Banished Villainess – Under Observation!

Leddorio could only blankly stare at the spectacle in front of him. Momo was still asleep in the bed between where Locke and Chloe were sitting. A red puppy was jumping about as it licked Chloe’s cheeks. None of the things he feared were happening on the other side of the door.

‘What are you doing highness, my sacred mana has not fully recovered yet so I won’t be able to repair that door. Please just knock, next time.’

Chloe’s extremely appropriate words, has in turn, made the prince red in embarrassment. His mind that came to his senses now had to deal with the thought of how pathetic he was for destroying a door out of a misunderstanding.

‘…What’s that?’

‘It’s Melamphus, sir. Hasn’t his highness seen much of him in the last battle? Although, now he had turned into such a cute puppy.’

‘I know that! What I’m asking is why a monster, Garm, inside the lodging’s rooms!? Isn’t that Locke’s pet? Why does it look so attached to you!?’

Melamphus who was still in Chloe’s arms bore his fangs and started growling at the prince. Although he knew his conjecture was wrong, Locke’s subordinate fawning over Chloe was seemingly a reflection of its master’s feelings. It just didn’t sit well with him.

‘It’s true that he should be outside in his dog house. But recently, too many customers are coming to the lodging house, making him agitated. That being the case, the mistress allowed him to be with us instead, as his parents.’

‘As his parents…!?’

‘…Chloe, your wording. We had her name Melamphus, so that it wouldn’t attack others whenever I’m not here.’

Locke also gave the ‘Red Dragon’s Collar’ to the lodging mistress, which was what truly allowed them to keep the monster as a pet. However, Leddorio was not interested in reason. He was more taken aback by the unexpected misjudgment that Chloe did.

‘You named it!? Are you insane? You are under suspicions of being a witch, you know!? Making contracts with monster is something typical of witches! Shin, why did I not receive any report of this!?’

‘My apologies, sir. By the time I became aware of it, the contract has already been made. Fortunately, the actual master in the contract was Locke, and milady merely suggested him the name so-‘

Despite being yelled at, Shin’s facial expression didn’t crumbled and merely answered back, but it only fueled the fire even more.

‘Do you think that kind of logic will work to a monster!? By having two masters instead of one, as far as Garm is concerned, they are his… hi… hi…’

Leddorio just couldn’t accept what had happened but he could only barely suppress his irritation. Chloe had a tiresome look as she watched her angered former-fiancée (Though, he sounded like he was laughing.) She stood up and handed Melamphus to Locke. She couldn’t just keep sitting and let a prince stand for so long either.

‘So that’s what it was… The reason why his highness went out of his way to eavesdrop on a conversation already being recorded was because he is still worried that I am a witch. While it does make me sad that the suspicion was not entirely cleared yet, it is true that my foolishness has caused all these so I shall obediently accept his words.’

‘N-No. You misunderstood me!’

Chloe obediently bowed her head making Leddorio flustered. Although he was just as surprised in seeing her apologize, something that he never saw her doing back in the capital, if the lady’s feelings towards him remains to be based on guilt, nothing will ever move forward.

‘Chloe, it’s me who wishes to apologize. I… was wrong. I one-sidedly believed Momo’s words, condemned, and banished my former fiancee, without even hearing her side.’

Leddorio was regretted the condemnation. Although he couldn’t forgive her for harassing Momo at that time, it was true that his personal retaliation to his neglected fiancée played a factor too. She has to be the “Villain”— Momo was not the only one who convinced herself with that belief. The lady’s label that had continued for several years as well as his mountain of pride made him obstinately resist recognizing Chloe’s changes in the face of her strange behaviors.

‘Chloe was not wron—’

‘What??’

His embarassment was overwhelmed by his feelings of guilt. However, the person he wanted to convey those feelings to, was looking at him with stern.