The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 183

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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 183

‘Let’s get to a safe place quickly.’

When I gestured with that meaning, Ruellian nodded.

We walked briskly through the long corridor of the Imperial Palace, carrying Grace with us.

As expected, the sight of the two of us holding a child passed through people’s field of vision without any particular sense of discord.

Not only that, but it even seemed to neutralize the distinctive appearance of Count and Countess Calliente, making us look more ordinary and familiar. We had taken on a domestic appearance.

‘Good.’

At this rate, we could leave the Imperial Palace without any interference, return to the rented mansion, and have a conversation with Grace.

That would have been the ideal progression, but…

“…Mmm.”

Not long after we exited the corridor, Grace suddenly squirmed. It seemed she was regaining consciousness.

“Already?”

A puzzled light flashed in Ruellian’s eyes.

Normally it wouldn’t be time for her to wake up yet, but it seemed Grace was desperately trying to regain consciousness with all her might.

Before long, she began to squirm violently. Sounds of “Mmph! Mmph!” began to leak out.

A few people glanced over at us.

At this rate, it seemed impossible to take her outside the Imperial Palace.

We had no choice but to change our plan and head to the Secret Garden of the Imperial Palace, which we had used several times before when having private conversations. After entering through the cleverly hidden revolving wall behind the foliage plant pot, Ruellian set Grace down on the ground.

“…!”

Grace glared at us and waved her hands.

She seemed to know well why she had been kidnapped. Although I was currently in disguise, the only person who would kidnap Grace was Aristina Bianca Rosen.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Unclear mumbling like an animal’s howl burst from between Grace’s lips. It seemed to mean she wanted us to let her go.

“You might think there’s no point in having this forced meeting since you can’t speak anyway, but…”

Ruellian looked down at Grace and raised divine power in one hand.

“I don’t think that way at all. As I said before, this is also to save your life, so please cooperate.”

As he said this and brought his hand to Grace’s neck, black energy rose from that spot.

The stigmata that had appeared on Ruellian’s chest at some point absorbed all of that energy.

I had heard that high-ranking priests who could use healing magic could also transfer others’ diseases and wounds to their own bodies. Though that didn’t mean the priest would actually get sick.

Ruellian used that ability to transfer Grace’s nerve damage to his own body and treat it on the spot.

“…!”

Perhaps feeling her body rapidly improving, Grace’s face was colored with shock.

She let out a single scream and resisted roughly. I grabbed the old woman’s thin arms.

“Calm down. As long as you know the secret the murderer is trying to hide, you can never be safe either. We’re the only ones who can protect you.”

“…”

Eventually, the treatment was finished.

Grace silently let her hands drop.

She seemed to realize that no matter what she did, she couldn’t stop us.

On her wrinkled face, instead of a defiant expression, a look of despair appeared. It was a face that looked utterly devastated.

“So it has come to this after all.”

A long sigh escaped from her lips.

“Poor young people. To be so determined to die at such a promising age…”

“…?”

Ruellian and I looked at each other with puzzled faces.

Something was strange.

There was sympathy in Grace’s eyes.

She seemed to genuinely pity us and feel sad about this situation. I could also sense her self-reproach that she had tried to prevent this but ultimately failed.

The old woman’s cloudy eyes turned toward me.

“As soon as I heard that Young Lady had gathered the maids who testified about that incident, I knew. That it was only a matter of time before I would be questioned. But my mouth opening means death. Thinking that no more people should die, I sealed my own tongue, but…”

What?

I doubted my ears.

Grace was now saying something I had never expected.

Not to conceal the truth, but to save me, she had deliberately taken that drug to become unable to speak?

“What do you mean by that?”

Ruellian asked with raised eyebrows.

“You say your mouth opening means death. Are you under some kind of curse?”

“Yes. A curse.”

Grace said as if spitting out the words.

“That person tried to kill everyone related to the incident, but couldn’t bring himself to do anything to me alone. Because Her Majesty the Empress considered me family. Even just before she passed away, she earnestly begged him once more not to kill me…”

She continued speaking calmly.

“Instead, he placed a curse on me. If someone discovered that this old woman knew the truth of the incident and questioned me… The moment I exchanged even a single word, an ancient powerful curse would activate and devour the other party…”

Suddenly the sky darkened.

