The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 104

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 104

“Good.”

Duke Carnel immediately returned to his indifferent expression. As if we had just shared no conversation at all.

“Well then, shall we go sort out that situation over there?”

Saying that, he strode across the lawn with large steps, leading the way.

“Stop!”

At the clearly ringing voice, everyone stopped their conversations and turned around. And they were startled.

“Duke?”

“What those guests are saying is true. I have already given them permission to freely enter and exit this manor, so there’s no need for commotion.”

Behind the Duke who spoke while looking around at the elders, I also poked my head out.

“That’s what he says.”

“Aristina!”

The two suspicious guests approached me with great joy.

“Princess!”

“Was your outing long?”

As if they had never been flustered or awkward, they had recovered a completely natural attitude. The two spoke in turns.

“Commotion? There was no such thing. We were simply meeting with the elders of the Rosen Duchy and having a brief chat.”

“It was a beneficial time.”

“Of course, there was some minor noise at the very beginning. Having lived our lives skipping most procedures, we were somewhat clumsy when suddenly having to go through the strange process called ’employment.'”

“But it couldn’t be helped. We had to avoid the watchful eyes spread everywhere.”

I was startled by Zikren’s words.

“Surveillance? Don’t tell me Princess Violet went that far? While I was briefly investigating the case, what on earth happened at the Imperial Palace?”

“Remember this. Violet is corruption itself.”

Zikren grumbled quietly while looking at Duke Carnel.

“Is this really acceptable? The succession competition for the Duke’s family has become completely corrupt!”

“Corruption, you say.”

Duke Carnel spoke curtly.

“Using connections with superiors to gain benefits is also an ability. All of that is included in the evaluation process, and I think Sion is showing excellent qualities as the next family head.”

I knew he would say that. As expected, he’s a lion who rolls his cubs off cliffs.

The two brothers immediately gave up on Duke Carnel and turned toward me.

“Fortunately, Violet doesn’t seem to have discovered anything special either. Perhaps Father’s words might be right. ‘If it was something that could be discovered, it would have been found 11 years ago.'”

“When she couldn’t extract any significant information despite her efforts, Violet went to the Academy. And surprisingly, instead of stealing materials about the sword from there, she tried to set traps for her competitors by donating false materials.”

“Fortunately, Ruellian had already applied to the Academy for data preservation, preventing information contamination. Princess Serene Hyperion also deployed her people to continuously provide information.”

“But then Violet was caught red-handed trying to peek at the information we had gathered that way. We protested, but according to regulations, third parties unrelated to participants cannot raise objections?”

“There was only one method. We had to officially submit the relevant materials as guild employees and file a complaint. Violet told us to try it if we could, but she probably didn’t know there was actually a way.”

Aldensis and Zikren showed me their identification cards.

“These are fake identities we occasionally use when going undercover. From birth registration to the moment we obtained freelance mercenary qualifications. How about it? Perfect, right?”

“With these identities, we’ll gain the right to speak and demand strong sanctions against the opposing side.”

Ah. Now I understand.

I wondered how these distinguished people suddenly came to claim day labor positions at our guild.

‘So that’s how it happened.’

At this point, it feels more like a pride battle between Imperial Palace power players than revealing the truth. Well, whatever kind of fight it is, if Sion gets sanctioned, that wouldn’t be bad for me…

“…Wait.”

I interrupted their words.

“No. This is a trap.”

“A trap?”

Aldensis and Zikren tilted their heads. Duke Carnel and the elders, who had been listening to our story with interest, all looked at me at once.

“That’s right.”

I pointed out to everyone.

“Didn’t anyone notice the strange part in this story? Princess Violet, who is cunning enough to think of contaminating Academy materials, gets caught trying to steal the brothers’ materials when there probably wasn’t much there anyway?”

That wasn’t the only strange thing.

“Also, let’s think about this. ‘There’s only one method. Officially submitting the relevant materials as guild employees and filing a complaint.’ Who said this? Wasn’t it Princess Violet herself? She said to try it if you could, right? While pretending to provoke, she kindly told you the method?”

“…!”

Aldensis and Zikren finally flinched.

“Now that you mention it… she was strangely kind.”

“Princess Violet wouldn’t normally do that.”

I pointed out once more.

“So this has to be a trap. I don’t know what or how she set it up, but if Your Highnesses request sanctions against Sion in an official setting, you’ll fall into the trap and we’ll be the ones getting sanctioned instead.”

“That can’t be…”

Aldensis frowned.

“Then we need to be very careful.”

“That’s right. We need to catch them off guard by acting outside their expectations.”

I said.

“Sion must have plotted together with her. Maybe all those actions Princess Violet showed were just a smokescreen.”

“A smokescreen?”

“She pretended to work hard going around to give Sion information, but that was all just to divert our attention. What if they had already obtained real information from somewhere else?”

“That can’t be…”

Zikren seemed shocked.

“What should we do, Aristina?”

Aldensis also looked at me silently, frowning.

To be fooled by a five-year-old’s scheme. The Transcendent Ones’ dignity is in shambles.

“What should we do?”

Everyone’s gaze focused on me.

