When A Villain Meets A Villain - Chapter 60

Contrary to Atalante’s expectations, the people of the Grand Duchy welcomed their master and their future mother of the nation.

When Atalante was welcomed with flower petals and not eggs as she entered the Grand Duchy, she was both bewildered and disquieted.

‘Did Lionel’s reign of terror drive everyone crazy?’

As it was a pretty plausible idea, Atalante was unable to ease her gradually rising doubts.

However, no matter how she looked at it, the emotions that rose in the eyes of those looking at her on horseback were clearly that of admiration.

‘Why are they looking at me like that? They must have truly gone mad.’

Besides the baffled expression on her face, the constantly burning heat from her earlobes made her feel an indescribable embarrassment.

“You’re so beautiful!”

“Please become a wise and benevolent Grand Duchess, Miss!”

Hic.

Atalante ended up hiccuping at the embarrassing cheers that she was hearing for the first time in her life.

The corners of her mouth were so itchy that she wondered if this was alright, and her cheeks ended up being so flushed, as if it was about to burst.

Atalante didn’t spot them as she didn’t have the luxury to scan her surroundings. While gazes of yearning were affixed on her, astonished gazes soon followed Lionel.

‘The Lovely Grand Prince.’

As Lionel rode alongside Atalante, the world’s most blissful smile was on his face, reminiscent of the Lionel from those days.

He had never laughed before, even when he successfully completed monster subjugations, or when he returned with the tune of victory as his backdrop, so this surprised the people of the Grand Duchy.

“It’s the power of love.”

At someone’s whisper, people around them nodded unanimously, like it was agreed upon beforehand.

All of the rumours that spread from the capital were true. Their monarch has truly changed, and there was a strong possibility that he will change in the future. It was all due to the beautiful girl next to him.

To the people of the Grand Duchy, neither her background, nor the names she was called in the Empire, mattered.

‘They must marry.’

All those that were gathered at the square had the same thoughts as they stared at Atalante’s silhouette, with red hair fluttering like silk.

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Once she arrived at the Grand Duchy, Atalante was guided into an extravagant room, which was used by the grand duchess of generations past.

“I’m the head maid, Agnes, and I’ll be serving Miss Atalante from now onwards.”

Agnes gave off a rather chilly impression, which was in line with her position as the head maid.

‘Since maidservants are normally aristocrats, she must also be an aristocrat.’

However, she seemed to be proving her professionalism, and didn’t express any dissatisfaction about Atalante being a commoner.

“The long journey here must have been very tiring. I’ll make preparations quickly to relieve your fatigue from travelling right away.”

Additionally, she’d already made preparations for everything well before Atalante could request for what she required.

After a warm bath, Atalante entrusted her exhausted body into the hands of a maid that was drying her hair.

‘To think that I’ve become used to such treatment. I’ve also changed.’

Just as she was truly realising that humans are adaptive, she heard Agnes’ cool voice.

“Please have a good rest for today. As you’ll be quite busy from tomorrow onwards.”

Did she just say busy? The eyes of Atalante widened, as recently, she’d forgotten what it was like to have a busy lifestyle.

“Well then, before it’s time for dinner, let me briefly explain tomorrow’s schedule.”

“Schedule…?”

“Yes. After having breakfast in the morning, the etiquette teacher will make a visit. Following which, the foreign language tutor, geography tutor, politics tutor, and humanities tutor will visit one after another. Please note that skin care and physique correction will also be carried out during the breaks in between each visit.”

“W—wait a minute! No, wait a minute!

Is that something a person can finish in one day?

But Agnes didn’t pay her any mind, and continued with a composed expression.

After listening to her recite the schedule for the day after tomorrow and three days later, Atalante could only search for words contemplatively.

“There is less than a month left until the national wedding, so please do your best even if it’s tiring.”

“National wedding?”

“I have always worried about the possibility of the Blanc family’s history coming to a complete end in this generation. But you have no idea how happy I was to hear that Miss Atalante will become the Grand Duchy’s new mistress. I hope that you will live up to my expectations.”

Your Highness, the Grand Duchess.

Apart from the added friendly term of address, a rather stern smile was on Agnes’ face.

‘Why are you addressing someone that has yet to be married as Your Highness, the Grand Duchess…’

However, Atalante was unable to speak everything that was on her mind like usual.

It was because every word that Agnes spoke had a strange power that caused her opponent to listen.

Besides, oddly… She resembled the ‘Mister’ from Atalante’s memories.

‘Athemas would also speak like this.’

When she recalled his lecturing for the first time in a while, the tip of her nose immediately stung. She wondered how did Agnes interpret Atalante’s expression, for a sorry look to enter Agnes’ eyes.

“Hmm, if the schedule seems too tight, some adjustments can be made…”

“No.”

Since she’d come here as a hostage, she didn’t want others to see her inadequacies.

