The Abandoned Villainess Decides to Take It All Chapter 49

Chapter 49

After Lillian Tillard recovered, Duke Baltazar came to visit her.

He said that since his grandson had turned his hideout into nothing but snow-like dust, he would now return to the family’s main residence.

Perniès—a world without morals.

And yet Lillian was so dazed by the mountain of gifts filling her room that she forgot to curse the Empire entirely.

“Your Grace… what is all of this?”

“Hmph! What, was I supposed to come empty-handed when visiting someone who was ill?”

The duke folded his arms and, perhaps out of embarrassment, desperately looked anywhere but at her.

“I don’t know what young ladies like anymore. I don’t understand trends!”

“….”

“If there’s anything you don’t like, throw it away. Someone will probably pick it up.”

Who would throw away gifts like these—and who would dare pick them up?

The presents were completely random.

Some were rare medicinal ingredients.

Others were bright bouquets of flowers.

There were sugar sweets that a literal child might enjoy.

And even lace shawls so delicate that Lillian—herself from one of the Five Sacred Houses—felt overwhelmed.

He had clearly just brought everything that looked nice or acceptable to him.

She had never received gifts like this from Duke Tillard.

“Thank you. Since you gave them to me, I’ll use every single one myself and absolutely won’t give them away.”

“Ahem. If anyone should be grateful, it certainly isn’t this old man.”

The duke coughed awkwardly.

“…It’s true I was deceived by that insignificant wretch. But I only suffered it because I left an opening.”

“Your Grace.”

“I nearly did something unforgivable—to you and to my own blood.”

“You just have to avoid doing that in the future. And you can talk more often from now on.”

“…Ahem. But are you really engaged to His Highness? Are you truly alright with that?”

Lillian hesitated for just a moment.

I never mentioned it was a contract engagement, did I? It’s really just to disguise the villain’s imprinting.

Even so, engagements still had meaning among nobles.

But they could be broken anytime before marriage.

That’s why I chose to make it an engagement with the villain in the first place.

Hmm.

Right.

“Yes. Please take care of me from now on as well.”

“Hah! Truly! To think I would live to see a future granddaughter-in-law from the Tillards. Hah!”

It was difficult to tell whether that reaction was positive or negative.

At least Lillian didn’t dislike it.

She had always assumed older people would automatically hate her.

Lillian walked beside the duke along the reception hall corridor.

Through the glass wall, she saw the rock dragon familiar happily digging into the ground.

“Your Grace. Is that familiar the same one as before?”

“…Ahem, no.”

“…? Another familiar?”

What a shame.

If it had been the same one, she had planned to jokingly ask for a piece of its tail rock.

The duke let out a long sigh.

“It isn’t exactly different. It regenerated to the point that… it remembers nothing.”

So it had essentially been reset.

Then the previous one was Barkan One, and this is Barkan Two.

Lillian waved her hand.

The familiar wagged its tail in response.

In broad daylight, even a giant pile of rocks looked a little cute.

But before she could approach—

“Have you finished talking?”

A languid voice echoed through the corridor.

The villain approached with his arms folded, smiling.

But Lillian wasn’t fooled.

Why is that man acting like this again today…?

Ever since he had made that bizarre suggestion that they should write a Death Note together—

“Duke, Lillian is not your granddaughter. Are you trying to turn the family register into nonsense?”

“Ha… honestly… It seems we should be the ones paying the dowry.”

“Pay as much as you like. Lillian would certainly be happy to have more money.”

For a moment it had seemed like they had reached a truce.

But now the villain had somehow become even more spiteful.

Meanwhile

Ebren did not like that the duke had come to see Lillian.

To be honest, he wanted to throw him out immediately.

This woman’s kindness is too public.

Now he understood it clearly.

Lillian and he were complete opposites.

He truly cared about nothing.

Whereas—

Lillian Tillard is exactly like a butterfly.

Something he no longer wanted to break.

Something he wanted to keep looking at.

Yet something everyone else also wanted.

But I don’t think I’d be able to like you.

The rabbit must have looked beautiful in the snow, Your Highness.

Ever since hearing those words, it had become unpleasant to watch Lillian speak even to other people.

So after practically chasing the duke away, Lillian lightly scolded him.

“I heard the two of you talked quite well while I was sick. Why has your relationship reset to zero again?”

“That’s enough about the duke. Just hold my hand.”

“….”

“Come on. Think of it as taking a walk while holding the leash.”

Lillian looked at him with eyes as clear and cold as glass.

But she still took his hand.

“…You think I’m absurd?”

“…? How did you know?”

He stared intently at the side of Lillian’s face.

He knew the Tillard bloodline was famous for producing beauties.

But why did she suddenly seem even more beautiful today?

“Lillian.”

“Yes?”

“What did you do today?”

“…?”

Lillian counted on her fingers with her free hand.

“I met the duke earlier. Before that I made artifacts. Then I went for a walk. And right now I’m guiding you…?”

“Really? Strange.”

“…?”

“Nothing has changed.”

There was nothing unusual in Lillian’s daily routine.

This doesn’t seem to be caused by imprinting either.

So why did she look so beautiful?

“…Hmm.”

Frowning at the incomprehensible phenomenon, he looked even more displeased.

If she looked this beautiful—

She would stand out to others as well.

Even more than before.

“Your Highness. Your Highness, are you listening?”

“You were talking about going to the Imperial Palace.”

He had heard everything.

This was the convenience of an S-rank body.

“Yes. There’s also the matter of punishing Marquis Somnis…”

Lillian smiled brightly.

“And coincidentally, the Beginning of Spring Ball is coming up.”

“…You know how to dance? You’re always sitting around.”

“Ha-ha. Since I can’t dance, let’s skip that part and just take the best part.”

Her eyes gleamed sharply.

“Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to start setting things in motion?”

The Beginning of Spring Ball

The Beginning of Spring Ball.

True to Perniès—which loved very literal names—it was simply a ball celebrating the arrival of spring.

Naturally, the ball held at the Imperial Palace was the most prestigious.

Only selected guests, including members of the Five Sacred Houses, could attend.

And yet House Tillard was enjoying the event as if nothing troublesome were happening within their household.

Ramio Tillard had not attended.

But if a grown man simply said a ball was bothersome and stayed away, that was his own business.

Times had changed.

Unlike the past, young nobles were no longer required to attend every event.

There were many other forms of entertainment now.

Just as Karkin Favil had apparently fled to a gambling house instead.

Meanwhile, Iris Tillard chatted with acquaintances.

“Come to think of it, is Lady Lillian still in the north after having her engagement broken?”

“Ah…”

Iris put on a gloomy expression.

To be fair, she really was gloomy.

Because she was genuinely irritated.

“I suppose my cousin is… yes…”

“My, how cold-hearted.”

“She liked the young duke so much… It’s such a shame she ruined her own charm like that—”

But before Iris could finish speaking—

The herald’s voice suddenly rang out across the ballroom.

“His Highness Prince Ebren Tarandia is entering!”

Duke Tillard frowned irritably.

What exactly has that bastard been doing, constantly lingering around the capital lately…?

Then the herald’s voice rang out again.

“……Lady Lillian of House Tillard is entering as well!”

At that moment—

The duke nearly crushed the wineglass in his hand.