When A Villain Meets A Villain - Chapter 76

One of some changes that were placed into motion was the secret transformation of Argo, a once underground organisation, into a squad of escorts under the grand duchess’s direct command.

Atalante had immediately protested the absurd move, but could only fall silent at Lionel’s words.

“This is for the sake of your safety, as well as that of Argo members. If you don’t want the emperor to touch Argo, you have to lift them out of the dark.”

Apart from that reason, it must have been in consideration of Atalante, who’d want to look over the members of the organisation in close quarters.

Lionel was a strange man that didn’t show off what he should’ve, and hid the things that he should’ve bragged about.

“Doesn’t my ear belong to you? I don’t need to hear you speak to know what my wife desires.”

The more she mulled over the lines that were spoken by a first-class bridegroom, the longer her sighs became.

In any case, a gangster-turned-escort squad.

Although she didn’t know what was the response of the citizens from the grand duchy, the members did a rather plausible job of playing the role of an escort squad.

“Boss, you’re here!”

“I told you not to call me Boss, didn’t I?”

“I’m sorry! Spare my life, Boss!”

“Haah…”

Although chronic habits would surface oftentimes, it was considered not too bad.

The members of the organisation, who’d stepped into the light, were unable to shake off the dour aura that had accumulated while rolling around in the underground world.

But it was undeniable that their faces seemed much more at ease than before.

It was also the first time in a long while that there weren’t any casualties or deaths since Argo’s formation.

The other members of the organisation, including Atalante, realised every day how leading a life in safety was like.

Another change?

“My wife, have you grown a little fonder of me today?”

It was getting more difficult to answer Lionel’s questions which would be asked at least once a day like it was a greeting, with a “No”.

Although her answer was always the same, it took a long time for her to come up with an answer.

“……No.”

Just like right now.

He no longer displayed a hurt expression. He smiled cheerfully, and in the face of her continued rejection, he merely nonchalantly replied, “Is that so?”

“It has already been 38 days since you’ve become my wife.”

“Did you count the days one by one?”

“Of course. I hope that others would also know, so I’m considering whether I should change the standard for the calendar. The first year of Atalante. What do you think?”

[T/N: I think this is a reference to Chinese era names, which is used for year identification, and changes with each new emperor. So Lionel is basically declaring Atalante the monarch? XD ]

“That’s the worst.”

Recently, they’d joke around and laugh together more frequently.

She was startled by her incongruous appearance, but in the year before Lionel was to grant her ‘wish’, she just… she just wanted to live as she pleased.

Now, the fact that she was a deceitful person was already set in stone.

“That means, my wife hasn’t been able to adhere to the customs for 38 days.”

Lionel mumbled playfully as he looked up at Atalante from his position, with his cheek resting on her shoulder.

The excessively pretty blue eyes had an even more obnoxious glow.

He was obviously teasing her, but she was unable to refute it. For everything he said was true.

‘Lionel has also changed subtly. He keeps making fun of me.’

As Atalante’s face crumpled instantly, she pushed his forehead away with her index finger and said.

“It’ll happen sooner or later. I’m cutting you some slack.”

“Hmm, I don’t know. After all, I’m giving you plenty of chances. Look, even now.”

With a languid smile, he looked at Atalante with both of his arms half raised.

If his arms were immobilised, she’d definitely have a good chance.

With shining eyes, Atalante immediately pounced on Lionel. If she kisses that damn cheek, the grand duke wouldn’t tease her with the words ‘custom’ in the future.

“Ugh, ah.”

But the grand duke didn’t meekly accept her kiss, but instead fell backwards like he’d fell into water.

The panicked Atalante reflexively held his upper body so that he wouldn’t fall, and at that moment.

“As expected, my wife is very kind.”

“What?”

Before she could understand the meaning of those words, she fell down onto the rug with Lionel.

“Are you okay?”

Atalante, who hurriedly straightened her upper body, examined his head region. He’d fallen with her in his arms, so it wouldn’t be weird if he’d gained a bump.

Instead of responding, Lionel watched the woman that searched through his hair with a worried expression.

After belatedly sensing his gaze, Atalante’s face crumpled.

“…You’d fallen on purpose, hadn’t you?”

“You are so beautiful that my legs would go weak unknowingly.”

“You liar.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not adept at lying.”

My beloved Atalante.

After adding his habitual phrase, Lionel raised his upper body and planted a light kiss on the creased edge of her eyes.

“It’s this easy though.”

Even adding words that provoked Atalante while he was at it.

As her ears reddened, Atalante immediately grabbed him by the collar.

“No matter what, I’m going to succeed today! Every time, every single time, I’m the only one that’s being fooled……!”

“What do you mean, fooled? Don’t you only peck my lips every single time, my wife? It would be nice if you could give me one on my cheek. Well, I’m fine with it either way.”

“Hold on!”

The fuming Atalante struggled in order to secure his cheek in place, while Lionel resisted playfully instead of obeying her words.

Perhaps due to their equal strength, as their confrontation drew out, their attires gradually became disorganised.

“Hah, hah…… Just you wait and see. I’m definitely going to do it today.”

“How troubling, I think my wife is already quite exhausted.”

“Exhausted? I can do this all day. More than that, weren’t you the one that told me to do as I please, and yet you’re currently singing to another tune…!”

Before she finished speaking, Atalante sensed a presence and immediately turned her gaze towards the door. The same was true of Lionel, who was lying beneath her.

