The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 48

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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 48

Everything stopped as if it were a lie.

I quickly stood up, watching the rapidly decreasing timer.

“These things only target you and won’t attack me, so you don’t need to worry about it. Now, we need to hurry. If we drag this out, Aldensis and Zicren will notice.”

“….”

The shock on Ruellian’s face turned into confusion and bewilderment.

“What are you?”

He sharpened his gaze.

“What’s your true identity?”

“I’m just me. What identity is there?”

“Now I understand. You orchestrated all of this, didn’t you? That’s it, right?”

“Stop moving.”

I spoke to Ruellian as he took a step closer.

“Don’t come near me. My hand might accidentally slip and this could activate again. This trap that targets only you.”

Whether my words got through to him, he stopped. I opened my mouth again.

“Yes. I orchestrated everything. But I was also asked to do this by someone.”

“Who?”

“Someone who claimed to be the will of some powerful being whose name cannot be revealed. They told me to prevent the crisis that Aldensis and Zicren would face, and to save you. If left alone, they were destined to kill you using traps like this anytime, anywhere.”

“….”

Ruellian’s expression changed. This must have been a story he never could have imagined.

“Do you understand now? I really brought you here tonight to save your life. And from now on, I plan to completely disable the magic of this space and disappear….”

I spoke quickly up to that point and then looked at the timer.

There were still about 11 minutes left. It wasn’t plenty, but it was enough time to ask someone a question and hear their answer.

I looked at Ruellian again.

“I’m still not sure if you’re a human worth saving.”

Ruellian’s expression changed once more. Even in his confusion, he seemed incredulous.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

With my finger placed on the control panel in mid-air, I said.

“From now on, you need to answer my questions very honestly.”

“What?”

Even in this life-threatening situation, he arrogantly twisted his face.

“Even if you ask me why I’m doing this, I absolutely cannot tell you.”

“Who said I was going to ask that?”

I retorted.

“You’re misunderstanding something. I’m not someone who goes around digging into other people’s secrets. Usually, people who do that die first. Whatever you’re doing, whatever circumstances you have for doing it, I understand it all.”

“Then what are you going to ask?”

What else could I be curious about?

I thought I’d be interrogating Aldensis and Zicren first, but surprisingly, this came first.

My heart pounded at the thought that the opportunity had finally come. I spoke quickly.

“July 13th, when you fought Zicren in the underground passage. Where were you and what were you doing from 7 PM that evening?”

“…?”

Ruellian’s expression changed strangely. Should I say he went from being completely on edge to suddenly bewildered?

“That’s really an unexpected question.”

Finally, the sharp hostility he had been showing softened.

I guess it was that absurd of a question….

But it was very important to me.

I don’t know the exact time Aristina was murdered, but it was definitely at night. The sun would have set around 7:30 PM.

That’s why I asked about his whereabouts from 7 PM. To see how he would answer.

But….

Seeing that he couldn’t readily answer, could it be that he doesn’t have an alibi?

Just as my heart grew cold at that thought, Ruellian opened his mouth.

“Fine. Since my life depends on it, I’ll be honest. At that time, I was just about to steal treasure from Briar’s Trading Company. I was returning with it when I encountered Zicren. You know what happened next, right?”

I hesitated.

Ah. I see. That night he stole something and was returning when he encountered Zicren, so at that time he would have been in the middle of thievery.

The Security Bureau proved that fact. Along with all the newspaper articles and citizens’ testimonies.

‘He has… an alibi.’

It felt like a tightly drawn string of tension had snapped loose.

Considering Ruellian’s fraudulent infiltration abilities I saw earlier, he definitely seemed like a murderer.

But in the urgent situation of stealing and fleeing, would he really stop by the ducal mansion to kill the princess exiled to the annex?

That doesn’t make sense.

And….

My gaze briefly lingered on his arm.

On the leather clothing with obvious torn marks.

‘In a situation where he knew nothing, he first tried to protect me with his own body. Me, whom he dislikes so much. Simply because I shouldn’t die from being caught in a trap.’

The behavior he showed in that urgent situation when his own life was in crisis. It would be difficult for that to be fabricated lies. Rather, it shows his true nature.

‘It seems he’s not someone who would commit murder.’

Ruellian’s name, which had been at the top of the suspect list, fell down below.

I felt strange.

‘Anyway, he’s still a scary person, and I should continue to be careful of him in the future…. But at least he’s moved away from being a suspect.’

I glanced at the timer and saw only 5 minutes and 30 seconds remained. I looked at Ruellian again.

“But why are you curious about what I did that night? Is it important enough to ask about in this situation?”

He was puzzled by himself.

“Don’t worry about such things. We don’t have time as it is.”

I said.

“I’ll turn off this trap and disappear now, so you use your divine power to get out on your own.”

I was about to ask the fairies to completely stop the magic circle when Ruellian suddenly called out to me.

“Wait.”

“I told you we don’t have time. Do you want to die?”

“Not at all.”

He retorted.

“I don’t want to die, that’s why I’m doing this. You can’t just leave like this. You need to tell me before you go. What just happened to me? What kind of method was I subjected to?”

“Anyway, you’ve overcome the crisis.”

I said curtly.

“Be careful from now on. Try not to get involved with Aldensis or Zicren. I’m telling you this because I feel sorry that your clothes got torn because of me. Anything more would be difficult.”

“….”

Ruellian’s brow twitched.

Regardless, I continued trying to operate the control panel….

