The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 49

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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 49

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The night when the phantom thief was predicted to appear.

The scene was crawling with security guards. A tense atmosphere. It was definitely completely different from yesterday.

“…As announced through the media, the on-site security will be commanded by Young Lady Aristina of the Rosen Duchy. Well, that’s just for show…”

The Chief of Imperial Security, who was giving a preliminary briefing, stopped speaking and gaped.

“What is that?”

“You said it was just for show?”

Everyone stirred.

Even in the twilight, heavily armed knights from the Duke’s family were swarming in, gleaming.

Under my command, Aristina Bianca Rosen.

‘Hehehe…’

Watching the people gaping, I quietly let out a smile.

Mobilizing the knights wasn’t difficult. When I said I’d pay a special bonus of 10 times the basic salary from my own pocket, the positions were filled in the blink of an eye. They instantly surrounded the department store and set up camp.

“No, Young Lady…”

The Chief of Imperial Security stared at me with wide eyes.

“Hunting clothes, a whip, and even hunting dogs?”

“I prepared a little. How is it?”

“It’s truly magnificent! If I were 30 years younger, I would have knelt before you and sworn my loyalty. But…”

He lowered his voice and whispered.

“Your job was finished with luring the phantom thief. Since the real capture operation will be carried out by the two Highnesses hiding inside the building, you just needed to play along appropriately, didn’t you?”

“No, no.”

I shook my head vigorously.

“A stupid villainess who doesn’t know her place and runs wild, claiming she’ll catch the phantom thief. That’s my role today. Taking responsibility for provoking the phantom thief, I’ll faithfully complete that role to the end!”

“Ohhh…”

People exclaimed in admiration.

Just by not giving up on something I started halfway through, I earned the crowd’s admiration. As expected, living as a villainess is easy money.

Everyone was making it too obvious that they had no expectations of me whatsoever.

‘But I have a very important reason for coming here today.’

I found out that Aldensis and Zikren were apparently caught up in a meeting with my stepmother last night for quite a while before being released.

Meanwhile, Ruellian safely escaped, and since he erased all records through his power, they didn’t notice anything.

So there was nothing to get in the way.

I need to quickly use the interrogation power I obtained.

And as a bonus…

“I, Aristina, will handle this place, so Chief, why don’t you take everyone and go home early?”

I’ll also prevent people from suffering needlessly.

I can’t say that the phantom thief won’t appear tonight, but at least I can help everyone suffer less, right?

You have to accumulate good deeds to live long.

“Come, come. I’ll do the patrol, so everyone sit down. What are you doing? Why aren’t you passing around the drinks?”

“Here is the encouragement liquor our Young Lady prepared for everyone.”

“Everyone sit down with your drinks. Light a bonfire and play card games!”

I had the security guards sit comfortably and walked around a few times, taking the hunting dogs for a walk.

The knights also tried to do something, but since I was working so enthusiastically, they couldn’t interfere.

“Ah… Then we’ll go report to His Highness the Crown Prince inside.”

“I’ll do that too. I was planning to go inside and take a look anyway.”

I led the hunting dogs into the department store.

In the glow of the luminous stones, only the products in the display cases quietly reflected light.

The leaves of the broad-leaved trees decorating the interior cast large shadows on the floor.

It really felt like a phantom thief might suddenly appear. At least the atmosphere was right.

I looked around.

‘They said they were hiding inside, but where exactly are they? I don’t even sense their presence.’

The Duke’s hunting dogs led the way, sniffing the ground as they advanced.

But at some point, the dogs that had been bravely moving forward suddenly tucked their tails and began hesitating.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

The dogs were very conscious of one particular spot. I examined that area carefully. Then I discovered it.

‘Isn’t that Zikren?’

A red-haired man wearing a tight, short top was sitting on top of a crescent-shaped structure.

He was resting his chin on his hand, lost in thought. Then, as if sensing my gaze, he suddenly turned his head to look this way…

He was so startled he almost rolled down.

“Aristina!”

Zikren barely managed to hang onto the structure to maintain his balance as he shouted.

“What brings you here? I thought you’d finished your work and would just come to watch us catch and interrogate the phantom thief.”

“How could that be? Since I participated in the operation, I have to work hard until the end.”

As I replied and walked forward, the hunting dogs whined. Then they lay flat on the ground, trembling as if they couldn’t approach any further.

‘Ah, I see.’

The reason the dogs were so frightened was because Zikren was a transcendent who inherited dragon bloodline. A being that creatures instinctively fear.

Zikren looked at the hunting dogs.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

When he reached out to calm them, the dogs buried their heads on the ground and made whimpering sounds.

“I said it’s okay.”

