Get Ahead of the Fallen Heroine and Make the Bull-Headed Man the Victim

49. This will definitely make the evil god take notice!

Not long after Delia left, Valentina rushed out of the palace with a worried expression.

Many people witnessed this scene and must have thought that Delia had humiliated Valentina quite severely.

Especially those noble lords who had long sided with Delia.

Though they hadn’t directly participated in this incident like the young nobles, they wouldn’t even have to think twice about choosing the legitimate eldest princess over the illegitimate second princess.

Moreover, Valentina’s strong sense of justice often led her to do things that gave these nobles headaches, so they were naturally waiting to see Valentina make a fool of herself this time.

At this stage, it could be said that no matter how one looked at it, Valentina was bound to lose. The competitors, the judges, and even the audience were all on Delia’s side; there was simply no way for Valentina to win using legitimate means.

…Then, wouldn’t it be better to use illegal methods?

…………

In a certain dungeon of the largest prison in the capital, a man leaned against the cold, damp wall, silently closing his eyes and waiting for death.

His clothes were tattered, bound by chains and shackles, and in front of him sat a nearly cracked bowl, filled with murky water so dirty that it was impossible to see the bottom.

Not long ago, he had been the prominent leader of an underground organization, now awaiting the almost certain death sentence.

Although he was scheduled to be executed in a week, he estimated he wouldn’t last three days.

This was still under the condition that Prince Mori didn’t take things too seriously; otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have even made it to the trial before being secretly executed.

Ah, life really is unpredictable.

However, compared to living a boring life extorting others, perhaps it would be better to leave content after being defeated by a formidable enemy.

…Hmm? Footsteps? And the sound of those shoes… could it be!

Hearing the familiar footsteps, the man, who had already accepted his fate, suddenly opened his eyes.

Then he saw a noble figure who shouldn’t have appeared in this dark scene.

It was a beautiful girl with silver hair, tall and graceful; even without wearing a luxurious royal gown, her imposing aura was palpable. Her deep purple eyes were filled with coldness, but on her exquisitely delicate face, one could faintly see her irritation at the current situation.

“…It’s been a while, Marlow.”

Valentina spoke coldly.

“Ha, well, yes, Your Highness, it has been a week or two since we last met, hasn’t it? What’s the matter? Planning to execute me early? After all, I am quite the notorious criminal, and I was even considering offering you to Prince Mori.”

The man once referred to with a mix of reverence and disdain as the mad dog had now regained his composure after the initial surprise.

Marlowe shifted into a more comfortable position, responding to the icy-faced princess in a tone that was far too casual for someone facing execution.

He didn’t seem like a condemned criminal at all; rather, he appeared to be on vacation.

Naturally, this attitude sparked an instinctive dissatisfaction in Valentina.

From this man, she couldn’t help but think of another loathsome male.

If it had been Valentina from over a month ago, she would have surely scolded him for his crimes without remorse, but the current her had learned a better way to cope.

The corners of her mouth, which had been subtly turned down, now curved upward, the coldness in her gaze melting away, replaced by a playful glint. What emerged from her lips was no longer meaningless emotional outbursts, but rather cunning words.

“No, I’m here to liberate you, though it’s a conditional liberation.”

“…Ha?”

Marlowe, who had thought that even if Valentina didn’t kill him, she would choose to protect him until the day of his trial, now wore a dumbfounded expression.

“Ha, that expression of yours is really quite foolish. What, do you think I’m just a brute who can’t adapt?”

Seeing Marlowe’s expression, Valentina felt an unexpected sense of satisfaction.

Once the target of Noah’s teasing, she was finally experiencing the thrill of teasing someone else.

This inevitably made Valentina’s demeanor more frivolous and ambiguous, even slightly lifting her delicate chin, looking down at Marlowe with a mix of disdain and delight, clearly trying hard to present herself as a mature woman.

“Well, I thought that even if you weren’t a wild boar, you’d at least be a rampaging T-Rex.”

The straightforward Marlowe nodded earnestly.

“…”

Who are you calling a wild boar?! You mad dog, what right do you have to say that about me?!

As soon as Marlowe spoke, Valentina’s expression immediately reverted to a standard displeased face.

The mature, sophisticated aura she had tried to cultivate vanished in an instant.

Though she managed to hold back her true feelings, it was evident that she still had some growing up to do.

She was easily thrown back to her original self by Marlowe’s words.

“Ha ha, don’t be so angry, Your Highness. You’re still young; it’s not surprising to have a quick temper and be a bit reckless. I was much like you when I was younger.”

“…Being compared to you only makes me feel worse, you criminal.”

Valentina felt her mood plummet further at Marlowe’s attempt at comfort.

If it weren’t for the circumstances, she would have really wanted to turn and walk away.

Fine, let’s just get to the point.

From noble mtl dot com

“Let’s get back on track, Marlowe. I will release you from prison, on the condition that you tell me all the crimes you’ve committed. I’ve heard you’ve been using certain information to blackmail nobles. If that can serve as evidence to sanction those nobles, it wouldn’t be impossible for you to redeem yourself, you know?”

—

“What? Your Highness, how did you know about this?!”

Marlowe, surprised that Valentina’s abilities could investigate so deeply, showed a shocked expression.

He knew that he was going to take the secret of the nobles to the execution ground with him. After all, with the organization almost destroyed, even if he spoke out, it would be considered slander.

How did Valentina know that he was not only the leader of a violent group but also extorting nobles? It couldn’t be that those nobles told her themselves, right?

“Of course, it’s her over there.”

Hearing this, Marlowe quickly got up and walked to the innermost side of the prison, following Valentina’s gaze and looking in the direction of the prison entrance.

Sure enough, he saw a familiar figure.

That maid’s back… So, that’s how it is.

Marlowe’s face showed a helpless smile as if he understood something.

“She seems to intend to atone for herself and her foolish brother. So, what about you, Marlowe? Are you planning to wait to be secretly executed? Or will you be a ‘mad dog’ once more?”

Her Highness the Princess’s lips curled into a confident and joyful smile, like some kind of evil god.

“…Don’t be so mean, Your Highness. Of course, I’ll choose the option that gives me a thrill!”

When Marlowe showed a dangerous smile, Valentina knew her guess had become reality.

Wasn’t Delia planning to frame her with the nobles?

Then she would directly find the nobles’ weaknesses!

Since Delia cheated in the competition, she would just flip the table!

Now, it was not her who should be nervous, but those nobles threatened by Marlowe!

The evil god could never guess that she had this option!

This time, he lost!