The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 69

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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 69

 

“Ah, the concern.”

 

Aldensis muttered as if he had momentarily forgotten.

 

“That’s right. We were in the middle of that conversation.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness. We got sidetracked for a moment.”

 

I brought the topic back to the main point.

 

“I thought Your Highness’s concern was wanting to reconcile with Serene, but apparently that’s not it? You said there were problems with the selection process from the beginning.”

 

“That’s correct. I spoke honestly with Serene and we ended things cleanly.”

 

“Then what’s the problem?”

 

“The problem is, I want to carefully examine the surrounding candidates one by one…”

 

Aldensis let out another small sigh.

 

“Actually, it’s been nice and quiet until now. There were many who coveted the Crown Princess position, but they all thought they couldn’t compete with Serene and didn’t approach me.”

 

“But now that’s no longer the case, and that’s the problem?”

 

“Exactly, Princess.”

 

Aldensis nodded.

 

“Right now rumors of discord are circulating, and soon there will be an official announcement that we won’t proceed with the engagement, so things will become chaotic again. Those burning with ambition for power will approach me and cause a commotion. Won’t that seriously interfere with my duties as Crown Prince?”

 

“That would certainly be the case.”

 

“So I’d like the Princess to cooperate with me.”

 

Aldensis said emphatically.

 

“The Princess has no feelings for me whatsoever, and I likewise have no feelings for the Princess, do I not? What a clean relationship this is! So for the time being, I intend to accompany the Princess to every event.”

 

“But then…”

 

“I know.”

 

Aldensis quickly cut off my words.

 

“The Princess spent 10 years following me around and only now cleanly settled that matter, so you can’t return to that past again. That’s a perfectly natural fact, isn’t it? So I’ve prepared something. A reason for us to become partners in a completely fair and square manner, so that no one can make wild speculations.”

 

I asked with some uneasiness.

 

“What would that be?”

 

“A lottery.”

 

Aldensis said confidently.

 

“Let’s start with that ball they’re holding this time. I’ll propose choosing partners by lottery, and use my abilities to manipulate the draw so that we two become partners.”

 

“That’s rigging it! That’s not fair and square at all!”

 

“It’s for the greater good. For the Crown Prince’s duties, and the stability of the nation…”

 

Wait, doesn’t he just want to be my partner? No matter how I listen to it, that’s how it sounds.

 

Just as I was stunned by that thought.

 

“I can’t listen to any more of this! Stop being so oblivious!”

 

Bang! The drawing room door burst open as if breaking, and someone barged into this scene.

 

Who else could it be? The only being who could kick down doors in the Crown Prince’s space. The only being who could speak so rudely. That would be his younger brother.

 

Zikren, dressed coolly as always, shouted at his brother.

 

“Aristina is the party host! The host already has plenty to do, so what would happen if you followed her around?”

 

Oh, how surprising! I doubted my ears. Had Zikren always been this wise?

 

“If young ladies approaching you is so bothersome, why don’t you go roll around on the Imperial Palace stable floor instead! Then no one will approach you.”

 

…There it is.

 

Before he could put foolish ideas into his brother’s head, I quickly said.

 

“I certainly deeply sympathize with Your Highness’s concerns. Having the Crown Princess selection competition intensify to the point of interfering with Your Highness’s work would be very undesirable for our Empire. I want to prevent it too. But this party is very important to me. It’s an occasion to prove my qualifications as heir, so wouldn’t it be awkward to have a partner tagging along?”

 

Even after saying that, I somehow didn’t feel at ease, so I added toward Aldensis.

 

“In any case, you must not roll around in the stables because of what Prince Zikren said. This party absolutely cannot be ruined. It must be a success.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Aldensis raised and lowered his shoulders once.

 

“Just forget it, Princess. Now that I think about it, it was an unreasonable request. I will of course attend the Princess’s ball and cooperate with all my might to make it a splendid party.”

 

“Right. Me too.”

 

Zikren also said from the side.

 

Just then.

 

Through the drawing room door that Zikren had practically broken open, I could see officials who had come looking for the Crown Prince entering. They hesitated upon seeing the study was empty.

 

“Your Highness? Where are you?”

 

“I’m here.”

 

Aldensis nodded to us and then went over to the study.

 

I left the Crown Prince’s Palace together with Zikren. After all that commotion, thinking about it, it was strange.

