The Villainess is a Marionette

Translator: thursdays PR: scarcecrow

Cayena would never be able to run away by herself. As she was the sole princess, the empire and other countries were focused on her. Furthermore, she had an extraordinary appearance. Cayena was so beautiful that she was bound to attract others’ attention.

Thus, she would need someone else’s help to run away.

Who was capable of helping Cayena abscond from the capital?

‘It has to be someone who doesn’t desire my sister, even though she is a stunning woman who could be used to gain the throne.’

There wouldn’t be many people without ulterior motives regarding her unless they were of the same sex.

The assistant also had to own enough power to help her.

Considering all these factors, there was only one person who met all these conditions. That was Raphael.

If Cayena suddenly decided to leave and really gave up on Raphael…

‘Then it’s very likely that she made some kind of deal with Raphael. But what could Cayena offer him?’

Thinking about it, Rezef found that it didn’t make sense. Cayena had nothing that Raphael would want. But the relationship between the two did seem completely different from the past, which made Rezef leery.

It was the same with himself. Now that Cayena had changed, it was natural for her relationships to change as well.

And the changed Cayena…

“So this is where you were.”

Raphael was setting Cayena, who was still unconscious, down in a carriage with the doors wide open.

Noticing Rezef’s presence, he said, “The doctor that I brought took a look at Her Highness.” Raphael got off the carriage and stood in front of Rezef. “Other than some indigestion, she’s all right.”

“I see.”

Rezef examined Raphael. Why did he go this far to find Cayena?

‘Perhaps it’s because the kidnapping happened right after their meeting at the academy that he decided to actively help.’

However, the simple explanation bothered Rezef.

He hid his inner thoughts and, with a moderate appearance, praised Raphael.

“I’ll take Henverton Gillian to the palace’s prisons. Thanks to your help today, I was able to recover my sister safely.”

Then he stretched his hand out to Raphael.

Raphael looked at Rezef for a moment, then shook his hand.

He may have been trying to hide it, but Raphael could sense that Rezef was strangely hostile and suspicious of him. Also, Rapahel could see that Rezef had a bizarre obsession with Cayena.

It was strange. Was Prince Rezef always so fond of his sister?

‘Is this why the princess turned to me for help?’

Raphael had also heard of Henverton’s taunts.

Others seemed to think it was the ramblings of a maniac, but Raphael thought that the words

were meaningful.

The two seemed calm on the outside but observed each other shrewdly.

“I must summon Duke Kedrey to the palace to take care of the Gillian viscountcy and set up a new leader. Or, I think the duchess is in the capital now.”

“I’ll go.”

It was a matter of the vassal family.

No matter how determined the successor is, this was something to be handled by the family head, not the heir.

Because of that, Rezef looked puzzled.

“How come?”

Raphael said casually,

“From today, I am the head of the Kedrey duchy.”

Rezef only then realized how he was able to assemble the knights and come to the temple.

Mobilizing the troops in case of crisis was one of the powers that the militant duchy had in order to protect the empire. Of course, only the head of the family could do so.

‘They said that the ducal couple was going through a divorce.’

If this happened in the cathedral, Rezef should have heard about this from the spy that he planted there. But he didn’t.

That meant that he gained his peerage after Cayena was kidnapped.

What was the reason for this?

Rezef’s eyes became even colder.

However, he made full use of his gentle impression and curved his eyes into a smile.

“Excuse me for not receiving the news, Duke Kedrey. Congratulations on your succession.”

Rezef could no longer speak casually to Raphael, who had become a duke.

That’s why he spoke respectfully.

“Thank you.”

They shook hands briefly once again. Rezef glanced at the carriage and said to him,

“Let’s wrap up our conversation here, as my sister needs to go to the palace to rest.”

“Then, I shall see you soon.”

Rezef climbed into the carriage where Cayena laid.

He felt Raphael’s gaze looking at the princess.

Rezef closed the carriage door with a cold face, without a smile.

