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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Villainess, Rose van Darmiang (6)
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On Rose's birthday.
I was watching the banquet hall from the third-floor balcony of Viscount Darmiang's mansion.
The banquet hall was bustling with people.
Viscount Darmiang's relatives,
his wife's friends and family,
and even nobles from neighboring territories.
Roughly a hundred people had gathered to celebrate Rose's twelfth birthday.
Amidst the large crowd, my gaze was fixed on one spot.
It was where Count Caden and Dunkel were.
'What a bunch of trash.'
Watching those bastards pretend to be good people made my stomach churn.
I was watching them to protect Rose, but…
I couldn't help but feel nauseous and enraged.
The plan devised by that damned Count Caden and Dunkel was simple.
To cast a large-scale illusion spell on the attendees, making them possess distorted memories.
That way, even if the Count took Rose and harmed her, those with distorted memories wouldn't be able to suspect him.
When I first heard this plan, I thought to myself:
'It's a plan full of loopholes, isn't it?'
What if Dunkel's illusion spell didn't work on even one of the invited guests?
What if a witness emerged then and brought their actions to light?
Even without a witness, what if Rose told others what had happened to her?
No matter how influential the Count's family, it would be impossible for them to escape unscathed.
Nevertheless, the Count confidently proceeded with this plan because he had his own reasons to believe in its success.
-"She's a smart child, smart enough to gauge the weight of her own words."
-"So even if she receives my favor, she won't be able to say a word. Why? Because the child knows."
-"The fact that if she missteps even once with her words, her family could crumble in an instant."
It was his status and Rose's intelligence.
What if Rose testified, but there was no evidence that the Count was the culprit?
From the Count's perspective, he could take it as an insult and retaliate against the Viscount's family—that was the reality.
And that's not all. Dunkel, the Count's subordinate, even possessed a rather meticulous side.
-"Even if that young girl tells her parents, there won't be any trouble. Because I'm going to cast an even more powerful illusion spell on Viscount Darmiang and his wife."
-"The Viscount will remember our party as something he himself orchestrated. And his wife will live hating him for it for the rest of her life."
It's unforgivable.
To satisfy their desires.
To cover up their ugliness.
To ruin a child and her parents. Is this truly something a human being could conceive of?
'Who says?'
I intend to stop them, right before their eyes.
There's one thing I've definitely realized in my life so far.
Human trash like them cannot be recycled.
So I won't just stop them. I'll crush them, stomp them into the ground, so they can never rise again.
The plan to do so has already been laid out, and it's progressing steadily.
"Camel. As you said, the artifact has been delivered to the Viscount."
Jetty, a grateful helper who was assisting with the plan and the Darmiang family's butler, patted my shoulder.
"The Viscount has agreed. He said he would present the artifact to Lady Rose as a gift, right in front of everyone, just as you suggested."
It was positive news.
Because the magic inscribed on that artifact would nullify all mental magic cast nearby.
"If that happens, not only will there be witnesses, but we'll also have justification to question the Count. When Count Caden takes Lady Rose, the Viscount and knights, who will be waiting, will follow right behind him."
"What if they don't comply and try to destroy the evidence?"
"Since we have justification, we must confront them."
"Can we win? I heard that all those bastards on their side can wield mana."
"Honestly, I can't guarantee it. But I intend to save Lady Rose, even if it costs me my life. If… if by some slim chance the Viscount and I fall to them…"
His voice trailed off. I turned my head and saw Jetty, looking utterly tense.
"I want you to take Lady Rose and escape. And I want you to somehow bring this incident to public attention. No, I beg you."
"...Understood."
"Good. I'll head down now. It's almost time for Lady Rose to appear. Oh, and…"
"...?"
"Thank you, Camel. Truly."
He patted my shoulder.
Jetty patted my shoulder, then turned and left the room.
Was it because I saw the resolute back of a character who hadn't appeared in the original story, having died?
I don't know why, but I felt a strangely peculiar sensation.
"Well, what does it matter?"
Anyway, since I've decided to step in, the outcome is as good as decided.
"I've secured the justification and the evidence."
Now, only one part of the plan remains.
When Viscount Darmiang confronts Count Caden.
To appear from behind him and draw my sword.
****
The birthday party continued smoothly.
The guests comfortably enjoyed the banquet, and laughter never ceased in the hall.
Rose, in a perfectly fitted pure white dress, appeared when the banquet hall's atmosphere reached its peak.
How lovely and adorable she looked.
Rose descending the stairs was so beautiful it created the illusion of a young angel descending from heaven.
I genuinely admired her appearance, and the guests enjoying themselves in the banquet hall felt the same way.
A chorus of exclamations and praises erupted from all sides.
As I looked around at the people, enjoying their reactions, I suddenly had to frown deeply.
"Heh heh. It'll be fun to unwrap the package."
Because I saw Count Caden muttering to himself, a snake-like smile briefly playing on his lips.
And that's not all. I looked beside him and saw Dunkel grinning at me.
'Grinning?'
For some reason, I felt uneasy. Did he know I was here? No, if he knew, how did he know?
