The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 165

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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 165

My father and I had clashed and conflicted over every little thing. In the process, countless wounds had accumulated in each other’s hearts.

But as I held my father tightly and cried like this, it felt like all the bad memories were being washed away by those tears.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Father repeated those apologetic words several times.

Those brief words were filled with sincerity. I could deeply feel that he truly believed he had been wrong.

I felt the same way.

“No. I was the one who was wrong.”

No long words were needed. Just those words alone could convey my true feelings.

Although our relationship had been strained for a very long time…

We were finally able to reconcile.

‘It’s okay now. I’ll never go back to the past again.’

With that thought, I hugged my father even tighter.

Life is indeed about putting yourself in others’ shoes.

I, who had never reflected despite all the scolding and admonishment from people around me, only changed my heart after experiencing it firsthand.

Only after crossing over to another world and paying the full price for the karma I had built up could I finally realize.

How great a wrong I had committed.

After truly repenting like this, shame came flooding in belatedly.

When I thought I was a possessor, I felt no particular emotion even when seeing the wrongs that past Aristina had committed.

I just looked at that dark history and felt secondhand embarrassment, thinking ‘Why is the shame my burden!’

‘But it turns out all of that was what I had done…’

I had constantly cursed about being possessed in the body of such a scoundrel princess and having to clean up the mess.

Turns out I was spitting in my own face, and it was my own doing. I should have just shut up and cleaned up the mess.

‘Because that scoundrel was me.’

This time I was trembling with real shame, not vicarious shame, when I heard the voices of my advisors.

“Young Lady! Are you alright?”

I looked at them in surprise.

Sophie, Ellen, Mia, Perdel, Hanna, Ashley…

It was me myself who had tormented them like catching mice in the past. Not someone else, but me.

Thinking that way made me want to crawl into a mouse hole.

‘My fault is truly great.’

My eyes grew hot, and tears that had just stopped began to flow again.

“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry! Please forgive me! I really regret tormenting you all!”

The advisors looked bewildered.

“Why are you suddenly like this? We personally requested overtime to receive extra pay, you know? We really didn’t think anything of it…”

“Don’t cry! Young Lady! We’re really okay!”

They all seemed to have completely forgotten about my past misdeeds. Judging by how they were suddenly bringing up overtime work.

“Don’t cry! Okay? Young Lady!”

As I continued to shed tears, they began crying along with me one by one, not understanding why.

Come to think of it, what a chaotic sight this was.

Sophie was holding documents she had been reading just moments ago. Mia had a measuring tape wrapped around her wrist, and Perdel had a pen stuck behind his ear.

‘They all came running in a hurry.’

Only then did I realize.

I had only been nice to the maids around me to survive, and I thought they only wished for my safety because it made their lives easier.

But before we knew it, trust and affection had sprouted in our hearts.

I called them close and hugged each one while shedding tears.

“I’m sorry. And thank you…”

“Young Lady…”

The elders who had rushed over were watching this scene with moved expressions. So were the Duke’s advisors who worked under my father.

Everyone’s gazes were so warm.

Thanks to struggling to survive, I was able to reconcile with people who had been hostile toward me. We were able to fill the deep emotional rifts that had been carved in each other’s hearts.

“Now, that’s enough.”

Father handed me a handkerchief as I sniffled.

“There were too many things that happened today. It’s understandable that emotions would overflow. But why were you collapsed alone?”

“I was just tired for a moment. I came here because I missed Mother…”

I trailed off.

“Father. Let’s go see Mother.”

“Alright.”

Father nodded.

We all left the ‘Contemplation Room.’

Father led me toward his room while the others followed at a distance.

Like last time, when the Duke opened the bedroom wall to reveal the secret space, a small shrine that had been secretly hidden appeared.

Above the shrine decorated with fresh flowers that seemed to have been picked this morning.

Looking at the Duchess’s portrait gazing this way with a gentle smile on her lips, an indescribable emotion surged up.

I knelt before the shrine.

‘It was Mother. It really was our Mother.’

When Father first brought me here and I saw this portrait, I felt like it resembled our mother. But I thought it was impossible…

‘My feeling was right after all.’

I had been remembering Mother’s face from when I was a baby all along.

Even after crossing to another world and living a new life, that memory was never erased.

‘It really was Mother, and I didn’t even know…’

As my emotions exploded, I crawled forward on my knees, embraced the portrait, and shed tears once again.

How heartbroken she must have been watching her daughter suffer so much to clear her karma in that other world.

But Mother never showed such feelings and continued to cheer me on.

⌜Just endure a little more! Get up! Stay strong!⌟

Mother’s voice shouting toward me as I sat collapsed on the ground was still clear in my ears.

Although I didn’t hear that sound with my ears at the time, it must have reached my heart.

That’s probably why I could persevere through any difficult situation that came my way.

“Thank you, Mother.”

I whispered while embracing the portrait.

“And you too.”

Mother of All Dragons, Lillian.

In my blurred vision, the figure of a small dragon appeared brilliantly.

⌜Did you forget? We promised to help each other once.⌟

Although Lillian had clearly said that to our mother, she helped me once more when I faced crisis.

In the maze opened by golden scales. When I saved Violet and fell into danger. That dragon appeared suddenly, blocked the dark magic, and helped us escape.

According to the contract, there was no need to do so, yet she deliberately showed kindness.

“Thank you so much.”

I bowed my head in gratitude.

No amount of gratitude could be enough for the hearts of both mothers.

They had done their best to save me.

‘I can’t disappoint them. I’ll work even harder to overcome crises and survive triumphantly.’

As I returned the portrait to its place, I made a firm resolution.

Who am I really?

Having found the answer to that crucial question, my confused and chaotic mind seemed to clear up.

“You seem to have calmed down now.”

Father, who had been watching me, spoke. Then he approached and offered me a cup filled with warm tea.

When did he prepare this?

“Thank you.”

As I sat down on the sofa and looked up, Father’s eyes were still reddish.

“Mm….”

He replied like that while subtly avoiding my gaze.

He must feel awkward about having just hugged me and cried. That kind of emotional outburst wasn’t Duke Carnel’s way, after all.

But still….

Like a cat that pretends not to see you even when your eyes meet, then casually brushes against your leg with its tail before disappearing.

Father expressed his affection in a reserved way by holding a teacup and then offering it to me.

“Go ahead and drink. To replenish all the tears you shed today, you’ll need to drink all the tea in this teapot.”

“That’s right.”

I took the teacup and sipped it.

As the warm tea went down my throat, a cozy warmth spread throughout my body and my heart felt much more at peace.

“It’s good.”

“Yes.”

Father nodded.

I took another sip of tea while glancing at him.

“You were surprised, weren’t you? By me suddenly crying and making a fuss….”

“No.”

Unexpectedly, Father replied like that.

“It’s natural to experience emotional ups and downs like this. Your mother did the same thing the night before. According to the doctors, it’s so common among women facing major life events that there’s even a technical term for it….”

He continued as if it were nothing special.

“Anyway, if you’ve calmed down, go to bed quickly. Tomorrow will be hectic with the engagement ceremony.”

Ah.

I paused as I was bringing the teacup to my lips again.

‘Right, the engagement….’

Come to think of it, I had agreed to get engaged to Aldensis, hadn’t I?

That matter had been temporarily pushed aside to the back of my consciousness, overshadowed by the major issue of who I really was.

“….”

Holding the teacup in my hand, I became dazed.

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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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