How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

“Okay. Sit over here.”

She had felt it before, but if she looked closely, she could see a resemblance to Terrence in some way with neat features.

‘This man must still be waiting for Sorel to return, right?’

Mikhail looked at her with emotionless eyes and asked.

“What were you looking for me for?”

She took out a thin string necklace from her pocket.

“I will tell you directly. I’ll give you this, so please do me a favor.”

In order to move the Imperial Knights inside the palace, she had to ask Mikhail for help. The way to move Mikhail was to mention Sorel as before. Because Mikhail was blind to things related to Sorel. So she decided to use this. Because this necklace was Sorel’s most precious treasure. And, as expected, upon seeing the necklace, Mikhail’s complexion changed.

“This… Did the princess have it?”

It was a polite tone in its own way, but it was a question of ‘How did you have it?’

“I found it.”

Eve threw Sorel’s necklace into the pond and had her attendants sneak it out. The reason for being so diligent was obvious. She must have jumped ahead, fearing that Sorrel would ask someone else later to find the necklace that had fallen into the pond. According to Eve’s calculations, after a while, Sorel would ask the chamberlain to find the necklace that fell into the pond. But they couldn’t find it in the end.

Eve had already retrieved it, so of course they couldn’t find it.

‘Eve is useless, but her head works well.’

But thanks to that, she was able to have this. Eve even tucked it roughly into a locker with jewels. Perhaps this was to annoy Sorel one more time later.

She looked at the necklace she had taken out on the table. It was a simple necklace made of small green glass. Mikhail’s gaze was also fixed on the necklace.

“If you bring it to her, Sorel will be very impressed.”

“What do you want?”

Mikhail looked at her with a resentful look and asked coldly.

“Help me.”

Mikhail was like that. With a smile on his face, he furrowed his brow.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Some of my maids have suspicious drugs.”

“…yes?”

Hearing her words, Mikhail opened his eyes wide. It’s a reaction that said he didn’t expect to hear these words at all.

“It is not a lie. Someone witnessed the lady-in-waiting meeting a suspicious person. And maybe he’s trying to give me that medicine.”

“Then arrest…”

“But there is no evidence yet.”

She cut him off and continued the explanation.

“I know who the lady-in-waiting is and where she meets the same side.”

Fortunately, she was able to quickly find the warehouse that appeared in her vision. She explained to Nell what was in the warehouse and how it was built, and she said she knew where it was right away. It was an old fixture warehouse not far from the princess’s palace. Maybe it was a rare place, so it seemed like they met there.

“But there is no proof.”

Unconditionally, this lady-in-waiting was suspicious. But even if she found the vial in the maid’s room, since it was not poisonous, it was difficult to question her if she said she had it for other reasons.

“So, can you bring in some Templar soldiers to help me when I need it?”

After hearing her explanation, Mikhail frowned in a different way.

“If that’s the case, there’s no price. It is, of course, my duty.”

Well, it was the role of the Imperial Knights to prevent unsavory things from happening inside the imperial palace.

“Well, I think it’s like giving back the necklace and asking for it.”

Having said that, Mikhail looked confused.

“I am asking you to keep this a secret until I call. Even a public investigation would be in vain.”

Mikhail seemed to think for a moment, but he readily agreed with her.

“All right. I will do as the princess commands.”

“Thank you.”

It was a moment of relief after hearing Mikhail’s promise. She saw a familiar man over the snow-covered lavender fields in the distance. It was Terrence.

Terrence came slowly towards Mikhail and her. She asked him to come in the afternoon, but why did he come already? Come to think of it, this man always seemed to come earlier than the scheduled time. 

Mikhail got up from his seat and bowed before he even got close. But Terence entered the pavilion, ignoring Mikhail.

“What are you doing here?”

“The ladies-in-waiting said you were here.”

Still, she wondered if waiting in the drawing room wasn’t the rule.

“You’re here early.”

“It’s not polite to keep my fiancée waiting.”

Terrence, as always, gave her an affectionate look. He reminded her of the first time she met him at the Temple. She remembered following him with a bouquet of flowers begging him to listen to her for a moment. At that time, he didn’t listen to a word… How could a person change 180 degrees like this? Of course, she knew it’s acting, but it was so natural that it gave her goosebumps.

Mikhail looked back at the two of them, and he noticeably moved away.

“Then I will go away.”

Okay.”

Terrence didn’t say anything until Mikhail left.

“I heard that you called me, but you had a prior promise.”

“I have something to tell Sir Sheldon in advance.”

She put the necklace she had taken out back into her pocket and said.

“Actually, I asked to see you because I have something to ask of the Grand Duke.”

“How can I help you?”

“That Arcania crystal. Do you have anything other than what you gave to the Duchess?”

“Well.”

Terence dubiously avoided an immediate answer. Or there is or there is not. Well, what was it? She guessed that’s what it meant in the end.

“Could you lend me one?”

“Is this something you need urgently?”

“Yes it is. I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

It seemed like a shameless idea, but she figured Terrence would lend her crystals easily. A person who said he would rob a flower garden as a gift, send flowers, and give a garden as a gift. It’s not just asking for it, it’s asking for a loan, so he would listen.

She had such a relaxed and optimistic mind. But Terrence just watched her in silence for a while. The dark purple eyes stare into her eyes as if trying to look into her heart.

“…Are you having trouble lending it?”

She couldn’t wait and asked cautiously. Could it be that it’s so valuable that he couldn’t lend it to her? Terrence took a step closer to her and asked softly.

“Would you like to do business with me if you need a fix?”

“I am Your Highness’ fiancée, can’t you lend me one? I’ll give it back.”

“I already lent one to the ducal family, so there are only a few left.”

He was saying there were several more besides the one he gave to the Duchess.

“I want to make a deal, but I have nothing to offer.”

All she had was jewelry and dresses. They were all expensive items, but they would be no more than rolling stones to this man. 

Terrence looked at her and gave her a meaningful smile.

“If you tell me simple information, I will give you a crystal as a gift.”

There was a languid smile on his face, which was more handsome than the statues decorating the temple. It looked like a messenger of God in a sacred painting, but its expression was like a devil tempting people. If a demon that looked like that smiled and asked her to sell her soul, she would nod her head unconsciously.

The answer came out as if she was bewitched without knowing it.

“…What do you want to know?”

She didn’t know all the information, but if it’s from the original story, she remembered every little thing. Among them, there was a lot of information that could be useful to the Grand Duke. A smile grew on the Duke’s face.

“Sir Mikhail Sheldon’s weakness.”

She was blown away by those words.

Mikhail’s weakness.

It was clear what he was talking about. The day they met at the Imperial Palace Chapel. He must have been curious about the secret she used to blackmail Mikhail, the male lead.

‘But I can’t tell you that.’

Because that was also Sorel’s weakness. She couldn’t be an older sister and gossip about her younger sister’s romance. It was a problem morally and also a problem with the flow of the original work. Right now, the female lead and the male lead were exchanging secret letters and sweetly developing romantic feelings. But what if she told this to a dangerous man like this and the original contents were out of line?

“No, it’s fine. It would be convenient if there is a fix, but if there is not, I can just find another way.”

She knew for sure who was taking her medicine anyway, so she just had to keep the food the maid brought. 

Upon hearing her answer, the Grand Duke, who had been smiling sweetly, hardened his face in an instant. The corners of his mouth, which had been brimming with a subtle smile, hardened coldly, and his purple eyes, which had been curved finely, also cooled coldly. His complexion suddenly changed so much that his laughter did not disappear, and a bloody expression lingered on him.

—————————————————————

Translator Note:

Want to read more?