The Male Lead Is the Villain, and I'm the Only One Who Knows - Chapter 67

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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 Hidden Mastermind, and Only I Know — Episode 67
“Our princess came to see her brother? You’ve lost even more weight in the 79 days, 12 hours, and 32 seconds we haven’t seen each other?”
Lion began relentlessly stretching both my cheeks, muttering about which bastard had put me through such hardship.
As my cheeks stretched out like marshmallows and I furrowed my brow, Lion showered my forehead, nose, and cheeks with kisses, his satisfaction evident in his laughter.
“From what I hear… it seems to be me.”
Iban, who had been quietly observing Lion’s antics from beside me, suddenly reached out and effortlessly blocked Lion’s lips from touching my face.
“?”
Lion’s pink eyes, suddenly prevented from closing around his mouth, finally turned toward Iban.
……Those eyes definitely seemed to say, ‘Who do you think you are to interfere?’
Sure enough, Lion’s raised smile corners fell instantly. The eyes that had gleamed with affection and joy grew cold in a heartbeat.
“…What business do you have coming here with our princess, Your Highness?”
At Lion’s sharp question, delivered in a considerably subdued voice, Iban tilted his head slightly toward the research facility behind us.
“Never mind that. Go give me a briefing on progress.”
“You won’t answer my question?”
“I’m not as idle as you are.”
As Iban dodged the answer with casual ease, Lion’s eyes narrowed with unmistakable displeasure.
“We ran into each other out front! Just out front! By coincidence!”
I hurried out an implausible excuse about meeting him out front.
Most people would have challenged how any chance meeting could happen in that thick fog, but…
“Oh, I suppose that’s possible.”
Lion was not most people.
He possessed such a considerable sister complex that he would believe without question or reconsideration even if I told him I was actually a reincarnator from another dimension.
‘He really did believe me. Without a single doubt…’
As a result, Lion was the only person besides Iban and Banel who knew my true origin.
The moment Lion’s growl subsided at my words, Iban turned and headed toward the research facility’s wide-open doors.
Lion followed behind him, promising to show me around the interior as he took my hand and led me inside.
The interior of the Secret Research Facility, which I was entering for the first time, was entirely clean and orderly—a typical research space, but…
“……Zombies?”
True to its purpose as a research facility secretly undertaking a project to develop equipment for distinguishing demons under imperial command, one side was packed with all manner of unidentifiable machines.
Between the large and small instruments were people in stained lab coats—each of them expressionless, their faces overshadowed, looking exactly like the living dead.
“Lion, those people are alive, right?”
“Well, um, yes. Now that I think of it, they’re not really a sight our princess should see.”
Lion snapped his fingers with a sharp sound while telling them to snap out of it. The people’s eyes suddenly filled with false brightness, and one by one they turned toward us and slowly bowed in greeting.
Iban merely glanced at the zombie-like staff before turning away and immediately heading to the main workstation, where he picked up a small circular device that appeared to be the equipment and began examining it in silence.
“You know the deadline is right around the corner. Report the situation.”
“Current progress stands at 96 percent. We are awaiting final performance testing and error correction, with an estimated 32 additional hours required for completion.”
Lion, who had been clinging to my side and cheerfully explaining the research facility’s machinery, delivered a methodical answer in a far quieter tone in response to Iban’s question.
“That’s too slow. Finish it by tomorrow dawn. Before the Foundation Day Ceremony begins.”
Clang…
A sudden cold silence fell over the research facility. The moment Iban’s words rang out, someone dropped an instrument they were holding in shock.
“That’s impossible.”
After a brief silence, Lion shook his head firmly, as if questioning whether that even counted as speech. However, Iban paid no mind and deliberately shook the circular device for him to see.
“If it’s impossible, make it possible.”
“Your Highness, what do you take a mage for? We can’t just make things happen by snapping our fingers.”
“Oh? I could.”
“…….”
……Lion is literally cursing with his eyes right now. That’s definitely the look of ‘then you do it, you bastard.’
Lion, whose eyes were filled with every unspoken profanity imaginable, eventually let out a defeated sigh and shook his head.
“Let’s discuss over lunch tomorrow. Dawn won’t work. We don’t currently have test subjects available… there are no demons.”
“I’ll arrange that.”
Iban casually tossed a small Seal Stone into Lion’s hands, mentioning that he happened to have a humanoid demon he’d been keeping on hand, one that was sealed.
“Hmm. That works.”
Lion accepted the Seal Stone without so much as a word of thanks or acknowledgment, simply pocketing it.
Regardless, Iban looked between me and Lion standing side by side with evident interest, studying us both.
“You two look quite alike.”
“……! You have a good eye.”
Lion’s eyes, which had been fixed on Iban with a sharp gaze, suddenly softened. Then he pulled me tightly against his shoulder and began planting kisses on my cheek again.
I skillfully pushed him away and pulled out Dust, who had been sleeping inside my sleeve, and thrust him in front of Lion.
Now was the moment to accomplish my purpose.
“Since your business seems finished, now listen to mine. How should I care for this Demon Creature?”
“Huh, what’s this…?”
Lion’s brow furrowed sharply, then smoothed again. The moment was brief, but for once his expression held genuine alarm.
“Princess, why is that in your hands?”
“Hmm? I found it at the Imperial Palace last time.”
“The Imperial Palace? Ah….”
Lion ran a rough hand through his hair, his face troubled. Then he carefully took Dust from my palm—the little thing fast asleep.
His voice hesitant, he began to speak.
“This isn’t just any demon creature. It’s the highest-intelligence specimen born recently among them. The Magic Tower was keeping it under special observation for experiments….”
And then I heard that the creature had escaped not long ago, and mages were still searching for it.
“What? An experiment subject?”
No wonder—the little thing was far too clever for an ordinary demon creature!
“It’s grown quite a lot. I thought it would starve and die quickly if it left the facility.”
“I’ve been raising it by feeding it things like cake and cookies.”
“Huh. So a creature whose staple diet is demon corpses now dines on desserts….”
Lion broke into a soft laugh at that.
“That explains why the little one’s so docile. It’s put on weight and grown quite a bit.”
After asking a few more questions, Lion fell silent in thought, then pressed Dust back into my hands.
“Unlike other demon creatures, this one has grown on your affection. It won’t run away or disobey you. You won’t have any trouble with it. Even if you cast it out, I’d wager it would find its way back on its own.”
“But the mages are looking for it. Are you sure it’s all right for me to keep it?”
“Our princess has taken a liking to it—how could I take it from you? We’ll just file it as missing at the Magic Tower. Still, looking at this one’s form, it’ll be entering Secondary Growth Phase soon, won’t it?”
A small rumble escaped from Dust, sleeping fitfully.
Lion poked the drowsy creature with an intrigued expression on his face.

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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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