Just as I was thinking that.
-Clap, clap, clap.
The sound of clapping echoed throughout the banquet hall, and I turned my gaze towards Viscount Darmiang.
There, I saw that Viscount Darmiang had already handed Rose a small gift box.
This time, I saw Rose, her cheeks flushed, wearing a happy smile.
Her delicate hand opened the lid of the gift box.
Inside the box was a pendant with a red gem embedded in it.
The red gem glowed faintly. The artifact was activating.
"Oh, for fuck's sake…"
Having confirmed that much, I immediately turned and started running.
Because the pendant inside the box was not the artifact I had given Jetty, but an artifact inscribed with a different kind of magic.
The magic inscribed on that artifact was.
illusion magic, not dispel.
*****
The only fortunate thing was one.
Illusion magic doesn't work on me.
The reason for this is my [Vessel of Sin] trait; I am completely immune to all mental magic cast by beings of lower rank than myself.
Thanks to this, I was able to keep my wits about me and immediately realize that the situation was going awry.
But the problem was that my plan had become useless, and the illusion magic had been activated in the banquet hall.
Where did it all go wrong?
Many doubts arose, but there was no time to ponder.
This was a situation where Rose might be severely harmed.
So I had to move quickly.
As I ran, I swiftly donned the robe I had prepared and grabbed a helmet displayed in the corridor.
Bursting into the banquet hall, I saw people enjoying the banquet, looking no different than before.
"You bastards…"
But out of all these people, not a single one noticed me.
Looking through my All-Seeing Eye, sure enough.
Everyone in the banquet hall was under the influence of illusion magic.
I hated to admit it, but I had to. They had known about my plan beforehand.
And that wasn't all. Rose and Count Caden were nowhere to be seen.
They had moved locations in that brief moment.
"..."
I immediately channeled mana into the magic circle etched on my body.
Then, the residual mana I had secretly etched onto Rose began to be felt from the north.
'In the forest, then.'
I immediately quickened my pace. Deceiving the Scales, I layered acceleration magic upon acceleration magic on my body.
My body became light as a feather, and I began to move with extreme speed.
The rapidly passing scenery changed from the mansion grounds to a forest.
The residual mana began to draw closer.
It seemed Count Caden and Rose had stopped in place.
As this thought reached me, a feeling of anxiety and unease began to rise.
'Just you dare touch her.'
I deceived the Scales again. I layered acceleration magic once more upon the acceleration magic already on my body.
How long did I run like that?
"Kyaaah!"
Rose's scream echoed from across the way.
"Heh heh, this is all education that will benefit you, so why do you resist so? Don't waste your energy needlessly, just be still."
Arriving at the source of the sound, I saw Rose.
Part of her dress was torn. Her delicate shoulder line was clearly exposed.
My gaze lifted. I saw the bastards holding Rose.
They were wearing helmets, just like me. The only difference was that they wore nothing but their underwear and helmets.
Meanwhile, Count Caden, dressed in comfortable attire, was watching Rose and the beasts from atop a flat rock.
"H-h-h-hhk," Rose sobbed.
Rose was weeping, covering her shoulder and chest with her slender hands.
Her terrified expression,
the endless tears streaming from her eyes,
her trembling limbs.
Rage surged within me. My lips pressed together, and my teeth ground as if they would shatter.
"Stop."
I imbued my voice with mana, and a chilling voice echoed through the clearing.
Had they only just noticed me?
"What is that?"
"Was there a short one like that among us? What are you doing, kid? Take it off."
"Hey, kid. Did you come wearing a helmet because you wanted to have fun too? Ah, this will make it harder for the Young Lady."
The beasts made beastly noises, and I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.
I drew mana to its limit and deceived the Scales as much as I could.
Enhancement magic and acceleration magic were layered on countless times.
"What? You gonna fight us?"
The beast holding Rose's right shoulder asked me the obvious.
"Heh heh, today we get two tastes of blood."
The beast holding her left shoulder drooled and picked up its sword from the ground.
Seeing their repulsive forms, I.
Without hesitation, I drew my sword and swung it from where I stood.
-Slish.
Then, fountains of crimson blood erupted from either side of Rose.
The two headless men collapsed on the spot, and I swung my sword once more towards the one behind them. This time, I controlled my strength.
-Slish.
Then, the helmet of the beast behind them was sliced off.
"..."
I had controlled my strength because there was something I needed to confirm.
But I hadn't expected him to duck and deflect my blow.
Even so, the impact must have hit him, as a piece of his helmet fell to the ground, and his hair scattered in the air.
"You're smiling?"
Seeing the bastard's grinning face made my stomach twist.
"Ah, this is troublesome."
The bastard muttered as he picked up a sword from the ground.
"Je-Je…"
Rose, having seen the bastard's face and the dark blue hair scattered on the ground, seemed utterly shocked and collapsed on the spot.
"Are you even human, doing something like that?"
Seeing that, I prepared to swing my sword again and asked.
"That's why I hate smart brats, honestly."
Jetty, the Darmiang family's butler, shook his head as if he knew who I was.