T/N: Today I’d like to thank my Cookie Donors Wilder and Diana! Thank you so much for the sweets and the kind words ❤
When I’m once again standing in front of the huge doors out in the hallway, I let out a huge sigh of relief. I was finally able to get out of that suffocating room.
Now I would like nothing more than to hurry up and go home and gorge myself on a healthy helping of macarons. So, with that thought forefront in mind, I start walking back through the palace, trying to retrace my steps.
I wonder if I’ll be able to successfully find the way out on my own though? Since I’d been following the maid the whole time when I came in, my memory is a bit hazy. I really hadn’t been paying attention to where I was going…..
…..Did we come down this hallway? It doesn’t look familiar… Hm, and I don’t remember passing by that large vase either…
I glance over at the portraits that hang on the wall hoping they might jog my memory. One depicts a young boy with sky blue hair and deep, ocean blue eyes…. which I’m thinking must be of the king from when he was a young. It seems that back then, his hair was a shade lighter than it is now.
And standing next to that boy in the portrait is a kind looking man that I think might be his father, the previous king? Hm, that’s odd. The longer I look, the more I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before…..
Though, if I had met him, I’m sure I would remember, so maybe it’s just my imagination.
“Alicia?” I hear Duke-Sama call out to me.
I slowly turn in the direction of his voice. He’s standing a couple meters away right next to a huge window with light streaming in. It illuminates his hair and I notice a faint glittering near his earlobe.
Is that…. an earring? When we’d been sitting at the table together, I hadn’t noticed it.
Duke-Sama stands there for a moment, seeming to be waiting for something, but when I don’t say anything or make a move to draw closer, he takes the initiative to walk over to me. As he draws near, I strain my eyes to get a better look at his earring.
It’s made of a radiant blue jewel…. most likely a magic gemstone. It’s something that can only be made once you reach level 100. Which means that Duke-Sama must have already acquired level 100 magical abilities, right? That makes him one of the top magic users in the whole world…..
Come to think of it…. I do feel like rather than the heroine, Duke-Sama was the one who reached level 100 faster during the game. But was it really this fast?
“What are you doing here?” Duke-Sama murmurs to me gently, stopping just a few inches away.
I would prefer it if you wouldn’t address me from this distance. You’re much too close.
…..As for that question, it would be bad for a villainess to admit that she’s lost, wouldn’t it?
“I was just doing a bit of exploring,” I say, trying to hide my embarrassment behind a quick smile.
But Duke-Sama’s eyes seem to see right through me. Even before he asked, he probably already knew that I was lost.
Ah, those eyes. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t stare at me with that sexy gaze.
“Shall I accompany you to the front gates?” Duke-Sama suggests, letting a faint smile slip onto his face.
This sort of treatment…. is precisely how you’d treat a precious little sister, isn’t it? I should be fine as long as I’m getting the sibling treatment, right?
Though, it’s still a mystery how Duke-Sama came to like me in the first place. During the game, I thought he absolutely detested Alicia….
Could it be…. that all this time he’s been acting fond of me in order to make it easier to get rid of me later? His affectionate attitude was actually just a guise to cover up his resentment for me….
Yeah, that seems rather far fetched. Even for me. And, ever since Henry-Oniisama told me his true thoughts about Liz-san, I’ve started to doubt how much of the game has carried over into reality.
“Alicia?” Duke-Sama says, scrutinizing my expression. He leans into me, bringing his face even closer to mine.
Gulp.
….This is bad.
Please step back a bit. I don’t think my heart can take much more of this proximity. At this distance, I can even smell Duke-Sama’s delicious scent drifting towards me. He smells so unbelievably good. It makes all the fatigue from the ordeal earlier just melt entirely away.
But at the same time, it makes my heart beat faster. I just know that my face must be turning red right now as well.
…How deplorable. As a villainess, I shouldn’t be allowing my feelings to be showing on my face like this.
Duke-Sama’s tender gaze pierces me as he lets out a little laugh.
“You’re face is bright red.”
I know! I know, so there’s no need for you to point it out! Is he…. teasing me right now?
I’m slowly becoming more and more certain that he is. Though, with that certainty I’m realizing just how much of a mystery Duke-Sama is to me.
