The Villainous Lady Doesn't Speak Chapter 126

Exchange of Opportunities 4

It was hardly a jest. Liliana frowned slightly and tilted her head, signaling her confusion. Butler’s lips curled into a faint smirk. Although his expression remained largely unchanged, it seemed as though he was mocking Liliana’s lack of understanding.

On the other hand, Olga, despite being the one under discussion, maintained a perfectly neutral expression. She calmly observed Butler, adhering strictly to the rule that the primary duty of a guard was to protect their charge and avoid reacting to the conversation. Her composure in the face of such a personal matter demonstrated her exceptional professionalism.

Liliana, while gauging Olga’s demeanor, gently smiled and shook her head, indicating that the request was unacceptable.

〈Olga is my bodyguard, and our contract has not yet expired. Even if you were to ask me to hand her over, I cannot do so easily—especially to someone who speaks of her so casually as if she were a mere object. I have no intention of relinquishing my valuable bodyguard under such circumstances〉

“—I see.”

Butler’s mouth twisted into a sarcastic grin. This time, his expression clearly showed contempt as he exaggeratedly nodded.

“I understand your position. It seems my phrasing was not ideal. I have been seeking a highly skilled bodyguard for some time now. Are you aware of the current situation in our empire?”

Liliana silently urged him to continue. If asked about the current situation, she could confirm that she had some knowledge. However, she had no intention of disclosing how much she knew about the Yunatian Empire.

“In our Yunatian Empire, the struggle for succession is quite active. Of course, it’s not just about ousting rivals; some take more drastic measures if they consider others an obstacle. Do you know what the factions of nobles might plot in such circumstances?”

Butler spoke as if he assumed a nine-year-old child wouldn’t understand. Without waiting for a response, he continued.

“They target the heads of opposing nobles, but their primary aim is to take the life of the heir to the throne if possible. That’s how they think.”

Liliana inwardly sighed, finding the information underwhelming. She had expected something more substantial given Butler’s condescending tone, but the details were rather disappointing.

〈So, you’re requesting Olga to serve as a bodyguard for Prince Roland and Princess Edith?〉

Liliana asked cheerfully. Butler narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Indeed.”

〈Don’t you already have competent bodyguards?〉

“Considering the results of the martial arts tournament.”

Butler did not directly answer Liliana’s question but made his intentions clear. Given the timing, it was evident that he wished to hire Olga based on her impressive performance in the tournament. Although she had been defeated by the captain and vice-captain of the Royal Knights’ Second Squad, Olga’s ability was well-recognized, having defeated many other strong participants. It was likely that Butler had noticed Olga’s deliberate placement in third place.

The magic used by Olga was of a different lineage from the spells practiced in the Kingdom of Slibegrad or the Yunatian Empire. It was an ancient form of magic known as Eastern Magic, used in countries far to the east of the Yunatian Empire. In those eastern lands, where curse magic has become more prevalent, traditional magic has declined. However, the ancient magic once practiced there was believed to be incredibly powerful, potentially capable of annihilating an entire continent. This information is derived from the few remaining texts, and its accuracy is not confirmed.

Liliana considered the possibility that Butler might be aware of this under her smiling exterior. Butler continued to explain, revealing no trace of his inner thoughts.

“A mage swordsman is a rare asset. If you were to join our country, you would catch the Emperor’s eye. Naturally, I promise a higher reward than what you currently receive. I believe it would be much more beneficial for you than remaining here.”

The first part of his statement was directed at Liliana, and the latter part was aimed at Olga. It seemed that Butler was attempting to recruit Olga through Liliana, his current employer.

Liliana suppressed a sigh. She turned halfway to face Olga and asked, 〈What do you wish to do?〉 Olga blinked, seemingly surprised by being directly addressed, but quickly lifted his gaze and looked straight at Butler.

“I appreciate the offer, but I am Lady Liliana’s bodyguard. Unless Lady Liliana says otherwise, I wish to remain her bodyguard.”

Butler appeared taken aback by Olga’s refusal, momentarily widening his eyes and hesitating. After staring at Olga for a while, who calmly endured the scrutiny, Butler cleared his momentary confusion and asked in a low voice,

“You are quite loyal for a mercenary. To be so devoted to your master.”

“Lady Liliana saved my life.”

Olga casually stated the reason. Butler frowned, unable to imagine a scenario where a nine-year-old duchess had saved the life of an older mercenary. Butler’s questioning gaze turned to Olga, but Olga showed no intention of elaborating. Liliana had no intention of explaining either, but she quickly understood the context of Olga’s words.

Three years ago, during the monster stampede that Liliana, Olga, and Gild encountered, Liliana had used holy magic to cleanse the surrounding area. Without her intervention, both Olga and Gild would have undoubtedly succumbed to their injuries and the miasma from the monsters. Although both were aware of Liliana’s solo suppression of the monster stampede, they had remained silent about it, likely feeling a deep sense of gratitude. 

Butler, unaware of this, seemed to interpret Olga’s statement as some kind of metaphor. He snorted in disbelief but did not pursue the matter further.

