The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 59

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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 59

Noticing that my condition had improved considerably, Genie hastily began preparing me for the meeting.
With limited time, she didn’t do anything elaborate, but at least I was presentable enough to maintain proper decorum.
“The Grand Duke is in the drawing room. He seemed quite pleased to see the Duke again after such a long time.”
…Cashen?
That’s completely unexpected.
That ice-cold Cashen actually appearing pleased? I’d sooner believe Ludwig had repented for his wrongs.
But the moment I stood before the drawing room door, my body stiffened at the sound of voices drifting from within.
“…Indeed. That swordsmanship certainly….”
“…sir! As expected of the Grand Duke…so I…tried it, and it proved quite useful….”
“Quite so….”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
‘Ah, Killian, you simple fool.’
Did he not realize that Cashen sided with the Crown Prince?
His naïveté was an advantage in some respects, but it certainly didn’t help matters politically.
‘He’d be perfectly suited to managing some remote estate.’
Though it seems Ludwig Bernhardt has been having troubles because of it.
As I exhaled a sigh, I finally raised my hand and knocked on the door. When a response came from within, I slowly opened it.
Those emotionless eyes I had seen just moments ago turned toward me.
“…Your Grace, it’s an honor to see you again.”
I maintained my composure, gathered my skirts, and bowed slightly at the waist.
The moment our eyes met—his deep green gaze and mine—my body trembled involuntarily, but I barely managed to suppress it.
Indeed, facing the one who had directly killed me in my past life was difficult. He was certainly different from Ludwig, who had primarily relied on others’ hands.
“Evelyn, I’ve heard about your condition. Are you feeling better?”
“Thanks to your concern, I’m much improved.”
A few pleasantries were exchanged, nothing more than surface courtesy.
Yet beneath those words flowed an intense exchange of intentions. His eyes swept across my state, while I read the currents within the drawing room.
‘The Duke isn’t here.’
Instead, that foolish Killian was sitting there grinning widely, savoring his tea. Normally, Ludwig Bernhardt would be positioned at his side for protection, but he had gone to the palace and hadn’t yet returned.
Of course, since Killian held the rank of Duke, he wouldn’t be so foolish as to be caught off guard. What I needed to watch for was Cashen’s inscrutable demeanor.
‘No, in a way, this is an opportunity.’
Hadn’t I been trying to bring Cashen over to my side from the beginning?
The method to separate him from the Crown Prince was simple.
First, I would prove that I am absolutely not an ‘evil person.’ And second, I would shatter his belief that the Crown Prince could realize his ideals.
After all, wasn’t it precisely her flawless character that made him fall for the original work’s heroine, the Saint?
Though I had aligned myself with Ludwig under the singular conviction that I must save her, once I earned his trust, it wouldn’t be difficult to pry her away from him.
‘Of course, it’s not as though I failed all this time without knowing that, but this time will be different.’
Because now I possess ‘autonomous action.’
The moment I completed my assessment of the situation and stepped deeper into the room.

[Warning!]
[Warning!]
[Cashen Lufenbayne suspects your true nature.]
[If Cashen Lufenbayne’s suspicion reaches a certain threshold, extreme actions may occur.]
[Suspicion Level: 84%]

“…!”
What? What does that even mean?!
I hastily withdrew the foot I’d stepped forward, knowing full well that wasn’t the cause—it was simply a reflexive action born of panic.
Because of that, Cashen’s eyes narrowed slightly.

[Suspicion Level: 84… 86%]

All color drained from my face.
‘Wait, let me at least assess the situation…!’
Already in the eighties—was this why?
Was this the reason I could never grow close to Cashen all this time?
‘No, then why didn’t this appear when we encountered each other in the garden before….’
Upon realizing the reason, I drew a shallow breath.
‘He’s taken an interest in me…!’
He must be perplexed by how I still unconsciously feared him despite his newfound interest. Now that his attention was upon me, he would overlook nothing.
Cashen’s gaze, as though piercing through to one’s very essence, scrutinized my every movement.
I bit my lip gently, suppressing the urge to scream.