Zikren knelt on one knee and petted the dogs’ heads. The dogs finally calmed down and wagged their tails. A smile spread across Zikren’s face.

‘Right. Zikren liked animals.’

A fragment of memory from my mind surfaced.

“I want to pet the puppies too! But they all tremble and run away…”

Little Zikren hung his head with a dejected face. His chubby cheeks drooped along with it.

“Hmph! What’s a prince doing worrying about such things? His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t act like that!”

Little Aristina arrogantly lifted her chin.

“Follow me! This Young Lady Aristina will solve it for you!”

“Huh? Wait! That way is…”

That was the memory.

‘It wasn’t bad back then. As we grew up, we drifted apart, and now we’re in a situation where I’m suspecting alibis to determine if he’s a murderer or not.’

Watching Zikren happily playing with the hunting dogs wagging their tails and rubbing their heads, I thought, ‘He must have forgotten about that time,’ but…

“Ah, I should only pet them a little. At this rate, we’ll get scolded again.”

From his teasing tone, it seemed he remembered it very well.

I pretended not to hear and called the hunting dogs back.

“What are you doing here, Zikren? You’ll be summoned immediately when the phantom thief falls into the trap anyway, so wouldn’t it be better to go somewhere and sit quietly?”

“The sun hasn’t completely set yet. I was wondering if he might have installed some device. Let me just check around Exit 4 one last time.”

“I already checked there.”

“Then Exit 3.”

“I thoroughly checked there too.”

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and spoke confidently.

“‘The secret to the phantom thief’s mysterious crimes is sneaking into the scene beforehand and setting up secret devices.’ I think I read that hypothesis too, so I checked everything.”

“What’s gotten into you, Aristina? That’s really impressive.”

Zikren’s golden eyes widened. Then he immediately smiled mischievously.

“Then can I play around a bit?”

“Oh, yes, yes. Go play.”

Don’t work for nothing.

When I encouraged him like that, Zikren’s eyes lit up as he looked at a palm-like tree right next to him.

“That looks good.”

The next moment, his figure disappeared. In the blink of an eye, he had leaped to the top of that distant tree.

I was shocked.

Is he even human?

‘Right, he’s not human.’

Zikren reached down from the tree top and picked a round ball-like fruit. Then he jumped straight down to the ground while standing upright.

“Fetch!”

When he threw the fruit, the dogs ran after it in a tumbling rush.

“Hahaha! Cute little things.”

Zikren looked at the dogs with a bright smile.

But then.

Suddenly the smile completely disappeared from his face. Something flashed, and before I knew it, his back was blocking my view.

“What’s wrong?”

I asked in confusion, then I too was startled.

There was a rustling sound of leaves from ahead. Along with a very suspicious presence.

“….”

I could see the back muscles of Zikren in front of me tensing up. With his posture slightly lowered, he looked like a beast ready to attack immediately.

I stared intently beyond his back.

It couldn’t be, but surely it wasn’t Ruellian?

Then.

“Huh?”

Zikren suddenly relaxed and said.

“It was my brother.”

From deep inside the indoor garden, the Crown Prince appeared with blonde hair and wearing a uniform.

“I wondered who it was.”

Zikren grumbled.

“If you saw us, you should have just come over. Why did you walk over making such suspicious sounds?”

“Was it that suspicious? I deliberately made noise so everyone wouldn’t be startled. You’d be fine, but the Princess is an ordinary person.”

When a transcendent being who moves without presence deliberately mimics human sounds, it becomes endlessly awkward and suspicious.

‘It was consideration in his own way, but it was really unnecessary consideration.’

With that thought, I looked at Aldensis. He also looked at me.

“Princess….”

Just as he was about to greet me.

The hunting dogs, who were already on guard, immediately became overwhelmed with terror upon seeing Aldensis. Unable to even control their bodies properly, they barked a couple times with choking sounds as if their throats were constricted…. Unable to endure any longer, they ran away behind me.

“….”

Aldensis watched the fleeing hunting dogs with an expressionless face.

This was a common occurrence for him.

There were several similar scenes left in my memory. Since Aldensis himself always reacted indifferently, as if he just accepted it, I expected the same this time.

But I was wrong.

“….”

Aldensis glanced at me again. Then he looked at the hunting dogs that had gone to Zikren to hide from him. And then suddenly….

“Come here! Come here!”

He shouted loudly toward the hunting dogs.

It wasn’t just his voice. A beautiful yet strange echo resonated, and the hunting dogs were drawn to Aldensis as if pulled by a magnet.

“That’s right.”

Aldensis quickly petted the dogs while looking this way as if to show off.

Hm?

I looked at him in bewilderment.

“What are you doing right now, Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

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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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