The Puppet Villainess’s Splendid Rebellion - Chapter 8

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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 8

I was deep in thought.

“…Purification stones alone aren’t enough after all.”

No matter how many times I thought about it, the conclusion was always the same.

To save Carlos, simply providing purification stones wouldn’t be sufficient.

Purification stones were a fundamental means of calming the collision between demonic energy and magical power, but that was their limit.

They couldn’t restore a body that was already damaged.

However, even from my brief observation, Carlos’s current physical condition was at its worst. Honestly, it was miraculous that he was still alive.

‘It must be because his body has been gradually deteriorating over a long period of time.’

From what I had confirmed during my few days staying at the Duke’s Mansion, it seemed he wasn’t properly taking care of either sleep or meals.

‘Of course, if the goal was simply to keep him barely alive, purification stones alone would be sufficient, but…’

I didn’t want to leave it at that.

‘What I want is for the Duke to live like a human being.’

If there was any harvest from living my entire life as Loreia, it was the fact that I knew surprisingly detailed information about demonic energy and purification stones.

‘Thanks to the Emperor.’

Though it wasn’t publicly known, the Emperor also possessed magical power.

He maintained the purification stones distributed to the people at a minimum while keeping his own body in optimal condition by any means necessary.

And I had assisted such an Emperor from the closest position.

No one knew better than I did how to manage a body exposed to demonic energy.

‘Though I never thought I’d use that knowledge for someone else.’

I stretched my neck to look out the bedroom window.

“Now would be the best time, wouldn’t it?”

There was a clear reason why I had been lost in thought for so long without being able to take any action.

After that deadly first encounter with Demian, murderous glares followed me wherever I went in the Duke’s Mansion.

Demian didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was monitoring me.

It was to such an extent that I thought it might be better if he just wrote it on his face and walked around.

‘I’ve been avoiding him, wondering what he might say if we ran into each other.’

Fortunately, today Demian had been away since morning.

“Right, let’s do it now.”

After sitting on the bed with a serious expression for just a moment, I jumped down from the bed.

“First, let’s start with food.”

* * *

When I arrived at the Kitchen, it was coincidentally completely empty. It seemed I had timed it well to avoid meal times.

“It’s incredibly spacious.”

After gaping at the vast space for just a moment, I quietly closed the door and headed toward the Pantry connected to the Kitchen, muffling my footsteps.

I had worried about what to do if the Pantry was also empty, but being the Duke’s Mansion, the Pantry was lined with fresh ingredients.

“Let’s see, eggplant, tomatoes, mushrooms…”

I searched every corner of the Pantry, efficiently gathering various seasonings and herbs before waddling back to the Kitchen.

After dumping all the ingredients onto the counter, I suddenly became troubled while looking for a knife.

“…I can’t reach.”

That’s right.

The Duke’s Mansion Kitchen was too high for me to use. I wondered if I could even cut properly like this.

As I looked around, I spotted a small wooden box. After struggling to move it and standing on top, I finally reached the right height.

“Who would have thought my height would hurt my pride.”

The Emperor had liked my small, petite figure.

He said he liked how his only daughter fit snugly in his arms.

Because I had extremely restricted my diet to please him, even by age twenty I had only managed to achieve a height far below average.

‘Looking back now, it seems like he didn’t want me to have power in any form.’

Now that I was seven years younger, I was inevitably even smaller.

“I wonder if I could grow taller if I make an effort starting now.”

While having idle thoughts, I picked up the knife.

Then, after boldly placing ingredients on the cutting board, I was suddenly struck by bewilderment.

“Hmm… but how big should I cut these?”

Although I had visited the Kitchen countless times claiming to attend to the Emperor, unfortunately I had no experience actually cooking.

It was only natural. What subject would be crazy enough to put Kitchen utensils in Loreia’s hands?

Besides, I myself wouldn’t have tolerated even a speck of dust on my dress.

“Hmm.”

A moment of contemplation followed.

However, it didn’t last long before I firmly clenched my jaw and gripped the knife properly.

“I’ll figure it out once I try. How hard could it be?”

I had spent several years going in and out of the kitchen, watching the preparation of the Emperor’s meals. From what I remembered, it wasn’t that difficult a level.

“The eggplant should be cut lengthwise, and the tomatoes into square shapes…”

I began cutting the ingredients haphazardly while fumbling through old memories.

The eggplant turned out reasonably well-shaped, though the thickness was a bit uneven, but the problem was the tomatoes.

I was sure when I watched the head chef cut them, they came out in neat square shapes, but what lay before me now was something so crushed and mangled that I couldn’t even make out its form.

The bright red tomato had splattered and been mashed in all directions, making it look less like cooking and more like an accident scene.

“…This isn’t right.”

It clearly wasn’t fit to eat.

“Let me try again.”

I struggled to get down from the platform and brought more tomatoes from the pantry.

This time I resumed cutting with a much more careful posture, but unfortunately the result wasn’t much different.

This time, tomato juice even burst out, staining my apron bright red.

“…Why is this so difficult?”

The cooks made it look easy.

Wasn’t it supposed to be simple?

I was standing there blankly, holding the knife and staring endlessly down at the ruined tomato.

“Oh my! Your Highness, what on earth happened here?”

Suddenly a startled voice came from across the room.

Mia, who had been passing by the kitchen, was looking at me with a shocked expression.

She alternated between looking at me wearing an apron and holding a kitchen knife, and the tomato sprawled in a miserable state before me, then hurriedly rushed into the kitchen.

“I wondered why you weren’t in your room, so you were here? Good heavens, your clothes are a mess… If you were hungry, you should have said something.”

“I’m not hungry…”

“Were you bored then?”

“No.”

Who causes this kind of chaos in the kitchen because they’re bored?

I instinctively started to protest but clamped my mouth shut.

No matter how I tried to explain, it would look strange.

‘What should I say about this?’

As the silence dragged on, Mia sent me a puzzled look. Her bright gaze pierced into my cheeks.

Eventually, I had no choice but to mumble in a shrinking voice.

“I was trying to… prepare a meal.”

“A meal? Didn’t you already have lunch earlier?”

“Not for me, but for…”

When it came to actually talking about it, I felt like my throat was completely blocked.

The words that should come out wouldn’t come, and only my face grew hot for no reason.

‘This is why I wanted to finish it secretly and then go.’

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them before speaking.

“I know a food that’s good for bodies damaged by magic.”

“Pardon?”

“…His Majesty the Emperor used to eat it often too.”

“What do you mean, ah.”

Mia looked puzzled, then seemed to belatedly understand the meaning of my words and let out a small exclamation.

“Is this food for the master, by any chance?”

“…That was the plan, at least.”

Though it didn’t work out well.

I looked down at the disastrous cutting board with a helpless gaze.

Mia’s eyes followed mine downward.

A moment of silence passed.

“Oh my.”

Finally, Mia smiled gently and rolled up her sleeves.

“May I help you?”

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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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