The Villain Wants to Live a Quiet Life

Last night, Ludwig was unable to sleep due to excitement as it was the first time he had experienced such a peculiar thing since becoming ‘Ludwig’.

He had suffered from insomnia a few times before, though mostly due to anxiety.

Tomorrow, he will meet Emilia. Repeating this in his mind with such excitement, he eventually met the morning with weary eyes.

“There are circles under your eyes. Did something happen?”

During breakfast, Diana noticed a shadow that darkened under Ludwig’s eyes.

He was a praiseworthy son who had grown up healthy without any major illnesses. Perhaps because of this, it was immediately noticeable.

“Ah, no, Mother. I’m sorry to worry you.”

Ludwig denied, hastily waving his hands, but even that attitude couldn’t please his mother, almost as if he committed a sin. At times like this, she’d prefer to receive gratitude rather than apologies.

“How stiff… It’s natural that a child would make their parents worry. Please don’t say such things.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

It was truly nice to see a son who listened well.

Being an intelligent child, he would surely understand that the words were not meant as a scolding or lecture, but rather an indirect expression of a mother’s disappointment.

Meanwhile, Tanya, eavesdropping on the warm conversation between mother and son, was trying hard to hold back her laughter.

She seemed to know why his eyes were dark, and why he had come out to the dining room for breakfast without fixing his disheveled hair.

‘Pfft, how cute. Was he that excited?’

To think he couldn’t even sleep properly at the promise of contacting Emilia. She felt a bit jealous, but she decided to let it slide as she was able to see this unexpected side of him.

‘It would be fun to reveal it now… but I’ll tease him later when we’re alone.’

If she were to blurt out this fact now with all the members of the Aiphretz household present, it might be quite amusing.

But having realized through last night’s events that he wasn’t always so generous, she was also cautious.

What if, although unlikely, this man of principle were to sulk over such a trivial matter and refuse to speak to her at all until the day she returned to Brimerhaven? She didn’t even want to imagine it.

Tanya shuddered, finished her bread, and after wiping her mouth daintily with a napkin, she addressed Carl who was sitting at the head of the table.

“Lord Carl, if it’s not too presumptuous, could I borrow the study for a while today?”

“The study? Use it as you like. If there are any books worth reading, feel free to take them.”

Carl casually approved her request, sipping water from his cup.

It varies from person to person, but generally, the heads of noble families consider their studies to be the most private space and often don’t show it to others carelessly. In that respect, he could be considered quite unusual.

“Ah, it’s not about books, but I have something to do with Ludwig.”

“Something to do? Now I’m curious. Is it a secret too difficult to tell me?”

What could this secretive matter be referring to?

As he stroked his chin, narrowing his eyes slightly and asking as if probing, rather than the person in question, an innocent bystander jumped from his seat to take her place.

“Ah, Father! What are you saying…!”

“Hm? What do you mean? I meant exactly what I said.”

“Yes, Ludwig. What on earth did you imagine to react like that?”

“……”

A thought flashed through Ludwig’s mind as he sprang up from his seat. 

‘Ah, I’ve been had.’

His father once again dangled the bait gently to catch him today. Even the nuanced tone he used was probably for this very purpose.

As if to add insult to injury, Tanya, pretending to know nothing, delivered an additional blow.

If only she had at least hidden the upturned corner of her mouth while speaking. Seeing her sneering appearance, he considered smacking her out of frustration but was able to endure it with superhuman patience.

“I think something went wrong with my head for a moment. I’m sorry, Father.”

“It’s a nice day, but what a strange occurrence.”

“Right. Are you sure you’re not feeling unwell?”

They’re getting along so well. At this rate, it’s hard to tell who is the son and who is the daughter of this house.

He already knew that she got along well with his mother Diana, but to think she would get along this well with his father too.

Normally, as her friend and the son of his father, he should be glad about this.

However, right now, it unfortunately seems that the number of perpetrators has increased by two.

“More importantly, how about you two? Tanya said she would put me in contact with Emilia today… Would you like to join us since it’s a rare occasion?”

“Oh? How will you manage that?”

Ludwig stumbled over his words as he blatantly attempted to change the subject, but fortunately, it seemed to work.

Carl, widening his eyes and looking back and forth between Ludwig and Tanya, asked again. His question was reasonable.

It was clear that contacting someone at such a distance would require advanced magic or a magical tool of a considerable level.

Ludwig hadn’t heard the details either, so he gave Tanya a look, asking for an explanation.

“Among the items I brought with me, there happens to be a magical tool called Longurmo, which I plan to use.”

“Longurmo… I remember hearing about it.”

Directly translated, it meant to converse (sermo) from afar (longus). As the name suggests, it was a magical tool that allowed communication with someone at a vast distance.

The biggest reason this was considered a high-level magical tool was that it could not only transmit voice but also briefly show the other person’s face and surroundings. Its limited number of uses is one drawback.

