Holy Power for a Villainess? - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

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“Miss, you look so….”

Anne seemed deeply moved by the appearance she had worked so hard to create for me. Just looking at those brown eyes brimming with tears made that obvious.

“So, so adorable….”

I had been half-asleep the entire time Anne was dressing me up, so I had no idea what I currently looked like.

‘Her reaction is that intense?’

Tilting my head in confusion, I stepped toward the mirror.

And the moment I saw my reflection, I couldn’t help sucking in a huge gasp.

“Th-this is too….”

‘Too cute!’

The upper half of my hair had been divided into two buns on either side, while the rest flowed straight down neatly brushed.

Between the strands were thin silver-white threads woven with tiny jewels, giving off an almost mystical feeling.

‘Anne really put a lot of thought into this.’

The placement of the silver threads and the overall hairstyle clearly showed just how much effort Anne had poured into it.

Suddenly, I felt ashamed of myself for ever thinking her careful touch was bothersome.

“Anne… sowwy….”

“Hm? What did you just say?”

“It’s nuffing.”

Anne tilted her head before shifting her gaze to my dress.

“Miss! Look at this dress! It’s made with layers of thin, soft fabric. And look at this tiny pink ribbon around the waist—it’s so adorable…! This dress was absolutely made just for you!”

“Mhm… thank you….”

As I awkwardly smiled under the flood of compliments, Anne bent down to meet my eyes.

“Miss, you truly look like a fairy.”

“Okay, stop already….”

As I tried to turn my burning face away in embarrassment, Anne smiled softly.

“I mean it. I’m not lying. At today’s banquet, you’ll be the prettiest one there. You’re so adorable that no one could possibly resist falling for you.”

Anne smoothed out the wrinkles in my skirt that I had crumpled while fidgeting with my fingers.

“So, Miss, you should do everything you want today. Don’t pay attention to anyone else!”

‘Ah….’

Only then did I finally see Anne’s true expression.

Behind the happiness, excitement, and pride on her face were worry, concern… and sadness.

“Anyone would have no choice but to love you, Miss.”

Anne gathered those briefly exposed emotions back behind a smile.

“Please return safely, Miss.”

Watching her smile while giving a tiny wave, I swallowed back the emotions rising in my throat and nodded.

“Okay. Anne, I’ll be back.”

Then I turned away from Anne, who was still crouched down on the floor, and left the room.

---

When I went downstairs, Heinox, Chedman, and Renzard were already waiting in front of the carriage.

“…You’re late.”

“Sowwy….”

“Get in.”

Heinox lifted me into the carriage before climbing in himself and shutting the door.

“Huh? Aren’t da others coming too?”

As I looked around for Chedman and Renzard, Heinox tilted his head slightly.

“Yes. Only you and I will ride in this carriage. Renzard and Chedman will follow behind in another one.”

“Okayyy….”

After nodding, my short legs dangled uselessly above the floor from the seat.

After that, Heinox and I sat silently, simply staring out the window.

Then, when enormous white walls occasionally began passing outside, Heinox suddenly spoke first.

“Are you nervous?”

“Nervous?”

Honestly, saying I wasn’t nervous would be a lie.

This was Roxina’s first time going outside officially.

I worried about making some mistake and earning everyone’s hostility.

But compared to the social life I’d survived in my previous life…

‘At least my mental resilience got pretty strong because of it.’

So I smiled brightly and answered,

“Not at all!”

Heinox stared at me for a moment before letting out a faint chuckle.

“That’s good.”

---

“Roxina. Wake up.”

I opened my eyes at the feeling of someone gently tapping my shoulder.

Still half-asleep and struggling against the lingering drowsiness, I barely managed to wake up before the carriage came to a stop.

Soon, the carriage door opened, and an elderly man dressed in a perfectly tailored suit bowed respectfully to Heinox.

“I greet the head of House Tanzeric.”

But despite the old man’s polite greeting—despite him clearly being much older—Heinox frowned immediately.

“D-Duke….”

Only then did I fully wake up.

I had spoken because I thought, How rude can you be to someone that old?

But it seemed Heinox had interpreted my words very differently.

With an even colder expression than before, Heinox addressed the elderly man.

