When A Villain Meets A Villain - Chapter 57

The next day, the same content was reported on the front page of newspapers. While the titles differed slightly, the ultimate theme was the same. And that was none other than the Grand Duke of Blanc’s marriage. And that was also Atalante’s marriage. D*mn it.

The words, ‘The Crown Princess’ selection test will be held this year’, would appear beside it occasionally, but it was hard to recognise as it was too tiny.

Such prominent coverage about his marriage, he who wasn’t an Imperial aristocrat but the neighbouring grand duchy’s Lord, proved that imperial citizens paid attention to Lionel.

People would always be attracted to provocative content, so it’s natural that they were curious about the love history of the mad grand duke.

‘I want to be interviewed. About how that Grand Duke actually fell in love with his assassin and even proposed to her due to a love potion.’

Of course, that was impossible. She just felt suffocated, so she’d have such thoughts occasionally. Whether people would believe her if she confessed frankly was something uncertain.

“Ahh, this life of mine.”

As she looked down at the hectic scene of luggage being loaded, Atalante buried her face in her palm with a painful sound.

Her initial plan, to return to the routine she had before meeting Lionel, was getting farther and farther away.

Including the things she had done to Rubel, she’d done a lot of things that the grand duke will find irksome, but they were entirely counterproductive.

Amongst those, there were a few that I’d remembered.

The day she flipped the table upside down because the pomegranate was too red,

“How can you flip the table in such a neat manner? Once again, I’ve fallen for you, Atalante.”

The day she broke the precious and expensive jewellery that she didn’t dare to wear with the reason that she didn’t like it,

“I had also thought that that jewel didn’t suit Atalante, but your eyes truly are discerning. I fell in love with you once again, Atalante.”

The day she ruined the garden of the mansion in the capital with splendid swordsmanship with the excuse of warming up her hands,

“I was just about to get tired of this landscape, so thanks to you, I’ll be able to plant even better flowers. I’m in love with you, Atalante.”

The world’s greatest madman repeatedly said that he fell in love with her no matter what she did.

The day she had used Paul to tell the grand duke all about the cumulation of evil deeds that she’d done as the boss, she was slightly expectant. She thought that he’d end up finding her horrible.

However, Lionel…

“I heard from Paul. Everything that you’d done, all of it.”

“Ah, I wanted to hide it, but there’s nothing I can do. If you know what a terrifying villain I am, you’ll keep your distance…” 

“The story of you winning against 17 adult males left the deepest impression on me. Once again, I’ve fallen in love with your ability. Do you still remember their names or faces? I’d like to meet them once.”

It was obviously a smiling face, but then Lionel’s blue eyes were subdued and sanguinary that chills ran down her spine.

As it occurred a long time ago, she didn’t even remember that incident clearly, but she didn’t know what the grand duke would do when he met them, and neither did she want to know.

“Why are you making that face? I’m the one that wants to cry.”

As Atalante was in the midst of contemplation, a tearful voice resounded over Atalante’s head.

With exhaustion written all over his face, Paul’s wan and sallow face made it hard to believe he was only a few years older than Lionel.

“I’d said that I’ll personally stop you from becoming the Grand Duchess no matter what.”

But Paul had unintentionally supported Lionel’s proposal with his own hands.

On the eve of the banquet, he was ordered by the grand duke to prepare a large-scale fireworks display throughout the entire Empire.

Of course, Paul thought that it was an event to celebrate the Empire’s founding. As such, he did his best to prepare a spectacular fireworks display that was beyond his means, and made sure that it would explode all over the country at a set time.

Thanks to his efforts, the news of Lionel’s romantic marriage proposal flowed beyond the Empire to other countries, and the rumours reached a point where they can’t be reduced.

After confirming that his haggard face was turning paler, Atalante pouted.

“If you’d performed well, I wouldn’t have had a reason to accept his marriage proposal. Ah, everything is ruined thanks to you.”

“You’re going to be the world’s only Grand Duchess, but what do you mean ruined! Shouldn’t you be a little happier? No, this isn’t it. I should be stopping you from becoming the Grand Duchess.”

Perhaps because he was disorientated, he continued to utter gibberish with a confused expression.

The position of grand duchess was definitely glorious, but that villain should not have been there. But it was also irritating that she found the position of grand duchess annoying. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Atalante had to be the grand duchess!

“But thanks to you, the Grand Duke has become stable… No, what am I talking about? Ugh, I don’t even know what I want!”

Atalante looked at Paul, who was tearing out his hair, with a look of scorn, and soon rose from her seat.

“Your job remains the same. Do your absolute best to stop me from sitting in the position of Grand Duchess.”

“What did you say?”

“Aren’t you the 341st Lord Chamberlain? You must stop a villain like me from being remembered as the noble Grand Duchess no matter what.”

