The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 37
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 37
It was a round pumpkin-shaped pink carriage.
From top to bottom, it was covered in jeweled decorations that sparkled brilliantly.
The carriage was pulled by two white horses, which also wore pink jeweled ribbons around their necks.
This isn’t right.
This really isn’t right.
Where should I even begin to point out the problems?
“Um… Zikren. This kind of carriage won’t do.”
“Why? It’s flashy.”
He asked back innocently.
“We need to advertise everywhere that we’re working hard on our new business. And most importantly, it’s also a style you like. I worked so hard to prepare this.”
Behind Zikren’s shoulders as he spoke confidently, I could see a picnic basket placed neatly inside the carriage.
‘This is getting worse and worse.’
It seems there’s some very big misunderstanding…
“I appreciate you preparing it, but anyway, it won’t do. First of all, the carriage is too small.”
“Too small?”
Zikren tilted his head.
“How much bigger of a carriage do you want? Should we two take an 8-seater?”
At that moment.
The door behind me swung wide open and the Duke’s knights came pouring out in a commotion.
“Young Lady, let’s go.”
Zikren was flustered.
“What? Just the two of us going is fine! Your subordinates aren’t needed. Don’t you know that my power alone surpasses several knight orders?”
Good heavens. If that’s the case, then we definitely shouldn’t go alone together, should we?
Zikren is simple and sometimes closer to wild than just untamed… But he’s still clearly a Transcendent One.
He’s helpfully driving that point home himself so I won’t forget.
I said primly.
“That doesn’t make sense. Earlier you said your wounds hadn’t healed so your body wasn’t back to normal. Now you’re saying you alone surpass several knight orders?”
“Th-that’s…”
“And there’s one fact you’ve overlooked – those knights aren’t my subordinates, they’re Father’s subordinates. They’re not coming to protect me, but to stop me. Father personally lent them to me in case I do something outrageous to His Precious Highness again.”
I gestured with my chin toward the knights.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes, Young Lady!”
The knights and I all climbed into our family’s super-large carriage. Zikren had no choice but to get on too.
“…”
His expression looked dejected.
Being squeezed among the knights and rattling along in a military carriage – this wasn’t the picture he had imagined at all.
‘Even though you’re a prince, I feel sorry for you, but…’
You’re still a super-grade suspect to me.
If I do well with the task I was asked to do and gain interrogation authority, then Zikren’s charges will definitely be clarified, but not yet.
I need to be careful.
To prepare for unexpected situations, it’s good to bring at least one or two witnesses.
With such thoughts, I leisurely turned my gaze to the scenery outside the window.
Actually, being a military carriage, it wasn’t very comfortable. But fortunately, I only had to endure it for a little while. The destination, the Imperial Mining District, was in the outskirts of the capital.
Originally, it could have been even closer. According to the manual that Queen Aunt had carefully written for me, it went like this:
The location of the mine where you obtain the ‘World Tree’s Lullaby’ can be decided at the contractor’s discretion.
Therefore, usually it’s conveniently hidden in one of your own mines.
The problem is that I don’t have a single mine. They were all confiscated due to management failures.
‘So I had no choice but to temporarily borrow the Imperial mining district.’
I carefully watched the scenery rapidly passing by outside the window.
“Is it over there?”
Beyond the road that had been widened for transporting ores, I could see desolate mines.
Supervisors and miners were making noise as they worked. Since we had informed them in advance, everyone stopped working and gathered around when our carriage arrived.
“Your Highness, Young Lady! Welcome!”
“No, don’t come to greet us! We’ll look around ourselves, so everyone just continue working.”
“Ah, yes.”
Zikren immediately dismissed the people. Then he turned toward me.
“Can you see it?”
“Wait a moment.”
I took out the contractor’s symbol I had prepared – the piece of wood I received from the Great Spirit.
‘Queen Aunt said she connected it to this area…’
Something like a small butterfly popped out of the wood piece and lightly touched my eye.
The next moment.
I spotted a mine that was truly twinkling with light. When my gaze turned toward it, the light became even brighter.
“It seems to be over there.”
