Chapter 48: The villainess questions (part 1)

Chae-ae-aeng!

It was the sound of me drawing my sword. 

At that refreshing sound, Clie looked at me in bewilderment.

But that was only for a moment as Clie carefully changed the flow of the output.

Dense holy power hovered around Clie, who had finished grasping the situation in seconds.

I became nervous. Compared to the faint holy power that had blocked my voice earlier, it was an incomparable amount. And, Clie’s holy power wrapped around my body before I could even react.

I could feel the weight on my body. It was to the point where my body couldn’t move properly.

Clie was smiling again. Even though I had drawn my sword, she seemed to regard me as not much of a threat.

Shhhing!

Since I couldn’t even move my body properly, I put back the sword I had pulled out. I was convinced that I shouldn’t fight.

The holy power that Clie possessed was too powerful. It was something completely different from the original novel.

Perhaps even Duke Jespen would have trouble contending against the current Clie.

I didn’t actually unsheath my sword with the intention of cutting her down. I was just angry, and I did that as a threat.

But now that things had come to this, such threats were useless.

Thinking that my life might be in danger, I had to control my anger.

It was natural to control your anger in front of a strong person.

First of all, I had to gather information. 

When I unsheathed the sword, Clie also erased her holy power.

“As far as I know, holy power doesn’t have this kind of power.”

“Yes, that’s right, Young Lord.”

Then what kind of holy power did you use? 

Clie seemed to understand my question, “Because I am special.”

‘Of course you’re special. Because you’re the main character of the original novel. Still, that force makes no sense!’

Leaving aside the fact that there was no such force in the novel, the strength of that force was unusual. Its emergence was completely out of the blue.

If Clie had had that kind of brute force in the novel, the novel would have ended quite early, since the heroine had the power to beat the villainess by herself.

Anyways, I felt the need to change the topic. Because the bracelet, which was supposed to be the source of Clie’s holy power, was in my magic pouch.

If Clie used her retrieval magic, she would be able to retrieve the bracelet from anywhere, but I should be able to block the retrieval magic.

Because in the original novel, Clie had her bracelet stolen by Shael as well. Of course she had no way to break or destroy it even if she had it.

It was because the item was said to be very sacred, and it allowed it’s user to possess enormous holy power. 

Breaking it couldn’t be that easy.

But, since I already have it, wouldn’t it be possible to do something about that?

Anyway, it seemed Clie wouldn’t give me an answer even if I asked her about her astonishing increase in power.

So I asked another thing instead.

“Why are you doing this to me and Shael? 

Without answering my question, Clie asked back. “Why are you so devoted to her?” 

What she was asking about was the reason for my devotion. It was quite obvious that the object of that devotion was Shael.

“At the banquet hall, and even in this situation…”

Clie’s voice turned faint at the end as she continued to speak.

“Even in the past.”

‘The past?’

So did Clie regress as I had expected?

Then the past that Clie was talking about right now… must be from the point of view of the original novel.

After speaking, Clie stared at me in silence. She was waiting for my answer.

Why was I so devoted to Shael?

The Eran Baslett from the original novel must have been devoted to Shael because of his good nature.

Then what about me? I wasn’t as good natured as Eran Baslett from the novel.

While reading the novel, I was just a bit more interested to the story of Shael, and became curious about why she became a villainess.

However, what was the reason now that I had become a part of the novel?

Of course, if I succeeded in rehabilitating the villainess, only good things would happen. But I didn’t really have to do it that urgently.

Because I had the status of being the son of a duke. Even if I abandoned Shael and separated from her, I could live an affluent life. 

But I would never do that. The reason was simple. So I spoke clearly to Clie, who was still waiting for my answer.

“Shael is cute. Unlike someone who is like a snake.”

“Pffft!” Clie asked back with a laugh, “Do you really think so?”

Certainly, it was a statement that would make anyone doubtful. But there were many moments I could think of where Shael was exceptionally cute.

Our pitiful battle of pride with a teacup. 

The times when she asked for desserts.

And the times when she secretly ate the desserts.

So I said while pondering over Shael’s actions.

“Everything she does is cute. Oh, and I also need to see my daughter.”

Clie looked even more bewildered compared to when I had unsheathed my sword earlier.

I mean, she had already seen Ruelle, so she would probably think that we might really have a hidden daughter.