The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 195

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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 195

“Since when? I just arrived.”

Father answered curtly.

But looking closely, his clothes were wrinkled and there were shadows under his eyes. He had clearly been waiting here for quite some time until I woke up.

I clicked my tongue.

“I was just sleeping, why didn’t you go rest?”

“….”

Always so perceptive.

Father turned his head away with that expression.

“I was going to, but I remembered when you were severely ill before. I didn’t know you had witnessed a murder at the Imperial Palace and were shocked as a child, so I thought you were just pretending to be sick. I thought you were doing it because you didn’t want to hear nagging and wanted attention.”

Now that he knew the truth, that incident was weighing on his mind.

But wait a moment.

Listening to Father’s words, something suddenly came to mind. It was what Empress Imelda had said to Father before she passed away.

“I want to ask you to protect the Crown Prince and Second Prince well, but I’ll be too busy with my own affairs to dare ask that….”

When I first heard those words, I was distracted by the Windfearer and didn’t think much of it, but now reflecting on it, it struck me differently.

‘Duke Carnel is too busy with his own affairs.’

The reason the Empress said that was because Father was preoccupied with my health problems at the time.

He called it pretending to be sick, but in fact, Father had been worried about me then. I vaguely remembered that.

Throughout the period I was suffering, I kept hearing Father angrily scolding doctors outside the door.

Of course, it’s possible that all the doctors just rubbed him the wrong way.

But the important thing was that those sounds always came from outside my room door.

That meant Father came to my sickroom every day.

If he really thought it was just pretending, would he have done that?

‘We didn’t get along well with each other, but we never completely forgot that we were family.’

Family.

Thinking of that word made me desperately miss one person who wasn’t here.

My vision became blurry.

“I miss Mother so much.”

“Me too.”

Father, who looked like a vampire without an ounce of sentiment, also reddened around his eyes like me.

“But let’s stop crying now. Since we safely overcame the crisis and survived, we can go greet Mother together anytime, can’t we?”

“You’re right.”

Father was right. I smiled with teardrops still hanging around my eyes.

Then.

The Head Butler’s voice came from outside.

“Duke, is the Young Lady awake?”

It seemed the sound of our father-daughter conversation could be heard from outside. Father blinked several times before answering.

“Yes. She’s awake.”

“She’s awake? Then we’d like to see the Young Lady too.”

Three or four people spoke simultaneously.

I hurriedly composed my face and prepared to greet people. My eyes were still moist, which was a bit embarrassing….

The moment the door opened, my tears dried up.

‘What are all these people doing here?’

I stared in bewilderment.

It was quiet outside so I thought only three or four people were standing there, but far from it.

Dozens of people filed in one after another.

That wasn’t the only surprising thing.

These people who entered with our nimble hamster Benjamin leading the way all did the same thing….

“Master, you’re safe.”

“You look healthy, President.”

After saying a word each and checking my face, they turned around and tried to leave. As if it was enough that I had woken up without any problems.

I asked in puzzlement.

“You’re just leaving?”

“You should rest, Master.”

“Huh? No. I just slept well and woke up. I’m perfectly fine. I couldn’t even properly thank you after the trial ended, so where are you going? Everyone stop.”

Then they all stopped walking simultaneously and looked at me with bright faces. It was like watching very well-disciplined soldiers.

How did I end up training these people so well?

“Master, do you know what the Editor-in-Chief and I did to get evidence?”

They surrounded me sitting on the bed and each told their heroic tales. Not only I but everyone was shocked by the story of hiding in a chicken coop to check corruption materials.

While we were all laughing and chatting together.

Perhaps noticing that my gaze kept wandering among the people, Aide Perdel asked.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Ah, I was wondering what happened to Sion….”

I asked softly, trailing off, when an answer came from behind the people.

“I’m here.”

The silver-haired young man who had been near the door, apparently about to leave, turned around with a spin and came forward.

There was no particular expression on Sion’s face. But a seemingly pleased light flashed in his eyes that weren’t wearing an eyepatch.

I’m experienced at analyzing Sion’s expressions, so I must be right? Sion seemed happy that I had looked for him.

Sion immediately approached me and said.

“I really have to return to the labor camp now, but I wanted to confirm that you were safe before going back.”

“I keep telling you I’m perfectly fine. That’s not what’s important, are you okay?”

