The Abandoned Villainess Decides to Take It All Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Lillian, wearing the Shedding Veil, watched the mountain path together with the villain.

Soon, a black-haired man on a white horse appeared, leading knights toward the area where the esper mines had been planted.

“…Just as expected. He even brought Dawn and the Imperial Knights,”
Lillian whispered into the villain’s ear.

The Dawn, clad in blue uniforms, were the personal knight order of the original male lead.

Some were called Shadows, others Dawn.
The original story’s bias was painfully obvious.

But after neutralizing the esper energy, we reinstalled them.

The original male lead moved away from his group together with a brown-haired man.

He was clearly furious, shouting at his subordinate.

Wow. They’re fighting.
Among themselves.

Lillian held her breath and listened closely.

The aide was crying, begging.

“Your Highness, if this goes wrong…! If it causes an earthquake, the damage will be—”

“—Then we just dump it on Baltazar!”

Lillian clicked her tongue.

Isn’t he being way too honest about that?

“Your Highness, who are they arguing with?” she whispered.

“Looks like Kyle’s aide. Cedric Bain.”

“Ah… Cedric. That man needs to be saved.”

“……”

“Your Highness?”

“It’s strange,” the villain murmured, lowering his head.
“Why do you know my brother’s side so well? It’s almost as if you’re his controller.”

“What?”

“You even know his aide well. Why do you care so much?”

What a strange personality.

He’s not seriously suspecting me after I’ve handed over everything, is he?
At this point?

“Why would I ever become the Second Prince’s controller?” Lillian said flatly.
“I barely have enough mental space worrying about you, Your Highness.”

Because you might cause an incident.

“I only worry about you and the Shadows.”

And about my life getting dragged down with you.

…Of course, she was relieved no one had stepped on the mines.

Wanting to live well alone
and watching people you know die
were two completely different things.

That sincerity must have reached him.

The villain lowered his gaze and smiled in satisfaction.

“Hm. I see…”

“Then, Your Highness— you’re not actually going to erase them, right?”

In the original story, the villain believed removing annoyances was the most efficient approach.

He erased plenty of places like that back then. But…

At Lillian’s question, he answered indifferently.

“Who knows. If they’re trying to screw me over, do they really need to keep breathing?”

“Punishment should be suffered while alive. And honestly—erasing them right now would be boring.”

She had no intention of persuading someone without ethics using morality.

The villain laughed softly.

“Then what do you think would be more entertaining?”

“There are so many spectators. We should humiliate them.”

Dragging the Imperial Knights here without permission—

He’s not even the Emperor. How bold.

And first…

She needed to see what that aide would do once the male lead turned his back.

You’re not a real aide anyway.

Then it was time for their entrance.

Not long after—

Cedric Bain wiped the ugly tears streaming behind his glasses.

“Sniff… hic…”

Kyle was noble on the surface.

But as a perfectionist, he couldn’t tolerate even the slightest deviation from his plans.

—

“This is your chance to prove your loyalty. Go and plant more.”

—

Cedric stared at the “chance” in his hand.

If this is used wrong, it’ll be a disaster…

What should he do?

He had to look like he was obeying orders.

So Cedric buried the bombs carelessly into the ground.

But once he finished, he inhaled sharply.

“Ghk!”

A sharp pain stabbed into his temples.

He must’ve been contaminated by leaking esper energy while transporting them.

Damn it. This is why I didn’t want to do this.

Then—someone grabbed his hand.

The damaged nerves instantly began to settle.

A pink-haired beauty wearing a veil… maybe?

Her features looked strangely soft, like marshmallows.

What…?

“Are you back with us?”

“Y-Yes? Th-Thank you—”

“Good. Got a witness.”

“…What?”

Why aren’t the bombs exploding?

Kyle grew anxious.

The eyes of the knights following him made it worse.

“Your Highness, time is—”

“Monsters are appearing. If you use your ability—”

“Just wait a little longer!”

Kyle shouted.

Kyle despised his own ability.

What good was S-rank poison if it wasn’t annihilation?

He hated using such an unworthy power.

But he also hated seeing others flaunt their abilities in front of him.

So he chose efficiency.

And yet…

Suddenly, a scent filled his lungs so strongly that he covered his nose.

What is this?

In the darkness, the scent of lilies was suffocating.

Who would wear something like—?

Before he could locate the source, a terrifying presence approached.

“Well. Fancy meeting you here.”

“…Ebren?”

“Why the long face, little brother?”

Ebren smiled.

Kyle’s spine chilled at the artificial smile.

“Not happy to see your brother after so long?”

“……”

“That hurts. Truly.”

Kyle clenched his fists until his knuckles threatened to burst.

Happy. Hurt.

…Emotions?

He didn’t even have those.

And yet this man flaunted them so shamelessly!

“And what’s with all this fear while hunting monsters? You even brought Dawn and the Imperial Knights.”

“……!”

“That’s rather ugly.”

The Shadows behind Ebren snickered openly.

“Well, you’ve only stayed in the capital. Must’ve panicked.”

“How old are the Dawn kids again?”

“The age where they cry for their parents when camping?”

Have they lost their minds?

No matter whose subordinates they were, how dare they speak to a Tarandia prince like this?

The atmosphere among Dawn sharpened instantly.

“Filthy vermin rolling in the dirt—!”

“You pathetic fools—!”

The tension turned razor-sharp.

That was when Kyle finally noticed the woman beside Ebren.

Wrapped in a veil, her face blurred as if she were just another passerby.

But that wasn’t the problem.

What is she holding…?

Kyle flinched.

In her hand was a fully dismantled esper mine.

“What is this, Your Highness? Does the palace make things like this?”

“Hm? This looks illegal.”

“Oh my, surely not!”

The woman exaggerated her shock.

“The Second Prince is famous for his bravery. You wouldn’t have planted illegal weapons just because you were afraid of losing to the First Prince… would you?”

Kyle felt the gaze of Dawn burning into his back.

A future emperor had to be noble.

Without annihilation, everything else had to be perfect.

That obsession—everyone knew it.

Whispers spread.

But Kyle’s eyes were locked on one person.

Was that woman Ebren’s retainer?

Who was this woman scattering the scent of lilies?

Who the hell—

Kyle reached out instinctively.

Before he could get any closer—

A thunderous shout echoed from behind.

“Your Highness! What is the meaning of this!?”

Hearing the shout, Lillian smiled inwardly.

As expected—Boliver charging in.

Even elders who could’ve ignored something like this had mobilized immediately.

Perfect.