A Villainess Should Be Strong

Everything was seemingly going well. Sierra was progressing with time, Estelle fixed her easiest problems first, the researches were advancing steadily, and everything was stable.

In this short time, Sierra had begun to relax around the entourage once more. Although the side she showed previously was faked in order to fulfill her plans, it didn't meant that the real Sierra was completely rotten.

She was, after all, still a child. A child's personality could change drastically without any actual complications.

Sierra was the product of such behavior. Upon realizing that perhaps she did not need to resort to unholy methods and could just be patient and grow out her power in normal ways, she settled down.

It took her days to cope with the fact that her results were probably not going to show up in one year or two. After all, she wanted to get stronger as fast as possible, and the offer she had received from Duke Alfonso provided her with exactly that as her pay.

She had constant doubts about her choice. She felt like she would be able to skyrocket her talent better with Duke Alfonso and the magician behind him.

However, there was a scene that caused her to stop thinking that way.

Once, Heine brought an extremely sick monster specimen to the mansion. Of course, the monster was tightly bound by restrictions that caused it to be unable to attack them.

Heine brought it for Estelle to see, but there was another reason behind it.

To dispel Sierra's unjust thoughts. This was a solution provided by him, who thought that Sierra was still young- she had room to fix her mindset.

Indeed, that mindset was fixed. At least the one towards her occasional lean toward Duke Alfonso's offer.

Sierra had a shaky judgement, but it was strengthened by Heine's self-made play.

"This might be Duke Alfonso's new plans. To create an even more horrible monster. This animosity is sickening," Those were Heine's words.

The monster was unlike the previous ones she had seen before. This one's skin was pitch black, and sharp horns protruded everywhere. Its features were no longer recognizable. You couldn't tell which one was the arm, the feet, or the tail.

Its eyes were like crystal beads, the creepy kind. Its mouth drooled a strange, greenish, thick liquid.

Sierra was mortified by this bizarre existence.

It was then that Sierra realized just who she associated herself with in the previous year.

Just by standing near the monster, she received immense discomfort. The monster was highly poisoned with Black Magic. As a Witch who was sensitive to magic energies, she couldn't stand being in such close proximities with the creature and puked within minutes.

The use of Black Magic to an extreme degree.

This creature was the very proof of Duke Alfonso- no, his backer's growing atrocities.

Whoever it was, their mastery of Black Magic must be very high, to an almost impossible level.

Sierra realized it. There was no way this 'quick method' of gaining power would be safe. Just coming in close quarters with the specimen.

She even started to imagine that she would be turned into a 'specimen', as she was a Witch with high potential according to Estelle.

A man who didn't mind creating creatures like this and disposing it casually to the world, to what extent could he go in the future?

The offer that once seemed dazzling to Sierra was now a forbidden thing, something she did not wish to remember again.

Indeed, anything that was too good to be true couldn't be trusted.

He needed to be stopped.

However, Duke Alfonso wasn't an easy opponent.

After further investigations, they might have discovered what caused the King to grimace at Duke Alfonso's loss years prior to the current time.

In the trial, the King seemed to be agitated at the Clareste household's perfect rebuttal to the claims.

However, this was an unforeseeable deed. Duke Alfonso was part of the Liberal faction, whereas the King was, obviously, in the Royal faction.

It was strange for him to want to support Duke Alfonso, even though the trial allowed him to be on the attacking position for two targets.

It wasn't like Alan was the only one who could be made into a target.

It was also weird that Duke Alfonso's matters wasn't investigated clearly. If they were still enemies, news of royal troops storming into Duke Alfonso's home should've been heard by now.

It was as if the King himself helped to cover up Duke Alfonso's secret experiments.

This was able to be explained by the Four Dukes' titles. The Clareste family was one of the title holders, but it wasn't conferred by the current King, but rather given to Alan's grandfather by the previous King.

The first Clareste Duke wasn't someone who was directly related to the royal family, rather his achievements were that great to guarantee a Duke title.

Other Dukes and Grand Dukes, and even some lower-ranked nobles, in contrast, had relations to the royalties in terms of bloodline.

If you traced back Duke Alfonso's origins and bloodline, there was a strong connection with the previous Queen- The current King's mother.

The King was an insecure person despite of how he acted around his subjects. In closed quarters, he would frequently berate and say harsh words to those who failed his orders or didn't obey him properly.

He liked to be in control, and he liked to be obeyed. The [Ruler] title was something he obtained through being Alynthi's King, and he was very proud of it.

Everyone could be a [Ruler] once pressed onto the throne officially, but not everyone was suited to be a Ruler.

This was the case in the current King of Alynthi. He was not fit to be a Ruler.

To think that he would even stoop down so low as to cooperate with someone from the Liberal faction just to satisfy his ego was mind-blowing.

Going by that information, many things could be inferred.

Of course, the King would prefer the four titles be held by someone who pleased him. Perhaps Duke Alfonso spoke sweet words and enticed the King with the proof of his bloodline and many other offers, just like how he did with Sierra.

Although Duke Alfonso himself wasn't that trustworthy of a man, he was a more suitable subject than Alan, who was righteous and had an unbending will in his work.

The King wasn't innocent either, so Duke Alfonso who was able to perform petty tricks and schemes to benefit the nobles more, with the cost of the people's harm was more profitable to the King.

Duke Clareste, in contrast, didn't come from a direct noble bloodline and was upright in his deeds, protecting his territory's people and making them flourish wholeheartedly.

The King also disliked Alan's personality in the court summons he attended in the past. It could be said that he disliked the entire Clareste Dukedom as a whole.

Now, there was a high chance that the scheming evil man is waiting for the perfect moment to take down the Clareste name and snag one of the Four Territorial Dukes title for himself in one swoop.

With the King's aid, it was possible to turn the tides against Clareste, but that would be foolish of him.

His image in the people's eyes was a decent King. Although some of his lies were indeed caught by the people's ears, they weren't serious crimes. The heinous deeds were covered up.

However, with time, their plans will grow.

Into a huge disaster that might affect the whole world.

Estelle stumbled upon this hard dilemma and couldn't think up of a solution to save her life.

The time of her departure was nearing too, but this new monster deviation that emerged out of nowhere made her reconsider.

Every matter that was now in her hands was important to her.

How was she supposed to approach this sensitive matter?

Assassinate Duke Alfonso? The Black magician behind him, who until now is still unknown would still live.

He would escape, and the monster problem wouldn't be solved.

Duke Alfonso's death would also create a huge uproar.

Tousling her hair in frustration, she sat down in a gloomy mood.

The current Sierra's power would be a valuable asset, but only for the future.

Her current power was unstable.

For example, she wasn't able to tell specific details. When she found out about Estelle's journey to the Underworld, she only understood that the girl was a 'Princess' and that the Underworld was a mirror to the Surface.

She wouldn't be able to find out about the magician.

"Who the hell is this magician?" Estelle grumbled.

"What magician?" Heine arrived, dropping from the sky and landing gently on the grassy ground.

"..Heine," Estelle pouted.

"Hello there," Heine smirked, grabbing Estelle's right palm and giving it a gentle, fluttering kiss.