The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 166

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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 166

From outside the slightly open door, I could hear people chattering among themselves.

“It seems she’s overwhelmed with emotion now that she’s finally achieved her dream.”

“She must feel both sorry and grateful for everything. Actually, it makes sense that we’re working overtime because of the engagement ceremony that was suddenly scheduled for tomorrow.”

Everyone said this while looking at me with pleased expressions.

‘No, I was apologizing for the trouble I caused in the past.’

Everyone still seemed oblivious to that fact and appeared to be misunderstanding something entirely different.

Since there was no need to dig up bad memories, I just kept my mouth shut…

But one thing they said was right.

‘That’s right. Come to think of it, have I achieved my dream?’

After learning the truth about myself and looking back on everything with Aldensis, it felt truly strange.

-I’m not that Aristina who had a one-sided crush on you.

I believed this without doubt and drew a clear line.

The reason Aldensis disliked me was because I caused trouble, acted selfishly, stirred up all sorts of problems, and chased after him.

All those behaviors disappeared, and as a result of living earnestly on my own, his disgust eventually vanished too.

He wanted to know about me, wanted to talk with me, and wanted to be with me.

His attitude when the engagement was discussed was particularly impressive.

“I absolutely cannot bear to see the light disappear from the Princess’s eyes.”

Aldensis definitely said that.

At the time, I was so confused by the chaos my identity crisis had caused that I just listened blankly to whatever anyone said.

But thinking about it again with a clear head, these were words filled with tremendous affection and interest toward the other person.

At this point, wasn’t it almost a confession?

The people around us seemed to accept it that way too.

‘Then I really have achieved my dream. I got what I wanted.’

I remembered the moment I first met Aldensis.

I was 7 years old then.

I had been dragged along by Father to greet His Majesty the Emperor, but I became thoroughly annoyed within just a few minutes.

Even making a little noise would earn me a terrifying glare from Father.

“Hmph, I’m going home.”

I snuck away from my seat without saying anything, but even after walking for a long time, no door appeared. I had gotten lost.

“Where is this place?”

Just as I was looking around in confusion.

From the opposite side of the corridor, a startlingly beautiful boy suddenly appeared.

His hair shone more brilliantly than any gold in Father’s safe, and his eyes were a mysterious ocean blue.

I thought that boy must be a fantasy figure visible only to my eyes.

So I approached him one step at a time in a daze, then stumbled when I stepped wrong on the slippery corridor.

“Are you alright?”

The boy rushed over and caught me.

Only then did I realize that the boy was a real person like me.

Perfect manners despite his young age. A kind and gentle attitude. Blue eyes that smiled at me warmly.

All of this struck me with an intense shock, as if hitting my head hard.

The boy asked me in a clear, warm voice.

“Aristina. You’re Princess Aristina, right?”

“…Yes.”

My face turned red.

At that moment, my life goal was decided.

‘I’m definitely going to marry this angel!’

Later, when I learned that the angel was His Highness the Crown Prince, my goal changed to becoming the Crown Princess.

From that day on, I had a one-sided crush only on Aldensis.

Even though Aldensis shuddered at my personality and avoided me, I stubbornly chased after him. I never once showed interest in any other man.

It was truly a tearfully devoted single-hearted love.

And that wasn’t all.

Continuing to chase him like that eventually caused trouble.

Aldensis, who was thoroughly sick of me, finally showed murderous intent and became angry. But I didn’t give up.

‘Still, I love you. I’ll get you somehow.’

With this mindset, I strengthened my resolve even more.

At this point, it went beyond tearful to being persistent. The sight of chasing something unreachable was pitiful.

But what’s this?

It turns out that according to the laws of the universe, I was destined to be his companion?

There had been a mix-up in the divine matchmaking service, so the result wrongly came out as Serene, but the real one was actually me.

Having experienced all sorts of things in another world and become newly changed, I also transformed Aldensis anew, and the two of us finally became a well-matched pair and met a happy ending.

A story of a prince who was lonely because he couldn’t understand others, meeting a woman and finally learning about the world and being saved.

Did God see through such a destiny?

If so, then I’m the victor.

To end up getting the person I had a one-sided crush on this way, and even get engaged with everyone including the person himself pushing us together. Isn’t this a true human victory?

Now I just need to be safely protected in the Imperial Palace, catch the real culprit, and live a happy life.

‘Right. I’m happy.’

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. As if trying to taste happiness in the air.

