The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 147

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

Chapter 147

In my eyes, I could see very clearly that the area around the stigmata was glowing with the distinctive symbolic color of the Rosen Ducal Mansion.

But Ruellian seemed completely unaware of this fact.

‘What is this? I’m not even using divine power right now, so why is there a strange phenomenon appearing in the stigmata? And why specifically in the colors of the Rosen Family?’

I couldn’t understand it, so I thought about it carefully.

When using divine power, one must concentrate their mind.

If the mark engraved on the soul becomes prominent during that process…

‘It would mean he’s concentrating right now.’

But he’s not thinking about God right now. If he were, divine power would have emerged.

‘That definitely looks like the aura of the Rosen Family.’

He had transferred divine power to me several times, and there was contact each time. Though it was indirect.

Contact goes both ways.

While receiving divine power, it seemed possible that some of the Rosen Ducal Family’s aura I possessed had also flowed into him.

Though infinitely weaker compared to divine power, it was still some kind of mystical force.

‘So he’s concentrating like when using divine power… but instead of God or religious theory, the target is me?’

The moment I made that guess.

Unexpectedly, I thought it was kind of cute.

He’s a man whose pride reaches the sky.

He absolutely never allows anyone, regardless of age or gender, to approach him.

But after I caught him moonlighting as a thief, going through various incidents and accidents, and even showing his bare body during treatment…

It seemed like he was gradually starting to open his heart to me.

Should I say he had quietly seeped in?

Unlike when dealing with other people, he seemed to have developed some goodwill. Beyond simply seeing me as a good business partner, some kind of human affection.

‘Interesting. To think such emotional changes would manifest this way.’

If someone showed me such signs, I would be on guard first.

What? What’s their intention? What do they want from me? Don’t tell me this guy is the real culprit?

Like that.

‘That would be normal…’

I glanced toward Ruellian’s chest.

No matter how suspicious I might be, seeing such evidence right before my eyes, I had no choice but to acknowledge it.

‘He really is genuinely trying to treat me well.’

As I stayed quietly silent while thinking such thoughts, a thin wrinkle formed between Ruellian’s brows.

Did he think his words sounded lacking in sincerity?

Without the slightest idea that this fact had already been proven through the changes in his body, he spoke even more seriously.

“So when scary situations like earlier come up, you can hide behind me again. I’ll protect you first without worrying about other people.”

“…”

I could feel him stepping down from his lonely and lofty position to extend his hand to me.

Or perhaps, it was like seeing a feline predator discovering some interesting object for the first time and stepping closer, deviating from its hunting path.

His eyes had been fixed solely on me since earlier.

This must be the first time he’s openly shown such special favor to someone.

He might go home later and regret it while hitting his desk, but right now he seemed caught up in an impulsive urge.

Wanting to see how I would react if he showed such favor.

‘…’

My heart was pounding.

If such a man stepped away from his position and approached you, wouldn’t anyone want to grab hold of him?

I’m human too.

Just from hiding behind his back, he was ‘moved’ enough, as he put it, to lower his guard and step closer.

Then if I played my cards right, I could become even more special? His goodwill could turn into affection?

Isn’t it human nature for the heart to waver a little and have such fantasies?

‘But…’

I shook my head firmly.

There was survival rule number one that I absolutely had to follow to survive in this harsh world.

‘Know your place.’

The red rose-colored light sparkling from Ruellian’s chest. That hue that told me what he was concentrating so hard on thinking about right now.

It wasn’t mine.

What was inside the ‘Princess Aristina’ he was looking at was another person’s soul.

Though I have a lot to say about it, I am a possessor anyway.

By the standards of people here, I’m a target for exorcism.

‘If Ruellian, an Agent of the Divine, found out that fact?’

I don’t want to imagine any further.

So I need to be careful.

Though I came into this body against my will, I still want to survive.

‘Let’s know my place.’

A wall made of steel was erected in my heart.

‘From now on, I am an amoeba.’