She’d expected it to be another assassin sent by the emperor, but standing at the door was a group of young maids. .

“I—I’m sorry. There was a loud sound, so I’d unintentionally, erm, disturbed you, Im sor—hic……”

Ah, didn’t something similar happen before?

Just as the exhausted Atalante tried to raise herself up from Lionel’s torso in order to clear up their misunderstanding.

As though gravity had gone mad, her head was stuck onto his chest as soon as she tried to straighten up.

“If you’re aware of your mistake, close the door immediately.”

As Lionel hugged Atalante, he looked upwards and ordered coldly.

With a dishevelled outfit, the Grand Duke of Blanc was under a woman. Although the shape was misshapen, the lipstick that was plastered all over Lionel’s body, presumably Atalante’s, gave him a feeling of decadence.

After seeing this strange appearance, the maids were unable to move their feet with ease and just remained in place with red faces .

“How long do you intend to continue watching?”

It wasn’t until they heard his sanguineous words that they’d hurriedly closed the door. Atalante saw quite clearly through the closing door that members of Argo were amongst the fleeing maids.

Come to think of it, the lines that she and Lionel had exchanged a while ago were completely misleading.

Why did she have to be seen by her subordinates..

“I’m doomed…”

Atalante continued to look at the closed door with a stunned expression, until Lionel, who’d been smiling faintly at something unknown, arranged her dishevelled outfit.

⋅⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅⋅

“So, the grand ducal couple are happily married.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. With all due respect, in the eyes of the servants… Apparently, they perform obscene acts unhesitatingly.”

“Hooh, did he forget his pride as a noble entirely after taking a lowly woman as his grand duchess?”

The more he listened to the Marquis Federa, the more Emperor Kaiser’s expression became distorted.

“There are rumours that the Grand Duchess is already pregnant.”

At the following report, Amphion, who was with the emperor, whistled with a sly expression, and Kaiser glared at his son with a displeased gaze.

What a worthless fellow.

The emperor’s gaze clearly conveyed those words as he looked at his son without the marquis’ noticing.

“The only imperial nobles that attended the Grand Duke’s wedding were the Union family’s successor and young daughter.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. This is an obvious act of disregard to the empire. I know Your Majesty feels sorry for the Grand Duke of Blanc, but……”

“…You may go.”

With a deep inhale, Marquis Federa bowed lightly and left the audience chamber.

Only after the sound of his footsteps had completely disappeared did Kaiser completely discard the mask of the benevolent emperor that’s worried about the immature and youthful Grand Duke.

“That scum-like woman.”

At the rumbling swearing, not only Prince Amphion, but also Princess Diana, who stood next to him like a folding screen, trembled.

However, as usual, the emperor didn’t hesitate to show his true face in front of his children.

‘All of it must be true, since it was spoken by Federa, who has a point of contact with the underground world’s intelligence network.’

Lionel Blanc has fallen in love? With that lowly villain at that.

‘But how on earth did that happen?’

The emperor repeatedly took deep breaths like he was trying to force down his anger, and his gaze soon turned to his children.

The crown prince, who’d constantly had scandals due to his long standing habit of hooking up with women, and the insignificant woman that didn’t possess any charm.

Even the first prince from the kingdom of Paille, who was the princess’s fiance, was currently missing.

‘I can’t believe that such people are my children.’

Kaiser cursed Empress Leonora, who’d passed away a long time ago, before recalling with a longing expression.

If only that kid was still here.

The only child that lacked any shortcomings.

However, nothing would change even if he regretted it belatedly. Although they were useless, he had no choice but to make the most of them.

“Amphion, the Crown Princess’s selection test will begin soon, so you’ll have to pay special attention to your behaviour.”

It was said that due to all of Amphion’s stupid acts thus far, the number of young ladies that were registered as crown princess candidates were at an all-time low.

Kaiser did not even deign to respond to his son’s lively answer, and turned his gaze towards the contemplating princess.

“In any case, you haven’t even given a modicum of help throughout these past four years.”

Upon hearing those unprovoked words of abuse, Diana couldn’t help but shed tears.

When the Grand Duke of Blanc first visited the capital, Kaiser intended for him to take Diana as his grand duchess.

“Seduce the Grand Duke of Blanc and receive a marriage proposal from him. If he doesn’t fall for it, you can make it seem like you’d been r*ped by him.” 

It would be troublesome if a lady from the aristocratic faction took the position of grand duchess, so at that time, Kaiser could not afford to scruple over the means and methods.

To be honest, it was difficult for the grand duchess to come from a decent family in the imperial faction.

Absolute power. Because ultimately, that was what Kaiser wanted.

But Diana Thessalia, that stupid lass, wasn’t even able to make contact with Lionel.

Kaiser’s gaze of irritation and Amphion’s sneer reached Diana, who kept sobbing.

‘No matter what, Lionel couldn’t have truly fallen in love with that villain. It’s impossible.’

Kaiser was temporarily lost in thought, and a cruel smile appeared on the corners of his mouth.

He was bearing a mission to completely sever Blanc’s bloodline, and if he did well, he’d be able to tighten his grip around Lionel’s neck this time.

After much contemplation, Kaiser looked at his daughter, who ‘haven’t even given a modicum of help’.

“Diana, I will give you one last chance, and you must prove your use this time.”

⋅⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅⋅