The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 7

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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 7

Aristina’s joker card. The secret move that could overturn a completely ruined game. The absolute authority of the Holy Order, Ruellian Lacroix.

That card had finally appeared.

The name ‘Ruellian’ supposedly means archangel of light, or angel of light.

So I vaguely thought he’d be blonde. Unexpectedly, he had jet-black hair and was boldly lifting his rare violet eyes.

The sight of him walking while fluttering his pure white cloak, which looked even more dazzling because of this, was the very embodiment of a strong yet arrogant representative of God.

I could feel people fearing his majesty while also admiring his sculpture-like appearance.

“We greet Your Eminence.”

Everyone paid their respects reverently.

An ordinary person would have at least pretended to acknowledge them. True to his reputation for arrogance, he paid little attention to the people and headed straight for the judge’s podium.

He swept away his fluttering cloak as if it were bothersome, plopped down in his seat, and immediately crossed his legs. He really looked like a crime boss who might pull out a cigar any moment and light it with a crooked smile.

The Holy Knights approached to observe the ceremony, but he dismissed them with “Skip everything.” Then he immediately looked at the defendant’s seat where I was sitting.

“‘Another’ unauthorized intrusion into the Holy Order, ‘another’ illegal theft of the Order’s property.”

The piercing light of his violet eyes that seemed to see through everything flew toward me like an arrow.

“I clearly told you then that you’d die if you committed such acts again. Is there no brain inside the Duke’s daughter’s head?”

A gaze truly like looking at a brainless creature. It felt like I should apologize for defiling his noble sight and disappear quickly.

‘This is beyond my imagination?’

Even I, who usually handle most power trips well, honestly felt a bit intimidated. But… at least outwardly, it didn’t show at all.

The upright posture and haughty expression that had been equipped as standard since childhood. The cold yet cruel-looking red eyes. Facial muscles that didn’t even twitch in any situation.

These were indeed very useful. Regardless of my psychological state, what others saw was the very image of an arrogant villainess.

‘Right. Right. Who cares. No one knows I’m trembling. Let’s just go all out.’

I looked straight at Ruellian and opened my mouth.

“Then does Your Eminence have no eyes? Can’t you see right now? Since there’s a brain in my head, I’m using it to be here.”

Aristina’s trademark hopeless way of speaking. Murmurs arose among the spectators who had been quietly holding their breath.

They seemed amazed that she was shamelessly talking back even in this situation.

Ruellian frowned slightly.

“To find traces of reason in the Duke’s daughter’s actions, I’d need to bring a microscope, not eyes. Don’t talk back and let’s proceed quickly. Do you think I don’t know this is a scheme to drag out time and delay the Imperial Court’s punishment as much as possible?”

“Not at all, Your Eminence. I didn’t come here with such thoughts. And what’s important isn’t that story but…”

“Whether it’s that story or this story, is there any reason I should personally listen to the worthless nonsense coming from the Duke’s daughter’s mouth? Then my conclusion regarding this blasphemy case is…”

What? Ending it as he pleases just 3 minutes after the trial started?

I shot up from the defendant’s seat.

“Ah, Your Grace!”

Thinking I might commit terrorism, the Holy Knights approached to restrain me. But I’m not that kind of person?

“Your Eminence!”

Thud.

I knelt down pitifully.

Speaking as someone with experience, timing hesitantly reduces the effect with this kind of thing. You just have to shut up and slam your knees down.

At my textbook kneeling technique, the spectators opened their mouths in surprise and stared.

Ruellian also paused the proceedings momentarily and asked.

“Duke’s daughter, didn’t you shatter your kneecaps?”

“No? They’re fine.”

Actually, it hurt. But I succeeded in temporarily stopping the Sacred Tribunal and drawing attention at the cost of my knees.

From now on is what’s really important.

“Everyone.”

I took out the pouch I had kept deeply hidden.

“…?”

The Holy Knights flinched and stepped back. Ruellian spoke as if amused.

“Preparing even a bomb, how impressive.”

“What are you saying, Your Eminence? This is all about trying to survive, so why would I commit suicide? This isn’t a bomb.”

“Then?”

I looked around at the people for a moment.

Through my conversation with Duke Carnel at the annex, I learned one lesson. Aristina is a villainess who gets criticized no matter what she does.

‘A gardener overheard Serene’s secret conversation in the greenhouse, and I obtained this ring as evidence.’

Even if I said this, no one would believe it. Everyone would say I secretly stole Serene’s ring, smeared it with blood, and made up lies.

So I prepared in a different way. Still kneeling on the floor, I shouted.

“God has given me a revelation. This is the evidence!”

“…?”

The spectator seats stirred.

Suddenly, what’s this about a ‘revelation’?

To become a survival king, you can’t carelessly overlook even one thing.

I benchmarked the idea the Empress used during the Amaranthia crisis two years ago.

“Isn’t Your Eminence God’s representative? You can’t ignore the words of someone claiming to have received a revelation. Please verify whether the revelation I received is real or a hallucination, Your Eminence.”

“…”

Ruellian’s expression seemed to change slightly.

He probably thought the stupid scoundrel Duke’s daughter would just lie down on the floor and throw a tantrum, never expecting her to bring up the topic this way.

He frowned slightly.

“A revelation suddenly came to a pseudo-believer like the Duke’s daughter?”

“Rather, isn’t that natural? Originally, don’t those who abandoned God suddenly experience miracles one day and repent?”

I spoke shamelessly.

“While I was writhing in despair, confined to my residence, God came to me and showed me a certain scene. That very day when the tea party that changed my fate was held. At that moment when I was frantically busy preparing for the event. At the exact same time, something happened at another location in our ducal mansion!”

