The Male Lead Is the Villain, and I'm the Only One Who Knows - Chapter 5

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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 Is the Mastermind, and Only I Know It — Chapter 5

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The Ruby Palace, situated closest to the Diamond Palace where the Emperor resided, was a space belonging to the Crown Prince, Ibahn, alone.
Thus, even if a mere daughter of some count—common enough in the Larkis Empire—had dared to insult the Royal Family and fled with her life, no one would have said a word against him.
The reason he was called an angel in the first place wasn’t because he lacked understanding of propriety or possessed a weak spirit, but because he helped those in difficult circumstances and used his abilities widely for the good of others.
As befitted the sole heir to the Larkis Empire, Ibahn led by example in upholding imperial law, and because of this, despite his unusually gentle temperament for a heir apparent, no one dared raise a hand against him.
It was because everyone knew he wasn’t truly “good.”
As proof, the Imperial Palace constantly saw numerous palace servants lose their positions, and those unlucky enough to be caught insulting the Royal Family were mercilessly stripped of their lives.
“I didn’t realize you thought that way. May I ask your reason?”
Fortunately, Ibahn didn’t seem offended by Rene’s response, posing the question with a composed expression.
‘…Judging by his reaction, it seems I’m not fated to die today.’
As an unexpectedly calm response came back, Rene’s pink irises blinked slowly. She had expected the atmosphere to turn frigid at any moment, but it didn’t seem to be heading that way at all.
‘It doesn’t seem to be because there are too many eyes watching… So it really is because he wants something from me? What on earth could that be?’
There was a barrier around the Imperial Palace that prevented Teleportation Magic from being cast, so she couldn’t just flee as she had before.
This meant she had to be careful with her words and actions.
But then.
‘Either way, he was the one who asked for the reason!’
It was only natural to answer him.
She’d been itching to speak anyway, so this worked out perfectly.
Rene opened her mouth with a bright smile.
“I was actually planning to tell you this, so it’s fortunate you were curious.”
“…Pardon?”
“You threatened to kill me on first meeting, forced a proposal on someone who never agreed, found my home without being told where it was, and made what amounted to threats—there’s no way someone like that could be an angel.”
Rene’s face was confident as she implied: wouldn’t that make him a demon?
Apologize while I’m still being civil.
Receiving her gaze, which carried unmistakably clear intent, Ibahn looked as though he’d taken a direct blow.
“Heh…”
Behind Ibahn, Banel, who had been standing quietly in his post, turned his head away, his face clearly struggling to suppress laughter. Even so, his shoulders couldn’t help but shake slightly.
‘…That’s certainly not the sort of thing an angel would do.’
Caught off guard by having his misconduct laid bare, Ibahn swallowed dryly without realizing it. Brief though it was, Rene was the first woman to have made him tense.
“I’ve treated you most abominably. I apologize.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
As Rene readily forgave him, pulling her lips into a smile, Ibahn asked carefully, as though reading her mood.
“Then you’re no longer afraid of me?”
“No, where in the world would you find a demon who apologizes so readily?”
Rene answered leisurely after taking a sip of her sweet tea. Ibahn was the mastermind, not a demon.
According to the original story, demons had certain constraints and couldn’t simply kill humans. Yet Ibahn had slashed a man’s throat right before her eyes.
Seeing Rene’s composed demeanor, Ibahn’s gaze slowly descended.
“How strange—you don’t believe I’m a demon.”
“Surely not. There are Demon Beasts in this world, after all.”
Demons certainly existed in this world. After all, the female lead herself was a holy maiden serving God, so evil had to exist.
Then what were the odds of an extra with presence as negligible as air coincidentally encountering the demon that would have a major impact on the plot?
‘None. Demons aren’t like neighbors you run into casually—if you could see them that easily, this would be the demon realm.’
She was already tangled up with the male lead, a situation suspicious enough to warrant wondering if she’d won the lottery. A demon on top of that?
While Rene dismissed Ibahn’s words as a mere joke, his eyes turned toward something. Then, rising to his feet with a slow movement, he approached her side with unhurried steps.
“…Your Highness?”
“May I receive the gift you prepared now?”
A gift? What gift?
Puzzled because she’d brought nothing, she was observing him quietly when Ibahn bent at the waist, bringing his eyes level with hers.
Just as he drew near, surprising her, Rene stiffened her body.
“Holy Water—what a fine gift.”
In the blink of an eye, a vial of Holy Water was in Ibahn’s hand. The transparent liquid held within the thin glass sparkled like starlight in his palm.
“How did you—how did you know about that……?”
