Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Aira, the Flower of Evil #5
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“Ughhh...”
In the flower bed of the palace garden, the contents of my stomach came pouring out in an instant.
Anyone who saw me would have called it utterly disgraceful, but with the banquet in full swing right now, no one in the palace would pay any mind to me out back.
I had deliberately chosen a secluded spot to puke, after all.
“Wow, you really are pathetic. You’re puking after just that? Even the greenhorn barbarians have more guts than you.”
Ah—talk about a jumpscare.
I nearly leaped up like a cat spotting a cucumber.
Having someone speak up from behind me was the last thing I expected.
Startled, I shoved aside the alcohol haze and whipped my head around.
There stood Elga in a red dress. Her hair tied back, she approached me slowly, offering a handkerchief.
“Here you go.”
“I’m fine. I have my own handkerchief—”
“......”
When I refused her kindness, Elga’s face crumpled.
For a split second, my right eye throbbed. The scar on my right eye was starting to ache again, as if recalling old wounds.
“Take it already. You know I hate repeating myself three times, right? That’s two.”
Under her persistent urging, I reluctantly took the handkerchief from her hand and wiped my mouth.
Her showing me kindness? It only made me uneasy and sour, but what could I do?
Ah—this must be how others felt around me. If Taeo suddenly tried being nice to someone, they probably felt this way.
Like, what’s this jerk scheming?
Naturally, they’d refuse.
I’d understood it intellectually, but feeling it firsthand was a whole different level of unpleasant.
Reflecting on my own past behavior, I rinsed my mouth at the nearby fountain. After wiping my mouth clean with the handkerchief, I bowed politely with due decorum.
“I’ll wash this properly and return it to you.”
I didn’t want to owe Elga anything—or let her think she had leverage over me. Should I just say we should stay out of each other’s way?
Elga and I were polar opposites. Just seeing her reminded me of the scary alleyway big sisters from my childhood who always stole my money.
“You’re so cold, Taeo. Have you been living too easy without your big sis around lately? Getting cocky, huh? How’ve you been?”
Elga’s hand slid smoothly across the nape of my neck.
And that voice of hers—so soft and even kind, utterly unlike the commanding warrior who’d just been barking orders on the battlefield.
But the blood scent clinging to her hands never faded.
I subtly dodged her fingers trying to tug my earlobe and put some distance between us.
“Just the same as always. With wise and enlightened Queen Aira ruling the realm, there are no issues. The people are happy—”
“Hey, hey, that’s not what I asked. Lost your touch after so long? Head over here. Let me flick your forehead.”
Elga’s hand reached out toward me as I tried to widen the gap.
She’d just reached adulthood like Aira, but she treated me—who was a few years older—like her personal errand boy.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”
I turned to slip past her and escape this awkward encounter.
“Oh ho, Taeo. I’m going out of my way to be nice for once, and you insult me like this?”
But apparently, that didn’t sit well. The somewhat affectionate expression she’d been forcing twisted with various emotions.
“Fine, whatever. You’re still hung up on that old crap, huh.”
Her voice lost its feigned kindness, reverting to the sharp tone of a battle-hardened woman. Honestly, that was easier to deal with, so it worked in my favor.
“Old crap?”
“To you, I’m just that—your scar. I said I was sorry, didn’t I? Aira always picked the prettiest, best things from me and took them. Had to leave a mark so you’d remember it was stolen.”
“......”
“Even then, she still took it in the end. That bitch Aira—because of her, I’m always second fiddle.”
“Any more insolence toward Her Majesty—”
“Fuck—! That damn queen, queen!”
Elga bellowed, startling me for real. As I widened my eyes, she rummaged in her bosom and spoke.
“Since when do you baby Aira like that? So, what, you two actually doing it or something?”
“Doing what?”
At my question, Elga glanced around before pulling a manaweed cigar from her bosom.
Manaweed—this world’s equivalent of cigarettes, a luxury nobles enjoyed.
