The Villain Who Will Kill Me Is Too Handsome, It's Troublesome - Chapter 74

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

Episode 74.
* * *
Artiela and Kirien had returned to the Holy Temple.
“Do you know where it is?”
“I suspect Baylina would know better than I would. Your mother, perhaps.”
Each time he said “your mother,” something tickled inside her—the implication that they were lovers.
“I mentioned to Yusiel that we have matters to discuss today. And I need to examine my hand.”
Kirien glanced at Artiela’s right hand with concern.
The hand, outwardly unremarkable, still rejected the Bardo. When the Time Freeze Spell she’d originally maintained unraveled once, it opened a door. Dark Sorcery had been creeping in through the widened cracks in time, steadily swelling its presence.
Perhaps the magic would shatter faster than she thought. Even if she bound time again and again.
Even if she bound time again and again.
‘I had a nightmare last night…….’
She’d dreamed in a way she hadn’t in ages.
A demon wearing Kirien’s face looking down at her, grinning wickedly. She couldn’t move a muscle, as though pinned by invisible weight.
Yet he hadn’t tried to harm her.
He’d merely brushed her cheek gently, tenderly brushed her hair back.
‘It seemed like he was about to kiss me.’
Though something had stopped him at the last moment.
“Baylina sent word that she’d found the diary and will bring it.”
“Truly? That’s a relief.”
Artiela glanced briefly at Kirien’s profile.
Wondering what had caused the nightmare.
‘Could it be… unfulfilled desire?’
It was possible.
Lately, whenever Artiela stepped closer to him, Kirien would step back just as far.
“If I harbor impure thoughts, the Source of Evil will…….”
What impure thoughts was he so worried about that the Source of Evil would grow stronger? In any case, they were conducting a very wholesome courtship.
Anyone watching might wonder if they were actually dating at all.
Where was the cause to tease the priests? They were living lives identical to the clergy—abstinence and restraint.
“Since the priests keep submitting transfer requests, I’d appreciate it if you’d be careful.”
No matter how many times she recalled it, the injustice stung.
“Sigh…….”
Whether Kirien understood the reason for Artiela’s sigh or not, he followed her obediently until they arrived beneath the Sacred Leaf.
At that, the priests who had been praying to receive Divine Force scattered in a rush. And they hadn’t even done anything yet. This was too much.
If it was going to be like this, they should have forbidden romance in the Holy Knight Order from the start!
Artiela suppressed her indignation and brought her hand to the Sacred Leaf.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be a knight who fulfills wishes, so please grant me more Divine Force.”
Once again, Artiela prayed for the Sacred Leaf to increase her Divine Force.
She’d been neglecting good deeds lately because of how busy things were. If she was to face the Source of Evil, she needed to cultivate Divine Force diligently.
Kirien also placed his hand on the Sacred Leaf. He too needed to build his Divine Force.
“Huh?”
But Artiela’s eyes flew wide open.
“What? When did this happen!”
God, isn’t this discrimination? Kirien’s Divine Force had somehow grown larger than Artiela’s.
If Artiela’s Divine Force was the size of a medium-sized dog, Kirien’s was that of a wolf. A large wolf, at that.
“Wow, wow—is this hereditary too?”
It seemed their starting points had been different from the beginning.
“I’m jealous. I want it.”
The flush creeping up Kirien’s ears went unnoticed by Artiela.
“That’s why you should go around fulfilling Wish Tags just like Bertia does, right?”
“Mom!”
Just then, Lilian arrived at the Sacred Leaf with Baylina. Yusiel was with them as well.
“Welcome, Mother.”
“My, why does our duke grow handsomer every time I see him?”
Lilian wore a pleased expression whenever she looked at Kirien. And hearing this, Baylina seemed more delighted than ever.
“Well then, shall we check your condition right away?”
Lilian took her daughter’s hand. She soon frowned with concern.
“Just as I thought—the Time Freeze Spell has become unstable.”
“Let me see.”
Yusiel examined Artiela’s right hand with the Mirror of Truth she had brought. The traces of the Curse had crept forward again in that brief moment.
