The Villainess is Tired of Everything-Chapter 52

Is he afraid of how things would change if he fell in love?

I still didn’t fully understand what Darcy was afraid of. That was something we would have to figure out together.

"It's okay."

I whispered, like comforting a child who’s afraid of a monster in the closet.

"I hope you won't fear change."

But I made sure my words were clear enough for him to understand my intent.

People can't always stay the same.

"I've changed because of you."

It hasn't been long since we met.

But experiences and circumstances have made me grow more than time alone ever could.

And I welcomed this change. That’s why I expressed it more boldly.

"And I like this change."

Darcy shook his head.

"Not all changes are like that."

I didn't expect him to be convinced all at once. If that were the case, we wouldn’t be having this discussion in the first place.

I didn’t press the issue further after his denial.

‘I’ll find another opportunity.’

We’re not just talking today.

I know this is Darcy's biggest barrier.

The only wall he shows me out of all the others he easily lets down.

That's why I want to approach it carefully.

It's hard to touch memories that have hardened into trauma.

I hope that one day those memories can be healed.

Just as new sprouts emerge when spring comes to the seemingly dead, quiet land of winter, I hope Darcy’s heart will be the same.

Ryan had sent out many people, but in the end, he couldn’t find the imperial treasure.

According to Kies, it should have been somewhere in the imperial treasury, but no matter how many times they searched, the necklace was nowhere to be found.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, Ryan finally received a response to the letter he had sent to Marceau Etwar.

It was a clean rejection, leaving no room for lingering attachments.

'...She really has changed.'

Ryan let out a bitter laugh. As he closed his eyes, memories of Marceau's behavior over the past year, claiming to have changed, resurfaced.

He had to admit that she had indeed changed.

But he wasn’t pleased by it.

The girl who once only had eyes for him. Marceau Etwar was always supposed to look only at him.

A selfishness, so vile that even he couldn’t fully comprehend it, reared its ugly head.

The attempt to win Marceau back wasn’t solely for the emperor’s sake.

‘I wanted to do it.’

He wanted to turn her gaze back to him.

This desire was separate from his wish to keep Leshuan by his side.

‘How well could that guy have treated her, anyway?’

Thinking of how Darcy treated others, Ryan didn’t imagine he was particularly kind.

He probably showed Marceau the same coldness that Ryan himself had.

Perhaps Marceau Etwar saw herself reflected in Darcy's behavior...

‘A little kindness would do the trick.’

Her heart must be complicated, given the wounds she’d received. But with a bit of effort on his part, she might return to her former self.

One thing was clear. Ryan narrowed his eyes as he set Marceau's letter on the desk.

The next thing to consider...

"So how do you plan to bring down the Marquis of Etwar?"

Ryan smiled as he looked at the Marquis of Efeckle, who sat in front of him, continuing the conversation.

"First, I intend to confiscate all the magic stones we can take from the current marquis."

The Marquis of Etwar had always been cooperative in supplying the imperial palace. He would bow just enough to make it easy for the palace to deal with him.

Ryan planned to use that advantage to confiscate the magic stones the current marquis had stockpiled.

'If necessary, I’m even prepared to wage a territorial war...'

But why waste manpower if it’s not necessary?

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"To seize the mines, we need a valid reason. We’ll create that reason, slowly and carefully."

"You're saying we should fabricate one."

Catching Ryan's meaning, the Marquis of Efeckle smiled.

"People don’t have a good perception of magical tools made from magic stones. But it seems the Marquis of Etwar has been using such tools."

Ryan recalled what Leticia had once told him. Who would have thought that Marceau Etwar, who once rarely left her home, would hire magicians to create magical tools? This information was proving to be quite useful.

"It should be enough to provoke public outrage."

"And if there’s any injury or accident caused by a magical tool, that would be even better."

Simply searching the Marquis of Etwar’s mansion wouldn't be enough. There was no solid justification for it.

