The Villainous Mastermind Gets Lucky in His Later Years - Chapter 13

Doah thought that Pietro would agree immediately.

 

“Why do you think that way?”

 

However, what came back was a strange question that he asked with a blank face. It was impossible for Doah to read his thoughts.

 

‘Why else?’

 

Everybody who knew Bunny’s true identity knew the answer.

 

“I’ve heard about it, too, so I know.”

 

“You did?”

 

“Yes. If the originally cursed person and the host who will next carry the curse are near each other, then there’s a chance that the curse will return to its original state.”

 

Angelus and Salvier explained through gritted teeth that this was the only reason why Ophelia was living in the countryside.

 

It’s all because of Bunny.

 

But since that’s the case…

 

“If you just let me leave this family, then wouldn’t that problem with Princess Ophelia be easily solved?”

 

But after he heard this, the grand duke’s eyes were as somber as the deep sea.

 

He murmured grimly.

 

“That kind of drivel, who…”

 

Huh?

 

With a bewildered expression, Doah blinked.

 

She could only guess why he reacted like that.

 

‘Is it just a rumor?’

 

Did distance between Ophelia and Bunny really have nothing to do with the curse?

 

‘But everyone believes it.’

 

The source of that rumor was uncertain.

 

But it could be guessed that it was from a reliable source.

 

After all, even both ducal princes of Credel expressed their resentment against Bunny for this reason.

 

Since Angelus and Salvier believed it, then Doan also believed it without any doubt.

 

‘Ah, wait.’

 

This was going to be a problem.

 

If it’s really false, then the only card she had was completely useless!

 

Silently staring into Doah’s eyes, Pietro spoke once more.

 

“Pay it no heed. It’s not true.”

 

Damn it.

 

‘I was hoping it’s true, but it wasn’t.’

 

Doah tried to appeal to emotion.

 

Even if it was the reasonable choice to keep Bunny here, would he really leave his real ten-year-old daughter alone?

 

Are you going to leave your poor child, who lost her mother at birth, and let her live alone for the next eight years to come?

 

One’s memories during childhood would last forever.

 

This was how she was going to persuade him.

 

‘It all went wrong.’

 

Doah closed her eyes tightly and managed to press down her despair.

 

Now that she thought about it, she had a question.

 

“Then why is Princess Ophelia in the countryside?”

 

If it had nothing to do with the curse, then wouldn’t they want to just stay with Ophelia?

 

They could have just left Bunny locked up in the spire, far out of everyone’s sight.

 

It wouldn’t have been difficult to do. And they could just do what they’re doing now.

 

“That’s none of your concern.”

 

Right. Of course he wouldn’t tell her anything substantial, just like that.

 

But because Bunny went to the extent of receiving someone else’s curse, she had the right to know.

 

Doah gritted her teeth.

 

Even if the cards she held now were worthless, there was no option to fold and withdraw from here.

 

“If you so wish, I can go under the vow of secrecy.”

 

The vow of secrecy was a lifetime pledge.

 

The moment you reveal the secret, you’d lose your life.

 

No matter how big of a secret it was, the vow wasn’t usually used by anyone.

 

There’s still the possibility that a person could inadvertently reveal the secret, or perhaps could say something similar, to which case they’d still die.

 

But Doah said she would do it.

 

“Or you could put me under surveillance. As a matter of fact, when you let me leave, you can even send me off to a foreign country, if the garbage dump is too close for comfort. I don’t care if it’s the countryside, either.”

 

Please, just send me wherever you want, she added urgently.

 

Doah was confident that she’d be able to live anywhere, even if it was hard. As long as she was free.

 

Because Bunny had a gift.

 

And Doah, too, had her abilities.

 

If the price to this was the vow of secrecy, then she would do it a hundred times over.

 

She just needed a way to break the curse without telling the secret, just as she had pledged.

 

“Go back to your room.”

 

But the grand duke ignored her. Apparently, it was not worth giving her an answer.

 

Of course it’s like that.

 

Would he ever take such trouble for Bunny’s sake?

 

The most convenient option was to just keep her close by and have her under surveillance.

 

‘Ha…’

 

Doah looked at Pietro with an icy gaze.

 

No matter how much she looked at him, it still felt like not a drop of blood would come out of him even if he was stabbed.

 

Just one word from him would have been enough for her to leave Credel right away.

 

And on the contrary, just one word from him could also forever bind her to this hellish Credel family.

 

Until the day she turns into a cold, dead body.

 

‘Those eyes.’

 

Those two unfeeling eyes that were so dry and scarce.

 

Like sewage water.

 

Or rotten water that’s been left in two puddles.

 

Pietro seemed to be watching everything in a constant state of boredom.

 

“Truly, do you not have any intention of letting me leave?”

 

As if watching the dust floating in the air, that slow, blank gaze turned towards Doah.

 

“For my daughter, it is the best choice.”

 

“……”

 

“You shall continue to stay here, Ophelia shall remain elsewhere. This will not change, not even in the future.”

 

Had she been talking to a wall all this time?

 

How could there have been absolutely no change.

 

It felt as though she was in front of a machine that could only answer the same two things.

 

‘Ha, sure. I can clearly see in his eyes that he’s not in his right mind.’

 

With such a person like him in that state, there was no way that he’d be able to empathize with another person’s circumstances.

 

Despite the fact that what he’s doing wasn’t malicious harassment, it was still problematic.

 

From the start, not an ounce of affection, which he found troublesome, was directed at Bunny, and neither did there seem to be any motivation coming from him to try and like her.

 

However, even so.

 

‘I’m mad.’

  

 

Even though Doah tried to remain calm, she was angry.

 

It’s understandable why Angelus and Salvier had rejected Bunny.

 

Because this situation was something they didn’t want.

 

It’s just that, one day, a fake who resembled their younger sister was suddenly brought into their house and acted in such a terrible way. Who in their right mind would start to love her?

 

But Pietro…

 

‘You. You’re the one who brought her in.’

 

Even if you take in an abandoned dog from the streets while saying that you’d raise it, if you start to neglect it, then you’re nothing but an animal abuser.

 

What more with a human being!