The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 13

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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 13

Rakiel took the opportunity to say what he had wanted to tell her.
“I was worried and followed you, but you mistook me for a… ahem, a stalker. I apologize for my behavior that warranted such a misunderstanding.”
The woman’s expression grew awkward as she murmured softly.
“Oh, no… I’m sorry. It was I who misunderstood… your chin…”
“Ah, that.”
Rakiel slowly raised his hand and touched his chin gently.
“Well, it did hurt.”
It was my first experience with something like that in my life, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. When would I ever get hit in the chin again?
The woman’s expression became peculiar as she hastily rummaged through her belongings.
“I’m so sorry…! Let me cover the medical expenses…”
Rakiel raised one eyebrow, deciding to see where this was going.
As she frantically searched through her belongings, her hands suddenly slowed, and what she pulled out were three silver coins—enough for commoners to receive treatment from a Physician once or twice.
“It’s not much, but please take this…”
Rakiel barely suppressed the laughter threatening to burst forth.
In his twenty-five years of life, this was the first time someone had handed him three silver coins for medical treatment as if he were a prince.
‘Since she means well, I should accept it.’
If I refuse here, she’ll be sad. She’s the kind of woman who cares for others to that extent.
When he accepted the coins, the woman’s expression became even more peculiar.
“By the way, what’s your name?”
I couldn’t keep calling her woman, woman indefinitely.
“Eve… I, it’s Eve. I’m Eve.”
“Eve. That’s a lovely name.”
It’s similar to the name of the young lady from the Rosenthal Estate.
But unlike that vicious woman, her name seemed genuinely beautiful because of how differently she acted, Rakiel thought.
As Rakiel gazed down at her for a moment, he watched her pull her hood deeper over her head and made his decision.
“Then I’ll escort you there.”
“…Pardon?”
This much was hardly difficult for me. Besides, I had time to spare anyway.
The woman—or rather, Eve—followed Rakiel reluctantly.
After safely escorting her to the Rear Gate of the Duke’s Mansion, I gazed down at her small head as she thanked me.
Then I blurted it out.
“If you’re grateful, why don’t you buy me a meal sometime?”
“…Pardon?”
Ah.
Rakiel couldn’t believe what had just come out of his mouth.
‘Buy her a meal? What in the world did I just say?’
To demand a meeting based on a single favor—it was the cheapest line he’d ever uttered in his entire life.
Sure enough, beneath the hood, Eve’s lips began to curve in an odd way. Like someone who’d just received an unwanted advance.
Rakiel forced a laugh, suppressing the urge to turn and flee immediately.
“I was joking. Travel safely.”
As he turned away, he wished he could rip out his own mouth.
What would Hagen, his adjutant, say if he ever learned that Rakiel had spouted such a line?
—Your Highness, are you a pervert?
Words he’d never even spoken echoed in his mind.
Rakiel regretted his thoughtless words all through that night until sleep finally claimed him.
He even found himself trapped in a nightmarish dream where he repeated those same words over and over again.

—If you’re grateful, why not buy me a meal sometime?
—…Pardon?
—If you’re grateful, why not buy me a meal sometime?
—…Pardon?
—If you’re grateful, why not buy me a meal sometime?
—…Pardon?
…

“…Gasp!”
Rakiel jolted upright, clutching his blanket, cold sweat drenching his skin.
‘Damn it, how horrible…’
His heart pounded violently.
He exhaled deeply and forced himself to lie back down, closing his eyes.
It was with a firm resolve that the next time he saw Eve, he would make up for those words no matter what.

