The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 134
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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 134
“I didn’t come here for you, so I don’t think there’s any reason to receive thanks.”
At my words, Sion fell silent.
“….”
“Father and the Elders only have memories of you always acting well-behaved, so even if they don’t show it outwardly, they can’t help but feel pity inside. But I’m different.”
I continued speaking.
“In my head, there are only memories of being tormented by you. You know this better than anyone. Just because you felt guilt at the time doesn’t make it a free pass. So don’t act like we’ve suddenly become close siblings, and I’d prefer if you just stated your business.”
“….”
Sion remained silent for quite a while.
Then he slowly opened his mouth.
“That person told me. That if I returned to the ducal mansion now, I could become the heir. That the family would decide the successor through the Guild Competition according to tradition, and that he knew what this time’s theme would be. Then he told me how to retrieve Windfairer. But the information he gave was wrong. I was being used.”
The mysterious figure who had taught him black magic.
Recalling the appearance of that person remaining in Sion’s memory, I asked.
“Male or female?”
Sion shook his head.
“I already told everything during interrogation, but I don’t know. I have no idea about gender or age.”
“Really? I heard you used some unique method to communicate with each other. What was that?”
“That person sent me seven mysterious stones. I already told them where I hid them, and I believe the Order has already gone to retrieve them. When I arranged them according to an ever-changing sequence, that person’s figure would appear before my eyes and we could converse anytime.”
Like an encrypted video call?
Sion looked at my face and carefully added.
“Your Highness will probably gather the priests to investigate by tracing back, but it will likely be difficult. That person is not ordinary.”
“….”
“Actually, there’s one thing I couldn’t mention during interrogation.”
At those words, I turned my gaze to look at Sion.
“What’s that?”
“Do you know where I first discovered that figure? It was right at the ducal mansion. And do you know what that person was doing?”
I suddenly remembered.
What young Sion had said while chasing after that mysterious figure.
“Teach me what you just did too! If you don’t, I’ll spread rumors about everything I saw!”
“What were they doing?”
When I asked, Sion answered.
“They were spying on you, sister. Very suspiciously, even from a child’s perspective.”
I was startled. Though it didn’t show outwardly due to my ingrained composure.
“Even as a child, I felt it. That he had a strange interest in you, sister… So I used that as leverage to learn black magic. Though it ended up like this.”
Sion said.
“I requested this meeting to tell you this story directly. For whatever reason, he is watching you, sister.”
“….”
I fell into thought.
Seeing that the mysterious figure had given Sion information, he clearly knew a great deal about Windfairer.
But not only that, he had been watching me from long ago?
‘Then does he perhaps know this secret too? The fact that Aristina was killed by that very Windfairer?’
For now, I could only raise questions; there were no clues to make any judgment.
But it was meaningful information in itself.
Sion carefully spoke while observing my expression.
“I want to prove my worth for sparing my life.”
“Right. If you had just been executed, I wouldn’t have heard this story. You’ve proven your worth.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
He shook his head.
“I mean I’ll prove my worth going forward. Please let me achieve merit. I’ll do anything to catch that person.”
“Well.”
I replied indifferently.
“Anyway, you’re someone who fell for that mysterious figure’s temptation and tried to destroy me, right? There’s no reason for me to trust you now. Even if it’s a death sentence, you won’t die immediately. How do I know this isn’t another attempt to trap me and make a comeback?”
“I expected you to be suspicious.”
Sion held out through the small hole in the wall the bottle containing the medicine he had just taken.
It was labeled:
‘Naiad’.
He said.
“Sister, you have extensive knowledge of poisons, so you’ll understand.”
No? I don’t know? Getting out of false accusations by correctly identifying curare was just lucky.
I had such thoughts while staring at the medicine bottle.
“So what you just took wasn’t medicine but poison?”
“Yes.”
Sion nodded.
“Now, if I don’t take the antidote after 30 days, I’ll die. I asked Count Helmut to place the bottle with the only antidote on your desk, sister.”
“You not only took poison, but gave me the only antidote?”
“Yes. Please decide after 30 days. Whether to let me live another month or not. And then decide again after that. Whether to let me live another month or not. Since I would have died by execution anyway if not for you, sister, do as you please.”
“Why on earth are you doing this?”
“When I was in despair thinking I’d be burned at the stake, you extended your hand to me once again, sister.”
Sion looked at me and spoke. His single remaining eye gleamed with a strange light.
“So I’ve decided to live only for the time you give me, sister.”
