BXBX NOVEL Chapter 78: Villain Simulator, Ch 78
Chapter 78: Villain Simulator, Ch 78
She paused, looking directly at Jean. "Are you sure you want to proceed with the reading?"
Jean hesitated for a moment but then solemnly nodded and said, "I've made up my mind. Please, proceed with the divination."
Though she could be unreliable in her daily life, when it came to fortune-telling, Mona was always serious. She quickly performed her divination, and before long, she had the results.
"So, this is our fate?" After hearing Mona's reading, Jean gave a faint, sad smile. "Thank you."
"You're the first person who's ever thanked me after hearing the truth," Mona said, clearly moved by the result. "Most people get angry when the reading isn't what they wanted to hear. Some even call me a witch."
"Let's go," Jean said softly. "After all, I'm the bride. I can't disappear for too long."
Watching the expression on Jean's face, Mona thought about the "secret" she had seen earlier through the water mirror at the restroom. For a moment, she considered telling Jean the truth but ultimately held back.
After all, the old woman who trained her had taught her one useful lesson outside of astrology—never meddle in other people's business.
...
On the other side, after an intense "battle," Lucas finally left the cramped restroom.
Clearly, Eula had made sure Lucas wouldn't have a shred of strength left for Jean, which left him feeling slightly helpless.
"Where have you been, Lucas?" A hand clapped down on Lucas's shoulder. "My foolish daughter has been looking for you everywhere."
The man standing behind Lucas was a middle-aged man with an elegant demeanor. His golden hair was tied into a long braid behind his head, and he wore glasses that gave him a refined appearance.
This man was none other than Jean's father—Seamus Gunnhildr.
According to Lucas's intel, his real name was Seamus Pegg, who had married into the Gunnhildr family. His wife had been the head of the Gunnhildr family, but she had suffered complications during the birth of their second daughter. The baby had died young, and the trauma from that event had left her bedridden ever since.
For the past twenty years, Seamus had been acting head of the family, and it was he who had arranged Jean's marriage to Lucas.
"F-Father-in-law," Lucas felt a bit nervous but quickly composed himself. "Sorry, I drank too much earlier and had to go to the restroom for a while."
"It's normal to be nervous on your wedding day," Seamus said with a gentle smile. "Seeing you reminds me of myself on my own wedding day. It was the happiest day of my life. I hope you... will love Jean as much as I loved her mother."
"Of course. Marrying someone like Jean is an honor," Lucas said, forcing himself to say the right words.
If the Gunnhildr family was indeed the mastermind behind the "Millennium Lie," then Seamus would certainly be involved. However, Lucas found it hard to imagine that this soft-spoken man could be behind such a devious plot.
...
Soon, the wedding concluded, and the guests gradually began to leave.
Lucas was now faced with what was probably the most challenging part of this immersion mode.
He looked at Jean, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, her cheeks flushed from the wine she had drunk. Lucas couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.
"Why are you just standing there like a piece of wood?" Jean patted the space next to her on the bed, her tone gentle. "Come, sit closer to me."
For some reason, despite being known as the "Smiling Reaper" who had interrogated countless heretics, Lucas found himself feeling a little nervous.
Jean tilted her head slightly and asked, "You don't look well."
No wonder. After all, Lucas had just been thoroughly "dealt with" by Eula not long ago... and not just once.
Given her vengeful nature, Eula hadn't left even a trace of energy in him for Jean.
"Jean," Lucas said as he sat beside her, his tone calm. "We both know this is just a political marriage. If you don't want to go through with anything tonight, I won't force you."
It wasn't that Lucas was particularly noble—it was just that, thanks to Eula, he was currently in "sage mode."
No worldly desires at the moment.
"Are you planning to make me a widow on my wedding night?" Jean leaned against Lucas's shoulder and whispered softly, "Don't blame yourself. I've already accepted my fate. At least you're not some balding old man or a bloated lord. I consider myself lucky."
"I..." Lucas began, but Jean's tenderness overwhelmed him before he could finish.
"Don't ruin the mood, okay?" Jean said gently. "Just like when we first met—leave everything to me, little brother."
"Jean..."
At that moment, Lucas felt as if he had gone back to the day when he had first caught the feather as a young boy.
---
[Talent "First Glass of Red Wine" activated: Agility increased by 75%.]
[Switching to text mode...]
[Age 23: A year has passed since you moved into the Gunnhildr family estate. During this time, you've been searching for any connections between the Gunnhildr family and the "Millennium Lie," but no solid evidence has surfaced.]
[To avoid suspicion, you've had to maintain the appearance of a loving couple with Jean.]