“Butler. It seems you failed to notice my daughter. Has old age finally taken your eyesight as well? Perhaps it’s time you retired.”

I was honestly amazed by Heinox’s terrible personality as he casually stabbed at the pride of a man who looked at least thirty years older than him.

‘Th-that lunatic….’

Just as I was about to stop Heinox before he said something even worse, the butler bowed deeply.

Completely at a ninety-degree angle.

“My sincerest apologies, Your Grace. It seems this old man has become too slow to grasp situations in his old age.”

Then he stepped one pace closer to the carriage.

“Young Lady, would you be willing to forgive my mistake?”

“Ah… y-yes! Of course! Please stand up quickly!”

Startled, I waved both hands frantically.

The butler bowed even deeper.

“Thank you for your forgiveness.”

“I said it’s okay, so please stand up already….”

I simply couldn’t bear watching someone old enough to be my grandfather bowing like that before me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and waved my hands even faster.

But Heinox misunderstood even that gesture and coldly scolded the butler in a voice like winter frost.

“You’re making her uncomfortable. Step back.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

‘Ah….’

I stared at the unbelievable scene with my mouth hanging open.

“H-He really told an old grandpa to get farther away….”

I was still trapped in shock, but Heinox didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

Watching his shameless expression, I finally decided to simply give up.

‘Yeah. Would anything change even if I complained? Forget it. Thinking I could ever change that personality is just stupid.’

Right as I was nearing enlightenment through sheer resignation, Heinox held out his hand toward me.

“Hold on while getting down. The carriage is high.”

I carefully took his hand and stepped down from the carriage.

And when I finally reached the last step and lifted my head—

I couldn’t help gasping at the unreal sight before me.

“Woooow….”

Golden borders wound across the white walls like growing vines.

The palace itself shimmered entirely in white and gold, while vivid orange daisies and yellow tulips lined the path all the way to the palace gates.

As I stood there quietly admiring the palace, Renzard approached me from the carriage that had arrived behind us.

“You’ve… never seen the Imperial Palace before, right?”

“Yeah.”

Since I answered absentmindedly while still looking around, Renzard didn’t continue the conversation.

Soon after, Heinox—who had been speaking with Chedman nearby—walked over and said,

“Let’s go inside.”

---

The servants standing before the banquet hall stiffened the moment they saw Heinox.

After he handed them the invitation and gave a slight nod, one servant shouted loudly:

“The Protector of the Empire, Duke Tanzeric, has arrived!”

The massive doors opened, and dazzling golden light poured out from within.

When I briefly shut my eyes against the brightness and opened them again—

More than fifty pairs of eyes were staring directly at me.

‘Ah….’

Those probing gazes followed my every step.

The persistent scrutiny felt as though they were searching desperately for even the tiniest weakness, and a heavy pressure slowly began crushing me.

‘I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal….’

Receiving the focused attention of so many people—especially hostile attention—was far harder than I’d expected.

‘I want to escape.’

I wanted to hide somewhere those people couldn’t see me.

Roxina had done nothing wrong, and yet despite meeting me for the first time, their hostility was painfully obvious.

Before I realized it, my body gradually shrank inward.

And then I heard faint laughter.

“So that’s the Duke’s daughter? She’s nothing special.”

“I heard she’s ignored even inside her own estate.”

“With what dignity did she come here? How shameless….”

“She’s already calculating everything at such a young age.”

One speculative remark after another spread through the crowd.

Even though they knew nothing about me, they spoke as though they understood everything.

Maybe that’s true. I heard that too.

All their words carried that same tone.

None of them claimed ownership of the gossip—they all pretended they were merely repeating what someone else had said.

That was how they avoided responsibility.

‘How annoying.’

I hated people like this the most.

People who refused to take responsibility and instead pushed blame onto others.

‘Hypocrites.’

They were hypocrites.

People who thought themselves enlightened while exploiting other people’s guilt.

They weren’t whispering because they thought I couldn’t hear them.

They simply enjoyed pretending to whisper while carefully watching my reaction.

They deliberately adjusted their voices so the insults would barely carry—just enough to tear me down while making it difficult for anyone to openly criticize them for it.

‘Whether in my previous life or this one.’

