Celebrity Lady

Chapter 96

Chapter 96The translation up to the final chapter (Chapter 158) has been completed; you can purchase them to read in advance. Pledging via Ko-fi for a cheaper bundle is still available. If you're unsure what it is about, please visit our Ko-fi page for details or reach out to us via Discord.

Upon hearing the villain’s words, everyone inside the carriage was startled.

And then...

“I-I-Impo-ssible! Th-the v-villain, th-they’re trying to h-harm the l-lady!”

As Sienna stumbled through her feeble lines with her eyes tightly shut, Rebecca and I exchanged a surprised glance.

I quickly covered Sienna’s mouth and whispered, “Are you crazy, Sienna? Just stay quiet.” What a pitiful acting performance this is.

Although momentarily taken aback by the bomb Sienna threw, I regained my composure and turned to the guards outside the window, questioning them. “Hey, what on earth is happening?”

“My lady, a suspicious person has appeared. It seems they’re targeting carriages traveling along this mountain road, likely thieves.”

“What?”

“Fortunately, it seems to be only one person, so please don’t worry. We’ll handle it soon.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

Slightly concerned by the self-assured tone of the guards, I glanced briefly at the villain.

‘Is this even possible?’

It was clear that apart from the dagger, they had no other weapons. With just their own body and facing ten armed guards, how did they plan to confront them?

However, my suspicion quickly turned into astonishment.

Snap.

Crack.

The villain’s movements were beyond anything I could comprehend with my eyes.

Without even drawing their swords, the two guards at the front were struck precisely in vital points and fell unconscious.

The villain didn’t even remove the dagger from its sheath. They seemed sincere in not wanting to shed blood, instead using the blunt handle to subdue their opponents.

‘What is this?’

An otherworldly skill that incapacitated without leaving a single mark. With my mouth agape, I pressed my cheek against the window and marveled at the astonishing movements of the masked figure.

While the guards who followed closely behind the carriage managed to draw their swords at least.

‘...Is this really a human?’

Standing before the masked figure who seemed to have transcended the realm of humanity was meaningless. Like facing a child with a toy sword, they incapacitated each guard individually.

Neck, instep, temple...

Taking advantage of the gaps in their armor, they struck with precision, aiming for vital points. With just one precise strike, each guard fell, gasping for breath. It took less than a minute to subdue each person.

Gulp.

My saliva went down involuntarily. It felt like watching a meticulously choreographed fantasy martial arts movie as if it were computer-generated imagery (CG).

“Hmm, I think that takes care of everyone.”

The masked figure, who inspected the fallen guards on the ground, then proceeded to pat the rumps of the horses they rode on, one by one.

“Go up carefully.”

Just as the guards fell silently, like water flowing gently, the horses seemed unaware of what had happened. They obediently retraced their steps, returning up the path they had come down.

‘Now I understand a bit.’

I finally realized as I watched the masked figure relaxing their body with composure.

‘Lark’s blond-haired aide, Ren.’

I finally understood why the 2nd Prince, in my previous life, had wanted to eliminate him first.

Ren, who had come closer, lowered the window, and our eyes met, sending shivers down my spine. Our first encounter. My body involuntarily trembled as his crimson and sharp eyes passed over me.

A fearsome and remarkable individual. That was the first impression I had of Ren.

‘It’s ironic that someone like him, who seems invulnerable, died so easily in my previous life.’

“Yes, Father.”

“Haah, hoo.” Breathing became difficult. Leonard, with a stiff and constricted chest, exhaled heavily with effort. “Rubette...”

“Nothing will happen to her. I will absolutely bring her back safely. Don’t worry.”

“...”

“Hey, please support Father back to his room.”

Upon Viego’s command, Leonard was handed over to the servants’ hands. His staggering steps continued precariously.

As he returned to his room, a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time echoed in Leonard’s mind.

“Heheh, fortunately, our daughter takes after me a bit. Viego and Victor look just like you.”

His wife, who had left without even being able to hold their beautiful daughter in her arms for a few years.

Even in her dying moments, emaciated and unrecognizable on her sickbed, she worried about their four-year-old Rubette. And yet, Leonard, caught up in the pain of their separation for so long, hadn’t been able to take care of their daughter, and now...

“Aaaahhh!!!”

The sight of Leonard screaming in front of the door made the two servants supporting him tremble.

At that moment,

[...Dad, Dad, Dad~!]

Leonard froze in place.

[Dad, can you hear me? What should I do? Maybe he’s not in the room right now.]

A tree imbued with the protection of the spirit Florinus. Only near Leonard’s room, and only audible to Leonard, Rubette’s voice could be heard.

“Go.”

Shoving aside the two servants, Leonard hastily entered his room and closed the door. Then he ran to the window. Beyond the slightly open window, a thick branch swayed.

“What are you- Where are you right now?”

[Dad! Phew, I surprised you, didn’t I? To cut to the chase, I’m perfectly fine, so don’t worry.]

“Are you in Lubon?”

[No, it’s not the tree planted in Lubon. His Highness the Crown Prince made a cute potted plant for me this time.]

...The Crown Prince!

As his name was mentioned, Leonard’s face contorted with anger.

“That damn brat!”

[...]

He had a hunch.

After receiving the marriage proposal from the imperial family, the crown prince had personally come to the ducal residence. He had claimed that it was an arbitrary decision made by the imperial family and told them not to be concerned before leaving.

‘Something seemed off when he sent such a threatening marriage proposal and then gave up so quickly.’

To go to such lengths...

“Tell me right away where he is. I’ll kill that bastard today.”

[Daddy, calm down. And please soften your tone a little for now. Even though only the two of us can hear each other’s voices...]

“...”

[The person who made this is the crown prince, so if he’s close by, um, he can hear Daddy’s voice. From the moment you said “That damn brat”, he’s been listening to everything beside me...]

“...”

[Huh? Why? It’s okay? No, it’s not. Daddy, anyway, from now on, please speak a little more gently.]

“Listen well, you son of a bitch. Bring my daughter back immediately. Before I tear you to shreds.”

Silence came as Leonard chanted quietly.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m