She snapped her fingers with a crackle, igniting a magical flame, took a deep drag, and exhaled white smoke scented with apple.
“I’ve got ears, you know? You and Aira. Rumors flying around the court that you’re... involved...? Is it true...?”
What? I thought it was something else. Relaxing, I answered nonchalantly.
“You know better than anyone it’s not. No point explaining.”
“Yeah, figured. That’s why Aira’s still on the throne. Whatever. So nothing happened, huh.”
Fucking nobles—always spreading bullshit rumors. Elga tossed the cigar to the ground and crushed the embers roughly with her shoe.
“More importantly, Taeo. Being alone like this brings back memories. It’s been a while—wanna do that thing? Don’t refuse. This isn’t a request; it’s an order.”
Damn her.
Was she threatening me?
“Now, stand in front of me and close your eyes. Just like before. You’ve served Aira well, so this is your reward.”
Reward, my ass.
Torture, more like.
Still, I slowly closed my eyes. Refusing Elga could lead to who-knows-what.
She was a pro at killing and tormenting people like no other.
Eyes shut, the world spun. This is why I hate booze.
Then I felt Elga’s apple scent waft right up to my face. Something soft touched my lips, then something slick and warm thrust into my mouth.
It was Elga’s tongue.
“Slurp, slurrrrrp. Don’t bite my tongue. Or else, mmmph, slurp, you’ll get punished.”
“......”
“Slurp, schluuurp, slurrrp, haa, hah, slurp.”
Her tongue mercilessly toyed with the inside of my mouth and throat. After a moment, she pulled her head back slightly, her face flushed, and said,
“How’s that? Feels so good you’re going crazy, right? Aira never does this for you.”
Honestly? As much as I hated to admit it, it felt good.
If only not for that bitter manaweed aftertaste.
No idea why she always does this right after smoking. My throat burned like hell, and I don’t even smoke.
*Cough*, *cough*.
Elga burst into laughter as I hacked away, like it was the funniest thing.
She gets off on others’ suffering.
Pervert.
“This isn’t enough, right? Huh?”
As I stayed silent, Elga backed me against the wall and kissed me again.
Breathing ragged, she pinned my shoulders to block any escape.
“Phaaa, slurrrp, hnn. Hah, how’s that? Good, right? Huh?”
Frankly, Elga was like a hormonal middle-schooler—all enthusiasm, no mood or finesse, just clumsily ravaging my mouth.
It felt good in its own raw way, but being on the receiving end like this didn’t suit my temperament.
So instead of just opening my mouth, I pushed back, thrusting my tongue into hers.
*Slurp*.
“Mm?! Hnnngh—?! Hyyaaah!?”
Elga jolted back in genuine shock. Didn’t expect me to fight back, huh?
“W-who told you to move your tongue? I said stay still, didn’t I? You think my words are a joke?”
Elga was pissed now, babbling about whether I’d dare if it was Aira’s order, or if she wasn’t queen so I was ignoring her.
Anyone could see it by now.
Elga harbored a subtle inferiority complex toward Angmar’s current queen, Aira. She compared everything to her, psyching herself up to outdo her.
Tormenting me was probably her way of venting that resentment.
Always overshadowed by Aira’s shadow, she took it out on me, Aira’s servant. That was my read on Elga von Liones.
“Anyway, don’t ever do anything I didn’t tell you to. Got it? Huh?”
Elga wiped the saliva from her mouth with her dress sleeve.
Her blue eyes darted anxiously side to side, unstable for a while—then she seemed to remember something and let out a short “Ah.”
*Rustle*.
From the deep plunge of her dress’s neckline, she pulled out a small badge or emblem-like object.
“What’s that?”
“Something the barbarians who summoned demons had. Felt off, so I took it. Thought maybe you’d know.”
The badge she handed me was warm from the heat of her bosom.
Even a cold-hearted girl has warm skin there, huh. Shaking off the idle thought, I examined it.
“Finely crafted, but the burn marks are too severe. Can’t make it out.”
