The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 180

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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, Episode 50
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“This way!”
Rozelin resumed walking at the sound of Wolf’s bark.
“Wait, are you sure this is the right place?”
Growl—
“Why are you answering me…….”
Squeak.
Only a few days after asking Al for help, he’d brought her the information she needed.
While she’d been briefly surprised that he’d actually gathered it, now she found herself doubting what he’d told her.
Whether this was real or not…….
Since the coachman refused to take them any deeper into the forest, she’d ultimately entered with only two guards.
The further in they went, the denser the woods became, and the dimmer the light grew.
“Is this really it……?”
Had this idiot just sent me on a wild chase?
The moment that thought crossed her mind, her smile felt distinctly strained.
Still, clinging to a thread of hope, she ventured deeper and deeper until…….
“……A cliff?”
I found myself facing a towering cliff face.
“…….”
“…….”
I turned my head and locked eyes with the Wolf, who was avoiding my gaze and sweating profusely.
Crackle.
I grinned widely and tightened my grip, reducing the Map in my hand to a crumpled mess.
* * *
‘……No, this has to be the right place.’
Arma Jin Dianitas watched Rozelin’s smile through trembling eyes. Her face remained frozen in that grin.
He knew it well—when she smiled like that, it meant she was furious.
And that kind of smile, when she was truly angry, never lasted as long as one might think.
But look now.
After hours of walking, only to find a cliff, her smile showed no signs of fading whatsoever.
The Wolf’s fur bristled, then trembled and went slack.
He scrambled on all fours toward the cliff, searching its surface while recalling a conversation he’d had with High Priest Irbon not long ago.
“You mean a place to go when I feel threatened?”
“Yes. Before I became High Priest, where did I used to go?”
High Priest Irbon clutched a generous Gold Ingot to his chest and spoke with a bright expression.
“There’s only one such place! There’s a small forest to the west of the Capital, and it should be inside there.”
“You lived in a forest?”
“Well, more precisely, something inside the forest.”
What exactly is something inside a forest?
‘Is it this cliff?’
He raised a front paw and tapped the cliff lightly. Nothing remarkable revealed itself.
This time, he carefully unfurled his darkness using the Abyss without being noticed. As he scanned across the entire cliff face, somewhere his own darkness scattered with a sharp crackle.
The same result came from trying twice more.
‘Is there some kind of passage?’
Arma bounded forward on all fours and circled nervously beside Rozelin.
“Squeak, whine…….”
Unable to explain what he wanted, he simply tapped at her and tugged her skirts, causing Rozelin to furrow her brow.
“What? I don’t have time to play with you right now.”
“This way!”
“What?”
“Woof! Growl—!”
Rozelin squatted in front of Arma with a rather serious expression.
“Wolf.”
“Bark?”
Even when you bark that seriously, I have no idea what you’re trying to tell me.”
“…….”
Faced with her grave tone, he found himself at a loss for words.
He clamped his jaws shut and scratched his head with a front paw.
Once more, he clamped his teeth around her skirts and made a motion toward moving forward.
Arma repeated the same movements because Rozelin wasn’t following.
“Follow me, would you?”
“Woof! Woof-woof!”
That was it!
Excited, he was hopping about frantically…….
He felt genuinely like a beast.
Arma shook his head at the cold sensation creeping through his mind.
‘……No, this won’t do.’
The longer he spent as a wolf, the more wolf habits started bleeding into his Crown Prince duties these days—it was becoming embarrassing.
Last time, after finishing a meal, he’d automatically reached up to groom his fur, clenching his fist and nearly bringing his tongue to it…….
He’d almost done it.
Unable to hide his raised fist, he’d hastily redirected and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand instead—but only just.
If someone hadn’t been there to snap him back to reality, it would have been a complete disaster.
He shook his head.
“This way?”
Right, of course.
“Woof!”
“But do wolves normally howl like that?”
That was something even Arma couldn’t answer. When he tried to vocalize, it came out like that regardless.
For reference, even when he attempted human speech, it came out as one of four sounds: “woof,” “yip,” “bark,” or “growl.”
“Here?”
“Woof…….”
Probably.
The darkness had definitely been dispelled somewhere nearby.
The High Priest had considerable ability to begin with, so he must have used some method.