But…

Facing this happiness, there was something that bothered my heart.

I opened my eyes again.

“By the way, what happened to House of Lacroix?”

“Ah…”

A look full of regret appeared on Father’s face.

“When the Security Bureau went to the Lacroix Duke’s Grave and investigated the coffin, the remains of the late Duke really weren’t there. They say only his coffin was completely empty.”

“But Father, you know that doesn’t prove that mysterious figure is the late Duke Lacroix.”

“That’s true, but…”

Father shook his head.

“In a situation where everyone is making that assumption, it is evidence that works against the late Duke. Moreover, as Count Reno claimed, evidence that the Duke learned black magic has emerged.”

“Evidence that he learned black magic?”

“Yes. A merchant who sold magical documents written in the Serpentus language to the late Duke Lacroix for a large sum was caught.”

“That trader?”

“That’s right. Since the Duke showed interest in learning that magic, the merchant taught him a few simple interpretation methods. According to this, it would be possible for the Duke to kill his wife with black magic and pretend to die himself. Secretly escaping would naturally be possible too.”

Father said this and added.

“Moreover, aren’t there witnesses who saw him kill the Palace Maid?”

I protested.

“There’s no proof that wasn’t perjury.”

“Right.”

The Duke nodded.

“But to make such a claim, you’d first need to provide evidence that it was perjury. Isn’t that right? Only then would people listen to you.”

“…”

Father was right. Stubbornly insisting without evidence would have no persuasive power.

I asked again.

“Did they ask Sion too? Whether the person who taught that child black magic really seems to be the late Duke Lacroix?”

“Yes. The Security Bureau summoned Sion long ago and questioned him.”

The Duke spoke in a calm tone.

“That child still said he doesn’t know whether the mysterious figure is male or female, but while talking with the Security Bureau people, he remembered something.”

“What was it?”

“Not long after Sion first met that mysterious figure, he followed behind to discover the person’s identity and saw them using some kind of Anonymous Members-Only Secret Vault.”

“An Anonymous Members-Only Secret Vault?”

“Yes. At the time, I was too young to understand what it was and only remembered the location, but when I had the chance to investigate a few years later, the owner was listed as ‘Baron Bareidin.’ He was a nobleman living well in the Southern Region.”

Father spoke with a gloomy expression.

“But from the secret safe of House Lacroix, documents addressed to that very ‘Baron Bareidin’ came pouring out one after another. It turned out that name was one of the fake identities the late Duke Lacroix had created for business purposes. Since he wasn’t registered as deceased, it could continue to be used.”

I see.

‘But…’

A question arose in my chest.

‘Couldn’t that also not be considered very decisive evidence?’

From the atmosphere, it seemed almost certain that the late Duke Lacroix was a shameless liar and murderer.

‘But I still can’t believe it.’

I had seen through Ruellian’s memories the scene right after his parents were murdered.

As people say, that too might have been a scene manipulated by Ruellian’s father using dark magic.

But what if there was a separate real culprit?

The real culprit invaded the Lacroix Ducal Residence and murdered the Duke and his wife.

At that time, they could have stolen the Duke’s documents from inside the mansion.

Including the secret safe contract under the name ‘Baron Bareidin,’ and other documents needed to frame the Duke in the future.

‘And they carefully scattered them over more than 10 years. Hidden just barely enough to be discovered immediately upon investigation.’

With evidence linking together one after another according to the Security Bureau’s investigation, how could people not believe it?

They had cleverly set up the board to make it look like the late Duke Lacroix was alive and active, no matter who looked at it.

‘They drew the big picture. It’s entirely possible.’

My thoughts kept flowing toward Ruellian’s father being innocent.

I thought my thinking function had stopped because my head was foggy due to identity confusion, but that wasn’t it.

Even thinking with a clear head, I still couldn’t accept it.

“Something doesn’t seem right.”

I muttered.

“Most importantly, no one has seen that person’s real face yet. Only one medal that could have been stolen from a coffin was dropped…”

As I recalled what happened at the scene, something suddenly came to mind.

‘Oh, that’s right.’

Just before leaving the arena where the tournament was held, Melissa Gremory Editor-in-Chief had slipped me a note.

I had been so distracted that I forgot about it, and only now remembered.

“My handbag!”

“Shall I bring it to you?”

The advisors who were standing outside heard my words and ran to fetch the bag.

I pulled out the note the Editor-in-Chief had given me from the bottom of the bag and unfolded it.

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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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