Once again, appearance did everything.

At the sight of the blonde young lady speaking passionately with her rose-colored eyes shining and her hand on her chest, people couldn’t take their eyes off her.

“It was truly shocking. Even seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t believe it, so I screamed, ‘Lies! It’s a lie! This must be a hallucination!’ Then God said, ‘Foolish one, will you only believe if you see evidence?’ and gave me this. And told me to ask its owner. That owner is…”

With a truly solemn attitude as if I had received God’s command, I raised my hand and pointed to one side of the jury box.

“Yes? Me?”

Serene, who had been wearing the most pitiful face in the world, opened her eyes wide.

“That’s right. Serene.”

I looked her up and down and said.

“Come to think of it, today Miss Serene didn’t wear the initial ring she treasured so much? What happened? Did you perhaps lose it?”

“No…”

Serene answered with a bewildered expression.

“I don’t know why that’s important in this situation, but the physician removed that ring during treatment, and it’s safely at home.”

“Is that so?”

Taking a step forward, I said.

“Then what is this, Serene? On that day when the incident happened! In our Rosen Duke’s greenhouse! While Miss Serene was frantically doing something! God quietly took this away!”

I opened the pouch and took out what was inside.

The blood-stained initial ring that Aristina was killed before she could show to anyone.

It was finally revealed to the world.

“…!”

The color drained completely from Serene’s face. It was clearly a surprised and flustered expression that said, ‘Why is that coming out from there?’

The spectator seats became noisy.

“What? Why is the ring that’s supposed to be at home in Duke’s daughter Aristina’s hands? And covered in blood!”

“Why does Miss Serene look like that? What’s this about the greenhouse? Don’t tell me Miss Serene lied about something? That can’t be possible, right?”

The operation was a success. No matter how much I revealed the truth, these people would cover their ears and not listen… But if they saw Serene expose her own flaws, they couldn’t help but think it was strange. Everyone loves mystery games, right?

“Answer me, Serene. Why the greenhouse and not the tea party venue? You never mentioned going into our greenhouse that day. Why did you hide your movements and lie? It wasn’t that the physician removed the ring as you said, but it slipped off because your finger was soaked with blood and slippery. How did the pure and innocent Duke’s daughter’s hands get soaked in blood?”

“…”

“Now honestly confess everything. God has already shown me everything. That day, at that place, Serene said this to someone: ‘This is a secret only we two know.’ What exactly is that secret?”

Serene’s face turned blue as if suffocating. Her sapphire-blue eyes were full of fear.

“Th-that… I can’t say…”

The spectator seats became even noisier. I quickly glanced toward Ruellian. That’s what’s important after all.

‘Did I catch him?’

It didn’t seem bad.

The cynical and mocking expression had already disappeared from Ruelian’s face.

He gestured to the Holy Knights who were about to drag me away, and they immediately stepped back.

Ruelian’s sharply gleaming violet eyes turned toward Serene, then toward me.

Seeing me relentlessly corner Serene, he seemed to feel a certain interest.

“Princess Hyperion, what is the meaning of this? Was what Princess Aristina saw not a hallucination but truly a divine revelation? Is it true that before the attempted poisoning incident occurred that day, you met someone in the greenhouse of the Duke’s Mansion and had a secret conversation?”

“Th-that is…”

Faced with stern questioning, Serene fell into an almost panic state. Her pale blue lips trembled violently.

“I cannot answer…”

Serene’s inability to continue speaking only fanned people’s suspicions further.

“What is it that she can’t say?”

“Could it have something to do with the poisoning incident that happened right after?”

“No way, surely not!”

“But there must be a reason God showed Princess Aristina that scene, right?”

I felt a thrilling sensation as the situation gradually flowed in my favor. But aside from that, I was also somewhat puzzled.

‘Why is she so clumsy?’

I tilted my head inwardly.

Since I wasn’t actually harboring unrequited love for the Crown Prince or burning with jealousy toward Serene, I was observing with a relatively objective mind.

Somehow Serene seemed too innocent to be the mastermind.

If this incident was Serene’s scheme to get rid of me, the early-stage villainess?

It would be strange for her to panic like this, trembling and showing all her emotions on her face.

Is this appearance also part of some elaborate scheme?

Well, that’s fine too, but there should be some gain for it to be a scheme. Isn’t she obviously self-destructing repeatedly?

At minimum lying, at minimum concealing. The image of being virtuous and righteous that she had built up was cracking apart. The situation was turning increasingly unfavorable for Serene.

‘This is definitely strange. Look at this. They said something would come out if I dug into that part? I really hit the mark.’

What could the truth be?

I turned my gaze to look at the judge’s podium.

Ruelian seemed to have sensed that strangeness too. The fishing had been completely successful.

He was now watching us both with very intrigued eyes.

“I never would have thought such secrets were hidden in this seemingly obvious case.”

Ruelian rose from the judge’s podium.

“As Princess Aristina said, as God’s representative, I have a duty to verify the contents of revelations.”

His pure white cloak fluttered. The judge himself had come down from the platform.

With everyone’s attention focused on him, he walked steadily and stood before the jury box.

“Princess Hyperion, I command you to tell everything that happened that day.”

His right hand, wearing white gloves, began to emit light.

The mysterious stigmata secretly hidden somewhere on his body.

Divine power was being activated through the sacred wound that was God’s mark.

“…!”

Serene’s face turned pale with terror.

That’s when it happened.

“I will tell you everything!”

Hm?

At the suddenly heard voice, I turned around.

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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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