How had he found out she’d brought Holy Water?
The vial was so small that space remained even after she’d tucked it into her dress sleeve. It didn’t even have a distinctive scent!
Rene swallowed her startled breath, worried the precarious atmosphere might turn dangerous again.
“What do you think is the most important thing in a cooperative relationship, young lady?”
“That would be… trust.”
“Well answered.”
Why had he suddenly asked that? Rene found it impossible to gauge what Ibahn was thinking. She was reaching out to reclaim the Holy Water bottle when it happened.
Crash!
The sharp, piercing sound of shattering glass tore through the air. Her eyes flew wide as an impossible sight unfolded before her.
“Your Highness—!”
The back of Ibahn’s hand, where it had touched the Holy Water, began turning red and charring. Worse still, black ash scattered like embers from a flame. It was a sight almost too shocking to process.
‘This guy is completely insane…!’
Rene’s panic-stricken hands moved on pure instinct, wrapping around Ibahn’s and unleashing Healing Magic. A brilliant blue light began to bloom around their joined hands.
“……Hmm.”
A strange murmur escaped Ibahn’s lips. His green eyes shimmered with intrigue as Rene’s unfamiliar magical power seeped into his own flesh.
The hand that had been charred black began to regenerate, and within moments the deep scars had vanished completely—as if nothing had ever happened.
Ibahn smiled with satisfaction as he examined his restored hand.
“So you truly are a Filtrer.”
“A what…?”
If Rene’s intervention had been even a moment slower, a permanent scar would have marred his noble skin—right there in her presence.
The thought alone was enough to make her vision swim.
‘How can this man be so calm?’
The very person who had caused the accident—whether he understood what had happened to his own body or not—simply stood there with an impassive expression, spouting words she couldn’t comprehend.
“A Filtrer is one who not only senses Demonic Aura but can also erase all traces of it. Moreover, such a person can remove Holy Power in ways ordinary mages cannot.”
As you see.
Ibahn tapped his cleaned hand lightly.
“In other words, ‘neutral.’ One who commands both Holy Power and Magical Power.”
When Rene’s expression remained frozen, Ibahn offered a simpler explanation.
“So you burned your hand just now to confirm something? What if I hadn’t been a Filtrer?”
“Why are you upset? It was not you who was injured.”
Ibahn’s head tilted to the side, his gesture making it abundantly clear that he didn’t understand her indignation.
‘This man is definitely a demon. Absolutely a demon! No angel would say something like that!’
At a loss for where even to begin, Rene glanced furtively toward the back. The attendants, stationed at a distance by Ibahn’s orders, were peering at them both with curious eyes.
‘He blocked their sound and sight with Magical Power.’
She’d been too flustered to notice. Somehow, even though the Crown Prince’s hand had caught fire, not a single person had rushed forward or cried out.
And Banel, who had been nearby, showed no reaction whatsoever. Likely because he was a demon too.
“Do you not think Sir Banel might take issue with this, Your Highness?”
“Because it was a decision made by His Highness.”
Banel answered Rene’s sharp question with calm resignation, as if merely following orders.
Nothing about any of this was normal. Rene pressed her hand to her temple, feeling a dull ache building. On the surface, both of them seemed fine, but each was clearly missing a screw.
“There were surely better ways to earn my trust, Your Highness.”
“Nothing is as quick or certain as this. Besides, I needed confirmation.”
“Whether or not I’m a Filtrer, you mean?”
Ibahn nodded at her question. He had originally planned to use something else to leave a scar, but Rene’s suspicious nature had brought the Holy Water—which had made the matter much simpler.
‘If I thank her now, this will get much worse.’
Seeing the dangerous glint in Rene’s eyes, Ibahn decided his wisest course was silence.
“Then the unpleasant sensation I felt at Count Anastasia’s Residence the other day was….”
“Demonic Aura. That’s a Filtrer’s ability. That’s probably how you were able to find me.”
But from Ibahn now, Rene sensed no such aura—no Demonic Aura at all.
‘That means the Demonic Aura I felt belonged to someone else.’
Rene fell silent in thought, then lifted her head to look at Ibahn. There was something she needed to confirm with him.
“Who was the person you killed that day?”
“A human, but one who had lost their existence to Demonic Aura.”
In other words, a Demon Beast.
“Then why did you say you would kill me? You could have simply reported that you’d disposed of a humanoid Demon Beast….”
Humanoid Demon Beasts did occasionally appear. He could have explained it that way. So why not?
“Because it tried to escape.”
“…I’m sorry?”
“Hunting down a fugitive is a demon’s instinct.”
At that quiet answer, the gears turning in Rene’s mind finally ground to a halt.
“You really are a demon. The absolute worst.”
“Thank you.”
That wasn’t a compliment….

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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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