The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 103

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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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The Villainess Hides Her Identity, and Everyone Misunderstands
Chapter 103

But moments later, I cried out with a deflated expression.
“What? Why not?”
“Did you think I would simply consent?”
The Duke spoke with unwavering resolve.
“That is no place for you to visit. What do you imagine prisoner interrogation entails?”
Oh, how careless of me.
Absorbed in the Quest, I had forgotten—this was the Duke who had never even revealed the existence of the Dungeon to Evelyn. There was no possibility he would permit her to meet with spies, much less grant her access.
Moreover, to him, I was merely a troublesome daughter unworthy of such knowledge.
“Do you believe I would be of no assistance?”
“Assistance? I would count myself fortunate if you merely refrained from fainting in shock upon entry.”
“Hush.”
I raised a finger to Killian’s lips, silencing him.
The problem was that everyone still regarded me as an ordinary noblewoman of gentle breeding.
‘Regardless, it is time I shattered this misconception.’
I was not someone capable of living the life of an ordinary noblewoman. From the very beginning, the fact that I was a transmigrator placed me far beyond the realm of ordinary.
The Duke regarded me with an inscrutable expression. Beside him, Rakiel observed the unfolding situation with keen interest.
At length, the Duke slowly opened his mouth.
“This is not a matter of whether you would be helpful or not. This is not a matter for your involvement.”
“Are you telling me to withdraw?”
“…You know that is not what I mean.”
He released a weary sigh.
“There is no need for you to volunteer for such unpleasant affairs. It is unseemly, and besides, His Highness and I shall handle this matter—so step aside.”
So that is how it shall be, then. But I possessed one trump card.
“I have not mentioned it before, but in truth, I bear some responsibility for the capture of those individuals.”
I turned to Rakiel and continued.
“Is that not so, Your Highness?”
The Duke’s gaze shifted toward Rakiel. His expression was one of skepticism, as though demanding verification of the truth.
Rakiel, suddenly called upon, offered a subtle smile and nodded.
“Indeed. Had it not been for Evelyn—or rather, the Lady—I would never have thought to investigate such channels. The credit is certainly hers.”
“Is that so?”
The Duke asked, as though unable to believe it.
“You possess a daughter of considerable talent, Duke.”
“…”
I quickly opened my mouth again, my voice far lower and more serious than before.
“I understand what prisoner interrogation entails, Father. I’m not simply asking to observe out of idle curiosity.”
Though Evelyn might have thrown a tantrum and insisted on watching regardless, I had grown capable of mounting a proper argument.
“I’m not merely asking to watch—I’ve determined that if I apply the information I possess to the interrogation, we can extract the desired intelligence far more efficiently. Surely you’re more aware than I am that time is not on our side right now?”
“…What information could you possibly have.”
“I’ve spent considerable time wandering outside without your knowledge, Father.”
My ventures through the Black Market served as a convenient excuse. Rumors circulated that one could obtain anything there.
The Duke’s expression remained stern, yet he showed no sign of cutting me off as abruptly as before.
I seized that opening carefully and played my final card.
“Of course, the final decision rests with you, Father. If you believe my presence would be unhelpful, I’ll withdraw without hesitation.”
After a brief pause, I lifted my head slightly, meeting the Duke’s gaze directly as I continued.
“I am the daughter of Rosenthal, Father.”
“…”
“You know as well as I do that one cannot simply observe only the beautiful aspects of life. Not now, and not in the future.”
Silence descended upon the room.
Once entangled in the murky machinations of imperial succession, there was no escape. The Duke understood this truth as well.
He regarded me silently for a long moment, then exhaled a low sigh—not so much an admission of defeat as an acceptance of an unavoidable reality.
“…Very well.”
“…!”
“But you must remain at my side at all times.”
“Yes!”
I exulted inwardly.

