The Villainous Lady Doesn't Speak chapter 255

Chapter 255​. The Town of Senf (3)

​The day after arriving in Senf, after having breakfast with Riley and Clyde, Liliana set out into town. Walking through a town was a first in Liliana’s life. Clyde, who had been invited by Riley, had rounded his eyes in surprise for a moment, but after a bit of thought, he had readily agreed.

​However, it seemed he wanted to go their separate ways partway through. Apparently, there was another place he wanted to inspect. Liliana didn't know what exactly Clyde wanted to inspect, but Riley seemed to have an idea. Hearing that, Riley laughed happily and nodded.

​"Then we can act together at first. We’ll split up after that and meet at the Senf Temple around noon."

​"As you wish." Clyde nodded at Riley’s words.

​Once breakfast was finished and preparations for going out were complete, Liliana left her room and headed for the entrance.

​The inn they were staying at was for the exclusive use of royalty and nobility, and it seemed it had originally been a manor used by some noble as a summer retreat. Generally, during inspections, one would stay at the lord's residence, but Senf was governed by the temple. While the Senf Temple had facilities for lodging, some people apparently thought it wouldn't do to have the Crown Prince stay at a temple with a poor relationship with the central authority, so this inn, which allowed them to rent the entire manor, had been chosen.

​The grounds of the manor were vast, and each room was large. A large number of guards could stay there without issue, and the facilities were refined enough for the Crown Prince to stay.

​The room Liliana stayed in consisted of three rooms, and the furnishings were carefully selected high-end items. From what she heard, Riley’s room had five rooms. Liliana had let out an internal sigh of relief after confirming that Riley, being the Crown Prince, was using a higher-grade room.

​When she arrived at the entrance, Clyde was already there. Perhaps because they were walking through town, he was wearing simpler clothes than usual. However, his dignity was not hidden in the least. Furthermore, the glasses he had started wearing at some point highlighted his intellectual aura and made his presence as a noble son even more prominent.

​Clyde turned his face toward Liliana as she descended the stairs, narrowing his eyes slightly. As his sister approached, Clyde spoke in a low voice.

​"—I am relieved to see you haven't changed."

​"It's good to see you are well too, Brother."

​Liliana responded cheerfully to Clyde’s words.

​The two rarely met. Immediately after their father's death, Clyde had frequently visited Liliana’s residence, but perhaps because his duties became busier, his visits gradually dwindled. Even after that, when they did meet, Riley or Austin were usually beside them, or it was some kind of event. Even when they had a chance to meet alone, Clyde was short with his words and seemed reluctant to involve himself with Liliana.

​Compared to immediately after their father's death, the change was so drastic that Liliana had been surprised at first. But at the same time, she was also relieved.

​If she thought about it, Clyde in the game also kept his distance from his sister. Realizing that, and also wanting to hide the fact that she had regained her voice and could use teleportation magic, Liliana had deliberately avoided involving herself with Clyde.

​As a result, the time until Riley and the others arrived was terribly awkward. She didn't even know what she should talk about, and in the first place, Liliana didn't know what Clyde was thinking. She had a vague inkling that the gaze directed at her was becoming sterner year by year. But since she didn't know the cause either, there was nothing Liliana could do. All she could do was wait for Riley’s arrival, hoping the time spent alone with Clyde—who seemed to harbor a dislike for his sister (Liliana) just like in the game—would end quickly.

​"—Liliana."

​However, contrary to Liliana’s wish, Clyde called her name. Clyde, who used to call her by the nickname "Lily," had at some point started calling her by her full name. Thinking that it was likely an expression of the emotional distance between them, Liliana quietly turned her gaze toward her brother.

​"What is it?"

​"Where do you plan to go today?"

​Liliana blinked, tilting her head slightly. "I am leaving that to His Highness."

​"I see."

​Clyde lowered his eyes slightly, whatever he was thinking. Liliana watched his handsome profile, but she couldn't grasp her brother's inner thoughts.

