The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 175

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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 175

Ruellian, who had been walking away, stopped.

It seemed he heard my voice.

It was a success if you could call it that, but there was one problem.

Even though I had clearly shouted with all my strength, my voice wasn’t as loud as I thought. It had barely reached Ruellian’s ears.

Moreover, after shouting just once like that, my strength was completely drained and I collapsed again. I returned to that paralyzed state like before.

Ruellian looked at me, then clicked his tongue lightly and muttered.

“Now I’m even hearing things…”

His tone suggested he found himself pathetic.

‘No. It’s not a hallucination.’

My words couldn’t break through my lips.

In the silence, only the crackling sound of the campfire could be heard.

Ruellian gazed at me lying on the blanket for a moment before opening his mouth.

“You’re unconscious right now. But if you’re having even a dream, I hope my words reach you through divine blessing. That person is not my father. Given how things have turned out, no one would believe any explanation I give.”

“…”

“People are saying I cooperated in covering up my father’s crimes to hide the family’s shame. They say that because my father failed to kill you, I kept approaching you under the pretext of Amaranthia flower research. To create opportunities for my father to kill you. But…”

He spoke with emphasis.

“I never once deceived you. I hope you know at least that much.”

Then he turned away again. Through my blurry vision, I could see him walking into the darkness at the far end of the cave.

‘No!’

I cried out inwardly.

If we parted like this, it felt like we’d never meet again. At least not as the people we knew each other to be.

I had to clear up the misunderstanding before that happened.

With that thought, I mustered all my strength and writhed once more.

Suddenly my chest opened up and my eyes snapped wide open.

“Wait!”

A loud voice finally burst from my mouth.

At the same time, my body, which hadn’t moved an inch as if paralyzed, sprang into motion.

“…?”

Ruellian turned around.

Seeing me sitting bolt upright, he was startled.

At first, he seemed to doubt his eyes.

But after confirming I had truly awakened, his expression changed completely.

He finally seemed to realize that the “Wait!” from earlier wasn’t a hallucination but really my voice.

“…!”

Ruellian was very flustered.

Naturally. He had thought I was unconscious and had defensively poured out his innermost thoughts.

Moreover, with his father being framed as my would-be murderer, he was in no position to face me.

Ruellian quickly hid himself in the darkness.

“Don’t go!”

I shouted urgently.

“I believe in the Lacroix family’s innocence! That’s why I came here to find the truth! Of course your father isn’t the real culprit! Someone framed the deceased!”

My voice echoed clearly throughout the cave.

“I thought it was suspicious from the beginning. Without even needing to see evidence, I think I already believed it in my heart. That your family isn’t some dirty criminal household.”

As I spoke, I became emotional.

“I wouldn’t fall for such schemes in the first place! I’ve been watching what kind of person you are while we did all sorts of things together! You’re an upright person! So you don’t need to worry that I won’t believe you! Don’t leave, let’s find the truth together!”

I shouted with all my sincerity.

“…”

Ruellian walked out of the darkness and looked at me. His violet eyes were wide open.

“You really have a talent for surprising me in all sorts of ways…”

Should I call this admiration or a sigh?

Words mixed with complex emotions flowed from between his lips.

Indeed, this was the first time he had shown such a surprised expression since we first met.

It was understandable.

Just the fact that I was already awake and had heard everything he said would be shocking enough.

Moreover, I had declared that I believed in House Lacroix’s innocence regardless of any evidence.

That was the complete opposite of what Ruellian had been secretly assuming about my feelings.

From being respected as the High Priest of the Holy Order to suddenly being shrouded in infamy and even wanted.

How must my words have sounded to him in such a situation?

Thinking about that, I could understand Ruellian’s reaction.

“…”

For a moment, we said nothing and just stared at each other blankly.

It seemed like we were having a conversation without words.

After just watching all the complex emotions flickering in each other’s eyes, he finally opened his mouth again.

“Thank you.”

The end of his low, sunken voice trembled slightly.

“Thank you for saying that. Actually… After letting him escape and fleeing to avoid the manhunt, that was what I worried about most… Whether you too would feel betrayed by me like everyone else. Whether I had hurt you. Whether I’d never see you again…”

Then he sighed softly.

