The Male Lead Has Gone Mad Over the Troublesome Villainess - Chapter 52

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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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The Male Lead Has Gone Mad for the Villainess Episode 52
Watching Kael’s overwhelming display of combat, I realized that even if we descended, we would be little more than dead weight. We didn’t even have proper weapons to our names.
“Seraphine. If we go down there, we’ll only be a burden.”
Seraphine shrugged her shoulders.
“We should retrieve our weapons first.”
“Agreed. My hands have felt bare enough as it is.”
The question was where to find them.
Whoever had undressed us while we slept must have put our clothes somewhere.
“Let’s return to the room.”
“The room?”
“The one we were sleeping in. There was another door inside it.”
I’d seen the door when I’d looked around earlier.
Seraphine and I made our way back to the chamber.
The inner room was a dressing chamber crammed with gowns.
Not just one or two. A rod stretched across the wall bore perhaps twenty dresses, each one different in color and cut. There were deep purples and blacks verging on green. Gowns adorned with gold thread caught the eye, as did others with lace climbing all the way to the shoulders.
The sizes seemed to vary as well.
I stared at them blankly for a moment before collecting myself and holding up the lamp. The shoes, too, were arranged in neat rows—different heel heights, different sizes, all of them.
Three chests sat beside them.
The first was empty, but in the second chest, we found our weapons.
Thank the gods.
Inside were other arms as well. We gathered what looked useful—the possessions of other victims, undoubtedly.
“Now we’re ready.”
There was a slight edge to Seraphine’s voice as she said it.
But our own clothes were nowhere to be found.
We searched through all three chests without result. We examined the hanging gowns again.
What I was wearing now was the most modest of the bunch. The others had skirts that dragged nearly two feet along the floor, with undergarments hanging beneath, and some had lace cascading from the shoulders to the wrists.
I’d tumble down the stairs in three steps wearing any of those. Such taste.
Seraphine and I continued our search, talking as we looked.
“That High Priest—he’s nowhere to be seen, is he?”
“No, my lady.”
“Wasn’t down below either.”
Seraphine’s gaze and mine lifted upward. It seemed he preferred to keep himself above the fray, letting his rabble handle the fighting.
“Let’s go up.”
Seraphine nodded. It seemed safe to leave what was happening below to Kael.
At the end of the corridor, narrow stairs led upward—no railing, one wall streaked with long, grimy handprints. The sight alone was unsettling. This is exactly where such things always turn up in stories like this. The High Priest was almost certainly up there. Before ascending, I turned back to Seraphine.
“There’s one thing I need to settle first. Why hasn’t the High Priest killed us? And do you remember—he likes women?”
Seraphine nodded.
“He probably had plans to do something revolting with us. I don’t know what he’s doing up there now. And we want the key around his neck. I’m thinking of making a trade.”
“A trade? Surely you don’t mean… am I understanding your intention correctly?”
“Probably. If you’d rather not, that’s fine. I can attempt it alone.”
Seraphine’s face hardened. She shook her head firmly.
“I’ll come with you.”
As we climbed the remaining stairs, we devised a simple plan. I would handle the seduction. In truth, neither Seraphine nor I had any talent or experience in such things, but I judged myself more capable than a block of wood like her.
Once I got the necklace from him, we’d run as fast as we could. If Bartel was the final obstacle in this place, facing him with only Seraphine and myself might prove difficult.
We would avoid anything beyond our limits, and our sole objective was to secure the Sanctuary Key and nothing more.
* * *
The third floor was less a floor than an attic.
The ceiling was low, the corridor short. Light seeped from beneath a single door.
And the door itself stood slightly ajar. I smoothed down my skirts and pushed it open.
Inside was a study.
Three walls were lined with books, and a large table occupied the center. Papers were piled high on the lit table.
A figure sat in a chair by the window.
“I knew you’d come up. It’s been quite noisy out there.”
Bartel chuckled softly. The chair swiveled.
His gleaming yellow eyes raked over us. Unlike the other werewolves, Bartel seemed to possess genuine sanity.
I glanced back at Seraphine. She nodded. She was ready.
“Wondering why I’m still in my right mind? I’m nothing like those rabble down below.”
Bartel let out a low laugh.
“I’ve bitten countless humans—the people of Gloria, the priests of the Temple. Quite the spectacle, wouldn’t you say?”
Bartel rose slowly to his feet. He was brimming with self-satisfaction.
“Those creatures are an army made for me alone. And as long as I have fangs, I can breed them endlessly!”
An army—what a fitting word. Now it was clear why Gloria had been so empty, why there hadn’t been a single corpse despite the Monster attacks.
The Werewolves that filled the cavern below were the people of Gloria. The orphan children I’d met in Gloria came flooding back to me. This sick, twisted bastard.
I forced my lips into the brightest smile I could manage.
“My, how magnificent.”
I felt Seraphine spin around to stare at me.
Yes, I felt it too. This pathetic acting. It was almost mechanical. But I decided to push through the charade anyway, shameless as it was.
“What does it feel like, commanding such a vast army?”
My voice came out stilted and fractured. Bartel’s yellow eyes narrowed to slits. Revulsion clawed at my throat at the way he looked at me, but I choked it down.
“Perhaps you’re the strongest being in this entire world, High Priest.”
I watched Seraphine slap her forehead. I was almost impressed by my own performance too. But acting is always just shamelessness, after all. I took a step toward Bartel.
He was grinning, clearly amused.
“I do like strong people. Especially someone like you, High Priest. And goodness, your muscles are so… savage.”
Seraphine exhaled sharply. What, wasn’t this working? I was doing my best at seduction here. That reaction was downright insulting.
But unlike Seraphine’s sigh, Bartel seemed genuinely intrigued.
“……Come here.”
He extended his hand.
“Let us talk closer. I want to see more of that charming act of yours.”
That was exactly what I’d been waiting for.
Repulsive as it was, I’d decided to play along. I moved toward him. Seraphine remained standing in the doorway.
“Come, come. Give me your hand.”
Bartel reached out toward me. I placed my hand in his. The Werewolf’s body heat was unnaturally high—far hotter than any human’s could ever be, almost unbearably so.
And then that hand pulled me toward him. Coarse fur brushed against my skin.
Ugh—God, this is revolting. I hate this so much!

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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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