How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

Even though it was a feeling she had become accustomed to now, she always got nervous when foresight suddenly pops up like this. This was because you never know what kind of foresight would come out of nowhere. It might be related to what she was thinking a little while ago.

 

The moment her vision started to blur, a question arose.

 

‘What was I just thinking?’

 

She seemed to be thinking about the duchess as she held the duchess’s hand. So, would there be any foresight related to the future of the dukedom? With that thought in mind, she opened her eyes again. The darkness that had covered my vision like fog cleared and a richly decorated room appeared. It was a luxurious room filled with luxurious furniture, but it was dark because all the windows were covered with curtains. There were two people near a burning fireplace. It was the Duke of Rohan pacing by the fireplace and the Duchess sitting quietly in a chair.

 

‘Then is this the mansion of the Duke of Rohan?’

 

The Duchess was leaning against her armrest with her face filled with pensiveness. Her expression was so dark and serious that it felt unfamiliar for a moment. As Diane’s physical condition improved day by day, the Duchess’ face also opened up like the spring sun. However, the Duchess in front of her now had a distraught and sad look on her face, as if she was deeply worried. She lifted her gaze towards the duke by the fireplace.

 

“How did this happen…? I still can’t believe it.”

 

What? Could it be that something happened to Diane again?

 

“So do I. I can’t believe something like this happens in the world.”

 

The duke’s face was equally serious. As expected, something must have happened to Diane. She concentrated on listening to their stories properly. 

 

‘Please do me a favor and pray that the premonition will last for a long time.’

 

At that time, the Duchess let out a long sigh.

 

“It will be heartbreaking, but Terence will need to cheer up.”

 

What? Terence what… ? What’s going on? She assumed it was Diane’s business, but what she said next completely overturned her expectations.

 

“I felt bad for him. It seemed like he was determined to take revenge on those who killed Her Highness the Grand Duchess.”

 

The duke mumbled something regretful and then suddenly asked the duchess.

 

“How long have they been married? 1 year? It probably hasn’t been two years yet.”

 

“It’s been a little over a year.”

 

She stood blankly listening to their conversation. The Duchess’ eyes were filled with sadness and pity. She looked at the burning fireplace and lamented softly.

 

“Seeing from the side, he still looked like a newlywed… It’s truly devastating. The young Grand Duchess suddenly…”

 

‘Ah, this is the future after I die.’

 

But there was something strange. The last prediction she saw showed that she died two years after the wedding. But now it has changed to dead a year later. Suddenly, lifespan was reduced by half.

 

‘Why did my future change?’

 

The Duke clicked his tongue slowly, as if he was thinking of Terence.

 

“I guess he needs to get his mind together for the sake of his family. He doesn’t have any kids yet…”

 

The Duke watched his wife’s eyes and trailed off his words, but she had a good idea of what would follow.

 

He might be saying something like, ‘Since he doesn’t have children, I guess he’ll have to remarry someday.’

 

She was once again shocked by those words.

 

‘Don’t you have any children?’

 

Where did her child go? Her death was brought forward by about a year, and she died without having children. Did she die before she could get pregnant, so she has no children?

 

‘Or maybe she just didn’t want to have children.’

 

She saw the child left behind in the last preview. The little boy who brought paper flowers to her grave. Since she saw that future, she would have avoided getting pregnant until she found a way to survive. So there was a possibility that she died without giving birth to a child.

 

“No, but is that really true?”

 

At that time, the Duke changed the topic in a voice filled with embarrassment.

 

“No matter how strong the Grand Duke was, he must have been very shocked to lose his wife at such a young age. Isn’t he confused because you are filled with resentment?”

 

What did this mean? The Duchess raised her head with a stern expression.

 

“Terrence said so. I believe that he wouldn’t make that assumption without any solid evidence.”

 

The topic changed suddenly, but she had a rough idea of what the two were talking about. What Terence guessed was probably how she was killed. The cause of her death that she had been trying to see for so long since her wedding day.

 

At his wife’s sharp reaction, the Duke of Rohan hesitated and quickly changed his words.

 

“It’s not that I don’t trust the Grand Duke. It’s because I just can’t believe it.”

 

The Duke clicked his tongue and said:

 

“You can kill someone with witchcraft. Wow, does something like this happen in the world?”

 

What? What did they kill her with? Witchcraft? While she was looking at him in bewilderment, the duke’s eyes became cold.

 

“Anyway, if the Grand Duke wants to start a civil war against the Emperor… We have no choice but to take his side.”

 

She wanted to hear more, but that was the end of it. In an instant, everything turned dark, as if a black curtain had been drawn.

 

* * *

 

As her vision cleared again, she saw the Duchess looking at her. She managed to hide her confusion so as not to look strange.

 

“Then take a look, ma’am.”

 

“It’s cold. Don’t come out.”

 

The Duchess declined to see her off and went out. Suddenly, she remembered what she was thinking a moment ago. She was thinking that in the distant future, if the royal family and the grand duchy were to fight in earnest, the Rohan family would be on the Grand Duchy’s side. So it seemed like such a prediction came out. She sent the servant to escort her to her front door and then went straight upstairs to her.

