The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 122

—————

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 122

[A Linked Quest has been generated.]
[Quest Name: The Secret of the Continental War
Objective: Behind the Continental War lies an undisclosed transaction. Prove the treason of Crown Prince Ludwig Bernhardt and reveal the hidden truth to the world.
-Secure Evidence of Conspiracy (1/1)
-Secure Direct Collaborator (0/1)
-Publicly Prove Treason (0/0)
Reward: Main Quest 【Master of the Throne】 Progress Significantly Increased / Reputation +500]

After reviewing the quest details, I sighed and closed the system window.
It was the window that had appeared the moment I confirmed the contents of that secret letter the Chamberlain had been carrying.
‘As if showing me this now will make any difference…’
Either way, what the system was telling me amounted to the same thing: bring Daylen Haibel.
After the situation had settled, the Physician entered to examine Rakiel’s condition.
Needless to say, though Rakiel had regained consciousness, he remained gravely injured.
It had only been three days since the accident occurred, so if he were perfectly fine, that would truly be monstrous.
The Physician firmly instructed him not to get out of bed yet.
“Please watch over him carefully, Evelyn. He may try to move about, insisting he’s perfectly fine.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I nodded with determination.
Even so, Hagen didn’t seem reassured, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Rakiel before sighing and leaving the room.
He seemed to find some comfort in the fact that I was by his side.
“…Aren’t you leaving, Duke Cashen?”
At Rakiel’s words, I turned my gaze and noticed Duke Cashen still leaning against the wall.
‘Oh, I was startled. I thought he’d already left.’
He’d been so quiet I hadn’t even noticed he was there. I’d assumed he’d left with Hagen earlier.
However, Duke Cashen was looking at me, barely acknowledging Rakiel’s words.
“…What is it? Do I have something on my face?”
As I touched my face and asked, he approached me with heavy footsteps. Then his lips, bearing a serious expression, slowly parted.
“Could you spare me a moment?”

* * *

Click.
Once I closed the door, I nodded to the two Knights standing guard outside the room.
Their gazes lingered on me for a moment, but I deliberately ignored them and headed toward the Garden.
Besides, I couldn’t venture far anyway. I was confined to Prince’s Palace.

-It’s only one hour. You said one hour, Duke.
-Does the lady belong to His Highness?
-If I must say, then yes. She’s his fiancée, after all….
-Ah, that’s enough! Stop it!

…It took me a while to get Rakiel’s permission.
Since this was his Palace, I couldn’t help but ask for his understanding.
Autumn had settled deeper into the Garden.
Leaves losing their verdant hue scattered on the wind, and pale sunlight filtered through the gaps between them.
For midday, the Garden was remarkably quiet.
Because of the rumors that Rakiel was on death’s door, even the Servants were treading carefully.
‘Though he’s actually perfectly fine.’
He planned to remain quiet until he recovered enough to at least walk around.
Continuing my thoughts, I settled onto a small stone bench in one corner of the Garden.
Duke Cashen didn’t sit beside me, but stood across from me instead.
‘He won’t sit down.’
When I glanced up at him, he remained in his composed posture, not a single thread of his clothing out of place.
“…Your Grace.”
“Yes.”
“You can sit. Your leg must hurt.”
“…It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine for me.”
My neck aches from looking up at you like this.
But Duke Cashen remained unmoved.
“It’s fine.”
I finally sighed and stood up. I couldn’t bear the awkwardness of sitting while someone else stood, especially not in this situation.
And certainly not when that someone was Duke Cashen.
Instead, we began walking slowly deeper into the Garden.
‘What on earth is he trying to say that requires such gravitas?’
Though I’d grown considerably closer to him, he was still frightening. The unconscious trembling had faded, but having faced his killing intent up close, I couldn’t help it.
‘He’s not about to say something strange again, is he?’
Unable to bear the silence, I finally opened my mouth with an awkward laugh.
“Um, well, I wanted to thank you. If Your Grace hadn’t come during the accident, I don’t know what would have happened….”
“No. What I did was nothing significant.”
“That’s not true!”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“Looking back now, if it weren’t for the Lupenbain Knights, we would have been buried alive down there.”
“Buried alive… you say.”
“Yes.”
What was certain was that if only the Imperial Palace Knights had been present, the rescue operation would have taken considerably longer. What wouldn’t Ludwig do to complete his plan?
But when Duke Cashen arrived, that plan fell apart.
“We were rescued in time because Your Grace the Duke came.”
“…It was only possible because of Prince Rakiel’s foresight.”
“Of course that’s true as well….”
I tucked the strands of hair fluttering in the breeze behind my ear and turned my head to the side. Duke Cashen was still staring at me intently.
“…Your Grace the Duke has always been helpful as well.”
“….”
When I spoke with a slight smile, his neat eyes twitched.
“Now there’s only one thing left.”
He responded slowly to my murmured words.
“You’re speaking of Daylen Haibel.”
“Yes, once I have him in my grasp, I can finally bring this to a close. It’s taken quite long.”
“…Yes, it has taken a long time.”
He answered quietly, then quickened his pace and stopped in front of me.
‘…Why is he doing this?’
I stopped in my tracks and looked up at him with a puzzled expression. Duke Cashen’s face was calm as always, but something lay thickly beneath the surface.
“Evelyn, do you remember what I said before?”
“What you said… before?”
What was he referring to?
I searched through my memories, but there were countless conversations between us. Yet in that moment, one phrase flashed through my mind.

