The Baddest Villainess Is Back
Chapter 80
“……Who did you say?”
The Emperor asked back, frowning slightly as if he thought he had misheard.
“The Captain of the Royal Guard.”
When Roselyn spoke again with emphasis, the Emperor’s expression hardened, a rare sight.
“……So you are saying that the current Captain of the Imperial Guard is the King of Makruksa?”
“Yes.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
After all, she had just finished a conversation with him.
Roselyn swallowed those words. She could be framed for collusion if she spoke them aloud.
“……Are you telling me that the captain of my own guard is currently the King of Makruksa?”
“Yes.”
“Gongnyeo, I am not in the mood for jokes. You can take responsibility for these words, I assume.”
“Yes. So please, put some Abyss into the stone.”
Roselyn said, holding out the orange stone.
The Emperor frowned.
“If I imbue this stone with Abyss, how exactly will the summons work?”
“Well….”
She didn’t know. Roselyn had only heard about it; she hadn’t actually seen it used herself.
“……It will be summoned.”
“……You intend for me to use something when you don’t even know what it is?”
“There is no danger, so do not worry.”
How could he not worry?
After a moment of contemplation, the Emperor suddenly smiled with a more mischievous face.
“Very well. However, Gongnyeo. I am helping because you are the child slated to become my daughter-in-law.”
“…….”
“I hope you don’t forget that point.”
“No, then never mi—!”
Roselyn tried to pull the stone back at the Emperor’s attempt to slyly link them together, but she bit her lip as she saw the Emperor’s Abyss already seeping into the stone.
“I hope for the Gongnyeo’s safety.”
“……Yes.”
Roselyn looked down with a truly displeased expression.
“But let me ask one thing. Why is the Captain of the Guard the King of Makruksa?”
At the Emperor’s question, Roselyn stopped in her tracks.
“I recommend you find that out for yourself.”
“Gongnyeo, you really walk a very fine line.”
“I apologize if I have offended you. I will gratefully accept the gift you have bestowed. Now, as it is late, I shall take my leave.”
Roselyn smiled and offered a polite farewell at the Emperor’s words, then paused briefly at the door as she turned to leave.
“Your Majesty, a child of a murderer has been born. Is this child a sinner, or not?”
“……Are you suddenly suggesting we debate the concept of guilt by association?”
Roselyn laughed softly.
“Then…… are the unwanted children of a King sinners, or not?”
While the Emperor remained silent, Roselyn bowed once more and left the reception room.
*
*
*
“So, what should we do with this, Roselyn?”
Returning to the present, Roselyn kept her mouth shut at the sound of Arma’s bright, innocent voice as he asked with a naive face.
‘Let’s not mess with him.’
Roselyn thought.
In fact, it was a natural human instinct. It was because the man in the skull mask who had attacked her was now sprawled on the floor, subdued by Arma while she had been lost in thought for a moment.
It had happened in an instant. The moment the ‘Reaper’ charged to kill Roselyn, Arma had drawn his sword and stood in his way.
The trauma of the past—when Arma had told her to run while facing an assassin—had almost resurfaced, but only for a fleeting second.
Because Arma was strong, and he had neutralized the opponent in the blink of an eye. There hadn't even been time for the trauma to set in.
“……He’s playing with people.”
The lingering worries vanished, replaced by a surge of slight irritation.
“……Pardon?”
“No. Since there’s a high probability he’s been brainwashed, it would be best to prevent his suicide first….”
Crunch!
No sooner had she finished speaking than a gruesome sound echoed, followed by the metallic scent of blood.
The two of them looked down simultaneously. Arma hurriedly flipped over the Reaper he had been subduing and his eyes widened.
“……A child?”
He muttered softly, frowning as he forced open the mouth of the boy who was spitting blood.
“……This looks difficult unless a healer arrives immediately.”
He was still clinging to life, but his condition was already too poor to survive.
“Step aside.”
Roselyn detached the yellow stone from the Seven Luminaries Stone and placed it lightly on the boy’s forehead.
