The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 8
A refreshing morning.
The early morning sunlight gently entering through the old window was a welcome sight.
“Ugh.”
Creak.
An old man slowly lifted himself from the bed. As the days went by, there wasn’t a single part of his body that didn’t ache, from his back to his joints. He needed to see his only precious grandson got married before he died, but he was unsure if his body would hold out until then.
With these thoughts, he changed his clothes. The cold air in the room was sharp. Today was chilly, so it looked like he would need to dress more warmly.
This was his birthplace and a place with almost no contact with the outside world, Rubid. This small village might not have anything grand or extraordinary like the big cities, but it was always peaceful and constant. Even when he recalled his childhood memories, there wasn’t much difference from now.
The only thing that changed was the people. The buildings and nature remained the same.
Birds began to chirp outside. Listening to their sweet sounds, he started another leisurely day…
“Chief, Chief⎯⎯! Come out quickly! It’s urgent! Hurry, hurry.”
Thump, thump, thump.
A man knocked on the door vigorously, calling for him. The sudden noise startled him enough to momentarily straighten his bent back. He patted his back with his fist and opened the door.
“What is it? You say it’s urgent?”
The young man standing at the door was out of breath, as if he had run from afar. He continued speaking in between his gasps for air.
“Huff, huff. Well, there’s this splendid carriage that has appeared, and they’re asking for the highest authority in the village. We tried to handle it ourselves since it’s early in the morning, but they just won’t listen…”
“Wait, wait. You’re speaking too incoherently for this old man to follow. So, someone has come to the village…?”
The young man exhaled deeply and frowned. Why would such a high-ranking noble suddenly appear and stir up this quiet village? The young man was clearly flustered by the situation.
He kept repeating that there was no time and they needed to hurry, while pulling on the chief’s hand. But the chief couldn’t just leave without knowing the situation. He insisted on at least knowing which noble family the visitor was from, shaking his head.
“Ah, how frustrating. We need to go quickly! Do you know how much trouble the villagers are having right now?”
“No, listen here. I at least need to know which family’s person it is so I can speak.”
The young man made a distressed face. There was no time to waste, but he couldn’t argue endlessly.
“Schugenharz!”
The man urged the chief.
“Yes, yes, the son of the Schugenharz family is here in our village!”
“What…? Wait, whose descendant did you say?”
Upon hearing that name, it was as if his long-neglected brain suddenly sprang to life with a jolt. Even though he was largely ignorant of outside news, he knew that name. It was one of the few noble families he knew, second only to the imperial family of the Trojan Empire.
The son of such a prestigious family had come to this rural village. Why? For what reason? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a plausible explanation.
Though filled with questions, he knew what he needed to do first.
“Oh, let’s hurry!”
Fortunately, his busy legs remembered how to run. He ran up the sloped hill on his thin legs, panting heavily.
***
“What a shabby village.”
Rubid village looked so regressed that it seemed as if the word <development> was buried as fertilizer. This was my honest impression, accustomed as I was to grand mansions and big cities.
The so-called village chief could only bow his head without any reaction to my words. I thought this place was full of people who didn’t even know the emperor’s name, but surprisingly, the influence of Schugenharz extended even to this remote village.
“Y-yes, exactly as you said. Our village of Rubid has nothing to boast about except its natural surroundings.”
“That nature is included in my comment.”
“Ah….”
I wasn’t expecting grand mountains or impressive rock formations, but even the nature this man spoke of was nothing noteworthy. It could be called charmingly simple, but it didn’t catch my eye.
“… excuse me… Sir.”
The hesitant chief’s demeanor was far from pleasant, but I nodded to allow him to speak.
“May I ask… why the esteemed descendant of Schugenharz has graced our humble village with your presence?”
“You may not.”
“Yes?”
Were all commoners like this? His reaction was so similar to Alicia’s that it was uncanny.
The chief looked up with a foolish expression.
“I said, you have no need to know.”
“I… I see. I apologize for my impertinence….”
“I’ll be staying here for a few days, so provide me with the best room. Ah, as the chief, your room must be the best.”
“… yes, understood. If my humble quarters suffice, I will have them cleaned immediately.”
The chief’s eyebrows twitched momentarily.
Don’t make such an ugly face. I wasn’t a thug who was going to give you nothing in return.
Thunk.
I dropped a bundle filled with thin silver coins onto the ground, and it made a satisfying sound. The chief peeked at it from the corner of his eye.
“Open it and check. I’ve put in enough to be fair.”
The chief cautiously unwrapped the ornate bundle, as if he was handling a suspicious object. Carefully, he peeked inside.
“Is, is this… all for us?!”
His eyes widened, and his hands trembled as he held the bundle of silver coins.
