The Villain Who Will Kill Me Is Too Handsome, It's Troublesome - Chapter 69

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

Episode 69.
‘Black Shadow.’
A black shadow, detached from the Emperor, clung to the Second Princess.
Not yet pitch-black, but suffused with a foreboding that couldn’t be ignored.
“Ahhhhh! Help me!”
Artiela swung the Bardo without warning.
The Second Princess, startled by the movement, convulsed and tried to stumble backward—lucky that Artiela’s reflexes were sharp.
Another moment and the princess would have been struck by the blade instead of the shadow.
The Bardo pierced cleanly through the shadow’s chest region. The princess gave a light kick, sending it into the arms of the knights nearby.
“Second Princess!”
“Commander of the Holy Knight Order!”
“Everyone, fall back.”
Before Artiela could even shout the command, they were already doing so.
The shadow binding the princess to the blade was visible even to the ordinary eye.
Artiela tightened her grip on the sword, pouring strength into it. As pale holy power layered over the jade-green Aura, the black shadow trembled and scattered into white wisps.
“That was a close call, Your Highness.”
Had the shadow consumed her, she would have ended up like the Emperor—without even realizing it was happening.
“She’s lost consciousness.”
“Weak-hearted, it seems.”
Artiela shook her head and examined the princess’s condition.
“Let’s move the princess for now. And please summon the First Princess as well.”
“Yes, understood.”
The knights began moving with perfect synchronization, as though they were Artiela’s subordinates.
Some of them asked about the recruitment process for the Holy Knight Order even as they worked, but they fled the moment they heard the salary.
* * *
“Commander of the Holy Knight Order, what is all this commotion? What trouble has she caused now?”
Soon after, the First Princess arrived at the Second Princess’s Palace. Bleo came along with her.
The Second Princess, having regained consciousness, sat docilely against the head of the bed like a convict.
“It appears that a black shadow—sent by the Source of Evil as a minion—had attached itself to the Second Princess. Fearing her Soul might already have been stolen, I had the servants conduct a thorough search and found traces of Dark Magic, but fortunately it hadn’t progressed that far yet.”
They’d mobilized all the handmaids to strip and examine her.
It was humiliating, yet the Second Princess submitted meekly. She’d been half-unconscious at first, and even after waking, she remained dazed, surrendering her body without resistance.
“Ah, so that’s what happened back then.”
Bleo, standing beside her, seemed to recall something.
“Why, at that time in the Garden, did not the Second Princess try to ambush Duke Lupel from behind?”
One of Artiela’s eyebrows rose quietly. The fingers of the hand crossed over her chest twitched. A Holy Sigil.
‘Wicked intent, begone.’
“When the Boutonniere’s color changed back then, it was because of the Second Princess.”
“That happened?”
“Yes, little sister. Please relax your eyes when you ask. When there was a loud noise from the Main Palace, both the Duke and I thought the Source of Evil was near, so the color changed—we just didn’t mention it separately at the time.”
Artiela eased the tension from her eyes. After all, she wasn’t angry at him.
“Then perhaps the princess’s hand touched it, and that’s why the Sacred Object shattered?”
Artiela pressed her forehead.
Now she understood why the Boutonniere had been pried away so desperately. It wasn’t that she’d been gripping it so fiercely to keep it.
It was because she feared it would change color again because of her. Because she feared that would be discovered.
So she’d hidden it.
“Oh no, this is serious. The Sacred Object may have been damaged.”
“Why, what trouble have you caused this time?”
Hearing Artiela’s sigh, the First Princess grabbed the Second Princess’s shoulders and shook them.
“Second Princess, confess quickly. Where did you hide the stolen Sacred Object?”
“I, I don’t know either.”
The Second Princess mumbled fearfully.
“What were you thinking, doing such a thing? Even after seeing His Majesty in that state.”
She should have kept stricter watch over the Second Princess.
Because she’d taken a specific Sacred Object without incident, she’d assumed it was safe and grown careless. The First Princess’s once-clear eyes had grown clouded with regret.
“Just… just… I heard a whispering voice.”
The Second Princess began to weep. Yet because she hadn’t lost herself entirely, her memories remained clear.
“I heard rumors that the Holy Knight Order’s Commander and Duke Lupel were lovers, so I thought it was a lie, and I vented to my handmaids about how the Duke would never choose such a woman over me… but…”
