The Villainess Elizabetta (1)
The man with the most explosive temper among the citizens of the Valtaria Empire? Without hesitation, they would name the 17th Emperor of the Valtaria Empire.
Barbarosa Imperator Valtaria.
To his ministers and officials, he was an object of pure terror. To the knights and commoners, he was revered as a figure of dignity and respect.
His wild, lion-like golden mane. The long mustache that proudly displayed his arrogant pride. And the fierce scowl that announced his irritable personality.
“It feels like being hammered with nails into stone.”
That was the impression left by a foreign kingdom’s ambassador after his audience with the emperor. If even a foreign diplomat felt that way, one could only imagine the suffering of the ministers who had to attend him every single day.
Whenever they entered the imperial audience chamber, the ministers would let out sighs of resignation. The moment the session began, the emperor’s fiery wrath would descend upon them without fail. Because of this, every minister kept a resignation letter tucked away in their desk drawer, living each day on the edge of their seat.
“The Ministry of Public Safety and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have already submitted their reports… yet the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent nothing? I distinctly ordered it to be delivered before the audience began!”
“Your Majesty, the Foreign Minister has been dispatched to the northern territories. That is why the report is delayed.”
“How dare they make their emperor wait. What an impressive Foreign Ministry indeed.”
“W-we beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty!”
Barbarosa was the type to explode over the smallest matters. Lately, however, his already rough personality had grown even more vicious.
It had all begun with the broken engagement of his youngest daughter.
Just days ago, he had summoned every minister and flown into a rage. His temper had only worsened after engaging in a fierce battle of wills with his youngest daughter, Elizabetta, over her new betrothal.
A wise and benevolent ruler would never allow personal feelings to interfere with state affairs. Unfortunately, Barbarosa did not belong to that category. Though his excellent governance and overwhelming dignity had led the empire into a golden age, to his ministers and officials, he was nothing short of a living nightmare.
“Your Majesty, a personal letter has arrived from the Holy Kingdom.”
“A personal letter? That cunning rye-bread dares to send me correspondence?”
The term “rye-bread” was clearly a derogatory nickname for the current Holy Emperor, Boern the First. Since Boern hailed from the south, his skin was noticeably darker than most. Barbarosa often joked that he resembled the coarse rye bread favored by commoners.
The ministers shrank their shoulders in fear that the Holy Kingdom might somehow hear the emperor’s reckless remark.
“They wish to dispatch an envoy to the imperial territories? It seems their own backsides are on fire as well.”
The letter, written in elegant calligraphy, announced that the Holy Kingdom would send a delegation to track the whereabouts of the Saintess who had gone missing within Valtaria’s borders. The leader of this delegation was none other than the First Saintess herself.
Upon reading it, Barbarosa’s brow furrowed into a terrifying scowl.
The disappearance of the Saintess Party. It must have been a bolt from the blue for the Holy Kingdom as well. Especially since Beatrice, who had vanished without a trace, was not only the representative Saintess of the Holy Kingdom but also the adopted daughter of the Holy Emperor himself.
Even the usually stoic bishops would have roared in outrage the moment they received the news, demanding the Saintess be found at once.
“Those damnable fools are causing everyone a world of trouble,” Barbarosa muttered as he tossed the personal letter onto the table.
“I approve the Holy Kingdom’s proposal. In addition, instruct the other kingdoms connected to the Saintess Party to send their own delegations as well.”
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
This was no longer solely the Valtaria Empire’s problem. The Gael Holy Kingdom. The Kingdom of Jisterd. The Kingdom of Alond. The Duchy of Savoia. Every nation involved was watching the situation with bated breath.
That was why Barbarosa had accepted the Holy Emperor’s request. It was time for all parties connected to the Saintess Party to cooperate. Moreover, close coordination was essential to respond to the countless threats emerging from the Saintess Party’s disappearance.
“Your Majesty.”
“What is it now? Can you not leave me in peace for even a moment?”
One of the ministers who had been waiting to deliver his report spoke up. Barbarosa answered in an irritated tone.
“The princess who had gone down to the eastern territories has just returned.”
“Ludmilla is coming back!”
True to his dual reputation as both a stubborn mule and a hopeless daughter-obsessed fool, Barbarosa’s face instantly bloomed into a wide, radiant smile the moment he heard his daughter was returning from the east. The change was so extreme it was almost comical.
The ministers breathed a collective sigh of relief at the good news from the east. For a brief moment, their worries had been lifted.
“And… it is said that the second son of House Hohenberg is accompanying her.”
“What? Hohenberg…?”
Had it been the child of any other family, he would have clapped his hands and loudly declared, “My daughter has finally brought home a man!” and ordered his subjects to prepare a grand banquet. After all, he sincerely hoped Ludmilla would marry before she turned thirty.
Unfortunately, the guest his daughter was bringing home belonged to House Hohenberg.
The detestable bastards who had made his pure-hearted youngest daughter shed tears of blood. The children of his mortal enemies—people he would gladly crush without a second thought. A murderous aura surged violently within him.
What face did they have to show up in the imperial capital?
The enraged emperor let out a monstrous roar and swept every document off the table in one furious motion.
If one were to ask what represented the perfect fusion of magic and technology, nine out of ten people would choose the magic-powered locomotive.
The magic engine, powered by top-grade magic stones, was nothing short of a masterpiece created by the combined genius of mages and inventors. The magic-engine train that ran on this power was the greatest means of transportation in the Valtaria Empire, racing freely across the entire continent from east to west, north to south.
“A train! A super super super big one! And you can’t even see the end of it!”
