The Villainous Noblewoman Is About to Be Forced into Love, Isn't This Wrong?-Chapter 78: No one will be shy, right?

"The anti-magic stone statues actually moved... Did you all see it with your own eyes?"

"...Uwah!"

Like a declaration of sovereignty, Mepeilu hooked her arm around Liana's, deliberately putting herself between her and Loraviel.

Loraviel didn’t seem to mind or question Mepeilu’s actions, but to outsiders, dressed in her white robes, Mepeilu stood between the two like a descending angel, protecting Loraviel.

"Yes, Your Highness, because of an intruder, the two gargoyle statues of Ibet Magic Academy came to life," Olivia stated.

"They actually moved?"

"So they weren’t just statues?"

"Are the rumors true?"

"But there have been previous attempts to infiltrate Ibet Magic Academy. Why didn’t they activate back then?"

The surrounding nobles erupted into discussion, though it was clear that they lacked a full understanding of the gargoyles.

The smile on Mepeilu’s face visibly faded, her expression turning serious.

【Spellcraft is becoming increasingly innovative, the undercurrents of the Lisat Kingdom are surging, and now, with the awakening of the anti-magic stone statues—just one of these events is enough to shift the current political landscape. Let alone the fact that all of this has happened in such a short span of time.】

"What’s wrong?" Liana leaned in close to Mepeilu’s ear, whispering.

Mepeilu shivered slightly from Liana’s breath brushing against her skin. She wanted to tell Liana, of course—but there were too many people here. Some things couldn’t be said in public.

"It’s nothing." Mepeilu shook her head. They would talk about it privately later. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

"If it was just such a monster, it shouldn’t have caused a delay. On the way here, jungle wolves—which normally do not attack moving carriages—suddenly launched an attack on us," Aileen added.

She wasn’t trying to emphasize the dangers of the journey. She simply wanted Mepeilu to know about the incident.

"You were attacked?" Countess Ruth looked surprised. "Were any of you injured?"

"With Olivia here, there was naturally no major problem," Aileen smiled. "But thank you for your concern, Countess Ruth."

"As long as you're unharmed. Whether it’s Liana or Aileen, I don’t want my family to be in danger."

After the performance concluded, Ruth approached Mepeilu, who stood at the center of attention.

"Your Highness," Countess Ruth eagerly closed the distance. "Apologies for our mistake in making you wait."

"...It’s fine." Mepeilu waved a dismissive hand. "The information Aileen brought is important. I wouldn’t mind waiting another half a day if necessary."

"After all, in this world, it seems no one ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) has seen an anti-magic stone statue move before. If Aileen hadn't mentioned it, people would probably brush it off as a mere rumor."

"Of course, it’s impossible to conceal the fact that the anti-magic stone statues moved. It’s only a matter of time before word spreads."

Mepeilu said this not only to shut down Countess Ruth but also to protect Liana.

After all, their relationship had been improving lately. And from Liana’s perspective, it was necessary—so long as Aileen trusted Countess Ruth, Liana would remain safe.

"Is that so? Well, as long as I can be of assistance to Your Highness," Countess Ruth smiled.

"It was a long journey. Everyone must be hungry," Mepeilu said. "The servants have already prepared a grand luncheon."

"Wait for me a little while, Liana," Mepeilu leaned in and said softly.

"Do as you like."

Coming to the Lisat Capital meant social obligations—especially for someone like Mepeilu, a noble heir.

She had only come here to see Liana as soon as possible. But staying any longer would be unwise.

Although Liana wanted to spend more time with Mepeilu, the reality was that she was the Grand Princess of Lisat, responsible for her own actions.

"Loraviel, come here," Liana called.

"I understand."

Aileen watched Liana leave. She, too, had things to handle.

Like Mepeilu, Aileen needed to meet certain people to prove herself. Many still saw her as an outsider.

Everyone was busy—except for Liana.

Which was precisely why Liana enjoyed playing the villainess.

No noble wanted to approach her. No one wanted to engage her in idle conversation.

Liana hated socializing. It was annoying.

The banquet hall was spacious, with numerous tables arranged in rows. At the far end, there was a platform for speeches.

There were at least five similar halls like this one.

But Liana didn’t like this kind of place. She preferred the quiet, choosing a secluded corner where no one would disturb her.

The banquet table was laden with lavish dishes, all preserved under protective magic, preventing spoilage, insect contamination, or temperature loss.

However, there was one drawback—you needed magic to remove the protective seal.

This measure was originally designed to prevent small children from accidentally tampering with their food.

But for nobles, the true purpose was different—if you couldn’t use magic, you weren’t worthy of dining at a noble’s table.

It was harsh and merciless.

The competition among nobility and royalty wasn’t child’s play. Without magic, you weren’t even qualified to contend for the throne.

Even if you had exceptional achievements in other areas, it was nearly impossible to make up for the lack of magic.

There had been only one exception in the last hundred years—Mepeilu’s mother.

But...

Liana possessed more than enough magic to break the seal.

She wanted to try it for herself.

But Loraviel was watching.

"Liana-sama seems to dislike these noble social gatherings," Loraviel remarked.

"What do you know? Hurry up and remove this thing."

Liana wanted to see for herself just how different royal cuisine was from common food.

"I understand."

Loraviel extended her hand and effortlessly dispelled the magic.

Liana picked up a fork and took a bite.

Soft, tender—slightly spicy.

As expected of royal cuisine. It was on an entirely different level.

"Liana-sama hasn't let me taste-test for poison lately," Loraviel noted.

"...That’s true."

