BJ Villainess Chapter 307

The tension between them was palpable. Luin had no intention of offering up the planet. At the same time, Frea considered her mother’s decision to be nothing more than stubbornness.

 

“There are other planets where people can live, not just here,” Frea said, already having found a planet suitable for relocation. “Let’s move there. I can now build a city. I’ll use all of my holy power to recreate Ananuka exactly as it is now.”

 

Luin refused. “You want me to push our people to a place where half the continent is desert and dangerous beasts run rampant? You expect me to make such a decision?”

 

“Yes, because it’s better than facing extinction.”

 

While it was indeed better than extinction, Luin believed there were other options besides abandoning the planet where they had lived their entire lives.

 

“Isn’t this whole issue because you’re a candidate for empress, and our family is being scrutinized by other houses?”

 

“…”

 

“I’ve heard that there’s talk about Ananuka trying to establish a new emperor from their ranks. People are saying our ambitions know no bounds. I’ve also heard that it’s damaging your reputation. Are we becoming an obstacle?”

 

Frea felt as though her concern about extinction had been misunderstood, and she blamed Luin. “How can you say that to me?”

 

“If our refusal to move is a major obstacle to you becoming empress, just be honest. We’ll find another solution…”

 

As Luin pressed her, she began coughing. It was a symptom of a chronic illness, so Frea, without much worry, murmured with a hurt expression, “I’m doing my best to save everyone, but you’re always like this, Mother.”

 

At that moment, Clyde, who had been quietly tending to Luin and staying out of the argument, intervened, coldly dismissing Frea. “The head of the family is not in good health, so you should leave now, Lady Frea.”

 

For the first time, Frea, who had treated Clyde as invisible from the start, glared at him furiously. “Who are you, a stranger with no known origin, to interfere in family matters?”

 

Whenever Frea spoke in such a way, vehemently denying his existence, Clyde felt a strange barrier, as if he might be expelled from this world at any moment. Although Frea was a powerful saintess, it was odd that she could evoke such a feeling. Still, it feels like the pressure is less today than usual.

 

Meanwhile, Luin, who had managed to calm her coughing with the holy power-infused water Clyde had given her, raised a weary hand. “Don’t be rude to Clyde, Frea. He is undoubtedly a member of our family.”

 

Frea bit her lip, clearly unable to accept this, and spoke in a suppressed voice, “Ever since that boy appeared, you’ve been especially cold to me.”

 

“Well, that’s a rather simplistic way of thinking. The reason I see you differently now is because you exiled Gufel.”

 

“…Gufel wanted it.”

 

“If you were the daughter I knew, you would have vehemently opposed her going out to the desert.”

 

At those words, Frea finally broke down in tears. “Do you think I wanted it to be this way? Why can’t you understand how I feel?”

 

Clyde then bowed respectfully to Luin. “I’ll summon the doctor on my way out. Please rest well today. I’ll return another time.”

 

“Yes… that would be best.”

 

Clyde then forcefully led Frea out. Rather than resist, she wept bitterly as they walked into the hallway. He then issued a stern warning. “Don’t come by unannounced and harass the head of the family anymore. Until now, I’ve tolerated it because you’re an elder of the family, but I won’t overlook it any longer.”

 

Frea, unable to bear it, cried out in frustration and anger, “Who are you to come into my world and ruin everything?”

 

Clyde often felt a strange sense of unease in Frea’s words and actions, and this was one of those moments.

 

‘My world,’ she said. It didn’t seem like the arrogance of a future empress; there was a different nuance to it. It was as if she were speaking as if she were a creator. But it seemed that only he could sense this oddness.

 

“What exactly have I ruined? Your attempt to sell off Ananuka?”

 

Frea sneered viciously, showing a level of malice that was hard to reconcile with her usually gentle and fragile nature. “At this rate, the Ananuka family will be destroyed before they can even sell it off, Clyde. I’ll be safe since I’m a saintess capable of building a city, but you’ll be stripped of your knighthood and executed.”

 

“So, what exactly are you trying to say?”

 

Frea bit her lip hard and stared off into space. “…It’s difficult to explain.”

 

It didn’t feel like she was avoiding his gaze to dodge the question. She seemed to be looking at something very specific.

 

Observing her, Clyde impulsively offered some advice. “You should control your gaze.”

