The Villainess is on a Quest - Chapter 73

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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 72
Philip’s actions were not considered a significant problem.
It was imperative to prevent word from spreading to the people that the Imperial household itself was showing signs of division in an already turbulent time.
So instead of informing Odin, those who had been present that day decided to maintain strict silence.
“Philip visited the Marquis Andre’s estate, didn’t he?”
But there were no few who had witnessed Philip’s visit to the Marquis Andre’s estate and his hasty departure.
Thanks to this, the news naturally reached Odin’s ears.
“He withdrew from his seat the moment he saw us, Your Majesty, so there was nothing at all for you to be concerned about.”
“You stand before me and speak falsehoods without so much as a tremor.”
Kleid sensed it instinctively. Odin had already taken a liking to Aine.
When anyone dared to touch someone Odin cherished deeply, he would never let the matter rest.
Whatever the means, it was his conviction to repay them in kind.
Odin sent him a reproachful look demanding the truth, but Kleid shook his head.
“I had no intention of speaking falsehoods. I merely wished to convey that nothing of sufficient concern occurred to trouble Your Majesty.”
It seemed Odin had not received the answer he desired, for he frowned slightly in displeasure, though he asked nothing further.
“Though this is hardly what requires our attention now.”
Kleid turned his gaze to follow Odin’s. There, countless people lay bound and caged behind iron bars.
“Truly vicious. To think they could assemble some seven hundred people in broad daylight in the heart of the Capital.”
Kleid agreed entirely. What astonished him was that they had managed to organize such numbers while evading the Capital Defense Force’s watchful eyes.
The memory of that day had not yet faded.
‘What would have become of us if Aine had not recognized the threat in time?’
They had stormed the Chesher Estate brimming with malice. If their initial assault had collapsed as easily as their sustained resistance might have suggested, everything could have been lost.
The thought of nearly losing Aine and everything else in an instant made his fists clench so tightly blood fled his knuckles.
It must never happen again. She would not totter on death’s threshold, would not suffer wounds—not anymore.
“Nevertheless, this operation has proven most fruitful. Where we captured only one before, we have now secured over fifty.”
Kleid gnashed his teeth as he stared at those bound before him. Many who had displayed such vicious tenacity at first were gradually crumbling under harsh interrogation.
“Once we learn the full scale of Retaria and every member within its ranks, we will be able to suppress them entirely in one stroke.”
This was the moment to uproot the existence of Retaria from the Empire itself.
Any organization audacious enough to attack not only the heart of the Capital but also the Chesher Estate was a threat to be eradicated.
Their conviction that any sacrifice was acceptable in service to their cause was fundamentally wrong.
‘Especially their insistence on continuing this foolish, pointless war.’
From the moment the Empire could only defend, it had utterly lost its capacity to wage war. Every commander in the field stated this unanimously.
Yet each time someone spoke of accepting defeat and seeking an Armistice, a phantom force would emerge to sabotage their efforts—none other than Retaria.
The longer the war continued, the more senseless deaths multiplied, regardless of faction.
“Find out who leads them. Use whatever means necessary to make them talk.”
With this many prisoners, even the veiled Retaria would inevitably reveal its information.
Kleid was determined not to lose as carelessly as before, resolved to extract every detail he could from them.
“Kleid. Don’t you think there exists a way to quell this unrest in one decisive stroke?”
Odin, who had been quietly observing Kleid’s work, spoke at last. Kleid grasped the implication and hesitated for a moment.
“Unlike Philip, you possess every qualification to become my successor.”
“Yet, Your Majesty, I am not yet prepared.”
Aine had only recently ascended to the position of Imperial Princess and was only just becoming accustomed to it. Should Kleid suddenly become Crown Prince, she would at once become Crown Princess.
He feared the upheaval that would again unsettle her world, so he meant to refuse the proposal.
“Even if, as you say, you truly lack the qualifications, in times as unstable as these, a successor must be seated nonetheless, whoever it may be.”
Yet Odin showed no sign of backing down.
“Don’t you think that to protect your people, you must assume a position befitting that role?”
Odin’s argument was sound. The moment Kleid became Crown Prince, the Empire’s lesser sun, the authority and rights granted to him would differ greatly from what he possessed now.
“Without the constraints you currently face, you could command the Imperial Guard as your own force, and by returning to the Imperial Palace instead of the Chesher Estate, you could secure far greater protection.”
Though the highest ranks might resist, the lower and middle administrators could be reorganized under Crown Prince authority.
Moreover, the petty and tedious rivalry with the faction that followed Philip would be entirely resolved.
This was a matter offering gains far outweighing any losses.
And yet the reason Kleid remained hesitant was still Aine.
“I will not make any hasty decisions without first consulting Aine.”
“Look at you—already besotted. But it is a pleasing sight nonetheless.”
Odin did not press further. Instead, his lips curved into a satisfied smile as he placed a hand upon Kleid’s shoulder.
“Speak with her well. Always remember how great my expectations are for you and your wife.”
* * *
Now, with the presentation of the Cross Medal ceremony drawing near, Kleid, as always, was spending time with Aine.
Of course, Kleid had mountains of work to attend to throughout the day, so he could not devote himself entirely to Aine.
Though he regretted this, Aine insisted it was nothing to worry about and that what mattered most was the time they shared.
“I don’t know when my memories of Wilhelm will come back.”
She was examining recent books on memory and recovery.
The Imperial physicians had assured her that his memories would return before long, yet no matter how much time passed, Wilhelm’s recollection remained stubbornly absent.
Growing anxious over this strange situation, Aine had asked the Imperial physicians to examine him several more times, but each consultation yielded the same conclusion: nothing was wrong.
Kleid, too, had come to regard Wilhelm as his own son, and the worry weighed on him.
But rather than let that concern show, he chose to be the steady wall she could lean against.
“Please, don’t trouble yourself overmuch. He’s likely recovering slowly, bit by bit.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Besides, Wilhelm is growing up bright and well, is he not?”
The most important thing was that Wilhelm no longer suffered.
He spent his days full of vitality, savoring joyful moments especially with Sonelopi.
“When he sees you anxious, the boy becomes anxious as well.”
Kleid was right. Wilhelm’s greatest source of support now was Aine.
The more she showed her worry, the more it would inevitably weigh on him.
“Thank you. Because of you, the fear seems to fade a little.”
How pleasant it was to hear her say it was because of him. Watching Aine’s smile return as her anxious thoughts lifted, Kleid found her beautiful.
He bit at his lip, realizing the moment had come to speak of what he’d been avoiding.
No matter how much Odin had said he would wait, that patience wouldn’t stretch on forever.
If he didn’t step forward first, Odin would undoubtedly move on his own.
“Aine. There’s something I need to tell you.”
For the past hour, Kleid had been unable to focus on the documents before him. Now he set them aside and fixed his full attention on her.
Aine, hearing his words, closed her book and turned her gaze to him.
With their eyes meeting, Kleid forced open lips that seemed reluctant to part.
“If you could become Crown Princess right now, would you accept?”
Most would never refuse such a position—but this woman before him was different. Neither honor nor power nor wealth could sway her.
He couldn’t fathom how she would regard the title of Crown Princess, and that uncertainty made him hesitant to speak.
If she were to refuse—
“So that’s what’s been weighing on you lately.”
But Aine drew close to him and pressed her lips to his brow. In that brief kiss, his anxiety seemed to dissolve away.
“From the moment I chose you, I made my decision with full resolve.”

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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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