The Male Lead Has Gone Mad Over the Troublesome Villainess - Chapter 7

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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 7
“Tell me.”
“I—I’ll bring you something proper. Truth is, it might seem a bit unusual, but I happen to have a garment made from Wyvern leather. It clings to the body somewhat, but it offers excellent mobility and doesn’t tear easily. Would that be acceptable?”
“That’s exactly the kind of outfit I was looking for!”
I answered with a bright smile, and the proprietor gave me a quick glance before disappearing into the back room.
I hummed a little tune while rifling through the displayed garments. Leather clothing, though—perhaps I should buy a Shirt to wear over it as well?
Shopping really is all about clothes.
I sorted through the merchandise in good spirits, and when I spotted something suitable for Vanessa, I added that too.
Next would be footwear, I suppose. Military Boots would be ideal if they had them.
It had been a successful shopping trip. The Black Market at its finest.
* * *
And throughout it all, Kael had been watching. He’d left the weapons shop and followed Rosana instead, leaving his aide behind to negotiate.
By now, his aide was probably haggling with the proprietor over the weapons Kael had selected.
But Kael harbored no illusions that his aide would demonstrate negotiation skills anywhere near as impressive as Rosana’s.
Kael watched Rosana in complete silence as she hummed and wandered through the clothing shop.
What on earth had Rosana eaten wrong?
Monster leather garments? Seriously?
Certainly, Kael and the other knights wore clothes made from Monster leather beneath their Plate Mail. Wyvern leather was considered among the finest, though it wasn’t something that circulated through normal channels.
Kael himself had submitted proposals to the Emperor multiple times regarding Plate Mail made from Wyvern leather, only to be rebuffed each time.
“Such vulgar nonsense! Wrapping oneself in the hides of those filthy beasts and claiming to save the Empire? Crown Prince, have you truly lost your mind? What will people think!”
The Emperor cared deeply about appearances, so he’d rejected it outright. To protect his own life and those of his knights, Kael had procured Wyvern leather garments through covert channels and distributed them among his most trusted confidants.
And he would wager that in that process, neither he nor his aide had demonstrated negotiation techniques finer than Rosana’s.
Kael pressed his hand to his head.
‘Don’t bring such filthy things before me.’
‘You dare suggest I wear this cheap rubbish? How dare you—what do you take the Ardena Princess for!’
That was the Rosana he knew.
His memories were crumbling.
Was this… right?
Kael rubbed his face in confusion. Either he’d lost his mind, or Rosana had.
The two aides returned to Kael’s side as he watched Rosana disappear from view.
One of them was the aide who’d been tasked with finding Rosana.
“My apologies, Your Highness. I was unable to locate the Princess…”
“There’s no need.”
“Sir?”
“There’s no need to find her.”
With that, Kael fell silent. Something told him that Rosana would complete her business and return to Camp as though nothing had happened, wearing that bright, guileless smile.
* * *
Kael’s prediction proved accurate.
Before breakfast time, Rosana returned without fanfare, blending seamlessly into the Camp as if she’d never left.
“Oh? You’ve changed your clothes, Princess Rosana.”
“I couldn’t very well keep walking in that dress.”
“I suppose not, but…”
The young noblewoman looked Rosana over as though appraising a stranger. The woman who’d insisted on elaborate gowns and jewels was now dressed in plain, unadorned clothing with her hair neatly bound.
“I never imagined you’d wear something so modest, my lady.”
“It’s far more practical for marching, don’t you think? What do you say—not so bad, is it?”
Rosana flashed a grin at the young noblewoman, who nodded blankly in agreement. Vanessa, if she recalled correctly. A substitute—someone paid to take the place of some count’s precious heir. There were several such arrangements here, so it hardly warranted surprise.
Kael simply watched them quietly, discreetly, without drawing attention.
Rosana pulled a Handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped Vanessa’s face.
“Have you been crying in your sleep again? Vanessa, if you keep that up, you’ll dehydrate yourself. You might die of dehydration before a Monster’s teeth ever get a chance to bite you.”
“Ah—more terrifying talk… Monster teeth… As if I’d ever see such a thing. The count who adopted me said… I just need to follow along and pretend… Achoo!”
“That kind of naive thinking won’t serve you. Here, change into these shoes.”
“Where on earth did you get these?”
Rosana grinned and removed Vanessa’s worn shoes. Though they’d been issued by the Expedition, the soles were thin and the leather already cracked in several places. For those whose families hadn’t provided proper equipment, the supplies distributed rarely rose above this standard.
“Found them on the road. I did quite well, didn’t I?”
Rosana slipped new Military Boots onto Vanessa’s feet and laced them tight.
“There, done. How do they feel? Military Boots—similar to what the knights wear, though more like what mercenaries wear, if I’m honest. At least they’ll last longer than those falling-apart shoes. And far better than this oversized sword.”
She then confiscated the worn Longsword that Vanessa had been using like a walking stick. The blade was chipped and notched in places, and the grip itself was loose.
Instead, Rosana secured a Leather Belt and Short Dagger around Vanessa’s waist.
“W—what is this?”
“A Short Dagger for self-defense.”
“Still, isn’t this short dagger better than that broken longsword? A short dagger, of all things…….”
Vanessa eyed the short dagger at her hip with evident doubt. Rosana answered with a smile instead. A longsword missing teeth was far less useful than the blade the merchant had sworn could pierce Monster hide.
Rosana distributed the equipment she’d scavenged among her companions without reservation.
This, too, was something Kael had never witnessed before. Rosana had always been consumed with looking after herself alone—holding tight to what she possessed, coveting what she lacked.
That was Rosana, wasn’t it?
Kael observed her anew, quietly committing this version to memory—the raw, unvarnished Rosana he’d seen and heard in the crucible of extremity.
* * *
He didn’t relish watching someone he’d traveled with for days die. A companion, no less—and losing a companion was a ghastly thing. Even if death came as routine in this world, as common as breathing.
Few survived here except the female and male leads, and a handful of other key figures.
The rest were torn to shreds by Monster claws, devoured, trampled beneath clawed feet.
Truth be told, the fact that they’d managed to march without encountering Monsters until now was nothing short of divine fortune. Reviewing the source material in his mind, a similar note had appeared there as well.
「Until they reached their destination in the northern Gracestone, the only creatures they faced were the spider-kin. It was like the calm before the storm—the last mercy granted by heaven.
The moment they arrived at Gracestone, the Monster attacks began.
Monsters shattered human bone with razor teeth, flayed skin with hardened claws. And there, only Kael stood out with brilliant clarity—like a radiant light cutting through darkness, guiding hope forward.」
This was narration from the female lead’s perspective—the scene, most likely, when she fell for Kael at first glance.
Still, they had fourteen days or so of walking before reaching Gracestone. It had only been one day since leaving Rainford……. At least, that meant they were safe for the time being.
He turned his head to stare at Vanessa.
“Sniff. Mother, hic—I want to go home.”
Watching her shoulders quake as she sniped away tears, he felt a sigh rise unbidden. If she kept crying like that, she’d be Monster food soon enough. And when that happened, there would be no home waiting for her—only the damp belly of a beast.
He’d told her repeatedly. Still, she only wept.
One week. Could he make Vanessa useful in a week?
At minimum, she needed to be able to run when they encountered a Monster. He didn’t want to watch her die helpless.
He was tired of hearing a companion’s breath fade before he could lift a finger. Wouldn’t it be better if they all lived?
But how? It might be faster to pray for Monsters to reform……. Ugh.

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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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