“Right. What more is there to hide now? Even in this situation where I’ve lost everything and my life is in danger, I kept thinking only of you. No matter how much I tried to reason with myself that it wasn’t the time for such thoughts, it was useless. I suppose I must love you.”

“…”

My heart made a thumping sound.

I thought that sound must have reached Ruellian’s ears too, but apparently not.

He continued speaking with his eyes slightly downcast.

“I don’t know when it started. I thought it was nice to see you courageously overcome whatever crisis came your way… Then when I learned you were also fearful and had tender sides, there was no turning back. Even when I tried to deny it, my feelings only grew stronger. Now I can’t do anything about my heart either.”

Then he shrugged his shoulders lightly.

“So do as you please.”

With what?

Ah, with his heart?

“…”

I couldn’t say anything and just looked at him.

Unlike his nonchalant attitude, his brow was furrowed.

With this emotion he was experiencing for the first time in his life, he seemed to feel almost pain beyond anguish.

Since he could no longer hide his feelings, his expression was like someone just waiting for my judgment as if awaiting a death sentence.

“…”

I could hear thumping sounds in my ears.

My heart, which had already been pounding, was now beating even more violently.

‘Of course I…’

I remembered when the Founding Festival had just begun and the Empress had called us both to her room.

After I hid behind Ruellian and we had quite a commotion, we came outside and had a conversation.

When I saw his sacred mark being dyed the same color as my eyes, I had thought to myself:

-Maybe this man has feelings for me…?

I hadn’t disliked that thought. Rather, it made me curious to get a little closer to him.

But thinking I was just a possessor who should know my place, I deliberately stepped back.

‘But now…’

There was no need for that anymore.

If so, I wanted to let him know my feelings.

The problem was that I had no idea how to do it.

‘This is my first time with something like this too…’

I was confused for a moment, not knowing what to say or how to say it, but eventually I opened my mouth.

“Um, I’ve been wanting to say this… I broke off the engagement.”

Ruellian immediately lifted his eyes that had been unconsciously lowered. A look of amazement flashed through his violet eyes.

I continued speaking.

“It was a time-limited contract from the beginning. His Majesty the Emperor said it would be better for my safety, and both I and everyone else thought he was right. But it turned out we were wrong. We all made the wrong judgment without knowing the truth. The Imperial Palace was actually one of the most dangerous places.”

“….”

“But even if there hadn’t been such a twist, I feel like I would have made the same decision anyway.”

Looking straight into his eyes that rippled ever so slightly, I said.

“I didn’t know this, but an engagement ceremony is a much more serious event than I thought. You exchange family heirlooms with each other, and receive blessings from the family elders. Such things, even if they’re fake, I don’t want to do with someone I don’t have feelings for. I think it would be better to do it with someone I truly feel that way about.”

That person is you.

To say that much, my tongue wasn’t yet moving as smoothly as my heart wanted.

It can’t be helped. This is my first time with something like this too.

The villainess Aristina was honest about her emotions, but after crossing to another world and struggling for 20 years, she always lived suppressing her voice.

She was so busy just surviving that she couldn’t pay much attention to the emotions in her heart.

As a result, she had somehow become clumsy at expressing emotions.

But fortunately, there are things in this world that can replace words.

The look in my eyes as I gazed at him. And my cheeks that had somehow grown hot. My hands trembling slightly from nervousness.

Such things conveyed my feelings instead.

“….”

A reddish hue gradually spread across Ruellian’s face as well.

A blush that signaled emotional changes he neither knew about nor could control.

He stared at me intently and suddenly said.

“May I hold you just once?”

“….”

I nodded.

Ruellian approached me. Then he spread his arms and truly pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Aristina….”

His embrace as he whispered my name was broad and firm.

We both still felt cold because our clothes weren’t completely dry yet, but we quickly warmed up.

“Ruellian.”

I too called his name, rested my head on his shoulder, and let out a small sigh.

In that moment, the commotion outside, the fate waiting for us, everything disappeared cleanly from my mind.

It felt like I had finally found somewhere to lean on after finishing a long drift at sea.

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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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