Taming The Villainesses novel Chapter 399

This place was one of the reception rooms inside the royal palace.

"Anyway, that’s how it turned out."

At my explanation, Elga frowned sharply.

"What did you say?"

Was my summary too brief? I had no choice but to explain everything I’d been through in more detail for Elga’s sake.

"I’ll need to leave the capital for a little while."

"No, I get that part. What I don’t get is—how long has it even been since we returned to the capital, and now you’re saying you’re leaving again? Why can’t you ever stay in one place? Especially when your body’s still not fully healed?"

Elga was right.

Time had passed, but the aftermath of my clash with Ayra during the tournament still lingered in my body like a toxin.

Clench.

I clenched my fist in the air. Then circulated magic throughout my body to check my condition...

“......”

Still—I'd say I was about 80% recovered.

"Just the occasional migraine or some muscle stiffness. Lady Kalira gave me some medicine, so I think it’ll improve soon."

"Hmm..."

Elga rested her chin on her palm, clearly displeased. Next to her, sipping tea while listening, Mirna finally opened her mouth.

"She's just sulking. We were supposed to go try on wedding dresses together tomorrow. She’s annoyed the schedule’s been disrupted."

Ssst.

Elga’s hair practically bristled in reaction to Mirna’s words.

"You really think I’m upset because of that?"

"Aren’t you?"

"Ugh... Weren’t you supposed to go get your wedding portrait painted the day after tomorrow? That’s getting postponed too. Ink-nymphs are busy—rescheduling won’t be easy."

"That’s unavoidable."

Mirna nodded regretfully. I couldn’t help but wonder—ink-nymphs? Were those some kind of painter?

Apparently, in this world too, picking out a wedding dress and having it painted before the ceremony was standard practice.

And that wasn’t the only task to handle.

With so much going on, it was understandable if they weren’t thrilled that I was heading out of town.

I said,

"If you really object, I’ll give it up. I don’t have to be the one to go."

At that, Elga snapped.

"Hey! I never said you couldn’t go, okay? Don’t make it sound like I’m some possessive, nagging woman who chains her man down! Don’t paint me like I’m petty!"

Then she yanked my cheek and stretched it hard.

"Hiiiek...! It hurts...!"

When I writhed pitifully, Elga finally let go of my now-burning cheek. As I rubbed it soothingly, she sighed softly and ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ said,

"Go ahead. It’s not like you ever listen when we tell you not to do something anyway. Besides, there’s been some bad rumors about the Church lately, right? This is related to that, isn’t it?"

"More or less, yeah."

"Then if you’re going to deal with it, deal with it properly. If you drag this out and screw up the wedding, I swear—I’ll rip you to shreds."

"...Rip what to shreds, exactly?"

"Everything!"

Elga snapped, but I wasn’t dense enough to miss that she’d been generous enough to let me go despite my recklessness.

"What about the others? What do they think?"

I looked at Ayra, who was dozing lightly, Stella, who was trimming her nails, and Narmee, who was watering her pet imp Yingying perched on her hand.

I figured I should hear what the other women had to say too—but Elga snorted and proudly puffed out her chest.

"No need to ask them. Right now, they all have to listen to me. I’ve got the highest wife-points, which means I’m currently the head wife of this harem."

Mirna interjected,

"Even so, it’s only temporary. We agreed to reset the points after the wedding so we could all start on equal footing."

Resetting the points?

That would mean Elga, who had earned the most so far, might feel unfairly treated. I guess that’s why she was designated the temporary head wife until the ceremony.

Feeling a bit emotional, I said,

"I’m glad to see you all getting along and talking things through even without me."

If my wives could get along in my absence, there was nothing to worry about.

But all the women present frowned simultaneously at my words.

...Was there something not going well?

Best not to ask.

***

"Anyway, that’s how it happened. I’ve got about two days free. That should be plenty of time to go check it out and return."

At my explanation, Marmar wagged her tail awkwardly, looking very apologetic.

"I feel so bad... You’ve got a wedding to prepare for, and now I’m dragging you into this. I could’ve just gone with Professor Balan."

Swoosh.

Seated in the carriage, Marmar glanced toward Balan, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, struggling with the horses.

"Y-you stubborn beasts... Why won’t you listen to Professor Balan?! Move already! Yah, yah—!" _{freēwēbnovel.com}

Yeah... sending her alone with Balan wasn’t the best idea.

In any case, the three of us—Balan, Marmar, and I—set off from the capital. According to Balan, the trip to Marmar’s old monastery would take about half a day at a hard gallop.

We’d probably arrive around dusk.

Since sitting still in a carriage for that long was boring, I checked through my inventory 《Squirrel Storage》 to make sure I’d packed everything.

I had emergency rations and camping supplies—just in case. While I was checking, Marmar, who had been knitting something, spoke up.

"The other ladies stayed in the capital to prepare for the wedding, right?"

"Yeah, something like that. Apparently there's a ritual of purification before the ceremony, so they're supposed to rest and pause their other work. If not for that, they might've come along."

It sounded a little ridiculous, saying it out loud.

Dragging a bunch of noblewomen along to visit Marmar’s old monastery would’ve been way over the top.

The carriage rattled on for hours, until the skies turned red with the setting sun. Eventually, we came to a stop in front of a wooded path thick with trees and underbrush.

"Professor Balan, is something wrong?"

"Lord Teo, here—"

We got off the carriage and looked ahead. There was a sign planted in the ground.

「This is the private hunting ground of Baron Voltaire. Be warned: arrows may fly without warning. Proceed with caution.」