“Oh, you remembered that I’m the 341st Lord Chamberlain?”

“Isn’t that a matter of course? You’d always add those words no matter what you’re doing. Whoever can’t remember that is a fool.”

Then his master was a fool.

“His Highness doesn’t even remember which generation’s Lord Chamberlain I am, but that woman…’

He was somewhat touched, and something that took root within Paul’s heart gradually grew bigger.

Paul, who struggled to ignore the sensation, opened his mouth with a determined voice.

“In any case! You’ll only be the Grand Duchess for a very short moment. I’ll make you step down within a year!”

After hearing his determined declaration, Atalante’s lips curved up in a pretty arc.

“That’s exactly what I want. I’ll look forward to your performance, 341st Lord Chamberlain.”

Atalante followed an aristocratic young lady’s elegant manner of speech, and left the room after touching his shoulder tightly.

Paul could only remain in place stiffly for a while.

‘Do I really… want that woman to leave His Highness’ side?’

The answer was obvious when he thought about it rationally, and so there’s no need for him to agonise about it.

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The news that the grand duke was returning in the middle of the founding festival, and not enjoying it till the end, spread throughout the capital.

Though some evaluated him as lacking in manners for leaving after achieving his purpose like he’d been waiting, it only constitutes a small fraction.

“So the Grand Duke is in such a rush to get married. It’s a love of the century that transcends their past and status. It’ll definitely be a wedding that’ll go down in history.”

Most of them had such thoughts, and they wanted to be invited to the wedding that’ll make history no matter what.

For that, even though an imperial banquet was being held today, all the imperial aristocrats flocked to the Grand Duke’s mansion in the capital. It was a struggle of sorts, to leave even the slightest of impressions on him before he left.

“Send all of them back.”

However, even when he saw the group of carriages that was crowded before his mansion, the Grand Duke had a cold reaction.

“Y—Your Highness, but—!”

“It’s annoying. I thought that only Count Evita’s successor would do something pointless in front of someone else’s door.”

“What do you mean pointless? It’s a rare opportunity to be acquainted with the Imperial nobles before you leave for the Grand Duchy!”

Those arrogant aristocrats placed down the pride that they valued so much momentarily to meet him. It’s obvious that this was a rare opportunity, but Paul’s master was very stubborn.

“Get rid of everything before I take action. It’s getting in the way of the preparations to leave.”

At those words, Paul swallowed his tears and turned around. When he thought about his tactics in dealing with Tross previously, he still felt dizzy.

Furthermore, it would be a disaster if he kept a large number of well-known aristocrats locked up in an ownerless mansion.

“Ah, come to think of it, the letter…”

Paul seemed to recall something and turned around all of a sudden, taking out two neatly sealed letters.

“Throw it away.”

The grand duke frowned like he found it very irritating, before turning his gaze towards the document that he had been reading again.

“But, Your Highness, it’ll be better to check this. This is a letter from the family of Miss Lillica, whom Miss Atalante had saved.”

“Lillica? Ahh, from the Union family.”

The little brat that was anxious to win Atalante’s favour.

It was memorable as the way she acted cute with, “Boss, boss,” was quite irritating.

‘Because you said that you like cute things.’

It hurt his pride to be jealous of a small creature that was around ten years old, but what bothers him, bothers him.

Truthfully, when Atalante looked at Lillica, a strange vibrance lingered within her eyes. No matter how he thought about it, her gaze was completely different from when she looked at him.

Like a kid that had his toy snatched away, Lionel had a grumpy look as he reluctantly received a letter from Paul.

However, after the lord chamberlain ascertained one of them, hid one of the two letters behind him and smiled.

“One of them is for Miss Atalante.”

“I’ll examine it and give it to her myself.”

“What kind of examination is required for a letter from a child? If anyone finds out, they’ll find fault with it.”

“I don’t care about it, so hand it over right now…”

“A kind, generous and magnanimous man.”

As soon as he chanted a magic spell that was limited to Lionel, he retracted his gaze from the letter that’s hidden behind Paul irritably.

What would have happened if he hadn’t forged Atalante’s taste that day? Of the things that Paul has done this year, it was the best.

With a chin in a hand and an indifferent expression, the grand duke tore open the well-sealed letter and read through it.

“In fact, as His Highness is currently neutral, since he’d read a letter from the aristocratic faction, I should encourage him to read a letter from the imperial faction… But that letter was written to a lifesaver, so it’s an exception.’

Still, out of courtesy, Paul secretly placed a letter from another family in the imperial faction on the desk, and left the grand duke’s room with hurried steps.

Firstly, he had to ask for the forgiveness of the nobles that were camping in front of the gate… Let’s deliver the letter that he’d forgotten to do earlier to Atalante.

As Paul decided on the order of things he needed to complete, his steps were light. It was strange, even though the things he clearly didn’t want to do were right before his eyes.

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