The Villainous Lady Doesn't Speak Chapter 141

Revenge and Counterattack 3

――I wasn’t able to protect Mother.

Clyde’s mind went blank. He knew only that his magic had been nullified, but his vision was obscured, and he couldn’t see if his mother was safe. Nonetheless, Duke Clark’s attack was ruthless enough to claim Belinda’s life.

Gradually, his vision returned, and what he saw made him doubt his eyes.

“Mother…”

To Clyde’s shock, Belinda, who he had thought dead, was still alive. She sat on the floor, trembling uncontrollably and on the verge of fainting, but she stared intently at Duke Clark, her tears streaming down her face.

Clyde wondered if his father had perhaps held back. With disbelief, he looked at his father, who was frowning in irritation. It seemed Duke Clark had genuinely intended to kill Belinda. Clyde had been convinced that Belinda would be killed, so why was his mother unharmed? At a glance, she seemed to have no injuries.

“Liliana, is it?”

The answer came from an unexpected source. At Duke Clark’s low voice, Clyde was stunned. In response to the name, Liliana appeared in the empty space, dressed in simple indoor wear. She stood protectively in front of Belinda, smiling quietly, her gaze locked directly on Duke Clark.

＊＊＊＊＊

Time rewinds a little. Liliana, who had transferred from the manor near the capital to the Duke’s residence, vanished to search for her target.

(—There’s still time.)

Her mother, who had come from the Fortia estate to the Duke’s residence, was apparently in the Duke’s office. Though no noise reached her, locating her target was Liliana’s specialty. Remaining invisible, she approached the office. She detected three presences inside, but there were no sounds. Liliana deduced that a soundproof barrier had been set up. However, this was no hindrance to her. She used her teleportation magic to enter the room without disturbing the barrier, taking care to remain hidden behind a piece of furniture.

The room was a battlefield. Liliana’s eyes widened slightly. Belinda was glaring fiercely, while Duke Clark looked on with a cold, indifferent expression, seemingly annoyed by his wife’s outburst.

“I know it was you who killed my father-in-law. The second child died because of you too. You killed my father and mother without hesitation, just to make Liliana—!”

Clyde stood dazed, making a commendable effort to understand the situation. He questioned his father about the truth, but Duke Clark responded with a look of exasperation, asking, “Is it so important to know whether it’s true or not?”

(Of course it’s important. What on earth is Father talking about?)

Duke Clark, without doubting his own righteousness, criticized Clyde’s lack of understanding. Liliana couldn’t hide her frustration with her father. While the concept of false accusations existed in this world, the tragic nature of such falsehoods was not always fully grasped. Nevertheless, the head of one of the three great ducal families should not have spoken so casually about such matters.

“Claiming it’s for the country, yet what you’re doing is a sin that even the gods would fear, you murderer!”

Until now, Belinda had avoided Abram, looking at her husband with a mix of disgust, contempt, hatred, and fear. But at this moment, she was determined to confront Abram, overcoming her fear and directing all her anger at him.

On the other hand, Abram’s face twisted in rage the moment he heard Belinda’s words. Liliana, frowning, couldn’t immediately understand what had triggered her father’s anger. But as Abram spoke next, Liliana felt the blood drain from her face.

“It would be better to create a hero, a sage, and a magician.”

Liliana realized with shock. It was a forbidden technique. Indeed, there had been those who researched it in the past, but all attempts to construct usable formulas failed, and it was deemed a forbidden technique for infringing on the realm of the gods. Research on it was no longer permitted, and all documents from earlier researchers were burned. Only a few documents remained, stored as forbidden books deep within the royal palace library.

(So, Father intends to create humans.)

That was why Abram was so enraged. Belinda’s words, “a sin that even the gods would fear,” were spot-on. Yet, Abram must see himself as a being on par with the gods. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even think of creating heroes. To be condemned by someone beneath him was an insult that an arrogant duke could not tolerate.

As expected, the duke attempted to kill Belinda with magic. Clyde tried to protect his mother, but his magic was nullified by Abram.

The scene before Liliana was just as she might have imagined from a past game scenario.

(<Dispel>)

Abram’s magic clashed with Liliana’s nullification magic, filling the room with a blinding white light. This was a sign of the immense magical power clashing. Liliana had anticipated that Abram’s magical power would be considerable and that he would be skilled in using it, but she had not expected him to match her in power.

She managed to nullify the attack magic. Confirming that Clyde and Belinda were safe, Liliana exhaled in relief. The events unfolding before her would certainly deviate significantly from the scenario she remembered from the game. If that happened, one of the key pieces of information for predicting the future would be lost. However, Liliana was determined not to remain a mere observer this time.

As the remnants of the magic faded, Liliana’s hope that her presence would remain undetected was quickly betrayed by Duke Clark himself.

“Liliana, is it?”

With a voice full of conviction, Liliana resigned herself. She had intended to keep her ability to use magic a secret from Clyde, but now that Duke Clark had mentioned her name, Clyde would likely believe that Liliana was present. Even if she fought the duke while remaining hidden, Clyde would probably continue to harbor doubts about her. Moreover, her chances of becoming Riley’s fiancée were now almost entirely closed. Since there was no longer any need to hide, Liliana decided there was no need to pretend she couldn’t use magic.

Accepting the situation, Liliana resolved to reveal herself and stand between her mother and father. Sensing Clyde’s astonishment, Liliana smiled and focused her gaze on her father, instinctively feeling that any sign of weakness could result in her death.

“When did you learn to use magic?”

Duke Clark, who had seemed angry just moments before, now asked the question with an air of amusement. Though sensing the discord, Liliana searched for words, unsure how to respond. After some hesitation, she decided not to answer. There was no need to provide more information than necessary.

“And when did you start employing assassins, Father?”

