The Queen of Villains - Chapter 25

Emily barely managed to leave her seat and snuck into the guest library. While looking around, she discovered a novel by Lily Dan and couldn’t contain her excitement.

“Oh my, this is one of Lily Dan’s out-of-print novels!”

Lily Dan was Emily’s favorite romance novel author. She had read almost all of her works, except for the early ones, because she discarded them all because she was embarrassed.

“But I can’t believe I found it here!”

<Do You Like Me?>

“Even the title is already intriguing.”

Emily quickly took out the book and sat by the window. Before she knew it, raindrops began to patter against the window. The sudden downpour provided a soothing background noise.

Feeling as if she were drifting away from the world, Emily unknowingly immersed herself in the pages of the book.

How much time had passed? Footsteps could be heard outside.

“I mustn’t get caught.”

In a rush, Emily tried to find a hiding place for the book but ended up simply sitting on it when the situation became unfavorable.

Just as she successfully concealed the book, she heard the sound of the doorknob turning.

“Your Grace, hello.”

With an awkward demeanor, Emily greeted Charles, who looked at her with a suspicious expression.

“What are you doing here all alone?”

“Well, um… I was contemplating what book to read.”

“Is that so?”

Raising an eyebrow, Charles asked. 

From where Charles stood by the window, the books on the shelves were completely out of sight.

“Um, just in my mind. Or perhaps Your Grace would like to recommend one?”

It was clear she was trying to change the topic quickly.

‘She must be reading another suspicious book.’

Charles chuckled and walked slowly between the bookshelves to pick a book.

Meanwhile, Emily quietly made her way to the other side of the bookshelf. She couldn’t increase her speed as she feared the sound of her dress rustling would give her away.

Finally reaching the compartment were the book had been, Emily cautiously placed the book she had been reading back while scanning her surroundings.

“Hmm? Where did he go?”

Charles had been standing across from her just moments ago, but now she couldn’t be seen.

“Do you like me?”

Startled by the sudden voice from behind, Emily plopped down on the floor.

“Oh, when did you come?”

“I didn’t realize this library had such a book.”

Nonchalantly, Charles calmly took out the book again.

In fact, the guest library, currently in use by Emily, was a place Shaul had meticulously prepared as a gift for her upon their marriage. It was filled with romance novels, tailored to her tastes. Not only were Lily Dan’s out-of-print novels present, but there were also translated versions from overseas.

As Charles glanced through the book, Emily, sweating nervously, desperately tried to explain herself.

“So, I was just curious because it’s fascinating to find such a book in this old-fashioned study.”

Emily smoothly snatched the book from Charles and asked.

“By the way, did you choose my book?”

“Oh, here.”

Charles handed her a book that seemed quite heavy.

<Attempting to Split the Mind: Exploring the Fragmentation of the Mind While Striving to Overcome External Influences.>

Regardless of the content, she didn’t understand the title.

“Why are you recommending this book to me?”

“Well, I found it quite interesting recently.”

“Are you interested in schizophrenia?”[T/n: I believe the reference here is that she sees the words mind and split and assumes it has something to do with schizophrenia , important note attached below.]

“The title can be misleading. It’s more about mental training.”

Emily sighed inwardly and only skimmed through the book as a token gesture. There were no illustrations, and the text was small. It would be perfect to read as a remedy for insomnia.

“It seems like a sophisticated book to me.”

Then, without hesitation, she returned the book to Charles.

Charles smiled as he took back the book. It wasn’t the type of book he would recommend to someone who had just been reading romance novels.

“Emily, how is married life?”

“Well… It’s just…”

It was an awkward topic to discuss with her former fiancé. As Emily hesitated to answer, Charles’s gaze became sharper.

“Is the Marquess treating you well?”

Emily had never seriously thought about that aspect. He provided three meals a day, gave her money to go shopping, and promised to let her play card games at clubs in the future.

“Yes, he treats me well.”

Emily replied with a confident tone.

However, Charles didn’t believe her. Over the past few days, they hadn’t appeared to be an intimate couple.

Charles carefully observed Emily’s expression, suspecting if she was lying, and spoke up.

“If you want a divorce, I can help you.”

“What?”

Emily was taken aback by Charles’s unexpected words and unintentionally raised her voice.

“I can provide sufficient grounds for divorce without causing you harm.”

If she continued her marriage with Killian, they would eventually share a bed and even have children. Could she survive? Whenever she thought about it, her heart felt suffocated.

But she didn’t want to betray Killian, who had helped her, and she didn’t want to hurt the people of the Starr manor and their feelings.