Rozelin glanced down at the wolf and sighed.
It was clear she was regretting having followed him here.
The cliff face bore very fine fractures.
Had the darkness caused them?
Arma bounded forward and struck his head against the crack with a bang. Rozelin’s eyes went wide.
“Wolf!”
“Woof!”
He’d meant to say he was fine, but an enthusiastic bark spilled out instead.
“You won’t die so easily that way. If you want to die, falling from a height or drowning is the best method…….”
“…….”
Don’t tell me things like that.
The wolf regarded her with a “what was that?” expression before exhaling deeply.
“……She’s been sighing a lot lately.”
Rozelin spoke curtly, clearly offended.
He was the one who should be offended.
Arma padded backward away from the cliff, wrapped the darkness subtly around himself, and threw his body toward the cliff once more.
In that instant, a sharp crack—! Something invisible shattered with a sound.
“……Huh? Did something just break……?”
“Miss, going in too deep isn’t advisable…….”
“No, but I heard something break just now…….”
As she spoke, a metallic ring sounded.
“Hello there, little miss.”
At the sound of that voice, the knights flinched and swiftly drew their blades.
“You scoundrel! Where did you come from!”
“Step away from the lady this instant—!”
The two men went pale at the sight of the short sword against Rozelin’s throat.
They’d been watching all directions, yet no one had noticed him approaching her.
Not even Arma.
Rozelin raised her hand lightly to calm the knights, then paused at the familiar voice and spoke.
“……Irbon?”
“Hm?”
Irbon tilted his head slightly.
“You know me?”
“Yes.”
“I have no memory of meeting you before…… may I ask how you came to know me?”
“It’s a secret.”
“……What?”
Rozelin frowned.
“I said it’s a secret.”
Irbon faltered for a moment at such a brazenly shameless answer.
Not quite a lie, not quite an admission of ignorance—just a flat declaration that it was none of his business.
‘But……why won’t she put the sword away?’
If they were going to talk, she should at least sheathe the blade properly.
Arma, anxious that Rozelin might be hurt by the Short Sword hanging down past her neck, pressed his jelly-like forepaw repeatedly against his own forehead in agitation.
He lifted his head slightly to look at his counterpart.
There stood a High Priest whose face was far younger and more delicate than Arma remembered.
Couldn’t have been more than mid-teens.
He looked remarkably young.
‘Well, he did say it was the past…….’
Arma supposed this was plausible enough.
He padded closer to Rozelin’s side and bared his teeth.
A low growl rumbled from his chest.
His eyes narrowed menacingly as he released just the faintest wisp of the Abyss.
Rozelin wouldn’t notice, but anyone with Divine Power would sense it clearly enough.
As expected, Irbon’s gaze drifted toward Arma, his expression growing subtle before settling into something grave. He opened his mouth to speak.
“……This wolf is……”
Was the intimidation working?
Arma, considering whether to press the fear a little further, took another heavy step forward.
At the same moment, Irbon’s brow furrowed and he crouched down before Arma, his face turning serious as he spoke.
“I’ve never seen a wolf like this before. What breed is it?”
Irbon asked innocently.
Arma nearly stumbled, catching himself and straightening his paw firmly before looking down at Irbon with a mixture of bewilderment and exasperation.
“…….”
Then he stopped short.
Because the High Priest was looking at him—at Arma—with a gaze that held something knowing, something laden with meaning.
Arma knew the man was cunning, yet even now his mouth curled upward in that characteristic, smooth smile.
“We came looking for someone.”
As the conversation stalled, Rozelin finally spoke up, unable to bear the silence any longer.
“Someone you’re looking for? This is hardly a place where a lady of your standing would come.”
“This is the right place.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand……”
“Ten million won.”
Rozelin smiled brightly.
“…….”
“If you provide proper information, there might be even more.”
Irbon’s eyes glittered, and then he broke into a broad grin.
“Well then, please come inside. What a lovely little miss, and what a splendid wolf boy!”
With his widened smile, Irbon suddenly extended his hand toward Rozelin.
“What are you doing?”
“An advance payment.”
Rozelin flicked her fingers.
She handed over the money—Garren Wilbred’s money, spent without a second thought—and followed Irbon deeper inside.

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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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