Playing the Perfect Fox-Eyed Villain Chapter 68

Episode 68. Intentions behind the mask (1)

“……There’s no response this time either. Why?”

A laboratory filled with piles of documents.

There, Eileen, holding her head, frowned as she looked at the bright red gemstone in the test tube.

The contents of the test tube were the soul stone that the Yeomyeonghoe was desperately looking for, but to Irene, it was nothing more than a possession.

She looked at it with a look of resentment.

“It seems like I clearly administered the threshold amount of magic liquid, but why isn’t there any reaction!?”

With a nervous tone, she began to look again at the stack of papers nearby.

After that, he muttered in a sighing voice, 'That's the theory!'

“Ugh… Is my hypothesis wrong? If so, where should I start correcting it… Gyaaaah!”

Boom──!

Eileen groaned as she stepped on a piece of paper on the floor and fell over.

She was so exhausted from being cooped up in the lab for days on end that she had difficulty mustering the strength to get up.

“Wasn’t it my job to do this……”

When the body gets tired, the mind gets tired too.

She raised her right arm to her eyes, making a weak sound in her mouth.

Fatigue came rushing in like a tide, and my body felt heavy like a sponge that had absorbed the water.

As those heavy eyelids gradually began to cover my eyes.

“But what can I do! There was no other way!”

She sat up, using her grumbling to encourage herself.

The association already has a close eye on her.

He tried to belittle himself by calling himself a 'collateral' with impurities mixed in with his noble bloodline, and was gnashing his teeth to have himself stripped of the 5th rank, 'Bargo'.

“Yeah, it’s annoying that the elders of the Association are letting things be what they want. You can do it, Eileen! You’re part of the Donatien family!”

Eileen clenched her fists and slowly got up from her seat.

“Come on, you can do it!”

“Come on, you can do it~”

Suddenly, a voice was heard from behind her, and Eileen screamed louder than when she fell.

Turning her head in a hurry, Eileen's gaze caught that of her classmate, Diana.

“D, Diana……?”

“I came here because I thought things were starting to get a little weird. When Eileen stays in the lab for too long, she always does something weird, right?”

“When did I do that?”

“Um…, right now?”

Irene coughed in vain after hearing that.

Diana burst out laughing at the sight of him picking up the paper that had fallen on the floor in an awkward posture.

“Research is good, but how about taking a break to clear your head? You’ve been cooped up for days and haven’t come out.”

“If there had been progress, it would have been so, but that time wasted has become useless.”

“It became useless?”

Eileen nodded in response to the question.

In fact, it was something that would have been appreciated if I had told the other wizards, but I decided to tell the truth to my classmate, Diana.

“Yeah, according to my hypothesis, the soul stone reacts greatly not only to mana, but also to water……. Huh?”

In the meantime, a faintly glowing soul stone entered Irene's eyes.

“It reacted!”

"huh?"

“I reacted!”

Diana laughed in vain as she watched Eileen suddenly running towards the reactor.

***

After documenting the successful results of the experiment, Eileen left the laboratory with a much better expression and headed to the magic tower to report.

“So, you have some free time until the seminar?”

“Yeah, that’s really fortunate.”

The gloomy atmosphere that had been there just a few minutes ago was no longer there. Watching the scene, Diana couldn't help but laugh.

“That’s a good thing. I was planning on stopping by Baek’s store this weekend to look at some clothes. How about Irene coming with you?”

“Baekuijeom?”

When the name came out, Eileen thought for a moment.

This is because when I stopped by a white clothing store recently to get a suit, I remembered my relationship with Yurian.

– 'Actually, it's exactly as Ms. Eileen said. I really like these clothes.'

– 'Of course, Miss Eileen is also a member of the Donatien family.'

When Yulian showed up in the outfit she had recommended, Eileen couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

A man who is unnecessarily stubborn and believes that his aesthetic sense is the most important thing would never accept his own recommendation.

'At first, I tried very hard not to admit to that topic.'

Although her high nose was broken more easily than she had thought, the mere fact that Yurian had acknowledged it made Eileen laugh without realizing it.

“Huh? Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”

As I was smiling to myself, Diana, who was right next to me, tilted her head.

Eileen began to control her expression, thinking that it might seem strange.

“No, it’s nothing.”

“So what do you want to do?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“I asked you earlier. I want to choose some clothes, so let’s go to the department store this weekend.”

“Yeah, I don’t care…….”

Eileen, who was about to answer Diana's question, trailed off when she saw a familiar face in her eyes.

It's because of the elevator heading to the center of the tower and the familiar face that came out of it.

“Miss Eileen, you are here.”

“……Lord Yurian.”

Yulian greets politely while wearing a bowler hat.

Eileen glanced at the sight and carefully opened her mouth.

“What’s going on here?”

“I came to report on the results of Honseok’s research. Didn’t the secretary’s office send an official document?”

"ah!"

“Surely you forgot?”

Eileen flinched inwardly at Yurian's question.

“It’s difficult. The Donatien family is known for being very picky, but looking at Miss Eileen, it seems that’s not the case.”

'Ugh.'

Eileen flinched as she looked at Yurian, who was smiling faintly.

Because of his characteristic squint, it was hard to see his emotions clearly, but it was clear that he was being sarcastic.

That made Eileen slightly upset.

That man was clicking his tongue inside, thinking that he always had a way of annoying people by adding useless remarks.

'huh?'