“….”
I was speechless. Not knowing how much was truth and how much was lies.
‘I need to look into this more carefully.’
When I reached out to take the empty bottle, a pleased expression appeared on Sion’s face.
“Thank you for giving me a chance. I’ll truly use the life you’ve given me valuably this time, sister.”
Something like strange madness seemed to flash in his eyes.
Perhaps the shock of his plan to become heir failing and receiving a life sentence had made his mind somewhat unstable. That’s how it seemed.
Or was this all an act too?
As I was about to get up, I suddenly had this thought.
Why don’t you test him once?
I looked at Sion through the glass and said.
“Then first, answer my questions honestly.”
“Yes. Ask me anything.”
“What were you doing and where on the night of July 13th? Were you in the north? You didn’t secretly come to the capital, did you?”
I wanted to confirm that first.
If Sion had killed Aristina with Windfairer, there’s no way he would have given the wrong answer on the test. But just in case.
Sion immediately answered my question.
“I was in the north the whole time. I never secretly came to the capital.”
“Really? Good. Let me ask one more thing. That obsidian rose you gave me as a gift. Was that also related to that mysterious figure?”
“Yes.”
Sion nodded.
“That person told me the location of that obsidian and instructed me to craft it and give it to you as a gift, sister.”
After saying that, he stared intently at me.
“How did you know that incident wasn’t my plan? Do you trust me a little?”
“Well.”
The connection between the mysterious figure and the black rose was something I could guess because of the word ‘Serpentus’, and had nothing to do with trust in Sion.
“Alright, I understand.”
I got up from my seat and left that place.
In case something happened, the Holy Knights were keeping watch.
“Thank you.”
When I greeted them, they said:
“His Highness asked you to stop by the study for a moment.”
Ah.
So that was another reason they had been waiting for me.
That made sense. This matter was very important to Ruellian as well.
Since I needed to verify the truth of what Sion had just told me anyway, I immediately headed to the study upstairs.
Ruellian was waiting with his paperwork pushed aside for the moment.
When I entered, he dismissed the Holy Knights, closed the door, and asked:
“What did Sion say?”
“It’s a bit complicated…”
First, I showed him the bottle that had contained the poison.
“Is this really a poison that kills you if you don’t take the antidote after one month? Since he asked Count Helmut of all people, he couldn’t have been playing some reckless trick…”
Ruellian took the bottle and examined it, then his expression changed.
“‘Neiad’. This is technically a poisonous insect’s egg. It’s a method used by criminal organizations in the Northern Region. If you take this and 30 days pass, the poisonous insect hatches inside your body and bites everything it can reach, causing an extremely painful death.”
“What?”
I was shocked.
“Is it really true that there’s only one antidote?”
“That’s right. Uniquely, you can only create an insecticide to kill this bug by processing components extracted from the egg shell. Every poisonous insect only reacts to its own egg shell. Therefore, the poison and antidote form a unique pair. It absolutely cannot be detoxified with any other medicine.”
“To use such a vicious method…”
I was speechless again.
“What are the chances that Sion took fake medicine and lied to me?”
“Well.”
Ruellian showed a skeptical reaction.
“Whether someone is poisoned by the insect or not would show up immediately with just a drop of blood for testing. Sion would know that fact too. There’s no reason to tell such a lie when he’s already in an unfavorable situation.”
Then he slightly furrowed his brow.
“To go that far to gain your trust. What exactly is he scheming? Anyway, from now on he’ll be thoroughly bound to the Order, unable to do anything without my permission.”
He spoke with the arrogant attitude befitting the leader who controlled this massive Order.
I glanced at him.
“Sion says that the obsidian rose that caused the ‘Serpentus’ hallucination was also the Mysterious Figure’s doing. The same word that was written on the note found in your late father’s possession.”
“Just as I suspected.”
“Right. This gives us one more clue. Evidence supporting the fact that the Mysterious Figure is either the murderer or at least deeply involved. We’re tracking in the right direction now.”
I said that and added:
“But I think we shouldn’t completely ignore Sion’s warning. In his opinion, even for someone like you, reverse-tracking through that strange stone won’t be easy. Because there are different codes each time.”
“…”
Ruellian fell into thought for a moment.
“Even so, I have to do what I can. I did gain results from this incident.”
While acknowledging the difficulties, he still spoke with an arrogant yet confident attitude.
“What results?”
When I asked, he extended his hand.
“Here, look at this.”
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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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