* * *

This was the second time in my life I set foot in the Dungeon, yet this time the system didn’t even display a warning window.
Regaining perfect freedom carried its own weight.
Splash!
Stagnant water from the floor splattered across my shoes and the hem of my skirt.
‘Ah, I should have worn different shoes.’
Ideally sneakers… though that would be impossible.
I gazed at the men’s comfortable-looking trousers and shoes, then turned my head away with a cold expression.
It was hopeless anyway.
As I descended into the Dungeon, a somewhat familiar sight and musty odor greeted me. The stench of rotting water—as if I’d stepped into a sewer—assaulted my nose.
“Eve, be careful!”
“Eek!”
Startled by Rakiel’s warning, I twisted my body. As I stumbled, he caught my shoulder and steadied me.
“What, what, what—why? Is something there?”
“Oh, there’s a puddle.”
I scrunched my face and turned to look at him.
There are several puddles here, and he’s warning me about just one?
Rakiel chuckled at my expression.
“That’s hardly worth such a glare.”
“Let go of me.”
I irritably shook off his hand.
As I carefully lifted my skirt and continued walking, I felt an odd gaze from beside me. Following that feeling, I turned to see Killian looking at me with a strange expression.
“What are you looking at?”
“…Nothing. Just, you seem quite close with the Crown Prince.”
“Close? This?”
Isn’t this just someone teasing and someone being teased?
“Considering your personality, it’s quite unexpected. Eve, thinking about how you used to treat all men like stones except the Crown Prince.”
“Let’s all agree not to bring up each other’s dark history.”
“…Dark history?”
Thinking about how stories related to Ludwig would haunt me for the rest of my life made my chest ache. The entire nation knows about my unrequited love—I’m dying of embarrassment.
What else could that be called but a dark history?
But I just said something oddly natural a moment ago.
“When did I ever ask you to call me ‘Eve’?”
“Surely you wouldn’t forbid your brother from using the same name the Crown Prince uses?”
“I don’t recall ever giving permission for it.”
“…So you gave permission to the Crown Prince?”
“The Crown Prince is…”
I glanced at Rakiel.
He shrugged. After hesitating briefly, I finished my sentence.
“The Crown Prince is an exception.”
Because I’ve wronged him.
“What? I didn’t—”
“Regardless, I never gave you permission to call me that, so stop it!”
I snapped loudly and quickened my pace toward the Duke, who was already walking ahead. He was in conversation with Joshua beside him.
“Eve… Evelyn! How could you do this! Your brother is so hurt—”
“Be quiet!”
Now that Rakiel had started using it, everyone seemed to think it was my nickname.
Behind me, I could hear Killian’s grumbling voice and Rakiel’s laughter.
But the playfulness was short-lived. As we ventured deeper into the Dungeon, the group’s chatter dwindled to near silence. The rusted iron bars, the stench wafting through the air—everything conspired to weigh down the atmosphere.
I scanned the tense faces around me and spotted three figures bound to chairs in the distance. They wore tattered burlap sacks that barely covered their essentials, and their bodies were covered in wounds—unmistakable evidence of a harrowing ordeal.
‘There are more than I expected.’
I’d thought there would be at most one or two, but there were three.
The sight was far grimmer than anticipated, and I swallowed hard.
“…?”
A shadow fell over me, and I turned to find Rakiel standing beside me. I glanced at him briefly before looking away again.
As we approached, the guards stationed before them bowed in unison. Their gazes lingered on me with a hint of surprise, though none of them said anything particular.
“So, what’s the situation?”
At the Duke’s question, one of his subordinates scratched his head awkwardly and whispered softly.
“My apologies. They show no signs of opening their mouths.”
“…That’s troublesome.”
A few more words were exchanged as if reporting the situation.
From what I gathered, they’d learned nothing beyond what had been told to me earlier. Given the state of the three captive men, they should have broken without torture, yet they displayed remarkable resilience.
‘What am I supposed to do about this….’
I’d come this far, but I had no brilliant solution. I wondered if I might have seen one of them in a previous iteration, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Each time they flinched and writhed, I confirmed it—they were all strangers to me.
Then one of the three men, who had been hanging his head as if dead, let out a groan and stirred. He was the closest to me.
“Ugh….”
Rakiel naturally shifted to position himself in front of me.
The man released a horrible moan, then slowly lifted his head, his eyelids barely peeling open. Water dripped steadily from his blood-soaked hair.
The moment I looked at him without thinking, his sinister eyes fixed on me. Raw, unrefined malice and murderous intent radiated from him, and goosebumps erupted across my skin.

[Warning!]
[Murderous intent detected.]

But at that moment, another system window appeared.

[Will you use the item 【Token of Trust】?]

What?

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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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