​Liliana remained silent, but suddenly knitted her brows. To her, Clyde’s profile looked terribly exhausted.

​"Are you tired, Brother?"

​It was a mere whim that made her say those words. Perhaps she had been influenced by Riley, who had been constantly worrying about Liliana’s health from the moment they left the capital until they arrived in Senf. At the very least, the Liliana of the past would not have spoken such words to Clyde.

​Even if she had noticed his poor complexion, she would have feigned ignorance for the sake of reducing their involvement.

​As expected, Clyde hadn't expected Liliana to worry about him, and he snapped his head up to stare intently at his sister's face. Liliana was a bit surprised by the intensity of that gaze, but without letting such an emotion show on the surface at all, she continued her words cheerfully.

​"You look a bit pale to me."

​"Ah—no. It's fine. More importantly—that is,"

​Clyde, who usually spun words fluently, was unusually hesitant. Liliana was internally rounding her eyes at this rare situation. But on the surface, she remained completely composed. As she quietly waited for the rest of her brother's words, Clyde let out a small sigh and faced Liliana again.

​"I received a report that you had fallen ill. Are you alright now?"

​Likely, Clyde was referring to the time she had been bedridden due to her increased mana. Guessing that, Liliana answered cheerfully.

​"Yes, thank you for your concern. I am fine now."

​"I see. His Highness seemed terribly worried."

​At Clyde’s words, Liliana felt a headache coming on. She had said it was no big deal, but it seemed Riley had even mentioned her poor health to Clyde.

​One's health status, if known by an enemy, could provide an opening to be exploited. She was exasperated that he would leak a weakness so carelessly, but at the same time, she understood it was unavoidable.

​Liliana was the only one wary of Clyde as a "possible enemy." Of course, she still considered all the capture targets, including Riley, as targets of caution, but others had no way of knowing that.

​Rather, from an outsider's perspective, Clyde was Liliana’s guardian, supervisor, and almost her only reliable sibling. Her father was dead, her mother was in 'confinement' under the guise of recuperation in a corner of the territory, and her grandmother had retired from the front lines to live in seclusion since losing her husband. In that context, it wouldn't be strange to report to Clyde that Liliana had fallen ill. On the contrary, the fact that Liliana hadn't contacted Clyde was something that should be taken more seriously.

​Of course, Liliana felt that the bout of poor health wasn't worth making such a fuss over. If she hadn't been scheduled to meet Riley the day after she fell ill, she wouldn't have told him either.

​"His Highness seems to have a tendency to worry a bit too much."

​"————Is that so?"

​At Liliana’s words, Clyde knitted his brows. He didn't seem to quite get it. Curving his lips slightly, Clyde glanced at Liliana. Liliana tilted her head, but Clyde said nothing more.

​However, before it could get awkward this time, the presence of people approached. When she turned her face toward them, Riley, followed by the Royal Guard, was descending the stairs.

​When Riley reached them, he broke into a happy grin. Then, staring intently at Liliana’s clothes, he said playfully, "Sasha, you look cute in those clothes too."

​Liliana was wearing clothes that were easy to walk around town in, but Riley was also dressed in simple attire. However, because of his carriage, he looked like high-ranking nobility no matter how much one might try to be biased.

​"They suit you well too, Your Highness."

​"Thank you."

​Perhaps happy with Liliana’s words, spoken with a smile, Riley broke into a smile from the bottom of his heart. Beside him, Clyde had an uncomfortable expression, but Austin and the other Royal Guards behind Riley were used to it. Especially the compliments Riley whispered to Liliana—they had heard them so often they were tired of it.

​Once everyone was gathered, the party went outside the inn. The manor Liliana and the others were staying in was in a very convenient location, close enough to reach the central district without even needing a carriage. Because they were accompanied by guards, it was a large group, but Liliana and the others walked from the inn to the main street leading to the Senf Temple.

