The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 46

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 46

A few days ago, in my room.

“I’m going to entrust you with a very important mission.”

I said this in front of maid Sophie and her friends. Then I handed them a certain piece of paper.

It was the thief’s crime notice.

“I need you to forge an exact copy of this.”

“Excuse me?”

The maids were startled. They must have thought this was some absurd order.

But I was completely serious. Based on my careful observation of the maids all this time… they could do it.

The task of selecting the exact color tone in seconds to match the villainess’s subtly changing complexion according to her daily condition.

That situation had forcibly trained their eye for analyzing colors.

The task of drawing lines and applying color to the villainess’s face without a single mistake under extreme tension.

That situation had trained them to handle brushes and pens as skillfully as a master wielding a sword.

When selecting various clothes, the situation of having to accurately choose fabrics with the texture the villainess preferred.

That task had sharpened their fingertip sensitivity to the extreme.

‘Every single moment was special training.’

As I had experienced countless times myself, abuse of power is very immature and vicious behavior. But considering just the current situation… these maids had overcome trials through blood and sweat to become excellent professionals.

‘Now all that’s left is for them to receive compensation worthy of their abilities.’

I believed they would do well with the task I was giving them. And that belief was not betrayed.

“This seems most similar to that paper.”

Mia, the costume-responsible maid with her eyes covered by cloth, said. In her hands fluttered paper that had been found with difficulty in the corner of some stationery shop.

“There wasn’t exactly the same ink, but if we mix this and this and this, we should be able to create a similar color.”

Sophie and Ellen, in charge of makeup, showed me the ink bottles.

With the materials they had worked so hard to gather by running around…

We worked in utmost secrecy in a tightly locked room.

The thief’s notice was very difficult to forge, using old paper that’s rarely used nowadays and ink that had uniquely discolored as if aged.

But fortunately, the content of that notice was very concise. By copying his handwriting exactly, drawing precisely like a painting rather than just writing, we finally succeeded in creating a perfect fake notice.

What came next?

Playing both the drum and the janggu by myself.

“How can such an impossible thing happen!”

I made a fuss with enough intensity to knock people’s souls out.

“When I opened the relic chest with the key and checked it earlier, there was nothing wrong! I locked it right after that, and I had the key with me the whole time! When on earth did that bastard secretly attach the notice?”

“Young Lady! Was there perhaps someone else in the carriage? Someone secretly disguised as a servant of the Duke’s family…”

“There was no one! There wasn’t even space for someone to hide!”

“To infiltrate a carriage, a perfect locked room, and attach a notice to a crown inside a locked box! It’s exactly like his usual behavior. He’s not called a phantom for nothing.”

“Who does he think he is…!”

I shouted while trembling.

“I’d heard rumors, but he really is an arrogant bastard! As if he could easily steal it if he wanted to, brazenly attaching a notice like this! This time he messed with the wrong person! His opponent is this Aristina! I’ll make him taste bitterness!”

“Many people have said that until now, but they were all defeated. There wasn’t a single exception. Items with this notice attached were always stolen on the specified date.”

“This will be the first exception!”

I shouted spiritedly.

“August 11th is tomorrow, isn’t it? Everyone just wait one day. Even after tomorrow night passes and the day after tomorrow morning comes, this crown will still be in this place. Everyone! The thief is actually nothing special. There’s no need to regard him so mysteriously.”

While saying this, I observed Ruellian with my eyes.

Until now, he had probably been thinking only about how to deal with me once the prayer period ended.

For the first time, he was casting his gaze somewhere other than me.

It was the notice.

An expression that this was truly impossible was clearly visible on his face.

‘Yes. That’s exactly the reaction.’

Thinking that everything was going according to my will, I felt tense yet thrilled at the same time. I spoke even louder.

“Why? Does my statement seem wrong? Then all newspaper companies, make a bet with me. If the thief succeeds in stealing this ice crown as predicted, I’ll go to the plaza and personally shave off this abundant blonde hair without leaving a single strand!”

“Are you serious, Young Lady?”

“Of course! Everyone write this down! Conversely, if this crown is safely displayed even after tomorrow passes as I said, then from that point his name becomes ‘loser,’ and all media will absolutely never cover him!”

The surroundings became explosively noisy.

“【Princess Aristina throws down the gauntlet to the thief】! This is tomorrow’s front page!”

“Hurry and tell the editor-in-chief! We need to print an extra edition right away!”

“【Head shaving vs. forced retirement】. We should print plenty too, shouldn’t we?”

Reporters busily making plans. And Aldensis and Zikren with their eyes wide, going ‘Ooh, she really called him out!’ In front of them, Ruellian was at a loss for words.

“…”

The situation had grown too big in an instant.

Of course, he could have just ignored this commotion.

‘But I don’t think that will happen.’

I had put him at a crossroads.

Would he let the spoiled princess damage the thief legend he had worked so hard to build and allow it to become a laughingstock?

Or would he steal the treasure regardless of the consequences to protect the myth of being undefeated?

Obviously the latter.

Since this was a capture plan by fools who didn’t even know his identity anyway. He would definitely choose the latter.