After giving myself the suggestion that I had become a human as oblivious as a protozoan…

Indeed.

I was able to completely pretend not to see Ruellian’s violet eyes shining with more intense interest and curiosity than ever before.

I smiled and said cheerfully.

“How grateful. But I’m hungry. I need to hurry home and eat something delicious.”

First place for most oblivious statement of the year.

He had just declared he would give me special treatment. Instead of being ‘moved’ as he had been earlier, I’m thinking about what to eat?

Is this even human? Any budding goodwill would have crashed and burned.

He’s a person with strong pride.

To encounter such a wall. His favorability would plummet through the floor and deep underground due to displeasure.

That’s what I expected…

And indeed it was so.

The radiance that had been sparkling from Ruellian’s chest suddenly disappeared.

The light also vanished from his eyes that had been fixed on me.

‘As planned.’

How does it feel? Like talking to a wall?

I calmly opened my mouth.

“Shall we part ways now?”

Having safely escaped the Imperial Palace, I turned around first to return to the ducal mansion.

But…

Ruellian suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me.

Then he took out a bundle he had hidden behind some tree near the Imperial Palace entrance, threw a cloak over me, and covered himself as well.

Then he grabbed my hand and ran.

I was startled.

Why are we suddenly running away?

Don’t tell me some suspicious person appeared?

The streets were very crowded. As it headed toward late night, the festival atmosphere was becoming even more heated.

Ruellian took me and plunged into the middle of that chaos. Then he entered an alley behind the commercial district and stopped abruptly.

It was in front of some covered food stall. Above the stall hung a banner like this:

【Southern-Style Authentic Wood-Fired Sausage Bread】.

Huh?

I looked at Ruellian with a puzzled feeling.

He said.

“Among festival foods, this is the most unique and tastes pretty good too.”

“…?”

“You said you were hungry, didn’t you?”

He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Well, I did say that, but….

While I stood there dumbfounded and bewildered, the stall’s covering was slowly being rolled up.

At that moment, the smell of baking bread and sausages wafted over.

The owner completely removed the covering, lit the lanterns brightly, then returned to his spot and opened the oven lid.

“Over there!”

People flocked over. Behind us, an incredibly long line formed in an instant.

Ruellian turned to look at me and said.

“Every year, this stall gets an unusually long line that causes congestion, so the Management Committee assigns spots in advance. There’s a set pattern, so it’s easy to know.”

Then he handed me a round bread that the owner had wrapped in paper and given him.

“Here, hurry up. Eat it while it’s hot.”

“….”

I took a bite of the bread. It was really delicious with the hot bread filled with sausage.

After I finished eating the bread with a bewildered expression, Ruellian took me somewhere else again.

He dragged me around frantically, going here and there, before finally stopping after quite a while.

I asked him.

“What exactly are you doing right now?”

“I understand how you feel.”

Ruellian said calmly.

“Some suspicious person of unknown identity tried to eliminate you through Sion. Naturally, that’s all you can think about. There’s no room for other thoughts. But….”

“But?”

“I can’t let this end with a defeat record against me. You said there’s a proper course that ordinary people don’t know about, not just the superficial way of enjoying the festival, right? I’ll prove that wasn’t a lie.”

“….”

I was momentarily speechless.

“You dragged me here in a hurry for that reason? I thought something big had happened.”

“It is something big. You like festivals, don’t you.”

“No! Absolutely not! I’m not interested in that stuff. I’m too busy just getting by day to day, what festival….”

Ruellian looked at me meaningfully.

Come to think of it, this was how I looked right now.

On my head was a sparkling animal ear headband that was newly released this year.

On my shoulders was a limited first-come-first-served dragon wing cape.

In my hands was a Founding Festival commemorative ice cream that could only be bought by answering a special quiz from the 100-Year-Old Ice Cream Shop.

I suddenly felt embarrassed.

That’s strange. In my memory, I was definitely dragged around against my will, wasn’t I?

People passing by looked at me and whispered.

“Look at that person! They’re enjoying the festival to the fullest!”

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