But if accidents caused by magical tools, which are already viewed poorly by the public, began happening frequently enough that they couldn’t be dismissed as mere coincidence...

It was lowly of Ryan to leave all the dirty work to others.

The Marquis of Efeckle, watching Ryan with a sour expression, glanced at the envelope of Marceau Etwar's letter on the table.

'He doesn’t want Leshuan to be with her, so he’s trying to pair her with someone else.'

If Ryan truly didn’t care about Marceau, he wouldn’t have left the letter on the table.

'There seems to be something between that prince, Darcy, and Marceau Etwar...'

They’ve only met recently. If Ryan puts in the effort, he has a good chance.

And Marceau had held Ryan in her heart for a long time.

If Ryan managed to take her away, it would also serve as an opportunity for revenge against Darcy.

He decided to press on this point.

"It seems Marceau Etwar is on your mind."

"That's nonsense."

Leshuan’s partner must be someone who prioritizes her above all else.

Ryan, who had once prioritized something over Leshuan, even for a moment, was unacceptable.

"Your Highness, if I may be so bold, know that being on your mind is the start of a feeling."

"I love Leshuan."

"...Whether or not that’s truly love is uncertain. I suggest you think more deeply, for your future’s sake. It’s advice from an old man who has lived a long life."

The Marquis of Efeckle rattled off nonsense that matched Ryan’s line of sight, shaking his heart.

He hoped that his persuasion would help steer Ryan towards Marceau instead of Leshuan.

"..."

It was impossible to read how effective his words had been, but at least he could tell that a breeze had started to stir in Ryan’s heart.

Normally, he would have dismissed such talk as nonsense, but instead, he remained silent.

After the conversation with Ryan, the Marquis of Efeckle returned to his estate and rubbed his tired eyes as he headed to his bedroom.

It was well past midnight, and he had intentionally avoided Leshuan’s eyes.

But Leshuan, sensing something unusual in his behavior, had been waiting for him.

Seeing from her window that the Marquis had returned home, Leshuan breathed a sigh of relief.

But her anxiety remained.

‘Grandfather has been acting strange since the last ball.’

There was something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

She remembered the subtle exchange of glances between Ryan and the Marquis when she woke up.

But what could Ryan and the Marquis possibly have to discuss so secretly?

What could be so important that her loving grandfather would go to such lengths to hide it?

‘Could he be gambling?’

He wasn’t usually the type to indulge in gambling, which only added to her worry.

Leshwan didn’t want to lose the only family she had left.

And, as always, she dreaded any sudden change.

‘I’ll ask him.’

In the end, Leshuan decided to ask the Marquis directly about the situation.

‘If he refuses...’

If the Marquis refused to answer, she was prepared to follow him in secret.

After all, he was her only family.

‘I’ll have to contact Kaysen.’

Anticipating the Marquis’s refusal, Leshuan decided to ask Kaysen for advice on how to follow him.

Kaysen was a friend who understood her well.

‘...Friend.’

Marceau Etwar’s face flashed in her mind.

Leshwan smiled bitterly.

It was a bond she had let slip away with her own hands. Though she owed Marceau her life, the fact that she couldn’t repay her directly made her feel somewhat pathetic.

‘...Could I ever be close to Marceau again?’

She doubted it.

She could only hope that Marceau’s future would be filled with happiness.

Wanting to make the trip before Darcy’s house arrest ended, we set the date as soon as possible.

I was curious about how we would go, but then Darcy brought out a ring he had planned to use to escape.

"Doesn't this require a lot of magic stones?"

The number of magic stones he brought was quite small, barely around ten. That’s a large amount for others, but for me, it was far too few.

Even when I paid Darcy his salary, it wasn’t this low. And that salary was meant for his teleportation.

"It’s fine since we’re not in the palace, where magic stone usage is strictly limited."

Darcy's words eased my worries.

So, it took a lot because it was meant for escaping the palace...

...So when he broke through the palace door last time?

...Maybe the character I saved is more of a powerhouse than I imagined.