your Grace, let’s go inside now.”
“Yes. But aren’t you going to change into more dresses? I sent them all for you to wear.”
“If I wear everything Your Grace sent me, I’d have to have 100 engagements… Please don’t do this next time, really.”
“Hah, honestly!”
Duke Baltazar snorted and followed Lillian.
Duke Tillard, watching this scene, tasted an indescribable emotion.
The name of that emotion was wretchedness.
* * *
After the minor heresy incident.
Lillian was enjoying dessert with a somewhat relieved mind.
‘Since it’s the Pavil family, they’ll probably escape from this matter.’
Being recorded on the first page of the scriptures was truly tremendous power.
It meant they were the five families chosen by God.
However, it was only a matter of time before they became a family that lost substance.
‘Stupid Karkin.’
If he had just stayed quiet, things would have returned to normal.
To make such a foolish choice because he was blinded.
If caught for heresy, the end is execution.
There’s no room for other excuses.
But then, a gentle voice came from behind her.
“Um…”
“…?”
“Thank you for helping me. I’m Caspian Bolivar.”
“May the Creator God’s grace be with you.”
Lillian greeted him gently.
Wasn’t this man practically the only civilian-type male in House Boliver?
‘He was the General’s nephew, right?’
He’s tall, but compared to others in the same family, his build…
Well, sometimes mutants like Lillian are born once in every family.
Only his hair color was reddish-gold; his aura was like that of a lily of the valley.
“I’m so sorry for causing such a scene on such a good day because of me…!”
“Not at all, sir. You came all this way, and I’m embarrassed that something terrible almost happened.”
General Anais Bolivar burst into loud laughter.
“We owe Miss Lillian a great debt!”
“What are you saying, Your Grace.”
Lillian curtsied gracefully.
Actually, Your Grace might not remember, but—.
‘I thoroughly received help regarding the original male lead’s ability landmine.’
Anyway, with this, the ‘neutral’ House Boliver has come over to this side.
Since they’re as straightforward as they are wild, let’s trust that temperament once.
Caspian looked at Lillian shyly.
“I hope to see you often in the future—.”
“People keep coming.”
A hand reached out from behind Lillian.
“From the first day of the engagement, people keep trying to steal this person away.”
The Villain smiled and… leaned his face against the top of Lillian’s head.
Was he planning to reduce her height? He was truly pure evil.
“The world is teeming with potential thieves, General.”
“…! My word.”
However, contrary to Lillian’s feelings of being diminished in height, the General was impressed.
Why?
“My word. In this world. In this world.”
What about this world?
Lillian flailed silently while being pressed down by the Villain. Sometimes living is this difficult…
* * *
Just because they were engaged didn’t mean there were any major… changes, naturally.
‘It’s not like we’re going to spend our wedding night together, so there’s nothing to discuss about using separate rooms.’
And Lillian hated dancing in front of everyone.
The Villain’s side was even misanthropic.
Thanks to that, the two came out together to the garden with a workshop.
“Hmm. Should I have brought some alcohol?”
“No thanks. I don’t like it because it’s no fun if I’m the only one getting drunk.”
“I found it interesting though….”
The villain smiled slightly before changing the subject.
“Do you want to visit Tenebrin that badly?”
“Pardon?”
“You seem distracted every time you meet that snake beastkin Princess.”
And he smiled more menacingly, his eyes narrowing beautifully.
“Right after getting engaged, you’re charming every ability user, whether male or female….”
“No, well, I would like to visit Tenebrin someday.”
Let’s change the subject.
“Hmm. Why are you so unpatriotic.”
“…? Do you have patriotism, Your Highness?”
“I don’t either. But I don’t show it.”
“…?”
Is that something to be proud of?
“Why do you want to go there? The climate is worse than here.”
“Hmm….”
“The food is probably worse than the Empire’s too. It’s not famous for cuisine.”
“But they have a lot of minerals.”
“We have mines here too. So why are you thinking of going there?”
This feels somewhat like passive aggression, or is it just me?
Lillian answered honestly.
“But there, people born without abilities are called ‘non-awakened.'”
“…? That’s it?”
“That’s significant.”
“…?”
“…There’s a difference between ‘non-awakened’ and ‘powerless.'”