 

“Nell, where is Bayan?”

 

She caught Nell, whom she encountered in front of the boudoir, and asked her for Bayan’s location.

 

“He was playing in Chloe’s room earlier,” she said.

 

Chloe’s room was on the top floor of the mansion. She rushed up the stairs and entered Chloe’s room.

 

“Chloe, I’m going in for a moment.”

 

Bayan was lying down on the table next to Chloe’s window, rolling around. A soft cushion was even placed on the table, and Bayan’s body, which was lying on the cushion, was covered with a thick blanket. Both the cushions and blankets were elaborately woven with patterns made of wool. It looks like Chloe made it herself. Next to it, there was also a small, cute bowl filled with warm meatloaf. Was this a small sanctuary for Bayan? He came here and was lounging around comfortably, being attended to by Chloe.

 

‘Well, there wasn’t really anything to do.’

 

Practicing their Holy Power was still sluggish, and at some point, both of us were about to give up. Bayan spent each day leisurely, looking around the mansion, rolling around, and playing with Lot.

 

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess? What’s going on?”

 

Chloe was sitting quietly next to Bayan, making something out of yarn. A toy, scarf, or cushion for the bayan. Well, she guessed it’s something like that.

 

“Chloe. I’ll take Bayan away for a moment. I have something urgent to tell you.”

 

Chloe also seemed to have read her unusual mood when she saw her.

 

“Would you like me to leave your seat?”

 

“No, I’ll take you to my room.”

 

She hugged Bayan, who was embarrassed, and went into her bedroom downstairs. She closed the bedroom door and locked the dressing room and bathroom doors, which had secret passageways, just in case.

 

[What on earth is going on and is this serious?]

 

“Bayan.”

 

She looked into Bayan’s golden eyes and calmed her confused head. Only after entering the safe room did she feel like her complicated mind calmed down a bit. Once again, she thought about the premonition she saw earlier. She didn’t know why, but her death was brought forward by about a year. Thanks to this, her child was never born. The most important part was at the end. That the cause of her death was witchcraft.

 

She took a slow, deep breath and asked Bayan.

 

“Can you kill someone with witchcraft?”

 

[…witchcraft?]

 

Bayan frowned and tilted his small head.

 

[What is this nonsense?]

 

“You told me about witchcraft before.”

 

When Mikhail brought a sacred tree flower dyed pink, saying it was a gift to wish for happiness. She wondered where Mikhail learned that, but he hadn’t had a chance to ask yet. 

Bayan placed his front paw on the tip of his chin and seemed to ponder for a moment.

 

[If the situation and conditions are right, it may be possible. Although the probability of success is extremely slim.]

 

Anyway, it was possible.

 

“Then could someone kill me with witchcraft?”

 

[In my opinion, there is no possibility at all.]

 

“Why? You said it was possible?”

 

[It should be said that witchcraft that kills ordinary people is virtually impossible. But killing a saint with a spell? It would be more likely that lightning would strike and the palace would collapse.]

 

“It’s hard to kill an ordinary person?”

 

Bayan responded with a puzzled look.

 

[If it were that easy, who would buy poison and hire an assassin? If murder was possible through magic, poison makers and professional assassins would all starve to death.]

 

Actually, that was true.

 

If you could kill someone with magic, there would be no war, let alone assassination. All you have to do is curse the king of the enemy country and the soldiers of the enemy country and kill them.

 

[Sorcery is a very tricky power. Few people can actually handle it. A proper shaman was rarer than a saint.]

 

“But Terrence did that in Precognition. I died because of witchcraft.”

 

She relayed to Bayan exactly what she had just seen through the Duchess. Bayan listened to the explanation and he came up with an easier answer.

 

[The Grand Duke must have misunderstood. As the Duke said, he must have been confused and misunderstood.]

 

Was that so? However, to dismiss it like that, she was also concerned about the premonitions she had seen in the past.

 

“The last time I saw you, it was clear that I died because something evil happened to me while I was pregnant.”

 

It was none other than Bayan who said that. It was Bayan who first noticed her danger. Moreover, it was said that even after being the victim of that evil act, she survived for a year thanks to Terence’s efforts and then died. Until now, she had been wondering what that ‘evil act’ was. She got hit by something, but she didn’t die right away. No one else knew, Bayan knew, so it was something he could reel off. Moreover, it did not affect the child inside the womb and only took her life.

 

If you think about it, wouldn’t witchcraft be the perfect answer? It also fits the expression ‘evil act’. After hearing that, Bayan also looked a little more serious.

 

[Well, when I lived, there was no magic that was that unconventional.]

 

“The era you lived in was hundreds of years ago? Hasn’t witchcraft also developed in the meantime?”

 

[There is a possibility of that, though.]

 

Bayan stroked his beard with his paw and thought deeply.

 

[But I still think the possibility is slim. It’s really difficult to kill someone with witchcraft. Unlike holy power, witchcraft is a power that requires a price.]

 

—————————————————————

Translator Note: