Chapter 9: Clumsy and lonely red-haired prince (Part 2)
In order to fulfill her dream of avoiding destruction and becoming a villainess, Chloe works hard with Steed’s help.
Since making that decision, Chloe has been meeting with Steed almost every day.
“You look cute today too, Chloe. It feels like a dream to be able to go on a date like this with you.”
“What are you talking about, Steed? It’s not a date, it’s a strategy meeting. . .By the way, don’t we have this exchange every day?”
While poking fun at Steed’s words, Chloe was secretly relieved.
She had been worried about Steed being a little hurt by Roland’s appearance, but he seemed to have completely recovered.
“Well then, let’s start with a review of yesterday’s lesson.”
“Leave it to me. I’ve memorized all the game terms perfectly!”
The first thing they did to avoid destruction was to gain knowledge.
Chloe is studying game terms to correctly understand the information Steed gives her.
Steed nods as he looks at the notes Chloe wrote.
“Yeah, it’s perfect, Chloe.”
In addition to words she had already learned, such as heroine and capture target, she also learned words like still events, choices, and favorability.
She wrote them down with explanations in a table last night, and it seems like she got them all right.
“If we keep this up, we’ll be okay. Tomorrow, we’ll start explaining Roland’s route.”
“Finally, we’re getting into the real stuff!”
Chloe clenches her fist with excitement.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
The next day.
Chloe finished her etiquette class early and was walking through the palace corridors to pick up Steed, who was having a music lesson.
Since the violin lessons are private, they sometimes end early depending on the day.
Even if they don’t, she just has to wait until the performance is over.
As she walks through the corridor thinking about such things――
“Haha! I feel so refreshed!”
(Gah. Gideon. . .!)
She runs into the unpleasant guy.
Not wanting to face him, she quickly hides behind a pillar.
“Gideon’s skills were impressive. That guy is probably crying in a dark prison cell by now.”
“It’s the duty of the nobility to educate the arrogant commoners. This is a piece of cake.”
(A dark prison cell. . .Could it be. . .?)
With a bad feeling, Chloe jumps out.
“Hey, what do you mean by that?”
“Whoa, Chloe?! What are you doing here? You suddenly appeared. . .!”
She chases after the boys who are trying to escape in a panic and grabs one of them by the collar.
(I won’t let you go!)
“What are you talking about? Did you lock Roland up in the North Tower?!”
“W-What are you talking about?!”
“Don’t play dumb! I heard it clearly!!”
Although she didn’t mention his name directly, it seems like he did something bad to Roland.
When she asks him about it, her suspicions are confirmed.
“He was disrespectful! I just taught him not to act like a big shot in the castle from now on!”
Unbelievable.
This is the worst.
We finally managed to avoid Roland’s traumatic episode. . .!!
“What, what, what have you done?! Gideon, you idiot! Remember this!!”
Right now, there’s no time to pay attention to Gideon.
Feeling her blood drain from her face, Chloe grabs the hem of her skirt and runs with all her might.
Her destination is Steed.
“Chloe! Did you come to pick me up?”
Breathless, she arrives at the music room just as Steed is coming out.
“I’m happy to see your face.”
“That’s not the point!! Gideon seems to have locked Roland up in the tower!”
“What?!”
Steed’s face shows an unusual sign of agitation.
“I heard it from Gideon just now, so it must be true!”
“That’s. . .We managed to avoid Roland’s traumatic episode, but now it’s about Roland. I’ll talk to my brother to rescue Roland.”
“I’ll go to the Northern Tower!”
After nodding to each other, they both run towards their respective destinations.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
“Haa, haa. . .I’ve arrived at the North Tower. . .”
She had been running non-stop through the corridor, so she was out of breath and in pain.
Moreover, this place makes her shiver just by approaching it, and her heart feels uneasy.
For Chloe, this is a slightly traumatic place.
Looking up at the [North Tower], which stands quietly in the corner of the palace, she takes a deep breath.
The moss-covered tower casts a lonely and eerie shadow under the cloudy sky.
There must be a crow’s nest on top of the tower. Occasionally, she hears creepy sounds.
But she doesn’t have time to be afraid.
“I-I’m going. . .!”
She tells herself and raises her face.
She heads towards the entrance gate, swallowing her breath, and the guard approaches her with wide eyes.
“Chloe-sama? What happened?”
“Um. . .a cat got inside the tower. Look, there’s a small hole that’s broken. I want to go inside and get it.”
“A cat? Is that true?”
The guard looks at Chloe with suspicion because she has been heavily guarded since childhood due to her misdeeds in the castle.
“If you could call someone to help, I’ll have them search for it.”
“That’s okay! It’s my responsibility. Please let me go get it myself!”
“You can’t!. . .Ah, Chloe-sama!”
Taking advantage of the guard’s momentary distraction, Chloe rushes into the gate.
Since there is only one guard, he cannot leave his post and chase after her.
Thinking to herself, she somehow managed to sneak into the tower.
(Ugh. . .It’s so scary inside. . .)
The cool, musty air tickles her nose.
Because there is no light, Chloe is on the verge of tears.
She stretches as far as she can and takes a candle from the wall sconce.
(But, come on, Chloe, you can do this. . .!)
Telling herself this, she descends the stairs step by step, heading towards the underground dungeon.
The sound of her footsteps echoes, making it even more eerie.
(Ugh, it’s so scary, so scary!! It’s too much!! But. . .)
Suddenly, she can’t accept this irrational situation.
(Come to think of it, no matter how bad you’ve been, isn’t it too cruel to be locked up in a place like this?)
Even if Gideon and his people were behind this, it was an adult who ordered her to be locked up in the dungeon.
It was probably the mean-spirited tutor that Steed had mentioned.
(I’m so angry! As a villainess, I can’t be afraid of such an irrational situation!)
Driven by anger, her fear disappears.
Since Roland has no backing, no one will notice and come to help him.
The more she thinks about how they used this as an opportunity to harass him, the angrier she gets.
By the way, she completely forgot about the issue of being pushed onto the path of destruction.
(I won’t forgive them! Roland, don’t let those people’s intentions create trauma for you!)
Chloe tightens her lips and runs down the dimly lit stairs with a clatter.
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