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Chapter 10
“The Arrival of the Decadent Handsome Man”
“D-Diabell…a? Ghk… th-that… Diablo?”
The thug’s eyes widened as though he’d seen a ghost, his pupils practically shaking with terror.
Yes. That’s me.
“Th-the villainess— no, I mean, Marchioness!”
The male shop owner also yelped in horror, only to get jabbed sharply in the side by his wife before turning pale and bowing frantically.
That’s me too.
Was there any name more terrifyingly powerful in this situation?
Even if the empress herself had appeared, she probably wouldn’t have caused this much shock and fear.
Satisfied, Diabella quietly swallowed a smug little laugh.
Just then, a thunder of footsteps approached from outside and abruptly stopped in front of the shop.
“Arrest that man immediately!”
That’s me too—
…Wait, no it isn’t.
Diabella turned toward the shop entrance.
‘Gasp. A new handsome man!’
Tall and broad-shouldered, with a strong build, sharp jawline, and a high elegant nose.
His face was masculine and severe, framed by deep-set eyes shadowed beneath thick brows. Yet his clear blue eyes—sparkling like a tranquil lake—softened what otherwise might have been a cold impression.
If Marquis Raymond was the refined, textbook flower-boy type…
Then this man was more like a dreamy, dangerously decadent beauty.
Both were unbelievably gorgeous men she’d never encountered before entering this novel, and she was deeply grateful for their existence—
But if she had to pick a type…
‘This is hard. But melancholic decadent beauty is pretty amazing too.’
Diabella clapped a hand over her mouth.
Those sorrowful eyes, those slightly full lips—
This face was dangerously heart-stopping.
The dreamy handsome man looked back at her.
After recognizing her face, the tips of his ears reddened slightly in surprise before he surveyed the scene around him with a frown.
‘Slurp.’
Ah crap. She might’ve drooled a little.
Did he see that?
No way, right?
Pretending to feel dizzy, Diabella tilted her head slightly and quickly wiped her mouth.
Get it together.
I’m Diabella—the empire’s greatest beauty and infamous queen of arrogance.
Whenever she encountered handsome men, she kept forgetting her character settings.
‘To be fair, I still haven’t adjusted to my own face every time I look in the mirror.’
This was her first time living as a beauty like this.
It would probably take some time for her behavior to fully match her appearance.
Fortunately, the man didn’t seem to notice her internal meltdown.
He quickly turned toward the thug sprawled on the floor.
“To think you would dare torment defenseless merchants and women. A report was made that you were conducting illegal usury.”
“Me?! Can’t you see I’m the one being tormented here?!”
The thug protested indignantly.
But Diabella had long since removed her foot from his hand and was already covering her mouth delicately with the same hand she’d used to wipe her drool, wearing the expression of a frail noble lady.
“Take him away immediately and hand him over to the city guard.”
The handsome man issued the order without room for discussion.
Still suffering from the devastating blow to his most sensitive area, the thug limped away as the guards dragged him out.
“Are you all right?”
The man checked on the shopkeeper and his wife while surveying the wrecked store.
Then he casually tried to walk right past Diabella, as though it wasn’t her turn yet.
“…Excuse me?”
“Yes, my lady? Did you wish to say something?”
“Shouldn’t you also inquire about my wellbeing?”
“Ah. Before entering the shop, you appeared extremely unharmed, so I neglected to ask. Are your shoes all right?”
He bowed politely toward her feet and smoothly asked after the condition of her shoes.
‘Wait. He saw everything?’
Diabella bristled at his teasing tone.
Then he smiled.
The decadent melancholy vanished instantly, replaced by a mischievous eye-smile sweet enough to melt a thousand-year grudge.
‘Wow. That gap moe is lethal. And how does he know I’m weak against that…?’
“Forgive my rudeness, my lady. I’m glad you are unharmed. Bernus von Diarte.”
This time he introduced himself properly with impeccable manners.
‘Even his name is handsome!’
It suited a tragic decadent beauty perfectly.
Nodding in admiration, Diabella prepared to introduce herself too.
“Yes, I am—”
“Marchioness Diabella de Crimton. I know.”
“…Do we know each other?”
Diabella tilted her head.
Had they originally been acquaintances?
“No. This is our first meeting.”
“Then how do you know my name?”
“Anyone who saw you would recognize you immediately.”
What was that supposed to mean?
A compliment?
Or an insult?
The empire’s most beautiful black rose.
And its greatest villainess.
Unsure which reputation he meant, Diabella couldn’t quite respond.
“Hm. Then Sir Bernus, do you work in law enforcement?”