The girl with lime-green hair, carrying a bag like an elementary schooler, shouted with excitement. To her, it must have looked like an entirely different world. The numerous trains stopped along the platform were truly magnificent.
Oooooooong—
A vast amount of mana flowed from the engine compartment, producing a strange vibrating sound. They were likely charging the engine with mana. I didn’t know the exact mechanics. Both in my previous life and this one, I had always been a liberal arts guy.
“I’m glad you’re so happy about it.”
Ludmilla smiled warmly as she watched Lue bounce around like an excited puppy. It seemed the initial awkwardness between them had finally melted away. The golden-haired princess now treated the bold little fairy like a younger sister.
On the other hand, Lue still seemed intimidated by Ludmilla. Whenever the princess reached out her hand, Lue would scuttle sideways like a crab trying to escape.
“Do you also wield a sword? Well, as a son of a prestigious family, I suppose you must have learned swordsmanship for self-defense.”
“Well… it’s nothing more than an imitation.”
Ludmilla gave me a slightly awkward, bitter smile as she noticed how Lue still feared her. Then she turned to me, walking beside her, and asked about the sword at my waist. The purple silk-wrapped hilt had apparently caught her interest.
“It’s the holy sword my brother once forced upon me. Since I’ve left House Hohenberg… I figured I should at least carry it around and pretend to be a knight, however poorly.”
“It suits you quite well.”
The protruding hilt boasted an elegant, almost decorative beauty. Of course it did. This was one of the Four Holy Swords of Demon Eradication, after all.
Aldebaran, the Yellow Star. It was the very weapon that the Hero Maximilian—having received four holy swords from the Holy Kingdom—had forcibly shoved onto his younger brother.
Because that damn brother of mine had arbitrarily acknowledged me as its master, I had no choice but to carry Aldebaran with me. If I traveled too far away, the holy sword would simply chase after its owner.
I’ll return it the moment I meet a priest from the Holy Kingdom. Who knows what kind of disaster might befall me later if I keep it.
If its true identity were revealed, it would undoubtedly cause an enormous uproar. Why did I always have to shoulder these burdens? I wanted to put a bullet right between that expressionless bastard’s eyes.
“When was the last time you visited the imperial capital?”
“Hmm… It must have been about six months ago.”
Although distant, House Hohenberg’s county was connected to the imperial capital—the heart of the empire—by railway. The journey took roughly five days. Thanks to the magic-engine train, traveling to the capital wasn’t particularly difficult.
As we walked toward the train stopped at the platform, I engaged in light conversation with Ludmilla. Fortunately, it seemed to satisfy the princess. A bright, crescent-moon smile bloomed on her beautiful lips.
For a moment, my face flushed at the sight of such a peerlessly beautiful woman smiling. Even I couldn’t help but be affected.
“For this journey, I have reserved an entire train. It should make for a very comfortable trip to the capital.”
“Pardon?”
“It is only proper to treat honored guests with due respect. We cannot afford to be stingy. The Valtaria Imperial Family is never miserly when it comes to guests.”
……
I had heard of chartering entire passenger ships for travel, but this was the first time I had ever seen someone rent an entire twenty-car magic train. As expected of the imperial family. Their spending habits completely defied common sense.
Even House Hohenberg, which proudly claimed to be the greatest noble family in the east, would never dare dream of such extravagance. For all her calm demeanor, Ludmilla was surprisingly bold when it came to spending money. Any man who married her would likely have to contend with an absolutely monstrous expenditure ledger. How pitiful.
“When we arrive at the capital, a great crowd will come out to welcome the guest from the east. Just as House Hohenberg welcomed the guest from the capital.”
“…I’ll consider it fortunate if I don’t get beaten to a pulp instead.”
We had become enemies of the imperial family. The central nobles would surely look down on House Hohenberg for tarnishing the imperial honor. A thorny path lay ahead. The moment I set foot in the capital, I would be met with countless hostile gazes.
For now, I had no choice but to rely on Ludmilla’s protection. After all, she was the benefactor who had shielded House Hohenberg from the Valtaria Imperial Family’s attempt to pin the blame for the broken engagement on us. So I decided to trust her.
Although the magic-engine train, an exclusive privilege of the upper class, boasted luxurious and comfortable amenities, long journeys still proved exhausting for passengers. Five whole days. Being confined to a limited space was bound to feel suffocating.
But for me, those five days passed in the blink of an eye. I spent the entire time pondering how I would survive in the capital, a place now brimming with hostility toward me.
“Safe travels!”
When the train finally pulled into the platform at the imperial capital, the staff opened the doors and announced the final stop. We had arrived.
As I stepped off the train, I saw a massive crowd. They were likely here to welcome the princess who had returned from the east. Naturally, most of them had absolutely no connection to House Hohenberg. Every eye in the crowd was fixed solely on Ludmilla.
No one’s going to welcome a country bumpkin like me, I thought as I quietly descended the platform alongside the short-statured fairy.
That was when a woman with dazzling golden hair approached us with a businesslike smile. The moment I met her sharp, cat-like eyes, my entire body froze.
I had encountered a connection that had now become a bitter enmity.
“Edanant.”
A fierce yet haughty voice seized my mind. For a moment, I felt dizzy at the sight of her breathtaking beauty—as if pure platinum had been forged into human form. How could I possibly not recognize her?
The Third Princess.
Elizabetta von Valtaria.
The former fiancée of the Hero Maximilian.
The villainess who appeared in The White Blessing of the Lady.
I had come face to face with the villainess who hated House Hohenberg more than anyone else in the world. Since I was completely unprepared, the moment I saw the princess, my body stiffened instantly.