 

“Zikren, how did you already know I was holding a ball?”

 

“That much is nothing.”

 

His golden eyes narrowed as he stuck out his lips.

 

“Well then, have fun with the Prince at the ball.”

 

“What?”

 

My feet came to an abrupt halt.

 

That plan is top secret among top secrets. How did it reach Zikren’s ears? Where on earth did it leak from?

 

After briefly falling into a panic, a certain memory suddenly came to mind.

 

‘When an official rushed to Zikren to tip him off about Prince Istan’s entry into the country, I was there too. I asked if that person was male and received a lot of strange looks.’

 

So that must have made Zikren think I was interested in the Prince. Then he also found out that Eunice had invited the Prince to the ball.

 

Finally the puzzle pieces fit together.

 

Relieved that it wasn’t a leak, I hurriedly said.

 

“Stop speculating. Since the Prince is attending the ball, I should naturally treat him well, but I don’t have even the slightest desire to get involved with him. When I asked about gender back then, it wasn’t because I was thinking of him romantically…”

 

But wait a minute. Why am I making these excuses? As if I’m being interrogated for cheating?

 

“…”

 

Zikren was looking straight ahead with a sullen expression.

 

‘This is exactly a jealous reaction.’

 

I thought that unconsciously and was startled. Since I had just started walking again, my feet got tangled and my ankle twisted.

 

“Ah!”

 

Zikren, who had been standing sullenly, was startled.

 

“Aristina! Are you okay?”

 

“Just a moment.”

 

I sat down on the bench right beside us and lifted my leg to examine my ankle.

 

‘It would be troublesome if I sprained it…’

 

Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. It only throbbed slightly at first and quickly felt fine.

 

“It seems fine?”

 

“Even if it seems okay right now, it could swell up soon. Press on it to see if anywhere hurts.”

 

Zikren reached out his hand but then hesitated. No matter how free-spirited the Second Prince was, he couldn’t very well poke at a noble lady’s ankle.

 

“Hmm.”

 

With his arms crossed as if he absolutely couldn’t touch it, he only examined my ankle with his eyes.

 

The pupils in his golden eyes narrowed considerably. His usual playfulness and teasing disappeared, replaced by a very serious expression.

 

So he can make this kind of face too.

 

I thought anew that Zikren really was quite handsome. His eyebrows were thick, his eyes gentle, and his nose bridge distinct.

 

‘And…’

 

He was also the first and last person to propose to me.

 

Though it was when we were young.

 

Zikren’s ideal type had been a girl like Aristina.

 

Both had strong personalities so they often bickered even while playing together, and it fizzled out when Aristina fell for Aldensis and started chasing him.

 

‘But now it’s been proven that my feelings have left Aldensis.’

 

So wouldn’t Zikren want to try again with his first love? Otherwise, why would he care who I was meeting?

 

‘I should look into this.’

 

Zikren was also a transcendent being. A person bound to me by contract. If I handled this wrong, my life could get seriously tangled up. It seemed best to know his feelings for certain.

 

For that, the best approach would be to talk openly about it.

 

Even a guy like Prince Istan goes around asking outright ‘Do you like me?’, so what can’t I do? I’ll just steel my face and ask directly too.

 

With that thought, I raised my right hand and pressed it to my forehead.

 

“My head feels dizzy.”

 

“Still?”

 

“Yeah. Let’s sit here a little longer before we go.”

 

Zikren asked worriedly.

 

“Should I get you some water?”

 

“No. I’m fine.”

 

Shaking my head, I thought to myself.

 

‘How should I ask this?’

 

With someone like Zikren’s style, a surprise attack would be the right approach, wouldn’t it? I need to catch him off guard so he can’t lie. That way I can see his genuine reaction. I’ll judge based on that reaction.

 

Good.

 

I stretched.

 

“By the way, the weather is really nice.”

 

“Probably because it rained yesterday?”

 

“I just remembered something. The kitchen servants at my house have a cat that gave birth to kittens, and I finally got to see them this morning.”

 

“Oh, really? Are they cute?”

 

“Of course! One has yellow stripes. Two are white with black spots. And there’s also one with gray stripes. The cat presumed to be the father is just black, so I don’t know how they turned out so varied. But hey, do you happen to like me?”

 

After dropping that sudden bombshell, I stared intently at Zikren’s face.

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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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