Like a limb stained with dark magic—grotesque and repugnant.
“Does your arm ache at all?”
“There’s a dull throb, but I’m trying not to use it at all. I’m not sure how bad it is.”
She’d switched hands when eating. Even paperwork was being done with her left hand now.
In case the contamination spread to the Holy Temple.
“Try lifting your sword with your right hand.”
“Yes.”
Kirien unsheathed the blade and placed it across her outstretched right palm.
“Ah…”
It slipped. Before she could even grip it. Her left hand had reflexively caught the sword—otherwise it would have crashed squarely onto her foot.
This was serious. If this continued, she really might lose the use of her arm.
Looking closer, the blood vessels were plainly visible. Not blue, but darkened—the corrupted region was spreading.
The moment this spread across her entire body, would she be dominated by the Source of Evil?
A horrifying thought.
“We need to find the Tear of the Goddess soon.”
“I’ve already found a clue.”
Artiela relayed what she’d heard in the workshop. Lilian immediately deduced where Bertia must have hidden the key.
“Where the Wish Tags hang.”
“Ah…”
“That’s where Bertia spent almost every day. Isn’t that right, Baylina?”
“Yes, I believe so too. My diary mentioned that we need only follow our mistress’s traces.”
The two people who knew Bertia best had agreed. Surely the odds had improved somewhat?
* * *
These days, Artiela’s hopes consistently crashed to the ground.
“It’s not here.”
The Wish Garden was where the faithful had tied their wish tags—one side of the Holy Temple, its fences overflowing with countless small hopes.
But there was no one to grant Artiela’s wish.
“I thought it would be hidden inside the tags.”
A key, after all. She’d expected it to be tied together with the wish tags and hung up, or hidden in some secret crevice as before.
She’d searched every corner where the faithful rarely ventured, but found no key.
“They say Bertia was a woman who could see the future.”
Yusiel had grumbled from beside her.
“Would such a woman hide a key among tags that she regularly collected?”
But the logic was sound—she had no rebuttal.
“Then what should we do?”
“…”
“Should we just try breaking the seal on the Jewelry Box using that method we discussed?”
“Hmm, if nothing else works, that’s our last resort.”
Yusiel didn’t think the Tear of the Goddess was inside that Jewelry Box at all.
Even the imitations in the Sacred Artifact Repository emanated Divine Force. A powerful sacred artifact couldn’t possibly give off such a faint aura.
Then it happened. A breeze stirred from somewhere.
“This power!”
“What is this!”
Divine Force?
Artiela and Yusiel met each other’s eyes, sensing a force that felt both familiar and strange.
‘This time it wasn’t contaminated.’
Lilian had felt it too.
“My, why am I like this again?”
Just as when she’d first seen Kirien, tears were streaming down her face.
“Bertia?”
It shouldn’t be possible.
Yet Lilian knew with certainty who the source of this pleasant power was.
“Bertia!”
The mother looked around. But Lilian’s childhood companion was nowhere to be found.
Instead, a pure white butterfly emerged from among the wish tags and flew toward the five of them—directly toward Artiela’s head.
But it wasn’t a butterfly at all.
“A Wish Tag?”
Artiela recognized it first, her eyes widening. When she reached out, it settled gently into her palm.
No—it wasn’t a Wish Tag either.
“Why has a Sacred Leaf come flying all the way here?”
“Artiela, take a look at the back, will you?”
“Hm? Oh, got it.”
There it was, clinging to the leaf—a small key. And it looked as though it would fit perfectly into the lock on the jewelry box Artiela had been peering into all along.
“Open it. Quickly.”
“Right.”
Artiela drew the jewelry box from her pocket with a solemn expression.
Then she inserted the key.
Click—the key turned just as expected. When she lifted the lid, inside lay a diamond pendant cut in the shape of a teardrop.
Along with a slip of paper bearing a brief inscription.
“That’s the Tear of the Goddess, isn’t it?”
Artiela gazed at Yusiel with delight.
But Yusiel’s face had turned uncertain.
“Yeah, it looks like it.”
But this… was single-use?
Artiela’s eyes trembled as she read the note enclosed with the pendant.

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