When I saw him on the screen, I always thought of him as the cool and collected type, the sort of person that tends to keep people an arm’s breadth away…. but after interacting with him, that doesn’t really seem to fit. For one thing, he never acts distant. He always closes the distance between us right away and somehow always seems to see right through me…. And with looking at him now, I would say he might have a bit of a mean streak as well.
“Duke-Sama, just what sort of person are you really?”
At my question, Duke-Sama stiffens and draws back a fraction. He blinks a couple of times and stares at me hard.
Was my question really that surprising?
“I can’t seem to get a read on you.”
“Get a read on me?”
“Yes. Do you enjoy teasing me like this?”
Duke-Sama’s eyes fly open and his expression looks startled for a moment, but almost immediately after it softens again into a tender smile.
“I certainly don’t hate teasing you,” he tells me with a smirk, roughly ruffling my hair.
….Saying that line with that expression!? That’s cheating. All of your fans will swoon, you know. In truth, if I hadn’t been aiming to become a villainess, I’m sure I would be swooning too, or at the very least I’d be having a nosebleed right about now.
See? I definitely can’t comprehend this man’s intentions after all. One second his smile is so sweet, and then the next he makes that sort of rakish grin while tousling my hair…. To be able to pull off a stunt like that so smoothly, he really is just like a prince charming. And he’s way too charming for his own good.
“Come on, let’s go,” Duke-Sama says, and without waiting for my answer, he starts walking away.
At a time like this, would it be best for me to follow behind him? Or maybe I’m supposed to walk beside him? I just don’t know. Though, what I do know is that whenever Duke-Sama gets too close to me, my image as a villainess ends up in shambles. So it’s probably best for me if I keep at least a little bit of distance between us, huh?
So, staying just a few steps behind, I follow him towards the front entrance.
And for Duke-Sama’s part, he doesn’t argue or question the distance, he just kindly matches his pace to mine as he silently leads the way.
By Kagami Min
Duke-Sama’s tender gaze pierces me as he lets out a little laugh.
“You’re face is bright red.”
T/N: Kyaaa what a cute rendition of Duke’s teasing by Kagami Min!! To all the shoujo lovers out there, what do you think? I just love how troubled Alicia looks haha. And Duke’s smirk! >.<
If you want to see more of their work, you should check out their Instagram! Or, better yet, they’re taking commissions! Have any other scenes that you’ve been longing to see? They’re an instant message away on IG haha.
On a completely separate note, I kind of love how last chapter we had a politics and an economics debate and this chapter we get pure shoujo lol. I wonder what the next chapter will bring? Any guesses? XD
Carnation Scans 
ty
Thanks for the chapter!
If Alicia was two years older, that scene would be overwhelming and hearts would be being flung everywhere. However Duke just comes off completely creepy to me. He’s a stalker and we can only hope he has nothing insidious in store. I worry considering all of the dark undertones throughout this whole novel. If I’m feeling particularly vicious I would even say Duke was plotting to get Alicia onto his side to overthrow his father. I am hoping this is just the author trying to do sweet shoujo things even though the age discrepancy is still shocking. (You’d think I’d be used to this with all the CLAMP I’ve read over the years…)
As for the next chapter, I would guess we have an Alicia strategy meeting with her sidekick, perhaps a short visit back to the village, and then a return to school.
Wow. That guess sounds so realistic it feels like you know what’s going to happen lol. I could totally see all that happening! Although, I feel like that might be the next three chapters instead of one XD
As for the age gap, I’ve convinced myself that it’s fine cause it’s kind of like a freshman in high school (with a late birthday) dating a senior (with an early birthday). If, on top of that, I don’t think about their actual ages, I can just purely enjoy the moment hahaha. I’m not nearly as cynical about the plot yet it seems hahaha. That might change as the series continues to darken though lol
By the way, if you haven’t been reading “Beware the Villainess” https://mangadex.org/title/47286/beware-of-the-villainess I think you’d enjoy that.
Oh I’ve been reading it! XD I second that to everyone else haha. You have good tastes, my friend 😂
No offense, but do you remember the type of seniors who’d date a freshman?? All of the ones I saw were creepy & predatory. 😥
& it’s been around a decade since I was in high school, but I can pretty clearly remember how “young” we thought the younger yrs were as we got older. Like, the second you graduated middle school & became a high schooler, the middle schoolers looked like babies. Even as a high school sophomore, the freshman seemed immature.
