Chapter 4
The Male Lead Went Crazy for the Troublesome Villainess — Episode 4
On the twenty-fifth day of my confinement in the attic, I was released. Back in my room, I bathed and changed into fresh clothes. It was goodbye to the clothes I had soaked with sweat every day, washed, and worn again on repeat.
For the past twenty-five days, I had devoted myself entirely to exercise. Thanks to that, my muscles were still underdeveloped, but they had become fairly firm. Running a hand over them, I thought I might actually miss that place a little.
"I can at least manage running now, right?"
This body was not ready to handle the swords or guns I had used in my old life. On top of that, this world had nothing but swords and arrows.
Tch. If I'd come in my old body, I might've been able to take down every monster out there.
What a shame.
I'd have to keep training and build up my strength going forward. Still, I felt like I should at least carry a dagger.
"My lady, His Grace the Duke is asking for you."
I nodded. The long, flowing dress I was wearing for the first time in a while felt terribly awkward. It was clearly styled to the Duke's taste. In Rosana's memories that had seeped into me, the Duke was a relentless control freak.
He forced his own tastes on his daughters and tried to control them as he pleased.
Rosana's insistence on dresses and her obnoxious behavior throughout that long expedition must have come from that same compulsion. The moment we leave, I'm tossing that dress straight in the trash.
"Can I go in now?"
"Yes, my lady."
Let's hear what nonsense he has to say this time.
I entered the study where the Duke was waiting. It looked no different from the scene I'd seen right before being locked in the attic.
"You seem to have managed well, Rosana. You look like you've put on more weight."
The Duke remarked sharply.
It's not fat, it's muscle. But there was no need to provoke the Duke right now.
"I will focus on managing my weight going forward, Father."
I tossed him the answer he wanted, and the Duke nodded.
"Yes, considering what lies ahead, you should. Tomorrow you will attend the Golden Lily inauguration ceremony. Use any means necessary to secure a place at the Crown Prince's side. Who knows whether that bastard will actually succeed and return."
The Duke gave a nasty smile.
"Stay by his side throughout the expedition. Do whatever it takes to draw his attention. Well, even getting pregnant would do."
You lowlife piece of shit.
No, seriously, how could someone like that be a father? Poor Rosana.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Yes, Father. As you said, I'll dress up prettily and stay right by the Crown Prince's side."
I answered flatly. The Duke nodded in satisfaction.
"Good, Rosana. I'll try trusting you."
Beyond that, the Duke rattled off a long list of nagging remarks, but not a single one was useful.
Well, from how to seduce the Crown Prince, to the kind of clothes men like, to not neglecting my figure even at the expedition site, to a warning not to associate with lowly people.
I endured that torturous stretch by belting out the national anthem in my head.
Hey, mister. You're the lowest and crudest one here.
* * *
The imperial palace's grand plaza was packed with people, and the sight was impressive. People seemed to have flocked from all over the empire to watch the Golden Lily Expedition's inauguration ceremony.
And with good reason, since the fate of the empire rested on the Golden Lily Expedition.
If the expedition succeeded and safely recovered the holy relic, they would be able to defeat the monsters. If not, the odds of becoming food for the giant wyverns would rise. Even now, the southern region was suffering from monsters attacking civilian homes.
The Emperor on the massive platform, and the nobles lined up below him.
In front of them, the expedition that would set out today stretched in a long line. At a rough glance, there looked to be about a hundred people. There were knights and mercenaries, but there were also plenty of nobles like me who had been pushed forward as their family's so-called representative.
The sky was ashen, and a cold wind was howling. Well, the weather suits this ruined world perfectly.
I stood at one side of the plaza wearing a dress embroidered with the Ardena family crest and the imperial crest side by side. I was conspicuous among all the armored figures.
That insane Duke. Because he threw a fit insisting I wear a dress the Crown Prince would like, I ended up like this.
At least the dress was voluminous enough to hide the leather pouches I had prepared. The pouches were stuffed full of jewels I had secretly taken from the mansion. It was a shame I couldn't bring more.
I had cleaned out my dressing room and even the Duke's dressing room, but I really regretted not being able to raid the wardrobes of my two siblings.
I wasn't afraid of getting caught. I was leaving anyway.
"Ugh, this is so heavy it's killing me. How am I supposed to fight in this? It'd be perfect for getting torn up by monster teeth."
I muttered while touching the dress. With all the lace and frills, I looked exactly like a wedding cake.
I can't believe people wear this kind of thing on a regular basis. I'd love to put it on the Duke. The other noble lady standing beside me stared at me with a pale face.
"M-m-monster teeth?"
The lady was trembling all over. But she wasn't the only one like that. They were all clutching swords and wearing armor, but every one of them was someone who had never properly held a sword in their life. There were even young ladies who looked like children, so there was no need to say more.
Most of the people the nobles had sent to represent their houses were there so their families could say they had participated—people they treated as spare lives for their heirs.
The lady trembling right now was surely one of those sacrificial lambs. Cases where a mercenary or someone with sword experience had been adopted into a family and sent in were actually the better ones.
"Ah, don't worry. You won't die. Our expedition will succeed."
I meant it. According to the novel, success was guaranteed. I clenched my fist as I spoke.
"So be brave. You've got this!"
"H-how can you be s-so c-certain? Lady Rosana, did you h-hear s-something?"
I didn't hear it; I read it myself. But that wasn't something I could explain. I quietly shook my head.
"It's not that, but....... We have to go believing we'll succeed. We're not going there to die, right? Anyway, I should look into iron ore prices when we pass through the northern region."
The first destination was the north.
If my memory was right, the north was rich in iron ore. If I could get my hands on just a few mines, I'd make a fortune. But I didn't have nearly enough funds to buy up everything in sight. Still, fortunately, this was around the time mines and land would come on the market at bargain prices.
Actually, buying gemstone mines would be better than iron ore. The farther south you went, the more gemstone mines there were.
"Good."
Pleased with my perfect plan, I nodded, and the lady asked with a blank expression.
"......Huh? What did you just say?"
Bwoooooo—
Right then, the sound of trumpets rang out.
It was the signal that the Emperor had arrived. Next, Kael, the Crown Prince and expedition commander, climbed onto the platform in black armor. The armor flashed in the sunlight breaking through the clouds.
Wow, he really does look like a male lead.
The plaza went silent in an instant. Everyone stared at him without even daring to breathe.
Kael looked around the plaza from the platform, and I felt his gaze stop on me.
What, why is he looking? No, I'd look too if I were him. Look at the state of my outfit right now. For some reason, it felt like Kael was looking at me with contempt.
"People of the Empire!"
The Emperor's booming voice echoed across the plaza. At least he's got a good voice. But he's a corrupt emperor too.
"Today we depart bearing the fate of the Empire! To protect this land from the threat of monsters! To defend human dignity! To protect our families!"
Crying broke out among the crowd. They must have been people sending their families off to the battlefield. Seeing them made each beat of my heart feel heavier.
'Let's survive and come back, no matter what!'
My chest swelled with emotion. I had been deployed on countless operations before, but this kind of tension was a first. Back then, I had faced humans and disasters; this time, it was monsters.
One wrong move and my whole body could get sliced apart. Sweat pooled in my palms.
Whether my preparations were insufficient, what else I needed to do, what would happen from here on. Just thinking about those things made my head feel like it would burst.
No. You just have to do your part. The male lead and female lead will handle everything. I pictured myself surviving to the end and living large.