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I possessed the body of a villainess locked away in a desolate tower.
Chapter 10
"How could you have trusted that woman?"
Liam was bewildered.
In fact, on the very day April Salt had asked him to send a letter.
Liam had sought out the Grand Duke that evening to report the situation and urged him to prepare a countermeasure.
But.
"I think it would be better to observe a bit ‌‌‌longer."
"Pardon? If things go wrong, the domain's people will resist fiercely."
"Patience is a virtue."
Kaian had appeared remarkably composed that day and refused to listen to him further.
As Liam directly witnessed and heard the increasingly intense pressure ‌‌‌‌from the mobilized domain people, his insides felt as though they ‌‌were burning away.
But now, faced with this reversal, he felt as though he alone had been deceived.
No one had struck him from behind, yet his head felt oddly numb.
"...Did Your ‌‌Highness perhaps already know what that woman would do?"
"Well, roughly."
"Pardon? How could you possibly...?"
"There was only one method ‌‌available."
In truth, if one looked at the forest rather than the trees, it was obvious.
Kaian had suspected April Salt was likely acting as Lemeia's proxy, but in any case, cross-verification was necessary for certainty.
And he had thought using the Dam construction problem as a means to resolve matters was an excellent method to validate this.
If she had handled practical affairs in the Salt Kingdom, it would have been familiar territory to her.
The Empire took a conservative stance on hiring foreigners and did not employ mercenaries.
Meanwhile, the Salt Kingdom, perpetually short on manpower, was actively inclined to use mercenary companies.
And it was a well-known fact that the intelligent Princess Lemeia not only oversaw internal affairs to fill the queen's vacancy, but also assisted with diplomacy and administration.
Thus, when consolidated, this conclusion emerged.
If April Salt was indeed Lemeia's proxy as he had anticipated, she would immediately seek out an available Mercenary Company and deploy them without delay. ‌‌
Sure enough, April Salt contacted the contract manager of an appropriate ‌‌‌‌Mercenary Company directly and succeeded in deploying them to the site with remarkable speed.
"It was a case of receiving help by accident. In truth, I didn't expect her to accomplish it so perfectly."
The imperial family had been inciting public opinion to revive slavery from the past.
To that end, the Empire had restricted external personnel within its borders, controlled related information, and revoked business licenses for labor brokers.
Of course, if one set their mind to it, nothing was impossible, but the fact remained that April Salt had ‌‌shortened what would have been a lengthy undertaking.
"To be honest, I was impressed as well. The fact that she even devised measures to employ the extremely poor... such thinking is impossible for someone who merely performs ceremonial work to pass the time. Fundamentally, her work acumen is exceptional."
In truth, Liam did not ‌‌‌‌want to acknowledge that April Salt, who sprawled in her room like a sloth every day, was ‌‌‌exceptional.
Whether it was a deranged joy in confinement or simple laziness.
Seeing her in a state that seemed unfavorable either way, he had even wondered if the conjecture that she was Lemeia's proxy was merely a simultaneous misconception shared by many people.
Yet when he directly witnessed April Salt's work performance with his own eyes, it was nothing short of breathtaking in its excellence.
The manner in which she handed over ‌‌‌duties to the Administrators was ‌‌‌efficient and flawless, so much so that he wanted to learn from her.
Had it not been for April Salt's characteristic expression of "please, just leave me alone," Liam would have long since asked her how she managed it all.
"Honestly... I wondered if perhaps, confined ‌‌as she always is in that corner room, she might be receiving advice from someone unseen."
"Are you receiving divine revelation or something?"
"If there's a god in a ‌‌‌corner room, sure." ‌
The Grand Duke laughed aloud at Liam's ‌‌blunt retort.
"In any case, the princess has proven her usefulness quite directly."
What sort of reward should I offer?
Kaian traced his smooth jawline with his index finger.
Generally speaking, proper etiquette would dictate ‌‌escorting the distinguished guest who had resolved the Grand Duchy's predicament safely back home under guard.
Unfortunately for April Salt, Kaian had long since discarded such courtesies and knew nothing of them.
Still, perhaps he could grant her one wish?
"It would be better to hear directly what she needs. Bring the princess."
"Understood, Your Highness."
Liam bowed his head.
* * *
After about four days, the Dam construction in the ‌‌‌Grand Duchy began running smoothly.
I had assumed that since the people of the Grand Duchy had safely returned to their livelihoods, they would no longer seek me out.
"The Grand Duke wishes to see you."
Liam came directly to ‌‌summon me, proving my assumption wrong.
"Ah, right ‌‌‌now?"
"Yes, he ‌wishes to see you immediately."
"But..."
I had just come back inside after spending a mere five minutes in the sunlight to prevent vitamin D deficiency, and had only just washed my feet.
I wish he'd come a little earlier.
"No matter."
