The Villain Who Will Kill Me Is Too Handsome, It's Troublesome - Chapter 99

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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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Episode 99.
The Duke’s Household stable hand trembled at the entrance until he spotted the two of them and cried out.
“Are there any injured?”
Artiela’s question made the stable hand shake his head.
“No one, miss. Bailey noticed the monster appearing first and rode out to lure it away before it could get inside.”
Of course—she was Bertia. That’s why she’d sensed it first and tried to minimize casualties.
“But a lady who’s never ridden a horse before—how could she….”
The stable hand’s eyes were bewildered.
“Which way did she go?”
The stable hand pointed. Away from the Imperial Capital’s bustling district. She was drawing it toward the sparsely populated areas—smart thinking.
“Kirien, trade places with me.”
Artiela leaped down from the horse, then mounted again toward the front.
“Hold tight. I’m going full speed—Hyah!”
Artiela urged the horse forward at once. As she crouched low in the saddle, Kirien followed suit, bending at the waist.
Finding the direction the monster had gone wasn’t difficult.
There were claw marks scattered about, and witnesses had spotted the enormous wolf.
“A massive wolf was chasing some lady,” witnesses said.
The accounts were consistent.
The Imperial Guard Unit was tracking the trail, not realizing it was a monster. At least they didn’t think it was one, so the panic hadn’t spread further—a small mercy.
Artiela drove the horse onward relentlessly.
As they rode, they gradually left the Imperial Capital behind. With fewer people around, witness accounts naturally dwindled.
The monster wolf’s tracks grew fainter.
“What do we do?”
Artiela frowned briefly. They were so unprepared for this.
If only she’d brought a communication scroll. Getting support would’ve made tracking so much easier.
“I think I know where it is.”
“You do?”
“My hometown.”
Now that he mentioned it, the landscape did look familiar. They’d visited with him before.
“I think Kirien’s right.”
Artiela’s heart suddenly stung.
The vision shown to her by the Sacred Tree came rushing back. If that was truly going to happen—
“My mother’s grave.”
Yes, that was it.
“Let’s hurry.”
Artiela urged the horse forward with renewed force.
They couldn’t be late.
Not if they were to change that future where she and Kirien would hold her through death. Even if they couldn’t change the future, at least they could buy more time to talk with Kirien.
‘No. I’m saving her. No matter what.’
She’d already changed a future the Sacred Tree had shown.
She’d changed the future where Kirien would die by strangulation, hadn’t she? Though the strangulation part had come true, admittedly.
So she’d change this one too.
For the sake of saving her beloved’s family.
“Hyah!”
Artiela’s voice rang with unusual force.
* * *
The nobility chamber, opened after a long while.
Peter sat at an angle, observing the nobles’ heated exchange.
“I think it would be wise to repeal the Marriage Prohibition Edict, Your Majesty. The side effects are too severe.”
It was a proposal from Count Soltis.
“Indeed, Your Majesty. Because of it, the First Princess and Viscount Soltis nearly suffered public humiliation….”
“Is it all my fault?”
Everyone eyed Peter cautiously. It was the first convened nobles’ meeting in ages, and his demeanor was unnervingly sharp.
They said he’d been briefly dominated by the root of evil and suffered—was that a lie?
Or was the rumor that he’d lost his memories and become half-mad true?
There were whispers that he couldn’t control his anger well, and servants were being sent away constantly.
“That is not what we meant, Your Majesty.”
“Even without the Marriage Prohibition Edict, there would be no difficulty in selecting an excellent Empress.”
“Quite so, Your Majesty. Because of the Edict, even commoners unable to marry have been living for days without marriage, breaking the law and being arrested. Might we not seek another approach?”
For once, the nobles’ opinions aligned.
With the Emperor awake, the Imperial Consort Selection would restart. His Majesty’s intention to take the Holy Knight Order Commander as his consort had become difficult to achieve after what happened to Count Soltis’s household.
Instead, the rumors surrounding the incident between Young Count Soltis and the First Princess drew even more sympathy votes.
