The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 34

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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 34

Yet Rakiel hardly seemed pleased, his expression far from bright.
“What I’ve done is too trivial to speak of. I haven’t even reached those who truly need help.”
Since the war’s end, he had regarded the plight of the poor with considerable gravity.
Disabled veterans and their families, those who had lost their homes to war.
He had even used the budget allocated to the Second Prince Faction to aid refugees, yet it remained insufficient to overcome the crisis itself.
“If you dismiss this as a small matter, then no great deed exists in this nation. That no more poor have emerged is entirely thanks to Your Highness’s virtue.”
“…Even so, this rumor doesn’t become something I’ve actually done.”
“True, but I merely suggest there’s no need to deny it.”
Hagen continued with a stern expression.
“Then shall we return to the Capital City?”
He had come down both to trace the source of the rumor and, as always, to inspect the refugee villages near the Border.
If this was indeed the Duke’s doing as they suspected, he could simply visit and ask directly.
But Rakiel shook his head.
“Returning to the Capital City would be fine, but… if the Duke had done this, there’s no reason he wouldn’t have informed me beforehand.”
“That’s true.”
“But what troubles me is that it began from the Rosenthal Estate, not the Capital City.”
“Then….”
Rakiel turned his gaze toward the window.
People were lined up long for today’s distribution. Observing that sight, Rakiel continued.
“We’ll go to the Rosenthal Estate. I need to meet the Young Duke and the Young Duchess there.”

* * *

More than two weeks had passed since I arrived at the Estate.
During that time, a bomb had detonated within Rosenthal Estate.
Specifically, Killian had declared that he would personally verify every single task he had been handling, from start to finish.
‘I knew he was shocked, but I never expected him to go this far….’
Thanks to that, it seemed complete chaos had erupted among everyone involved in matters concerning our House.
I closed my eyes and offered them a moment of silent prayer.
“Miss, Miss!”
Just then, Genie knocked urgently on the door.
“Come in.”
What could it be this time?
I hadn’t realized it before, but Genie was far more excitable than I’d thought. In the previous iterations, she was nothing more than an extra I barely remembered.
Well, she might have submitted her resignation long ago, exhausted by Evelyn’s antics.
Genie opened the door and entered, exhaling excitedly.
“Have you heard? Voices praising His Highness the Second Prince are endless throughout the entire Empire!”
“Ah, yes.”
I let out a dismissive snort.
“So what?”
“My goodness, he’s your fiancé!”
“Fiancé? We haven’t even made an official announcement yet.”
…or so I said, but truthfully, my insides were burning with anxiety.
The Duke didn’t seem inclined to announce the engagement! Moreover, being far from the Capital at the Estate, I had no idea what he was thinking.
‘Did I provoke him too much? Is that why the Duke was shocked and took to his bed?’
I chewed my lips, trying to hide my unease.
But Genie, who lacked even a shred of perceptiveness, continued chattering away merrily.
“His Highness the Second Prince must have tremendous love for his people. They say he personally tours the villages near the Border to inspect them.”
“Ah, I see.”
“There are rumors that when His Highness touched a crippled man’s leg, it was healed as if washed clean, and when people drank the water he offered, their entire bodies became invigorated and full of strength. They even say that flowers bloomed wherever he walked, healing people’s hearts.”
“That’s…, what? That’s not quite right, is it?”
What kind of absurd rumors were spreading?
People were free to imagine whatever they wanted, but the problem was that the source of those rumors was me.
‘This Mister, I told him to just spread rumors moderately, but how much MSG did he add….’
I furrowed my brow, recalling the bearded man I’d met two weeks ago.

