The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 24

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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 24

I continued speaking as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Both of them passed away.”
My biological parents died when I was young. It was probably around the time I finished middle school.
It was a traffic accident.
On a day when I stayed home alone because of school exams, my parents were on their way back from visiting my maternal grandmother’s house.
While driving up to Seoul, their car collided with a vehicle driven by unlicensed middle school students. The car apparently rolled one and a half times.
When I rushed to the scene, I encountered classmates from my school who had left early and were excitedly running around because of the exam schedule.
‘…I don’t remember much about it anymore.’
What good would it do anyway? The accident had already happened, and I’m not even in that world anymore.
It was old enough that I could speak of it without any emotion.
“…Do you have other family?”
“No. I was never particularly close to my relatives, so I just lived alone like that.”
Living alone wasn’t so bad.
I wasn’t the type to feel lonely anyway, and even without family, I had encountered good connections more than once.
Suddenly sensing an odd gaze, I lifted my eyes, and crimson eyes were staring directly at me.
“…?”
He seemed to be thinking about something, his lips moving slightly. He appeared to be searching for words.
…Why is he doing that again?
After a brief silence, Rakiel carefully opened his mouth.
“During the war, the areas that suffered great damage were… no, I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“…War?”
Why did he stop mid-sentence?
My hat kept slipping down, so I adjusted it with slight irritation.
He glanced at me and then flustered again, repeatedly picking up and putting down his water glass.
“…Is it possible that the reason you cover your face is….”
“Yes?”
“Ah, no. Never mind.”
He waved his hand in flustered, clumsy gestures.
So why was he acting like this?
Because Rakiel kept behaving awkwardly, the atmosphere became uncomfortable in an instant.
The silence that had settled deeply was broken by a Waiter approaching to serve the final course.
“To finish today’s course, we’ve prepared a lemon sherbet. It’s a refreshing sherbet made from lemons grown in Lantshuft, perfect for cleansing the palate.”
He placed one sherbet before me and another before Rakiel, then handed over the final dish that remained on the tray.
“And today, as a special service, our Chef has personally baked madeleines for you.”
“A service?”
Rakiel asked in return.
The Waiter nodded with a delighted expression and turned to look at me.
“Might you be Miss Eve?”
“…Yes, I am.”
“Ah, I’m not sure if you remember me. You once brought our lost daughter back home…”
Ah, not again.
I waved my hand dismissively, but the Waiter interpreted it differently and broke into a wide smile.
“You always wave your hand like that, as if it’s nothing. Yet everyone is grateful to you.”
What is he talking about?
I lowered my hand awkwardly, somewhat flustered.
It must be because the veil is hiding my expression.
“When I mentioned that Miss Eve had visited, the Chef was overjoyed. I hear you once found a ring that the Chef’s Son had lost—a family heirloom from his mother?”
…Who is that?
“He wanted to greet you in person, but worried it might be burdensome, so he prepared this small service instead. I hope you enjoy your meal in comfort until the very end.”
“No, you really didn’t have to go this far…”
“And he asked me to send his regards to Your Highness.”
As the Waiter bowed, Rakiel raised one hand.
“Thank you as well. Please tell him I’m always grateful for the delicious food.”
“Yes.”
After the Waiter withdrew, I stared down at the madeleine before me with a bewildered expression.
The fragrant madeleine looked quite appetizing, and at a glance, you could see it had been baked with great care.
“There’s no one as taciturn as this restaurant’s Chef… It’s surprising.”
“…I didn’t intend for any of this.”
“Always rushing about so busily, and yet everyone recognizes you. That’s quite remarkable.”
My thoughts exactly.
“It must be the atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere?”
He asked with wide eyes.
He leaned his elbows lightly on the table and continued speaking, his lips curved in a soft smile.
“No matter how much you hide your face, there are things that can’t be concealed. The way you speak, for instance.”
So there was no way around it after all?
If it were before and after a disguise, it would be different, but maintaining the same disguise continuously meant that even a perception-lowering effect had its limits.
Especially with someone like Rakiel, whom I met frequently and had long conversations with.
‘I need to find a way to strengthen this title soon.’
With such a weak effect, I might be exposed. Of course, hiding my ‘true identity’ itself seems quite successful so far…
‘At this rate, rumors will spread throughout the entire Capital City.’
If it’s ever revealed that all of this was done by Evelyn Rosenthal, I can’t imagine what kind of backlash I’d face.
‘Well, as long as I’m not exposed…’
Anyway, Eve was just an alias, and I’d never take off the hood, so it was easier to think of Eve and Evelyn as completely different people.
“Well, but.”
As I swallowed hard while looking at Madeline, Rakiel gazed at me with curiosity in his eyes.
“If you knew I was Prince Rakiel… shouldn’t something change between us?”
“What… do you mean by that?”
Unable to understand, I narrowed my eyes and asked.
Then Rakiel raised one eyebrow slightly before laughing in a deflated manner.
“What do you mean by that….”
“What’s with that expression? Does something change just because you’re a prince?”
I hadn’t done anything disrespectful.
Well, I did ram my head into his chin… but let’s skip over that for now.
“What?”
At my words, Rakiel looked at me for a moment, then chuckled.
Then he burst into laughter, laughing so freely that tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.
I stared at him blankly.
I hadn’t even made a joke, yet he was laughing like this? He seemed to be someone who laughed quite easily.
No, before that, could you really laugh like this in front of someone?
After a long while, he finally calmed down and spoke in a tone still tinged with laughter, still chuckling.
“Just as expected. You’re right. Nothing changes. Even if I’m a prince.”
“Why? You weren’t hoping I’d be surprised or suddenly start treating you with more respect, were you?”
“Of course not.”
Rakiel spoke while still holding back laughter.
“…You’re the second person whose attitude hasn’t changed even after learning I’m a prince.”
“The second person?”
Hmm, that’s fewer than I expected.
As someone with a modern person’s memories, princes, nobles, and commoners were all just people to me. And changing this mindset wasn’t easy no matter how many times I repeated my life.
‘For me, it’s actually strange when someone’s attitude suddenly changes.’
But people born and raised here would be different… so it can’t be helped.
“Yeah, I have an old friend like that.”
Rakiel stopped mid-sentence and suddenly closed his mouth.
I looked at him with a questioning expression, but I didn’t particularly ask.
So he has a friend of different status.
‘But more than that… it’s this.’
I swallowed hard while looking at Madeline in front of me.
I need to eat it before it gets cold.