-The House of Ruffenbein has always existed for you.

“…!”
I had been about to ask what he meant by that offhand remark, which I couldn’t quite grasp. Just as I was parting my lips to inquire about his meaning, the moment arrived.
He slowly lowered himself onto one knee.
“…?!”
My eyes widened in shock, and I hastily bent forward.
“D-Duke Cashen? Why….”
Cashen Lufenbayne paid no mind to my reaction, bowing his head with composed dignity.
“Evelyn.”
“I-If you do this, I’ll be in a terrible position…!”
I frantically glanced around and pulled at him to help him up. But the moment I realized his body wouldn’t budge, panic seized me once more.
“As the head of House of Ruffenbein, I wish to make a request of you.”
“Why would you ask me of all people…!”
Why would a Grand Duke make a request to a mere lady-in-waiting?!
I screamed internally, but Cashen’s words continued without pause.
“House of Ruffenbein has served the Saint for generations. Please consider today the day that sacred promise begins anew.”
He slowly raised his gaze to meet mine.
“I offer to you the name and sword of House of Ruffenbein in their entirety.”
“….”
“I shall follow the path you walk for the rest of my life.”
Boom!

[Congratulations! The hidden event 【Oath of Ruffenbein】 has been achieved.]
[‘Cashen Lufenbayne’ pledges his lifelong loyalty to you.]
[You may now utilize the influence of House of Ruffenbein.]
[Reputation +500]

…What?
My mind went completely blank in that instant.
I had certainly known that he had made a public declaration to ‘act on behalf of a new Saint.’
But I had thought it merely a political statement—nothing more than House of Ruffenbein shifting its weight toward our faction.
Yet ‘for the rest of his life’? This was no simple political alliance.
“W-Wait just a moment, Duke Cashen!”
I cried out and grasped his shoulders.
“Please reconsider! Yes? You’re pledging loyalty to me!”
“I do not intend to burden you, but there is not a shred of falsehood in my words.”
Ding!

[Will you exercise coercive power over ‘Cashen Lufenbayne’?]

What kind of nonsense is this?
‘No! That can’t be right!’
From the start, this wasn’t a problem that could be solved through coercion. Yet the system window kept cheerfully displaying one notification after another.
Ding!

[The effect of 【Oath of Lupenbain】 fixes the target’s suspicion level at 0%.]
[Partial command authority is granted to ‘Cashen Lufenbayne’.]

This is insane!
I frantically dismissed the system windows that kept appearing before my eyes. Cashen standing right in front of me was becoming invisible beneath the notifications.
“Please, get up, Your Grace the Duke. I’m begging you!”
As I collapsed while whimpering, Cashen finally relented and pushed himself to his feet. Yet his expression showed no sign of taking back what he’d already said.
‘Damn it….’
This wasn’t what I wanted. I only hoped that Cashen wouldn’t join hands with Ludwig…! And as a bonus, it would be nice if House of Ruffenbein’s forces sided with us too.
But….
Ding!

[You can now summon the forces of House of Ruffenbein.]

That’s not what I meant!

—————

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

—————