The Puppet Villainess’s Splendid Rebellion - Chapter 39

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 39

 

The streets during the day were lively. Merchants were shouting about their wares, people were coming and going, and carriages were passing by frantically. Sion firmly grasped my hand and began striding through the gaps.

 

“There are so many people.”

 

“The Duke’s Mansion is always quiet as a mouse, so I didn’t know this place was actually inhabited too.”

 

When I opened my mouth in undisguised admiration, Sion chuckled softly.

 

“Lorea is a person from here, and I’m a guest. Shouldn’t Lorea be the one guiding me?”

 

“I said that because you’re cute.”

 

Actually, it was quite fascinating.

 

Because Emperor, that is, the Emperor wouldn’t allow it.

 

‘He said there were too many things outside the Imperial Palace that were dangerous for a frail princess, so he had everything I needed brought to the Imperial Palace to handle.’

 

At the time, I thought it was just the Emperor’s overprotection out of affection for me. Looking back now, he was just treating me as a tool and wouldn’t let me out of his grasp.

 

Perhaps because of that, the merchants shouting energetically without paying attention to me, people’s laughter, and the unrefined noise coming from everywhere felt like commotion from another world.

 

“Lorea, your jaw might drop at this rate.”

 

Sion giggled.

 

“Sion, you said you wanted to see the Dukedom, so why do you keep looking at my face?”

 

“…Don’t tease me.”

 

Sion giggled.

 

I felt embarrassed for no reason and slightly turned my head, covering my face with the edge of my hand.

 

He readjusted his grip on my hand.

 

“Lorea, wasn’t there anything you wanted to do when you came outside?”

 

“Yeah. There are many things here that Lorea hasn’t tried. We look like neighborhood kids right now, so we can do anything except what only adults can do.”

 

Even though you clearly have a mocking expression on your face.

 

Feeling embarrassed for no reason, she turned her head slightly and covered her face with the edge of her hand.

 

To ‘want to try’ something, you need information about it as a foundation, but I really knew nothing for that.

 

Well, I felt like I should give some answer.

 

“Didn’t Lorea have anything she wanted to do when she came outside?”

 

“What I want to do?”

 

“Yeah. There are lots of things here that Lorea hasn’t tried before. Since we look like local kids now, we can do anything except stuff that only adults can do.”

 

“Hmm….”

 

I couldn’t answer right away when the question came out of nowhere, and pondered it for a long time.

 

To want to “try” something requires having information to back it up, but I really knew nothing about it.

 

Sion was looking at me quietly, not rushing me but seemingly waiting for my answer.

 

Hmm, I feel like I should say something in response.

 

My gaze, which had been wandering aimlessly, pointed to one particular place.

 

“…Why? Is it not allowed?”

 

People were crowding around a makeshift stall with just a single wooden plank propped up. Because of the crowd, it was hard to see what was going on inside.

 

Where we arrived, crowds were gathered like clouds. But now I could see that everyone was holding money and shouting loudly at the innkeeper.

 

“Let’s raise the stakes this time!”

 

“Huh?”

 

I couldn’t think straight because of all the shouting from all directions.

 

“…What is all this?”

 

“…Why? Is it not okay?”

 

“Hmm, no. It’s good to experience it.”

 

On the gambling stall he pointed to, three bowls were placed upside down, and people were throwing money in front of them.

 

“Have you heard of sleight of hand?”

 

“Lorea knows even less than I thought. Don’t they teach you about these things in the Imperial Palace?”

 

As if they would teach me.

 

Led by Sion’s hand, I finally arrived at the very front of the stall and looked around in bewilderment.

 

With people shouting loudly from all directions, I couldn’t concentrate at all.

 

…It certainly seemed like an atmosphere where kids shouldn’t come.

 

‘Technically speaking, there are no kids here though.’

 

I’m a regressor who’s well past adulthood, and Sion is probably older than the combined ages of everyone here.

 

“We have money though.”

 

Sion searched his pocket with an indifferent expression. From his pants pocket that was definitely flat, a heavy pouch of gold coins emerged.

 

“Is it okay if we have money?”

 

I think I might have read about it in a book at some point. But that was so long ago that I couldn’t remember it clearly.

 

“Hey, kids. What’s this? Children, get lost!”

 

Just then, the street vendor who spotted us waved his hands frantically.

