The Villainess is on a Quest - Chapter 68

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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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Episode 68
Could one read the trajectory of an incoming arrow?
Perhaps in a game. In reality, there was no reason such a thing should be possible—and if it were, it would be some extraordinarily rare phenomenon, a one-in-a-million occurrence.
The odds were vanishingly small.
But for Aine, it was another matter entirely.
[SYSTEM: Intercept the arrow heading toward Kleid.]
[One chance only. Ten seconds.]
The trajectory was visible. More than that—the arrow’s speed appeared to slow, as if the world itself had dropped into a crawl.
Aine saw it clearly: the arrow’s path aimed true at Kleid’s chest.
Ten seconds. Hardly any time at all, yet she did not hesitate for an instant.
“Aine! This place is dangerous! Please, get inside at once!”
Kleid, catching sight of her, felt a flash of panic. He pushed aside the impulse to thank her—that could wait. For now, he needed to get her back to safety.
“Kleid. You seem to have forgotten—I’m someone who’s walked through danger before.”
She spoke with unshakeable confidence, and as she did, she caught sight of the bow she’d seized.
Kleid’s expression flickered with confusion, but Aine decided that actions spoke louder than words. She drew back the bowstring.
“Anyone who dares lay a hand on you will answer to me for it.”
Before her words had even fully left her lips, her arrow found its mark—embedding itself squarely in someone’s forehead.
Kleid’s eyes widened, but then his lips curved into a smile.
She was no fragile thing that would dissolve at the first touch of water. This was a woman who had crawled through five years of that hellish Frontline, scraped and clawed her way through its very worst.
Seeing her move through this chaos as if it were nothing made him laugh.
“Thank you, Aine. Without you, I would have died.”
“We can exchange thanks later. First, let’s deal with this situation.”
Kleid nodded and resumed his commands.
“We fight with victory at our side!”
“Don’t give an inch!”
The soldiers’ spirits soared as they confirmed Kleid was unharmed and saw Aine emerge with bow in hand.
“What do we do!?”
“It’s Aine! The War Goddess has come!”
“Don’t lose heart! Kill that woman! Fire! Now!”
Retaria, watching from the field, made Aine’s death her immediate priority.
But Aine simply dodged every arrow sent her way, as if mocking them for their futility.
Dozens of arrows were spent trying to hit a single person, yet not one found its mark—and that desperation began to take root.
The panic worked its way into their minds, and their accuracy plummeted visibly.
Retaria, lost in deliberation over what to do next, had begun to consider retreat—
“Suppress all those who attacked the Chesher Estate!”
But the moment for retreat had already passed.
“The Imperial Guard. We’re finished.”
The Imperial Guard had materialized at the Chesher Estate.
Not only them—every Security Force stationed in the Capital had been mobilized and now converged before the estate.
Command collapsed entirely. Retaria’s forces dissolved into chaos.
“We’re done for!”
“Whose idea was this operation anyway!?”
“We have to flee! Now!”
Soldiers broke ranks and scattered in all directions, and the formation came apart completely. Watching them flee in such disorder, both Kleid and Aine could barely suppress their disdain.
“The faster they run, the more they expose their vulnerable points.”
“True. It’s almost laughable that such fools would advocate for continuing this war.”
[SYSTEM: You have successfully defended the Chesher Estate.]
[Select your reward.]
Still, the two of them could breathe easy. At least nothing had happened to those they held dear.
“Retaria will need to be held accountable for this.”
“We should capture as many as possible for interrogation.”
There would be no repeat of past mistakes. Kleid, following Aine’s reasoning, intended to take as many prisoners as possible for questioning.
It was the only way to escape this wretched situation.
“But are you all right?”
Aine’s gaze shifted back to Kleid. Sweat poured from him like rain.
His face was etched with exhaustion, blood smeared across his skin in places.
Though he appeared unharmed, she found herself worried.
‘Why now, of all times.’
Kleid, for his part, felt his heart quicken. Why did her concern for him make him feel like this?
Usually her face was cold, her expression so blank that emotions were nearly impossible to read—yet somehow, when he looked at her now, he could see right through.
What she was thinking, what feelings she harbored.
Clearly, this wasn’t the ideal moment. He’d wanted to create a more romantic atmosphere, to present it at the perfect time.
But he felt certain that tonight was the only night that would do, so he set before her the Ring Case he always carried with him.
“Kleid… this is…”
Recognizing the Ring Case, Aine froze for a moment, but when Kleid dropped to one knee and extended it toward her, she quickly composed herself.
“You saved my life. This makes it the second time.”
She hoped he hadn’t caught any hesitation in her expression—that he wouldn’t be hurt by a refusal.
“From the very moment I first met you, I’ve wanted to give you this. And would you grant me the honor of placing this Ring in the hands of its true owner tonight?”
Honor—how could she call it anything but that? Aine readily extended her hand.
With joy and overwhelming emotion flooding through him, Kleid drew the Ring from its Case and slipped it onto her slender finger.
The silver Ring held a blue stone at its center, one that matched the pale blue of Kleid’s eyes.
“This stone belonged to my mother. She always hoped that whoever would become my wife would inherit this Ring.”
Given such meaning, Aine doubted whether she truly deserved to accept it, but she shook her head at the thought.
Hadn’t they already confirmed what lay between them? Besides, it was sealed by contract.
Aine chose to accept all of this willingly—everything she would carry forward from this moment.
“Hail to Prince Kleid! Hail to the Crown Princess!”
Soldiers who had gathered around us began cheering toward us without pause.
What had been the worst, most desperate moment bloomed into the happiest one imaginable.
“I need to go to the children soon. I must see that they’re well and tell them this news.”
Kleid nodded and followed Aine as she moved forward, then gestured to the soldiers behind them.
The soldiers, understanding his silent command to handle the situation in their stead, urged him to follow after her.
* * *
—Mysterious Assailants Storm Chesher Estate!—
—Prince Kleid Hartzs Holds the Estate After Fierce Battle—
—The War Goddess Who Saved Kleid Hartzs—
—A Confession of Love at War’s End? A New Crown Princess Is Born!—
—Who Were These Attackers, Anyway?—
Within a single night, news outlets scrambled as if their feet were on fire, plastering headlines about everything that had transpired at Chesher Estate.
They wrote with maximum sensationalism, each one designed to capture the public’s attention.
“I simply can’t believe it. What kind of madman would dare assault Chesher Estate?”
“The end times are upon us. Even a sacred place like that has been violated.”
“There are whispers about Retaria, but some say it was all orchestrated by the Second Prince’s faction to recover Sonelopi.”
The Royal Palace already knew the truth about Retaria, but chose not to make it public.
Though the investigation was still ongoing, Odin had judged that this rumor itself was not harmful.
If Philip had any sense and wished to avoid making matters worse, he would certainly exercise restraint for the time being.
“My dear, what should we do?”
“What do you mean, what should we do? I need to have the press release a statement denying my involvement!”
But Philip had no intention of letting a stain on his honor go unchallenged.
“This must all be his elaborate scheme! He’s trying to drag me down into the abyss completely!”
An even greater storm was gathering.

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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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