The Villainess is on a Quest - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 12
There was a widespread prejudice that women ought to be assigned only to nursing officers and medical or relief work.
No amount of exceptional talent could change that.
The only place they could truly shine was in nursing roles, and if they refused that path, they became secretaries or shuffled through insignificant postings.
Mary Stewart hated both the secretary track and nursing, so she too had been drifting through dead-end assignments.
Until she encountered someone named Aine Klayne.
Mary emerged from her reverie and returned to the present moment.
“Where did you say the commander is?”
Hundreds had departed with Aine for the Royal Palace, yet only one person had returned—and barely alive.
At first, Mary assumed the messenger Aine had sent had been ambushed by bandits.
But that assumption shattered the moment the man spoke.
“The commander is heading to the Verona Empire with Prince Wilhelm.”
Questions flooded Mary’s mind.
Who on earth was Prince Wilhelm, and why was Aine heading toward an enemy empire with him?
Mary was not alone in her shock. All of Aine’s subordinates stared at the returning soldier with bewilderment.
“Your name?”
“Mustang, ma’am. I hold the rank of lieutenant.”
“Right, Mustang. Tell me exactly what happened at the Royal Palace. Every last detail.”
Mustang had not rested once since fleeing the Royal Palace, pushing to reach this camp, and he looked as though he might collapse at any moment.
His vision swam and his head throbbed as if it might split.
He wanted nothing more than to collapse on the stone floor and sleep, but there was still vital information he had to convey.
He bit his lip until blood came, fighting with every ounce of strength to remain standing.
He had to deliver this message for Aine’s sake, for the sake of the comrades who had sacrificed themselves so he could escape.
“There was a rebellion at the Royal Palace.”
“A rebellion?”
“What do you mean—”
The word “rebellion” sent the entire camp into chaos.
Most of those seated displayed unmistakable shock and disbelief, but Mary remained composed.
She quieted the commotion and urged Mustang to continue.
“Prince Wilhelm, the only child of Their Majesties, has been poisoned. The sole antidote exists only in the Verona Empire, so the commander is heading there now. The suspect is Duke Bineth Orion….”
Mustang’s strength finally gave out. He finished his account and collapsed into unconsciousness.
But the message was complete. Duke Bineth had finally made his move.
The command staff sank into chaos.
“What in the world happened while we were fighting on the front lines!”
“I never heard a word of this from my family or friends!”
“Deputy Commander! This must be a spy sent by the Empire!”
The staff immediately branded Mustang a spy. The logic seemed airtight.
If a rebellion had erupted at the Royal Palace, they should have learned of it long before now.
War or not, they received regular correspondence from family and acquaintances. There was no reason such a massive event would go unreported.
But Mary shook her head. She approached the unconscious Mustang and examined his face as she spoke.
“All those who set out with the commander underwent thorough identity verification. I myself have seen this man’s face several times.”
“But that makes no sense!”
“Exactly! There wasn’t even a hint of anything wrong!”
It made no sense. Truly, it didn’t. Mary hadn’t received any such reports from her own family either, and there had been no warning signs whatsoever.
The king’s messengers had arrived regularly, and supplies had been distributed without disruption.
But she considered the situation coolly, and saw one possibility.
“It’s not impossible.”
“Deputy Commander?”
“If the Duke seized control of the post office, it would be entirely feasible for him to censor every letter sent to us.”
At Mary’s words, the command staff tensed. Bineth held the position of Postmaster.
Though it appeared he merely controlled correspondence, such a post gave access to all the kingdom’s information.
Their worst fears were becoming increasingly plausible.
If every letter was indeed being screened there, their chances of obtaining information dropped to nearly zero.
“Then does that mean the commander is truly….”
“If what this man said is true, she’s heading toward the Verona Empire as we speak.”
While the command staff descended into panic, Mary alone remained calm. Having observed Aine closely all these years, she knew her better than anyone.
And because of that, she could accept Aine’s decision with equanimity. The bond between her and Leisy was one of a kind.
‘If this Wilhelm is her child, then I understand why you’re going to the Empire.’
Mary stared at the empty space where Aine had stood and thought to herself.
‘Then I suppose I should wait for your return.’
It was she who had lifted him from the brink of demotion to the position he held now.
So this time, it was his turn to move for Aine’s sake.
But just as he was steeling his resolve, urgent news reached him.
“Deputy Commander! The Royal Knight Order is approaching our position now!”
* * *
“Once we cross this point, the road to the Verona Empire lies open.”
“We rested a few times along the way, but I never thought we’d arrive here so quickly.”
Mane couldn’t believe it. She had assumed the journey from the Royal Palace to the Border would take at least four days, no matter how fast they traveled.
‘I never imagined it would be used like this.’
Aine Klayne, by contrast, smiled grimly. When she’d been intent on killing Leisy, she had discovered a shortcut to the Verona Empire as a contingency for failure.
She had always believed it was important to prepare an escape route at any moment — and now that foresight had come back to repay her.
After taking the shortcut and arriving at the Border a little over two days later, Aine let out a breath of relief.
“We need to make sure they don’t attack us the moment they see us.”
“I’ve already torn up a linen cloth and prepared a white flag beforehand.”
“Good. Then all we need to do now is approach and wave it.”
With the white flag in place, every preparation was complete.
All that remained was to head toward Brantfort Fortress and surrender to the Empire.
‘If I can just get past this point, I can save this child.’
Leisy’s child, who lay dying on the brink of death, drenched in cold sweat.
Just as she was about to present the white flag to the Empire and surrender, Mane suddenly grabbed her sleeve.
“I still don’t understand, Commander, why you’re going to such lengths.”
“Mane.”
“From what I’ve seen of you, Commander, you have neither loyalty nor patriotism.”
Mane, who came from a rural background far removed from the Royal Palace, had never witnessed Aine in the social sphere.
Judging by what she had directly observed, Aine was not someone driven by patriotism or loyalty.
She regularly omitted to salute the flag of the Orion Kingdom, and she had often been disrespectful to the messengers Matthias sent.
She was the sort who would threaten the Royal Palace with mutiny if supplies weren’t distributed properly.
The idea that such a person would now surrender to save Wilhelm was inconceivable.
“Commander, it’s not too late. Why not rejoin the main force instead and plan for a future opportunity?”
Mane hoped that Aine would abandon Wilhelm and return to the main force as things stood.
At least the main force had many who would fight for her. Perhaps after suppressing their rebellion, they could dream of a new beginning.
But Aine offered no answer to Mane’s plea. She simply gazed upon Wilhelm with sorrowful eyes and a bitter smile.
‘I cannot abandon this child. Because Leisy did not abandon me.’
In her days as a villainess, she had been ready to die at any moment, and had even resigned herself to death. If she had simply let go then, she would have perished.
When her own family had grown weary of her evil ways, there was no reason to expect a stranger to take her hand.
She had been certain that no one in this world would offer her their hand.
Yet someone completely unexpected had reached out to her.
None other than Leisy — the very person she had tried to kill. So now she too must repay that debt by saving her child.
‘Perhaps taking Mane with me is just my own selfishness.’
If they were dragged to the Empire, Mane would be exposed to danger as well.
It was only herself that Bineth Orion was after.
Aine was about to order Mane to return to the main force at once.
“Commander! Flee now!”
“Mane?”
But unfortunately, the moment to speak had already slipped away.
“They’re chasing us! Hurry!”
The pursuing forces that had dogged their steps came into view.
“There! There’s Aine Klayne!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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