 

…It definitely had an atmosphere where kids shouldn’t be around.

 

‘Technically speaking, there are no kids here though.’

 

I’m a regressor who’s well past adulthood, and Sion is probably older than all the people here combined.

 

“We have money.”

 

Sion rummaged through his pockets with an indifferent expression. From his pants pocket, which had definitely been flat, came a heavy pouch of gold coins.

 

“Is it okay if you have money?”

 

“No, what the hell is this….”

 

The innkeeper looked at Sion with a flustered expression, then quickly changed his complexion and gave a sly smile.

 

“Kids aren’t allowed. But I’ll make an exception just this once. Come on, you pick too!”

 

The innkeeper showed us the bowl with the ball inside, then mixed the bowls with flashy hand movements. To put it dramatically, his hands moved so fast they were almost invisible.

 

“Lorea, your eyes are going to pop out.”

 

“Stay still and watch, I’m working really hard to follow along right now.”

 

“They look like they’re going to burst out…”

 

I ignored Sion’s muttering and busily followed the movements.

 

When the bowls finally stopped, Sion poked my side repeatedly.

 

“Lorea, pick one.”

 

“Me? Aren’t you going to pick, Sion?”

 

“Yeah, you said you wanted to do it.”

 

“…Then I’ll go with the left one.”

 

I definitely saw it go there just now.

 

“Okay, good.”

 

Sion bet the entire pouch of gold coins without any objection to my words. I could see the eyes of people around us widening in shock.

 

“Hey, kid. You’re betting all of this? Do you know how much this is?”

 

“Yeah, I know. Lorea wants to do it. Right?”

 

“…Well, that’s true.”

 

“Then that’s settled.”

 

Sion gestured with his chin as if telling him to hurry up and flip the bowl.

 

The innkeeper, who had been staring at us with a bewildered face, clicked his tongue and flipped the bowl.

 

The result was…

 

“Huh, it’s not there?”

 

Of course it was a miss.

 

Sighs could be heard from here and there, and the innkeeper chuckled and snatched away the money pouch.

 

“Oh dear, little ones. What a shame.”

 

“But it was definitely here?”

 

“It’s not there, not there! That’s the end! Kids, go away!”

 

With those final words, we had to leave the gambling stall almost as if we were being chased out. As soon as we were pushed away, people crowded around the stall again.

 

I watched that scene with a sense of emptiness before turning away.

 

It wasn’t that I felt sorry about the money, but seeing the opportunity slip away so futilely right before my eyes left me feeling bewildered.

 

“Lorea, are you disappointed?”

 

“Rather than disappointed… I roughly understand why gambling is dangerous. It’s not something just anyone should do.”

 

Sion giggled with amusement at my sighing murmur.

 

“Yeah, actually there was no correct answer there.”

 

“What?”

 

“The owner dropped the ball down through the bottom in the middle. You didn’t see it, Lorea?”

 

“Of course I didn’t see… wait, isn’t that fraud?”

 

“That’s what sleight of hand is originally like.”

 

“What kind of thing is that…”

 

“But you seemed to be having a lot of fun.”

 

“I don’t think I’ll do it a second time.”

 

“Yeah, once is enough.”

 

Saying that, Sion turned to the opposite street and started loading me up with various foods.

 

“At the market, you have to try things like this. It’s much more delicious than sleight of hand and you won’t lose money either.”

 

“You could have told me that earlier…”

 

“But Lorea with sparkling eyes is cute.”

 

The word ‘cute’ seems a bit excessive since earlier.

 

I glared at him without real malice and obediently accepted and ate the food he gave me.

 

“Is it delicious?”

 

“Yes. These are all things I’m trying for the first time. Especially these chicken wings are delicious. How did they think to put rice inside chicken wings?”

 

“It’s food you can’t eat at the Imperial Palace or the mansion. Nobles are too picky.”

 

This time Sion popped a chocolate-coated banana into my mouth and poked my cheek.

 

“You’re small but you can really pack it away. Is there a subspace inside?”

 

“Usually there isn’t such a thing.”

 

“That’s too bad.”

 

What exactly is too bad about that.

 

Then he withdrew the hand that had been poking my cheeks and suddenly asked.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Is the Grand Duke your real father?”

 

“Gack, cough!”

 

The banana skewer I was eating got stuck in my throat.

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