The Male Lead's Sickly Aide Is My Type - Chapter 30
Translator and Editor: Nana and Nabi
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Chapter 30
Marquis Ariella was in the courtyard of his mansion. He was about to board the carriage but hurriedly approached Carinne and Archen when he saw them.
“Princess, you’ve finally arrived! The Knight Commander told me that you would assist in resolving the incident.”
He greeted her.
“Ah, yes.”
Carinne, not fond of him, returned his greeting with a slight nod of her head.
“I came because I had some questions to ask.”
“Have you found any evidence?”
“What evidence?”
“Of course, evidence that Viscountess Lanton is a witch!”
The Marquis spat out his words and began a lengthy speech.
“There’s no one more despicable than her. How dare she meddle with my family’s treasure just because our relationship went sour!”
According to Viscountess Lanton’s statement, she and Marquis Ariella were never in a sour relationship to begin with.
There was no established relationship between them, sour or otherwise. If she had unilaterally rejected his advances, that would be understandable, though Marquis Ariella acted as if he had been in a relationship with Viscountess Lanton.
“No matter how bad the breakup was, it doesn’t justify turning a statue into a devilish one. That woman must be one of the highest-ranking witches among them.”
“Wait, Viscountess Lanton claimed she never knew the vault code, right?”
Carinne pulled out her notebook. This was the unresolved question that arose during the interview with her. Setting aside whether Marquis Ariella was intelligent or not, would he have blatantly lied if asked by the other party?
In response to her question, he defended himself with a sense of injustice.
“I’ve written the vault code in the letter I sent. It was to express my feelings towards her….”
He trailed off as he felt someone’s gaze and stumbled over his words.
Behind the Marquis, inside the mansion that was faintly visible, there was a woman with brown hair tied up in an elaborate bun. She wore a long dress that reached down to her ankles. Her gaze was serene yet sharp.
‘…Is that Marquis Ariella’s wife?’
The Marquis cleared his throat loudly and boarded the waiting carriage.
“I hope you will apprehend the culprit without fail. To think that the contents of the vault were changed overnight… I can’t live in fear. I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now!”
The carriage moved away, raising a cloud of dust. Once the carriage was out of sight beyond the main gate, Carinne tucked away the notebook she had been holding.
“He sure likes to talk.”
“That’s for sure.”
Archen nodded in agreement, and Carinne fell into contemplation. They had met all the key individuals, but where could they find clues now?
It was at that moment that Marquise Ariella emerged from inside the mansion.
“So you’ve come for the statue. Have there been any developments in the investigation?”
“Ahaha, well…”
Marquise Ariella was quite evasive. It was understandable that she wouldn’t cooperate with the investigation, considering her own husband was a suspect.
“You must have gone through a lot. Would you like to come in and have a cup of tea?”
However, a cup of tea changed the situation. Carinne’s throat was parched. She looked at Archen with a pleading gaze.
“I’m fine with it, too.”
So, they decided to take a brief rest at the mansion of the Marquis family. Marquise Ariella led the two of them to the mansion’s tea room.
“Anna, the guests have arrived. Prepare the refreshments, won’t you?”
A maid named Anna was cleaning a display cabinet in the hallway. Since she was within arm’s reach of Marquise Ariella, she must have heard the Marquise’s words, but Anna ignored her and diligently continued to polish the cabinet.
“Are you listening to me?”
“….”
“Anna?”
“Oh, goodness, I’m sorry. I’ll bring it right away.”
Her voice showed no trace of apology. It was more like annoyance oozing out. Anna turned her body indifferently and went to fetch the refreshments.
A while later, a haphazard set of refreshments was delivered to the room.
“It’s not much, but please help yourselves. The tea tastes good.”
Carinne accepted the tea without hesitation and took a sip.
The situation felt awkward and out of place. No matter how informal the setting, the Marquise was still a noblewoman. It was hard to believe that a noblewoman of the Marquis’ household would receive such treatment from her husband, let alone be ignored by a maid.
‘…What is the position of the Marquise in the Marquis’ household?’
Although she wondered, she wasn’t oblivious enough to ask aloud. Archen seemed to have similar thoughts and remained silent while sipping his tea. However, as guests, it didn’t feel right to just drink and not engage in conversation, so Carinne subtly brought up a topic.
“Who is the artist behind that painting?”
There was a painting hanging on the wall of the tea room. It was a painting of an adult figure, bound and screaming in chains.
The rough abstraction didn’t match the elegant interior of the tea room. Nonetheless, it was undoubtedly a well-done painting. The colors were dark but not dull, and though the form was indistinct, the emotions the artist wanted to convey were palpable—pain, sadness, anger, sorrow, and more.
After glancing at the painting, the Marquise spoke up.
“I painted it myself.”
“Wow, you did an amazing job! It could easily pass as a painting by a professional artist.”
“You seem to enjoy painting in an ancient style.”
As Archen, who had been carefully observing the painting, chimed in, the Marquise responded with a slightly surprised tone.