“…”

As if supporting my speculation.

Ruellian’s sharp purple eyes explored every space inside the exhibition hall. Then… he glanced at me lastly.

‘I’ll deal with that person of interest later.’

Something like that thought perhaps. After casting a brief glance at me, he turned around and left.

He was probably going to devise countermeasures.

I deliberately wrote the notice’s date as tomorrow night, not today. The thief would need advance preparation too.

If he’s going to move, tonight would be perfect timing. Right?

“Now, everyone! That’s enough! From now on, this place is a restricted area!”

“All civilians get out! Out!”

When the commotion showed no signs of subsiding, Aldensis and Zikren sternly commanded.

All the excited reporters and onlookers were driven out. Then the exhibition hall door was firmly closed.

Zikren, who had been standing with dignity befitting the Second Prince, finally revealed his true nature.

“I got goosebumps! It really happened just as Aristina said! Like always, that guy mysteriously attached a notice and left!”

Aldensis, who had been expressionless in front of people, also looked somewhat embarrassed.

“I should apologize to the Princess. I guaranteed with my own mouth that it would be difficult, but to succeed so brazenly in luring the thief like this. Is this what feeling ashamed means?”

I laughed and waved my hand.

“Predicting that much is nothing special. What did I even do?”

I only forged a notice. Adding that thought inwardly, I quietly stepped back.

“Then prepare yourselves.”

“Ah, right. Actually, there’s not much to prepare…”

Aldensis approached the display stand and touched the crown.

“I’ll set this crown as the trap location. You won’t be able to see anything, Princess.”

Theoretically that was correct, but… the sight of a golden magic circle forming at his fingertips and disappearing into the crown unfolded before my eyes in ultra-high definition.

“Now when the target of the curse approaches, the trap will activate, and we’ll be summoned right into it.”

Again, theoretically that was correct, but… I could see the summoning circle’s magic patterns passing by them as if ignoring them and connecting to me.

“This is finished. Now we just wait…”

Aldensis suddenly stopped speaking. Someone coming? I wondered… and indeed, footsteps were heard and the Chief of Imperial Security appeared.

“Somehow this time I feel like believing in the Princess.”

He said this with a grinning face, then looked at the Crown Prince brothers.

“That guy will be finished tomorrow night. Since you said there’s nothing special to prepare, why don’t you head to the Imperial Palace?”

“Why?”

“Her Majesty the Empress is urgently looking for both of you.”

“Hmm? Mother is?”

The brothers looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

‘Could it be that Ruellian is secretly pulling strings from behind? Making sure the brothers can’t focus on this, so he can come investigate the scene tonight?’

Aldensis and Zikren obey their parents’ words first and foremost.

So if I could create any reason for the Empress to summon them, I could call them to the Imperial Palace and tie them down there.

‘That’s quite a scale. Something must be happening tonight.’

It seemed I should hurry and prepare as well.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Second Prince. Then I shall take my leave now.”

After curtsying, I hurriedly left that place.

When the trap activates, my body will be immediately summoned into it. Therefore, I needed to be in a place where no one could disturb me.

‘Then it has to be that place, doesn’t it?’

There was only one place that came to mind. As soon as I returned to the ducal mansion, I called the maids.

“Prepare my bath water.”

“Yes, Young Lady! What kind of massage and music would you like?”

“I don’t need any. I want to be alone, so just bring me some cool fruit wine.”

It was a common occurrence for Aristina to hole up in the bathtub at night, drinking alone.

The maids prepared only the fruit wine without thinking much and left.

Just in case, I latched the door and settled into the resting chair beside the bathtub.

‘When will there be a reaction?’

As I quietly stared at the magical pattern carved on my wrist…

At some point, it began to move like a beating pulse.

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

With a strange sensation, my vision opened wide through the misty steam. I could see the entire exhibition hall at a glance. It was like watching a surveillance camera screen.

‘Ooh…’

I opened my eyes wide and watched intently.

The radiance of the luminous stones hanging from the ceiling was pouring down like moonlight onto the ice crown. There were no other signs of presence at all. How long had I been gazing at that sight that never grew tiresome?

Thump, thump.

The movement of the magical pattern pulsating on my wrist suddenly began to quicken.

Hm?

I concentrated even more.

In the silence, a very faint sound suddenly reached me. It was like a metallic click.

‘Has someone entered the department store?’

A radiance suddenly appeared in the darkness outside the exhibition hall. A dazzlingly pure white light. The radiance of divine power.

‘Ruellian!’

He had really appeared.

‘He really appeared like a ghost. Security must be tight because of the advance notice. How does he always slip through so quietly like this?’

Would I be able to learn that secret this time?

My heart also began to pound violently in sync with the pulsation on my wrist.

Soon, from the darkness…

A figure appeared without any presence or sound. I opened my eyes wide.

‘…!’

The appearance of Ruellian that finally emerged.

The moment I saw it, I understood. How he had been able to slip through security like a ghost every time until now.

I couldn’t make a sound and just stared at the scene before my eyes.

‘Wow, so that’s how it was?’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————