The Unlikely Imprint of the Villainess and the Male Lead - Chapter 64
Chapter 64
Translator: Yonnee
—
Huff, huff.
On a cold winter night, damp with the scent of blood and moisture, a man with sweat-soaked clothing pulled up his hood and gasped for air as he fled.
‘They figured out I lost the badge.’
In truth, the moment he ran, his life was already forfeit, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop.
“Damn it! The path…!”
The sight of a blocked wall caused his face to contort with terror and despair.
‘No, if I stall here, he’ll definitely—!’
Fwick—!
“Argh!”
“Well, you sure hid well all this time.”
A dagger suddenly flew from behind and embedded itself in the man’s leg.
As he writhed in pain, the suspicious group steadily closed the distance.
“Like a little rat… If you fail your mission, you die. Understand?”
“……!”
Weren’t they supposed to be holding him accountable for exposing the organization’s emblem?
The man, clutching his leg and writhing on the ground, froze at the unexpected words from his superior.
“What do you mean? I—I did exactly what you asked! I put it directly into the Duke’s cup—”
“Shut your mouth. Did I tell you to speak?”
The man who appeared to be the leader stomped the sole of his shoe against the man’s mouth.
“Your mission was a failure. In the end, you let the Duke slip away.”
“Ugh, mmph…!”
Why was this his fault? Why did a failed mission have to cost him his life? Trembling, the man couldn’t accept the senseless punishment. Tears of frustration welled in his bloodshot eyes.
Tsk.
With a click of the tongue, the leader removed his foot from the man’s mouth and gestured with his chin. Two subordinates, standing by, approached with their weapons drawn.
Thud!
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed twice before the large body collapsed limply onto the cold ground.
“Hmm. He’s cleanly finished.”
As if that were the end of the matter.
“Leave the body. The capital guard will take care of it.”
His dry, emotionless voice betrayed no regret.
‘How annoying. We’ll have to set the stage again soon.’
With those final words, the group disappeared into the darkness.
* * *
Since agreeing to meet in Richt’s bedroom instead of the troublesome Rodwell townhouse, Luciana had spent a few brief, casual meetings with the duke.
“You’re here.”
“Should I sit in the usual spot today?”
Having come and gone a few times, Luciana now navigated Richt’s bedroom with relative ease.
‘Even with that shawl on… does she not feel any embarrassment?’
Her light chemise brushed against her as she moved around, drawing Richt’s attention despite his best efforts to ignore it. Silently, he walked to the table.
“Oh, I have some good news!”
“And what’s that?”
Hearing something positive for the first time, Richt couldn’t help but focus on her words.
“A few days ago, I finalized the base formula. It looks like we can move on to the next stage…”
Luciana handed Richt a notepad, and he silently examined the list.
“These are different from the materials you requested before.”
Why were there so many notes scribbled everywhere?
Richt raised an eyebrow at the detailed annotations next to each item.
“Well, some of them are a bit tricky to store. But if you prepare everything exactly as I’ve noted, there shouldn’t be any issues. It’s not just one or two items, though…”
“That’s fine. My aide will handle the preparation, not me.”
“Oh, I see…”
In other words, he was only footing the bill.
‘Fair enough. Cash is king, after all.’
Without Richt’s financial support, the research wouldn’t have been possible, so Luciana simply nodded quietly.
Then, turning her gaze back to him, she prepared to wrap up their last task for the day.
Want to read more? Advanced chapters are available on Patreon! (for selected novels only)
≪ Discord ≫
≪ Novel Updates ≫
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