 

“…What?”

 

“If I’m feeling uneasy about it, the emperor will surely notice too.”

 

Frea blinked in confusion, clearly startled.

 

“I have to attend to my duties, so I’ll be going now.”

 

With that, Clyde left Frea and went downstairs. The vassals, unlike before, did not cling to him. They only gave him sympathetic looks, guessing that the atmosphere was sour due to Frea’s presence upstairs.

 

Clyde called for a servant and instructed them to send the doctor to the head of the family’s room before heading outside to open a portal. He had planned to stay on the Ananuka planet for a while, but now he was heading home after just two hours.

 

“It worked out rather well.”

 

It wasn’t a good idea to leave the house for too long when there was a prisoner at home. Since things had turned out this way, he decided he would keep a close eye on Theresa as he entered the mansion.

 

“Master.” Motie, who had been anxiously pacing the entrance as if waiting for him, hurried over. “I have something to report regarding Lady Theresa.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Lady Theresa requested alcohol, so I gave her as much as she wanted. She’s currently very drunk. There’s no other issue, but she’s already drunk ten bottles of strong liquor.”

 

“…I’ll check on her myself, so don’t give her anymore and wait outside.”

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

The news that a prisoner was getting drunk on strong liquor in her place of confinement was truly astonishing. It was so ridiculous that the unpleasant feeling from dealing with Frea had completely vanished.

 

Clyde didn’t barge in but wasn’t gentlemanly enough to politely knock on the door of a drunk. Knock, knock, knock! “Open the door.”

 

All he heard from inside was a groan, with no response.

 

“If you don’t open the door by the count of three, I’ll open it myself. Three, two, one.”

 

As soon as he opened the door, the smell of alcohol hit him. Theresa was sprawled on the stone floor, leaning against the bed, drinking straight from a bottle.

 

“Stop drinking.” Clyde snatched the bottle from her hand.

 

“Ah.”

 

Theresa followed the bottle with her hazy eyes, then leaned her head against the bed as if she didn’t care anymore. Her gaze slowly shifted from the bottle up to Clyde’s face, far above her.

 

“Clyde.”

 

She called his name warmly, smiling as if she had found something delightful, her face flushed. Her fair face with peach-colored cheeks and heavy, half-lidded eyes made her look excessively defenseless.

 

“Come here.”

 

The woman, like a docile herbivore, patted the spot next to her. Clyde sighed and sat down beside her.

 

“I must have drunk too much because the alcohol tastes good. I feel a little dizzy.”

 

From the way her head was spinning, it seemed more than just a little.

 

“If you throw up, I’ll lock you in this room forever.”

 

“You b*stard…”

 

“What?”

 

“I’ll be careful.” Theresa sighed heavily, patted Clyde’s shoulder, and rested her head on it. “I’ve suffered a lot because of you, so let me borrow your shoulder for a moment.”

 

Clyde stiffened at the sudden contact.

 

“…Get off.”

 

“Don’t be like that. Just let me borrow it for a bit. We can at least do this, considering our relationship.”

 

“And what relationship is that?”

 

“Like… friends? Alright. What’s our relationship?”

 

“I asked you.”

 

Theresa frowned deeply, staring intently at Clyde.

 

Her eyes are hazy. She’s definitely drunk. That’s why she was getting so close that he could feel her breath.

 

Clyde, uncomfortable with the proximity, pushed her face away. “You smell like alcohol. Move your face.”

 

Theresa obediently murmured, “Sorry…” and curled up, hugging her knees.

 

If she was going to be shameless, she should be thoroughly shameless. If she was going to be meek, she should stay meek. Why was she suddenly acting pitiful, evoking sympathy? Everything Theresa did irritated Clyde.

 

Theresa crouched down muttered absentmindedly. “You know, I feel like there’s a gaping hole in my chest.”

 

Her voice was so dry and lifeless that Clyde frowned. His heart strangely ached.

 

Theresa suddenly let out a hollow laugh. “I feel like I’ve lost everything. Do you know what that feels like?”

 

The sadness in her voice grated on him. It made him feel extremely uncomfortable, and his heart pounded with anxiety. He didn’t want to hear it. For some reason, he didn’t want to know the source of her sadness. It was an instinctual feeling.

 

“I don’t know. And I don’t want to know, so go lie down in bed.”