The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 15

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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 15

2. I Declare the End of My One-Sided Love

The magnificent iron gates of the Rosen Duchy opened on both sides, and a jet-black carriage decorated with gold shot out like an arrow.

It was the Duke’s carriage.

Behind the massive carriage racing toward the Imperial Palace, a smaller carriage followed.

More than the flashy decorations, the appearance of the two coachmen sitting on the driver’s seat caught people’s attention.

“Are those people or dolls?”

People whispered among themselves, as both men sat rigidly stiff, moving only their hands.

‘Am I trembling?’

The Coachman and Apprentice Coachman drove the carriage with such expressions and eventually arrived at the Imperial Palace.

When an Attendant opened the door, Aristina Bianca Rosen sitting inside came into view.

The Young Lady, who had dressed especially beautifully for today’s audience, was reading some booklet very intently. Even drawing lines underneath as she read.

‘Ah, so that’s why it was so quiet. Of course.’

The Coachman and attendants smiled bitterly to themselves and bowed their heads.

“Young Lady. We have arrived at the Imperial Palace.”

“Oh, already?”

The Young Lady hurriedly got out of the carriage.

In her haste, the booklet she had left on the seat was hit by her dress hem and fell to the ground with a thud.

“Ah!”

The Apprentice Coachman quickly picked up the booklet.

“How surprising. Does the Young Lady even do reading?”

“It’s not reading, she was reading a magazine collecting various gossip about His Highness the Crown Prince. She memorizes even the smallest details with her eyes blazing. If even a speck of dust gets on the magazine, she’ll have a fit, so clean it well.”

“Yes. Huh? But the cover says 【Rosen Duchy Financial Status Analysis】?”

“Oh, that’s a trick. Look carefully.”

The Coachman held the book upside down and shook it. He was trying to show the magic of the cover separating, but…

“Hmm?”

It didn’t separate. He thought it strange and opened the book.

“‘…The list of assets currently confiscated by the Young Lady’s father is…’ Huh? This isn’t about His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“This really is an economics booklet!”

“What? What’s going on?”

In that economics journal filled with countless underlines and circles, there was a section marked with many stars as if it were especially important.

【Imperial Merchant Guild】.

The Coachman and attendants turned their heads with puzzled faces.

“Imperial Merchant Guild?”

Up ahead, the Young Lady’s figure walking behind the Duke was rapidly disappearing into the distance.

* * *

‘Finally arrived at the Imperial Palace.’

I placed my hand on my dress waist and looked around.

The Maids had put their heart and soul into dressing me up since it was the day to have an audience with the Crown Prince.

Amidst the predominantly deep and calm colors, the dress with delicately embedded jewels and embroidery exuded the dignity befitting a Young Lady.

At the same time, to avoid looking too subdued, they added liveliness with bold accessories.

I sparkled from head to toe.

“She’s here. She’s here.”

Even the people frowning at me couldn’t take their eyes off my appearance in the end.

The same was true for Carnel Rosen. Because of his ceremonial robes with red decorations, his pale complexion and ruby-like eyes stood out even more.

In front of his handsome face with neatly tied light blonde hair, young nobles who were considered quite handsome became ordinary in an instant.

Since the Duke doesn’t set foot in the Imperial Palace unless he has business, they say when he comes once, it becomes a topic of conversation for more than half a day…

It really was like that.

‘The two of us are drawing all the attention in this place.’

We were walking quite far apart, making one wonder if we were really father and daughter, but that was good.

Thanks to that, I could organize my thoughts without any interference. About the person I had to meet now, the Crown Prince.

The most important thing from the information related to him was, first of all…

‘That he’s of dragon bloodline.’

I turned my gaze to look up at the magnificent oil painting on the Imperial Palace ceiling.

A massive dragon. And a small human standing before it. The first meeting of these two beings was expressed in vivid artistic style.

According to legend, the founding emperor married the ‘Mother of All Dragons’, and between them was born a hybrid of human and dragon.

This hybrid’s characteristics didn’t dilute over time and appeared randomly in their descendants.

‘For a while, only ordinary humans were born, but then suddenly the current emperor’s two sons awakened their bloodline one after another.’

My gaze lingered momentarily on a corridor window.

The dragon figure carved into the window frame was shining golden in the sunlight.

That appearance seemed to embody a certain person.

‘The heir to the Gold Dragon bloodline and Crown Prince of the Empire. Aldensis Balcaide.’

Dragon hybrids possessed powerful abilities surpassing humans and were called ‘transcendents’.

Of course, there were side effects that came with those abilities, but anyway, the Crown Prince had become a proper adult after various trials.

