The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 26

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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 26

I stared down at the letter and let out a hollow laugh.
To summarize the contents of the letter roughly, it felt like this.
The past was merely an unfortunate misunderstanding, and if I returned, he was willing to accept me again….
Crinkle.
Without thinking, I crumpled the paper, then startled and smoothed it back out.
“Goodness, you scared me. I almost tore it to shreds because it was so ridiculous.”
No matter how insane one might be, there were limits—how dare he spout such nonsense.
But what was infuriating was that if I were truly Evelyn, I would have gladly returned to him.
“…His impure intentions are so obvious. Painfully, seriously obvious.”
Unless someone had lost their mind entirely, no one would believe this letter contained genuine sentiment.
But Ludwig needed an idiot he could manipulate to his liking, and that idiot was none other than Evelyn Rosenthal herself.
‘He certainly knows how to scheme.’
With all the spies he had planted now exposed, he seemed to understand precisely what role Evelyn could still play for him.
Suppressing the urge to crumple the letter immediately and throw it in the trash, I carefully placed it back in the envelope.
Then I picked up the box.
‘I wonder what’s inside this.’
As I slowly opened the lid, a magnificent necklace revealed itself within.
A necklace adorned with emeralds and diamonds. At first glance, it was an extraordinarily expensive piece.
‘…Is he trying to bribe me with this?’
I picked up the necklace and held it to the light. Countless gems sparkled brilliantly.
It was a necklace that perfectly targeted Evelyn’s taste—one that valued flashiness above all else.
“Well… it is pretty.”
But that’s all it is. Beauty that’s merely superficial.
Then a familiar sound effect rang out.
Ding!

[Please select one of the following options.
1. Accept the necklace.
2. Return the necklace.]

…So there’s actually a choice to refuse the necklace?
I narrowed my eyes and examined the system window.
“What? Now it’s allowing that much?”
I’d assumed there would only be options leading to the Crown Prince, no matter how much I acted….
It seemed my range of actions had expanded considerably thanks to the freedom stat I’d been diligently accumulating recently.
I was about to casually select option 2 in admiration when I paused.
‘…Wait.’
Sensing something odd, I read the choices again.
“…There are no brackets.”
There were no brackets explaining or specifying my actions. Just short single-line sentences listed out.
Accept it, or send it back. And what I do next… means it’s entirely up to me.
“Can I really think of it that way?”
The system window didn’t answer my question, just kept the choice window floating idly.
It was a silent affirmation.
The moment I confirmed that response, I placed my hand on option 1.
“If I can’t have it, so be it!”
I grinned wickedly and carefully placed the necklace back in its box.
Then I rummaged through a drawer and pulled out an elegant piece of stationery.
‘Well then, shall I write a letter befitting Evelyn?’
I picked up a quill pen, thought for a moment, then began writing with a curl of my lips.

「…The moment I saw the necklace, I was reminded of those deep and beautiful jade-green eyes of yours. You are my everything. I cannot even draw breath without Your Highness…」

“Perfect, absolutely perfect.”
I had mobilized every saccharine word I knew to compose this letter.
Imagining Ludwig’s reaction when he read it—the way he would shudder—filled me with inexplicable satisfaction. He had always despised Evelyn’s romantic proclamations with a passion.
Or perhaps he simply despised Evelyn herself.
I smiled wickedly and waved the paper to dry the ink.
Once it was completely dry, I placed it in an envelope and sealed it with wax. After pressing the House of Rosenthal’s crest and pulling the bell cord, Genie entered moments later.
“You called for me?”
“Send this letter to the Imperial Palace. Make sure it reaches the Crown Prince directly.”
“…Pardon?”
Genie stared down at the letter with an astonished expression.
“My lady, are you serious?”
“What else would I be?”
“But my lady, you and Prince Rakiel—!”
“Silence!”
Genie gasped in shock.
It was the most startled I’d seen her in recent memory. Especially since lately she’d been regarding me with such stone-cold indifference that I thought nothing could frighten her anymore.
Caught off guard by her reaction, I stumbled over my words.
“Did you think I would accept an engagement?! Prince Rakiel?! That dark, drab hair of his makes me absolutely sick!”
“But—”
“Silence! The Crown Prince still loves me. Can’t you see this necklace?!”
I irritably pulled the necklace from the box. When Genie spotted the glittering cluster of jewels, her mouth fell silent.
She was looking at me with pitying eyes.
My eyebrow twitched, but instead of lashing out, I turned my head away sharply.
“You should simply do as I command. Why must you contradict me at every turn?”
“…Understood. Yes, my lady.”
Genie’s expression soon grew dejected as she took the letter from me.
In any case, this card—pretending to follow Ludwig—would prove useful someday. After all, I had already explained things to Rakiel in much the same way.
I was becoming a sort of double agent.
I smiled with satisfaction and carefully tucked the necklace back into the depths of my drawer.