The people who hit on students yrs younger than them still felt that mental gap. They took advantage of it. 🙁
That aside, I continue to love Alicia. & Gilles. & Grandpa Will.
I just. Rlly wish the ML didn’t have to be stronger/wiser than the FL in every j-novel I read. He’s not only the prince, but he’s also a level 100+ magician, he has an unfathomable information network, & he’s basically omnipotent. 😐What’s the pt of making the FL “strong”/smart/formidable if she must regress into a dense ingenue when it comes to her love interest? ☹️
If anyone who has read this far knows of a series where the “strong fem lead” isn’t outshined, so to speak, by her love interest, pls do share the recs. 😭😭 i’d love to finally read a hetromance where the ML isn’t five steps ahead of the FL at all times.
I see your point. I definitely did feel that way, but I also ended up meeting a couple who started dating when she was a senior and he was a freshman. Not only was their relationship far from predatory, it is one of the sweetest relationships I have seen. They’re still together and love each other.
Honestly, when I think of this sort of age gap, I do feel weird. It feels like a lot. I have a ton of the same feelings that you do. BUT. Because I know that couple, I realized that I shouldn’t be the one to judge whether something like that can work or not. I don’t think it could work for ME… but for them it worked. And I definitely don’t think it was wrong.
Some of the stuff Duke has done in this story is a bit uncomfortable… but I get past that by looking at their actions, not their ages. I mean, most of these “kids” don’t act their age. Gilles doesn’t seem like a 9-year-old at all, so in my head I usually don’t treat him as such.
In a review, someone said these are poorly planned age gaps, and I 100% agree with that. Though, I still make myself feel better with the fact that this is set in a different time period. It’s true that different time periods treated age gaps much larger than these as okay, and so with the historical context I’m also more inclined to accept the romance in this story.
Lastly, on your request for a stronger female lead…. it’s depressing but I can’t think of one either. Even when the ML is younger, he usually overshadows her in some way. And if, like in Koi Dano Ai Dano, the girl is smarter than the ML, you’re right. She turns oblivious when it comes to love and he showed that she’s not all that much smarter when he actually is trying. All the MLs I can think of are better or in a position of power in one way or another. But, I also feel like that’s the case for most of the teen novels and other Asian novels I’ve read 😑 I would say if you want to break out of that mold, you might want to read some more serious literature… but I will keep thinking about it, and if I come across one I’ll comment again XD
Okay. I was looking through my manga reading list (cause I unfortunately don’t have a concise novel reading list lol)… it’s few and far between but there ARE some where the FL is not at a complete disadvantage. (Though I’ve yet to find a Japanese one yet) Cheating Men Must Die (Chinese), the Lady and the Beast (Korean), and Beware of the Villainess (Korean) seem to fit the bill. If you want to chat and discuss more, hit me up on discord 😉
Wait,I don’t remember…What is the age of all of them??😅
Alicia is currently 13, Gilles is 9, the younger boys are 15, the older boys are 18, and Liz is also 18.
(I did this from memory, so I hope I got all that right haha. I’m pretty sure it is though!)
I hope you won’t be too creeped out by what’s coming up around chapter 100, I think that overall the author is just writing shoujo with slightly more mature undertones while choosing the oddest ages for her/his mains as long as this starts off from their early childhood and they keep in touch throughout their lives/growth.
But be ready for some of the characters to get quite literally scandalous XD
Hahaha now I’m so curious! I know what happens up to like 96 but I don’t know what those last few chapters hold XD I can’t wait to find out now. I feel like it’s going to blow my mind lol
It’s not too mindblowing, but it’s gonna be odd/uncomfortable for those age sensitive regarding certain shoujo/josei tropes here. And yes, there’s a literal scandal kicking start at some point, but not spoiling whom it involves and why, lol. Though it’s odd no one tries damage control on it for years on end XD
thanks for the chapther
Thanks for the new chapter!
Great art work! Hehe it’s funny to see Alicia getting teased when usually she is the one teasing other lol. Also it’s amusing how clueless she is about his intentions. I also think her gem does more than just look pretty but I could be wrong.
There’s a thought there, since she noted it glinting at odd times, just like the gem on his earring.
My bet is probably gonna be on food and relaxation next chapter. Maybe a good old debate with Gilles?
I can’t help but think of the wizard’s second rule from the sword of truth series whenever Liz talks.