“Lily, your voice—”

Clyde’s eyes widened in surprise, but Liliana didn’t glance at him. Her gaze remained sharply fixed on her father through her smile.

“Could it be that the ‘shadows’ of the duke’s house couldn’t manage to infiltrate the Ealdred estate?”

A silence fell. Both Clyde and Abram were at a loss for words. Liliana’s question seemed to have caught them off guard. Clyde, dazed, muttered, “Could it be... Father?” It seemed that he realized, from Liliana’s question alone, that the death of Duke Ealdred was the work of his father. Meanwhile, Abram, having recovered from his shock, began to laugh lowly with amusement.

“I see, so you’ve seen through it—how did you manage that?”

The duke, who had been sitting behind his desk, stood up and moved around the large table to approach. His entire body still crackled with a bluish flame, ready for attack at any moment.

Liliana tilted her head cutely, deepening her smile and murmuring, “Well then, Father, I must tell you, I am quite angry.”

“Angry?”

Duke Clark raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unexpected answer. Liliana nodded.

Liliana didn’t fully understand the emotion of anger. She was aware that her feelings of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure were notably weaker compared to others. She also had little attachment to people or things. However, if the intense, burning sensation that rose from her core every time she remembered Duke Ealdred’s assassination could be described as anger, then she was indeed feeling it strongly at this moment. Her desire for retribution against the man responsible for Duke Ealdred’s death was powerful enough that she could easily lose control if not careful. Fortunately, a thin layer of calmness covered this anger, allowing her to observe her own actions with a sense of detachment.

The duke, with a smile that suggested he was greatly amused, raised the corners of his mouth.

“That’s good. By harboring anger and sadness, you will only become stronger,”

Liliana frowned. However, she could not afford to be swayed by her father’s rhetoric. To avoid giving Abram an advantage, she needed to unsettle him emotionally. Passion could cloud judgment.

Having neutralized Abram’s previous attack against Belinda, Liliana was not entirely confident that she had the strength to overcome him now. Although her magical power was slightly superior, her technical skills were either on par with or inferior to Abram's. Additionally, they were in the duke’s study, Abram's domain, where she had no knowledge of potential traps. Abram could execute impossible attacks within this space.

Furthermore, Liliana was fighting while protecting Belinda and Clyde. Though Abram had not yet shown an intention to kill Clyde, his nature meant he could decide to eliminate him if necessary. Protecting both while battling a duke of equal or greater strength put Liliana at a severe disadvantage.

Thus, she needed to gain a strategic edge. As she thought quickly, Liliana spoke calmly.

“Your Excellency was a remarkable man. You truly foresaw the future of this country and always thought of us young people. It is unacceptable to lose someone like him due to your personal feelings.”

Realizing whom Liliana was referring to, Abram’s mood darkened immediately. He quickly understood that Liliana was speaking of the late Duke Ealdred. Confident that her words had trapped her enemy, Liliana chose her words with even greater caution.

“Even without you, the duke would have ensured the country’s stability. He was truly a hero, deserving of the title of sage. Father, you are not even close to his level.”

—Not even close.

As Liliana continued, a defensive barrier around her began to glow white. The barrier she had quietly maintained deflected a sudden attack of fire magic from Abram.

“Oh, you’re rather impatient, aren’t you? Such behavior is hardly befitting a hero, don’t you think?” 

Duke Clark’s face reddened with anger at his daughter’s mocking words.

“Hero? That man was insufferable from the start. Despite having no real abilities, he was praised by everyone. Yet he did nothing to protect the country and only isolated himself in his territory like a weakling! Only the previous monarch recognized my power,”

While he spoke, relentless attacks continued to rain down on Liliana without pause. The study itself seemed to be protected by a magic-nullifying spell, preventing significant damage. However, any direct hit would result in severe injury. Fireballs of various sizes and fire pillars assaulted Liliana, some of which could nullify her barrier. The defensive barrier began to weaken. Liliana focused on protecting Belinda, who was more likely to be caught in the attacks than Clyde, who could likely defend himself.

Though Liliana’s strategy to provoke Abram and dull his judgment had some effect, it was not entirely successful. Duke Clark, despite his fury, maintained a calm control over his magic.

Abram continued to cast spells without incantations, and Liliana, while neutralizing each one, began to sense a reason for her unease in her calm moments.

(It seems Father has no intention of killing me.)

Liliana also initially struggled with what to do about her father. Choosing the right path would require capturing him, gathering evidence, and filing a formal lawsuit with the temple. However, there were several problems with doing so. First, there was no telling whether evidence would be found. Even if it were, Father, with his extensive connections and high magical powers, would likely be released on bail or escape without notice. Second, formal charges could bring the Duke of Clark's family to ruin. Even if Liliana herself didn't mind, Clyde, her mother, and her grandmother were still alive. And the biggest problem was whether she could even capture the Duke.

To capture him, she had to be stronger than him. Otherwise, she would be defeated. Clyde might be a valuable asset, but Liliana had no intention of relying on him.

“[Wind Blast], [Scythe Wind]”

Liliana conjured a small gust of wind to consolidate the blue flames into a single sphere and then aimed a wind blade at the duke’s body. Abram, momentarily surprised, easily defended himself from the attack and grinned with satisfaction.

“This magical power—indeed, it’s more than sufficient. As expected, I was not wrong after all,”

From the brief incantations, the precision of the magic, and the attack power, Abram seemed to recognize Liliana’s magical capacity and talent.

“But you are still immature. You will bow before me—my subordinate.”

Abram smirked and began to weave a small incantation. Liliana felt a shiver of dread run through her body.

The unclear yet melodic words were a curse of subjugation—a forbidden magic that should not be used in this era.

—--

ToC

Chapter 142