Yes, it seemed commoners’ reactions were all similar.
I put in an amount equivalent to the best inn in the city of Rhodes. This should be more than enough for staying in this small village.
“If you don’t want it, I can give you only a part of it.”
“I will clean the room immediately. Please wait just a moment!”
“Forget the room cleaning. Get me some sheep. Fresh ones, too.”
“Sheep, you mean livestock? Understood! I will prepare some very lively ones right away.”
The chief’s busy day had begun.
***
“It’s a small but charming village. Although Master frowned as soon as we got off the carriage, I quite liked it.”
Paula looked at Alicia with eyes that expected a response. But Alicia, with unfocused eyes, just stared ahead without replying.
“… Miss Alicia? Why are you so dazed?”
“…”
“Miss Alicia?”
“Huh? Oh! I’m sorry, teacher.”
“Come to think of it, your hometown was in the countryside, right? Are you feeling nostalgic?”
“Yes….”
The already harvested fields showed the stubs left behind. Black, manure-like substances were scattered on the golden stalks. Next to them, a low stone wall, made of piled-up square stones, stretched out.
It seemed quite old, with traces of time everywhere.
“Hey? There’s someone over there.”
Paula pointed towards the stone wall. Alicia’s gaze naturally followed.
A glimpse of brown hair. Though trying to hide, the long hair peeking out suggested otherwise.
Crunch, crunch.
Alicia approached the wall. The children, startled that someone was approaching, lifted their heads and blinked.
Two little girls, smaller than the low stone wall. Judging by their appearance and height, they seemed to be sisters.
The older one blocked the younger one and spoke, trying to ward off Alicia.
“It’s our first time seeing an outsider… so… we didn’t mean to do anything bad!”
The girl’s voice trembled. Despite being overcome by fear, she stood protectively in front of someone smaller than herself, not moving an inch.
Alicia, with clear eyes, looked at the girls. Realizing she was intimidating them; she made a gesture.
She grasped the ends of her skirt with both hands and slightly pushed her right foot back. She then bowed her head gracefully.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Alicia.”
Her movement was graceful and clean. Alicia had learned not only magic and swordsmanship from Vargan, but also etiquette.
The girl blinked again. Her big eyelids fluttered rapidly. Her terrified facial muscles began to relax, and she spoke in a high-pitched voice.
“You look like a princess!”
The girl’s eyes sparkled. Like a child seeing snow for the first time, she shivered with amazement.
“A princess? Are you a princess? Did you come from the castle? Why? Why did a princess come out here?”
The girl circled Alicia, asking questions rapidly. She was sure Alicia was indeed that special person she imagined.
“Your hair sparkles and your skin are so white! Just like a princess! But why aren’t you wearing princess clothes?”
“That’s because I’m not a princess….”
“Ah! I know! You disguised yourself, right? You snuck out to meet a prince, didn’t you?”
The girl’s fairy tale unfolded right then and there. Having heard countless stories from her mother for seven years, she pieced together the puzzle in her mind.
Suddenly realizing something, the girl crouched and made herself even smaller. She even covered her mouth with her hands.
“Shh! We must be quiet, right? It’s a secret that can’t be revealed, right?”
The nervous girl even swallowed hard, her throat bobbing. Alicia, taken aback by her unexpected reaction, didn’t know what to do. Just then, Paula approached.
Alicia thought Paula would deftly handle the situation and let out a sigh of relief.
“That’s right~ This person is a princess who snuck out to meet a prince. So, you mustn’t tell anyone. Keep it a secret, okay?”
“Magician! You’re a magician! With a big hat just like in fairy tales!”
“I told you to be quiet… I’ll turn you into a frog!”
Paula’s exaggerated movements made the girl stand in front of the younger one once again, shielding her. She mumbled something about <a bad magician>.
“This situation has only worsened. I’m sorry, Miss Alicia.”
“No, it’s my fault for not responding properly from the start.”
The younger child peeked out. Her curious eyes were filled with intrigue.
“Pwincess? Sis, pwincess?”
“Freesia, no. There are bad magicians too!”
“Bad magican? Why ith bad magican with pwincess?”
“That’s…”
The girl searched her mind for similar scenarios. Among the many stories her mother had told her, she knew one.
“Kidnapping?!”
Yes, that was one of them.
“No! That’s not….”
“What’s all this noise? Were you just idling while I was negotiating? Pathetic, you should be honing your aura!”
As Alicia tried to clarify, a man’s voice interrupted. Vargan, having finished talking with the chief, approached briskly. For the children, his tall stature and sharp tone were intimidating.
The girl pointed a trembling finger at him.
“You’re… the bad magician leader…!”