It had been so long since she’d moved in society that she’d grown confused—was insulting the person in question right in front of them the fashion these days?
Artiela’s fingers began tracing the Holy Sigil earnestly once more.
“That voice told me the Duke only pretended to be kind to the Commander because he needed the Sacred Object, and if I stole it and became its true owner, the Duke would come to me.”
The First Princess watched the Second Princess dissolve into tears, then shook her head.
“What thoughtlessness. You saw what became of your mother, and yet you would entrust yourself to such dark power.”
The First Princess drew a deep breath at the bitter turn of events, then turned toward Artiela.
“I will apologize on her behalf.”
Artiela wondered what the First Princess had to apologize for.
She was the only one here with any sense at all.
“She made that choice because she craved affection and attention.”
That was the nature of imperial blood. Even within a family, they had to compete in the shadows, and those without interest in the throne could still lose their lives caught in the machinations around them.
Living on such thin ice, one became desperate for even the smallest kindness, the briefest smile.
The Emperor had done that to her.
“But we should find the Sacred Object quickly, shouldn’t we?”
At Artiela’s request, the First Princess summoned every maid and attendant in the Second Princess’s Palace. One of them must have run the errand.
Soon, the Sacred Object’s whereabouts were confirmed, and Artiela was informed.
“If anything has happened to it, the Imperial Family will take full responsibility.”
“Yes, thank you, Your Highness.”
The First Princess’s face was as worn as Bleo’s.
Even Bleo, whose skin had once been as smooth as any noblewoman’s, had grown rough and dull. But the First Princess—dark circles shadowed her eyes, as though sleep had become a stranger to her.
“Your Highness, lend me your hand for a moment.”
So Artiela made up her mind and willingly shared a measure of her Holy Power—modest though it was—with her future elder sister-in-law.
“What is this…”
“It’s Holy Power, though only a little. I hope it helps restore your strength.”
“And me? What about me?”
Artiela pressed Bleo’s foot deliberately.
Thanks to the Holy Power, color returned to the First Princess’s eyes. She hesitated briefly, then caught Artiela’s hand as it began to pull away.
“Commander of the Holy Knight Order, this is an impertinent request, but…”
“Please, Your Highness.”
“Is it possible for you to see His Majesty before you go? It seems he will not wake unless you are present.”
“I am sorry, Your Highness. The Saint has forbidden me from approaching him.”
That dangerous man was to have no further meetings with her.
She was to expect no mercy from the Saint or the Holy Sword.
How could anyone trust that a man who had blinded himself with love and sold his very soul would not do so again the moment he saw Artiela?
“When the Source of Evil is completely annihilated, I will visit him then.”
* * *
Artiela soon visited the Jewelry Workshop, which the Second Princess frequented. It was the finest gem merchant in the Imperial Capital.
“My goodness, what brings the Commander of the Holy Knight Order here?”
As Artiela swept in, her blue cloak billowing, the proprietor greeted her with an eager smile.
“I’ve come to retrieve the Boutonniere the Second Princess entrusted to you.”
Artiela handed over a parchment bearing the seals of both the First and Second Princess in parallel.
After confirming the contents, the proprietor produced a black box.
“Ah, I crafted the Sacred Object myself. What an honor. These days, pearls of such a deep pink are rarely mined, so I selected pearls of a similar tone and added a gradient to refine it further.”
What was he saying? That he’d embedded more pearls of a different shade?
Artiela pressed her fingers to her forehead and opened the box.
“Wow, it’s become quite magnificent.”
To anyone’s eye, this was no Sacred Object—merely a common dress brooch.
A shaft beginning with tiny cream-colored pearls and graduating to large pale-pink ones formed the butterfly’s body, while gold-worked wings beside it were densely studded with small diamonds.
“It suits Her Highness beautifully, doesn’t it?”
What a hopelessly foolish merchant. He couldn’t even tell that Artiela’s gaze had gone sharp and dangerous.
“Yes, quite well. So then—where did you remove the pearls that were originally part of the Sacred Object?”
None of these pearls were the ones originally used in the Sacred Object.
“I-I don’t know. I only added more pearls to the brooch Her Highness gave me and had it cleaned. That was all.”
Yes, he’d known right away when she said “deep pink.”
That princess had given her shadow back—and then lied?

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