The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 76

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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 76

“Ah, you really haven’t changed one bit, older brother.”
Rakiel said, wiping his face.
There was an unmistakable smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Before the war, and even now.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
It was Ludwig whose expression hardened instead.
Confronted with a side of Rakiel he’d never seen before, Ludwig was taken aback. He had never smiled like that in front of him before.
So coldly.
The moment his eyebrows twitched, the smile vanished from Rakiel’s lips.
“I mean your intention to destroy everything that remains by my side.”
“…”
“So what position did you offer Eve? Did you ask her to enter the Imperial Palace? Or did you lend her your name? Or perhaps…”
Rakiel’s voice carried a chill.
“Did you ask her to become the Empire’s Saint?”
“…!”
This time, I couldn’t hide my shock.
The carefully maintained composure on Ludwig’s face crumbled like a broken iron plate, and his lips slowly fell.
“It seems I was right. How do you always manage to stay within my predictions? I’m beginning to find it tedious, frankly.”
“You…”
At the completely transformed demeanor before him, Ludwig stammered as he opened his mouth.
“Let me guess what Eve’s response was.”
He began to ponder seriously, as if solving an actual quiz. Ludwig found his behavior so absurd that his mouth fell open.
‘That tone… it sounds so familiar somehow…’
A calm, measured voice echoed in his mind. It was the voice that had been nagging at his attention throughout their conversation just moments ago.
Though they’d only spoken directly for a few minutes, that manner of speech—constantly crossing the line, maintaining a precarious balance.
“If I may venture a guess, I believe she took quite a unique approach. If there was even a hint of intent to provoke you, older brother…”
Rakiel murmured like a scholar.
Ludwig found it absurd that the two of them seemed to be conspiring to mock him together.
Rakiel, who had been pondering, finally opened his mouth.
“Did she perhaps retch?”
“…”
A long silence stretched out.
Rakiel shrugged his shoulders, while Ludwig’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“…What.”
Ludwig spoke first.
“Unfortunately, that’s how it is.”
“It won’t be easy this time, older brother.”
“…What won’t be.”
“Taking anything from me.”
His eyes, which had grown cold, fixed upon Ludwig. Ludwig suppressed his earlier expression of shock and stared back at those crimson eyes before him.
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m warning you.”
He muttered quietly.
“From now on, I won’t lose anything else. I sincerely hope you’ll watch your back on dark nights.”
Rakiel turned without hesitation, and as he lifted the tent flap, he paused and spoke again.
“And it will probably be pointless anyway.”
“…What?”
He laughed softly.
“You won’t even need to lift a finger.”
With those words, Rakiel disappeared into the tent.
Ludwig stood there for a long while before slowly walking away.
“Ha.”
A hollow laugh escaped him.
When did he grow so much? That child who couldn’t even hide his own emotions, always swayed by my hand.
‘But….’
It was rather intriguing. What expression would this younger brother wear when he finally faced the worst? Would he wear that same expression as before?
A dark shadow followed in his footsteps as he treaded lightly upon the earth.
“You called for me.”
Ludwig murmured without even glancing back.
“Begin.”
“I receive your command.”

* * *

The next day.
Ugh, I feel sick.
Even though Ludwig left yesterday, I still felt awful.
‘Talking like some saint.’
A saint officially recognized by the Royal Court? Who in their right mind would welcome that?
The moment the system window appeared asking if I would accept the proposal, I mashed the reject button and clamped my mouth shut.

—Ugh, just a moment. I feel so nauseous. I think I’m going to be sick.

