The Crazy Villainess in This Area Is Me

“…Merilly’s physical condition…?”

Endimion was greatly shaken by the shocking story. But there was no one here to hold him.

Magorit gasped, her lips curled up like a fool, and Lobelia looked at her pitifully.

“Lia. No, Lobelia.”

“Or ask Roseni.”

“…What?”

The white gaze turned towards her.

Lobelia continued her words by pressing under her eyes with the handkerchief Frinel had given her. “She abused someone else’s child and made her own child carry the burden.”

Then she stood up and slowly approached Magorit.

Magorit didn’t expect that Lobelia would reveal the truth right away, and she was just shaking her head.

“You didn’t even have the qualifications to be a mother.”

The emerald eyes glistened.

Magorit shook her head vigorously, feeling her heart pounding. The more she was pushed to the corner, the more she had to come to her senses.

“It’s a lie. That woman is out of her mind right now. You know, you know it too…!”

“Quiet. Magorit.”

Endimion glared at her fiercely. He called her ‘Magorit’ not ‘Mari,’ which was her nickname. Since their first introduction when they were children, he had never called her like that, moreover, with those looks.

Was he a man who could make facial expressions like that?

All of this was because of Lobelia. A thousand fires shot up in her heart. However, Magorit hurriedly uttered an excuse, struggling to suppress her emotions.  “Y-You know. Merilly’s body is weak.”

She approached Endimion, completely ignoring Lobelia standing in front of her. Then she desperately grabbed both his arms and spoke calmly, as if she was very sorry about this situation. “…Yes. I… I’ll admit it. I did some work. But it wasn’t abuse. Everything I did was for Merilly.”

“It was for Merilly?”

“Yes! Now you’re finally listening to me. You know, right? I’m talking about the virtual syncretism!”

 Frinel, who was quietly listening to the conversation, raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard the words ‘virtual syncretism.’

‘Virtual syncretism’ is a new religion that has just been created, created by old priests who want the Shinsu clan to return… It was literally heresy. They used to make stones and holy water and sell them for a lot of money, claiming that they had holy powers. That’s what they said to their members.

“I just fed her with the sacred stone sold there and threatened her with holy water. She was only slightly injured in the process. Why would I touch Merilly? And if I had abused that child, would Merilly have stayed silent all this time?”

As they listened to her a little bit, Magorit uttered her words like a storm.

Endimion closed his mouth slightly as if in agony. However, there was no way Lobelia would stay still in this situation.

“Then why did you strangle me?”

“…What?”

“When I tried to question you about the abuse, you strangled me. If it was literally for Merilly’s sake, why did you strangle me?”

She came close to her again, just as she had pressed Magorit.

“You were the one who held my ha—!”

It was when she screamed at Lobelia.

“Stop that mouth.”

A low voice cut off her words.

“Shut up, Marchioness.”

It was Frinel who interrupted her. As much as possible, he tried to support Lobelia as she wished. But it felt like a pig squealing, so he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

Regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners, those who abused children couldn’t be considered human.

As he listened to Magorit, the image of Patricia, who had abused him, flashed through his mind.

If it was him when he was young, he might have tried to get out of this place with a pale complexion. But it was different now. He had changed and grown stronger. And he had to become even stronger to protect his precious people.

He squeezed his trembling fingertips hard. “No, I don’t even want to call you as marchioness.”

“…Your Royal Highness.”

“Cowardly, the excuses of scumbags who abuse children are all the same.”

Frinel smiled coldly and added his words. “It was for them… That’s what they said.” He spoke relaxedly, but his face gradually cast a dark shadow.

Lobelia looked at him with such a stare. Because she hadn’t heard the details of his situation, she couldn’t accurately guess how Frinel was feeling. However, she knew better than anyone how painful he must have been and how sad the soul of the former empress must have been as she had to watch her son from heaven.

“You torment them emotionally and hurt them physically… How can that be called ‘action for the child’?”

“…Sometimes you have to overcome the pain.”

“A seven-year-old child?”

Her lips, which continued to refute, finally closed.

Just in time, Frinel’s eyes caught sight of a small piece of trash that had just fallen on the floor. He sneered and muttered quietly. “Trash.”

“…I must have heard it wrong, Your Royal Highness.”

Magorit asked back in a trembling voice as if she couldn’t quite believe what she had heard. However, Frinel responded calmly without even blinking.

“Ah, there’s trash over there.”

Then he slightly winked in Lobelia’s direction. She seemed to hold back what seemed like laughter.  

It was time to drive a wedge.

“Marquis.”

“…Yes…” Endimion sighed, unable to hide his confusion.

Lobelia looked straight at him and cried. “You’re really too much.”

“…Lobelia.”

“How could you not know your beloved child was being abused?”

There was no excuse. It couldn’t be confirmed immediately whether it was true that Magorit fed sacred stone to the child. Still, seeing Magorit say that, it seemed like the scars on Merilly’s body were real.

When he couldn’t answer easily, Lobelia cried her eyes out as if she were overwhelmed emotionally.

“How lonely she must have been. How painful it must be…!”

“

Lobelia.”

“Even the other child was trying hard to hide that fact just because it was her mother.”

Endimion brushed Lobelia’s tears with a sad face.

“What kind of pain that child must have gone through? What are you going to do with all these sins? Huh?”

“…I will pay it back in the future. Don’t worry. Now that’s something you’re worried about—”

“How on earth could I trust you?’

“

Lobelia. Please don’t say that.” He shook his head, looking as if he were about to cry. “I feel like my heart is being torn apart.”

However, it was only cold and sharp words that returned to Endimion.

“I’ll take my child and leave.”

“Lobelia…!” He held her hand tightly as if to never let that happen. Endimion seemed ready to kneel down at any moment.

“Don’t do that. If you do that… it’s the same as you’re going to kill me….” Finally, tears that had been filling up in Endimion’s eyes flowed down.

It was a ridiculous situation for Lobelia and Magorit, but no one opened their mouths. The two women’s different thoughts filled the silent room with silence. Magorit was wondering how on earth this happened. She was trying to find an excuse, and Lobelia was calculating in her mind. It was to find the perfect time to get what she wanted.

Finally, Lobelia slowly parted her lips. “Marquis.”

“…Yes.”

“Do you love me?”

“Of course… How long have I searched for you… I can’t lose you again…”

“Then…” Lobelia’s fingers slowly turned towards Magorit. “Give me the power to keep that woman in check from now on.”

“Power…?”

“It sounds funny to say it’s power, but it’s literally it. Do you think you can entrust the management of this mansion to a woman like that?”

“That’s… Okay. I’ll admit it. I can’t leave it to her.”

“Endimion!” Magorit hurriedly screamed, but her protest didn’t make any change.

“I suggest this to Marquis. I won’t leave this house. Instead, with the status of your official concubine…”

From Lobelia’s words, Magorit was able to understand why she immediately revealed the facts of her abuse.