“I see. In that case, there is nothing more to be done. I shall withdraw for now.”

The ominous words made Liliana’s eyebrows twitch. The phrase “for now” implied that Butler intended to continue his attempts at recruitment.

〈I hope you will respect our wishes〉

Liliana subtly warned against pushing further. Butler briefly displayed a smirk but quickly returned to a neutral expression and bowed. It seemed the discussion was concluded. Liliana left the room with Olga.

As they walked back to their quarters, Liliana replayed the conversation in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that her responses to Butler had been poor, causing her to frown slightly.

Butler was aware that Olga’s employer was not Duke Clark but Liliana. This indicated that he had a very competent source of information, even outside his homeland. This made it unlikely that he had misjudged Liliana as a mere young lady. His condescending and mocking demeanor had likely been an act.

It seemed that Liliana had lost her composure due to the unexpected proposal to recruit Olga. Butler was likely assessing how she would react to provocation, determining if she could be easily manipulated or if she would respond with composure. There is a saying that one can quickly gauge a person’s character by provoking them. Butler’s attitude might have been part of a strategy to assess whether Liliana would be suitable as Riley’s fiancée or to determine effective tactics for such a match.

Liliana sighed.

(The real challenge is not the prince, but Dolmil Butler.)

As a man serving as the Vice Minister of the Yunatian Empire at such a young age, Butler lived up to Obsidian’s warning. Although it was too late now, Liliana resolved to remain vigilant until their return from their travels.

*****

The final part of Prince Roland's itinerary during his tour of the Kingdom of Slibegrad was an inspection. After departing from the royal capital, the group would visit other territories, but their ultimate destination was the dyeing district in Duke Clark's domain. Thanks to Riley's efforts, the inspection party now included not only the prince and Riley, but also Liliana and Princess Edith. Due to the princess's sudden addition, the number of guards had significantly increased. However, simply adding more guards for the princess did not solve the logistical issues. The real problem was that the accommodations and meals for the stay couldn't be prepared in time. As a result, the number of guards assigned to Liliana, who had the lowest priority among the four, was reduced.

Inside the carriage, Liliana found herself alone with Riley, who first explained this to her. He furrowed his brows apologetically and bowed his head to her.

“I’m truly sorry. Please understand, it's not my intention to treat you with disrespect.”

"I understand completely, so please raise your head. The Crown Prince should not apologize so easily."

“But it’s just the two of us here, Sasha. I know how I’m expected to behave publicly, but with those I’m close to, I want to be sincere.”

Riley expressed his desire to apologize when he felt at fault. Liliana smiled wryly and shook her head.

"In that case, there's even less need for an apology. I am not upset in the least."

“You’re too kind.”

Riley relaxed his shoulders and gave a soft, resigned smile. Liliana responded with a gentle, ambiguous smile of her own. To her, having fewer guards was not a problem. In fact, she thought it might even be easier to protect herself without them.

Moreover, Liliana had been tasked by Duke Ealdred with protecting Riley. For Liliana, who had never been asked for help or thanked warmly by others, this “mission” to protect Riley brought a strange, heartwarming sensation.

If she prioritized keeping her promise to the Duke, she knew Riley wouldn’t lose his life as long as she stayed close, even without guards. According to the game scenario from her previous life, if the heroine chose Riley's route, Liliana would be killed by him. Yet, despite this, there was something oddly exhilarating about helping someone who might one day take her life.

Hiding all such thoughts behind a smile, Liliana responded calmly.

"You’ve allowed me to bring two of my guards with me, haven’t you? That will be more than enough."

“—Well, it’s true that having Olga around does give a lot of peace of mind.”

Riley nodded, seeming to understand.

He had witnessed Olga’s skill firsthand during the Magic Swordsmanship Division of the Martial Arts Tournament. Riley had been amazed at how Olga held her own against Danhill Calvert, the captain of the second guard unit. Though Riley hadn’t said it aloud, he had likely suspected that Olga’s magic was different from the kind they were familiar with. However, he didn’t seem to realize that Olga had deliberately let Danhill win. With a serious expression, Riley turned his gaze to Liliana.

“Still, I worry about you. So, please stay as close to me as possible.”

With enough guards assigned to Riley, Liliana would naturally be protected by staying near him. This was likely also a way to keep Princess Edith, who was expected to act as his fiancée during the inspection, in check. But Riley’s desire to keep Liliana safe seemed genuine. Liliana offered a soft smile in response.

"I will do my best."

She never outright agreed. After all, her reason for staying close to Riley was not for her own protection, but to ensure his life wasn’t taken. For her own safety, Liliana needed no one else. In fact, it would be easier to use magic if she wasn’t in the public eye.

Even with her vague answer, Riley seemed satisfied. He relaxed and smiled warmly.

“Thank you.”

Riley’s voice was filled with gratitude as he reached out and took Liliana’s hand. Liliana did not pull away, instead deepening her smile. At the same time, however, she quietly used magic to survey the surroundings without Riley noticing.

—-

ToC

Chapter 127