The Male Lead Has Gone Mad Over the Troublesome Villainess - Chapter 6

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

The Male Lead Has Gone Mad for the Villainess — Episode 6
Kael sighed as he searched for Rosana. He couldn’t afford to waste time like this.
“Find Lady Rosana before breakfast and bring her back. If you can’t locate her, abandon the search.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After assigning the task to one of his aides, Kael took only a single attendant with him. He was heading to a weapon shop deep within the Black Market. He strode forward with purpose.
Helsen Weapon Shop.
His destination. The moment he stepped inside, a stale reek mixed with the metallic stench of iron assaulted his nostrils.
The shop was crammed with weapons of every variety. Some gleamed as though freshly honed, their edges razor-sharp, while others were crusted with rust. Kael had no intention of lingering here either. He moved deeper in search of the proprietor.
The owner was in conversation with a customer. Kael’s gaze drifted in that direction almost absently—then his eyes went wide.
‘Rosana?’
What was she doing here? He’d lost track of her movements earlier, and it had never occurred to him that he’d find her in this place. This was hardly a location where Rosana would venture.
If Rosana were to visit the Black Market at all, wouldn’t it be to purchase rare gemstones or luxury goods?
Better yet—wouldn’t she refuse to set foot anywhere but the finest boutiques?
Their betrothal had been brief, but Kael believed he understood her well enough.
And yet here stood Rosana, and she was…
“Your eye is discerning, madam. I assure you, this blade pierces Monster Leather in a single stroke. In times like these, it’s precisely what one needs. The only drawback is the price…”
“Thirty silver coins.”
“Are you jesting? The minimum is eighty…”
“There’s a crack at the hilt. And no matter how sharp it claims to be, in a world like ours…”
Rosana flashed a smile at the proprietor that was so menacing, he actually flinched.
“In three months, the edge will be completely dulled, wouldn’t it? Assuming, as you say, it manages to dispatch Monsters. Thirty coins is more than generous.”
The owner coughed awkwardly. Kael blinked, unable to process what he was witnessing. This couldn’t be real. Rosana? Rosana saying such things?
‘I like it. You can keep it. My family will cover the cost.’
That was the Rosana he knew—indifferent to all the world’s affairs, spending money with casual abandon. That was her.
The Princess of Ardena. The extravagant rose.
That was the Rosana he’d known.
“I’ll take every Dagger you have in stock instead.”
“Every last one?”
The proprietor’s eyes widened. He glanced between Rosana and the Daggers on display before methodically beginning to gather the merchandise.
In the Black Market, there was an unspoken rule: never inquire into what a customer purchases or why.
“There are roughly seven of them, aren’t there?”
“We have over ten, actually!”
“Bring them all out. But they must be at least as fine as this one I’m holding. If the Monster Leather won’t slice cleanly as you claim, I’ll come back from the dead to demand a refund.”
The proprietor swallowed hard and disappeared into the back room. Rosana hummed to herself as she browsed the shop.
Kael’s body moved before he could think, following Rosana’s movements. He had no desire to reveal his presence.
He wanted to observe what she was doing a little longer.
Why did she need a blade that could pierce Monster Leather? What could she possibly intend to do with so many Daggers?
Kael buried his confusion deep within himself.
Then, when Rosana stopped before a Longsword displayed on the wall, his eyes nearly burst from their sockets.
This was precisely why he’d needed to come to this place.
The Heracline Sword. A legendary blade, wreathed in blue radiance, its surface inscribed with myth. A weapon said to have been granted by the divine in ages past, when the world first opened and the Empire was founded.
That such a treasure had found its way into the Black Market was itself a tragedy—yet it had given him the opportunity to acquire it.
Rosana gazed at it and licked her lips.
“Now that’s a fine-looking sword. This could snap a Monster’s shinbone right off.”
Had Rosana really just said that?
Kael found himself doubting his own eyes.
“I could buy this and offer it as a bribe? That wouldn’t be half bad, either…”
Rosana turned the blade over in her hands, then smiled—a smile so mischievous, so unlike her, that it stole his breath. Kael took another step backward.
“I’m tempted, truly. If I’d only ever trained with Longswords, you’d be mine. But the male lead’s life matters more. My life matters more.”
Her childlike grin sparkled with a light Kael had never seen in her eyes before.
In the meantime, the proprietor emerged from the storage room, cradling all the Daggers he possessed. Rosana’s expression snapped back into place as she turned to face him.
“You’ll throw in this Leather Belt to go with them, won’t you? For buying so much.”
Rosana had picked up a belt designed to hold multiple Daggers. Before the proprietor could respond, she swept every blade and the belt into a single bag.
“Good heavens, madam!!”
“The price will be sufficient. You’ve made quite enough profit.”
Rosana winked and fished a few gold coins from her purse, tossing them carelessly onto the table. With a smile playing at the corners of her mouth, she passed directly by Kael’s hiding place, never noticing him.
Her hair rippled with movement, releasing a deep fragrance.
Rose.
It was Rosana’s signature rose scent.
That rich fragrance made his head spin.
* * *
After I’d swept up everything I needed from the weapon shop, I made my way to a clothing vendor. I’d briefly considered buying some fine garment here as a bribe for Kael in place of the sword he’d obtain later. But I wasn’t about to spend my own coin on such nonsense. Better to save it and purchase another mine. It was an investment in my future—which meant an investment in myself.
Would the male lead feed and clothe me?
Of course not. No, money feeds me. Money sustains me.
The place I found wasn’t a shop hawking ornate gowns and finery. It was scarcely worthy of the name “tailor’s stall”—little more than a street vendor’s setup, a few garments hung beneath a canvas awning. At least there was a partition behind the tent where one could change, which was something.
Besides, I had no need for a dress. What I needed was something durable, resistant to tearing, easy to move in.
“Your sturdiest clothing, please. Something that won’t tear easily even if a monster’s claws catch it.”
“Ah, well, you’ve certainly come to the right place for that sort of thing.”
The vendor’s eyes gleamed as he studied me. He’d marked me for nobility by my current attire and was already calculating how much to inflate his prices.
Wrong guess, friend. I’ve haggled in these markets for years. I didn’t come down in the last rainfall.
He produced an ordinary tunic and began spinning tales about how it was a special blend containing rare monster leather. It was obvious price-gouging.
“This can withstand monster claws?”
“Of course it can! Far more durable than whatever you’re wearing now! This particular garment came from a village overrun with monsters. Remarkably, the woman wearing it survived a direct attack from a monster’s claws! She’d only be selling it now because she needs the coin to survive. If circumstances were otherwise—!”
Look at that salesmanship.
Enough of his snake oil. I drew a dagger from my satchel.
“What—what are you doing?”
The vendor went pale.
“I bought this just now at the weapon shop over there, and they said it cuts through monster leather. Yet you claim this tunic can resist monster claws. Shouldn’t it hold up against a mere dagger? I’m simply verifying your claim. If you’re telling the truth, I’ll pay triple your asking price. But if this blade tears your precious garment… well, then every piece of clothing in this stall becomes mine. I’ll make sure of it.”
The vendor’s eyes went wide. He looked between me and the blade, his face draining of color as he realized I was entirely capable of doing exactly what I’d said. The moment I began to draw the dagger from its sheath, he threw both hands up.
“Wait, please, customer!!”

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