After a satisfying meal, I reached into my pocket to retrieve my coin purse.
“…What are you doing?”
“Pardon? I need to pay. Surely you’re not thinking of dine-and-dashing, Your Highness?”
Finding something amusing, Rakiel chuckled softly again.
“Ah, you’re truly entertaining.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Not at all.”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“I’m always sincere.”
I turned away with a huff, and just as I pulled out the coin purse in my hand, he pushed it back in.
“…?”
“I told you earlier—I reserved this place. Payment has already been settled, so you don’t need to pay.”
“What? But you asked me to buy you a meal. What is this….”
Foolishness?
Had I known I wouldn’t need to pay for the meal, I wouldn’t have come. There’s so much else I need to be doing!
“Did you really think I would sincerely ask you to buy me a meal at this restaurant? No matter how thoughtless I am, I wouldn’t do something so foolish.”
“But—”
“How could I, a prince, ask someone I dined with to pay? And a maid at that.”
“….”
I stood there, dumbfounded, my mouth agape.
“Consider it payment for the pleasant conversation. When I’m with you, my mind clears of all trivial thoughts.”
“…Are you serious?”
“I’m always sincere, I told you.”
I studied his shamelessly earnest face, but not a trace of falsehood appeared in it.
‘Well, then I’m the one who loses out.’
Did he think I had no money? Was he doing this because I’d given him two of my silver coins last time?
My mind grew complicated, but I soon brushed it aside. There was no point dwelling on it.
My mind was cluttered, but I soon cleared it. There was no point in worrying about it anyway.

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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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