* * *

“Are you referring to the rumors about Prince Rakiel?”
I nodded.
“Exactly. From now on, everything I’ve asked for has been Prince Rakiel’s doing.”
“Hmm, are you serious?”
The middle-aged man sitting across from me stroked his beard. He had the appearance of a bandit, yet surprisingly, this man was the owner of quite a large Guild.
I touched my hood and regarded him sharply.
‘This certainly won’t be easy.’
For a Guild, there was nothing to gain from supply support besides reputation. Of course, I would provide the funds, but it was undeniably not an enticing proposal.
‘But ultimately, victory will be mine.’
I had the immense capital of House of Rosenthal behind me, and beyond that, I possessed one final trump card.
“Don’t worry. Everything I’ve said will come to pass without fail.”
I smiled wickedly as I spoke.
What I handed him was a list of Crown Prince Faction nobles. He took the paper and examined its contents with a grave expression.
“It’s a list of noble families that will collapse within the next year. Sever all dealings with them. Instead, establish connections with the Second Prince Faction nobles.”
But he frowned and muttered.
“Listen here, this isn’t a matter that can be brushed aside so easily.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s true that a Guild of this size often maintains political connections, but are you asking me to stake everything on Prince Rakiel? My Guild, which I’ve built with my own hands?”
He let out a hollow laugh.
“What could possibly make me believe that? The Crown Prince is watching with wide eyes, and you speak of Prince Rakiel? You’re practically telling me to go bankrupt.”
“The throne will belong to Prince Rakiel.”
“Ha, really….”
At my repeated words, he went limp and slouched in his chair. He seemed to have a headache.
But I merely shrugged my shoulders.
“I’ve given you a choice, so the decision is entirely yours. But I hope you understand one thing.”
“What is that?”
“Sometimes a massive wave approaches, yet some people remain completely unaware. But when you do notice it, whether you ride atop it or flee—that choice belongs to you alone.”
“….”
“And if you fail to seize that moment’s opportunity, perhaps you should relinquish your position as Guild Master.”
A brief silence fell between us.
Clink.
The sound of setting down the teacup seemed unusually loud.
A Guild Master surely knew quite a lot. He must have already suspected to some degree that the Crown Prince had many unsavory aspects.
Ultimately, whether he enjoyed taking risks would determine the outcome of this matter.
After staring at the paper for a long while, the Guild Master exhaled a long sigh and slowly opened his mouth.
“My reason is screaming that this is absolutely impossible….”
“But?”
He looked directly at me.
“…Strangely enough, I smell something. The scent that I cannot refuse your proposal.”
“Is that your judgment as a Guild Master?”
“I am a merchant. No matter how much my value has increased, I am ultimately a man who moves according to profit. And such a man as myself finds himself drawn to you, Miss.”
“Ugh, I’m really not interested in you, Mister…”
At my grimace, he flushed and stammered over his words.
“N-no, that’s not what I meant…! Ugh, what I mean is there’s the scent of money coming from your direction!”
“Ah, now that is what I call a ‘merchant’s instinct.'”
Just as a Knight who has rolled through countless battlefields can detect even the faintest killing intent, this Guild Master had now discovered the direction in which capital needed to flow.
And what course of action was optimal in this situation.
He truly lived up to his reputation as the master of a Guild that had grown so dramatically in recent years. Without such exceptional talent, there was no way he could have expanded his operations so rapidly.
‘Of course, that’s precisely why I sought him out in the first place.’
There were far larger Guilds, and people who appeared far more capable, but what I had observed in him was solely his ‘audacity.’
How much he could invest, how much risk he could bear.
‘Without such qualities, who else would help me?’
In the end, this negotiation had been decided the moment I came here having already understood his nature.
“So? What will you do?”
“…Very well.”
He extended his hand.
“I shall cooperate!”
“A wise decision.”
I curved my lips upward and clasped his hand.

* * *

…And so I arrived at the present situation.
I not only secured my own allowance but also manipulated Killian into investing the House’s funds into relief efforts.
Persuading him was far easier than negotiating with the Guild Master.
Simply dropping documents about the relief project in front of him was sufficient.
Perhaps he already harbored some guilt, for the moment Killian saw the papers, he allocated the budget.
‘He’s quite soft-hearted after all…’
He had a subtle weakness when it came to matters of conscience.
In any case, regardless of how the Guild Master spread the rumors, I occasionally heard whispers not just about the Second Prince Faction, but also about House of Rosenthal.
The fact that they had mistaken me for a Maid of the House seemed to play a role in this.
In the corner of my vision, the Quest progress bar glimmered.

[Progress – 64%]

For a result achieved in just two weeks, it was remarkably swift progress. Perhaps my decision to contact other guilds besides that one had proven beneficial after all.
“…So apparently, a tremendous number of people have become eager to come to the Rosenthal Estate. Whether we accept them or not will be your decision, Young Duke.”
Genie chattered away cheerfully as she combed through my hair.
Since chattering was her specialty, this time was perfect for extracting information from her.
The moment she reached her hand toward the front of my hair, I caught a glimpse of violet-hued skin peeking through the gap in Genie’s rolled-up sleeve.
“…Hmm?”
Had I seen it wrong?
I furrowed my brow and reached toward Genie’s wrist.
Genie startled in alarm and quickly withdrew her hand. Then she hastily pulled down her sleeve to cover her wrist.
“Why, why are you…?”

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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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