The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 124

—————

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 124

It was I who had summoned Liliana to this place.
‘There’s still unfinished business between Liliana and me.’
I had sent Duke Cashen to bring her here in secret.
Of course, Duke Cashen was somewhat conspicuous, so I sent Genie along as well. Genie would slip Liliana away without drawing attention from others, and Duke Cashen would cover their tracks afterward.
And it seemed the operation had been executed flawlessly.
Beyond the still-open door, I could see Genie winking at me with one eye.
‘I really can’t bring myself to hate her.’
In any case, Liliana wore her usual smile, her eyes holding an inscrutable gleam.
Following Duke Cashen inside, she walked straight toward me.
‘Huh?’
Though I had summoned her, the way she fixed her gaze directly on me and approached like an unstoppable force made me flinch for a moment.
She drew near with graceful steps until she stood before me, offering a faint smile. It was her usual gentle expression, yet something about it felt different this time.
As I stared at her in a daze, her lips slowly parted.
“Help me, Eve. I need you.”
“…!”
My lips opened slowly.

「I need you, Ludwig. Take my hand.」

Because those words were meant to have been delivered to Ludwig.
That line, repeated ninety-nine times before, was something I had thought I would never hear again….
Yet here I was, hearing it once more in the hundredth cycle. And this time, it was spoken right before my eyes.
‘Could this be the Quest completion reward?’
I examined the system window that had come to mind, my expression troubled.

[You have successfully completed the Quest 【Befriend the Saint】.]
[Hidden information regarding the Saint ‘Liliana’ has been unlocked.]
[The timing of information disclosure may vary depending on circumstances.]

It was the system window that had appeared right after I pushed her away from the Fountain accident.
I had been so frazzled at the time that I closed it without reading it properly, but I was able to see it again later.
‘Wait, is this what they mean by hidden information?’
The events that unfolded in the original story.
The reason she wanted to escape the Valter Empire and hold hands with either Ludwig or me.
‘But I already know that.’
Was the system really trying to pass off information I already knew as hidden information?
Ding!

[The timing of information provision may vary depending on circumstances.]