At least I hadn't changed out ‌‌of my outdoor clothes into sleepwear, so that was something.
"Let's go."
Thump, thump.
I walked with oddly heavy steps into the Grand Duke's Study, which had now become familiar ‌‌‌‌to me.
"You've come."
The setting sun poured through the window, flooding the room with golden light.
Thinking it somewhat dazzling to look at him ‌‌directly, I greeted him politely.
"Hello. It's been a while. I hope you've been well?"
The Grand Duke made ‌‌‌a strange expression in response to my greeting, saying nothing.
Hmm, wasn't this right? Imperial etiquette shouldn't be that different, should it?
As I reflected on my words and actions, suddenly he burst into laughter.
"How amusing."
"...Pardon?"
"Last time you left after glaring at me, and now you come asking after my wellbeing."
"Ah."
Only then did I recall that my last conversation with the Grand Duke had been about that fraudulent contract.
But well. I had long since concluded that matter was in ‌‌‌the past and no longer my concern.
The Grand Duke seemed to share my sentiment, for ‌‌‌he swiftly changed the subject.
"You ‌‌resolved the Dam construction issue quite cleanly this time."
"Ah, thank you..."
"For someone who claimed to know nothing, I'd say that was exceptional ‌‌work. ‌‌What's the princess's opinion?"
I immediately pressed my lips together.
With the Grand Duke's information network, even if the ‌‌‌King ‌‌of Salt had gone to great lengths to conceal it, he would have certainly obtained intelligence about Lemeia's extraordinary intellect!
But before I could say anything, the Grand Duke continued.
"I mentioned it before. In The Empire, they impose ‌‌‌harsh punishments on liars. Do you remember?"
Harsh punishment—did that mean they'd tear a liar's mouth to shreds?
My liver shriveled to the size of a bean in an instant.
"I do remember... but why are ‌you bringing that up all of a sudden...?"
"Didn't I just say your work was exceptional?" ‌‌
"...?"
"I'm saying I'll let it slide. I won't press you about those circumstances. ‌‌Though discovering the truth later would be a separate ‌matter."
It wasn't bad news. At least it meant I wouldn't ‌‌‌face the ‌‌threat of having my mouth torn open.
Besides, even if he tried to uncover the truth later, they wouldn't discover I was a possessor even if they took an MRI of my brain, so it was irrelevant.
I nodded with a peculiar expression.
"Thank you. Then, may I take my leave?"
"No."
The Grand Duke lightly rejected my words with a smile.
"I still have business with you."
"Yes?"
Could this possibly be that development where a slave barely escapes hard labor, is forced to prove her abilities, then throws herself into another labor pit and works until she dies of old ‌‌‌age?
Feeling my future suddenly darken, I asked the Grand Duke with a gloomy expression.
"Is there... more ‌work?"
"Tell me if there's something you want."
Suddenly?
As I looked at the Grand Duke with a puzzled expression, he seemed to feel his explanation was ‌‌‌insufficient and added belatedly.
"Letting your lie slide is a kind of bonus. I want to pay you for helping the Grand Duchy with this matter. With whatever you desire."
Ordinarily, most people would probably ask to be released from the Grand Duchy.
But.
'Three meals a day. ‌‌Warm ‌‌‌water. I can sleep in a soft bed without any disturbance. I ‌‌‌don't have to do anything. And even when I do work, the work-life balance is this ‌‌‌good? I absolutely have to stay.'
From my perspective, there was no place more comfortable than here.
If I left the Grand Duchy and returned to Salt, only the repetition of the same slave life awaited me.
On top of that, if I was unlucky, I might have to board the doomed ‌‌‌‌‌royal family bus and face the fate of losing my head.
Rather than that, staying right beside the Grand Duke—who was already a powerful figure in the original story—was absolutely the better choice.
I looked at the Grand Duke once more.
His handsome face ‌‌‌‌‌shone with dazzling brilliance, and ‌‌‌his Pacific Ocean-like shoulders seemed sturdy enough to support dozens of heads like mine.
Looking at him again, the Grand Duke possessed everything—appearance, background, and a slightly unhinged ‌‌personality—making him truly the ‌‌‌material of a male lead.
'Isn't this an opportunity?'
In typical novels, characters like this cling to powerful men, and when asked to make a wish, they hastily agree to contractual marriages or betrothals.
Then love seeps in by chance, and they glide smoothly toward a happy ending. ‌‌‌
"Can I have anything?" ‌‌‌‌
"Anything except ‌‌‌‌a request to leave ‌‌‌this place."
At the Grand Duke's answer, I suddenly knew exactly what I wanted to say.
Yes. It was time for me ‌‌to become the protagonist of ‌‌‌my own life and finally live out all the dreams I'd cherished.
"W-well then..."
With firm resolve, I opened my mouth with a trembling heart.
"I want to live in a room filled with comic books!"

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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