Back then, when I worked from the bottom of society, I experienced things like this countless times.

But back then, I couldn’t fight back.

I was too busy just trying to survive.

‘But now things are different.’

A few words from me wouldn’t destroy the livelihood of a ducal house.

If anything, they would end up in an awkward position instead.

Still, it was too early for that.

If I caused trouble without yet understanding exactly what kind of interest Heinox had in me, getting thrown out of the family would become a real possibility.

So for now, I had to endure it.

Yeah.

As I repeatedly inhaled and exhaled deeply, loud trumpet blasts suddenly rang out and the doors at the back of the central hall opened.

“Ah….”

The slicked-back pomade hairstyle, violet eyes, and that unmistakably arrogant expression—

It was exactly how the Emperor had been described in the original story.

Lifting his chin proudly, he looked around in satisfaction as the nobles bowed before him.

“You all know why I have gathered you here today.”

At the Emperor’s words, I felt the nobles glancing subtly between Heinox and me.

“I thank you all for attending this celebration banquet honoring Duke Tanzeric’s victory.”

The Emperor’s calm gaze slowly turned toward us.

“And Duke Tanzeric’s daughter has joined us as well. I heard her health was frail, so I do hope attending this banquet was not too difficult for her.”

‘If you were so concerned, then maybe don’t summon me here in the first place.’

Seriously, what the hell?

So this was the Emperor?

‘He’s unbelievably sly….’

If he hadn’t summoned me, I wouldn’t have had to stand here facing all this hostility.

In truth, nobody here failed to realize that I was the real focus of the banquet.

‘Everyone already knows the rumors that I recovered from my illness. If I hadn’t attended, they would’ve spread even more gossip.’

I honestly wanted to shout, “Then why hold this banquet if you’re supposedly worried?!”

But I endured it.

‘Still, he’s the Emperor. He probably didn’t call me here for no reason. Heinox said it too—if you’re born a Tanzeric, you’ll meet the Emperor eventually.’

As I thought that, Heinox stepped forward toward the platform.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

“Duke Tanzeric! I was truly astonished by your achievements during this campaign. I heard you crushed the principality that had thrown the Empire’s frontlines into chaos. Remarkable! Truly remarkable!”

Despite the Emperor’s loud praise, Heinox merely maintained a faint smile.

“And thus, I intend to award you a medal.”

“It is more than I deserve.”

“Nonsense. How could a medal be excessive for the man who punished the criminals threatening the Empire?”

The Emperor gestured toward the chamberlain standing quietly behind him.

The chamberlain carried a dark blue velvet case.

Taking the case himself, the Emperor rose from his throne.

“Hear me well. I, Alfredo Philitium, ruler of the Luent Empire, hereby declare—”

Every noble in the hall placed their right hand over their left chest and bowed.

‘D-Do I do it too?’

As I awkwardly looked around, unsure what to do, Chedman mouthed words toward me while keeping his head lowered.

‘Bow.’

I nodded in understanding and lowered my head like everyone else.

“To Heinox Tanzeric, head of House Tanzeric, I award the Reklephion Medal, symbol of trust!”

‘Reklephion?!’

At the familiar word, I jerked my gaze upward in shock and looked toward the Emperor from the corner of my eye.

‘The Reklephion Medal—that’s the medal Roxina handed over to the Empress in the original story!’

The reason the Reklephion Medal was so special was because it functioned as a pardon.

No matter what crime you committed, it would forgive you once.

‘To destroy House Tanzeric because they stood in the First Prince’s path to the throne, the Empress manipulated Roxina into bringing her that medal. She promised Roxina marriage to the First Prince in return.’

Afterward, the Empress framed House Tanzeric for treason, leading directly to the family’s downfall.

‘So that’s the medal.’

If House Tanzeric had possessed that medal, they would never have fallen so easily.

My eyes sharpened.

‘The best outcome would be never needing it. But you never know what might happen.’

The Empress—or other nobles—might target House Tanzeric again someday.

‘The same tragedy from the original story must never happen.’

There was no way I’d just watch someone steal away what should belong to me.

If this family collapsed, I’d collapse along with it.

So that medal—

‘I absolutely will not let anyone take it.’