The Villain Has Gone Mad For Me - Chapter 99

Oh my goodness!

Hastily turning my head to look up, I saw Edan looking down at me.

“Lati, what are you doing?”

“Um… I’m… spying?”

Edan chuckled and asked again.

“On whom?”

“On you. And…”

Trailing off, I peeked around Edan’s right leg to look at Princess Ciela.

Ciela, her lips tightly pressed, was staring at Edan’s back before lowering her gaze towards me.

As our eyes met, hers narrowed ever so slightly. It was a look as if trying to figure out who I was.

Perhaps due to her pure appearance, her eyes seemed to hold no malice, but…

There’s no way there’s no malice!

She’s the woman who kept trying to cling to Edan even after he so firmly rejected her earlier. Moreover, considering the conversations Edan had, it seemed she had done something terribly wrong. I can’t be fooled by her innocent exterior.

“Edan.”

I stood up, pretending to dust off my dress.

Then I stepped to the side so Princess Ciela could see me clearly. This drew the attention of both Edan and Ruben.

“Hold my hand, please.”

When I held out my hand, Edan grasped it without a moment’s hesitation.

Good.

I firmly held Edan’s large hand, then looked at Ciela with a satisfied smile.

As expected, her gaze was fixed on our clasped hands.

I could see her expression, which had seemed to be trying to remain composed, slowly crumbling.

It was a very subtle change.

Looking at her, I spoke.

“Edan.”

“Yes?”

“Pat my head too.”

“…”

Though he didn’t reply, Edan willingly stroked my hair with his large hand.

I could see Ciela’s tightly closed lips tensing.

“Edan.”

“Yes?”

“Will you touch my cheek too?”

“…”

Again without answering, Edan lowered his hand from my hair to caress my cheek.

“It’s soft like flour dough.”

Chuckling, Edan playfully pinched my cheek a little.

“Edan.”

“Hm?”

“Not like that, touch it lovingly.”

“…”

Ha. Edan laughed softly and stroked my cheek gently with his palm.

“My princess has a lot of demands today. So demanding.”

Unable to stand it anymore, Ruben threw in a comment.

“…Am I invisible?”

It wasn’t clear if he was asking me or Edan. My gaze was fixed on Princess Ciela.

“Ruben, turn around.”

“I take it you have no intention of stopping here.”

“None. It’s fun.”

“…”

Ruben fell silent.

I continued to stare at Princess Ciela, blinking calmly with an expressionless face.

Although I had pestered Ruben to explain the relationship between the two, I had already made some rough guesses.

Putting together everything I’d heard so far, Ciela had lied about liking Edan. And that was probably related to why Killian came to dislike Edan.

It coincided with the time when Killian declared he wouldn’t marry until ascending to the throne, and when he banned Edan from entering the temple.

That lie had certainly driven a wedge between Edan and Killian.

Why on earth did she tell such a lie? And now she’s asking for help? Help with what? Moreover, why is she making that expression at Edan?

Ciela, who had been watching everything Edan was doing to me, hunched her shoulders and lowered her head as if she were the injured victim.

As if she could no longer bear to look at us.

After a moment, Ciela, who had been looking down, raised her head again.

Without realizing it, I tightened my grip on the hand I was holding, and at that moment, Edan pulled me sharply.

“Oof!”

My face was buried in Edan’s chest, and Ciela instantly disappeared from my sight. Edan pulled me close, almost embracing my waist with his long arm. Then he lowered his head and whispered in my ear.

“Lati. Didn’t I tell you not to seduce me in public?”

At the sound of Edan’s clear voice, I seemed to come back to my senses a bit.

“Huh? No. That’s not it…”

I hurriedly turned my head to look at Princess Ciela.

In the meantime, she had turned and was leaving the garden. Her flowing gait and neatly arranged hair swayed lightly.

I quickly turned back to face Edan.

“What kind of relationship do you have?”

Edan withdrew his playful gaze and released his arm from my waist.

“Is it over already?”

“Is what over?”

I had asked the question first, but he countered. As I looked at him with wide eyes, Edan brushed my hair aside and smiled gently.

“The jealousy.”

“Ah.”

I quickly shook my head from side to side.

“It’s not over.”

At those words, Edan laughed lightly.

“Good. Keep going.”

This man. I’m being serious right now!

“More importantly, that woman is Princess Ciela, right? Why is she acting like this when you rejected her marriage proposal? No. What kind of relationship do you two have?”

“Just a moment.”

Edan looked at Ruben.

“Ruben, go and make sure the princess passes through the portal. Don’t let her stay in the North under any circumstances.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ruben ran off in the direction Ciela had disappeared.

