The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 29

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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 29

I turned my gaze away from the four Knights struggling to extract the carriage from the mud. I simply couldn’t bear to watch.
Maren, who led the group of four Knights, was exactly as I’d expected—a rather innocent-looking country youth of a Knight. Despite his sturdy frame befitting a Knight, his round eyes and downturned eye corners gave him a gentle impression.
‘I thought that was the extent of it…’
It started thirty minutes into our departure when we had to turn back after loading the luggage incorrectly.
I didn’t think much of it then. People are naturally prone to mistakes, after all.
But when he later read the map upside down and led us in the opposite direction, and then after lunch placed the lunch box on the carriage roof before departing, causing a disaster, I began to sense something was amiss.
And now, Maren had confidently led the carriage down a shortcut he claimed to know, only to get us stuck in the mud.
‘A shortcut, my foot…’
I pressed my forehead and sighed.
“M-My Lady! I’m so sorry! I’ll get us out right away!”
He cried out, sweating profusely. I responded with all my energy drained.
“…Just take your time. It doesn’t look like we’ll arrive today anyway.”
“My Lady…!”
His expression grew tender-nosed as he soon gazed at me with sparkling eyes.
I couldn’t understand why.
“No! I absolutely must get us there today…!”
Splash!
Maren’s foot slipped in the mud and he tumbled forward.
“…”
I turned my head away.
Just ignore it. Simply ignore it…
“Oh my! Lord Maren, are you alright?”
I heard Genie’s voice from beside me as she rushed over in alarm. She was my personal Maid, accompanying me to the Estate.
I stroked my chin as I watched Genie pull Maren out, even dirtying her own skirts in the process.
‘No wonder the Duke showed such an oversensitive reaction.’
On the day I had secretly entered and exited the Dungeon, he seemed angrier than expected. It was certain that Lord Maren lacked any semblance of gravity in his usual demeanor.
‘…Wait, so if Maren handles the escort at the Estate, it might actually be quite convenient?’
It would be easy to shake off such a scatterbrained Knight, which would make my movements far easier.
Of course! I intended to compensate him properly. Even if I’m like this, I make sure to reward people when I do.
‘For now, regarding last time, I’ll give him a bonus as compensation for this escort…’
I gazed at Maren with sparkling eyes.
Flinch!
Maren suddenly lifted his head, looked around, and wiped the back of his neck.

* * *

“I’ve heard the story, Evelyn.”
It was Killian who came to greet me in front of the Ducal Palace.
I hadn’t expected to see this face again so soon after parting ways just recently.
With his blunt expression so resembling Ludwig Bernhardt’s, I found myself confused about whether I was in the Capital City or on the Estate.
“Father must be quite angry.”
“…Do you truly believe that as well, brother? That I was in the wrong?”
“Then you’re saying you weren’t?”
“Yes, I’m innocent! If there’s any fault, it’s only that I voiced my grievances to Father. And now, thinking about being stuck in this countryside, I’m already feeling melancholy.”
“Countryside, you say…”
Killian let out an exasperated laugh.
“This is quite a substantial Estate, you know. I’ve put considerable effort into it.”
“Still, it can’t compare to the social circles of the Capital City!”
“What are you talking about? Not long ago, the renowned Count Stark visited with his close friends.”
“That was probably just a courtesy visit since he’s acquainted with you, brother. Anyway, please take this. I couldn’t rest properly the entire carriage ride here.”
I yawned and handed the small bag I’d been holding to Killian. He grimaced as he accepted it, then passed it to a servant beside him.
Then he spoke with irritation.
“Evelyn, please—”
But at that moment, I cut off his words and tossed my hair back.
“Rather than that, I need to take a nap all day today. Or perhaps indulge in some overly sweet desserts. Surely there’s a pastry Chef here?”
“There is, but that’s not the issue—”
I cut off Killian’s words again and began walking forward.
“So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t seek me out today. Not at all. Do you understand?”
“…Evelyn!”
An angry shout came from behind, but I ignored it and moved ahead.
My nerves were already on edge from receiving such hostile gazes for the first time in a while.
I’d forgotten, but here I was still ‘Evelyn.’
That villainess from before I possessed this body—Evelyn Rosenthal herself.
‘Ugh, my head aches.’
I wanted to clutch my throbbing temples, but aware of the surrounding gazes, I forced myself to maintain an aloof expression as I headed toward my room.
If it was Evelyn’s room, I could find it with my eyes closed.
Behind me, Genie was organizing my luggage with the help of other Maids, which allowed me to enter the room alone.
Click.
As the door closed, I sank down right there.
‘Damn it…’
After some time had passed, I felt the sharp senses and tension that had built up gradually subsiding in the silence.
Only then did I press my forehead and let out a long sigh.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way.’
It felt as though I had returned to a time before I gained my freedom.
‘…How disgusting.’
The eyes of the manor’s servants watching me, their whispered voices, and gestures that were never favorable toward me.
Whenever I faced those cold and indifferent expressions, I found myself momentarily confused about whether that gaze was directed at me or at ‘that Evelyn’.
All of them were familiar yet never truly familiar. I thought that once I had a goal, the peripheral gazes of others wouldn’t matter, but it seemed I had unconsciously grown accustomed to the withdrawn attention of those around me in this cycle.
The hostility toward Evelyn within the estate was even more severe. Most of the misdeeds that still circulated and earned her the title of villainess had occurred here, so it was only natural.
That’s why in the previous cycle, I had tried my best not to return to the estate.
After calming myself for a moment, I suddenly sprang up from my seat.
“…Still, since I’m here, I might as well try to lift my spirits.”
I retrieved a robe from the only bag I had brought with me directly.
I had told Genie to bring my luggage into the room in the evening. Unless something special happened, not a single soul would set foot in this place.
‘After all, Evelyn is an outcast here.’
I wrapped the robe around myself with a bitter smile.
….
….
“Gasp, there’s one here too! And there!”
Once outside, I began collecting Quests with flushed eyes.
A goldmine, a goldmine!
The gloomy mood from just moments ago had long since vanished from my mind.
What did being an outcast matter? With so much work available, being alone was actually convenient!
I actually preferred it.
I even whistled as I quickly reviewed the list of Quests I had cleared.
As expected, because there were farmlands, most of the Quests were agriculture-related. Helping with field work that lacked hands, gathering medicinal herbs, or caring for farmers’ children.
It was amusing. These weren’t even region-specific Quests.
While helping with farming was difficult time-wise, I could still complete several in a short period.
That was when it happened.
Ding!