“You brought such a precious item. Isn’t Lord Ansberg angry?”

“It’s my own possession. There was no reason to ask for my father’s permission.”

“Good.”

Tanya boldly declared it as her property, proving that while she usually seemed carefree, she was indeed the second daughter of the prestigious Ansberg family.

Carl nodded with a smile, understanding why she wanted to use the study.

‘I shouldn’t interfere.’

While it’s admirable to want to live youthfully, he had no intention of thoughtlessly inserting himself between young people.

If they showed their faces, it would only make things awkward. Rather than that, it would be better to ask about their well-being through his son, while he and his wife stepped back for a while to spend some quality time together.

“Diana, since it’s a rare occasion, why don’t we let the young ones play and go out for a bit, just the two of us?”

“That sounds nice. Let’s try to create a youthful atmosphere like them.”

Although it had been nearly twenty years since their engagement, Carl and Diana were still a happily married couple with the excitement of newlyweds.

Seeing the middle-aged couple exchanging sweet glances, smiles also formed on the lips of Ludwig and Tanya, who were watching the scene.

 *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Lord and Lady Aiphretz finished their meal and, as planned, set off for the village by carriage.

Ludwig and Tanya headed towards the study, accompanied by their respective maids, but among them, Paula wondered why she was included in this.

“What’s wrong? You’re standing there, staring blankly. Are you not feeling well?”

“Ah, no. It’s just… I was wondering if it’s alright for me to be here when you’re contacting Lady Emilia.”

“I’m sure Emilia would like it too. She even thanked you before she left, remember?”

“If that’s the case, then I’m glad, but……”

From what I hear, the Longurmo also has a time limit. Not a very generous amount of time, barely enough to drink a cup of tea.

Within that short timeframe, would it be alright for her, a servant, to show her face to Emilia who would be busy talking with her two friends? It was a reasonable question from her perspective.

Meanwhile, Tanya, who was sitting on the sofa wiggling her hips and smiling contentedly, suddenly threw a question at Ludwig, who was in the middle of a conversation with Paula.

“Oh right. I forgot to ask. Ludwig, do you have any important schedules coming up?”

“What kind of schedules?”

“Like being busy with official duties or having to go somewhere……”

“I don’t think so?”

He wasn’t entirely sure, but he expected there wouldn’t be any. Tanya nodded her head with a somewhat satisfied smile at that.

Ludwig wanted to ask about her intentions, but it seemed difficult as she turned her head abruptly and pressed her lips tightly shut as if she refused to tell.

In the end, he had to temporarily throw that piece of curiosity beyond the horizon.

“Rel, could you put that down here?”

“Certainly.”

As Rel placed the Longurmo she had been holding onto the table, Tanya began to unfold it with skillful dexterity.

“Hmm. It looks quite ordinary, doesn’t it?”

“Right? At first, I thought, ‘Is this really a magical tool?'”

When she opened the wooden box, a small sculpture inside revealed itself.

Its shape was similar to a music box, so just by its appearance, it didn’t inspire much confidence. But they would probably be able to see its true value once they used it right away.

“How does it work?”

Ludwig looked around the opened box, wondering if there was some kind of mechanism, but nothing particularly caught his eye. To begin with, the scene of a person’s face appearing here didn’t even come to mind.

“There’s a way. Ahem!”

Tanya puffed out her chest proudly and reached out her hand to resolve his doubts.

She seemed to be fiddling with her fingernail in a small gap in the box, and soon, with a clicking sound, a storage compartment appeared.

Inside was a tiny bead emitting a yellow light. Ludwig tilted his head, wondering what it could be.

“What’s that?”

“This is the medium for using the Longurmo. Uniquely, the Longurmo is a magical tool that doesn’t consume mana.”

“Is that possible?”

Wanting to show rather than tell, Tanya picked up the bead and dropped it into a hole next to the sculpture.

Soon, a faint golden light began to emit from the hole, then spread along the small gaps in the box, brilliantly illuminating the central sculpture.

“What I just put in isn’t just a bead, but a resonance body made with Emilia’s hair and mana.”

“Resonance body?”

“Yes. There’s a similar bead embedded in the necklace Emilia is wearing, and only when it resonates with that does the Longurmo function properly.”

Ludwig and Paula nodded their heads simultaneously after hearing her explanation. 

Who would have thought it worked on such a principle? It was a very unique method. 

Now they understood why she said mana wasn’t necessary. After all, the bead was substituting for mana. The usage time she mentioned must refer to the time it takes for all this mana to be consumed.

“Ah, it’s reacting. Everyone, gather around here.”

As the light emitted by the sculpture began to flicker, Tanya brightened her eyes and gestured for the three to come closer to her.

– Giiing…

As the four people took their positions like they were taking a family portrait, huddled together, a white light burst from the sculpture and spread into the air.

