The S-Class Hunter Doesn't Want To Be A Villainous Princess - Chapter 19

"I'll accept your apology. Now, could you please keep your mouth shut so you don't make any more mistakes?"

[Cyril Marchius's favorability has increased by 30.]

[Cedin Anshirad's favorability has increased by 50.]

[Ishir von Lambdish's favorability has increased by 100.]

'What's with them again...?'

Why does their favorability increase every time she insults someone?

"You're quite harsh, Lady Marchius."

"Well, isn't it more severe for Lady Cyprus, who tries to make others into liars?"

"I'm just trying to help others not be deceived."

"It's not because you're afraid of the truth, right?"

Renee walked slowly towards Talia.

Every time she did, glass shards from her shoe heel would scatter in all directions.

Talia neither avoided Renee nor fought back. She preferred to draw others in.

"Your Highness, you don't really trust Lady Marchius, do you?"

"...."

At Talia's words, everyone's gaze quickly shifted to Ishir.

Ishir casually sipped his champagne and tilted his head.

"Is there a reason not to trust her?"

"What...!"

'You've always said that Renee Marchius is the most wicked woman in the world! So why are the two of you suddenly so close?'

Talia couldn't hide her surprise.

This wasn't the scene she had imagined.

As usual, she held Renee responsible for boasting in an exaggerated and arrogant manner, and everyone else was expected to agree.

Everyone should mock Renee.

Especially Crown Prince Ishir.

'Why did he suddenly change his attitude?'

Talia was so flustered that her hands clenched into fists until they turned pale.

But there was something Talia didn't know, thinking she knew everything.

The reason why Ishir changed his attitude.

"I didn't interfere because I believed Renee would do well."

Ishir stopped there and smiled slightly.

It was a smile that would have made Talia secretly greedy. But now-

"You've been quite rude since earlier, Lady Cyprus."

It was just a smile that scared her.

"Your... Highness."

"I asked if you trust Renee."

This time, Ishir openly reached out and pulled Renee into his arms. Everyone held their breath at his bold action.

The Crown Prince who never even glanced at any other woman embraced a woman...?

And not just any woman, but Renee Marchius, the woman he despised the most?

'This will be tomorrow's front-page news.'

It was an issue that would stir up social circles after a long time.

Everyone was dying to know what was going on.

"Of course, I trust her."

On the other hand, Renee was one of the few people who couldn't enjoy the current situation.

Clearly, the two had reached an agreement on this situation.

'Why is this guy so over the top?'

She does like dramatics, but isn't this a bit too much?

"But Lady Marchius is the one who killed the Saint, isn't she?"

"What evidence do you have to think that?"

"Because of Lianne's will...!"

Talia stopped there and covered her mouth with both hands.

She seemed to have just realized who she was discussing the will in front of.

"Lianne's will."

"What I meant was that Lady Marchius is the only one involved in the Saint's death, Your Highness."

But it was already too late to turn back. Now Ishir was openly showing his disgust.

And it was directed towards Talia.

"No. Renee is not the culprit. In the first place, she was the victim."

"What?"

"Now I can announce this fact, I'm glad."

Ishir turned his body and looked at the crowd that was staring at him.

"The corpse we found a while ago wasn't Lianne."

"...!"

"It was presumed to be Lianne because it had her divinity and engagement ring, but it wasn't. With the help of Magic Tower, we were able to partially restore the body, and the hair color was black. As you all know, Lianne's hair color is-"

"Light brown."

Renee continued Ishir's words.

She met Ishir's gaze once and smiled brightly.

A smile that couldn't be imagined as the culprit of such an incident.

"This whole thing was orchestrated to discredit me and the Crown Prince Ishir. And it was done using someone who has already disappeared."

"Then who on earth did this?"

Someone raised their hand and asked the question that Ishir had planted in advance.

Renee's eyes welled up with tears as if she was in pain.

"Unfortunately, we still haven't caught the real culprit. But if it's someone who went as far as burning innocent people to death... it must be the person who kidnapped the real Lianne."

Renee said in a bitter tone.

"But why? The Saint didn't have any enemies, did she?"

People's doubts began to be voiced.

Renee didn't miss that moment.

The psychology of the crowd was truly amusing.

If someone speaks up first, everyone thinks it's okay to do the same.

Even though it's not true at all.

"Maybe she's not an enemy of Lianne, but my enemy. Someone who wants to send me to hell."

She said that and turned around. Towards Talia.

Talia was trembling as if she had sensed her own fate. The trembling was so intense that she looked pitiful.

But Renee didn't care and said what she had to say.

"Did you really have to go this far just because you hate me, Lady Cyprus?"

"…!"

