The Villainous Noblewoman Is About to Be Forced into Love, Isn’t This Wrong?

"Grand Princess Mepeilu..." Just as Ruth was about to continue speaking, a woman in a silver gown appeared before them, interrupting her.

She bowed respectfully to Mepeilu. "Grand Princess Mepeilu, Lady Liana is already waiting for you in her room."

Ruth looked at the woman before her and felt a suffocating pressure.

Mepeilu’s Guardian Knight, one of the Ten Judges of Lisat Kingdom, and ranked third among the Six Royal Knights—Minoja, known for her dazzling swordsmanship and mesmerizing presence.

"Apologies, Countess Ruth, but I have matters to attend to," Mepeilu said with a hint of regret.

"No worries. Grand Princess Mepeilu always comes first. We’ll have plenty of time to chat later," Ruth replied smoothly.

"Then please, enjoy the banquet, Countess Ruth. I’ll take my leave now."

"Hmm." Ruth nodded.

As Minoja walked past Ruth, she only glanced at her briefly—but even that was enough to make Ruth’s back break out in a cold sweat.

"The successor to the Lisat throne will be chosen by its people. There’s no need for you to concern yourself with that."

The Judges of the Kingdom were sworn to protect the successors of Lisat. Anyone who posed even the slightest threat to them would be mercilessly eliminated. It was the King’s decree.

Only after they left did Ruth dare to take a deep breath.

"That useless Nael! She couldn’t even keep an eye on one person!"

But this wasn’t entirely Nael’s fault.

Because Liana had, in fact, gone straight to her room after leaving the ballroom.

"I say, is it really necessary for you to keep following me?" Liana said, sounding irritated as she glanced at Nael behind her.

"Aren’t we just taking a walk? And since you’re heading back, there’s no conflict, is there?" Nael wouldn’t feel at ease until she saw Liana enter her room.

Liana narrowed her eyes. "I get the feeling you’re deliberately stalling me. Are you trying to keep me from doing something?"

"Of course not."

Liana opened her door. "Since you’re already here, why not come in and take a look?"

"No need." Nael shook her head rapidly. She didn’t care what was inside—she just needed to see Liana return to her room.

"How dull." Liana shrugged, then pulled Loraviel inside and shut the door.

But the moment the door closed, something felt off.

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Liana lifted her gaze—and saw a white-clad figure seated in her chair.

"It’s been a while, Lady Liana," Minoja said casually, flipping through a book on the desk. "I didn’t expect you to be reading things like this now."@@novelbin@@

"Even for a Judge, casually entering someone else’s room isn’t exactly proper behavior."

"Hm?" Minoja turned slightly, crossing her legs—her graceful posture outlining an elegant, ivory silhouette. "And this girl beside you—your new maid?"

"That’s none of your concern. Get out. I’m going to rest."

To be honest, Liana was utterly panicking.

Minoja. A Royal Knight of the Kingdom. If she even hinted at betraying Lisat, Minoja would execute her on the spot.

Her very title—Judge—meant she had the right to pass judgment. In some ways, her authority was nearly equal to that of the King.

"Rest?" Minoja leaned back in the chair, gazing at the ceiling as if deep in thought.

Liana stood rooted in place, watching her warily.

"There’s no need to be so tense," Minoja said with an amused smile. "As long as you haven’t done anything too outrageous, I won’t lay a finger on you."

"What could I possibly have done?"

"Who knows?" Minoja stood up and stepped toward her. "Come with me for a bit, Lady Liana."

"Liana..." Loraviel moved to stand in front of her.

"Do you know the punishment for obstructing a Judge?" Minoja’s hand rested on the hilt of her sword.

If she wished, with a single motion, Loraviel would be dead on the floor.

"Loraviel, stand down," Liana commanded.

"Oh? Are you protecting her? That’s rare." Minoja looked intrigued.

"Don’t get the wrong idea. I just don’t want any unnecessary incidents." Liana pulled Loraviel behind her. "I’ll go with you. Stay in the room and wait for me."

"Let’s go then, Lady Liana." Minoja placed a hand on Liana’s shoulder, and in the next instant, a teleportation circle formed beneath their feet.

A teleportation spell sent Liana into another room.

This place was familiar—it was the guest chamber where Mepeilu used to stay when she visited the Venus estate.

When they were children, the two of them used to sleep together in this very room.

But in recent years, Mepeilu had come less and less often, and the room had been left vacant. Though the servants still maintained it, no one stayed here anymore.

"What do you want?" Liana asked.

At that moment, Mepeilu pulled out a small bottle.

"Lady Liana, you should recognize this, shouldn’t you?"

"What is it?"

"Playing dumb won’t help you now, Lady Liana. If you don’t start talking—"

The next second, a razor-sharp blade pressed against Liana’s throat.

"Even if you are the Duke’s daughter, I won’t hesitate to kill you."

"...Fine."

There was no time to hesitate. Liana had no choice but to tell the truth—though she slightly modified some details.

As she finished, she noticed Minoja’s clenched fist. She was clearly furious.

"Why didn’t you tell the Grand Princess from the start?"

"You actually believe me?" Liana was surprised. After all, she’d been playing the innocent fool for quite a while now.

"..." Minoja looked momentarily awkward but quickly composed herself. "I can tell you’ve been taking this forbidden drug for a long time. And Countess Ruth—I’ve investigated her. She’s meticulous, but there’s still something off about her."

"If you tell Mepeilu everything, she won’t be able to handle it," Liana’s mind raced.

"The one person she wanted to protect the most—only to learn that, under her protection, they had been suffering in inhumane conditions. If she finds out the truth, she might act irrationally."

Minoja nodded. Liana understood Mepeilu all too well.

"That’s why," Liana said, "I want you to help me stage a play. I want to see if Mepeilu can discover the truth on her own."