The Villainess Hid Her Identity, and Now Everyone is Misunderstanding - Chapter 99

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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 99

Click.
As the door swung open, the first thing that came into view was Ludwig seated at the head of the table.
His golden hair was impeccably groomed as always, and his posture was flawless. Apparently mistaking me for a maid, he suddenly contorted his face and bellowed.
“How much longer—!”
But the moment Ludwig spotted me, his lips twitched and he fell silent. He looked flustered.
“Y-Your Highness.”
I paused in the doorway, studying him for a moment, and then….
I let out a soft laugh.
“It has been quite some time, Your Highness. I trust you have been well.”
“….”
No response came.
I shrugged indifferently and stepped fully into the room. The door clicked shut behind me.
In other words, now it was just Ludwig and me alone in this chamber.
Ludwig studied me for a moment, then his gaze drifted upward. He seemed to have noticed the blue diamond embedded in my tiara.
I had worn it to the last banquet as well, so it hardly seemed remarkable—though perhaps he hadn’t noticed it then. His attention had been completely consumed by the necklace at his waist, and besides, he had suffered considerable embarrassment that evening.
He likely hadn’t even bothered to look at the tiara worn by someone like ‘Evelyn’.
In any case, he gazed at the blue diamonds glimmering across my form for a moment, then barely managed to curve his rigid lips upward.
“You’re late. I thought my neck would break from waiting. How long does it take to get ready? You’d be beautiful without all that effort, Evelyn.”
I could see his lips trembling as he forced sweet words from his mouth.
Despite having received all his gifts back, he was feigning composure. Perhaps he believed they had been returned by mistake, or maybe he thought a little coaxing would smooth things over quickly.
Either way, it was clear he had come to appease me. After all, his options were rather limited these days.
Rosenthal’s capital had already evaporated, Duke Cashen had turned completely away from him, and his so-called left hand, the Chamberlain, was likely keeping his distance. And on top of all that, there was Rakiel’s influence rising to his very throat.
The situation had completely reversed.
I suppressed an inward sneer and let out a languid voice.
“My, meeting with the Crown Prince requires perfect attire, does it not? It would be quite rude otherwise. After all, you are my ‘former fiancé’.”
He fell silent for a moment, then replied.
“That’s rather unfortunate. I have never once thought of us as separated.”
He slowly rose from his chair and approached me with deliberate slowness.
“Wasn’t it the same for you?”
I did not answer. As he closed the distance step by step, I simply watched him.
“Rather, being apart for a while made me realize….”
Ludwig stopped mere inches from my face.
A strong fragrance washed over me. This was likely the perfume Evelyn had given him as a gift.
“I could see just how sincere you were with me. Curious, really.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. I once said those noble ladies flocking to me like moths to a flame didn’t even understand what love was. I was right.”
He lifted his hand and slowly brushed through my silver hair. His fingers slid between the strands with deliberate care.
As his touch grazed my cheek, it left behind a peculiar warmth.
“I must have been blind for a while. How could I have looked anywhere else with you standing before me? I was mad.”
He tilted his head slightly, drawing close enough that I could feel his breath.
And in that instant, a low, languid voice fell against my ear.
“There is no one but you for me.”
He left a whispered laugh in my ear before withdrawing, though still close enough that a slight reach would bridge the distance.
Deep, smoldering green eyes pierced through me with precision—as if asking whether I would still push him away, laden with displeasure.
Such an act could never be committed without the arrogant conviction that I would still cling to him.
To seduce me right before my eyes like this. His sickly sweet gaze made me feel suffocated with revulsion.
“You were mad, yes.”
I spoke abruptly.
“You even slapped my face.”
“…That was—”
He, who had been toying with my hair, faltered. Then he cleared his throat and continued.
“That was an apology. I went too far.”
As if he thought a mere apology would suffice.
“Really? Then I’d like a proper apology. Can you even imagine how wronged I felt that day?”
“Proper…what exactly do you mean by that?”
“You don’t know? They say you grew up knowing nothing of the world outside the Imperial Palace, and it shows perfectly.”
