Please Bully Me, Miss Villainess!

Chapter 217 : Spark 2

"—Enumerate your sins!"

Agonized screams erupted from all directions.

There was no other choice; it seemed that direct use of force would be quicker.

"Elsa, have you found it on your side?"

"I've found it~"

After knocking everyone unconscious, Elsa retrieved a ledger from Layleye's undergarments, raising it and waving it in Yvonne's direction.

"Hmm, the transactions with the Eastern Country are detailed... This finally nails it down."

Yvonne at last breathed a sigh of relief.

"Indeed~"

With this ledger, she could finally request the National Knight Order to dispatch troops,

This would also serve as an explanation to the young princess, and with concrete evidence, it could prevent any unfavorable rumors in the future.

"Evie~"

Having completed her task, she approached with a beaming smile, batting her eyelashes.

"...Why are you craning your neck like that?"

"I want a reward~"

"Stop fooling around... Did I promise anything like that before we came?"

Yvonne glanced around with a flushed face. The ground was littered with unconscious figures she had stunned with magic. Although there was no need to worry about being seen, it wasn't exactly an appropriate place for flirtation.

"Oh my, I was just joking... Let's go, we need to report back now, right?"

She laughed it off, seemingly unbothered.

A fleeting look of fatigue crossed her face, but she quickly resumed her usual radiant smile, causing Yvonne to feel a pang of guilt.

Due to her own willfulness, she felt she had been too harsh on Elsa.

"...Wait a moment."

After a moment of internal conflict, Yvonne pulled Elsa close and quickly kissed her cheek.

"Is this... enough?"

Surprised by the unexpected gesture, Elsa's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Can I have two more?"

Yvonne, blushing, lightly tapped Elsa's head.

"Don't push your luck. Let's go."

"Alright~! If you don't use it when you should, it loses its meaning!"

Reinvigorated by the 'Evie energy', Elsa was once again full of enthusiasm. She raised her silver shoes, tapping the ground three times, and soon a light enveloped them both.

"A magician shouldn't flee from battle!"

"............"

Yvonne began to regret introducing her to Kamen Rider.

She hoped the teachers were alright.

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"I heard someone requested an audience... I wondered who it could be, turns out it's my useless daughter."

Inside the Golden Castle, the Lord of Floris tapped the edge of his jade throne with fingers adorned with ostentatious jeweled rings, observing the two people before him. The one who had entered the hall was indeed his daughter, who had run away from home years ago.

"Ah, Yuna, after so many years away from home, you finally come back for a visit, and you couldn't even give your father advance notice, hmm?"

"I'm here to greet you now, aren't I? Besides, I've been writing letters home every month......"

"Hmph...... Letters? Do you think I don't know? All those letters you wrote were for that obsessive mother of yours!! Out of so many, not a single one was for me, your father! Alas...... You've truly broken this father's heart......"

Lord Dodor placed his short hand on his forehead, pressing his brow, portraying the image of a father deeply hurt by his unfilial daughter, making Yuna feel nauseated.

"Come to think of it, you're looking more and more like your mother."

Yuna raised her head, glaring fiercely at the man on the dais.

"I hope you've kept your promise and haven't done anything to harm my mother, Father."

"Oh my, oh my...... To hear such heartbreaking words from my daughter's mouth, how can you call it harm? I've always treated Lili well, it's just that you know, your mother is naturally free-spirited, I was merely worried she might be in danger outside, so I only restricted her outings—"

He rose from his jade throne, looking at the glaring Yuna with an expression of deep anguish.

"Don't think I don't know...... You even refused the marriage prospect I introduced to you last time, Mr. Rich was personally selected by me—He was such an excellent candidate, I really don't know what you're thinking!"

Seeing Yuna's already dimmed hair, he shook his head repeatedly.

"Looking like this now, you still dare to claim the name 'Floris'?"

"...No."

Though her legs trembled slightly, Yuna stood up, disregarding the soldiers surrounding her with pointed spears.

"I've come back to change this place!"

Perhaps in the past, she would have feared such a father, submitting out of concern for her mother's safety......

But now it's different!

She glanced back at Brin, who was kneeling behind her, pretending to be an attendant. They exchanged an affirming look.

Having someone willing to stand behind her, fully supporting her, becoming her companion—

She was no longer alone,

So—there was nothing to fear anymore.

She took a deep breath and stated the purpose of her audience:

"Father! Please stop mining the magic ore!!"

"Ha......"

The Lord of Floris rubbed his brow with his ring-laden hand, appearing quite troubled.

"Yuna...... my little sweetheart! Do you know how much a carat of ore can sell for?"

He gestured grandly with his hand, clad in luxurious clothing, pointing to the piles of gold, silver, and jewels surrounding the Golden Castle.

"In the past, we small folk were so weak—we could only survive by attaching ourselves to other races! But with money, everything is different!"

With money, they could hire armies, purchase the latest equipment, gain unprecedented power, and thereby attain status, ensuring no race would look down on them!

These were things the small folk never possessed before mining the ore.

Yuna displayed an expression of deep anguish, shaking her head repeatedly,

"At this rate, within twenty years, the ore veins will be completely exhausted...... And by then, with our people mired in illness...... the mountains stripped of color...... what will we rely on to survive?! What meaning is there in wealth gained at the cost of everyone's health and our once-fertile land? Won't it only bring more suffering to our people?!"

"This is why...... you and your mother are equally naive."

The lord raised his hand slightly, indicating his lack of interest in the two.

"You sound exactly like your mother, I'm tired of hearing it. When that time comes, the wealth accumulated from the ore veins will long have solved that problem for us, don't think you alone can make any changes!"

With a wave of his large hand, he made what he considered a 'merciful' decision,

"—Since that's the case, I'll let you meet your mother. Guards—take these two illegal intruders and throw them in the dungeon!!"

"Father!!"

Blocked by sharp magic spears behind her, the soldiers brought out sturdy ropes, binding the two tightly.

More than the harsh treatment, the realization that her father was beyond redemption filled Yuna with anger and despair.

"...It's alright."

Brin behind her squeezed her hand, whispering in a voice only she could hear:

"If that's how it is, we'll initiate the backup plan."