The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 206

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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 76
Not long after, the carriage arrived at the Ducal Estate.
And I—as soon as we pulled up, I yanked the door open and practically fled the carriage.
“Wait… Rozelin! Don’t go alone!”
Of course, my pursuer had legs far longer than Rozelin’s, so he caught up in a few brisk strides.
“Arma, you stay outside.”
“Why?”
“Because Rozelin has a fur allergy…”
I’d been speaking as naturally as always, but I faltered.
The young Rozelin of this time period certainly had a fur allergy—but that had only happened because Arma had been in his Beast Form until now.
So I wasn’t sure if it would still apply now that he’d become a Beastkin.
“…The question is whether he’s human or beast.”
Arma must have heard my murmur, because he burst out laughing.
“What? I’m obviously human.”
“But if someone with a dog allergy reacts to you, doesn’t that kind of prove you’re a dog?”
“Huh? That doesn’t make any sense…”
Arma blinked several times, then huffed and shrugged, nodding in agreement.
“Fine. If you’re a wolf, you’re a wolf. If you’re a dog, you’re a dog.”
His unexpectedly flexible acceptance made me feel oddly awkward, so I scratched the back of my neck.
“Let’s go in first and see how it goes. If it looks like a problem, you can wait outside…”
“Welcome, Miss. And…”
The Butler who hurried out cut off my words with his greeting.
He was bowing when he noticed Arma standing beside me and paused.
The Butler opened his mouth with a smooth smile.
“Ah, we have a new guest.”
At his words, I gestured to Arma with my eyes and spoke.
“This is Arma, who’s been staying with us for a few days now. Apparently Father asked him to come from the Capital for his studies through someone he knew…”
I lied smoothly and smiled. The lies came so easily that I was almost startled at myself.
“Ah, I see—a guest the Marquis kindly agreed to look after for a time.”
“Yes. I wanted to introduce him to Rozelin, so I brought him along. We spend a lot of time together thanks to Father.”
The Butler nodded gently at my explanation.
“I see. I’ll inform the Master accordingly.”
“That would be wonderful.”
“Miss is currently on the second floor having tea with the Young Duke and Miss Lily.”
Ah, I should have mentioned this beforehand.
As I tilted my head at the thought, the Butler smiled and ushered us inside.
“I only mention it as notice. You’re like family, Miss—you’re always welcome.”
“What about Grandfather?”
“The Master is somewhat occupied at the moment, making hasty preparations to depart for the Duchy with the eldest young lord, as reports of deteriorating security in the Duchy have been quite urgent.”
“I see.”
I wouldn’t see him today, then.
I felt a pang of disappointment and clicked my tongue softly, but I wasn’t a child—I didn’t voice the displeasure aloud.
“However, once the Master learns you’ve arrived, I’m certain he’ll make time. Please don’t worry.”
“No, he’s busy—there’s no need to trouble him. I just…”
“This way, please.”
The Butler cut short my protest by knocking on the Drawing Room door instead, and the moment he heard a response from within, he showed me inside.
“…?”
I’d barely stepped into the Drawing Room and turned to look back at the door when I saw the Butler heading off toward Grandfather.
I didn’t really need him to go to that trouble.
I wasn’t just being polite—I genuinely meant it.
“Rozelin!!”
Young Rozelin, who’d apparently been having such an amusing conversation that she was bouncing on the sofa, came rushing toward me and wrapped her arms around me at once.
“I missed you so much! Why haven’t you come in so long?”
At the candid affection in her voice, I scratched the back of my neck.
‘Who is this…?’
Is this really me?
‘Could I have ever been like this?’
That face smiling with such genuine joy…
“I missed you too. Come visit more often, okay?”
“Yeah. Okay.”
Can she even come back?
Once everything’s settled, I suppose I’ll need to start preparing to return.
“Rozelin?”
“Oh, yes. Right. I had some business to attend to, but… anyway, I wanted to see you.”
“You used to come by every day, and then you disappeared for over a week. I was wondering what you were up to.”
As I lifted my head at the steady stream of words, I found Father watching me instead.
He spoke curtly, his expression somewhat displeased, yet the dark circles beneath his eyes were not as pronounced as they used to be—he even looked at ease.
‘How many years have I been here now?’
Seeing that peaceful face, I suddenly found myself longing to see my family waiting for me on the other side.
“Were you missing me, my lord?”
“Missing you? I was worried you’d gotten yourself killed somewhere.”
At his stream of words, I furrowed my brow and walked toward the broad sofa in the drawing room.
“My lord.”
“What is it.”
“Just say you were worried. Don’t go dancing around your words like a child trying to hide something.”
I fired back the moment I sat down, dropping onto the sofa with a thud.
“Oh, that’s right. Rozelin, this is my friend Arma. I came here to introduce him to you… Rozelin?”
“A friend…?”
“Yes, a friend.”
“You had another friend besides me?”
“You have friends too, don’t you…?”
“But I’m your number one friend. So you’ve made a different friend?”
At her voice, which had taken on a sinister edge, I felt my spine involuntarily shiver.
‘What is she saying right now…?’
Blinking in disbelief, Rozelin pouted her lips in disappointment.
“…Since Roze is so kind, of course you’d have other friends besides me, right?”
Am I kind?
Even if I’ve built a happy household, that doesn’t mean… I wasn’t asking her to become stupid.
‘She’s calling me kind…’
With such poor self-awareness and such blind judgment of people, what good was she to anyone?
And on top of that, such clumsy jealousy.
‘Am I… the kind of person who’s more troublesome than I thought?’
I fell silent, watching as Rozelin—clearly jealous that her closest friend had secretly made a new one—carried on.
‘…It’s annoying, but since it’s me, I can’t even genuinely be annoyed…’
And I couldn’t hate her either, could I?
If I hated myself, that would be rather…
‘I don’t care for narcissism, but I don’t want to become a person without any self-regard either.’
As I stood at the crossroads between two paths, contemplating, a low laugh sounded beside me—the laugh of Arma, who had naturally taken a seat next to me.
“Don’t worry. I’m not Roze’s friend. I have no intention of becoming one in the future either.”
What is he saying now?
I looked at him with an expression asking ‘what are you doing?’, and he lightly grasped my hand.
“No intention of becoming friends…”
In that instant, Rozelin’s fury erupted.
She pressed her lips together tightly and clenched her fists.
“What? Then why are you with Roze? If you’re just toying with her…”
I gazed quietly at Rozelin.
It was fascinating to see her wear my face while doing things I would never do.
Of course, if someone openly showed they were toying with someone I cared for… naturally I would go stand right there and slice them to pieces with my words so they could never hold their head up again…
“…”
What? When Rozelin did it just now, it didn’t look all that different from what I would do.
The only real difference was that Rozelin was a bit younger and wore her emotions raw. If it were me, I would have smiled sweetly, walked right up to them, and quietly escalated the confrontation.
I would never deliver a warning like this.
“Toying with you? It’s not that.”
“Then what?”
“It’s…”
Arma turned his head, looked at me, and let a smile spread across his face as he narrowed his eyes slightly.
“…?”
Then, in one smooth motion, he turned my palm upward and lifted it.
Pop.
His lips brushed against my palm and withdrew.
“My target is to become Rozelin’s husband.”

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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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