The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 30

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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 30

This was a situation I had never anticipated at all.

No matter how desperately Aristina had wished for it, Aldensis would never extend his hand to her.

But now, that precious hand of his was placed right before my eyes.

Unfortunately, that hand held no value or meaning for me now.

‘What is he doing?’

Perhaps my doubt showed too clearly in my eyes, as Aldensis’s flawless face slightly contorted.

“Why won’t you take my hand, Princess?”

Only then, as if remembering belatedly, a smile appeared on his face. That radiant smile that was his trademark.

“Strangely enough, you demanded an escort from Ruellian. Has your mind changed again today? But that’s unfortunate. I am a prince and you are a princess, and today is the day we forge a new contract, so it’s only natural that I escort you.”

Please take your hand away.

His words were so proper and precise that I couldn’t dare make such a statement.

But…

‘So you’re going to act like nothing happened?’

I had no idea what he was thinking. I stared directly into his emotionless blue eyes.

Aldensis asked again.

“Isn’t that right, Princess?”

“…”

People had stopped their conversations and were looking our way.

I silently extended my hand and lightly grasped Aldensis’s hand.

Through the white gloves, I couldn’t feel any warmth.

How very like him.

“That’s right.”

The Crown Prince smiled like a painting.

“Let’s forget past misunderstandings and get along well from now on.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I answered respectfully.

But…

‘Does he think I’ll forget?’

Through the memories stored in my mind, I had clearly seen Aldensis’s other face.

And that wasn’t all. I had experienced it directly just the day before yesterday.

When I was caught hiding in the ballroom preparation room, he personally showed me. The fact that he could easily destroy someone like me if he set his mind to it.

Then when Ruellian appeared, he instantly put his mask back on.

He was someone who could hide his inhumanity perfectly in front of others.

‘But does he think I’ll forget that?’

I walked with an expressionless face, holding Aldensis’s hand.

I could see Zikren ahead, still surrounded by people.

“I don’t know! Go away! Stop it!”

As if he had finally exploded from holding back, he shouted angrily at the people.

His particularly sharp-looking fangs. His bold clothing that exposed his body without caring about his prince status. His unpredictable, ghost-like movements.

People said that Zikren was less humanized than his brother Aldensis.

But from my perspective, it was the opposite.

Aldensis never left even a single uniform button loose, always maintaining perfect etiquette and manners.

Of the two brothers, he was the more inhuman one.

Though both were pretty much the same anyway. The fact that I was touching fingertips with such an Aldensis made me extremely uncomfortable.

‘I want to let go quickly.’

Just then.

Queen Aunt spotted me and looked at me with a pleased expression.

“Has the Princess arrived?”

“Queen Aunt!”

I acted as if I was startled and quickly threw off Aldensis’s hand. Then I stuck close to Queen Aunt’s side.

“Now, let’s all take our seats.”

The Great Spirit also came over after finishing his conversation with Duke Carnel.

Soon the ceremony began.

After reading the congratulatory message sent by His Majesty the Emperor, Aldensis gave a short speech.

Next, there was a procedure to add a golden pattern to our Black Rose Trading Company’s mark. It was the Imperial Palace’s emblem, indicating we were contractors with the Imperial Court.

“We will work hard!”

I held up our company’s signboard high toward the people.

As applause poured out, the uncomfortable feeling from Aldensis completely disappeared.

Perhaps due to the natural light, Duke Carnel’s complexion also seemed to look a bit better. It seemed I had succeeded in slightly raising his survival probability today as well.

‘Yes. Good.’

The official event for external appearances ended well like this.

“Through this business, our Imperial Court will draw closer to the citizens of the Empire…”

Aldensis and Zikren immediately held a press conference, while the Great Spirit, Queen Aunt, and I sat down to have tea.

“Phew. Now I can finally breathe easy.”

“Indeed.”

I glanced at the two elderly people with relieved faces.

A transcendent being like the Great Spirit wouldn’t need to isolate me in the annex to kill me. He had no motive for murder either. Queen Aunt also had no motive for murder. Honestly, she probably didn’t have the energy for it either.

Since these two had a remarkably low probability of being the culprit, I felt somewhat more relaxed too.

“You’ve worked hard. After being backstabbed like that, when I looked back, I realized you had prepared quite extensively.”

“Haha.”

Queen Aunt laughed while fanning herself.

“I’ll confess now, but there were several times I was greatly startled.”

“Why?”

“Someone kept trying to extract information with extremely skillful methods. I barely managed to shake them off by putting all my effort into creating a smokescreen… If it weren’t for the intelligence experience I accumulated during 70 years of living in seclusion in the Imperial Palace, I would have been completely exposed. Their information gathering ability was truly remarkable.”

“…”

That person would be Ruellian, of course?