Lillian smiled as if fading away while looking at the man illuminated by moonlight.
This man, and even Baltazar, probably couldn’t imagine.
The honor of being part of the ‘Five Great Families’ that could overlook even the crime of ‘poisoning.’
That the life of a powerless person could be so painful that one would want to abandon even that and run away.
‘Yeah, let’s not say that since it would ruin the mood.’
After walking around the garden several times, he escorted Lillian to the terrace door of her room.
‘Come to think of it….’
At some point, holding hands and walking arm in arm had become very familiar.
Though it’s embarrassing if I think about it deeply.
“Well then, Your Highness-.”
“Wait a moment.”
The villain summoned a small ring case.
“Since you said you’d return the leash like that.”
“No, really stop testing me….”
“I understand, so wear this.”
A ring set with a purple gem sparkled indifferently under the moonlight.
I, um. I didn’t bring anything material with me.
While I couldn’t say anything out of embarrassment, he was already saying goodbye.
“You look beautiful today.”
“….”
“As you always do.”
He took a step back.
“Sleep well, my fiancée.”
“…Sleep well.”
After watching him turn around and return to his residence.
Lillian silently closed the terrace door.
Really nothing had changed.
Yet her heart kept feeling ticklish.
* * *
After the engagement ceremony ended, a heresy trial for Count Pavil was scheduled to be held.
The last time a heresy trial was held was… almost 500 years ago?
The excitement was, to put it crudely, no joke.
“Karkin committed suicide?”
Until such news arrived before the trial.
The villain who received the messenger’s news nodded.
“That’s what they say. By biting his tongue.”
“Wow, I really can’t believe it….”
He was a person who was only filled with thoughts of poisoning others to shame them.
There’s no way he would willingly give up his life.
Collective punishment had been abolished in the Empire long ago.
Still, since it’s ‘heresy,’ the ripple effects would be considerable.
However, there was no time to be curious.
Because a direct communication came from the Imperial Palace.
For Lillian and the villain, just the two of them, to come to the Imperial Palace.
* * *
Very few people were permitted entry to the Imperial Palace.
Lillian had no interest and actually no desire to be granted permission.
‘Why on earth did he summon us.’
He came to the engagement ceremony, so he wouldn’t be filming a morning drama now.
While she was the only one feeling nervous, waiting with the villain in the drawing room.
The sound of someone approaching could be heard from outside the door.
“Ouch.”
Thump. A cute sound that didn’t match the situation was heard along with a small sound of pain.
Lillian only jumped up from her chair 10 seconds after hearing that sound.
Because she couldn’t believe the reality that the Emperor had bumped into a doorframe.
“Your Majesty, are you alright-!”
“It’s fine, leave me alone.”
“Your Highness!”
The son’s side was utterly indifferent.
The Emperor also just gently rubbed his forehead and smiled warmly.
“I’m fine, child.”
“However-.”
“My eyes are uncomfortable, so this happens often.”
So that unique eye color was due to vision problems?
Eventually, the Emperor sat across from them and gazed at the two quietly.
“The Count took his own life, they say.”
“Yes, that’s what we heard.”
“His suicide probably wasn’t Robellia’s doing.”
…How can you be so certain. If it’s my former prospective mother-in-law, she’s definitely someone who would do that.
“The being called Revenant must be behind it.”
Lillian blinked rapidly.
Revenant.
‘That name… I saw it in a history book.’
Perniers boasts a vast history spanning over two thousand years.
Among all that time, there was exactly one instance where the Five Families united to completely destroy a single family.
Lillian carefully opened her mouth.
“However, Your Majesty. I heard that family no longer has any survivors.”
“That was certainly the case. But impersonation can be done easily enough.”
“Ah….”
“They would borrow the name and resentment of the destroyed family to try to undermine the Empire.”
Hmm, so the ones threatening our peaceful future are actually just impostors.
If I see any signs of them, I’ll have to catch them again.
“Then the punishment the Pavil Family will receive is-.”
“Even if you wished for their complete destruction, it’s impossible. The Five Families can ‘no longer’ be changed.”
But hadn’t the Second Empress tried her best to make that possible?
The Emperor smiled coldly.
“The Creator God does not wish it.”
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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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