No, this expression isn’t accurate.

What had been the sky until just now disappeared. The secret garden that had existed perfectly fine just moments ago vanished without a trace in an instant.

Darkness began to fill that space.

Like pouring black paint over all colors. As if trying to erase Ruellian and me from this world.

Grace spoke with a bitter face.

“This evil ancient curse would not attack me according to Her Majesty the Empress’s will, so I could have avoided it if I wanted to… But now that it has come to this, this old woman will also abandon all attachments and go to Her Majesty’s side. Together with those innocent young people…”

And she sat down and closed her eyes.

At the same time, darkness began to surge toward us like a tsunami.

“An ancient curse. With just that information alone, it’s difficult to respond…”

Ruellian said this while drawing his whip and swinging it.

At a glance, stopping this bizarre phenomenon didn’t seem so simple. Even when the darkness was scattered by the whip, it would quickly gather again and approach us.

The moment one strand lunged at Ruellian…

Thwack!

With a powerful impact sound, the mass of darkness shattered and scattered.

“…?”

To Ruellian, who looked over in surprise, I waved the fan I was holding in my hand.

It was the very fan that Zikren had prepared for me just before we escaped. He had said he charged it with some magic power, and its power was truly impressive.

“Perhaps because it contains dragon power, this is better for dealing with ancient curses?”

My triumph was short-lived.

It soon became clear that even this wasn’t much use against the endlessly rising darkness. It bought us a little more time, but that was all.

My vision went dark.

‘I’ve tried so hard to survive no matter what crisis came my way until now. But this time, something might really go wrong.’

As that thought occurred to me, my body moved on its own and stepped forward. Toward Ruellian, who was struggling to block where the darkness was spreading most powerfully.

He looked at me with a surprised face.

“Why did you come here? You should be thinking about staying as far away as possible.”

“…”

Instead of answering, I stood beside him.

I just wanted to do that.

In the worst case, if I really was going to die, I didn’t want to die alone and miserably like last time.

At the very least, I felt it would be some comfort to breathe my last breath while holding hands with Ruellian.

I thought I now knew what this emotion was without having to define it.

Thinking this made me choke up.

“…”

Even though I didn’t speak, perhaps my emotions were conveyed, as Ruellian also became solemn.

Even while struggling to block the spreading darkness, he painfully extended one hand to grasp mine.

Warm and firm warmth was transmitted to me.

Even if our attempt failed, I felt I could face death with composure…

‘…No, absolutely not.’

As soon as I grabbed his hand, I suddenly heard a frantic voice erupting from within my heart.

‘I want to live! I want to live longer! I want to feel more of this cozy feeling! I want to go to cafes and go on dates and live lovingly together!’

Without realizing it, I shouted out loud.

“I don’t want to die!”

My voice was so thunderously loud that Ruellian beside me jumped in surprise.

I too snapped back to my senses, and my mind began racing rapidly one last time.

In my confused mind, the image of a certain object suddenly came to me.

‘That’s right, I have that!’

Earlier, Sion had given me a World Tree fragment along with the account rings. He said Queen Aunt had ordered him to do so.

Queen Aunt had accumulated experience working as a contractor for decades. Based on that experience, she had judged that the item would be useful for my escape.

‘Right! This mysterious wood fragment can alter space!’

When I went with Zikren to collect the ‘World Tree’s Lullaby,’ activating the power contained in that wood fragment had made a magic circle appear and transformed the space.

It didn’t necessarily have to be in a mining area.

Even when I had my interview at the Imperial Palace Guesthouse, the World Tree’s power had caused earthquake-like vibrations and altered the space.

‘Anyway, doing something is better than just sitting here taking it!’

With one hand, I fumbled inside my dress pocket and hurriedly pulled out the wood fragment Sion had given me. Then I shouted.

“I’m a contractor! Save me!”

In the space already covered in darkness where I couldn’t tell which way was which, a magic circle-like formation appeared.

Warm, gentle light burst forth from the formation, and someone popped out from within it.

An old man with hair sticking out in all directions and puffy, swollen eyes, who clearly looked like he’d been dragged out while sleeping.

It was the Great Spirit.

“Great Spirit!”

Both surprised and delighted, I shouted with all my strength.

“Please save us!”

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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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