The system repeated itself like a parrot.
‘Ugh….’
My head throbbed again, but I had to focus on the conversation at hand.
After a moment of deliberation, I feigned ignorance and replied to Liliana.
“Help you? With what?”
And her response was exactly as I had anticipated.
“I will not return to the Valter Empire. I will stay by your side.”
…The same words, the same lines, and even the same expression.
“Why….”
“Because escaping the Valter Empire is the only way I can survive. And I believe you can help me.”
Her hazel eyes wavered gently. It was the exact same light I had seen when I spoke with her just before the Fountain accident.
In this iteration, she saw me as her last lifeline, not Ludwig.
“Wait, wait.”
That was when Yan interjected.
“This doesn’t seem like something we can just brush past.”
“You are….”
Her eyes turned toward Yan, filled with confusion.
Ah, were they meeting for the first time?
Only then did I realize, blinking as I looked between the two of them.
“Ah, I—”
But before Yan could even introduce himself, Rakiel frowned and swung both legs out of the bed.
He wore an expression of displeasure, as though something had displeased him greatly.
“Before that, I believe there’s something that needs to be said, Saint Liliana.”
“…Yes?”
Liliana turned her head with a bewildered expression, but Rakiel reached out and pulled me toward him.
“Shouldn’t gratitude come first? My fiancée threw herself into danger to save you.”
“…Ah.”
She let out a small exclamation, as though only then understanding.
“As you can see, she’s so delicate….”
He lifted my arm that he was holding, continuing his words.
“Look at this wrist. Doesn’t it seem like it would break with just a slight squeeze? According to the Physician, I was truly fortunate. I nearly died if things had gone differently.”
“No, Your Highness is the one who nearly died.”
I was lucky, though.
I only suffered minor abrasions and contusions!
Listening from the side, I gave Rakiel a disgruntled look. Who was talking to whom about nearly dying?
However, Rakiel didn’t even blink, pretending not to notice my gaze as he continued speaking.
“My fiancée is such a small and delicate person that just thinking about her being buried under that pile of rubble makes me dizzy even now. So I don’t think a mere word of thanks is enough, but at least I need to accept it so I can get some sleep.”
Why are you accepting the thanks that should be directed at me…?
Flabbergasted, I opened my mouth and then closed it again.
As I covered my face with one hand and sighed, Liliana finally seemed to grasp the situation and brought her hand to her mouth with a small laugh.
“You’re right. I’ve been so disoriented since the accident that I’ve been putting off the greeting I should have given first.”
Liliana slowly removed her hood.
Her chestnut-brown hair cascaded down over her shoulders.
“Eve.”
She called my name softly as she stepped closer.
Before I could respond, she took both my hands in hers. Warm heat transmitted through my fingers.
“Thank you so much for saving me that day.”
“…Ah, yes.”
“That’s… not something anyone can easily do.”
Her hazel eyes rippled softly.
“The heart to throw oneself in front of a stranger—God knows better than anyone how precious that is. And I, too, will never forget it for the rest of my life.”
I couldn’t hide my awkwardness and looked away.
Liliana’s tone contained not a single trace of the ambiguous flowery language she always carried with her.
In other words, her sincerity had come through.
For a moment, unsure how to respond, I was quietly averting my gaze when Rakiel interjected from beside me again.
“The fact that you’re alive is entirely thanks to my fiancée, so I think any repayment should be a bit more concrete, don’t you think?”
“…My.”
“People call you a Saint, but in my view, what my fiancée did that day was far more saintly. Of course, Eve is a Saint too.”
Liliana nodded enthusiastically.
“I agree with that assessment.”
“Good that you do.”
“Rather, you’re someone I should be learning from.”
“…What?”
Rakiel raised his eyebrows slightly, as if questioning whether he’d heard correctly.
But Liliana simply smiled gently.
“I’ve heard all about what Eve has been doing all this time.”
“Ho.”
Rakiel’s voice followed with interest, his tone noticeably softened as if he were pleased.
“What story did you hear?”
“I met people before I encountered Eve when I entered the Bernhardt Empire.”
“Surely not….”
A sense of foreboding suddenly washed over me.
The place where I discovered Saint Liliana was none other than a tent where people had gathered.
“Wait….”
“There, a woman was passionately telling everyone about Eve’s good deeds. It was truly a touching story.”
“…A woman?”
Was it just my imagination that I thought I knew who that was?
I suppressed the urge to clamp my hand over Saint Liliana’s mouth, my eyelids trembling.
“Yes, her cheeks were flushed such a rosy red as she spoke with such sincerity. Everyone around her was nodding eagerly with sparkling eyes.”
That scene painted itself vividly in my mind.
I laughed awkwardly, trying to stop her.
“Um, Saint Liliana? Those people’s accounts might have been somewhat exaggerated. It would be better to take them with a grain of salt….”
“From simply helping people to begin with, to what happened when the plague spread throughout the Empire, to how Eve helped everyone—all of it.”
She continued, her eyes sparkling.
“I also heard that they were recruiting followers.”
“…!”
A cold bead of sweat trickled down my spine.
Surely that couldn’t be it.
She calmly reached into her bosom. Then, as if retrieving something most precious, she held it carefully in both hands and slowly lifted it, smiling brightly.
“So I joined as well!”
“…!”
Something small glimmered in the sunlight resting in her palm.
It was a small wooden pendant, clearly handcrafted with care. The character carved in the center of the pattern was the initial of “Evelyn”—something too embarrassing to even speak aloud.
As I stared at it blankly, Duke Cashen’s calm voice fell like a final verdict.
“Ah, it’s a pendant they give as a joining gift.”

—————

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

—————