Reincarnated and Regressed Villain - Make heroines beg for forgiveness

Chapter 30- Venessa's shrewdness against Ryuk's middle finger

Outside the Gates of the Royal Palace of the Selvius Kingdom, Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"I heard things aren't well in North,Count Eric " Many noblemen moved towards the palace to discuss countermeasures with Queen Alisia to address the problems arising in several parts of the Kingdom.

While walking, a man in his late twenties, with an exhausted face, turned towards the person who reminded him of his situation. A defeated smile formed on his face, "You already know, Baron, things aren't going well in the North; my last hope is the Queen."

It has been six months since the relentless cold hit the North, causing inhabitants to suffer from a lack of food due to destroyed crops.

Things became even more severe when the pandemic enveloped the entire County.

Count Eric, in an attempt to resolve the problems, contacted the Silvester Family, within whose duchy the major parts of the North fall.

However, he waited for three months just to get a chance to talk with the head of the family, and even then, he got nothing except for some words from Duke Silvester.

// Go and enjoy yourself, Count. If some people die, then it doesn't matter much; after all, fewer mouths to feed will only lessen your burden //

While moving, Count Eric felt helpless; for him, his people were the priority.

What would be the meaning of being called a Lord when he can't even protect his people? 'Queen Alisia will at least suggest some ways,' he hoped.

It was already known among every noble that the Kingdom was under Queen Alisia's control, not the King, who merely acted as a facade.

This caused a relentless struggle between the Silvester family and Queen's supporters.

Whenever noblemen tried to explain the danger the Silvester family posed, the Queen had only one reply: // Let them play //

These words seemed arrogant coming from the Queen's mouth, resulting in very few followers of the Selvius Royal family actually siding with her.

Count Eric was among those few.

'!?'

While walking, Count suddenly interrupted his path and turned towards the palace gates, narrowing his eyes.

"What happened, Count?" One of the nobles, feeling confused at such an interruption, inquired. Prompting a reply from his mouth, "Can't you hear someone's screams?"

Everyone hearing his words felt confused, turning towards each other.

They did not doubt Count Eric's words due to everyone being aware of the mana skills possessed by him, only kept waiting for the sound to become audible for them.

"Aaa....."

"AaaaaaGgg..."

Tack Tack

But making that sound fade away was another overlapping on it, the sound belonged to a horseshoe thundering with the ground while slowly becoming more vivid.

Slowly, a horse became visible as it entered the gates while dragging something behind, the power with which the horse moved evident from the dragged figure's condition.

Neeeeiiighhh

"AaaaGggghhh.....Thud...kugh!" The moment the horse stopped and galloped, causing the guard being dragged by it to get thrown forward before stopping in front of the nobles, groaning in pain with a completely destroyed body.

"Kughhh"

Ignoring the groans of the person, all of their eyes fell on the figure disembarking from the horse, the already known amber eyes making all of them realize the identity of the figure.

"C-crown Prince?!" All of them moved towards Ryuk while some noble identifying the guard from the Silvester family walked over his body to greet their future king.

Ryuk, standing there and seeing nobles coming towards him, directly recognized Count Eric, causing a smile to form on his face as he moved towards them.

The nobles were already shocked seeing everything in front of them.

"Count Eric, what is the reason for you to be here?" Ryuk's eyes were fixed on the person in question, causing Eric to feel different seeing how the Crown Prince recognized him, despite him not even having lived in the capital to begin with.

According to the rules, nobles were expected to leave a substitute in the capital city to attend emergency meetings or answer calls from the Royal family.

However, many nobles, using this as an excuse, preferred to stay in the capital while their proxies handled their positions in their respective Feigdoms, enjoying a luxurious lifestyle here, in the capital.

Yet, a few nobles like Baron Carlo or Count Eric chose to leave proxies in the capital, such as their wives, and faithfully handled their duties themselves.

This made such nobles easier to forget than those who visited the palace on every occasions.

"Your Highness, it is my pleasure to be remembered by you," Count Eric bowed, feeling slightly delighted at not being forgotten by the future king while battling on the borders, he continued, " I am here to request some aid from Her majesty about County, Your Highness"

"Is it about the pandemic and the monster rampage?" Ryuk, already aware of the reason for the count being here, couldn't help but ponder over the smallness of the world in reality.

The Silvester family's grand plan to awaken a sleeping beast had caused chaos in the North.

Disease and monster rampages led to the entire county engulfed in death.

Ryuk felt amused thinking about the coincidence that the very Saintess of Goddess Fela, Maria, who would later be known as Marianne, belonged to the North where her mother died due to the pandemic.

His amusement stemmed from the realization that the major future supporters of the Saintess would be the Silvesters themselves.