​Even when she was in the carriage, she had been captivated by the unusual scenery, but on foot, she noticed even smaller discoveries than when she was in the carriage. Liliana, escorted by Riley, gazed around with curiosity. Because of that, the party's progress was slow. But no one complained; on the contrary, Riley watched Liliana walking beside him with kind eyes.

​"Did you find something interesting?"

​Whenever Liliana’s pace slowed even slightly, it seemed Riley noticed. At that time, too, Riley asked softly while letting his gaze wander, trying to find what had caught Liliana’s attention. And before Liliana could respond, Riley realized what had caught her eye. At the end of their gazes was the sign of a magic tool shop located slightly off the main street. Despite it being a very small sign in the darkness, Riley couldn't hide a wry smile at Liliana, who had found it so easily.

​"Ah—as expected, you're quite sharp when it comes to magic."

​"Ah, no—it's fine, please don't mind me."

​Blushing with embarrassment, Liliana hurriedly tried to move forward. However, regardless of Liliana, Riley had stopped in his tracks. He turned back and called out to Clyde, who was following behind Riley and Liliana.

​"Clyde, what time is it?"

​"I believe we have time to stop by a few shops."

​Riley’s question was very short, but Clyde returned the desired answer easily. At that answer, Riley gave a bright smile and turned his gaze back to Liliana.

​"He says so. It's a narrow alley, so we’ll have to bring a few Royal Guards, but what do you think? We can stop by for a bit."

​Liliana blinked in surprise. It would be a lie to say she wasn't intrigued by the magic tool shop. But Riley and Clyde were with her now, and they were scheduled to head to the Senf Temple after this. She hadn't thought they would stop by a magic tool shop, which was nothing more than a hobby.

​Seeing Liliana standing there speechless, her eyes wide for once, Riley’s smile deepened. He glanced at the Royal Guard and gave a short command. "Check it."

​"As you wish."

​One of the Royal Guards gave a short nod and hurried away with another. The two were heading toward the magic tool shop Liliana had found. Likely, they would check for any danger inside or around the shop before Liliana and the others stopped by.

​After a short while, the Royal Guard returned and reported that it was safe in a low voice.

​"There you have it. Good for you, Sasha. Shall we go?"

​Told by Riley, Liliana gave a small nod. In such cases, Riley decided to only bring the Royal Guard. There were other guard knights stationed, but the Royal Guard were easier to rely on, not just for their ability but also for their trustworthiness.

​Clyde, who had been watching Riley and the others silently, spoke up just as Riley was about to take a step. "Your Highness."

​"What is it?"

​"—May I accompany you?"

​He hesitated for a moment, but Clyde asked in a low voice. Riley blinked in surprise for a moment but immediately gave a smile and readily agreed.

​"Of course."

​"Thank you very much."

​Clyde gave a brief thanks and joined them with two guards. With the Royal Guard for Riley, Olga for Liliana, and the Ducal guard for Clyde, it would be a bit cramped in a back alley.

​(Normally, Olga and Gild would be enough, wouldn't they?)

​And Liliana was there too. Olga was a magic swordsman, and Gild was a person with a body immune to magic and an excellent mercenary. And Liliana was an excellent mage. These three should have enough combat power that they wouldn't need any other guards, but she couldn't exactly say that.

​(However, it would be dangerous if such a large number of people got into a chaotic fight in a narrow back alley.)

​If they made a mistake, they might end up hitting each other.

​While Liliana was thinking about the current situation calmly, she was internally giddy about being able to stop by the magic tool shop. That's why, when the door to the magic tool shop opened and she was momentarily separated from Riley, she was truly surprised when Clyde spoke to her.

​"Did you... like magic?"

​When she looked up, she saw Clyde with a complex expression. He was looking at Liliana with eyes that seemed to want to say something. Caught in a bind as to how to respond, Riley turned back to Liliana.

​"Sasha, we can go in."

​"Ah, yes—"

​Coming to her senses, Liliana hurried to Riley. Clyde watched her back with an expression mixed with a certain poignancy.

​—-

Toc