Renee's words had a tremendous impact.

Even Ishir, who had been involved in planning all of this, was momentarily taken aback.

'I didn't expect her to be this good at it.'

Ishir had been continuously surprised by Renee since Lianne died.

Starting with Renee, who had no abilities, becoming a skilled magic swordsman. 

This pattern of surprises continued, but now, that amazement was turning into suspicion.

Could a person really change so drastically overnight?

'Give me a moment, Your Highness.'

'I have nothing to discuss with you.'

Ishir tried to dismiss Renee, who had come to him uninvited a while ago.

He was puzzled as to how she found the forest where he often trained. 

Perhaps it was Cedin who informed her. He vowed to give Cedin a stern scolding and avoided her.

But Renee's next words made it impossible for him to avoid her.

'When will you come to your senses and admit it?'

'...Admit what?'

'Yes, admit it. Are you really that clueless?'

'I don't know what I'm supposed to admit.'

Admittedly, the fact that she was a magic swordsman was an interesting revelation, but that was the extent of it.

Ishir couldn't find any other reason to be interested in Renee.

Her track record was too strong for him to ignore.

To him, Renee was nothing more than a bothersome opponent, neither more nor less.

'The fact that we were on the same ship.'

'You've been saying that all along, but I've never been on a ship with you. Is there a need for us to sink together just because we were mentioned together in a will?'

'Fine. Then you can sink alone. I'll find a way to escape. That's all for now.'

Renee turned around as if she had no regrets and started to leave.

Ishir had no choice but to block her path.

'So there is a way to escape?'

'Yes, of course.'

'Tell me. '

'But before that, Your Highness, shouldn't you promise me something?'

'Me?'

'Yes. If there's something to gain from leaving, there should be something to lose as well. Don't you know the basic principle of a transaction? I don't like one-sided deals.'

Something to gain and something to lose...?

Ishir couldn't believe that those words came from Duke’s daughter. But it piqued his interest even more.

'Fine. What do you want?'

'Trust.'

'Trust isn't something that can be demanded as a condition of a transaction.'

'Then give me a token of trust.'

Ishir didn't understand Renee's words and narrowed his eyes. A token of trust? What does that even mean?

But Renee seemed just as desperate.

<Sub Quest - On the Same Ship>

Whether you like it or not, you have become Ishir von Lambdish's companion on the ship. However, he still seems hesitant to fully trust you. To overcome this crisis together, gain his trust.

Clear Condition: Obtain the token of trust '?? ??' from Ishir von Lambdish.

Clear Reward: Ishir von Lambdish's Favorability +100.

She couldn't figure out what the token of trust was, as it was marked with question marks.

It seemed like something she shouldn't know.

'Don't waste any more of my time."

'I don't want to either. But I need something from you to prove that you can trust me. My plan.'

'...'

Ishir continued to press on.

Can he trust this person?

He believed that a person's nature never truly changes. So he didn't fully believe that Renee had completely changed. But somehow, he couldn't help but wonder...

'You are the one who has caused trouble for Lianne and me for a long time.'

'I regret it.'

'I don't even trust you. And yet, you ask me for the token first.'

'I apologize. '

'But I discovered something. The letter that Lianne was trying to send to you.'

Perhaps he wanted to place his hopes on something.

'A letter?'

This was unexpected. Renee tensed up for a moment. What if the letter contained insults or something?

'Yes. I found it during the investigation. It was hidden in a small safe that Lianne had concealed.'

A cunning woman. To think she had hidden it in a safe... and it turned out to be just a letter. Ishir chuckled bitterly.

He had never loved Lianne, but at times like this, he felt sorry for her.

Lianne was not a woman who should be engaged to Ishir in many ways.

She was a woman who shouldn't have become an Empress and lived trapped in the Imperial Palace.

'What was in the letter?'

'It wasn't a letter meant for someone who wanted to kill her. It was more like... a letter you would send to a friend.'

'Is that so?'

Ishir looked down at Renee for a long time before taking something out of his pocket.

'What is that?'

'The engagement ring I gave to Lianne.'

An engagement ring? Renee was taken aback when something much more valuable than she had expected came out. No, wasn't that originally evidence for the investigation?

'I will give this to you. But for it to take effect, your plan must truly be compelling, Lady Marchius. If it falls short of my expectations...'

Ishir personally put the ring on the fourth finger of Renee's left hand and said,

[Quest Cleared!]

<Sub Quest - On the Same Ship> Cleared!

Clear Condition: Obtain the token of trust 'Engagement Ring' from Ishir von Lambdish.

Clear Reward: Ishir von Lambdish's Favorability +100.

"I will accuse you of stealing this ring."

<BACK> <NEXT>