The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 167

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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 167

The paper was densely filled with crooked, hastily scrawled letters.

I could almost see the Editor-in-Chief pressing the paper against a nearby journalist’s back while scribbling frantically.

The note’s contents were as follows:

President. Count Reno calls himself a detective and brags about it, but he’s the type who can’t even find a single lost cat from next door. He’s just parroting information someone intentionally leaked to him like a parrot.

P.S.: There are quite a lot of Palace Maids with gambling debts.

Good luck.

Strength unconsciously entered my hands, crumpling the corner of the note.

‘Right. My instincts were correct after all.’

Gremory Editor-in-Chief, who had spent long years uncovering only the truth, was also suspicious of Count Reno’s claims like me.

That fact gave me strength.

The vague feeling of unease had now almost turned into certainty.

‘Ruellian’s father probably isn’t a murderer. Someone pinned a terrible false accusation on the deceased. I need to reveal the truth.’

I thought while keeping my gaze fixed on the note.

The information about Count Reno was one thing, but the remark about Palace Maids added at the very end was also quite meaningful.

Gremory Editor-in-Chief and the 【Justice Daily】 journalists had constantly lurked around the Imperial Palace to uncover the truth behind the incident where Windfairer disappeared 11 years ago.

They were now freely passing on the tricks they had learned to this poor president.

Truly loyal friends indeed.

‘Good. Where should I start unraveling this mystery?’

I fell deep into thought. Then something suddenly came to mind.

In the flashback, there was one meaningful statement in the conversation my mother had with the Mother of All Dragons.

「A day will come when your child faces a life-threatening crisis. Because they saw something they shouldn’t have seen.」

The Dragon had definitely said that.

I saw something I shouldn’t have seen? What was that?

Count Reno had also mentioned the reason I was killed. Because I had figured out that the Mysterious Figure was the Late Duke Lacroix.

But I had already decided to doubt all of That Person’s words.

‘What exactly did I see?’

I tried hard to recall, but nothing came to mind.

Was it so shocking that the memory completely disappeared?

‘No. I can’t think like that. I need to remember somehow.’

I urged myself on.

I thought the information in this head were just relics left behind by the previous owner. But now I see they were all truly my own memories.

So I should be able to remember them. I’m the real owner of those memories.

‘Focus. Focus more. I can do this. Now, let me dive deep into my memories. Was there ever a time when I saw some scene and panicked? Was there ever a time when someone threatened me?’

Using the concentration I had developed while studying for exams even while working multiple part-time jobs, how long did I search through my memories…

Something suddenly came to mind.

“I didn’t see anything!”

There was a time when I had shouted something like this.

I couldn’t remember when it was or who the other person was at all.

However, only the shape of a round roof visible between the dark garden scenery flashed by vaguely.

It was an extremely familiar scene.

‘This is the Imperial Palace!’

The architectural style was clearly Imperial Palace style.

It was a place I had wandered through countless times since childhood, so I couldn’t help but recognize it even if I tried not to.

Although it was difficult to tell exactly which area it was.

‘Such scenery is too common…’

The vaguely recalled memory quickly disappeared.

Even when I tried to grasp it again, it vanished without a trace like sand slipping through my fingers.

“…Aristina?”

At Father’s voice, I barely returned to reality.

It seemed he had already called me several times without me hearing.

Since I was standing there blankly with the note in my hand, Father looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Don’t trust Count Reno? Who gave you this note?”

“My Editor-in-Chief. They’re someone trustworthy.”

I tore the note into small pieces and disposed of it.

Now it was time to move.

The opponent seemed to be setting up their plan quite methodically, but I also held several advantageous cards.

For example, I could enter the Imperial Palace tomorrow and investigate thoroughly while receiving the highest level of security.

‘Something will definitely come up.’

I stood up from my seat with that thought.

“Anyway, Father is right. Tomorrow will be hectic, so I’ll go to bed early.”

“Yes. Let’s talk again once we’re in the Imperial Palace.”

Father stood up and was turning around when he suddenly muttered to himself.

“I wonder where Ruellian is and what he’s doing…”

That was the first time Father had shown even a hint of emotion about this incident.

Come to think of it, when the three of us met at the lakeside not long ago, we never imagined a day like today would come.

I could sense complexity in Father’s retreating figure as he walked away.

‘Although he doesn’t show it, perhaps Father also believes in the Late Duke Lacroix’s innocence deep down…’

As I stood there in a daze.

