Chapter 8

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Chapter 3. The Villainess Revives (6)

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Edelaine didn't answer right away. Instead, she glanced around her surroundings.

Curious eyes sparkled brightly. Even those who'd deliberately turned away had their ears perked up wide open. No one seemed inclined to help or intervene.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Kuh... You know who I am if I tell you?"

A snickering laugh followed.

A wave of foul breath laced with booze hit her. His flushed cheeks and glassy eyes made it clear he wasn't in his right mind. Then again, no sober person would fail to read the room and butt in like this.

Edelaine reflected a little.

She'd only wanted some space from her family's watchful eyes, sensing she was being monitored and choosing to linger alone.

"You seem drunk."

"I'm fine! Totally fine!"

"Drunks always think they're fine."

"A con artist preaching now, huh."

This was a church event—no alcohol should have been served. Edelaine flicked her gaze to the canteen gripped tightly in the man's hand.

'Young alcoholics are a problem in every world.'

The small flask, barely bigger than a palm, no doubt held booze instead of water. Following her eyes to his own grip, the man sneered roughly.

"What, want a sip? Gotta be nervous pulling scams with just a pretty face to rely on."

"......"

"Dragging in some lookalike to spout nonsense. Thinks people'll buy it just 'cause she says so, damn Blancard."

It clicked.

'Inferiority eats people alive.'

Edelaine realized the red-faced man was about Shane's age. Sober, he might even pass for handsome, but her standards had skyrocketed from all the protagonists' beauty, making it hard to tell. Probably good-looking, whatever.

"Excuse me, but I've never conned anyone."

At least not him.

Edelaine, who'd scammed the world itself five years ago, chuckled inwardly.

"You're Edelaine Bertrand, right?"

"Well, yes, I am."

"Then that's the scam! Parroting a dead woman's name already!"

"Ah, so you're asking me to prove I'm Edelaine Bertrand?"

"Yeah! If you're not a fraud!"

"My family, who came with me today, couldn't vouch for it either?"

"Hmph, obviously in cahoots. Make some sense, at least. Dead people don't come back. Unless you're God's apostle or something, why would you be the exception?!"

"That's a fair point."

"What?"

Staring straight at the wide-eyed man, Edelaine elaborated.

"Oh, I've never died. The article probably said I was in a coma right on the brink of death. Anyone who can read would know that, unless they're illiterate, right?"

"Five years in a coma? That's a corpse!"

"True, true..."

"What?"

"You're right. But what can we do? Duke Blancard and the Saintess insist I'm Edelaine Bertrand."

She gazed at him with feigned regret.

'The conspiracy theorist I thought frozen solid turns out to be a drunken fool...'

If only he were a bit more cautious and sharp—he could've been useful. What a shame.

Edelaine let go of the thought and decided to brush him off quickly. Before her family returned and caused more of a scene.

"So just admit you're a con artist yourself!"

"Huh? Even without intent to scam?"

"You're fooling people—what intent?!"

"Oh dear. I can't prove I'm myself... But yeah, it'd look suspicious. Any rational person would think so. So what now..."

The man frowned in confusion.

Why was this supposed fraud so calm about insisting she was Edelaine Bertrand?

Almost like she wanted to be called a con artist...

"So you're thinking: this woman without proof of identity is fake."

"Uh, well..."

"Duke Blancard and Saintess Genevieve claiming she's Edelaine Bertrand are the real frauds. As for Crown Prince Edwin, well, unfortunate victim who got duped."

"Wh-what? Hold on, I never—"

He'd thought it, sure, but hearing his inner suspicions voiced aloud sent chills down his spine. Had he really harbored such sinister ideas?!

His alcohol-fogged brain cleared in an instant.

"The entire Bertrand family, blind idiots with eyes in the backs of their heads, fell for the scam."

"Gasp..."

Edelaine beamed as she said it.

"Right?"

The onlookers had stopped pretending otherwise and watched with rapt interest.

Too many witnesses to deny now.

If he stayed silent, it'd look like he was branding Duke Blancard and the Saintess as frauds. His face beet-red, the man bellowed.

"When did I say that?! I said you're the fraud!"

"Same difference."

"No, it's not!"

He scanned the crowd, but no one met his eyes. This wasn't right.

Edelaine watched him finally grasp his predicament with smug satisfaction. If he got scared and bolted now, perfect.

Watching his face twist in dismay melted away the stress she'd built up over days.

Lloyd called deliberately baiting trouble a nasty hobby.

'But responding to fights that come knocking is healthy sport, isn't it?'

And venting stress through sports? Perfectly wholesome.

Until five years ago, Edelaine had faced daily provocations as routine.

Shane was a protagonist who drew eyes for better or worse, inevitably making those around him envy targets too.

Even when she was trying hardest to distance herself from him, it was the same. Being the male lead's fiancée was no way to live, she'd thought.

She wasn't one to just take it lying down—that clashed with her nature—and she'd learned passivity only invited more contempt. So she'd started handling it with moderate enjoyment.

She was about to give him an out to flee when, seeing her smile brightly, the man exploded.

"You little vixen! How dare you toy with me?!"

His cheeks twitching, he raised his hand high.

Edelaine hesitated briefly.

Taking the slap and using it as an excuse to retreat sounded good.

At least buy time to delay the looming marriage right in front of her.

'A bastard who hits women easily deserves a ruined life.'

One slap for a lifetime? Bargain.

Having crunched the numbers, Edelaine closed her eyes to accept it meekly—when someone wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

Genevieve? Fine. Patrick or Jeff? Man was done for. Edwin wasn't the hugging type anyway. But a bad premonition prickled her nape.

No way.

A thud echoed as the man tumbled pitifully to the ground.

The one who'd pulled Edelaine close while kicking the man's gut with a long leg was Shane.

"Ack, mmpf."

She tried to scream, but the arm around her shoulder seamlessly clamped over her mouth. Damn it. Like he'd anticipated her escape attempt—fluid combo move.

That he read her so well irked her more.

She twisted desperately, but trapped in Shane's hold, she couldn't budge.

"Sha..."

"What the hell do you think you're doing."

His voice was chilling enough to freeze her spine solid.