The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 10

—————

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

—————

The Villainess Hides Her Identity, and Everyone Misunderstands
Chapter 10

Three days ago.
“…It seems a rat has slipped into the house.”
“…Pardon?”
At Ludwig Bernhardt’s sudden remark, Joshua’s brow furrowed.
“It’s shameful that I’m only discovering this now. Perhaps I should return my ducal title.”
“…Is this related to the Crown Prince, Your Grace?”
“Possibly.”
The Duke handed Joshua the documents he’d been reading.
Joshua skimmed through them and nodded.
“Jonas Kramer… He originally comes from a vassal family of Count Kreutz, doesn’t he?”
Count Kreutz was one of the major families supporting the Crown Prince.
It was worth suspecting.
“It is certainly suspicious, but this alone isn’t….”
“Exactly, so we need to verify. Could you travel to Lorelei directly?”
“You mean the Conrat Mine? But that matter should be settled by tomorrow afternoon.”
“Someone placed these documents on my desk this morning.”
The Duke handed over another set of papers.
Joshua took them and read, his brow narrowing.
“This is… incorrectly recorded, isn’t it?”
“Perhaps. There’s a high probability it’s a forged document.”
“Then….”
“It could all be coincidence—that Jonas handles this transaction, that he comes from a vassal family of Count Kreutz who supports the Crown Prince.”
“…But you believe it’s worth investigating.”
Joshua nodded.
The Duke was that sort of man. If something bothered him, he possessed a relentless nature to verify the truth by any means necessary.
But since there was no harm in investigating, Joshua understood.
“My instincts tell me this is wrong. The moment I discovered these documents, I ordered Killian to return. Since I can’t tell how deeply this infiltration runs, I need to hear what’s happening within the territory as well.”
“Are you already certain? But Jonas has been with the family for such a long time—”
“Did you know Evelyn’s engagement was arranged ten years ago? Well, it’s been annulled now.”
“…!”
Joshua’s eyes widened.
It was too uncomfortable to dismiss as mere coincidence.
Only then grasping the gravity of the situation, he turned his attention back to the documents.
“Assemble a special investigative team for the Conrat Mine. Departure in three days. Only those I can trust.”
“But with Jonas himself under suspicion, I’m not sure who we can even call upon….”
“Summon those from your own network, or those who have served as retainers since their parents’ time.”
“…Understood.”
Joshua replied with a grim expression.
“Once it’s confirmed that Jonas is a spy…what do you intend to do?”
“Simply removing the head won’t eliminate all the rats. I’ll devise a method, so focus your priority on uncovering the truth about the Conrat Mine.”
“Yes.”
Joshua nodded carefully. He couldn’t shake the instinctive premonition that an enormous upheaval was about to befall the family.
A massive wave, distinctly different from anything he’d felt before, would soon crash upon them.
He turned his head as he hurriedly left the study.
“Ah, come to think of it—what will you do about Prince Rakiel? If Jonas is indeed a spy, wouldn’t the rumors about him also likely be fabricated?”
The Duke furrowed his brow, recalling his memories.
It was because he remembered what Jonas had said when adjusting the schedule to meet with Prince Rakiel not long ago.

—His Highness Prince Rakiel suffers greatly from the aftereffects of war. Even if you were to meet, there’s a high likelihood you wouldn’t receive the answers you seek.
—When I saw him recently, he seemed fine though?
—There are persistent rumors that multiple Physicians and clergy continue to visit the Prince’s residence. Perhaps it would be wise to give it more thought….
—…I see. I’ll consider it.

Was that answer a lie meant to prevent him from meeting Prince Rakiel?
The Duke nodded as he recalled Jonas’s words.
“That could very well be. Perhaps it would be better to meet with Prince Rakiel sooner rather than later.”
“…Yes, then I shall take my leave.”
And several days later, Killian arrived in the Capital City.
Ludwig Bernhardt had been reviewing every single task Jonas had handled, his head nearly splitting from the effort.
Though Joshua assisted him, confirming everything without others’ knowledge was no simple matter.
The irony was that while he had intended to go to the Conrat Mine to confirm Jonas was a spy, evidence had already surfaced beforehand.
But the problem was that there were far more than one or two people within the family who had been placed there through Jonas’s influence.
‘This is serious. At this rate, it might not be easy to filter them all out.’
Perhaps he should be grateful they’d discovered it now….
But his troubles were resolved from an unexpected quarter.
“Father!”
“…Evelyn.”
The Duke’s eyes caught sight of sparkling blue irises as he looked up.
“I want a Blue Diamond!”
“…What?”