“Yes, you’re right. You’re familiar with ancient painting styles. Painting is both my hobby and skill. My clueless husband, even after living together for ten years, seems to be oblivious to that fact.”
“Oh, I see.”
Carinne replied. The Marquise didn’t seem to have a good relationship with her husband. After all, he wouldn’t flirt with the woman next door if he had a good relationship at home. As she pondered this, she accidentally bit her tongue.
The Marquise casually continued, swaying the tea in her cup.
“That painting represents my feelings towards my husband.”
“….”
…What?
Carinne was taken aback, almost spitting out the tea in her mouth. The painting hanging in the tea room clearly depicted feelings of hatred. Did that mean the Marquise despised her husband to the point of wanting him dead?
Just as the atmosphere was about to turn tense, the Marquise quickly changed the subject.
“I’ve said something unnecessary. Have there been any advancements in the investigation? I mean, did you find any evidence?”
“No, actually…”
Carinne exchanged glances with Archen.
A sudden thought came to mind.
Archen probably had the same idea. If the Marquise truly disliked her husband to such an extent, wouldn’t she help them find the statue?
“We suspect Marquis Ariella as the culprit. We are speculating that he switched the statue with the demon statue and framed Viscountess Lanton.”
“Exactly what I was thinking.”
The Marquise responded as if she had been waiting for it. Deep wrinkles formed at the corners of her eyes. It was impossible to tell whether her twisted features expressed joy or sorrow about her husband’s alleged crime.
“Viscountess Lanton is a kind person. After receiving the love letter from my husband, she even apologized to me. I don’t believe someone like her could be a witch. In my opinion, this is something my husband orchestrated.”
“Do you have any idea where your husband might have hidden the statue?”
Archen cautiously continued.
“I have no idea. We don’t communicate well at home. But if there’s someone who might know, I can share that information.”
“Who would that be?”
The pieces of the puzzle were coming together so smoothly that it was almost frightening. Someone who might know where the statue was hidden!
Carinne’s eyes widened in anticipation.
Following the Marquise’s advice, the next destination was determined to be the entertainment district. The problem was that the entertainment district was located on the outskirts of the capital city. In order to clear Viscountess Lanton’s name, they had to reach the entertainment district as soon as possible.
However, it was difficult to catch a carriage today.
How did they arrive here then?
They took a carriage that hailed from the city center. The coachman at the mansion was on vacation, so they had to pay for a carriage ride today. As Marquis Ariella’s carriage had already left with the Marquis, they wondered what to do now.
While Carinne was pacing back and forth, Archen suggested borrowing a horse.
“It’s much cheaper than taking a carriage, and we don’t have to wait either.”
Indeed, the city’s stables were filled with sturdy horses waiting for customers.
“You know how to ride a horse?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know how to ride. Can you give me a ride?”
Since Archen suggested, she decided to ride a horse instead of a carriage. Archen went to the stables and returned with a chestnut-colored horse with a glossy coat. As he stepped on the stirrup and gracefully mounted the horse, he reached out his hand to Carinne.
“Hold on to me.”
As she took his hand and stepped onto the stirrup, a sudden thought crossed her mind.
“What if I fall off while riding?”
“That won’t happen.”
“Why?”
It was a question asked despite knowing the answer. Archen loosened his grip on the reins and spoke confidently.
“Because I’ll hold you. Just sit in front of me.”
Bingo. So, this was a justifiable physical contact with a valid reason!
Carinne laughed and got on the horse. With her long limbs, she easily fit into his embrace. She felt like a baby bird trapped in its nest. However, as the horse began to move, the coziness soon turned into fear.
The sensation of floating in the air made her nervous. If she lost her balance for even a moment, she would slide off and fall.
Her heart pounded as if it would burst.
Archen, who noticed that her body had stiffened, asked.
“Is there a problem?”
She didn’t want to admit her fear. Carinne responded casually, hoping to appear composed.
“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s just fascinating because it’s my first time riding a horse. There’s no problem, so let’s go.”
However, contrary to her intentions, her voice trembled. It was an unsettling and anxious tone that could make the listener uneasy.
“Well then, we have to go fast. I’ll keep the speed as fast as possible.”
Archen seemed calm and indifferent. On the other hand, her heart sank at the mention of increasing the speed. If they went too fast, her heart wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Carinne urgently shouted.
“Wait, hold on!”
“Why?”
He asked, stretching out the words, and it was clear that he knew the reason. Although it was annoying, there was no choice. As survival took precedence over pride, Carinne closed her eyes tightly and replied.
“… Let’s go slowly. I’m scared of falling off.”
“Understood.”
There was a hint of laughter in his firm voice.
Just wait and see. She’ll surely get revenge later.
Archen kept his promise and slowly guided the horse. When they arrived at the entertainment district, it was late evening, but luckily, the tavern recommended by Marquise Ariella was still open.
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Zepelim
Espero que o Márquez se fere e sua esposa seja livre!
Obrigada pela tradução ❤
Mangagirl4
Hahaha he’s teasing her 😂💕