“Wait a moment.”

He stopped me again.

“Listen to me.”

“I’ll decline any interviews. Forever. The report I made was all lies too.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

His voice sounded so serious that I looked at him.

At that moment I realized.

He really wanted to have a conversation with me. On equal terms.

Just as his suspect ranking had changed in my mind due to this incident, my status as a person seemed to have greatly changed in his mind as well.

I asked.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Of course, I’m not asking for that information for free. I’m suggesting we make a deal.”

“A deal?”

“Yeah.”

He reached deep into his coat and pulled out some object, then tossed it toward me.

When I caught it, it was a key. A key engraved with the image of a two-headed snake.

I asked.

“What is this?”

“Something that every information broker in the Empire would sell their soul to demons to obtain.”

Oh?

That was an intriguing story.

“Really? You’re not planning to backstab me, are you?”

“Me? When my life depends on this?”

Ruellian shrugged his shoulders.

“Whether we can make a deal or not, you’ll know when you come find me. I’ll explain everything in detail then.”

“Where should I come find you?”

“If you look closely, there’s a name written on it. Go to Belmare Port and find the place with that name. Show the key to people in the back alleys and ask around – they’ll guide you.”

“…”

I didn’t understand.

Anyway, the key didn’t look cheap, so it didn’t seem like I’d lose anything by keeping it.

I tucked it safely into my coat.

Now I really had no time left.

“Well then.”

I asked the fairies.

‘Please completely stop the magic circle’s operation.’

The blood-red swords that seemed ready to pour down from the air, the chains that pounced like beasts to bind their targets, the lightning and flames…

Everything suddenly vanished.

Glancing at Ruellian, who wore an expression of complete disbelief, I spoke to the fairies.

‘Now modify the summoning spell and send me back home.’

The dwarf fairies swarmed around the magic circle.

With a pop! sound, the mysterious light that had brought me here once again enveloped my body.

And…

「Don’t forget to ask them to erase all records after the magic circle’s creation at the very end.」

Remembering the words I had kept in mind, I spoke to the fairies.

‘Please cleanly erase all records after the magic circle’s creation.’

「Yes!」

The dwarf fairies hammered away at the magic circle with their tools.

「We’ve erased everything cleanly!」

Soon the countdown reached ’00:00′. Everything before my eyes flew away in brilliant white.

Once again, dizzying vertigo struck me.

‘Ugh…’

To avoid losing my balance, I desperately reached out and grabbed onto anything. Something hard and smooth touched my palm.

“…?”

When I opened my eyes, I was in my bathroom.

I was sitting in the resting chair, with one hand stretched out gripping the bathtub right beside me.

While I was catching my breath from the dizziness, I heard murmuring sounds from outside.

Then suddenly someone tried to open the bathroom door.

I looked at the door in surprise.

Who dares try to invade my bathroom?

When I perked up my ears, I heard a familiar voice.

“The inner latch is locked!”

It was Maid Sophie. Then I heard the voices of other fellow maids too.

“What should we do? This is terrible! We need to do something before it’s too late!”

“Move aside!”

Someone rammed the door with their whole body. The door shook violently, and finally the latch came loose from its hook.

“Push!”

The door swung wide open and the maids poured in.

And…

They came face to face with me, standing there perfectly fine with my wet hair wrapped in a towel and already fully dressed.

“Oh my!”

The maids froze in shock.

“We’re sorry, Young Lady! We’re truly sorry! We heard what sounded like screaming from inside…”

“We thought you had collapsed like that time!”

Ah.

Now I understood.

The maids had forced open the door and rushed in because they were afraid I might be collapsed alone again, like the day Aristina was murdered.

“…”

I felt strange.

Back then, they had just stood around looking down at the Young Lady, criticizing her misdeeds, but this time they urgently broke down the door to check on me.

The voice that had cried ‘This is terrible!’ was definitely sincere.

If something happened to me, the insurance system I created would also fail, and the compensation they were supposed to receive would disappear too.

Even if it was for that reason, I now had maids who genuinely worried about my well-being.

‘That’s fortunate.’

Looking around at the maids, I spoke calmly.

“It’s fine. I just screamed a little because something startling happened. I almost knocked over my wine glass.”

Then I smiled brightly.

“Thank you for worrying about me.”

The maids’ eyes widened. They looked at each other and said nothing for a while.

I shouted loudly.

“Ah, how refreshing!”

And just like someone who had actually finished bathing, I wrapped the towel around my head and left the bathroom.

Now it was all over.

Since I had safely completed my return, it was time to check the results I had achieved.

I sat at my desk.

‘Let’s see…’

When I looked at my wrist, the small magic wand that had been hidden there was flickering and growing faint.

「You did it, child. I shall give you the promised reward.」

The Baby Dragon’s solemn voice was heard.

At the same time, some kind of pattern appeared where the magic wand had disappeared. It seemed to be shaped like lips.

「This is the ‘Truth Interrogation’ authority I promised. The power to hear truthful answers from the Transcendent Ones before you for 5 minutes.」

“Good.”

I nodded.

I had succeeded in obtaining this as planned…

And there was one more thing.

I also took out the small object I had brought in my robe pocket.

The key Ruellian had given me. After holding it in my hand once, I put it in the safe and locked it before anyone could see.

Harvest organization complete.

I was satisfied.

It had been tough running around and working so hard…

‘But this is pretty profitable, right?’

Now it was time to enjoy the rewards.

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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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