The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 95

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 95
“……Are you really going through with this?”
Geren Wilbrid’s brow furrowed, and Rozelin laughed brightly.
“When have we ever been of one mind?”
They clashed occasionally, though Rozelin ignored it; Geren seemed to enjoy her irritation and poked her ribs playfully. It was simply the nature of their relationship.
That was all it was.
When this smooth-talking man prodded her, she’d bristle back—a dynamic as predictable as a snake slipping over a wall.
“In any case, set that aside for now. Why did you come here?”
Rozelin fetched a blanket and draped it gently over the sleeping Cherti Bellion, then asked quietly.
“Your relationship seems to have improved considerably.”
“It has.”
“Then I deserve the credit. Aren’t you going to thank me?”
Geren crossed his arms and smiled smugly. Rozelin hesitated, then lowered her gaze and nodded slowly.
“You’re right. I’m grateful for what you’ve done.”
“……Are you feeling unwell?”
“Even when you speak, you’re so——”
At Geren’s words, Rozelin clicked her tongue in displeasure and gave a curt nod.
“Though you killed me, I owe you my life. So I harbor both resentment and gratitude.”
Geren fell still, his expression darkening.
There was not a trace of gratitude in her words—not a hint, not a whisper.
“I came to resolve the Empire’s Famine. Why else would I be here?”
Geren Wilbrid gave up on the conversation and offered his answer.
“Isn’t that why you’re here at this time as well?”
“That’s right. But I can’t fathom why the High Priest would come here.”
“Because of you, wouldn’t you say?”
Geren tilted his head as he spoke. Rozelin froze.
“Me?”
“Yes. The Emperor issued the order himself. He commanded the High Priest directly to act on your behalf.”
“……Then why did you come?”
“I thought you a promising candidate for succession, and it seemed certain you’d attempt something reckless. My conscience wouldn’t let me ignore it.”
Rozelin blinked once at Geren’s words.
Her expression twisted. The look of someone dismissing an obviously false excuse.
“You have no conscience.”
Rozelin scoffed.
“You came because you were worried something might happen to the Marquise.”
The Marquise had contracted a plague, and not long after, she died when the Famine arrived. Famine itself may not have been the direct cause, but Geren would naturally wish to avoid a similar tragedy.
At least, that was the reasoning behind his presence now.
“Do you remember what caused the Famine?”
At Geren Wilbrid’s question, Rozelin nodded.
“How could I forget?”
The Empire had been in upheaval over it once. Rozelin slowly rubbed her eyelids.
“Demonic Creatures.”
Rozelin lowered her eyes slowly and murmured the words quietly.
Crops grown on land contaminated by Demonic Creatures could not be eaten. At this time of year, the world grew turbulent because of them.
“Speaking of which, Rozelin.”
“Hmm?”
“News arrived several days ago of a murder in the Imperial Capital—the entire Imperial Guard and all the knights were slain.”
“……A murder? Something like that happened?”
“Well, curiously enough, it seems to be your doing as well.”
She looked at Geren with obvious displeasure.
“The suspect is Galiio, Captain of the Imperial Guard.”
At Geren Wilbrid’s words, Rozelin went rigid.
“I have to ask—did you meddle with Makluksa’s King?”
“I’m done for.”
Rozelin’s brow tightened, and she sighed quietly.
It was a clearer answer than any words could have been.
* * *
“Daughter.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Might I ask what you’ve been doing since the crack of dawn?”
“It’s enriching the soil.”
Rozelin had risen early and was scattering powdered grains across the Bellion Family Estate, speaking as she worked.
The sight of her drifting through the grounds in a leisurely stroll, sprinkling green powder here and there, drew a sigh from Cherti Bellion, who had rushed out after his daughter without even properly dressing.
“What in the world is that?”
“They say that when you scatter this, the Blessing of Abundance descends and makes the land fertile.”
Even scattering it in just a few places would eventually spread fertility across the entire territory within a few years.
Rozelin spoke without much concern, wandering through the estate at an unhurried pace.
Rozelin typically spent her time at the townhouse in the Capital.
Since she fell ill frequently, it was easier to procure medicine and physicians in the Capital, where so many people came and went.
That was why her visits to the estate were far from common.
“Oh, Miss Rozelin! Out for a stroll, are we? And the young lord is here too!”
The Karuta technicians who had crossed over to the estate approached them, their brows glistening with sweat.
Whether they’d been running hard or fighting, they looked absolutely disheveled.
“Yes, I was just taking a look around the territory.”
“Ah, we were just doing some light morning exercises. But the dawn air is rather brisk, isn’t it?”
“It really is! You’re both so slender, and you look frail besides. If either of you caught an illness, it would be terrible.”
“The morning temperature does feel a bit colder than midday, so perhaps going forward we ought to stick to midday walks rather than the early hours…….”
“Especially the young lord—he’s always collapsing. You ought to be careful. He seems even more delicate than Miss Rozelin…….”
“That’s not quite right. Miss Rozelin faints if you so much as nudge her. Didn’t you hear she fell ill just from coming here last time?”
“Ah, pity that both father and daughter have such weak constitutions. In any case, we’ll escort you back. Please, return inside soon.”
At the endless, frantic chatter of the Karuta men, Cherti Bellion’s brow furrowed.
It was true that Rozelin was delicate, but Cherti Bellion possessed perfectly average stamina.
In fact, he was quite decent with a blade.
The lack of visible muscle hardly meant his body was weak.
“My daughter is fragile, perhaps. But I am perfectly average.”
Cherti Bellion spoke, his pride as a man feeling somewhat cracked by their words.
“The Grand Duke of Bellion and his eldest son were quite impressive in bearing…….”
“Yes, yes, sparring with them was rather entertaining.”
So they’d already fought with him, then.
The men, arms folded, shook their heads and smiled contentedly before gazing at Cherti Bellion with sympathy.
“Well, the more people say you’re weak, the weaker you become. The young lord is strong! And he’ll only grow stronger still, I’m sure of it.”
“Yes, you certainly can.”
Now the encouragement poured in.
Rozelin let out an absurd laugh and rubbed her brow in bewilderment.
“In any case, you’re quite devoted to the estate, visiting so early in the morning.”
“Am I? Grandfather does take great care of it.”
“Yes, it’s a pleasant place to walk through. Though I must say, the crops don’t look particularly promising.”
“……Indeed.”
Rozelin didn’t deny it, merely lowering her gaze slightly and nodding.
In conversation and negotiation, winning the other’s sympathy could be a most effective tool.
“At present, the estate’s harvest yields are rather poor, so we purchase a substantial portion of our grain from other territories.”
This was the point Rozelin intended to resolve.
In her world, after the Grand Duke of Bellion died, Igis Bellion inherited the title and food supply became a problem.
The crumbling estate had poor finances, circumstances grew dire, and with Makluksa’s retaliation, few were willing to help.
Self-sufficiency would have been ideal, but the land was barren, making even that impossible.
Long ago she had learned in secret that any slight misstep brought subtle pressure through grain control.
And the territories from which they purchased grain received minerals and resources at prices barely above cost.
Yet she couldn’t starve her subjects, so grandfather had no choice but to maintain these lifelines.
In that regard, the transaction with Karuta had been a blessing.
‘Changing suppliers entirely to Karuta might not be a bad idea at all.’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————