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The Kidnapping of the Villain and the Villainess (Part 2)

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*****

It was the first time anyone had ever pointed that out to him.

It was his first time being rejected by a woman, and his first time having someone see right through him.

Naturally, it only made him all the more intrigued.

「To tell you the truth, Myy,」

Despite having only just woken up, she sat on the edge of the bed with beautiful posture, looking at him with a perfect lady’s smile. Zumiano responded in high spirits.

「I was planning to kidnap you from your prison cell after all your schemes were finished and take you away to the Empire.」

「...What are you talking about?」

Though she was clearly suspicious, her expression didn't falter for a second. This was Wellmy’s battle stance.

(I finally get to face her head-on.)

Feeling strangely sentimental, Zumiano continued.

「I mean, it’s never a good feeling when someone else breaks a toy you’ve spent so much time building, right?」

After all, that grand condemnation drama triggered by Wellmy’s accusations was her own creation.

「I think I actually like you, Myy. That’s why I was content just watching over you, but then that tactless Magus Lord Ormirage had to go and interfere. I felt quite sorry for you.」

Even if she were a criminal, once she was in the Empire, even that crafty old fox of a King could hardly lay a finger on her.

「I thought that once I’d rescued you, I’d make you my wife. It didn't seem like I’d ever get bored with you around, you know?」

At that, Wellmy’s smile deepened.

「My, it isn't so bad to be wanted like that.」

She must have been terrified after being suddenly abducted, yet she didn't let it show in the slightest. Zumiano liked that about her too.

「Right? So, why not switch from the Magus Lord to me? I won’t be cruel, and I won’t make you suffer. I think the conditions are quite favorable.」

「Favorable enough to rival the House of Marquis Ormirage?」

「Yes.」

(She really is wonderful.)

Zumiano truly believed that, in terms of practical benefits, he was an excellent catch. While his standing was technically below Eides’s due to the age difference, he could easily obtain whatever status he wanted if he felt like it.

However, she refused.

「I'm sorry, but right now, I happen to love Eides. Lord Zumiano, do you remember what I told you before?」

「Of course.」

「You haven't changed at all since then. In terms of status and how well you’d treat me, you’d probably provide exactly what Eides does if I chose you. But there is a definitive difference between you and him.」

「Heh. I’d love to hear it.」

Wellmy looked Zumiano straight in the eye, just as she had back then, and made her declaration.

「You would throw me away the moment you grew bored. Because you only think of yourself. But Eides won’t throw me away. Because he thinks of me.」

To Zumiano, that seemed like a trivial difference. But he could tell, in some vague way, that it was a monumental difference to Wellmy.

「Isn't putting in the effort to keep someone from getting bored an important part of spending a life together?」

「It is. And I have no intention of neglecting that effort. But even so, I prefer Eides, because he actually cares for me.」

「I see.」

Satisfied with that answer, Zumiano broke into a broad grin.

「Say, Myy. You’re angry with me for causing all this trouble, aren't you?」

Suddenly, her expression vanished. When a beauty wipes her face of emotion like that, the effect is incredibly imposing.

「Of course I am. And if you’re saying this is all because of me, then I'm even more furious.」

Zumiano nodded over and over, delighted that she had realized his intent.

The idea for this whole commotion had first come to him when Schizolda approached him for advice about Tsurgis.

『If a girl like Wellmy or Iola becomes Crown Prince Leonir’s fiancée, won't Tsurgis's feelings for Lady Dalistia never bear fruit?』

Zumiano hadn't really cared either way. But he thought it might be fun to devise a strategy to make Tsurgis "happy."

It wasn't that he disliked his childhood friends. It was just that their actions were so predictable it was boring. If helping them served as a way to kill time, he was happy to oblige, so he invited them on a trip to the Empire.

Tsurgis was seventeen, while Schizolda and Zumiano were both twenty. Schizolda already had a fiancée, but Tsurgis did not.

(Well, if the worst should happen, it’s better to have fewer people left behind to grieve.)

That was the sort of thought Zumiano, a lover of entertainment, had. After using perfume to nudge Schizolda’s thoughts toward spreading rumors that mocked Dalistia, he instructed him to also spread rumors about a magic tool that could control people.

Simultaneously, during the trip, he spread rumors of an impending civil war in Lionel to the Empire to see how much the Church valued the pink-haired Saint.

He gathered that the Empire was eager to get involved, while the Church was taking a wait-and-see approach with the Saint until her abilities could be verified.

In the meantime, it seemed Wellmy had started something fun of her own in league with Eides.

After putting the bracelet on Tsurgis and returning from the trip, he sought out a different rumor—the Saint candidate with pink hair he’d heard about in the Empire. He manipulated Seifahrt, a younger follower of his who was known for playing around with women, and set him on her.

He used the pressure of Tsurgis and his family to make it easier for Seifahrt to force a broken engagement. If he got bored of the game, he figured he could just clear up the misunderstanding and put things back to normal—or if the Saint entered the Church, he could just leave it be. It was all very casual.

But then, despite only intending for her to be a plaything, the girl named Teresalo turned out to have mastered a technique that was perfect for his needs.

It would scramble the information even more than the perfume, making it harder for anyone to track Zumiano. As a finishing touch, he waited for a moment when Wellmy was present and had Tsurgis call out to Leo.

As expected, Wellmy interfered.

(This is perfect.)

He knew Wellmy would notice his handiwork.

(Will you be able to reach me?)

It was a far more enjoyable game than facing opponents who offered no resistance. She had seen through his aim involving Lady Dalistia and had managed to settle the matter beautifully without causing an uproar.

Truly impressive.

Meanwhile, he simply ignored the fact that the Special Task Minister and Eides were hunting down his perfume and magic tool factories. He was the only one using them anyway, and he was the one who had leaked the false rumors about the Empire plotting a civil war.

To make the Empire believe they were actually involved, he had relayed the details of the "uprising" to them and placed a bracelet on one of their civil officials to have him handle the local arrangements.

He figured that if Wellmy and Eides defeated him, all of that would become their prize.

The crafty old fox of a King wouldn't miss a chance to tip the balance of power with the Empire in his favor, and their own reputations would soar.

The future of a Saint who broke a taboo.

The path of love for the criminal Tsurgis.

The movements of an Empire that interfered with another nation.

And the final destination of his own obsession with Wellmy.

Manipulating all of these things held the same level of value to Zumiano... which is to say, they were all nothing more than "interesting things" to kill the time.

*****

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