The Abandoned Villainess Decides to Take It All Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Lillian felt like she finally understood why everyone was looking at her so intently.

Ah… they’re still afraid, so they’re treating me like the spokesperson.

The way they looked at her—like people watching a dog trainer—was a little bewildering, but what could she do?

Lillian glanced toward where her former family stood.

Kuern was glaring at her resentfully, Iris was trembling, and her grandfather was visibly holding himself back.

It was a good thing she had revealed everything here.

Otherwise, they definitely would have dragged me off somewhere.

How convenient it was to have a foreign royal guest present.

But then—

The male lead of the original story approached.

“Hah. A woman wearing such disgusting perfume.”

What?

Your brother is the one wearing perfume. Since when did I?

The male lead looked at Lillian as though she were something offensive.

But Lillian had no time to dwell on the insult.

“Little brother. How do you think it would feel to stand there and suddenly lose an organ?”

A single mad dog required the full attention of one human being.

Lillian smiled brightly and tightened her grip on the villain’s hand.

“Your Highness, I’m perfectly alright…”

Still, since he had spoken to her, it was only fair to answer.

Lillian looked at the male lead and smiled faintly.

“How embarrassing that Your Highness the Second Prince recognized the perfume. Of all five senses, I suppose your sense of smell alone—no, especially your sense of smell—is remarkably sharp.”

She touched one cheek as if shy.

“His Highness the First Prince excels in every area, so I must have grown too complacent!”

The male lead’s jaw twitched.

In the original story, it was the villain who overturned the Imperial Palace, but…

The male lead had also gone berserk in the middle of it and made everything worse.

Which meant his raw ability was below the villain’s.

“You—!”

And it also meant he was still worse than his mother at controlling his expression.

Before his voice could rise—

“How wonderful and unfortunate to see you again like this, Lillian. Let us meet next at the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

She would avoid going if at all possible.

Meanwhile

Ebren had brought his Guide.

From one side of the hall, Kyle stared obsessively at Lillian.

I’ve never felt this kind of thing from her before.

Her guiding ability was impressive, yes—but more than anything, that scent felt suffocating.

A pure, clean lily fragrance.

It was unbearable.

Kyle turned his head.

Beside him, the S-rank Guide Iris blinked up at him.

“Iris.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“You will become my future partner, won’t you?”

“…! Y-Yes.”

“So you must not lose to those two here.”

“Yes, of course…!”

That was true.

I can’t let this place become noona’s stage any more than it already has.

The main guest today was Princess Meliora.

All Iris had to do was leave the strongest impression on the princess at the very end.

“I’ll present my new creation, the Fairy’s Bracelet, to the princess!”

The Demonstration

When Iris stepped forward again, a servant crossed the hall carrying a piece of jewelry in a glass case.

“Oh my, that’s—”

“I saw it in the catalog!”

Wasn’t that the newest release from Iris Florent?

Fairy’s Bracelet.

A silver bracelet with elegant curves, set with blue gemstones glowing with radiant light.

Smiling, Iris began her introduction.

“This bracelet is designed to delay mental contamination while allowing the wearer to channel and release ability power through it.”

A wave of impressed murmurs rose among the guests, especially the knight-types.

“Ohh…”

It would be a great help in the worst-case scenario, when there was no Guide or Control Stone available.

Iris approached the princess.

“This is Iris’s latest creation, Your Highness.”

“Hm…”

“I present it to you, Your Highness. And naturally, once it is presented, no one else will have one.”

In other words, it was a limited edition.

Even if Princess Meliora had suddenly turned cold, surely this would catch her attention.

But after lifting it, the princess said something entirely different.

“It looks like something I’ve seen somewhere before.”

“T-That can’t be! Whatever do you mean?”

“Hmmm.”

Meliora raised her head.

Her eyes met Lillian’s.

That’s exactly right.

Lillian remembered the sketch she had shown at the Temple of Aeterna.

Every new piece Iris releases was made by me.

“…Thank you for the gift, Iris.”

“I’m honored, Your Highness.”

“But before I wear it myself, I think it would be delightful if someone demonstrated how it works first.”

“Yes, of course.”

Iris smiled brightly.

She would simply have one of the family knights demonstrate it.

But then—

“I’ll assist with the demonstration myself.”

“Y-Your Highness?”

Iris’s smile nearly broke.

The one who stepped forward was, of all people, Kyle.

Kyle was S-rank. Could this bracelet really withstand someone like him?

If it were just a B-rank user, it would definitely be safe.

What should she do?

But she couldn’t very well stop the Second Prince when he was volunteering.

Especially while Ebren, his half-brother, stood watching with that relaxed smile…

“…Yes, Your Highness! It’s an honor.”

“So I simply wear the bracelet and channel my ability into it, Iris?”

“Yes, exactly!”

It would be fine.

As long as the Second Prince handled it carefully, there would be no problem.

I’m the one who’ll save our family!

Kyle put on the bracelet and poured his ability into it.

But when he slowly raised his hand—

Crack.

It sounded like the brittle shell of a pastry breaking apart.

The tiny sound grew louder.

Crack. Crack…!

Then, after a scraping noise that clawed at the ears, a sickening snap rang out.

“Ugh…!”

“Y-Your Highness the Prince!?”

Iris let out a shrill scream.

The bracelet split cleanly in half, and Prince Kyle’s ability burst outward.

Poisonous energy spread in every direction.

“Everyone, get down!”

“Aah!”

Because it had been created through ability power, it did not simply dissipate on its own.

Glass cases around the hall were sliced open as if by invisible blades and exploded apart.

Decorative flower vases and even tables were gashed, and the entire hall descended into chaos.

“Aah!”

“A barrier! Is there no barrier user here!?”

“If you breathe it in—!”

But before the poison could spread any farther, white snow appearing in midair began swallowing the toxicity.

“That’s—!”

“The Power of Annihilation…”

At that moment, fear froze everyone in place.

Especially those who knew the current emperor.

No matter how great that power was said to be, they had seen how it consumed a person from the inside out.

And yet—

Prince Ebren looked perfectly fine.

The reason is…!

Because standing beside him was a powerful Guide who matched him.

Lillian, who no longer belonged to House Tillard.

Then a cold voice struck Iris’s ears.

“You called that a gift, Iris Tillard?”

“Y-Your Highness—!”

“If I had worn that without knowing what it was, it would have been a disaster.”

Princess Meliora turned away, her expression deeply displeased.