Eileen's gaze turned to the coat Yurian was wearing. It was the one she had chosen for him at the white goods store.

The discomfort that had been rising inside gradually disappeared.

He continues to wear the clothes he recommended.

That means that a man full of his ego has acknowledged his artistic sense.

“The research on the mixed-race pair has borne fruit. A document summarizing the results has already been prepared.”

Thanks to that, Eileen gained confidence and began to question Yurian instead.

“Is that so? Since you didn’t show up, I thought you ran away because the research results weren’t coming out despite your boasts.”

“Not everyone likes to show off like you do!”

Eileen flared up at the mention of running away.

She felt her voice grow louder, but she opened her mouth as if she intended to hit Yurian with it.

“I think Sir Yurian lacks humility. How about following the example of the person who delivered the soul stone I was researching to the secretary’s office this time?”

“Oh, Irene.”

Seeing Irene like that, Diana, who was next to her, tried to calm her down, but Irene continued to open her mouth as if she couldn't bear it this time.

“I heard that he was the first in the palace to recognize the importance of something as big as a ‘soul stone,’ but he didn’t expect any compensation.”

“Hoo.”

“Lord Yurian, don’t you need that kind of humility?”

When Yurian let out a short sigh, Eileen thought the squinty-eyed manipulator was quite flustered.

“Excuse me, Eileen?”

“Why? Diana.”

“The person who brought the soul stone that Irene spoke of, you know.”

"huh."

“That’s Sir Yulian.”

Eileen flinches at Diana's words.

A moment of silence.

As that fleeting moment passed, Eileen coughed again and opened her mouth as if nothing had happened.

“I will bring the report to the secretary’s office now, so please wait.”

She spoke politely, asked Diana to wait a moment, and then turned around and headed to the lab.

She pretended like nothing happened, but her ears were bright red.

As Eileen's back disappeared from sight, Diana smiled awkwardly.

“Ha, haha… Sir Yurian, it’s been a while. Is this your first time since graduating from Bayer Academy?”

“Yes, Miss Diana.”

As the gaze that could not even glimpse her pupils was fixed on her, Diana began to tense up without realizing it.

“Are you still studying magic as before?”

“Huh? Ah, I guess it’s because it’s a magic that I’ve been honing for a while…….”

“Well, it is important to accumulate experience when it comes to magic that interferes with psychology.”

Thanks to Irene, the name 'Yurien' was not unfamiliar to Diana, but seeing him in person made her think that there are things you don't know until you see them with your own eyes.

An image that is clearly different from when he was a student at the academy.

While trying to recall my memories, I wondered if I had done something disrespectful to Yurian at that time.

“Actually, the reason I stopped by the rooftop today was because of a request from the secretary’s office, but also to see Miss Diana.”

Diana was quite taken aback by the unexpected words.

“Yes? Me?”

“Yes, Miss Diana, the accessories that Lazrot used were made by you.”

A name he didn't understand came out of his mouth.

“……Huh? Accessories……?”

“That thing that has the magic to ‘make the wearer cringe.’”

Yulian let out a short laugh as she watched Diana explain herself. Since she couldn’t see emotions through her eyes, she felt like Yulian was seeing through her.

“Thanks to that, Lazrot was able to easily blend in with the secretary’s office. Lazrot, who cowered like a small animal, was considered a harmless figure in the imperial court.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sir Yurian. I don’t even know who Lazrot is…….”

“Are you still thinking of evading the offer?”

Yurian's voice, which even conveys a strong will.

“Bishop Eleanor.”

Diana's body jumped up slightly in embarrassment, but she soon calmed down and let out a short sigh.

Her eyes, which had been fidgeting and unable to find their way home, settled into a clear position with a sigh.

As she ran her fingers under her eyes, a hidden seductive spot came into view.

“Since when?”

The atmosphere, which had become extremely sharp, was completely different from the 'Diana' that had existed until now.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Since when have you known my true identity?”

“Well, I’m not sure about that.”

Diana, no, Eleanor frowned as if she had a headache, looking at Yurian who let out a short laugh again.

However, Eleanor was secretly relieved that Yurian had come all the way here and brought up such a sensitive 'topic'.

'It looks like you came because you have a favor to ask.'

In that case, even if your own shortcomings are exposed, you will be able to lead the flow of the story.

Thinking so, she smiled inwardly.

“Okay, then let’s change the subject. Why did you come all the way here?”

“Didn’t you say it was to collect Honseok’s report?”

“Nonsense.”

And he's lying so blatantly again.

Diana bit her lip slightly at Yurian's attitude of not wanting to reveal her feelings.

“There’s no way he would have come all the way to Matap to do chores at the secretary’s office.”

“That’s right, I actually came here to ask you a favor.”

As expected.

Eleanor's mouth relaxed at the realization that her thoughts were not wrong.

'It's a very urgent request.'

I haven't heard what it is yet, but asking for a favor means you have control of the conversation.

Thinking that far, Eleanor felt extremely resentful of the man in front of her, Yurian.

In a place like this, when you have a favor to ask, you dare mention the name 'Eleanor' out loud.

“You have no manners for someone who has asked for a favor. I never thought Sir Yurian would be such a shameless person.”

The thought of giving this annoying man some trouble, even if it was just a little, arose in my mind.

“Haha, I think there’s some kind of misunderstanding.”

When such a turbid stream of emotions seeps into my heart like green water.

“It’s not me who’s asking, it’s you who’s asking me.”

Yurian let out another strange remark.