[Of course, this hasn't been difficult for you. Jean seems to genuinely like you. You must admit, she's an ideal wife—gentle, kind, and highly capable.]
[In public, she's a perfect representative of the Gunnhildr family. In private, she's a wife who fulfills your every need.]
[There have been times, even once or twice, where you've thought to yourself that if not for the weight of your responsibilities, spending your life with Jean wouldn't be so bad after all.]
[Age 24: However, as an enforcer, you can't forget the reality. Rafal's information provides a key breakthrough. You discover that many others like him have risked their lives in pursuit of "knowledge."]
[Handling them proves to be much more difficult than dealing with simple rebels. After all, their research into history doesn't technically break Mondstadt's laws.]
[Public opinion continues to swell, and enforcer operations increasingly face resistance. In one instance, during an arrest, a citizen resisting capture was accidentally killed, further inflaming anti-Lawrence sentiments.]
[This event triggers a surge of unrest against the Lawrence family. Around this time, an underground book titled "The Millennium Lie" begins circulating among the people.]
[The book Millennium Lie recounts a history vastly different from the accepted one. Its contents are even more exaggerated than the real history.]
[In this version, the Lawrence family's ancestor, instead of being the hero Kreuzlied who resisted the dragon and saved Mondstadt, is depicted as a tyrant—Eberhart—who oppressed the people.]
[His crimes are countless, including implementing the shameful "First Glass of Wine Decree" and colluding with the evil dragon Ursa to brutally kill Mondstadt's hero, Vennessa, who led the rebellion against the nobles.]
[This book not only claims to present the "true history" but also cites numerous sources, making it appear even more credible.]
[The publication of Millennium Lie dealt a massive blow to the Lawrence family. The current family head was so outraged by its contents that he fell gravely ill, forcing Eula Lawrence to take over in this time of crisis.]
[Many believed that this young woman wouldn't be able to handle the situation, but Eula quickly proved them wrong with her decisive actions.]
[First, she declared Millennium Lie a banned book, ordering all copies to be confiscated and burned, and made the possession of the book a criminal offense.]
[Although these actions did not resolve the underlying tensions, they temporarily stabilized the Lawrence family's rule.]
[Due to secrecy, only the heads of the Lawrence family had access to the full list of enforcers. After becoming head, Eula discovered your name on the list.]
[Upon learning this, Eula immediately sought you out, asking whether your marriage to the Gunnhildr family was part of an investigation into them.]
[After two years of being undercover in the Gunnhildr family and earning their complete trust, there was no longer any need to hide the truth from Eula. You revealed everything to her.]
[You expected Eula to be thrilled by the truth, but she remained calm. It seems that her sharp mind had already suspected something.]
[Thus, the two of you agreed to continue your investigation, with one of you operating openly and the other in secret, to uncover the mastermind behind Millennium Lie.]
["Don't think that using your mission as an excuse will let you do whatever you want," Eula said, unable to resist adding a final remark before parting. "I'll remember this grudge, and when this is all over, you'll spend the rest of your life making up for everything you owe me."]
[By this time, Eula was 27 years old. Her dream of becoming the family head had never been about power or status—it was so she could be with you openly.]
[She had devoted her life to this cause, and you knew you had no right to disappoint her.]
[Age 25: Outwardly, you maintained the appearance of a loving husband with Jean, but in secret, you continued to gather information, especially concerning her father, Seamus Gunnhildr.]
[There were many suspicious things about Seamus. For instance, he disappeared for a period every week, and for the past three years, he had been the only one taking care of his bedridden wife. Even Jean herself hadn't been allowed to see her mother.]
[Meanwhile, Eula had made a risky decision to preserve the Lawrence family's rule—she formed a secret alliance with the Fatui, who were stationed in Mondstadt's embassy. Their methods were far more effective at rooting out heresy, though certainly not legal.]
[Eula's hardline policies sparked considerable dissent within the Lawrence family. Many believed that she was betraying the family's traditions, especially by collaborating with outsiders.]
[But Eula stood firm, knowing that soft measures wouldn't pacify the people of Mondstadt. No matter the cost, this farce had to end.]
[At the same time, you noticed that Jean's condition was deteriorating. One day, she confided in you, saying she missed her mother terribly and asked if you could help her sneak into her mother's room just to see her, even for a moment.]
[In the three years of your marriage, Jean had never asked you for anything. Faced with this request, you decided...]
[1. Agree]
[2. Refuse]
"Agree."
Lucas's intuition told him that this could be a turning point.
