The Villainess is Tired of Everything-Chapter 47

‘They say he only talks to Marceau Etwar.’

Knowing how dangerous it was to expose one's vulnerabilities, Darcy had done so anyway, which suggested he was a man capable of protecting what was his.

Rumor had it that most of the military successes credited to Kies were actually Darcy’s doing.

Many thoughts crossed the Marquis’s mind, but his decision was already made.

"Send me the contract," he said.

Despite the promise of royal support, the Marquis no longer wanted to send Leshuan to the royal family. He couldn’t bear the thought of his granddaughter marrying a man who prioritized something else over her, even for a moment.

There was a possibility that this could all end in disaster.

So, he had to find a way for Leshuan to remain healthy without needing to marry into the royal family.

Like the mine he was holding onto now.

‘It’s true I’ve always resented the House of Etwar.’

The Marquis justified his jealousy as he picked up the poisoned chalice.

To protect the only treasure his daughter had left behind.

Of course, this was only the Marquis’s perspective. From afar, Ryan and the Marquis were not so different after all.

By the time I returned to the ballroom, people were already beginning to leave the palace.

I had shown my face and spread the word that I was giving out magic stones, so my tasks for the ball were complete. Glad for the opportunity, I got into the carriage.

…And as soon as I arrived back at the mansion, I was summoned by the Marquis of Etwar.

"What were you thinking? I heard you disappeared with the prince today."

He usually turned a blind eye to whatever I did, so him calling me now meant the situation was serious.

"Do you know what that means?"

But my conflict with the Marquis had already deepened.

His so-called efforts to protect me had only made me more defiant.

Really, how could this man have stood by and done nothing while Marceau was running around after Ryan, causing all sorts of scandals?

I wanted to tell him to mind his own business, but I held back.

"I'm sorry."

Even if he was contradictory and neglectful, he deserved at least a minimum level of respect…

"You’re too openly associating with that prince; do you know the rumors that are spreading?"

But I couldn’t just let this part slide.

Before the Marquis could continue, I quickly added,

"Yes, but there's nothing wrong with that. I fully support him."

I carefully declared my support for Darcy.

The Marquis gaped at me, apparently surprised by my actions.

"…Have you really given up on Prince Ryan?"

"Yes."

He looked at me as if he couldn’t believe it.

"…You seem like a different person."

It was almost laughable how slow he was to notice. I muttered sarcastically,

"Maybe I've been changing for a while now."

"…What do you mean by that?"

"You never really paid attention to me."

I had often wondered why Marceau had been so obsessed with Ryan. Was her erratic behavior really just for his sake?

I knew she had wanted Ryan to love her, but that alone didn’t explain all the wicked things she had done.

She had been notorious for her cruelty not just to Leshuan but to others as well, earning her the reputation of a social villainess.

…Perhaps, in some way, she was hoping that even her outrageous actions would get her father to notice her?

No matter how materially wealthy she was, her heart must have been empty.

Her father was a coward who ignored his daughter, using work as an excuse.

The Marquis sighed and murmured,

"Just try not to antagonize the Emperor too much. You never know what he might do."

I couldn’t just brush that off. I had a feeling this was the main reason the Marquis had summoned me today.

I recalled seeing the Marquis in the palace earlier. It must have been something related to Kies’s orders.

"Did the Emperor say something?"

"It’s not for you to worry about. Just be cautious with your use of magic stones."

He was likely referring to the gift I had given Darcy earlier.

It wasn’t strange for a family that owned one of the few remaining magic stone mines in the empire to be careful with their usage.

But why did it feel so suspicious? I narrowed my eyes.

However, I could infer only so much from the conversation. The best way to find out was to ask the Marquis directly.

"If you don’t tell me the truth, I won’t be able to follow your advice."

"…."

"Please, tell me."

Did he realize that something was different about me? The Marquis hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"The Emperor has been putting more pressure on me to hand over the mine lately."

He explained the situation briefly.

From what I gathered, Kies had been pressuring our family to relinquish the magic stone mine to the royal family for quite some time, using both persuasion and threats.