“This was the least damaged one I grabbed. Quit whining.”
Whining? Harsh words.
But looking closer, I got it. The lingering char smell and indelible blood scent on the scorched badge.
It painted a vague picture of the perilous frontlines Elga and her soldiers had endured.
Fighting southern barbarians who ripped out sacrifice hearts for some sun god demon—must’ve been hellish.
Fortunately, even in this life, I’d never witnessed war firsthand. That was thanks to frontline warriors like Elga shedding blood.
She had every right to tell a desk-jockey like me—who played with numbers in a comfy palace—not to whine.
“Anyway, it’s too sophisticated for those Kukulzar rainforest barbarians. If they had several, it’s no coincidence.”
I could ask the pigeonhole parliamentarian I’d planted in the moderates faction, but this girl had probably axed that option. Annoying.
“I’ll look into it.”
“Yeah. So, where’s the next expedition? You egged Aira on to send me out again, right? Admit it.”
Sharp as ever, Elga. But you need that edge for frontier field command.
I pocketed the badge and gave a vague reply.
“You just returned from expedition, so rest in the capital for now. Recover, get any wounds treated—”
Belmont’s execution had been stopped, snuffing out the rebellion’s spark. But embers might still smolder somewhere.
Keeping a major force like Elga and her Liones guards near the palace was wise all around.
Her quick return had unexpectedly helped. Half grateful, half snarky, I told her,
“Better late than never, but glad you returned safely from the expedition.”
“...What? You think I rushed back for your sappy greeting? Ugh, whatever. Booze wore off. I’m out—keep sulking here!”
*Whoosh*.
Finally losing interest, Elga turned and strode back toward the banquet hall without a backward glance. Comes uninvited, torments me, leaves on a whim.
Now I could finally relax a bit—when, after putting some distance, she muttered softly in an uncharacteristic voice, not even turning.
“Hey, Taeo.”
“More to say?”
“What if—back at Aira’s birthday a year ago, I hadn’t dragged you to the palace—”
A year ago. Right, a year ago.
I recalled the exact moment I’d transmigrated into this character.
That memory was unforgettable. Waking up behind iron bars, thinking I’d been kidnapped.
Realizing I’d entered the novel came a week later, when I heard the name Elga von Liones at the market buying a slave to pour drinks.
I didn’t want to dwell on it, so I furrowed my brow—and Elga cut it short with “Never mind,” heading back to the banquet as if nothing happened.
“What was that? Kinda anticlimactic.”
Time to clock out. Felt like overtime. Is this what after-work drinks with the boss feel like?
I left the palace and returned to my private residence on Monarch City’s central street. Mansion in name only—a modest house with two rooms.
Quiet neighborhood away from the slums, easy commute to the palace. That’s it for perks.
Rumors painted me living in a grand mansion with a basement vault piled high with gold bars.
Truth was, I had little greed for material things.
Having lots of gold might tempt someone to kill me for it.
Aira handled most supplies and security anyway, so no need for me to hoard karma that could get me killed.
But the rumors were half-right.
My plain house hid a custom underground vault beneath the living room carpet. One hell of a safe no one else could open.
Confirming no one around, I opened the secret door under the carpet and descended to the basement.
Inside the vault: enough gold bars to last years comfortably, and far more valuable—scrolls.
Scrolls.
Yes, scrolls.
For the first time in a while, I unrolled one and read the contents.
『After Belmont’s execution: Rebellion. Dawn Society rises using Belmont’s slush funds from the frontiers.』
What was written there was none other than the plot of the novel, *Villain Hunter*.
Before I forgot, I’d jotted down the major events. More valuable than any treasure I owned.
“Belmont execution: Done. Dawn Society: Handled for now.”
I marked an X next to the items like checking off a list. So, what’s next on the timeline?
My eyes scrolled further down, reading slowly.
『Hero appears.』
Shit.
I hurriedly rolled up the scroll before anyone saw.