[Taking advantage of Seamus's absence, you and Jean sneaked into her mother's room. As expected, the door was locked, but Jean had prepared for this. She pulled out a key she had made in advance and opened the lock.]
[The room was simple and cozy, and at first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But what puzzled you was that there was no sign of Jean's mother.]
[However, as an enforcer, you quickly discovered a hidden mechanism in the room. After all, you had encountered many secret rooms used to hide illegal things during your investigations.]
[Feigning casualness, you triggered the mechanism, and with the sound of gears turning, a section of the wall flipped open. What you and Jean saw behind it shocked you both.]
[Inside a large glass container was the corpse of a woman. She had been dead for quite some time, but the preservatives in the fluid had kept her body from decomposing.]
[Jean broke down immediately. The body in the container was her mother, who she had believed had been bedridden for years. In reality, she had been dead all along.]
[Her father hadn't told anyone about her death, not even Jean. Worse, he had preserved her corpse in this grotesque manner.]
[Just then, you heard footsteps approaching the room. You quickly reset the mechanism and pulled the dazed Jean into a closet to hide.]
[Judging by the sound of the footsteps, you instantly recognized them as Seamus'. He didn't seem to notice anything amiss and soon, you heard the mechanism activate again.]
[Then, you and Jean overheard a bizarre conversation.]
["Dear, how are you feeling today?"]
["Much better. The doctor says I might be able to get out of bed soon."]
["That's wonderful! I have good news—our plan is progressing smoothly."]
["Really?"]
["Yes, Lawrence won't last much longer. Soon, I'll restore the Gunnhildr family to its former glory. When that time comes, you'll be the true queen of Mondstadt!"]
["You're amazing, my love. I'm so happy. Can you kiss me?"]
[Then you heard the sound of a kiss, though it was clearly just the sound of lips pressing against glass.]
[What made this conversation truly creepy was that Seamus was speaking both parts, as if playing both roles in the conversation himself!]
[You never imagined that the normally gentle and refined Seamus had such a dark side. Of course, the person more shocked than you was his own daughter. You had to cover her mouth tightly to prevent her from crying out.]
[After Seamus left the room, you and Jean cautiously sneaked out.]
[You brought Jean back to your room, and it took her a long time to calm down. You wanted to say something to comfort her, but she spoke first: "You're an enforcer, aren't you? The reason you married me was to investigate the Gunnhildr family and its connection to Millennium Lie, right?"]
[Faced with Jean's question, your choices are...]
[1. Deny everything]
[2. Silently confirm]
"I..." Lucas hesitated for a moment before replying calmly, "Confirm."
[You silently nodded, and Jean didn't seem surprised by your admission. "Father once told me to play the role of a good wife. I always knew he wanted to restore the Gunnhildr family's former glory, but I never thought he had become so twisted."]
[Jean hoped you could stop Seamus's plan and told you that he regularly held secret gatherings to recruit followers. She gave you the time and location of the next meeting, asking you to put an end to it all.]
It seemed that Seamus had likely been suspicious of Lucas's true motives from the start, which was why he was willing to marry his daughter off to keep Lucas in check.
But he probably never imagined that even his own daughter would betray him.
[Although you weren't certain if Jean's information was reliable, trusting her posed no real risk to you. You promised her that you would do everything in your power to spare Seamus' life.]
[For this mission, you planned carefully. First, you arranged for enforcers to lay in ambush around the meeting site. Then, you disguised yourself as a follower to infiltrate the gathering and gather evidence. That way, even if your cover was blown, you could still escape unharmed.]
[Just as Jean said, you noticed people slowly arriving at the meeting location—a long-abandoned church. It wasn't difficult for you to knock out one of the followers and take their place, slipping into the group unnoticed.]
[The leader of the gathering was, as expected, Seamus Gunnhildr. He stood on a raised platform like a pope, passionately speaking about the contributions the Gunnhildr family had made a thousand years ago to overthrow tyranny.]
["The Lawrences are deceivers! They've deceived Mondstadt for a millennium, stealing the fruits of justice!" Seamus spoke like a born orator, his voice full of fervor. "Do they think we'll remain fools forever? No! We will fight for the truth! Long live the truth!"]
[The crowd erupted in a chant of "Long live the truth!"]
[You couldn't help but think of Rafal, who had spent his entire life chasing the "truth," only to have it become a tool for others to exploit.]
So they're wrapping their own selfish interests in the guise of "truth"? What a twisted argument.
["But," Seamus's tone suddenly changed, turning cold, "there's a heretic among us tonight!" He paused for dramatic effect. "My dear son-in-law, don't you think it's time to reveal yourself?"]
---
Author's Note: Creepy old man...