[Warning!]
[Suspicion Level: 86… 87… 89%]

This is insane—are you joking?
This difficulty is absolutely brutal!
My suspicion meter rises just from biting my lip once? If this were an actual game, the support inbox would’ve exploded from user complaints.
If I’d known it would come to this, I should’ve just stayed in my room. I would’ve locked myself away and never crossed paths with Cashen.
At this point, merely encountering him is a disaster!
“….”
All I could do in this situation was try my absolute best to convince him that I was absolutely not a ‘villain’.
My actions from here on would determine whether I survived this cycle or not. One wrong move and his blade would come flying at me in an instant.
I’d always told myself this would be the last time, but now that the end was staring me in the face, every muscle in my body tensed.
‘Damn it, what do I do? The suspicion meter is at 89%—what am I supposed to do? I’ve already lost my chances….’
My head spun and nausea rose in my throat. The days I’d endured across ninety-nine previous cycles flashed before my eyes, and despair bloomed within me.
Frustration, emptiness, bleakness… As complete failure drew closer, the mental fortitude that had sustained me began to crumble.
Even simply entering the drawing room naturally right now….
“Evelyn?”
“…!”
A familiar voice pierced my ears.
Killian was looking back at me.
“Come in. Why are you standing blankly at the door?”
“…Brother.”
The tension drained from my entire body, and my vision cleared.
Only then did Killian’s face come into focus.
His face bore a striking resemblance to Ludwig Bernhardt’s, and though he appeared quite stern, his expression carried a look of concern….
‘…Concern?’
No, I must have been mistaken.
He was alternating his gaze between Cashen and me with bewilderment.
“Are you still unwell? If so, you needn’t have come out. Isn’t that right, Your Highness?”
At Killian’s request for agreement, Cashen turned to him slowly, then gave a vague nod.
“It seems I’ve become a bother while you were resting, Evelyn.”
His unfamiliar gaze turned toward me. I met his eyes directly while slowly parting my lips.
“…That is not the case, Your Highness. How could I fail to greet you when you’ve honored us with a visit?”
As I answered calmly, he let it pass without further comment.
‘Ah….’
I’d been foolishly tense. I should have just acted as I normally did, but because I was afraid of Cashen, I’d thought I needed to do something special.
After exhaling a tense breath, I approached the drawing room table and glanced at the suspicion meter.

[Suspicion Meter: 87%]

In that span, it dropped by 2%.
‘The metric seems quite sensitive.’
That meant once suspicion took root, it would spiral uncontrollably, yet the number could plummet just as swiftly.
‘Get a grip. Just don’t do anything that draws serious suspicion.’
As long as I behaved like my usual self, I was halfway there.
Soon the maids set down my teacup with a soft clink. Though I hadn’t eaten all day and my appetite had vanished from the cold, more than anything, I feared that taking even a bite in this situation would cause trouble.
Steadying myself, I took a sip of the warm tea before speaking.
“I had no idea you would visit me, Your Grace.”
“Ah, returning to the Capital City after so long reminded me of you. We were quite close at the Academy back then.”
He answered with perfect composure.
Killian, seated beside him, wore a subtle smile.
“It’s been quite a long time. I still remember those days when we’d spar together in that corner of the training grounds, haha.”
I shot him a glare at his hollow laughter, then steered the conversation toward a new topic instead of letting them continue their exchange.
“Speaking of which, have you come to stay in the Capital City permanently? I heard you didn’t particularly care for such a complicated city.”
He usually spent most of his time in his Estate.
My question carried a dual meaning—not only asking why he’d come to the Capital City, but also whether he intended to seriously enter the political arena.
As I spoke, I glanced at the metric, but seeing it unmoved, it seemed that unless something directly influenced the judgment of ‘good and evil,’ it remained unaffected.
‘It must be because I showed too much panic earlier.’
Especially after I’d already been suspected of fearing him before.
Cashen answered my question without hesitation.
“The Crown Prince summoned me. It seems His Highness has need of me.”
“I see…”
I hadn’t expected such a direct answer.
I narrowed my eyes.
So what exactly was he plotting? If he was going to be so transparent about his intentions, why come here at all?

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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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