The Villainess' Son is Innocent - Chapter 32
Chapter 16.2
“There was an accident?”
“Ah, well, we just heard one of the professors here at the academy was suddenly found dead last night.”
At first, I thought I had misheard, but the weight of the unexpected news settled in quickly. It was true.
If it wasn’t a simple accident, could it have been murder? My face darkened at the dreadful thought. Whenever I heard rumors like this, I couldn’t help but freeze up.
“The academy’s been quiet about it, but apparently, Marianne’s older sister was talking to the professor shortly before it happened, so everyone’s been talking about it.”
“What tragic news.”
Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt a peculiar unease. Something far more sinister than the shock of a violent death.
Rilford Academy was deeply connected to Croscentine’s scholars. I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone I knew might’ve had ties to the victim of the incident.
Still, I chose not to voice it. Instead, I offered a troubled smile to the girl who mentioned Marianne.
“It’s always heartbreaking when someone so admirable passes away.”
“I didn’t know them that well, but yes…”
We exchanged a strained smile before parting ways.
When I returned to my dorm, Elena had already finished tidying up. She greeted me warmly as I stepped inside.
“My lady, I just finished baking a little something for you.”
Elena had rented the kitchen, insisting the cold weather called for something warm and comforting. She presented a steaming fondant au chocolat with a proud smile. I wished I could simply enjoy her kindness and accept it happily.
But with the news I had just heard, I had lost my appetite. I opened my mouth to decline, but Elena gently nudged my shoulder, leading me toward the fireplace.
“You seem troubled, especially with graduation coming up.”
“…How did you know?”
“Because you excel at everything you do, my lady. Engagements, marriage, inheriting your title… I’m sure you’re also thinking about what you want to pursue. It’s only natural for so many thoughts to fill your mind.”
It was more so because of Emil, but… she was right. Unsettling thoughts keep creeping into my mind.
Even though I hadn’t agreed, Elena brought over the freshly made fondant and a warm glass of milk to the table anyway.
“Thinking takes energy, too. Please, enjoy this treat.”
When you’ve been alone for so long, it’s easy to forget that someone is there, right beside you.
Grateful, I moved the dish to the center of the table and gestured for Elena to join me. I grabbed a second glass of milk and set it in front of her.
“Then let’s enjoy it together.”
The fondant’s deep sweetness melted away my tension, soothing my mind like a sedative. As I savored the warmth, my thoughts drifted to a specific date.
Graduation wasn’t far off.
* * *
Emil stared at the damp ends of his hair. The room was shrouded in darkness, not a single candle lit.
The dried, dark-red stains and the thick smell of iron clouded his head.
Was he even breathing? Every one of his breaths came shallow and strained, each movement sending fresh waves of pain through his body.
“Ugh…”
A grunt escaped him. His head throbbed, sharp and relentless, like needles stabbing into his skull. He didn’t know how long the agony had lasted. Time seemed to blur in this state.
All Emil could do was patiently endure. Eventually, the pain subsided enough for him to open his eyes.
“Starting to get tough, huh?”
Grandel wiped the blood from his hands. He pulled his coarse, straw-like hair into a man bun. Emil met Grande’s gaze.
“…Not really.”
“Yeah, this isn’t exactly the best time for you to complain.”
“Just wrap it up already.”
He didn’t want to stay here any longer. Every passing moment chipped away at his sanity, and when aspects of himself surfaced—ones he didn’t even know about—it left him drowning in a pit of despair and self-loathing.
His clipped tone made Grandel bark out a hollow laugh.
His golden eyes gleamed like those of a predator, slowly blinking with calm composure, as if he were indifferent to his inattentive attitude.
“No others?”
“Nope.”
“Then leave me alone and stop talking to me.”
And with that, Emil searched for a handkerchief to wipe off the blood that had splattered up to his shins.
Grandel tossed him a handkerchief. As Emil wiped the blood from his clothes, the once-white fabric quickly turned crimson.
“Are there any others we need to deal with?”
“No. We’re done here.”
“Then I’m going to assume you won’t care if I leave first.”
“Unless you made a mistake, no.”
“And if I did, that would be your fault.”
“You can shift the blame all you want, but His Majesty won’t tolerate you passing the burden to someone else.”
“You’re just as caught up in the emperor’s grasp as I am.”
Emil returned the handkerchief, smirking as though he were about to cover his mouth, only he didn’t actually do so.
“You nearly died trying to assassinate the emperor, all to save your dying son. You’re no different than I am. We’re bound by the same weakness.”
“Charming,” Grandel remarked dryly. “You used to be more tolerable, you know. So naive, before you turned into this nerve-grating cynic.”
“…Is that so?”
Unbothered, Emil stepped over the lifeless body at his feet without sparing it a glance.
“Where are you headed in such a hurry? Rilford?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
At Emil’s sharp and guarded response, Grandel raised his hands in surrender.
The only son of House Calixt, shunned as the son of the infamous villainess. Grandel recalled the sixteen-year-old boy he once knew.
They had watched him like a hawk out of fear that he’d inherited his mother’s madness. Then one day, he’d fallen victim to the emperor’s whims, reduced to nothing more than a tool, much like Grandel himself.
‘I had no choice but to bow down to the emperor’s idea of using the curse as a weapon.’
Grandel had once pitied Emil’s life, but the feeling faded quickly. Following behind Emil, Grandel dismissed it with indifference.
Pity or not, there was nothing he could do. His own life was thorn-riddled enough. As sad as it was, what would become of that boy was none of his concern.
But shortly after they reached the garden between the mansion and the front gate, they paused.
“Wait.”
“…I know. I heard it too.”
Despite clearing everything out, there was still someone hiding. Emil detected the faintest presence, and he strode ahead, stopping beneath a massive, beautiful tree.
“Nothing?”
“…Nothing.”
“Then perhaps I misheard.”
As Grandel shifted his attention away, Emil looked up into the branches.
“H-hngh…!”
No matter how much one tried to hold their breath, a predator’s sharp senses would inevitably discover their prey. The gardener locked eyes with Emil, and he inhaled a sharp breath.
But Emil remained unnervingly still. The gardener hiding above visibly trembled, fearing that if he let his guard down for even a second, it would mean his death.
“B-boy… If you pretend you didn’t see me…”
“…”
“I-I swear, I’ll never forget this mercy…”
Emil merely stared at him. Through a break in the clouds, the moonlight faintly illuminated the dark garden.
Even in such a terrifying situation, the gardener was momentarily captivated by Emil’s heavy-lidded eyes and sharp profile. He was an image of restraint and austerity, like a saint painted in one of the temple’s murals.
As he continued to stand still, Grandel called out to him.
“What are you doing?”
Just as Emil turned to leave, a quiet gasp above him broke the silence. The gardener had noticed the wet blood dripping from the end of his scabbard.
“I-is t-that…”
But Emil paid it no mind and completely turned his back on the man, walking away.
And the gardener, unable to fully grasp that he’d escaped the clutches of death, fainted on the spot.
Translator’s Note:
Hello, everyone! Just to clarify, this novel has not been dropped. I’m not sure why another group assumed otherwise despite my numerous statements. Nonetheless, we are back!
Also, I will be gradually editing chapters 1-31 to align with the new version of the novel, but my priority is delivering new chapters. Updates will be posted on our discord server!
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