***

Zenon liked to pretend to be rational, no matter how angry he was.

However, it was difficult to do that today. He swore as he rode a carriage.

“Damn it, damn it! God damn it!

Did Cayena notice something and send away her lady-in-waiting? Everything had become twisted from there.

‘Raphael Kedrey…!’

He ground his teeth.

It was true that he had made the cleanup deliberately sloppy to reveal that Cayena was kidnapped.

But he didn’t intend for it to be found out so quickly.

Why the hell had Raphael been so eager to find Princess Cayena?

“Fucking bastard!”

He never thought Raphael would spend that much money at the cathedral and the small temple just to find her.

Even Raphael’s finances would take a blow at that level.

Anyway, there was something else important now: He had to shut Henverton Gillian’s mouth.

The carriage ran through the night to the outskirts of the capital and then stopped. It was a town with nothing to see other than an old temple. The back was full of such shantytowns.

Zenon got off the carriage. He tightly wrapped himself with a robe and a dark hat.

Walking a little further from the small temple was a small inn.

On the first floor, it looked like an ordinary inn that sold food and alcohol, but it was actually a place for making contracts.

“Welcome.” The bartender wiped down a cup as he greeted the new customer.

Inside, a few men were playing poker, and another was drinking alcohol alone at the bar.

Zenon sat at the bar and handed the bartender a commemorative coin issued by the Madrena kingdom.

The coins of the fallen kingdom were no longer valid as currency. However, they were used for contract transactions.

“Oho,” the bartender said, seeing the commemorative coin. This was because the coins were often used by high-ranking nobles who concealed their identities. “A valuable guest, I see. I’ll take you to the room.”

Zenon followed the bartender to the back of the bar.

There was a space separated by a long partition, and as they went behind it, a thick door that was clearly soundproofed appeared.

“It’s here.”

The bartender opened the door for him. Zenon left his attendant outside and entered the room.

Inside the room, a man sat on a chair, wearing a playful fox-shaped mask.

He welcomed Zenon with open arms.

“Welcome, customer!”

Zenon was startled to see him.

The fox mask only covered down to the man’s nose, so his lower face was revealed.

That cool smile and the almost-white, silvery hair above the mask showed he wasn’t just any handsome man.

And Zenon only knew one man with such characteristics.

“Yester Heinrich?”

At the name, the man winked and said, “Right now, I am Count Zodiac.”

“Why are you here…?”

Zenon’s face wrinkled as he expressed his confusion.

“Then, this contract business, too…?”

“Correct.” Yester laughed cheerfully. “Well, it was so fun watching the princess get kidnapped on her way back that I stuck my foot in. I didn’t know that the second son of Marquis Evans was connected.”

This crazy roughneck owned a contracting business…

“It’s such a shame. Actually, I was quite embarrassed as well.”

Yester received a report from his subordinates about what happened to the princess.

She threatened to tell her brother where Yester’s secret group was located if he didn’t help her return to the palace within 24 hours.

‘Does she really know something?’

And did she really predict that a day like this would come?

In addition, she predicted that at least one of the gangsters involved in the kidnapping would be his people.

Yester felt dazed for the first time in a long time, as if he had been hit in the head.

Fortunately or not, the Kedrey heir ended the situation before Yester had to come forward.

“Princess Cayena gave everyone the run-around. Right?”

Zenon swallowed his curses, thinking that nothing could be done.

“Something like this. Even if we can’t get along, we don’t have to show that we hate each other.”

Yester got up from his chair and shamelessly approached Zenon.

Zenon asked, “How did you know that I would come?”

Yester shook his head. His attitude seemed to scold him for missing the point and talking nonsense.

“That’s not what is important now.”

He looked at Zenon with his golden eyes.

Though Zenon was covered with a robe, his anger and embarrassment were still noticeable.

“Isn’t it more important that I’ve captured your weakness, Zenon Evans?”

Yester smiled wryly.

~~~