Living As the Villainess Queen (Web Novel KR)-Chapter 430.1

The crowd’s reaction split into two distinct factions. The representatives wore bewildered expressions, struggling to grasp the full weight of Mara’s demands. Yet, others gazed at him with silent admiration. Among them, the elderly wanderers seemed the most moved—eyes reddened, their emotions barely restrained.

Kasser watched him, thoughts swirling. What an utterly unpredictable creature. Mara’s morality was arbitrary, yet, in some ways, strikingly pure. Despite his fearfulness, he had willingly entered a bargain that placed his very essence at risk. At times, he was as obstinate as an unruly child; at others, he carried himself with the weight of an old soul.

For a single being to embody such contradictions seemed impossible. Was it because he wasn’t human? Or had he simply lived too long? Surely not all larks were like this. Were there others like him in this world? These questions, and countless more, flickered through the kings’ minds.

For Riner, the revelation struck even deeper. Never once had he considered lark hunting an act of killing. To him, larks were destructive by nature—an inevitable threat to humanity. Eliminating them before they could wreak havoc was nothing more than a necessity.

Yet now, doubt gnawed at him. Perhaps… not all larks are inherently dangerous. If that were true, how could he continue hunting them with the same untroubled ease as before?

Should I… try speaking to them first?

Eugene’s gaze lingered on Mara, her heart heavy.

You truly care for the elders, don’t you?

And in that moment, certainty struck her. The future she had glimpsed—the reason behind Mara’s attack on the Holy City—had always been a lingering suspicion. But now, she knew.

In that timeline, Mahar must have discovered the sanctuary of the wanderers. Under his secret orders, the Inquisitors would have stormed in, massacring the tribe—perhaps even slaying the elders who guarded their magic.

To Mara, those elders were not just dear friends; they were the ones who kept the larks’ violent instincts in check. If he lost them, what reason would he have to care for human lives? If the followers of Mahar had destroyed everything he held dear, would he not have grown to despise them? That hatred alone could have driven him to orchestrate a massacre—manipulating the larks through false rituals, charging recklessly into a battle he knew he could never win.

The thought sent a burning sting to Eugene’s eyes.

“Have you thought about where and how you want to establish the tribe’s village within the Holy City?”

Eugene’s voice was calm, yet her gaze was sharp, studying Mara intently. Was this demand a spontaneous whim, or had he carefully premeditated it?

Mara’s answer came without hesitation.

“Since I’m bound to this magic, it should be built around me.”

Eugene frowned. “Around you? Then… the palace?”

“From what I’ve seen, it’s mostly in ruins anyway. And since its last occupant is dead, it’s ownerless now.”

Eugene nodded, unable to suppress her admiration. He was right—the only unclaimed, viable land within the Holy City was the palace.

He’s not just playing the role of a cult leader. He actually thinks ahead.

She, too, had considered that the tribe’s settlement should be resolved through negotiations with the kings. With Mara gone from their sanctuary, the tribe had abruptly lost their refuge. And after everything they had done to bring down Mahar, their contributions couldn’t simply be disregarded.

But there were too many urgent matters for her to handle at once. At the very least, she wouldn’t have the time to address the issue for the next several months.

If Mara’s proposal was accepted, it would be the perfect resolution.

His voice echoed again, reverberating in their minds like a divine decree.

“Humans, answer me. In exchange for ensuring the safety of the Holy City, will you relinquish the vacant land within the palace?”

Eugene barely contained a laugh at the sudden shift in his tone. Ah, there it is—the cult leader’s voice.

The ritual was Alber’s doing, and yet Mara spoke as if he alone orchestrated the entire thing. His cunning was impeccable—the true mark of a con artist who had mastered his craft. The most update n0vels are published on novᴇlfire.net

Across from her, the kings narrowed their eyes, their expressions darkening in unison.

This bastard, really…

The wariness they had momentarily set aside came rushing back in full force. He was dangerous. They had never forgotten that, but every time they started to ease their guard, he gave them another reason to be on edge.

Unlike the kings, who studied Mara with cold, calculating gazes as if to say, Let’s see where this goes, the representatives were visibly unsettled.

They knew he was a lark, yet they couldn’t dismiss him so easily. He was too massive, too powerful to be reduced to a mere monster. And then there was his voice—vast and weighty, pressing into their minds like an undeniable force. Fear gripped them at first.

But fear, when stretched thin, often twisted into something else.

Reverence.

At first, they had only half-believed the claim that a monster had deceived humans for centuries while playing god. But now, standing before Mara, they no longer doubted it.

As the full weight of his conditions settled upon them, the representatives exchanged uneasy glances. Giving up the palace? Could they even make such a decision? Even if its last occupant had been a monster, the palace remained a symbol of the Holy City’s history. Allowing the wanderers to settle there would incite outrage among the citizens.

One of the representatives cleared his throat. “That is not a decision we can make. We will need to discuss—”

Mara cut him off, his voice echoing with chilling finality.

“Your house is burning before your eyes, and you think you have time to deliberate? Lost opportunities never return.”

His gaze swept over them, unyielding.

“Humans, I am not a god who has come to save you. Even if every last person in this city perishes, I will watch idly. Decide now. Will you protect the Holy City, or will you stand by as it becomes a lark-infested wasteland once the active phase begins?”

The representatives turned desperate eyes toward the kings, silently begging for intervention. But the kings refused to meet their gaze.

They carried the issue of the tribe’s settlement like an unpaid debt. To them, Mara’s demand was not excessive. Distasteful, perhaps, but not unreasonable. So, they remained silent.

With no support from the kings, the representatives turned to the next least intimidating person—Eugene.

“What does Lady Anika think?” one of them asked, hopeful.

They had chosen the wrong ally.