The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 50
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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 50
“What are you doing, brother? Why are you using a Transcendent’s ability for that?”
Zikren also shouted in disbelief.
Aldensis replied nonchalantly.
“I suddenly thought I was being too ordinary.”
“But if you use a Transcendent’s ability to call dogs, that’s even further from being ordinary, isn’t it?”
I clicked my tongue and shook my head while gathering the hunting dogs.
“Come here, boys.”
The confused dogs quickly ran over. Two dragons and one villainess. Among these three, I was still the most humane.
I commanded the hunting dogs who were flattening their ears and acting cute.
“You’ve all done your job now, so go outside. You’re off duty.”
Aldensis watched me conversing with the dogs with great interest. Then he suddenly spoke.
“By the way, what brings the Princess here? I thought you wouldn’t come, so I was surprised when you appeared.”
Zikren answered in my place.
“Aristina thoroughly investigated the entire scene instead of us.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I put on an expression showing off. Conveniently, there were some beads of sweat on my forehead.
“Excellent, Princess.”
Aldensis took out a handkerchief and offered it to me while speaking.
“It’s good that you’re working hard, but dangerous work is problematic. If something happens to the Princess who is our contractor, it would be inconvenient for us brothers.”
If he had a history of killing Aristina, this was the kind of line he’d never be able to say out of shame. Even if the situation had changed through a contract.
‘Though Aldensis probably doesn’t have such human-like emotions.’
The truth would be revealed soon anyway. Since the thief wouldn’t come anyway, there was no need to waste effort, so it seemed better to get to the point quickly.
“Yes, I’ll be careful.”
I replied with a bright smile.
“The scene inspection showed no particular abnormalities. Before it’s time for the thief to be active, shouldn’t we go sit somewhere? This place needs to feel like an empty house for them to enter right away.”
“Indeed. We should do that.”
“Let’s do that.”
The three of us left that spot and looked around for a suitable place.
When we passed through the exhibition hall and went further inside, a more elaborately decorated indoor garden appeared.
Befitting a place frequently visited by nobles, benches identical to those seen in the Imperial Palace Garden were placed there. I pointed to the bench in the most secluded corner among them.
“That spot looks good.”
We went there.
Before sitting down, Aldensis looked around.
“I still don’t sense any presence within the radius of my consciousness. Princess, how about you rest here for a moment and then return?”
“Ah, yes.”
I pretended to give in and quietly sat next to the brothers, rolling up my sleeve slightly.
The magic pattern I would use on them was revealed.
“…”
Aldensis and Zikren were quietly gazing through the leaves.
“Having to just wait until the target appears is unlike us and boring.”
“That’s what I said. How boring surveillance is. At least today is a bit better.”
Zikren glanced at me and said.
“But it’s strange when you think about it. The day would come when the three of us would sit side by side like this. Without anyone screaming or anything breaking.”
“It would have been unimaginable in the past.”
They whispered among themselves.
‘Wouldn’t it be very natural if I do it now?’
That judgment came to me.
Hesitating would only increase the time spent with these super-prime suspects. I boldly touched the pattern on my wrist.
「This is the ‘Truth Interrogation’ authority. The power to hear truthful answers from the Transcendent Ones before your eyes for 5 minutes.」
As the Baby Dragon’s words to me echoed once more…
The two Transcendent Ones before my eyes stopped moving and froze. Both Aldensis’s bright blue pupils and Zikren’s golden pupils became equally opaque.
At the same time, a clock appeared. The time limit of ’05:00′ began decreasing by one second. I stood up and quickly asked a question.
“Aldensis, where were you and what were you doing on the night of July 13th when Zikren clashed with the thief? From 7 to 9 o’clock.”
My heart was pounding.
Soon he opened his mouth.
“I was processing budget proposals in the study.”
“…?”
I immediately asked back.
“Really?”
“Before the evening banquet that day, a Royal Household Agency official voluntarily reported that there were details mistakenly omitted from the second half budget. I judged there was no malicious intent and processed it myself instead right after the banquet ended to show leniency. It took a total of 3 hours from 7 to 10 o’clock.”
Befitting a beloved Crown Prince, he often secretly handled officials’ mistakes for them. This was a fact Aristina knew well too.
But still, I confirmed once more.
“Were you really just holed up in the study? You didn’t briefly visit the Rosen Duchy where Aristina was confined?”