Well, he was treated almost like the flower of the Empire. Handsome face, strong, caring and kind, with dignified attitude and perfect manners – it was natural that people were enthusiastic about him like an idol.

Aristina was one of them. However, there was one difference from the others.

She firmly believed that her perfect self in every aspect was qualified to be the Crown Prince’s match.

‘So she left behind tremendous dark history.’

Memories stored in my mind came flooding back.

They combined with the information I had gathered, showing vivid scenes before my eyes.

‘Aah, stop…!’

I felt dizzy from the assault of dark history rushing like a tide.

I flailed about trying to regain my composure. I grabbed onto anything within reach and saw it was a lion-shaped door handle.

Carnel Rosen, who had been walking steadily, turned around sharply.

“Haven’t sobered up yet? It’s not there, it’s here.”

“Ah, yes.”

I stood behind the Duke.

In front of us both, doors carved with golden dragons opened wide on both sides. It was the Crown Prince’s Audience Chamber.

I followed Carnel Rosen inside.

Someone of the Empire’s Crown Prince’s status could sit in a high chair and look down on people without anyone complaining.

But since Aldensis preferred sitting and conversing as equals, a large table was placed in the center of the Audience Chamber.

Carnel Rosen sat there and looked at me.

“You remember, don’t you. Other than the words permitted to you…”

“Of course. I have no right to speak.”

I quickly interrupted the Duke’s words to answer. I was busy looking around this place anyway.

The table said to be inspired by the World Tree and the gold-painted chairs looked familiar despite seeing them for the first time. It was because of the memories filling my head.

How much effort had been put into making excuses to come to this Audience Chamber even once more.

‘Ugh…’

More dark history came to mind and I unconsciously gripped my dress hem tightly.

What a progressive one-sided love it had been. Sometimes blatantly, sometimes openly, sometimes publicly approaching him.

To such Aristina, the Crown Prince drew lines gently but firmly. But Aristina failed to notice the coldness hidden within.

Incidents continued, and finally even the Crown Prince’s patience reached its limit.

‘In the end…’

One scene from memory came clearly to mind.

“Aristina Bianca Rosen.”

In the Rose Garden where dusk was falling, Aldensis Balcaide’s quiet yet clear voice echoed.

“If you continue to act this way, I won’t remain still either.”

Against the backdrop of bright red roses, eerily shining blue eyes.

He was not the usual caring and kind Crown Prince.

It was an appearance that proved all too well that non-human blood flowed in his veins – cold and merciless beyond compare.

‘Murderous. So murderous.’

Even though this was just a scene from memory, goosebumps rose on both my arms.

You know what’s even more chilling? Right after that conversation, when passersby appeared at that location, the Crown Prince immediately returned to his kind and gentle demeanor.

‘Could it be… he’s a psychopath?’

Antisocial personality disorder.

Maybe not? Maybe he just has no personality at all? Because he’s a dragon hybrid?

Anyway, even if the Crown Prince isn’t quite an antisocial personality disorder case, it’s true that there’s something chilling about him.

And the timing is quite exquisite too.

Right after that terrifying warning in the Rose Garden, the attempted poisoning incident of Serene occurred. The Crown Prince must have been furious.

‘I’ll eliminate this demon with my own hands!’

With that determination, he could have infiltrated the Duke’s Annex and finished off Aristina.

‘Of course, this is all just my speculation, and I don’t have any evidence yet…’

Anyway, one thing was certain. From now on, I absolutely must not get involved with Aldensis.

I decided to accept his warning and cleanly disappear from his life.

‘But in a situation where I’ve already become the boy who cried wolf, I’m not sure how to effectively convey such intentions.’

After much deliberation, I did find one thing. In this terrifying survival game where I have to avoid landmines scattered everywhere, the desirable direction I should move.

It was related to a certain event.

Something that caught my eye everywhere while walking through the Imperial Palace corridors, and the subject of that poster hanging on the wall of this Audience Chamber right now.

“…”

As I quietly sat there and moved my gaze to look at the wall, Duke Carnel followed suit and looked as well.

【Imperial Palace Ball】.

Upon discovering the poster announcing that a ball hosted by the Crown Prince would be held soon, the Duke frowned.

“I wondered what you were staring at.”

He immediately lost interest and turned his head away with a “Hmph!”

Just then, an Imperial Palace attendant who had been standing outside came running to inform us.

“Duke, Lady. His Highness the Crown Prince is coming.”

Ah, he’s here.

Duke Carnel and I immediately stood up from our seats and looked toward the door.

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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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