Actually, this morning I had asked Benjamin to do something.

To find out the name of the investor in our company – that is, the other identity Ruellian was using to hide his true identity.

But…

When we contacted the General Assembly, the answer came back that the investor had already withdrawn from the contract. Saying he had invested by mistake because his hand slipped.

The General Assembly said they couldn’t tell us anything more and showed reluctance.

‘He thoroughly erased all traces of his involvement in this matter.’

I thought I had gotten him good, but at times like this, the back of my head felt cold again.

‘I wonder what kind of story there is behind this.’

I lowered my gaze. I could see the bottom of the teacup was visible.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

“Ah, you should take this. It’s materials about the work you’ll be doing.”

“Thank you.”

Duke Carnel seemed to have already left, so I said goodbye to the Great Spirit and Queen Aunt and parted ways.

Since a failing company had suddenly contracted with the Imperial Court, there were many things to handle.

After sending Benjamin off with the new signboard and telling him to process several documents, I was quickly crossing the Imperial Palace Garden to return home when…

Rustle.

Suddenly I sensed someone’s presence.

The moment I stopped in surprise, someone silently jumped down from the tree right in front of me.

Gasp.

I cried out in shock.

“What!”

“What do you mean what!”

The person who jumped down gracefully like a leopard was none other than Zikren.

“I was more surprised than you! Why are you suddenly yelling? You know I always move around like this. Did you suddenly become a coward or something, Princess Aristina Bianca Rosen?”

What kind of shameless attitude is this? I was dumbfounded.

“Even if I know your movement habits, anyone would be startled if you lurk in secret like that and suddenly jump down. Don’t you think so, Prince Zikfriedren?”

Zikren seemed to have nothing to say as he clicked his tongue and turned his head away before responding.

“I wasn’t lurking. I was waiting for you. You always pass through this path.”

I had been walking without thinking, just looking at the direction, but it was indeed a path I used to take often.

But… what did he say?

I looked Zikren up and down.

“Waiting? Why?”

“Stop dropping things like this on the ground as you walk around.”

He flicked his fingertip.

Something sparkling flew toward me.

I flinched thinking it would hit my face, but it stopped in mid-air by itself.

The object spinning round and round as if caught in the wind was a red teardrop-shaped ruby ornament.

It was a familiar item.

“This is mine…”

When I reached out to touch it, indeed one ruby teardrop was missing from my left earring.

I retrieved the ruby floating in the air.

“You have sharp eyes. Thank you.”

“Hmph! It’s not like I wanted to find it. I was startled thinking it was a drop of my blood on the ground.”

Zikren replied like that and unconsciously reached out to press his side firmly.

I hadn’t noticed before, but now I could see bandages peeking out from under his short top.

I asked in confusion.

“It’s still not healed?”

“It had healed but tore open again. Why? It’s natural since I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

Zikren said bluntly.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now. Since I have a new contractor instead of Queen Aunt, it’ll be resolved soon.”

His golden eyes glanced at me repeatedly.

His eye color is quite pretty. Except when his pupils become elongated like a dragon’s sometimes. Just like this.

“Anyway, I see you differently now, Aristina. Finding Ruellian to clear your false accusations and snatching up the contractor position this time. You seem a bit smarter. Strangely unfamiliar.”

“Huh? No, no. I just came to my senses a bit because I was so wronged during my confinement. I’m still the same scoundrel you know.”

“Hmph.”

Zikren unconsciously crossed his arms then released them with an “Ow!”

‘People won’t misunderstand that I hit him, will they?’

I looked around.

Beyond the people taking walks, I could see the garden with the fountain.

Come to think of it, that’s where Zikren confessed to me when we were young. Zikren also followed my gaze to look at that place, then quickly turned his head away.

“By the way, you. If you don’t like my brother anymore… do you happen to like someone else? I’m asking because I think I should protect that person now.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not interested in any man. Not now, not ever.”

“Really?”

Zikren raised an eyebrow.

“If you don’t have any schedule like parties or dates, try scheduling a trip to the mine right away. As you can see, my wound hurts quite a bit…”

“By the way, how did you get hurt that day? What was His Highness the Crown Prince doing that only you got injured?”

“My brother was probably working in his study. I went out alone that day.”

So Aldensis doesn’t have an alibi either?

Well, I thought that might be the case.

“It wasn’t going out, it was a duel, right? Who on earth was bold enough to attack you like that?”

I observed him with sharp eyes and probed subtly… but Zikren showed a bewildered reaction.

“Who said that? That I had a duel?”

“Then what was it?”

“You have no idea what happened that night, do you?”

Zikren shrugged his shoulders.

“Do you know who attacked me? You’d be shocked if you knew.”

I asked.

“Who was 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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