Recently, Liana had been letting her guard down, trusting Loraviel's awareness of her body's condition.

"Aren’t you highly sensitive to poisons? I thought you could detect them without even tasting. Turns out you’re not as impressive as I thought."

"...I’m sorry."

"That’s a lie."

Loraviel could sense poison with absolute accuracy.

Any toxic substance automatically registered as highlighted in her vision.

"But I already bit into it. There’s no poison," Liana stated.

"...Fine."

"But, you know." Liana propped her left cheek on her hand, lifting the fork in her right, pointing the piece of meat toward Loraviel. "It does taste good. I already took a bite—so? Do you want to try it?"

"But..."

"This is royal cuisine. You might never get to eat something this luxurious in your lifetime." Liana smiled slyly at Loraviel and teased, "Are you shy?"

"...Well, it is an indirect kiss, right? But really—"

"Does anyone actually get embarrassed over something like this? That would be hilarious."

"...Forget it. There are still plenty of dishes I haven't tried. You go ahead and test them out."

In this kind of setting, servants were not allowed to dine with their masters. Their sole focus was ensuring that their masters had a smooth meal.

But Liana also didn't feel comfortable sending Loraviel away to eat somewhere else.

At the same time, it wasn’t possible for Liana to have Loraviel sit down and eat at the same table—that wouldn't suit her character.

If Loraviel didn't eat now, the banquet servers would soon arrive to clear the dishes, and Liana certainly wasn't going to let Loraviel eat alone while she just sat there watching.

Yet Loraviel did something completely unexpected.

She reached out, grasped Liana’s hand, and slowly guided the fork toward her lips.

Then, she parted her soft cherry lips, sticking out the tip of her tongue to touch the fork, before sliding the piece of meat into her mouth in one smooth motion.

She pulled back slowly, savoring the moment.

Loraviel had no idea what the food actually tasted like.

She was tasting Liana’s presence instead.

It was delicious.

"Liana-sama."

Liana looked down.

"...Did the fork just... stretch a strand when it came out of Loraviel’s mouth?"

That would mean—

【"Does anyone actually get embarrassed over something like this?"】

Liana’s own words echoed in her mind, along with the weight of her established persona.

Yet Loraviel, acting as if nothing had happened, simply took a fresh fork and knife, slicing off a small piece of fish and placing it in her mouth.

"It’s delicious, Liana-sama."

Then, Loraviel cut another piece of fish and held it out toward Liana.

"Liana-sama, won’t you try some? You don’t usually like fish, do you?"

Liana stared at the fork in her hand.

"...! It’s nothing. Besides, something like this has already happened before!"

She grabbed the fork—the very one Loraviel had just eaten from—and put the fish into her mouth.

She felt it immediately.

Her face felt hot.

The atmosphere in the room turned... awkward.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem!" Liana coughed abruptly. "What the hell?! It's so spicy!"

She needed an excuse—anything—to cover her embarrassment.

"My apologies, Liana-sama." Loraviel quickly handed her a glass of fruit juice.

There was no way Loraviel wouldn’t know exactly what Liana liked to eat.

And besides—this fish didn’t even contain any spice.

But Loraviel didn’t expose her.

She only tilted her head slightly, as if apologetic.

The roles of hunter and prey had long since been reversed.

Yet Loraviel had little time to enjoy her triumph.

A knock sounded at the door.

Liana looked toward the door as if she had been rescued. She wanted nothing more than for someone to break this unbearable atmosphere.

For a fleeting moment, Loraviel’s expression darkened with displeasure.

"Liana, you're inside, aren't you?"

Mepeilu’s voice came from the other side.

"Come in."

Only Liana would dare to give a princess such a commanding tone.

Mepeilu pushed open the door and walked in.

And in the next moment, she closed the door behind her and immediately sat down beside Liana, squeezing into the same chair.

"It’s so cramped! There’s another chair right there!"

Because of Loraviel’s presence, Liana had to put on an annoyed act toward Mepeilu.

Mepeilu puffed out her cheeks in mild protest. "Didn't we agree that we’ve already made up?"

She, of course, noticed Loraviel.

That damn sneaky cat... One day, I’ll send you away!

"Making up is one thing, but that was only because of Countess Ruth." Liana shifted to another chair.

"What—?! How can you say that?!"

Princess Mepeilu sulked like a child.

Although Liana knew this was partly an act for Loraviel’s sake... Mepeilu really didn’t seem like she was pretending.

Who’s supposed to be the younger one here...?

"There are still outsiders present, Your Highness. Please maintain your image," Liana said coolly.

"You don't have to call me that! Just call me Mepeilu!"

She raised her voice slightly, looking genuinely serious. This wasn't just a request—it was something she truly wanted.

"Fine, fine. But Mepeilu, have you already finished handling everything so quickly?"

"It wasn’t anything major. I just gave them something to look forward to tomorrow."

"True enough. There’s no point in wasting more words now. Those who support you will continue to support you. Those who don't—"

"—won’t openly oppose you but will just pretend to agree on the surface."

"At this point, within all these nobles, the number of people truly willing to devote themselves to an heir is probably no more than five."

"The risk is simply too high."

"If they fail, even if they aren’t directly purged, their names will still go on a list."

"And from then on, they’ll be shut out from every opportunity."

"So, this is why you came here to bother me so quickly?" Liana frowned.

"Hey, that’s so mean!"

Mepeilu glanced toward the door.

She had known this would happen the moment she entered.

Which was why, just before coming in, she had quietly asked Naibet to 'urgently' summon Loraviel for something.