BJ Villainess Chapter 340

Euges unconsciously raised one eyebrow. How did she know? The princess I knew wasn’t this perceptive.

 

That must be why, oblivious to her own position, she looked at him with those enchanted eyes at the banquet and hoped to dance with him. Euges shrugged as if he didn’t understand.

 

“Well, did I dislike Princess? I guess I was just flustered because I suddenly found myself with an unexpected wife. Looks like you misunderstood.”

 

She responded in a tone that clearly didn’t believe him. “I see. I misunderstood.”

 

The way she answered, as if doing him a favor, was infuriating. At the same time, her sullen expression, clearly hiding her disappointment, struck him as rather cute.

 

Is that why he married her? Because she was cute? Euges chuckled at the absurdity of his own thought. Come to think of it, he was quite curious. Why had he decided to marry her? She must have some charm beyond her pretty face, but he still didn’t know what it was.

 

I was originally planning to suggest a clean divorce since things turned out this way. But he changed his mind.

 

“Would you like to revisit the places we used to go together, as the palace doctor suggested?”

 

Should he keep her by his side until he figured out the reason he chose to marry her?

 

* * *

Euges looked around with a displeased gaze. “This is really where I used to come often with Princess?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Their first date wasn’t at a racetrack, theater, or garden. The place Theresa brought him to was the imperial library.

 

“Is there anything special to see here?”

 

“There’s a lot!”

 

At his skeptical question, Theresa’s eyes sparkled. As if revealing a great treasure, she went to a corner and brought back a wooden box.

 

“Look at this.”

 

It was full of old, tattered papers. What was he supposed to look at?

 

“These are all ancient magic circles.”

 

By experience, he never got along with people who went crazy over anything labeled ‘ancient.’ Usually, they were eccentric fanatics obsessed with obscure things.

 

Euges suddenly recalled what family Theresa came from. The Squire bloodline was always obsessed with magic. Apparently, she was no exception.

 

I recall hearing that she was in danger of being expelled from Valhalla due to poor grades. But upon checking, Theresa had actually graduated top of her class and was currently regarded as the greatest wizard in history. Experts said she alone had elevated the Empire’s magical standards dramatically. Recently, she had also been regularly unveiling new magic at the Wizard Association.

 

“I didn’t know I was interested in things like this.”

 

“Your Majesty wasn’t.”

 

What kind of answer was that?

 

“Then why did we come here?”

 

“Because I spent a lot of time in the library, so you naturally ended up spending time here too.” She even showed him her usual seat. “You used to sit here—sometimes bothering me, sometimes reading, and sometimes handling urgent matters…”

 

Euges stared at Theresa, who was gently stroking the table as if reminiscing. Why did he feel so unpleasant? He tilted his head and interrupted her thoughts. “Nothing comes to mind in this place. Let’s go somewhere else.”

 

“…Ah, yes.”

 

Theresa nodded, looking slightly disappointed again. But she quickly gathered herself and cheerfully guided him to the next place.

 

“This is my personal room.”

 

He could tell even before she explained. It wasn’t because he remembered but because the subtle scent in the room was the same one that lingered on Theresa. In the Sun Palace, no one was allowed to wear perfume. So, when a unique scent was present, it was easy to notice.

 

“How strange.”

 

Euges, with his heightened senses, despised scents—whether floral or earthy, anything strongly aromatic would overwhelm his nerves. But for some reason, this one didn’t bother him at all. He even found it… pleasant.

 

“What scent is this?”

 

“Scent?” Theresa pointed toward the large window as if something occurred to her. “I’m drying magical plants over there. I think it’s from them.”

 

Euges walked over with her to where the dried magical herbs were piled up. Ridiculous. Who would think this was the empress’s room? Anyone else would mistake it for a healer’s or botanist’s study. The more I get to know her, the stranger she becomes.

 

“The scent is nice.”

 

Theresa held out a plant with tiny white flowers. “Your Majesty liked the smell of this flower best.”

 

“I did?”

 

It was his first time seeing it. But he could understand why he liked it.

 

“It smells like Princess.”

 

“Really?”

 

Theresa sniffed her sleeve as if she hadn’t realized. It was against etiquette, but he didn’t feel like scolding her.

 

“I probably use it a lot because it blends well with other plants.”

 

She always had a reason for everything she said. That, too, was a trait of people he typically disliked.

 

“What did I do with you in here?”

 

“In here?” Theresa, who usually answered everything promptly, hesitated for the first time. “Here… we drank tea.”

 

That couldn’t be all. But Euges didn’t bother to ask if that was really it.

 

Hmm. He felt quite irritated. “There’s no gain in this. It must not be the day for it. I’ll return for now.” Losing interest in what felt like a childish date, Euges turned to head back alone.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

It was a strange question.

 

“The matter’s settled, so I’m returning to my quarters. Is there a problem?”

 

“That…” Theresa opened her mouth several times, then changed the topic as if it was nothing. “I just wanted to say I’ll be nearby, so please call me anytime.”

 

That was a lie. His perceptive eyes told him so.

 

“Take care, Your Majesty.”

 

“Rest well.” Euges gave a half-hearted wave and walked away.

 

Step, step. As he crossed the Sun Palace, he found himself wondering what Theresa had really meant to say at the end. She had looked just like a puppy told to wait.

 

When he reached the bedroom, he realized what she’d wanted to say. “We used to share this room, did we?”

 

The room where she dried her magical plants had just been her hobby room. This was where they had lived together. Why hadn’t he realized it until now?

 

The room was filled with unfamiliar items. And none of them included alcohol or cigarettes.

 

“Bein.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“Am I currently abstaining from smoking?”

 

“Yes. Since last month, Your Majesty has not touched alcohol or cigarettes.”

 

Euges scoffed. “What a romantic fool I’ve become.”

 

Chamberlain Bein added, as if defending his master’s past decision, “Her Majesty is also abstaining. I’ve heard the two of you made a bet about it.”

 

“A bet?”

 

Now, that was interesting.

 

“What did I bet on?” Euges walked to the window, the spot where he always used to smoke and asked. There was no ashtray on the sill.

 

“Your Majesty wanted Her Majesty to reduce her academic conference schedule by half.”

 

“That was the reward I’d receive?”

 

“Yes. She’s been attending weekly, so that was the condition, as I understand it.”

 

“Why would that be a reward for me?”

 

“Most likely because of the president of the Wizard Association. Since this year, Duke Damian Kapento has taken that position, and Your Majesty doesn’t have a good relationship with him.”

 

Duke Damian Kapento…

 

“You mean the illegitimate son of Duke Kapento, who was a student at Valhalla?”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

Bein briefly explained that the previous duke had died the year before, and Damian had become the sole heir and successor.

 

“So that happened.”

 

Euges didn’t care who became a duke. What he was curious about was why he and Damian didn’t get along. And as pieces of information started connecting in his mind, one likely reason came to him.

 

…No way. Could it be jealousy over a boy barely out of puberty?

 

The more he learned, the more he thought: If Theresa really had a hold on him, maybe he was the fool who couldn’t resist her.