Whether there was a new route or not hardly mattered to me. All I desired was for Rakiel to become Emperor.
And I couldn’t bear to see Ludwig prosper, regardless of what happened.
Perhaps it was the lingering effect of hearing that ridiculous “Saint” nonsense, but I set out for the Plague Management Center early in the morning, my head still throbbing.
“No, no, no! Don’t do that! Please stop!”
“Hey, block them! We have to block them!”
Strangely, the area around the Management Center’s tents was in chaos.
“These are illegally erected tents! Don’t mind the people—tear them all down!”
“Hold on! Just hold on until the Saint arrives!”
As I approached, my eyes widened in shock.
Before me was a sight I never expected: people stubbornly linking arms to resist, while Imperial Knights attempted to forcibly push them aside.
‘What… what is this…’
This wasn’t some urban redevelopment demolition site—how was I witnessing such a scene here?
‘I… I should probably get out of here.’
That was the moment I hesitated and began backing away.
“The Saint is here!”
“…?!”
I froze in alarm, my hands beginning to tremble as if I’d been caught stealing.
“Saint, please drive away these wicked villains at once!”
“Saint! How dare they touch your tents…!”
W-wicked villains? But those are Imperial Knights! If I said something like that, I might be arrested for treason…
“The ringleader of the rebels!”
One of the Knights shouted. His finger pointed directly at me.
‘If things go like this…’
I frantically waved my hands in denial, desperate to prove my innocence somehow!
“Wait, I’m not—”
But I had no chance to explain.
“Ugh!”
One of the Knights, assuming I would resist, roughly grabbed and yanked me.
“Got her!”
The Knight cried out triumphantly and began restraining me.
“P-please wait! I’ll go! I’ll walk on my own!”
“What? You think I’d believe that now?”
Sure, those people were being somewhat extreme in their resistance! And yes, I was the root cause of this entire situation!
‘But that doesn’t mean you have to do this!’
Before being dragged away, I shouted, desperate to at least understand the reason.
“So why are you doing this?! What is this all about?! Can’t you at least tell me the reason?!”
“Illegal tent installation. We’ll discuss it there.”
“What? There’s a crime like that?”
In this lawless world where all manner of crimes run rampant, there’s a law against illegal tent installation? And tents specifically? Seriously?
I’d never heard of such a thing!
But that was merely the beginning.
As I sat in the Security Office after being dragged there, a woman approached me stealthily. She pulled her hat down low and whispered urgently to me.
“Saint, something’s happened again!”
“Oh no, I’m so sorry! It won’t happen again!”
Already tense, I flinched in surprise and shrank back.
‘…Wait?’
Now that I looked at her, she was the woman who had appointed herself as the president of my fan club.
‘…How did she even get in here?’
While I was bewildered, she continued urgently.
“It’s not just the tent demolition. The relief supplies that came in regularly every day have stopped.”
“The supplies? That can’t be. We’ve been paying properly.”
“I don’t know. On top of that, they say fines have been levied for unlicensed medical treatment and distributing unapproved goods.”
“…!”
The speed at which problems were erupting was somehow…
I recalled Ludwig, who had watched me silently on the day I rejected his proposal. Those serpentine eyes of his as well.
He had laughed and said he understood when I refused, but an uncomfortable feeling lingered because of it.
‘This petty bastard.’
Was he really pressuring me like this just because I rejected his proposal?
It would be easier if he simply killed me, but the reason he chose this troublesome method was obvious.
‘He’s giving me a chance to come back to him.’
He hadn’t given up on me yet.
I could tell from the fact that the window was still open even though I had pressed the ‘reject’ button on yesterday’s hidden route proposal.

[Will you accept Crown Prince Ludwig Bernhardt’s proposal?]
[Y/N]

She’s being so stubborn about it—it’s getting tedious.
I glared at the system window before turning my gaze back to her.
“What happened to the Management Office tent?”
“Well, the Saint went along willingly, so the situation settled down for now. It seems they’re leaving it alone at the moment, but… there are Knights stationed in front of it, so the atmosphere is quite ominous.”
“…I understand. I’ll find a way to resolve this somehow, so please tell everyone not to worry and just go about things as usual?”
“Yes, understood!”
She saluted with a sharp, disciplined expression, then vanished like a ghost the same way she’d entered.
I waited for my turn with a heavy heart.
‘If they ask me to remove this hood, that would be a disaster…’
Identity verification was probably mandatory—a procedure I couldn’t avoid. As I waited anxiously, a Knight approached me.
The fact that a Royal Knight was handling this instead of the regular Guards suggested someone had definitely pulled strings from above.
I’d considered trying to smooth things over with a few friendly Guards, but that seemed impossible now.
“Well then, Saint. Tell me your name first.”
“…I don’t have one.”
“Your name is Evgo.”
He muttered it without me saying anything.
“Your age?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where do you live?”
“I don’t have a place.”
“Ah, you did before?”
“No, I don’t. Just… I don’t.”
As I answered defiantly, he sighed.
“Look, if you’re going to be like this, there’s nothing I can do. Orders came down from above to maintain security properly, especially during this unstable period.”
His excuse was convenient.
If that’s the case, why not just demolish the entire Slum?
I had mountains of things I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth firmly shut. There was nothing to gain from speaking up here.
As I refused to cooperate, the Knight finally reached out his hand.
“Then let’s at least confirm your face. I can’t write down ‘identity unknown.'”
Ugh, so it’s coming to this after all.
I was just about to bite my lip and decide to run.
“Wait!”
Whoosh.
Someone interjected loudly, as if accompanied by a sound effect.
“I can prove Eve’s identity!”
A hand suddenly thrust forward in front of me, presenting a gleaming silver badge.
It was an identification badge from the Rosenthal Duchy.

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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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