A warm yellow light began to flow from the stone.
The blood that had been gushing from his mouth stopped, and his deathly pale complexion gradually began to return to normal.
Among the Seven Luminaries Stones, the yellow one was the stone of purification and healing.
“Roselyn, what…… is this?”
“I received it from a god who was out for a stroll.”
“……Excuse me?”
Arma asked back blankly at Roselyn’s sudden confession.
“……I see.”
“Do you believe me?”
“It’s hard to believe, but if Roselyn says so, then it must be so.”
Roselyn burst into laughter at Arma’s words.
“You say that, but your face looks like someone who’s just been swindled by a very silver-tongued con artist.”
Arma blinked blankly at the sight of Roselyn laughing.
“Arma? Why are you just standing there?”
“Ah…… because I suddenly felt like I wanted to kiss you.”
“……In a place like this?”
“Ah, no, no! That is, the words just slipped out…… because Roselyn is so beautiful. And…… because it’s the first time I’ve seen you laugh……. I-I’m sorry.”
Arma, answering flusteredly, quickly hung his head low.
Watching him, Roselyn shrugged her shoulders.
“Want to try?”
At her words, Arma’s eyes widened significantly.
“……No, I don’t want to do it like this. I’d rather set the mood a bit more and do it while walking in a garden or on a beach…….”
Arma, who had blurted it out reflexively in his panic, ducked his head with a face flushed bright red.
“I’m sorry.”
His small, muttered voice was laced with a sense of shame that made him want to run away immediately.
“……How romantic. I didn’t know you had such a detailed project plan laid out…….”
At Roselyn’s remark, Arma buried his face in his palms.
“I’m sorry.”
“Anyway, shall we tie this one up? I’m going to go talk to my father and grandfather for a moment.”
At Roselyn’s words, Arma nodded.
“Go ahead. I’ll bind him and keep him in the garden so that Roselyn’s room doesn’t get dirty.”
“Okay.”
Roselyn turned around after watching Arma hesitate to grab the unconscious boy by the scruff of the neck, eventually opting to drape him over his shoulder.
“Oh, and since my scent isn't on anything, don't go stealing my things.”
“……I won’t.”
“Good.”
Roselyn turned away again.
Arma sighed as he watched Roselyn walk away. The problem was that he didn’t dislike her teasing.
‘……Why on earth did I stupidly say I wanted to kiss her right then.’
Arma let out a small groan, thumping his forehead against the wall. He couldn’t stand how foolish he was being.
He started to jump out the window, then clicked his tongue and banged his forehead against the window frame again.
But…….
‘It was the first time I’d ever seen Roselyn laugh like that.’
Honestly, he was surprised.
By the fact that she was a person who could smile like that.
“……I’ve never thought about wanting to be loved by another person before, so this is troublesome.”
Pretending to be kind, weak, and naive wasn't that difficult. However, Roselyn was not deluded by such things.
No matter how much he pretended to know nothing, or suddenly stepped forward to use his abilities and act impressively, her indifferent and tepid expression didn't change much.
Even though she was here, she felt as if she wasn't here.
Arma flicked his fingers.
He bound the unconscious boy tightly with black darkness that pulled from his fingertips like rope.
“Love…….”
He had never loved anything before.
To Arma, all living things were worthless. They were merely things to be used, things that would fall away at a wave of his hand.
He knew that trustworthy people were rare in the world, and he had lived through the terrible betrayals of those who were two-faced.
Nevertheless, Arma was someone who believed that people were necessary to live life.
One cannot live alone.
Because there are things in the world that are trivial, foolish, and full of malice, yet sometimes good, wise, and valuable, he too exists.
So Arma did not fall into a state of stupid arrogance. He even harbored an uncharacteristic romantic thought that he might one day meet someone just for him.
“……I think I’ve found her.”
Arma muttered softly, lightly rubbing his cheek with his palm.
“Ah, I want to have her.”
Arma whispered in a low voice.