“Young Lady.”

The Advisors approached and surrounded me.

“You must be troubled by all this, but once you hold the engagement ceremony and hole up in the Imperial Palace, everything will be fine.”

“That’s right. They’ve issued a massive manhunt and are pursuing with all their might, so that strange figure will be caught soon.”

“We hope you won’t let anxiety and worry ruin such a good day. It’s the moment you’ve been dreaming of. We’ll make you look absolutely beautiful tomorrow.”

The Advisors said this while escorting me to my room.

Under their urging, I bathed and lay down, but…

Thoughts about Ruellian continued in my head.

Coincidentally, I could even hear the chapel bells from outside the window.

The Holy Order must be in chaos too. With the Subordinate Priest missing, is the Bald High Priest taking command?

‘Come to think of it, it’s quite ironic. When we first met, I was under false accusation and he was in the position of revealing that false accusation. Now he’s under false accusation and I’m in the position of revealing that false accusation.’

Of course, Ruellian might appear at any time having caught that Mysterious Figure.

I wasn’t entirely without such expectations, but…

No matter what, this time there seemed to be too many constraints.

‘So I have no choice but to try my best too.’

All sorts of thoughts arose without order.

As I tossed and turned with sleepless eyes, dawn eventually broke. I could hear the Advisors calling from outside.

“Young Lady, are you awake? It’s time to start preparing.”

“Alright.”

I groggily got up from the bed.

The door opened and everyone came in. It felt like a military unit advancing.

While entrusting my hair and face to them, who had prepared far more extensively than usual, I made plans in my head.

‘First, I should go after the Maids.’

The preparation took a full 4 hours to complete. Still, thanks to starting early in the morning, I was able to depart for the Imperial Palace much earlier than scheduled.

“Princess Rosen has arrived!”

When I appeared wearing a white dress, the Attendants competed to loudly announce my arrival.

The Dragon’s companion. The Crown Prince’s prospective fiancée.

Everyone bowed their heads before that authority.

Before I knew it, Holy Knights had also lined up behind me. The dignity was indescribably imposing.

“Congratulations.”

The aged Butler bowed to me and spoke.

“But why did you come so early?”

“Ah.”

I arrogantly lifted my chin.

“If I’m going to take control of the Imperial Palace as the future Crown Princess…”

“What? You’re going to take control?”

“Don’t talk back. Anyway, if I’m going to manage palace affairs well, shouldn’t I start by disciplining the maids? Her Majesty the Empress must be watching to see how well I govern my subordinates. First, I’d like to meet with the head maid.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the head maid was summoned.

I pretended to exchange a few casual words before getting straight to the point.

“How much do you know about that red-haired maid who was murdered 11 years ago?”

“Do you mean Eloise?”

The head maid was somewhat flustered but answered obediently.

“Eloise was a maid who served closely to the Empress at that time. The late Empress Imelda, I mean. Everyone was so busy with the ball that she was discovered too late, and by then she was already dead.”

“It was the very day the Windfarer disappeared, right? There were no traces of murder by weapon on the body.”

“That’s correct. So we thought Eloise had died of a heart attack. We never dreamed that the late Duke Lacroix had strangled her to death. Come to think of it, there might have been red marks on her neck… Actually, no one examined her carefully at the time.”

“Who are the maids who claimed to have witnessed the murder scene?”

The head maid gave me their list.

Since they were working here at that time, it means they all have at least 11 years of experience.

Indeed. When I saw them summoned shortly after, they were all cunning foxes who had grown old bones in the Imperial Palace.

‘But I’m a villainess scoundrel.’

With a bunch of guard knights behind me, I walked over and stood before them.

“Usually when new people come in, discipline tends to become lax, but I won’t be easy on you at all.”

Saying that, I glared directly at each one of them.

Usually when I do this, people shrink like mice before a cat, but these ones were indeed no ordinary people.

The most experienced-looking maid bowed her head and spoke.

“You haven’t even held the engagement ceremony yet, so why are you already trying to establish discipline among subordinates? This is unprecedented.”

“Didn’t everything in the world start without precedent at first? If there’s no precedent, we can create one right now.”

I shot back without batting an eye.

“Among the virtues of subordinates, the most important is honesty. Under no circumstances should you ever deceive your superiors.”

Saying that, I pressed them menacingly.

“Did you really see the late Duke Lacroix strangle that red-haired maid to death? Did you witness it directly with your own eyes!”

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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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