When I walked a couple of steps in that direction, suddenly a transparent barrier enveloped me. The mining scenery with workers coming and going suddenly disappeared.
At the same time, a magic circle-like formation appeared on the ground. Warm and soft light leaked from it, surrounding the area.
“Where? I can’t see it. Ah, is it here?”
Zikren also quickly entered the transparent barrier.
At that moment.
The light changed into sharp spears and surrounded him. It seemed to be wary and threatening.
“What’s this?”
Zikren immediately stepped in front of me.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe with me here.”
Red energy of the Red Dragon rose from his hands, and his whole body entered a tense defensive stance. He looked like a combat machine.
But…
“Zikren.”
I called him quietly.
He turned around and was flustered.
Pillars made of light were swaying toward me, acting cute.
If the light on Zikren’s side was like a sharp beast, this side was like a puppy rolling over to show its belly.
“You were the only one filming a war movie.”
“Gasp…”
Zikren blushed with embarrassment.
“Calm down. I’m the person paying money for this thing. I just came to see it in person since it’s our first transaction.”
At the mention that this person was the financier, the light settled down again. But as if still wanting to be on guard, it circled around Zikren.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a case like this?”
Zikren tilted his head.
‘I guess it’s because of this.’
I glanced at the pattern on the inside of my wrist.
Beyond the contract itself, I had additionally received a request from some powerful being I saw through the World Tree. So that’s probably why it’s giving me special protection like this.
‘This is very good?’
In front of me with my eyes shining, the World Tree’s mine finally appeared.
It looked somewhat distant from the word ‘mine.’ With its appearance of dark green vines covering the entrance like curtains, it looked more like a ‘secret garden.’
I approached it.
“Do I just go in?”
“Wait. Wait.”
Zikren gestured for me to step back.
“I’ll go in first. You never know what might be there.”
Then he stepped forward and parted the tree vines that hung like curtains. He looked inside and tilted his head.
“There’s nothing here?”
“Really?”
I peered inside over his shoulder.
The interior of the mine looked like the surface of an ancient dead tree. It was rough and wrinkled, as if no life existed there.
But…
“Let me take a look.”
The moment I, the contractor, stepped inside, the space changed.
A mysterious song echoed through the cave-like mine interior, and sap-like lumps began to form on the surface that resembled old tree bark.
Green gems containing the mysterious song—the ‘World Tree’s Lullaby.’
“Oh…”
Zikren looked around in admiration.
The radiance of the emeralds reflected fully in his golden eyes. They looked like a dragon’s eyes gazing curiously at a Christmas tree.
“Go ahead and harvest some, Aristina.”
Right. To properly collect payment, I need to verify that the goods are in good condition first.
I reached out and plucked one of the emeralds that had formed on the wall.
“Here. Try testing it.”
“Hmm…”
Zikren took the gem and looked around.
“That spot over there looks good. Aristina, you can’t look, okay?”
He went to a dark corner in the depths of the mine and carefully rolled up the bottom of his short top. Underneath, white cloth was layered.
When he lifted the cloth, a long wound was visible. He had avoided vital spots, but it looked quite serious.
“Ah.”
He carefully removed the cloth completely, being mindful not to irritate the wound. Then he sneakily checked in my direction…
Seeing that I was watching him with wide eyes, he froze like stone.
“You, you said you wouldn’t look?”
“When did I say that?”
I kindly explained to him.
“You told me not to look, but I never gave you any answer. So doesn’t that mean I might look?”
“But, but…”
“It was strange to tell me not to look in the first place. How do I know what you might do hiding in the darkness? Rather, this is a situation where I should keep my eyes wide open and watch properly… Huh? This is amazing.”
Zikren began creaking like a broken machine at my words.
“You, you’re a grown young lady who doesn’t know shame, how can you look at a man’s chest and say, say such things…”
“What are you talking about, Zikren?”
I pointed at his wound.
“The effect is amazing.”
“Huh?”
Only then did Zikren look down at his own chest.
The wound that had been festering with dried blood clots was rapidly healing on its own.
It was because of the light.
His entire body quickly absorbed the brilliant light emanating from the emerald. As if it had been starving for it.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————