“…”

Instead of answering, I slightly lifted my chin.

The Duke’s expression, which had seemed to indifferently watch the lion below the cliff, changed. He finally couldn’t hold back and asked.

“Why do you look so confident?”

“Yes, Father.”

I replied.

“Of course. I’ve already discovered that real information too.”

“How?”

Several people asked simultaneously.

I answered calmly.

“What special means could I have? I just solved it with money again.”

“So how exactly?”

The Duke pressed again.

“I just bought something… You’ll find out soon anyway. I can’t say more than this. Father might maintain neutrality, but others might not.”

Saying that, I looked at the elders.

It might have sounded sarcastic, but I was just stating facts. What can I do about them really being on Sion’s side?

Still, through this small commotion, I was relieved to confirm that there was still room in their hearts for the Young Lady.

Where is that?

Looking at their deeply wrinkled faces, I felt pangs of conscience again.

“Anyway, I’m sorry for causing a commotion because of my guests.”

After saying that to Helmut and the other elders, I spun around. I left the scene and got into the carriage with Aldensis and Zikren.

‘The Ducal Mansion is still siding with Sion.’

The brothers must have thought the same, as they kept their mouths shut, but as soon as we left the Ducal Mansion’s boundaries, they simultaneously asked questions.

“So what is this real information?”

“What did Sion and Violet discover?”

The conversation wouldn’t leak out due to the noise of the moving carriage.

Still, I lowered my voice.

“Where the Windfearer that disappeared 11 years ago might be. There’s one person who came closest to the truth. That’s Marquis Theseus.”

As expected, both were startled.

Zikren asked with wide eyes.

“Our master?”

“That’s right. No one talks about that incident, but I learned it from a persistent journalist who tracked the case back then. Marquis Theseus was the person His Majesty the Emperor placed his last hope in. He was said to be versed in every sword in the world, wasn’t he?”

“That’s true, but…”

Aldensis muttered blankly.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never heard our master talk about the Windfearer. Even though he told us stories about every sword in the world.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

Zikren also nodded in agreement.

“Then wouldn’t it be time to ask him about it?”

I carefully brought up the topic.

“You two Your Highnesses are his disciples who learned swordsmanship from him. No matter how difficult he is to meet, arranging a meeting once shouldn’t be too hard…”

“It’s difficult.”

Zikren replied.

“It wasn’t like that originally. Should I say he became somewhat eccentric after mother passed away?”

“But it’s not like there’s no way to meet him.”

Aldensis said that while rummaging deep in his pocket.

After a moment, in his hand that came out was a small blue orb.

I asked.

“What is that?”

“A dragon’s eye.”

“I have one too.”

Zikren also took out an identical golden orb.

“Our master always said he cherished and loved us two most in the world. If we ever faced difficulties, he told us to come together to his dwelling and break these. Then he would come out anytime to help us.”

I was surprised.

“You’re going to use such precious items this time?”

“Yes.”

Zikren answered firmly.

“Of course. If I had known that our master once tracked the Windfearer’s whereabouts, I would have already broken this to ask him about it.”

“I think the same way.”

Aldensis also spoke without hesitation.

“I think the time has finally come to use this. Since we’ve learned new facts, I want to go ask our master without further delay.”

I nodded at his words.

“Good. There’s nothing to delay at the venue anyway, let’s just submit our application and go right away.”

And so I headed to the Princess Palace where Princess Violet would announce the 【Imperial Guild Competition】. Along with two guild guard warriors whose specs were suspiciously high.

‘But is it really okay for the Empire’s Crown Prince and Second Prince to be away like this?’

That question did creep into my mind, but when I arrived at the Imperial Palace and heard the gatekeeper’s guidance to the nobles, I understood.

“You cannot visit the Crown Prince’s Palace and the Prince’s Palace. Both of them took the afternoon off today.”

I was shocked.

‘What? They took time off?’

Such high-ranking people wouldn’t have much vacation time, yet they used one of those golden holidays for this?

They must really have high expectations for this matter.

‘I can’t waste their sacred vacation time.’

Resolving once again to achieve results, I headed to the Princess Palace with them.

One of the most important things in business is promotion. Winning the 【Imperial Guild Competition】 held to commemorate the Founding Festival would have immeasurable value.

So various guild leaders gathered with their employees, but…

“Even so, this is too difficult. To retrieve a treasured sword that mysteriously disappeared 11 years ago. They hushed it up so much back then that I can’t even remember.”

“If something disappeared, they should have looked for it at the time. How can we find it now? The Princess really. No matter how smart she is, she’s still young. She gave us such a difficult task without consideration.”

Everyone was murmuring such things. The atmosphere was already deflated.

Among them, I spotted a familiar round hat.

“Benjamin!”

“Ah! Guild Leader…”

He turned around quickly and immediately froze. It was because of the two guild guard warriors standing tall beside me.

‘He became a frozen hamster!’

This was the first time I’d seen him like this since he started working under me. He’s such a precious employee worth a hundred workers…

“No! Benjamin! Don’t freeze!”

I hurriedly ran to save him. And grabbing his shoulder, I said.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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