'I need to deal with that problem.' One of the major reasons for him to orchestrate provoking the Silvester family by declaring Adanyl as crown Princess was everything related to his upcoming journey to the North.

He was not a saint, neither in his previous life nor now.

Even in the past, his actions had motives behind them. And even now, his aim was definitely not solely focused on people's welfare.

"Yes, Your Highness, it is!" Count Eric, seeing how the Crown Prince was aware of his problems, felt a surge of hope, momentarily forgetting his etiquette in excitement. Realizing this, he promptly apologized, "Forgive my impudence, Your Highness."

"It's fine. I will personally talk with my mother about your problem," Ryuk assured them before shifting his gaze towards a large palace detached from the main one at some distance. "Also..."

He continued, "Do me a favor, Noblemen."

"With our pleasure, Your Highness," everyone present there deeply impressed by Ryuk, bowed, feeling somewhat relieved knowing their future was secured with a worthy king.

"A Royal carriage will arrive here shortly. I want you to instruct my butler to tend to that girl in my mother's presence," Ryuk stated, not wanting to delay any further as he moved towards the Elysium, ignoring the nobles who waited eagerly to carry out his orders.

...

After a few minutes, Ryuk finally arrived at the bustling gates of the Elysium. The area was already bustling with maids.

"Y-your Highness!?" Vivian, standing outside and already waiting for Ryuk's arrival, sprinted towards him before bowing in front of him, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Forgive me, Your Highness...hic... I wanted to, but..." Her voice faltered as she tried to plead and repent for her mistake of not being able to help the future Queen in such a condition.

Her tear-filled eyes were evidence of the pain she felt.

"It's not your fault. Tell me, where is she?"

Ryuk's words snapped Vivian out of her thoughts.

Overwhelmed, knowing this situation might ruin Olivia's and Ryuk's already unstable relationship, Vivian, with a quivering voice, replied, "Princess Olivia is—"

"Not her," Ryuk's firm tone interrupted Vivian's response, making her change her words, "Miss Adanyl is in her room."

"Lead the way."

Vivian swiftly composed herself, wiping away her tears, and guided Ryuk towards Adanyl's room.

Observing her, Ryuk slowly followed behind, a smile forming on his face.

His ears sensed a commotion that seemed to anticipate his arrival, but his current priorities lay elsewhere for the moment.

.

.

.

.

Adanyl's POV

Inside a lavishly decorated room, adorned with opulent furnishings, many maids and healers surrounded a bed where a small girl with white hair and ruby eyes lay.

'Thank God, I knew swimming.'

It  would have been a disaster if I had drowned there, but strangely, I struggled more than usual to swim.

'They've really turned me into a piglet!' I glanced at the maids, their eyes filled with concern, but it was them whom persistently fed me various things without listening to my protests causing me to gain weight.

What would happen if His Highness saw me like this?

Would he think I'm lazy?

But despite my frustration, seeing their worried faces, I couldn't help but feel a warm sensation in my heart.

It was the first time someone had been genuinely concerned about my pain.

Even at the monastery, no one cared when I cried due to pain, which had made me somewhat accustomed to people's indifference.

However, it felt good, seeing these maid's genuine concern that was all thanks to His Highness.

"Please don't exert your body."

'Shut up, I'm not even moving.' I'm literally lying on my bed with both hands and legs in the maid's arms while they're rubbing them. 'Idiot, how could I even move?'

"Please don't move your head either. You there, maid, go hold her head too, or she'll get a neck cramp."

'Someone reprimand that old man!' I glanced towards the healer's head, who was constantly trying to keep me in bed as if I were seriously injured.

'Even a fool can see he just wants to make me look seriously injured.' I couldn't help but look towards the maids who were also fooled by these conmen, claiming my condition was worse than it actually was.

Krieeeeekk~

Suddenly, the door of the room opened, but I didn't turn my head. Who knew that old man would spout his nonsense again...

...

As Ryuk entered Adanyl's room, the first sight that met his eyes was five maids sitting on the bed, restraining a small girl. Each one was holding her legs, hands, and head.

'Are they torturing her?' Ryuk thought, concluding from the scene before him.

Everyone's gaze fixated on him except the little girl who looked towards the ceiling while her head was lightly held by a maid.

"Y-your Highness!?" The old man rushed to greet Ryuk, who found Adanyl's posture somewhat amusing.

He turned towards the man in front of him while the others also stood up from the bed and bowed.

"Is Crown Princess safe?"

'!?'

The moment those words reached Adanyl's ears, she swiftly turned her head towards Ryuk.

Her ruby red eyes met his amber ones, a smile visible on his face witnessing the surprise on the girl's face.