* * *

Exactly two days later, I found Twilight again.
“Welcome, customer! The materials are right here.”
The man handed me the documents with utmost courtesy.
“Goodness, there’s so much?”
Unlike what I’d expected—perhaps one or two pages at most—the documents were nearly the size of an entire book.
“The scope was quite extensive, you see.”
I’d only asked for information on a single person: Prince Rakiel.
I let my eyes follow the endless stream of text.
The blessing of words truly knows no bounds.
I flipped through several pages and read them right there, intending to give them only a cursory glance.
He was twenty-five years old and born of the Second Empress.
While most imperial family members were born with blonde hair, Rakiel bore a striking resemblance to his mother in both hair and eye color.
Because of this, he had been embroiled in unsavory controversy at birth.
The Emperor had acknowledged him as his son, which eventually quieted the scandal.
‘Hmm, mostly things I already knew.’
From childhood, he’d displayed exceptional talent with the sword, and unlike the First Prince Ludwig, he was timid and struggled with interpersonal interactions.
Despite this, many people drawn to his goodness had supported him, which led to Rakiel being driven to the battlefield as if fleeing.
While there were surprising details when examined closely, the overall narrative didn’t differ from what I knew.
“…Hmm?”
While skimming through, I discovered something peculiar.
‘Fearful, but not a cowardly character.’
Or,
‘His avoidance of people may be his true nature, but recently it appears to function as a defense mechanism.’
Things like that.
They were subjective phrases, as if written by someone who knew Prince Rakiel well.
The man seemed bored while I read through the documents, yawning occasionally.
Could Twilight’s owner possibly know Rakiel?
It was certainly suspicious enough to warrant consideration.
However, I closed the documents I’d been reading and tucked them back into the envelope.
“Anyway, thank you. I’ll need to read the rest properly once I get home.”
From what I’d skimmed, Rakiel truly had almost no points of contact with Evelyn—enough that I could play the role of a maid with considerable peace of mind.
The situation was different from the servants of the Rosenthal Estate, whom I faced daily.
With a satisfied smile, I tucked the envelope into my bosom and retrieved one of the coin purses. It was one of the two I’d shown the man before.
One had been the deposit, so the remaining one was the final payment.
“It was a satisfactory transaction.”
The proprietor is meticulous and the information is thoughtfully provided ^^
I handed over the purse with the expression of someone leaving quite a respectable review, and the man accepted it readily.
“Thank you, customer. I look forward to your continued patronage!”
“I’ll come again when I need something.”
“Ah, next time you visit, please present your business card. I’ll guide you directly inside.”
A business card…?
The man traced a rectangle with his finger as he explained.
“The business card you received last time is a VIP-exclusive card.”
Ah, was he referring to that oddly-designed card?
I furrowed my brow, searching my memory.
The text written on the card was…
「Information Connoisseur! I appear when summoned. (Sometimes) —Twilight—」
…Hmm.
I nodded awkwardly. So I’d been casually handing out what was actually a genuine VIP business card?
I seriously needed to reconsider the wording and design.
In any case, I flicked a few gold coins to the attendant who’d seated me before, pocketed the tip, and left the tavern.
With a mountain of work piling up, I headed straight to the Rosenthal Estate without lingering this time. The deadline for the quests I’d accepted from the servants was today.
Well, most of them were simple tasks anyway—mending clothes for busy servants or finding lost handkerchiefs.
“…Ow.”
As I clumsily stitched a tear in my coat pocket, a drop of blood welled up from my pricked finger. Sucking on my finger as I slipped quietly out of the servant’s quarters, a familiar system window materialized before my eyes.

[Congratulations! 【Freedom】 has reached Lv.3.]

“Oh.”
I’d finally reached Lv.3 again.
Suppressing the urge to dance right there, I quickly returned to my room. Rummaging through it, what I found was…

「Conrat Mine Third Contract Details – For Review」

The document that would send Jonas to hell.

* * *

Jonas Kramer arrived at work as usual, only to be struck by a bolt from the blue before he could even enter his quarters.
“Jonas Kramer, come with us. You are to be interrogated on suspicion of leaking internal information.”
“What, what?”
Jonas’s pupils dilated. The documents he’d been holding slipped from his grasp and scraped across the stone floor.
Two knights of the Rosenthal Duchy’s personal guard quickly approached from either side.
“Wait, wait just a moment! This is absurd! I am the financial assistant to Duke Ludwig Bernhardt!”
Jonas hastily stepped backward, flailing his hands.
‘Discovered? Impossible!’
Yet his protests fell on deaf ears.
The knight at the front gazed down at him with an impassive expression.
“Beyond that, there are numerous charges including abuse of authority, document forgery, and embezzlement. If you have anything to say, you may do so inside.”
“This cannot be… This is someone’s scheme! I would never do such a thing! Ten years—a full decade! I have devoted ten years of my life to the Rosenthal Duchy…!”
As he muttered, Jonas’s eyes widened.
Someone was being dragged away, held by the knights’ arms.
“No! I’m telling you, no! I didn’t!”
It was not just one person.
The moment Jonas recognized their faces, the color drained from his own.
‘This cannot be…’
Those being dragged away were all the spies from the Prince’s faction that he had planted. His struggling arms went limp.
“How distasteful.”
At that moment, a melodious voice like a nightingale drifted from beside him.
He turned his head instinctively, and his eyes fell upon a beautiful woman with silver hair and blue eyes—Evelyn Rosenthal, the sole daughter of the Rosenthal Duchy.

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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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