* * *

Rip, tear!
A single sheet of paper was shredded pathetically, scattering through the spacious room.
The man with golden hair that gleamed like sunlight had gone deathly pale, as though he had witnessed something unspeakable.
He even gagged repeatedly, as if nausea were rising in his throat.
“Damn it…”
His hands trembled as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and scrubbed his hands frantically. As if by doing so, those saccharine words wouldn’t somehow contaminate his very skin.
Then one sentence that had escaped shredding fell at his feet.

“…Every night, she falls asleep calling out Your Highness’s name…”

…Should I change my name?
For a moment, Ludwig seriously considered it.
But he quickly realized how foolish the thought was and shook his head.
What nonsense was he thinking? The Imperial Crown Prince couldn’t simply change his name just because he found it unbearable to be called by it.
He trampled the scraps of paper at his feet with a cold expression, crushing and wrinkling them beneath his shoe.
“…Ha, fine. It was something I’d have to endure eventually anyway.”
This foolish woman remained utterly infatuated with him, having even forgotten that her own house had been betrayed.
“Well, I didn’t expect all the pieces I planted to be exposed so quickly…”
Those incompetent fools.
How exactly did they manage to get caught so easily, leaving a trail of evidence?
This is why subordinates cannot be trusted. No matter how carefully you cultivate them, they fall apart in an instant.
Moreover, Ludwig Bernhardt discovering this so quickly was something he hadn’t anticipated.
‘How on earth did he figure it out?’
It was clear that Jonas, that fool, had broken under torture and revealed everything.
In the end, he had no choice. He had to extend his hand to Evelyn once more.
Though his entire body recoiled and his limbs shriveled at the thought, there was no more certain method.
With just a little coaxing, she would come wagging her tail like the obvious woman she was.
“Stupid woman.”
Even if she regretted it later, it would be too late. By then, she would have already driven her own house to ruin.
Since things had come to this, he would use her until she was no longer of any value.
“You called for me, Your Highness the Crown Prince?”
Just then, a voice came from outside. The chamberlain entered the room in response to his summons.
Ludwig, who had been facing away, walked toward his desk, treading on the scattered scraps of paper.
“How is Mother these days?”
The chamberlain bowed deeply before answering him.
“She remains unchanged, Your Highness.”
“The old woman certainly has a long life. I thought she’d be dead soon.”
Crude words spilled from Ludwig’s lips. However, the chamberlain, accustomed to such speech, showed no particular reaction.
Rather, he bowed even more deeply, as if in agreement.
“The physician says there is not much time left. At most, he says it will be by the end of this year…”
“Too slow.”
He turned around and leaned against his desk.
His face was deeply furrowed.
“My dear younger brother seems to be making his move. It appears he’s actually thinking of going against me—how surprising.”
“…You mean Prince Rakiel, Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
He rubbed his fingertips together, muttering.
“It seems he made contact with Ludwig Bernhardt yesterday. Find out what they discussed.”
“…Understood.”
“Ah, and in response to her letter, select an appropriate gift and have it sent to the young lady of House Rosenthal. There’s no harm in being thoughtful.”
“Yes.”
The chamberlain bowed deeply and retreated from the room with measured steps.
Left alone, Ludwig gazed out the window with a cold smile, his green eyes gleaming with an icy chill.

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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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