“Your Grace, I…”

Before Emily could respond, the study door opened.

“Darling.”

Killian appeared from the entrance.

Killian, searching for Emily’s whereabouts, had been listening to all their conversations from the moment Charles entered the study.

He tried not to disturb Emily as much as he could, but he couldn’t bear to hear her answer to the offer of divorce.

If Emily said she would leave, he didn’t know what he would do.

“Madam, I would like to have a conversation with the Duke for a moment. Could you please leave?”

Emily found it difficult to leave abruptly, fearing that Killian might say something unpleasant to Charles.

Killian, noticing her worried gaze, reassured her gently.

“There won’t be any issue. Please wait outside.”

“Alright. Please come out quickly.”

It was a request not to cause any disturbance.

“You don’t have to worry; I won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable.”

In the end, Emily reluctantly walked out of the study.

It was the first time that Charles and Killian were left alone together.

Killian, like everyone else, couldn’t have not noticed that it was because of Emily that Charles held this gathering. The reason he came here even though he knew,  was just because Emily wanted to go.

“You make me regret having respected my wife’s choice.”

“Didn’t you accompany her here?”

Charles asked without any change in her expression, deflecting Killian’s stern gaze.

“Why did you marry Emily?”

“Do you think you have the right to ask that?”

“She is my-“

“Former fiancée.”

Killian interrupted and answered, causing Charles to sigh and speak up.

“Yes , I’m curious about why you brought in a fallen noblewoman and married her.”

“Sir , are you insulting my wife?”

“What are you talking about?”

Charles’s eyebrow twitched, and the corners of his mouth lifted, almost mocking.

“In your world, when a family falls, does that person become worthless?”

“Don’t interpret my words like that!”

“Whether Emily is of noble or common birth doesn’t matter.”

Killian took a step closer to Charles, as if threatening her.

“I’m not going to explain why I married Emily.”

“Don’t be so arrogant.”

“Why should I go to such trouble for someone who has no right to interfere?”

Killian’s gaze at Charles was still cold and menacing.

“Never approach my wife like this again.”

Charles could not say anything until Killian left the study door with his last warning. Emily, who was standing nervously in the hallway, noticed Killian coming out and rushed over hastily.

“Is everything all right?””

“Yes.”

Emily let out a sigh of relief and opened her mouth.

“Do we need to prepare to go back now?”

To her surprise, it was Killian who asked cautiously.

“Is it okay for us to go back?”

“Yes, the godmother is quite talkative, so I wanted to go home quickly too.”

Emily could not have known that she was deliberately saying this to ease his mind.

“There are a lot of people who don’t even need to see each other.”

So Emily smirked and ran to her room to pack.

Killian slowly raised his hand to his chest. He truly didn’t want to let this precious person be taken away by anyone.

The preparations to return were quickly completed.

Upon hearing that they were leaving first, Marlene shouted for Emily to take her along, but Emily politely refused.

“You should accompany the Duchess.”

Emily came all the way here after hearing her tell me to raise my reputation, but only her ears were tired because of the mindless chatter. Leaving Marlene behind would be a small revenge for her.

“You will definitely regret leaving me here alone.”

Marlene, whose eardrums still seemed numb from the tea time with the Duchess, continued to rub her ears as if they hadn’t fully recovered.

“Originally, we weren’t supposed to help each other like this.”

Emily lightly held Marlene’s hand and shook it as a farewell.

“Wait and see.”

“Yeah, see you next time.”

Despite Marlene’s resentment, Emily calmly followed Killian and got into the carriage without hesitation.

Inside the carriage, there was complete silence. The rain was still dripping steadily, as if trying to break the silence between the two by tapping on the window.

As they passed through the plane tree forest and the sound of rain gradually subsided, Killian spoke up.

“Do you regret marrying me?”

His gaze, fixed outside the window rather than on Emily, made her wonder what he was thinking.

His face, darkly shaded under his eyelashes, looked gloomy and sensitive.

Emily could not open her mouth in that heavy atmosphere, so she only looked at his profile without saying a word.

He went on immediately, as if he didn’t want her to answer anyway.

“You can’t regret it.”

Killian now turned her head and made eye contact with Emily. He, who had persistently caught her in his eyes, slowly leaned back and said.

“I have no intention of letting you go.”

Why did the image of Killian from the original work, where he lost his wife and ran away, come to her mind now?

***

Translator note: Important distinction, while Schizophrenia gets it name from the words “Split mind” this is more in reference to the metaphorical “split” from reality a person with schizophrenia experiences. It does NOT mean split personalities ~Mae

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