“…”
I waved my hand dismissively and continued.
“It’s simple. You need to announce to all of High Society that you were wrong. That’s what a ‘proper apology’ is, isn’t it?”
“All of…High Society?”
“Yes, to every single person in High Society.”
“…!”
Bewilderment spread across his face.
So he thought he could simply brush past this? He didn’t know, but I had been slapped a hundred times. It went without saying how much resentment had accumulated.
Forgiving him with a single apology was clearly not a fair exchange, yet his reaction was as if I were spouting nonsense.
“Evelyn, say something that makes sense. I am the Crown Prince. I cannot bow my head to anyone.”
I widened my eyes.
“My, can’t the Crown Prince even apologize?”
At my sarcastic tone, the hand holding my hair stiffened. He seemed to realize something was going wrong.
He soon withdrew his hand and let out a short laugh.
“Actually, there was something else I wanted to say.”
So he was changing the subject now that he was losing ground.
Since I had never truly believed he would apologize with genuine sincerity anyway, I retreated at this point.
“What are you talking about?”
“My proposal that you become Empress.”
Huh?
…So he was bringing up that proposal? That dreadful “Fallen Saint” route that kept haunting my thoughts.
I’d been curious about what would happen if I chose that path, but it wasn’t something to be decided on mere curiosity alone.
“Actually, I already knew the Saint’s true identity was Evelyn.”
“…What?”
He brazenly curled his lips upward—that brilliant, arrogant smile Evelyn had fallen for, the kind that made the world seem to lie beneath her feet.
“Knowing you were Evelyn, I made that proposal. Did you really think I’d say such things to another woman? There’s only Evelyn for me.”
“….”
“I was sincere. I don’t know how Evelyn accepted it back then… but if I ask again now, I think the answer would be different.”
He was so certain I’d fall for those words.
I felt my exasperation reaching a breaking point. No matter how much I disregarded Evelyn, did he really believe I’d accept such transparent lies?
‘…Damn it, the fact that it might actually work terrifies me more.’
If I were the real Evelyn… who knows what might happen.
In any case, I wasn’t the real Evelyn, so there was absolutely no reason to fall for such an obvious lie.
But the moment I tried to respond, he raised his hand and covered my mouth. I felt firm fingers against my lips.
“Shh.”
…What?
Unable to control my facial muscles against the displeasure, my face was about to contort when he gazed at me with a lethal expression, his eyes softly narrowed, before speaking again.
“And I received the gift you sent yesterday. It seems you sent it as a token of gratitude for the gift I personally sent you? Thanks to that, I also learned that Evelyn’s heart hasn’t changed.”
Huh?
I tilted my head in confusion.
“So your rejection of my proposal back then was just you playing hard to get. Well, I can’t say I don’t understand.”
Wow, he’s really playing both the drum and the janggu by himself.
Even as I thought this, Ludwig continued to ramble on.
“Anyway, I simply waited for Evelyn to give me certainty. Even though the Duke joined hands with Rakiel, if he truly loves Evelyn as desperately as he does, he could easily change his mind. So….”
He paused for a moment before continuing with an air of supreme confidence.
“I thought I could bring up our engagement again.”
He touched my cheek with a face full of self-assurance.
His eyes held a gaze that seemed to say you wouldn’t dare reject my proposal, yet was tinged with a wistful emotion.
“What do you think? If possible, how about telling the Duke today? I’m curious what Evelyn thinks.”
At his whispered words, I stared at him blankly.
He’d already made up his mind without even hearing my opinion. It seemed he hadn’t considered it from the start.
That’s how far his delusion went.
I watched to see how much nonsense he’d spout while believing he’d received a gift I never sent, and it was quite the spectacle.
An engagement? When had that been broken? And he was still clinging to it. As I listened to his words, I couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
Ludwig’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the sight. But soon his smile deepened.
“You seem pleased?”
I gazed quietly at his arrogant face before opening my mouth to speak.
“Hmm, that’s strange. I haven’t sent anything, so what are you referring to?”
A heavy silence fell between us.

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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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