In-laws marrying in twice wouldn’t work anyway, would it? Uniting the two families would be the easiest path for them to become imperial relatives.
In that sense, a grand consolidation had been achieved.
…….
Peter’s lips twisted.
But he couldn’t simply ignore the nobility’s opinion. So for now, he had no choice but to accept it.
Besides, there was another plan in the works anyway.
“Very well. See that it’s done.”
“Then the marriage between the First Princess and Young Count Soltis shall…….”
“You may proceed with the arrangements.”
Suddenly he’d become far too generous. Count Soltis’s eyes narrowed at this.
As expected.
“However, the wedding ceremony will take place after my own imperial marriage. For now, they shall only be betrothed.”
The Count felt a flicker of regret. He’d taught his student far too well.
The way the boy was adding conditions, just as he’d been taught.
“There is another matter.”
“Please speak, Your Majesty.”
“I’ve heard that thanks to the Holy Knight Order Commander’s recent efforts, the last Dark Mage has been vanquished and is currently being purified.”
“Yes, that is correct, Your Majesty.”
But why was he bringing that up now?
As they watched with bewildered eyes, Peter gestured to the chamberlain. The chamberlain then distributed manuscripts to the assembled nobles.
“I’ve heard that the Dark Mages who have been troubling the Empire have been fleeing to the Southern Kingdom.”
Ah…….
Indeed, that was a place where Dark Mages could live freely.
“Intelligence has reached me that they’re sending Dark Mages from there to take vengeance upon the Empire.”
The Count’s brow furrowed.
Peter was moving exactly as Seltia had anticipated. So he truly was the wiser member of the imperial family? She wished she’d taught the First Princess statecraft as well, had she known.
A shame, but opportunities still remained.
Now that she’d be the mother-in-law-to-be, she could summon her frequently without raising suspicion.
* * *
They’d ridden through another full day without sleep. Last time they’d stayed a night at an inn partway through.
“Kirien, eat this.”
The two of them were traveling rough, covering the shortest possible distance.
“If I’d known this would happen, I should have just gone back home to get a Teleportation Scroll.”
That might have let them catch up faster.
Still, it seemed better to catch up gradually, so they kept riding, checking for traces along the way, but they were always half a beat behind.
“Your mother’s horsemanship is truly remarkable.”
And that was while fleeing from monsters too.
“Wouldn’t they be slower because the two of them are riding together?”
That was a fair point. The horse tired easily, so they’d had to swap mounts partway through.
They’d scrounged up every coin they had.
“Still, we can’t have much distance left now.”
Besides, this time there were fewer traces of monsters. Both the sense of Dark Aura lingering and the wounds themselves were minimal.
“Surely the situation isn’t already critical?”
“Fortunately, we haven’t seen any human blood.”
Though there had been monster blood.
They’d even found the corpse of a small monster. They’d been delayed purifying it before the Dark Aura could taint the area further. They’d met some priests partway who’d made dealing with it somewhat easier.
Word had reached the Holy Temple.
Yusiel had sent reinforcements immediately.
“Come on, finish eating quickly, and let’s go.”
Artiela was tearing into the roasted bird she’d hunted, eating eagerly. It was tough, but flavorful for all that.
Kirien ate with equal diligence.
He probably had no appetite, but saving his mother left him no choice.
“I’m finished.”
“Good, shall we ride again?”
The two prepared to mount their horses. But they stopped short as a desolate atmosphere settled around them.
“There!”
A monster was prowling about. It was that immense wolf they’d heard described in the accounts.
Hush.
Artiela quietly drew her Bardo.
“It’s dangerous—stay back.”
Kirien had a sword as well, but his practical combat experience was still lacking.
“I’ll support you with Holy Power.”
At least his supply of Holy Power was solid. The two of them had drilled their coordination well enough in the training grounds.
Artiela crept toward the monster, moving with such perfect stillness that it never sensed her approach.
If only a rabbit hadn’t appeared in the middle of it all.
Crack—the rabbit stepped on a twig near Artiela.
“Oh dear. Hello there, monster?”
And just like that, she’d blown her cover completely.

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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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