Since she, as well as the other members of the organisation, will have to devote themselves to the Grand Duchy for the time being, it wouldn’t do them any good to leave a poor impression.

“I’ll do everything that you just mentioned. Although I’ve never learnt etiquette or the like, I have strong willpower.”

She has a body that could endure most of the torture, so she thought those classes weren’t a big deal.

Upon hearing Atalante’s response, a strange gleam appeared in Agnes’ eyes. She gave a satisfied smile and spoke dignifiedly.

“Perhaps I’ll be able to personally witness the birth of a Grand Duchess that will go down in history.”

Of course, that was nonsense.

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Why wasn’t she informed by anyone? The fact that matters concerning the body was a very different field from that of those that involved the mind.

“Now then, please name the biggest resort in the Blanc territory.”

“Christella? No, was it Muzank?”

“Both of them aren’t! I’ve told you previously that it’s Penarote.”

Why in the world were the geographical names so difficult and why are the names of the Grand Duchy’s vassals so complicated?

That doesn’t mean that Atalante was praised in classes that involved manual work. Rather, the etiquette classes she took were most puzzling.

“You shouldn’t make clattering noises when using tableware!”

“Please straighten your back and sit down. Please don’t cross your legs.”

“Are you using honorifics or informal language? Please use beautiful standard language.”

Being criticised for every breath she took was rather tiring. One day, the angered Atalante drew her gun and pointed it at a tutor, but she immediately halted at Agnes’ words.

“From now onwards, please refrain from carrying weapons in the Grand Duchy.”

“All of these are confiscated,” with Agnes’ whisper, she took away all the weapons that Atalante had hidden all over her body without giving her time to be confused.

“I’ll return it back to you if you attend classes diligently and gain tangible results.”

“How can you do such a thing!”

“For your reference, I advise you to not speak ill of me or your tutors in front of the Grand Duke. We might just disappear the next day.”

Although those words were close to intimidation, unfortunately, Agnes’ words were the truth.

If she rambled about what happened to Lionel for no reason, innocent lives might just turn into stars and disappear without a trace.

The only thing Atalante could do was to gain results and extricate herself out of these d*mmed schedules as soon as possible.

‘To be honest… I don’t really hate it. It’s the first time anyone has ever tried persuading me like this, all to teach me.’

Unknowingly, a strange sense of satisfaction rose up as Atalante kept memorising the names of places, people, and laws that kept being erased from her head.

The sounds of the strokes of her pen were swift, and the knowledge that escaped like grains of sand began to stay in her head to some extent.

Perhaps that’s why Atalante had been spending time in the grand ducal castle’s library late at night as of late.

Another reason has caused her to like the dark night, which she liked as it was appropriate for harming others and doing evil things.

The head of Argo was actually studying all night long. Although it wasn’t amusing, it didn’t matter as there were few people in the Grand Duchy that could criticise her.

‘So it seems like I’m not completely without a brain for studying, right?’

Despite the self-deprecating smile on her face, Atalante didn’t dislike her own unfamiliar appearance.

“Atalante.”

As she was concentrating, a mellifluous voice called her by her name.

With a slight frown, Atalante turned her head towards the sound.

A man illuminated the dark library with his very presence.

“Grand Duke?”

After making eye contact with Atalante, Lionel approached her with a radiant smile.

Come to think of it, it’s been a while since she met Lionel like this. It was long enough that she wondered if she was hallucinating for a moment.

As she had been rather busy due to her ‘schedule’ as of late, the paths that they both took didn’t overlap, to the point where she’d almost forgotten that they were in the same castle.

‘Was it because the drug’s efficacy is slowly starting to drop? It wouldn’t be weird if he messed around by asking her not to attend things like classes and stay next to him.’

It was a rather joyful event if her speculation was true, but why did she feel an odd sense of regret?

Perhaps… Atalante dismissed it as the same kind of bitterness she felt when the organisation had to close down, and looked up at Lionel, who’d taken a seat next to her unknowingly.

“What brings you here at this hour, Grand Duke?”

With his chin in his hand, Lionel looked at Atalante and made a faint deflating sound. He thought that it was quite characteristic of her to jump straight to the point.

“I’d be much happier if you’d call me by my name, Lionel.”

“I’d like to call you that, but I heard that aristocrats considered it rude to carelessly call others by their name.”

Atalante recalled what she’d learned one day and replied questioningly.

“It’s fine between people that share a very close relationship.”

“Do we have a very close relationship?”

“Of course.”

Lionel answered unhesitatingly and gave an affectionate smile. Just like he was facing a close friend or lover.

Ahh, after unintentionally confirming the presence of the drug’s effects, Atalante let out a deep sigh…

“Haha, what’s that?”

Instead of a sigh, she’d unwittingly laughed relaxedly. As it happened so quickly, Atalante wasn’t able to realise what was wrong and laughed out loud for quite a while.