The Villainess Intends to Have It All - Chapter 30

The next day, messengers from the Emperor were delivered early in the morning to Erina and Peiron respectively.

Erina, who had already heard about it from Sandes the day before, greeted the messenger with a smile, but Peiron did not.

The usually quiet morning at the Iols mansion was disrupted by the arrival of the imperial chamberlain carrying the Emperor’s message.

As it was a message from the Emperor, all members of the family had to come out to greet the messenger.

Even though it was early, before breakfast.

Mirea, who was just about to start eating in the dining room, was annoyed when she heard that a messenger had arrived inside the mansion.

“Who on earth, first thing in the morning!”

“Madam, His Majesty the Emperor…”

A servant responded in a meek voice, intimidated by Mirea’s irritated tone.

“What?”

Surprised, Mirea threw down the fork she was holding and hurriedly left the mansion.

Those carrying messages from the Emperor usually did not enter the mansion.

When Mirea rushed to the wide open main gate, Peiron had already arrived to greet the messenger.

Delas Porten, the imperial chamberlain, looked with a dark expression at Peiron, the head of the Iols family, who was standing quietly.

He was someone Delas often encountered at the imperial palace, as he was recently gaining much trust from the Emperor.

With a physique that exuded strength and a beautiful face, he attracted the attention of many, and was respected by knights for his outstanding skills.

That was until yesterday, when the Founding Day banquet was held.

As Delas handled all affairs of the imperial palace, he couldn’t help but know about the events that took place at Raphilen Palace yesterday.

He had seen and heard everything from the garden to inside the banquet hall until all the nobles disappeared.

He had thought of Peiron as a blunt but tenacious and loyal knight.

He never imagined that the man before him, despite his proper appearance, could be so stupid and foolish.

When Delas saw Mirea rush out of the mansion and stand in front, catching her breath, he unrolled the scroll with the message.

“A message from His Majesty the Emperor.”

As Delas began to speak, Peiron and Mirea placed their right hands on their left chests and bowed their heads towards Delas.

“Peiron Iols, as declared at the Founding Day celebration, you will proceed with the divorce under God’s permission. Come to the imperial palace. It will be held at 9 AM in Reception Room 1.”

Though Peiron and Mirea were surprised by Enzo’s notification-like message, they couldn’t raise their heads.

The message wasn’t over yet.

“Furthermore, as one who should set an example as the Commander of the 2nd Knight Division has caused social controversy and is deemed to have issues with conduct, you are dismissed from the position of 2nd Knight Division Commander.”

Peiron’s body trembled slightly, and Mirea bit her lip hard to keep from crying out.

“However, in recognition of your past merits, you are assigned to the 8th Knight Division. Report to the palace promptly.”

When Delas folded the scroll with the message, Mirea and Peiron raised their heads.

Their faces were ashen.

Delas stared blankly at the two for a moment, then turned around, inwardly clicking his tongue.

After seeing Delas get into his carriage and leave, Mirea hurriedly turned and grabbed Peiron’s arms, looking up at him urgently.

“Peiron, what, what on earth does this mean? Huh?”

Mirea had been kicked out of the long-awaited Founding Day banquet without even being able to enter.

Thanks to her lovely and reliable son standing before her.

Because of that, she knew nothing of what had happened at the banquet.

Her daughter-in-law, who had always been docile, had completely flipped and disappeared with the child.

Her son, who had personally kicked her out at the entrance to the banquet, was so shocked that he couldn’t come to his senses all day and was holed up in his room.

Even though she wanted to ask about the banquet, there was no one who could answer.

She was planning to prepare a tea party from the morning to soothe her frustrated feelings, but what appeared out of nowhere was a message from the Emperor.

And it was full of content that would drive the Iols family to the ground.

“Peiron!”

“It’s exactly as it says, Mother.”

“What…?”

Peiron felt the reality he had been denying rush in only after receiving the message.

He was really going to proceed with a divorce he had never even imagined.

His wife Erina, who had always begged for his love, had turned her back on him and abandoned the Iols family.

Although he had brought his beloved Rose to the mansion, he never planned for Erina to disappear from his side.

He had never imagined Erina herself kicking away from the Iols mansion, rather than him.

Of course, it wasn’t right to bring the person he loved to the mansion, but hadn’t Erina herself told him?

‘Just let me stay by your side. No matter what, please!’

When communication had broken down due to misunderstanding Erina at the beginning of their marriage, she had passionately confessed her love to Peiron who refused to listen.

She said to just let her stay by his side, that the place beside him was hers, that she was the Iols’ wife no matter what happened.

That’s why he had left a place for her.

He hadn’t forgotten Erina’s words that she would remain as the Iols’ wife no matter what happened, so he shouldn’t abandon her.

Peiron thought it was fortunate that even if Rose came to the mansion, if Erina remained as his wife, their peaceful daily life wouldn’t be overturned.

Peiron couldn’t understand Erina at all, whether she had left the mansion first, abandoning what she had wanted.