Wizard’s Second Rule: The greatest harm can result from the best intentions. “It sounds a paradox, but kindness and good intentions can be an insidious path to destruction. Sometimes doing what seems right is wrong, and can cause harm.”
Liz will lead the country into ruin. She is not the heroine nor the saintess she is destroyer.
Welcome back and ty for the translation!
Hmm… That notion on the blue stone in Duke’s ear – I wonder if there is a corrollation to the diamond with a blue tingle that Alicia got back in chap 17 (yes, I had to look it up).
It’s possible! Though… I really do you think Duke was level 100 back then haha
Oh, no, Alicia’s necklace is not lvl 100. But it could be a trial run. Your translation chap 17 states ” It glitters up at me, and as I watch, there almost seems to be **a faint blue light** twinkling from within its depths.” So if my wild speculation is even remotely valid, then wouldn’t an item < lvl 100 be a lighter/weaker version of an item = lvl 100? And if this is reflected in the color/brightness, then what happens when comparing a lvl 10 < lvl 100? Buuuut…. this is just a wild speculation, we're not really told that much about the enchant system in this world, so.. who knows? 😉
It could be! I was assuming you can’t make a magic gemstone at all until you reach level 100…. But you’re right! Maybe you can produce them, just of much lower power/purity. It’s definitely possible!
And, if that’s the case, I wonder if the stones are linked somehow…. you know, since they were made by the same person? I think someone mentioned Duke using the necklace to keep an eye on Alicia. If they are connected, then that might be a way for him to keep track of her hahaha. But then, like people have said, calling the FBI might actually be warranted lol
Alicia’s necklace is very possibly a red herring, however, the author does do the stunts. One part is mentioning how it makes Alicia feel Duke is close disguised as a semi-emotional statement of Alicia’s (chap 17), and then him finding her easily when lost in the palace (and the additional focus on his earring).
If there’s any validity to the theory, I don’t think it’s a built-in Alicia gps, but there may be some hot/cold action going on within a certain perimeter.
Minor spoiler, but the gem stone in his earring is demi-precious, can’t remember if jade or smth else. However, if he did put a spell on her necklace, and the theory is quite good, he could’ve made it even if his magic lvl was a lot lower at the time. Alicia explained when she received the necklace that diamonds are a lot rarer and more expensive in this world. And it’s of the highest quality as a gem. So the gem may have enhanced the effect of the spell.
I agree. It makes good sense that a weak af spell may be just weak when cast on a high grade gem.
Hmm, I don’t really understand the hate toward Liz in the comments. While it is true she is idealistic, it appears no one around her has challenged her ideals before. Instead, everyone around her became her “Yes Men” because they like her. Liz has actually shown that she is willing to listen to other arguments. She lets Ali speak and then asks questions or poses arguments. Then Ali explains her reasoning, and Liz is able to understand it even if it doesn’t agree with her morally.
Also, she’s not responsible for Ali’s brothers or anyone else being mean to Ali. Their choices are their own, and to blame Liz for their actions is stupid, imo. But if it turns out Liz IS using some type of brainwashing magic as was hinted at, then that changes things.
I agree with you. Rather than being stubbornly self- righteous ,Liz seems to be somewhat willing to listen and accept Alisha’s opinions and thoughts. I guess those around her have always agreed and enforce her idealistic ways to the point that it is hard for her to think any other way. She never had someone to challenge and debate with her (of course until Ali comes) .
Most of those who hate her have theories on her not being quite as saintly as she tries to come across. Remember, people can also act convincingly and most isekai, if you haven’t developed such experience yet, do often have “saintly” “heroines” whose goodness is only an act. Some keep it up better, some are ridiculously see through…we don’t know for sure how things stand with Liz, but people do analyse her behaviour. From the chapters already translated, or maybe even from chapters ahead.
lol i agree but i also love dunking in liz for the sake of it
thanks for the chap and the hard work..
I think that the portrait wich represents the person Alicia feals she know’s is Will from the enpovriched village.
I was thinking the same thing…. Thought I was wondering how a royal would end up there…. You think he was overthrown?? Or maybe he wasn’t actually the current king’s father…. Maybe he was his tutor or advisor or something and that’s why they were in a portrait together….
thank you ♥
“Shall I accompany you to the front gates?”
“Are you kicking me out!? Well, fine, I was just finished anyway…”
Just imagine his face if she answered this XD