The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 83
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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 83
Right. Who should I choose?
I looked around at the four suitors surrounding me.
Whether I roamed around the ballroom with Zikren to liven up the atmosphere, chased away women approaching Aldensis by his side, disappeared to a quiet place with Ruellian for a private meeting, or openly shared a toast with Serene…
Any of these choices seemed fine. The people who hate me would convulse like cockroaches that ate poison.
They must have been quite irritated seeing various young ladies approach me today.
How refreshing would it be to deal them a powerful blow by showing myself disappearing with one of these remarkable figures?
That itself would be a wonderful reward for me.
But…
‘Unfortunately, our house is currently on fire.’
I opened my mouth.
“What should I do? I’ll have to postpone everything to next time. I need to go meet someone urgently right now.”
“What?”
Everyone was surprised. Zikren shouted in frustration.
“Prince Istan has already been dragged away!”
“It’s not the prince.”
I replied. Aldensis asked urgently.
“Is it a woman or a man?”
“Well, the gender is male.”
I answered.
Ruellian said a word.
“The Duke is busy right now.”
“It’s not father.”
I replied.
Since I answered each of them once, I suppose I showed them some courtesy.
Finally, I spoke toward the black-haired head struggling not to be pushed out by the large men.
“Serene! See you tomorrow!”
“Lady Aristina!”
With Serene’s scream as the finale, these popular figures were immediately surrounded by countless crowds.
Everyone had been holding back a lot.
‘Enjoy the ball in my place.’
Sending that final greeting, I slipped away from that spot like an eel and looked around.
The person I chose, abandoning those great important figures, was…
“Ah, there he is.”
I saw a familiar round hat among the people.
The owner of that round hat found me like a ghost even in this complex crowd and came running.
“Guild Leader!”
That’s right. My choice was our hamster, Benjamin.
We looked at each other for a moment and were delighted.
“Did you see? My performance?”
“Oh, of course!”
Benjamin nodded vigorously.
“Seeing you confidently step onto the platform, I knew you had succeeded in sending away all the enemies. I even bought sketches of that scene drawn on the spot by painters here. I’m going to frame them and hang them in the office. Glory to the Black Rose Trade Guild.”
Wow…
I was amazed.
Money doesn’t lie. For this miser to spend money for me. He must really respect me.
My eyes were about to get moist.
“I’m touched, Benjamin.”
I can’t lose either. I should express my feelings a bit more with money. Thinking that, I said.
“I totally became the protagonist today. So actually I want to stay here a bit longer, but unfortunately I have to go quickly. There are still some petty enemies left at the ducal mansion.”
“Oh my! Should I come with you?”
“No. Father has to go too, so there’s no one to handle the reporters. So Benjamin, please take charge of the press conference as planned.”
“Understood, Guild Leader.”
Benjamin nodded with sparkling eyes.
“Don’t worry and leave the rest to me. I’ve prepared everything to say to the reporters. ‘Will the change in status at the Duke’s family affect business in the future, are there plans for guild expansion,’ and so on.”
This isn’t even a vending machine. Pay spokesperson wages and spokesperson role comes out.
Then if I pay prime minister wages, would prime minister role come out too? Well done, Benjamin hamster.
“Good.”
I nodded contentedly.
“Thanks to you, the press conference should be fine too. If we steer it toward business talk like this, they won’t be able to write slanderous articles.”
“Still, you mustn’t let your guard down. They’re all so cunning. They say they’ll write favorably, but when you actually receive it, it’s all distorted articles. Even though they look innocent, they’re all so good at lying…”
Benjamin lowered his voice and whispered.
“I was surprised by something this time too. About His Highness the Second Prince.”
“What about the Second Prince?”
“I don’t know the details, but I happened to see His Highness the Second Prince earlier when I went to get cocktails. He asked if I was an employee of Princess Aristina’s Black Rose Trade Guild, and praised me profusely, saying I was a likable fellow. I was so honored I didn’t know what to do with myself. But…”
“But?”
“A little later, I saw His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Second Prince bickering. It seems His Highness the Second Prince deceived His Highness the Crown Prince about something.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know that much. Anyway, His Highness the Crown Prince was scolding His Highness the Second Prince, saying ‘I thought you couldn’t lie!'”
Benjamin lowered his voice even more.
“Do you know how His Highness the Second Prince responded? He said, ‘I’ve been practicing the skill of lying without batting an eye lately. I just told a lie to some fellow.’ How could he do such a thing!”
“How terrible! To tell such a blatant lie to my one and only guild employee! How could he really…”
I stopped mid-sentence while excitedly agreeing.
Wait a minute.
The skill of lying without batting an eye. A scene from not long ago flashed through my mind.
When I felt something was off and asked ‘Do you perhaps like me?’, Zikren immediately answered ‘No!’
It seemed like a sincere answer with no sign of confusion, and he even said he had a young lady he liked, so I believed him without suspicion…
‘Could that have been a lie too?’
Hearing Benjamin’s words, that possibility wasn’t entirely impossible.
Moreover, the count’s young lady that Zikren said he liked turned out to be the Chief of Imperial Security conducting a sting operation.
…I really can’t let my guard down.
If it weren’t for Benjamin, I would have never known that fact.
“Thanks for the good information.”
I took out a bundle of bills from my wallet and handed it to Benjamin. Benjamin’s eyes widened.
“I just briefly criticized the misdeeds of someone high-ranking…”
“It was very useful information for me. Look at this. If you stay by my side, you earn money just by breathing. Come on, take it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Benjamin put away the money with a dazed expression.
Then.
“Aristina! What are you doing here?”
Duke Carnel’s voice rang out from behind us.
With this many people around, everyone sure finds me well.
But fortunately, this time it was also someone I was about to look for. I had to meet him after Benjamin.
“Hello, Duke. Goodbye, Duke.”
Benjamin disappeared at lightning speed, and I turned toward the Duke.
“Perfect timing, Father. I’m about to go home now.”
“Go home?”
The Duke was startled.
“Just when things were going well, what trouble did you cause again? To the extent that you need to flee when no one knows…”
“That’s not it.”
I shook my head.
“I want to use this opportunity to launch a preemptive strike and clean house thoroughly.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“No matter how meticulous and capable Eunice is, it would be difficult for her to control the entire vast ducal mansion alone. There must be servants inside who are in cahoots with Eunice.”
I explained.
“Please take action to root them out before they can make excuses. They may be loyal to Father, but not to me. If I want to live comfortably in the ducal mansion, I need to cut out all the rotten parts while I have this chance.”
“Hmm….”
The Duke thought for a moment, then nodded.
“That makes sense. If there are those in league with Eunice, have them all rooted out.”
“Thank you, Father!”
“But it won’t be easy to find out who they are, will it? Seeing how no one noticed this until now, they must have been communicating carefully among themselves.”
“Yes. They wouldn’t have kept a separate list of their accomplices, and Eunice certainly won’t tell us willingly for my benefit. But I have a very simple method to identify the traitors.”
“Really? Are you planning to sneak into the house and set a trap like when you caught that Gardener Boy?”
“No. I don’t reuse methods I’ve already employed.”
I said confidently.
“This time I’m going to enter boldly for all to see. Then I’ll use a list.”
The Duke tilted his head.
“Didn’t you just say with your own mouth that there wouldn’t be such a list?”
“No….”
I whispered my plan into his ear. The Duke’s expression changed.
“Oh?”
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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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