“No. I merely happened to be nearby, heard there was trouble, and summoned the guards.”
“Ah… I see. Well, thank you regardless. That man was truly barbaric.”
Diabella muttered this while completely forgetting she herself had been even more barbaric toward him.
Then another question occurred to her.
“If that man was an illegal loan shark, does that mean the shop owner no longer has to repay the debt?”
“Well… no. The debt itself still exists, since they truly did borrow money from him. However, assaulting and verbally abusing debtors, as well as charging absurdly excessive interest, will certainly be punished.”
Bernus picked up the pouch of money the thug had dropped while being dragged away and handed it to Diabella.
Then his eyebrow twitched slightly after seeing the amount.
Ten million marks?
While approaching with the guards earlier, he had seen Diabella dramatically throw money and stomp the man into the floor, but he hadn’t heard the conversation.
He hadn’t realized it was that much money.
Even for a marchioness, casually carrying around such a fortune in cash was unusual.
Most noblewomen didn’t personally possess liquid assets. Normally they used promissory notes backed by their family name.
“Ah, that’s a relief then.”
Diabella calmly accepted the ten million marks back.
Any chance to save money was welcome.
“Thank you again, regardless.”
Diabella dipped her head slightly.
It was clearly a gesture meaning you may leave now.
Bernus removed his hat and bowed once more with flawless gentlemanly etiquette.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, my lady. If fate allows it, I hope we may meet again.”
“Yes. Farewell.”
Diabella curtsied lightly in return.
Hmm. Will we really meet again?
He was certainly handsome enough to tie up and keep around forever…
But it didn’t feel likely they would cross paths again.
More importantly, she had urgent business to handle.
Watching Bernus leave the shop, Diabella quickly approached the shop owner.
“Are you feeling all right? It’s fortunate that barbaric brute is gone.”
“Y-Yes… Thank you very much, Marchioness. We are deeply indebted to you.”
The shop owner bowed deeply, but learning that the woman who had brutally crushed that thug was none other than the infamous villainess Diabella made his heart tremble even harder.
Why would the empire’s notoriously ruthless villainess suddenly appear in this shabby shop, take their side, and beat that man senseless?
He couldn’t understand it at all.
Had they escaped a fox only to be eaten by a tiger?
The shop owner still felt uneasy.
“How much was the original loan?”
“Five million marks.”
“And he demanded double that? What a complete scumbag.”
“We knew the interest was terrible… but our child was ill, and we desperately needed medicine…”
The shop owner lowered his head gloomily.
“You said you put this shop up as collateral. How much is the building worth?”
Confused why she was asking, the owner answered obediently.
“Around seven million marks.”
“Hm… probably because it’s at the far edge of the square. It’s cheaper than I expected.”
Resting her chin in her hand, Diabella fell into thought.
Then suddenly, she stepped outside.
At the corner of the building, Bernus—who had secretly remained behind watching the shop—quickly concealed himself further.
Just as he suspected.
She had come alone into the busy district without guards or maids.
No matter how infamous and fearless the villainess might be, he couldn’t simply leave a lady alone in such a place.
So he had decided to watch from afar until she safely returned.
‘And she’s nothing like the rumors…’
Her beauty exceeded every story he’d heard.
The empire’s black rose?
A mere rose could never fully capture her beauty.
And those rumors of her being a “villainess”…
True, she wasn’t shy or delicate like typical noblewomen.
But her honesty and boldness were strangely charming.
Perhaps people branded her a villainess simply because she was so refreshingly straightforward?
From what little he had observed, she had clearly risked herself to protect powerless shopkeepers.
She was unlike any woman he’d ever met.
Unlike other noble ladies who hid their true intentions behind layers of pretense.
‘But she’s already married…’
Bernus touched the still-warm tips of his ears and sighed quietly.
‘More importantly… what is that person doing lurking there?’
For a while now, another shadow had been watching the shop from the opposite corner.
That figure was clearly observing Diabella.
Bernus subtly adjusted his grip on his sword, ready to intervene at any moment.
Meanwhile, Diabella remained completely oblivious to the lurking observers.
She was too busy examining the building exterior.
It was an old three-story structure, so worn the paint had nearly peeled away entirely.
Like many buildings she’d passed, the first floor appeared to be a storefront while the second and third floors were rented residential units.
‘Maybe about twenty pyeong in size?’
Compared to the grand surrounding stores, it was tiny and easy to overlook.
‘Still… this might actually work.’
After carefully circling the building for a long while, Diabella finally nodded and returned inside.
Then she slammed her hand down onto the table where the shopkeeper and his wife sat.
“Hand this shop over to me!”
The shop owner’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
