The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 144

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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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Part 2, Chapter 14
Rozelin rose from her seat with an unhurried air and approached the man standing behind the Priest, drawing the sword from his waist and hefting it with ease.
“So our devout Priest here—did he achieve eternal life?”
The heavy blade came up naturally in her hands, as though crushing stone were no exaggeration, and she leveled the point at the man.
“Hey, you! What on earth are you doing to the Priest—!”
“No, no, I misspoke. Forgive me, young lady. Next time, I shall—”
He took a step backward.
“I will offer you a far more satisfactory proposal.”
Rozelin hurled the sword to the ground, and the men retreated with the Priest.
‘……What am I feeling right now?’
She knew well enough that all this talk of Sacred Power and such was nonsense, but being sought after twice made something stir uncomfortably inside her.
‘I should ask Garren about this.’
Strangely, everything felt peaceful—yet her heart would not settle.
“Child, are you hurt anywhere?”
The Countess hurried over and crouched before me, her voice trembling with concern.
“……No, I’m fine.”
I nodded with an odd expression. Just then, Garren Wilbred was emerging from the alley as well.
‘I’d like to rest soon.’
I moved lightly, thinking how tired I’d grown since becoming a child.
“Oh? Selena! So you were here.”
A voice called from behind the Countess.
“Lloyd? What are you doing here?”
The Countess’s eyes widened as she turned.
Damn it.
That was Rozelin’s first thought.
Because Lloyd Arenes was very likely the Countess’s current romantic interest—good news about whom had apparently been circulating.
She could sense a dangerous edge to the air somewhere.
* * *
“Ah, so you’re staying at the Count’s estate. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I’m Lloyd Arenes, second son of the Count Arenes Family.”
Rozelin found herself thinking.
Who am I.
Why am I here.
After deciding to return to the estate, the four of them boarded a carriage together.
And in that carriage, Rozelin’s breath caught.
Selena and Lloyd laughed and chatted, all warmth and merriment, while Garren Wilbred answered their questions with his usual ease and affable smile—yet.
Rozelin knew.
She knew exactly how sharp Garren Wilbred’s eyes had been when he emerged from the alley and saw Lloyd Arenes.
‘I don’t even want to know what happened.’
Rozelin shook her head and rested her chin against the carriage window.
“Bored, little Rose?”
“A bit tired.”
“I see. We’ve been out too long. We’ll prepare your room as soon as we’re back.”
Rozelin smiled and nodded. Her voice had all but vanished.
Rozelin resolved never to leave the estate with Garren Wilbred again.
“By the way……the child resembles her mother, it seems. I hadn’t heard that the young Marquis had married.”
Rozelin studied Lloyd Arenes as he spoke so artlessly.
She wondered if he was perhaps needling Garren Wilbred.
But he wasn’t.
He’d simply made a rather glaring misstep.
‘Perhaps because he’s still young?’
One slip in high society and the consequences could be savage.
Torn to pieces from all sides, until nothing but the core remained.
“Lloyd, what are you saying?”
“What? No, I just thought the child looked rather adorable……”
Rozelin’s expression darkened.
‘It’s not my place to judge, but……doesn’t the Countess have poor taste in men?’
In men specifically, that is.
How she kept choosing ones like this—it made Rozelin think that perhaps Garren was the better choice after all.
“That is not a matter for you to concern yourself with.”
“Ah……yes?”
“I told you to leave my child alone.”
“I… I…”
“And if you’re going to keep spouting such nonsense, I’d appreciate it if you’d close your mouth.”
My ears are bleeding.
Oh, so Garren Wilbred is angry.
He’s speaking quietly with a smile on his face, but does he know that’s what makes it truly frightening?
“Y-yes. Of course.”
Lloyd Arenes, who had been stammering, fell silent under the weight of Garren Wilbred’s presence before he could even think about it.
His bewildered gaze darted about helplessly.
Selena Hyde looked flustered too, glancing at Garren Wilbred, but he merely turned away and stood with his arms crossed, staring out the window.
‘…Oh, forget it.’
He’ll figure it out on his own.
Rozelin watched the carriage move forward and let out a sigh.
* * *
Over the past week, Rozelin had nothing to do. Unable to bear the boredom any longer, she finally opened her Notebook to organize what needed to be done.
While Garren Wilbred and Selena Hyde laughed and carried on at the Hyde County Estate, Rozelin had been reduced to sightseeing.
Of course, the Count’s household and their servants had been considerate toward her.
Even the current Count and Countess, though Rozelin lacked any particular charm, treated her with considerable warmth and care.
Still, rumors had begun circulating that Garren Wilbred had pulled some strings, and Selena’s engagement to Lloyd seemed about to fall through.
Rozelin uncapped her pen and wrote numbers in her Notebook. Then she calmly thought through what needed to be done in the coming days.
After writing that much, she paused to think a little longer.
The most urgent matter was saving someone who could die at any moment.
That was the pressing one.
Lily Bellion.
If the search took too long, she might die.
Based on the timeline I calculated, there was still time.
There would be no child yet.
It was a pity that Reaper wouldn’t be born, but he wouldn’t have wanted to grow up like that either.
So she had to find Lily Bellion, whom Marlux was holding somewhere in captivity.
Once Lily Bellion returned, the reckless second son, Ian Bellion, would stop his pointless antics and live.
The second matter was…
Yes, that was it.
If you root out the problem from the start and prevent anything from beginning, there were many things that would never happen at all.
Lady Carmel wouldn’t come, Father wouldn’t be in danger, and Grandfather wouldn’t be in danger either.
Without the scheming whispers from behind the scenes, there would be no threat to the Empire from Kaluta.
When you corner someone, eventually they come to wonder: “Am I really the one who’s wrong?”
If they were just a little honest with each other, there would be no problems.
Perhaps that was the simplest approach.
That was why adoption was necessary, and why the name Wilbred was necessary. They wouldn’t deal with anyone who wasn’t a noble’s child, after all.
‘I needed an excuse to enter High Society too.’
This way, Father wouldn’t die uselessly from poison.
Breaking it down into broad strokes, there were three main objectives.
Looking at it this way, it didn’t seem like there was so much to do.
The problem was the variables.
“…The Binack Cult.”
The Binack Cult, growing larger by the day.
For some reason, it kept bothering me.
I couldn’t fathom what they wanted or what they were after.
After circling around the Binack Cult for a while, Rozelin let out a long, heavy sigh.
From outside came the sound of bright laughter.
Sticking her head out the window, she could see Garren Wilbred and Selena Hyde laughing and strolling through the Garden.
“How nice…”
Something felt hollow inside.
It was a day when she missed Arma.

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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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