[Congratulations! 【Freedom】 has reached Lv.4!]

Eagerly, I waited for the system window that should appear next.
“…?”
What? Why isn’t anything showing?
The system window fell silent after announcing that I had achieved level 4.
“…Could it be that level 4 has no achievement reward?”

[By achieving Lv.4 in the 【Freedom】 stat, the ON/OFF function of ｢Conditional Branching Choices｣ is now permitted.]
[You are now allowed a much broader range of actions.]

“You certainly know how to talk….”
In other words, I was being told to read the system’s mood.
Either turn off the choice function and behave tactfully on my own, or keep it on and choose the most stable route even if there were some limitations.
“….”
After a moment of deliberation, I switched the choice function to OFF.
After all, life is something you walk alone!
“Sister!”
“…?”
When I turned around, a Shepherd Boy was waving his hand at me. I had just recovered a sheep that had escaped from the pen.
“Thank you!”
“….”
Instead of answering, I wiggled my fingers in response.
The boy then gave me a thumbs up. His buck teeth gleamed as he grinned widely.
‘…Hmm.’
I scratched my head and turned away again.
In just this short time, I had helped sort scented candles at the herb farm, flipped over mats for grain drying, recovered a lost sheep, and rewritten the faded text on an old farm signpost.
I wiped my now-dirty hands on my robe.
“I really do need to move to a new area when quests run out.”
A satisfied smile crossed my lips.
The quest waiting window was still completely full.
With a sense of accomplishment, I turned my steps toward the Ducal Palace. However, that feeling was bound to plummet the moment I returned to being Evelyn.

* * *

The next day.
‘I need to start relief efforts from within the Estate first.’
I had learned yesterday when I went out, but the damage from the war was more serious than I had thought. It was something I simply couldn’t ignore.
The Slum was far too large, and there were abandoned Farmlands that had turned into wastelands, along with disabled people visible here and there.
Before, I had been too busy trying to survive alone to notice any of this.
Of course, there were relief projects being conducted by the nation, but their reach didn’t extend to the Estate, which was far from the Capital City.
‘I need to proceed more systematically.’
This wasn’t a problem that could be solved by clearing quests one person at a time.
For now, I would cover it with my allowance, and later I would tell Rakiel….
“…Ugh!”
Without thinking, I took a sip from the teacup I had picked up, then quickly covered my mouth in alarm.
‘Bitter!’
The tea had an unbearably bitter taste. It was the tea the Maid had just brought.
How on earth could tea taste this bitter?!
Ding!

[A clue has been detected by the Player’s 【Observation (B-)】.]
[A different color has been detected in the tea that ‘Evelyn Rosenthal’ favors—herbal tea—compared to usual.]

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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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