Peiron, who had lived his whole life centered on his own thoughts, was confused and angry.

“This can’t be happening.”

Mirea muttered repeatedly that this couldn’t be happening, with a crazed expression.

Mirea could understand the divorce between her son and daughter-in-law.

A new daughter-in-law who could become another purse had entered the mansion, so it wouldn’t be strange to divorce anytime.

She thought the daughter-in-law, who wasn’t even welcomed by her own family, could be kicked out anytime after holding out, but Peiron’s dismissal was different.

How much of a shining jewel had Peiron been among the noble ladies with his glittering title of 2nd Knight Division Commander?

The fact that her respectable son was the Emperor’s guard and a knight commander who brought glory to the empire was the perfect jewel to adorn herself.

The brilliant diamond Mirea had been holding in her hand had turned into a piece of glass in an instant without her knowing.

It was something that absolutely couldn’t happen.

“Why, why on earth!”

Mirea shouted, throwing Peiron’s arms that she had been holding as if throwing them away out of frustration.

Peiron’s body, which had been in a daze, staggered.

“What on earth happened yesterday!”

His scarlet eyes, which had been as bright as the rising sun, were now as dark as the sunset.

Peiron faced Mirea directly and spoke gloomily.

“Erina has become the owner of the mana stone mine. The name engraved on the mine is not Erina Iols, but Erina Medelia.”

Mirea gasped at those words, covering her mouth with both hands.

“Erina told His Majesty directly that she wanted a divorce.”

Mirea’s legs gave out and she collapsed at the words that Erina was the owner of the mana stone mine.

She had thought it was an empty purse and ruthlessly abandoned it to welcome a new purse full of jewels, but…

“Ma-mana stone mine…”

It wasn’t an empty purse, but a purse with heaps of gold hidden inside.

Mirea tried hard to gather her dizzy thoughts and asked the next question.

“So, you should have persuaded Erina, you should have prevented the divorce! Yes, I’ll meet Erina first, yes, if the mother-in-law apologizes, she’ll surely come back, so it’s okay.”

Mirea, who had been muttering to herself about plans to find Erina and make an apology she didn’t even want to make, suddenly stood up at a doubtful thought that occurred to her.

While the divorce might be due to the name engraved on the mine, divorce wasn’t a reason to be dismissed from the position of knight commander.

“But why were you dismissed from the position of knight commander?”

When Mirea asked, Peiron’s gaze turned to the ground full of dust.

Peiron felt somehow close to the ground where useless stones rolled around and dirty dust and soil were mixed together.

“Erina made it public that Rose had entered the mansion.”

“What?”

At Peiron’s answer, Mirea recalled Erina who had always been quiet and unable to express her own opinions.

Like Peiron, Mirea had thought that Erina wouldn’t be able to tell others outside about Rose staying at the mansion.

Because she had always been that kind of person.

“Then you, you must have denied it there? You should have said it wasn’t true so Erina would come back!”

“I didn’t deny it.”

“Are you crazy!?”

Mirea shouted angrily.

She was furious at Peiron for acting so stupidly in front of all the nobles.

There were plenty of excuses he could have made.

He could have said she wasn’t a mistress but a guest of his mother, or that she was an important figure in a transaction between families and was staying temporarily.

Then everything could have been dismissed simply as a noblewoman’s jealousy.

If he had handled it properly with appropriate excuses, the situation wouldn’t have become this serious.

Mirea had thought Peiron would have that much thought and basic coping ability.

“You, you stupid fool!”

Mirea started hitting Peiron, who was stupidly looking down at the ground, with both hands.

Unlike his father who had devoted all his attention to his mistress, being obsessed with women, Peiron had fulfilled all the tasks given to him.

Mirea thought it wasn’t a big problem even if her dead husband or her son Peiron turned their eyes outward, as long as the family ran smoothly.

As long as there was enough money coming in to buy dresses and jewels.

That’s why she had thoroughly hidden her husband’s affair.

She even hid it from Peiron, trying to maintain the prestige of the Iols family.

Her trusted son was no different from his father.

When her husband had been enthralled by his mistress and nearly drove Iols to the ground, Mirea had barely managed to prop up the falling family with help from her maiden family.

But because of that, she could no longer reach out to her maiden family who had come to strongly dislike her, and Erina, who could have saved the family in her place, had left.

It was clear that Iols would crumble into ruin like back then, no, even worse than back then.

No matter how much Mirea thought about it, she couldn’t find a way to rebuild Iols.

Mirea, who had become desperate, swung her arm and slapped Peiron’s cheek.

‘Slap-!’

“Damn this Iols family.”

Mirea went inside the mansion, breathing heavily.

Peiron, whose face had turned from the slap, remained motionless.

Even his mother, who indulged in luxury, knew that everything was ruined.

Why was he so glad that Rose at least hadn’t left him, even as he threw himself into the mud and suffered?

He must be crazy.

He must be crazy, consumed by madness like his father who went mad with love.

Translation complete. 100% of original text translated.