“Why would I? Father told me not to exchange even a single word until the Princess admitted her guilt.”
Aldensis answered decisively.
‘…I guess he’s not the culprit.’
I felt somewhat dazed.
‘Aldensis had an alibi. Then what about Zikren?’
I turned my gaze to look at the second suspect candidate.
“Zikren, where were you and what were you doing alone right before encountering the thief that night? That time is unaccounted for.”
“I was hiding in the underground passage since lunchtime.”
“Really? You didn’t briefly visit the Rosen Duchy where Aristina, whom you considered such an eyesore, was confined?”
“Why would I go there! She’s probably waiting desperately for brother! Hmph!”
Zikren also flatly denied it.
This must also be the truth.
I asked the final question.
“Then in the end, neither of you has ever killed Aristina?”
“No.”
“Never.”
The brothers answered simultaneously.
At that moment, the timer recorded ’00:00′ and stopped. Time was up.
Strength drained from Aldensis and Zikren’s bodies all at once. Like puppets with cut strings, they leaned against each other and collapsed.
I looked down at the two of them.
‘Both Aldensis and Zikren have moved away from the suspect list.’
Should I call this relieving?
Or should I say it’s unsettling as we fall deeper into mystery?
While I was absorbed in complicated feelings, the brothers immediately fell asleep, breathing softly.
“…”
While looking at them and thinking various thoughts, I came to my senses.
‘Right. Just keep sleeping for now. Work must be tiring too.’
To go to a quiet place and organize my thoughts, just as I was turning to leave.
“…!”
Aldensis suddenly opened his eyes wide.
Gasp.
I almost screamed. But fortunately.
“…Can’t do that…”
He muttered something quietly, then slowly closed his eyes again.
“Aldensis?”
Seeing no response even when I called out, it seemed like he was really deeply asleep.
‘Let’s get out of here quickly.’
I hurriedly escaped from that place.
As soon as I walked quickly through the passage and opened the door, noisy sounds crashed over me.
Among the Holy Knights noisily playing card games as I had ordered, the Hunting Dogs came running while barking loudly.
The Holy Knights said.
“What happened inside? The dogs were frantically scratching at the door trying to get out, so we just opened it for them.”
“Well done.”
I wrapped myself in a blanket and sat in a camping chair.
“Give me a drink too.”
“Yes, Young Lady!”
Taking the drink cup brought by a guard who was already quite drunk, I slowly organized my thoughts.
‘Aldensis Balcaide. Siegfried Valcarde.’
The names of the two people who had occupied the top of the suspect list also tumbled down below.
The long, long list had at least shortened a little bit.
‘But…’
I fell into deep thought.
I had just drunk exactly one cup and thought for a bit.
…Chirp chirp!
Along with noisy bird sounds, sunlight mercilessly stabbed at my eyelids.
‘Hm?’
I opened my eyes wide.
“Ah! I fell asleep!”
“Us too.”
The Holy Knights also rubbed their eyes and started moving around.
Strange. How could everyone fall into sleep like this as if it were a lie?
‘Could it be?’
With a sudden chill running down my spine, I jumped up.
“Young Lady! Where are you going?”
“Inside! I need to see if the Thief was caught!”
“Wait! It’s dangerous! Please go with us!”
The Holy Knights led the way into the Department Store with their swords drawn. The moment we rushed into the Exhibition Hall, I could see Aldensis and Zicren standing there with bewildered faces.
“How could this happen…!”
The display stand covered with velvet cloth was completely empty.
The crown had disappeared.
“Gasp!”
I was flustered.
This morning I had planned to reveal that the advance notice was a fake forged by someone as a prank, and settle things nicely.
‘I never thought Ruellian couldn’t wait for that and would steal the crown.’
Does only his image matter? This is very troublesome.
“Oh my, oh my!”
Everyone was just staring at my head and whispering.
‘Shaved head ending?’
That’s what their gazes said.
This can’t be happening. A bald-headed Villainess. To think such a tragedy would happen to me, who uses a wicked and arrogant image as a survival item.
Everything went dark before my eyes.
‘Do you think you can still make deals with me after doing something like this?’
That’s when it happened.
“Crown Prince! Second Prince! Aristina Bianca Rosen! Please come out here!”
We could hear people calling out loudly in surprise.
We all hurried outside.
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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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