'He used me!' Adanyl cried inside her mind, understanding how she had been used as bait.

She was already aware of the real world and its ways.

Her background as a commoner and nothing particularly special made it clear why she had been declared as Crown Princess.

'What a smart girl,' Ryuk thought. There was a reason why he had used Adanyl as bait to lure the Silvesters.

From the moment he met her, he had been aware that she was far from stupid, and now, the shocked expression on her face confirmed his suspicions.

Turning his gaze towards the healers, Ryuk understood that this situation had been orchestrated by Venessa to portray Adanyl as severely injured, intending to manipulate his response.

"Not much, Your Highness, exactly—"

'!?'

Sensing Ryuk's gesture to halt, the healer's eyes shifted towards his cold amber orbs fixed on Adanyl.

"Who slapped her?" Ryuk's voice resonated with firmness as he directed his attention towards the maids, causing them to feel overwhelmed.

One of them, trembling, bowed before speaking, "It was the maids accompanying Her Highness."

Without any delay, Ryuk turned and left the room before looking at Adanyl, whose mouth was wide open due to the smirk she got from him.

'He is a devil!' Adanyl understood that he was once again acting to appear upset by her face slap, realizing how much her future was in danger now. 'I need to run away from here.'

'Wait!' Suddenly, a realization hit her, which seemed possible.

'Don't tell me he tasked the maids to make me heavy so I can't run away.'

While lost in her thoughts, the little girl kept looking toward the ceiling, clearly seeing her future as a chubby queen.

.

.

Ryuk moved out of the room, proceeding directly to the garden, where he had heard a very interesting sound.

Thwwukk! Thwwukk!

"Aaahhhhh...Forgive us, your Majesty!"

Upon arriving, Ryuk witnessed a woman with blonde hair and crimson eyes, beating two maids with a whip while they pleaded and cried for mercy.

'How gruesome,' he thought, observing the brutality the innocent maids had to endure simply because their use had ended. 'Pitiful.'

His already soft heart melted once again, prompting him to move towards them.

Feeling Ryuk's approach, Venessa continued whipping the maids, ignoring their safety as they were trained spies from the Silvester family.

Their bodies had been toughened to endure some whipping by Venessa, who had chosen to grant them a special position in the palace due to their performance.

As Ryuk approached, Venessa pretended anger, saying, "You filth, you know what you did."

Thwwukk!

"AaaGgghHh!.....Please have mercy, Your Majesty," the maids pleaded, feeling the pain.

Though it stung them, rising in position necessitated it.

Having completed their work, such opportunities for advancement were rare when they just needed to merely slap a little girl.

"Lady Venessa, you could stop now." Ryuk, feeling pity for these maids who had received merely ten or so hits, wanted to lessen their pain and decrease their suffering.

"Your Highness, when you arrived," Venessa feigned surprise upon seeing Ryuk's arrival.

However, noticing how his gaze was fixed on both maids pleading for mercy, she continued, "Please, you don't need to forgive them."

"But you have already hit them several times." Ryuk turned towards Venessa with a smile, confusing her as his expression and words didn't align.

"But they deserve it," Venessa slowly signaled the maids to continue their act, stealing glances at them.

"Forgive us, Your Highness! We deserve to die!" Both maids pleaded in unison, feeling guilty for their crime.

Ryuk fell into a dilemma, wanting to save them but also not wanting them to feel unrepentant.

"Sigh, you don't need to do this, Lady Venessa." He sighed while looking at the pleading maids, then turned his gaze towards Venessa, signaling for the whip. He added, "But only one whip. I will not hit them more. They are already pitiful. I am just doing this for their own satisfaction."

Hearing Ryuk's words, both maids smiled, understanding how easily they would escape this place with just a hit from a child.

Venessa passed the whip to Ryuk, his smile slowly fading before a cold glint passed through his eyes, looking towards the maids who were expecting only a single hit.

WHOOSH

'!?'

All of their eyes widened as the whip became shrouded in amethyst mana, making both maids realize what was about to happen, hardening their bodies using mana.

THHWWWUUUKKKK!!!!

SPLASH

Venessa stood there, her eyes becoming blurry due to some fluid on her face slowly dripping down.

Drip

A subtle sound made her lift her now trembling hands towards her face, already knowing what this crimson liquid was, yet confirming it with her own eyes.

"Kyaaaaa~!!" Other maids shouted while stumbling to the ground, leaving Venessa blankly staring at Ryuk, who stood without a single stain of blood on his body.

Slowly moving towards the blonde-haired woman, Ryuk passed the now red whip to Venessa with a smile before adding.

"I told you not to hit maids like that, Lady Venessa. It is cruel."