I'm in Love with the Villainess!-Chapter 168: Swallowing a Tracker?

The guard stepped aside once the deed was presented.

The parchment was thick, sealed with dark crimson wax. Evelina leaned in to read the fine print while I skimmed the main lines:

Land ownership. Joint authority. Administrative rights.

My name. Her name. Coordinates of the territory.

"...That’s outside the city," Evelina murmured.

Of course it wasn’t.

"Correct, Lady D’Arclight," the guard said evenly. "The land lies several days outside this city’s central borders, in a frontier region not yet fully developed."

Frontier. That meant problems.

"Bandits, monsters, unstable territory... half-built settlement?" I asked.

He nodded. "You are expected to establish governance, infrastructure, and defense. The crown will provide minimal support."

Minimal. Naturally.

"A frontier territory jointly governed by two academy students," Evelina said. "Less a reward and more a test."

"The emperor believes responsibility produces capable rulers faster than comfort," the guard replied.

I folded the parchment and slid it back into the box. "Well. Looks like we’re landlords now."

"Rulers, technically," Evelina corrected.

The guard closed the lockbox and handed it over. "You will depart once the academy resumes limited operations. The Headmaster will oversee your preparations."

Azrael, too. So this wasn’t just political theater.

At the door, he paused. "One more thing. Your territory already has inhabitants. They were settled there under a provisional charter. Without leadership, the region has... stagnated."

Which probably meant it was a mess.

Once he left, silence settled.

Evelina tapped the lockbox. "This is far more interesting than a simple commendation."

"You sound excited."

"I am." Her eyes were bright. "Do you realize what this means?"

I shrugged. "We manage taxes, infrastructure, defense, agriculture—"

"And political influence," she finished. "Or, if you want to get more excited about it, we can basically act as a married noble couple if you like."

"You know me so well..." I replied.

***

Outside the sanctum, the celebrations were already in full swing. The announcement ceremony had finished, and the students who had just returned from five days of hell were finally free to run amok.

No one would even bat an eye at the fact that they were nobles anymore. For now, they needed to forget about the hell they’d just been through.

"Master!"

Kevin ran toward me the moment Evelina and I exited the Academy gates.

"Someone wants to talk to you."

Kevin stepped aside and revealed the senior who’d just returned from the hunt: Pyra Persival, the student council president. And... she looked genuinely grateful.

I guessed she hadn’t realized I was the one who destroyed her entire fortress in the first place.

"I’d like to thank you for sending your student back then to save me."

"It was no problem."

Evelina stepped between us before I could even answer, a very fake smile on her face as she stared Pyra down.

"Um... I’d like to speak to Lord Arden directly, Lady D’Arclight."

"I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse."

"You’re being unreasonable."

Other than Lillian, the only other woman in the entire kingdom who could talk to Evelina like that was obviously Pyra. As the daughter of another duke, she wasn’t nearly as afraid of Evelina as others were.

Besides, she was slightly older and more experienced. And with her family’s methods directly countering those of House D’Arclight, she had no real reason to be afraid.

They were equals rather than rivals, their families bound by strong ties to cover each other’s weaknesses.

And in the original novel—

[Photographic Memory]

—that tie had been cut almost immediately after the end of the first volume, when her original path to insanity because of Julius began.

"Unreasonable? It’s normal not to want another woman talking to her man."

"Huh? You two aren’t even officially engaged!" Pyra crossed her arms. "Also, I just wanted to thank you."

"That isn’t necessary. If you want to thank someone, then thank Illinalta."

"Y-You..."

Pyra glanced at me over Evelina’s shoulder, but I only shrugged. I had no idea what to say to her. I was exactly where I wanted to be.

"F-Fine."

Pyra walked off and, just like Evelina suggested, grabbed Kevin forcefully by the hand. Her pride wouldn’t allow her to leave a debt of gratitude unpaid after being saved, and since she’d rather not argue with Evelina, she decided to reward my student instead.

"E-Eh, wait! Where are we going? I still need to practice my magic!"

"You’re a commoner, right? I know the perfect place."

"B-But—"

"Just go along with it."

Evelina turned back toward me once Pyra disappeared, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Now..."

She reached up beneath her ear and pulled off a small runic chip that hummed faintly with magic. I recognized that technology anywhere.

It was the same item they’d used on Julius during the "Compromise" arc—a tracker planted on him without his knowledge, the catalyst for the disaster that spanned the whole arc.

W-Was she...?

Well... I kind of deserved it, really.

"Now then, be a good boy and swallow this..."

The chip rested between her fingers, no larger than a fingernail.

The runes etched across its surface flickered weakly, reacting to the sudden exposure to open air.

"Swallow?"

"Makes it harder to break. Plus, its magic will keep it inside your body and prevent it from being digested."

"I..." I tried to think of a reply, but nothing came. Her logic made sense, and I already knew her motive.

And... the thought of her knowing my location 24/7 was actually kind of hot in an odd sort of way. I... actually kind of liked this.

"Are we doing this here?"

"Stop pretending like you still have any shame left."

Good point.

I opened my mouth, and without so much as a hesitation, she placed the chip on my tongue, her finger lingering a bit longer than necessary on my lower lip as a signal to swallow.

Gulp.

"Good. Now I’ll always know where you are..."

She smiled, and I could’ve sworn her eyes turned into hearts for the briefest second. But we couldn’t exactly linger; everyone who had just watched what happened was already starting to form questions.

"Now, let’s go have some fun!"