The Marquis had tried to placate the Emperor by supplying additional magic stones and reducing the distribution, making flexible deals with the royal family.

But my impulsive gift of a magic stone to Darcy today had apparently angered Kies again.

Though, that likely wasn’t the only reason. My departure with Darcy and our prolonged absence must have played a part as well.

"I managed to smooth things over this time, but I don’t know about next time."

The Marquis warned me.

It was ironic how he hadn’t given Marceau the attention she needed but was now worried about her safety.

"Do you know how many battles he’s commanded and won?"

No, I don’t.

He brought up the Emperor’s military achievements, likely to remind me of how formidable Kies was, but I scoffed.

I knew that Kies hadn’t actually done any of that.

Knowing the truth made the threats the Marquis had faced seem meaningless to me.

Using battles he hadn’t even fought in as a threat—how utterly despicable of the Emperor.

"But those threats will soon be meaningless."

"What do you mean?"

Rumors of Darcy’s accomplishments hadn’t spread yet, so I kept my words vague.

"You’ll understand later."

It felt like I was the only one who knew the ending of the story. It gave me a strange sense of satisfaction.

I faced the Marquis, who looked bewildered, and spoke again.

"So please stop trying to protect me."

It was surprising that the Marquis had cared for Marceau at all, but I didn’t want him to continue doing so behind the scenes.

It felt like I was accumulating unwanted debt.

Once the Marquis realized that Kies’s threats were baseless, he wouldn’t need to worry anymore.

There would be no reason for him to look after me.

Besides, I planned to continue associating with Darcy and would soon start my business involving magicians. Kies and Ryan wouldn’t take kindly to it.

"This is the extent of our relationship."

I didn’t want the Marquis to get caught up in whatever might happen to me.

In the social circles, I was still the rebellious daughter, and the Marquis was known as my indifferent father.

Whatever I did, the Marquis could always distance himself, claiming he had no involvement.

So this was where I would draw the line with the Marquis. There was no need to form any deeper connection.

I already had Darcy.

Most importantly, I didn’t want to stop planning and imagining all the things I wanted to do.

I had felt shackled to the book’s Marceau, but now I felt truly alive.

The Marquis stared at me blankly before letting out a bitter laugh.

He asked quietly,

"Why are you going this far?"

"Because I want to be happy."

I wanted to find a reason to live and move forward for it.

The time when everything felt exhausting now seemed like a distant dream.

It was as if Darcy had cast a spell on me.

From the moment he declared he had returned for my happiness, promising not to leave until I was happy, a breeze of spring had begun to blow through my life.

The Marquis smiled ruefully.

But he didn’t stop me.

The line drawn between us remained.

And it would stay that way.

Now that things were settled with the Marquis, I began planning my future activities.

‘How should I start?’

I couldn’t be too overt right from the beginning.

If I made too much noise before the work with the magicians was finalized, Ryan or Kies’s people would likely try to restrict me.

I needed to be quiet at least until the deals with the magicians were sealed.

Once the business officially started, all eyes would be on me, making it harder for them to interfere openly.

After much thought, I tried to estimate how long it would take to persuade the magicians.

At least a month, it seemed.

That was too long to disappear quietly.

But I had a strategy I could use to my advantage.

‘I’ll spread the rumor that I’ve secluded myself at home again before leaving.’

If I could pull off one bout of seclusion, I could do it again. People were already used to Marceau’s eccentricities, so they wouldn’t find it strange if I did it again.

They’d come up with their own explanations for my behavior without me having to say a word. It was convenient not having to provide excuses.

Still, I couldn’t use this opportunity too often. If I kept disappearing for months, people would definitely get suspicious.

The play Pitol was being performed, so now was an ideal time, as fewer eyes would be on me. The play would run for about three to four months, giving me some time before it ended.

One shot, one kill. I had to wrap everything up in one go.

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I needed to devise a perfect plan to win over the magicians who disliked nobles.

With no margin for error.

I set about crafting my strategy.

And then I began the first step of my plan.