* * *

The measures I took were not difficult.
I simply provided the Duke with a clue to root out the traitors.

—…Blue Diamond?
—Yes, I heard it all. Con…? Is it Conlite or Conrat Mine? If there’s a Blue Diamond in the Conrat Mine, that diamond more precious than gold would make my beauty shine even brighter.
—You mean the Conrat Mine?
—Ah, yes, that’s it!
—…Evelyn, where did you hear that story?

The Blue Diamond, shimmering like a blue star.
It was no lie that it could be found in the Conrat Mine. In fact, it would later be revealed that what emerged from the mine was not an ordinary diamond, but a Blue Diamond.
That was the reason this Conrat Mine possessed endless potential.
Literally, a goldmine.
The Crown Prince already knew that this rare gemstone, difficult to discover and extract, existed in large quantities in the Conrat Mine.
Therefore, the spies of the Noble Family who would report this fact to the Crown Prince would know it before anyone else.
Through this, I created bait to expose the traitors.

—My, Father, how could I possibly remember the name? I simply overheard Jonas talking to someone about it.
—…!

Fortunately, the Duke understood my meaning well, and the very next day, rumors began spreading that a Blue Diamond had been discovered in the Conrat Mine.
And it was easy to find those who grew suspicious and acted strangely upon realizing their secret was exposed.
While the Duke was diligently working to root out the spies, I began thinking about the next step.
Preventing Ludwig, who would later fall for the Saint, was no easy task.
So the most direct and certain method would be… to prevent Ludwig from becoming Emperor.
In other words, putting forward another candidate!
‘No matter how much I think about it, I have no choice but to use Prince Rakiel.’
Of course, this was something the Duke had attempted and failed at dozens of times across previous loops.
But now it’s different. I’ll capture all of the Crown Prince’s connections hidden within the Noble Family.
I grabbed an old robe and left my room.
This time, I pulled the hood down to cover my eyes. It was a firm resolve to never expose my face.
The place I was heading to required even greater caution.
It was a place I knew from the original work, but had never been able to use since possessing Evelyn’s body.
Ding!

[※Warning: Unauthorized Area—You have entered 「Twilight」.]
[If your identity is exposed, all Quests fail immediately and Reputation –1,000]
[The ‘Recognition Reduction Effect’ of the title 【Righteous Covert Agent (Growth Type)】 has been granted.]
[Current Disguise: Low-rank Maid / Disguise Maintained at 82%]

…an information broker.
Ugh, how frustrating it’s been not to use this place all this time!
The crown jewel of fantasy novels—an information broker!
My heart was pounding so violently I thought it might burst from my chest, but I feigned composure as I entered the Old Bar and took a seat.
After a brief moment, an employee approached.
“What may I get for you?”
“Yes. I’d like… one glass of Twilight, made rich and full-bodied. That taste from just before the sun disappears.”
“….”
The employee’s gaze sharpened in an instant, their eyes scanning me with piercing intensity.
They’re suspicious, just as I expected.
In truth, it made no sense for a young woman like me to walk into an information broker alone. Who would even accept such a client?
They were probably already wondering where the secret password had been exposed.
In this regard, the novel’s logic was quite sound.
So I quickly devised a solution.
Jingle.
Clink.
I dumped a fistful of gold coins onto the table.
I felt the curious glances of people at nearby tables.
“….”
Hmm, that’s not working?
Swish.
Thud.
This time, I pulled out an entire money pouch and placed it on the table. My shoulders felt lighter.
If this doesn’t work, I’ll just stuff jewels into their—
“Understood. I’ll prepare it right away.”
There was nothing in this world that money couldn’t solve.

—————

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

—————