The garden was left with just Edan and me for a moment.

“So, princess. How far did your spying go?”

“That Princess Ciela lied.”

“About liking me?”

“Yes.”

As I nodded vigorously, Edan closed his eyes slowly as if choosing his words, then opened them and spoke.

“She came as a princess of the Eastern Empire now, but Ciela was originally a princess of a small kingdom. It’s gone now, having fallen into ruin.”

Edan paused for a moment and seemed lost in thought again.

He appeared to be contemplating how much to explain about Princess Ciela. Then, as if finding an answer, he calmly continued.

“She was also my elder brother’s first love, and I gladly hoped she would become my sister-in-law and ascend to the future empress’s position. Of course, Princess Ciela liked my brother too. Even His Majesty the Emperor approved of their relationship, and they were expected to marry without any issues. If only she hadn’t suddenly said she liked me and broken off the engagement.”

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Killian’s first love. If Ciela liked Killian too, it means it was mutual, right? Even the Emperor and Edan acknowledged their relationship. Then what on earth was the problem?

“Why did she tell such a lie?”

“For my brother’s sake.”

“…What?”

What nonsense is this? Even if I were slapped awake with ice water, I wouldn’t be this bewildered.

“Didn’t you say she liked Killian?”

“Yes.”

“And Killian liked Princess Ciela too?”

“Yes.”

Edan nodded calmly while saying these contradictory things that were hard to comprehend.

“Does that make sense? Then why did it turn out like this? I don’t understand!”

Confused, I grabbed my head with both hands.

Edan was about to speak again but glanced towards the end of the garden.

Ruben and two other subordinates were approaching.

“That’s all for today. I’ll tell you more when I get back. I wasn’t supposed to return at this time, but I rushed back briefly when I heard the princess had come.”

Edan took my hands, lowering them, and stroked my hair.

“Where are you going?”

“To prepare to call off the wedding.”

As Edan turned to leave, Ciela’s words flashed through my mind.

‘The wedding will not be canceled.’

But Edan said there were many ways to overturn the wedding.

“Edan, can you really cancel the wedding?”

Edan, who had been standing idly waiting for his subordinates to approach, tilted his head askew and lowered his gaze.

“Lati.”

Edan smiled crookedly, pulling up one corner of his mouth, and spoke with an incredibly arrogant demeanor.

“There’s nothing that can’t be done with blackmail.”

[This is the timeline separator]

I wanted to ask who exactly he was planning to blackmail, but…

What on earth has he been up to?

Edan was truly very busy for several days. Princess Ciela had been quiet since then, and I went to the temple on the day I had promised the High Priest to make the potion.

“Lady Latieana!”

Maxium was the first to come out and greet me.

Am I that welcome? Well, Maxium must have had a hard time being the only one on my side in the temple.

“I’m counting on you from now on, Maxium.”

“Of course! I will dedicate myself wholly to Lady Latieana, even if it breaks me!”

Maxium unconsciously spread his arms wide but then noticed Ruben’s cold gaze. He raised his arms straight up towards the sky instead.

“Hahaha! Anyway, I’m so happy to be Lady Latieana’s attendant!”

Ruben and I followed Maxium as he walked ahead with a bright smile.

“The High Priest visited the Imperial Palace a few days ago.”

“Why? Don’t tell me he went to meet Her Majesty the Empress?”

“Yes. Since becoming Lady Latieana’s attendant, the High Priest has kept me close, allowing me to overhear various secrets.”

“…”

Ruben and I exchanged glances simultaneously.

How does he manage to spy when he’s so oblivious?

“He spoke well as Lady Latieana requested. He said there is a candidate for the Great Saint, but it’s not certain yet, so more time is needed. It seems Her Majesty the Empress understood.”

Moreover, for someone so oblivious, he brings back useful information. It’s quite peculiar.

The temple work with Maxium went smoothly.

Among the priests who were amazed and in awe of my power, I made the potion and infused a tiny bit of healing power into the pills.

To be honest, I thought that whether healing power was infused or not, ordinary people wouldn’t feel any difference in the pills, but…

Once I actually infused the healing power into the pills, I could understand why the High Priest needed my power.

The ordinary white pills became translucent when infused with healing power, and a shimmering light like an aurora was contained inside.

When I asked the priest who was manufacturing the medicine, he said that only when healing power is infused do they shine like this.

This was a full-fledged scam.

As Ruben and I were shaking our heads and leaving the manufacturing room…

“L-Lady Latieana.”

“What’s wrong?”

Maxium, who had been excited and joyful until just now, had turned pale.

“Knights sent by Prince Killian have arrived.”

What?