At my question, Sion nodded.

“Yes. I’m fine too. Of course, I’ll have to work hard at labor in the future…. But many people spoke well of me. Thanks to that, if I continue to live exemplarily, I can occasionally go out and have free visits. If you come visit me from time to time, there would be no greater joy.”

“Of course.”

I answered immediately.

Thanks to Sion throwing himself into danger several times saying he would repay his wrongs, my heart had completely softened now.

Now when I faced Sion, instead of remembering his past misdeeds, the image of the little boy who appeared at the Ducal Mansion in an abused state came to mind first.

I felt I could finally say I had forgiven Sion.

We had a comfortable chat for a while.

“Then I’ll take my leave now.”

When the conversation ended, Sion left with a bright face. Benjamin and several other people also followed, telling me to rest.

When Father and I were alone again, I asked carefully.

“But is Sion really okay? That can’t be possible, right? He overused black magic and became like he had a terminal illness, and he even poisoned himself.”

“Ah, the Holy Order says they’ll treat Sion.”

I was surprised by Father’s answer.

“The Order?”

“Yes. Ruellian made research materials on the process of breaking the dragon language magic curse that remained in his body, and they want to use that to try treating Sion. Also, they’ll detoxify the poison that seeped into Sion’s body using the Order’s secret knowledge passed down from ancient times. They say they’re confident in everything, so don’t worry at all.”

After saying that, Father smiled broadly.

“He says it’s for research purposes, but he probably wants to save Sion, right?”

“That’s right.”

I nodded.

“Seeing how Ruellian deliberately said he would definitely repay his debt to Sion, I guessed he wouldn’t just let it go. But I never thought he’d even mobilize the Order’s secret knowledge to treat him directly.”

“Right. Even considering that Sion helped, it’s quite a big favor.”

Father agreed with me.

“Why, didn’t that friend once tell me something like this? That the reason he was kind to me was because we dukes needed to stick together. I just accepted it at the time….”

He raised one eyebrow.

“Thinking about it, maybe he was already thinking of our House of Rosen as family back then. Don’t you think?”

“….”

“I like that friend. Probably any father with a daughter would think so. Is it too early to say such things?”

“….”

I was flustered by Father’s words.

I thought I was maintaining my expressionless face well since I had thick skin, but…

Seeing Father’s face twitch as if he was holding back laughter made me suspicious, so I looked at the mirror hanging on the wall, and my cheeks were dyed red.

Father said with a grin on his face.

“Anyway, all suspicions about him have been cleared, so not only did he immediately regain his position, but he also tracked down the clues right away and safely recovered his father’s remains. So how about going to the Order to congratulate him? He must be eagerly waiting for you.”

“…I understand.”

I stood up from my seat, avoiding Father’s gaze.

It was about time to start moving anyway.

While Princess Aristina Rosen, who had been strictly maintaining order in high society, was briefly absent as a wanted person, rumors had reached me that various fake villainesses had appeared.

It was time to restore order again.

‘Well then, shall I make my move?’

A little later.

‘Princess Aristina, who caused an unprecedented scandal by allegedly attempting to assassinate both the Crown Prince and Second Prince simultaneously, but ultimately cleared her name and made a spectacular return. As soon as the trial ended, she appeared before people in her usual dazzlingly gorgeous form as if nothing had happened…’

Imagining such newspaper articles, I immediately began my official activities.

The first schedule was, of course, visiting the Holy Order.

As I entered the magnificent main hall of the Main Temple, I immediately saw Ruellian.

Sacred white robes embroidered with golden thread, contrasting sharply with his black hair. His unique violet eyes that couldn’t be seen anywhere else.

His face, boasting beauty as if God had crafted it with special favor, seemed to shine even more today.

Seeing Ruellian like that suddenly made my heart flutter.

All the countless things we had experienced. The confession under the sea and the trial we overcame by relying on each other.

Was all of that just magic created by those moments, and would it disappear when everything returned to normal? Were those moments just like a midsummer night’s dream?

Such thoughts occurred to me.

But…

“Aristina!”

Seeing him stop his conversation with the people around him as soon as he saw me, putting everything aside and hurrying toward me, I realized that I had been having strange delusions again.

This wasn’t magic or a dream.

It was reality.

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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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