Soon, the hazy remnants of light began to take on color and shape, and it gradually transformed into a familiar form before their eyes.

“Oh? It worked! Emilia! Can you hear my voice!?”

“Ta-Tanya? What is this……”

“I told you, didn’t I? That something good would happen if I took it with me. How about that, surprised?”

“Of course I’m surprised. And Ludwig, Paula, and even Rel… What’s going on?”

Reunited with her childhood friend after so long, Tanya began explaining about the magical tool with a big smile. Due to the limited time, she could only explain the main points briefly, not in detail.

“Thank you, Tanya. I never dreamed I’d receive such a gift.”

“How much effort do you think I put into this gift? Besides, Ludwig prepared something too. Aren’t you grateful?”

“What?”

“Huh?”

Although Tanya spoke as if a person was just an add-on, the impact of that sentence was enormous.

With just one word, Ludwig and Emilia simultaneously swallowed empty breaths and made dumbfounded sounds. 

What on earth could she mean by that? If there were no onlookers, they would have liked to ask, but the two realized that in this situation, it would only tighten their own nooses.

In the end, the small disturbance passed without much incident.

“Ah, anyway… Paula and Rel, thank you so much too. I don’t deserve such a greeting……”

“It’s nothing. I’m just glad you seem to be doing well, Lady Emilia.”

“For my part, I hope you’ll return as soon as possible, as Lady Tanya misses you greatly.”

The responses of the two maids were quite contrasting.

Paula, who hadn’t formed a significant bond with her, maintained a polite and businesslike demeanor.

Rel, who had often met and become familiar with her while staying by Tanya’s side, was able to offer a bit of humor.

For Emilia, who had been living without anyone to rely on except her teacher Rebecca, both were just welcome and appreciated.

“Ludwig, hurry up and greet her too. It’s been a while since you’ve met your friend, why are you being so awkward?”

“R-Right……”

Tanya slapped Ludwig’s back, who was sitting silently like a statue, hard enough to make a sound. 

Awakened by the bitter words pouring from her mouth, he hurriedly nodded and turned his head towards Emilia.

“It’s been a while, Emilia. Have you been well?”

“Yes. Thanks to everyone’s concern, I’ve been doing well.”

When she smiled, it felt as if the air became brighter, though they weren’t actually face to face.

He offered various words of encouragement and had prepared a few things to say in advance, but the main content was to take care of herself and return safely.

“I missed you a lot too when I looked at the moonflower Ludwig gave me. I hope to return soon and meet everyone.”

Although she had shed most of the unnecessary luggage for her journey, there was one thing she made sure to bring.

That was the moonflower Ludwig had given her. 

As long as she didn’t lose it, she could always keep it and picture his face, thanks to the magic imbued in it. That was the sentiment with which she had taken it.

“Ludwig, could you move aside for a moment? Time is short, and I have something to tell Emilia.”

“Oh? Then I’ll just say goodbye.”

Tanya, who had been silently listening to the conversation between the two, intervened in the conversation, asking for understanding as the beam of light began to fade gradually. This was also the reason she had arranged this meeting today, and she had one more gift left for Emilia, her best friend.

“Emilia, can you hear me?”

“I can hear you well, Tanya.”

“Actually, I have something to tell you. Ludwig asked me to keep it a secret, so I wasn’t going to say anything… but I think it’s better to let you know.”

“Huh? I did?”

Keep it a secret? When did he ever say such a thing? A sense of unease began to creep in suddenly.

Whether she knew his feelings or not, Tanya glanced at him quickly, winked one eye, and then suddenly dropped a statement of great magnitude.

“Ludwig is coming to see you! The exact schedule hasn’t been decided yet, but he gave me a heads-up in advance!”

“What? Lu-Ludwig is coming here…!?”

“What? W-Wait!”

Tanya successfully threw both of them into confusion once again. It seemed like a talent had blossomed to become such an excellent ability.

As the light dimmed and Emilia’s image began to disappear, Ludwig, who seemed inevitably bound to go meet Emilia, tried to step forward to deny it but was thwarted by Tanya’s intervention.

“Then take care, Emilia!”

“Ta-Tanya!? Wait a moment…! Tanya!”

How did this long-awaited reunion, which was supposed to be touching, end up like this?

Emilia shouted hurriedly, trying to ask more, but the light disappeared and the magical tool lost its power.

According to Tanya, there was no way to contact her again. But the stone had already been cast, and Emilia would surely be thinking that he was coming.

“Have a good trip. Understood?”

“……”

Tanya smiled as if asking for praise. Ludwig unconsciously clenched his fist.

This was the second time she had made him want to hit a woman with all his might.

The important thing was that he now had to go meet Emilia.

‘Should I think positively……’

In any case, it seemed he should thank her for pushing his back in the end.

Of course, he would have to take his revenge separately.

translator’s corner

a thousand apologies for the delay ;w;w;