A Sweet Girl Won't Be Fooled By The Villainess - [Vol. 3] Chapter 72

[Vol. 3] Chapter 72: Don’t You Feel Ashamed and Embarrassed?

Ifia looked at Amelia with a confident demeanor, unwilling to utter any discouraging words at this moment. Imagining a large group of people entering the Dark Forest, she contemplated the idea of sharing the risks.

In the context of employing a tactic involving a multitude of individuals, it seemed implausible that the Dark Elves would exclusively pursue her and Amelia. Each person had the opportunity to be pursued by the Dark Elves.

Despite entertaining these somewhat unethical thoughts, Ifia did not dwell on them further and tacitly accepted Amelia’s decision. As her concerns faded, thoughts of the threefold reward promised by Princess Sissi resurfaced. Ifia made a concerted effort to restrain the corners of her mouth from wildly uplifting, though internally, her excitement resembled a vivid display of fireworks.

Wealth at last, wealth at last!

As Ifia and Amelia engaged in a private conversation, Princess Sissi appeared oblivious, maintaining a sincere expression seeking assistance. However, inwardly, she was uneasy, fearing that Amelia Barlen might reject her proposal.

If Amelia Barlen refused, the expedition to the Dark Forest would become exceedingly perilous, with a significant likelihood of being permanently stranded, unable to return alive. This was precisely the true intention of her benevolent father.

In response, Princess Sissi could only scoff at the notion. After getting rid of her, will there be other outstanding members of the royal family who can kill her?

“Princess Sissi, I hereby accept the mission you have presented.”

Fortunately, Princess Sissi’s worst expectations did not happen. Upon hearing Amelia Barlen’s acceptance, Princess Sissi immediately felt a sense of relief, knowing that her journey into the Dark Forest now had the strongest guarantee.

As long as they exercised caution, their lives would not be easily jeopardized.

“Thank you immensely for your assistance. Due to the urgency of the situation, we will depart for the Dark Forest shortly. Please quickly gather the necessary items, and Amelia Barlen, you can directly assume command of this operation.”

“No need. I will only intervene when necessary. The command authority should remain with Princess Sissi,” Amelia Barlen replied.

“Very well. However, the arrangements for this expedition to the Dark Forest have been rather rushed. I hope to receive some guidance from Miss Amelia Barlen if…”

As Princess Sissi and Amelia conversed, Ifia grew impatient and, finding the conversation uninteresting, shifted her attention to her surroundings.

Though the three of them had been talking for a considerable time, there were no sounds from anyone else. This made Ifia realize that Princess Sissi might have employed some form of means, considering the princess was not purely human and possessed certain special abilities.

Indeed, these soundproof barriers proved to be quite effective.

One can speak whispers anytime, anywhere without being heard. However, the inability to hear others’ voices is sometimes a drawback.

As it happened, when Ifia noticed that the main protagonist, Irene, had regained consciousness, she witnessed Irene standing up with great strength. Despite appearing on the verge of collapse, Irene insisted on walking over to Prince Carloy with a worried expression, as if there was something unsaid between them.

Unfortunately, Prince Carloy was currently unconscious, rendering Irene’s genuine display of emotions futile, like casting pearls before swine!

Finding amusement in the situation, Ifia immediately perked up and keenly observed. Even without hearing the voices, it was akin to watching a silent play.

On the other side, after realizing Ifia’s boredom, Amelia ignored Princess Sissi’s attempts to gain her favor and cast a cold glance at the princess. Just a mere gaze caused Princess Sissi’s internal organs to ache once again.

Unwilling to continue her rambling, Princess Sissi held back.

“We will promptly proceed to the assembly point. Princess Sissi, you can take care of the rest.”

If it weren’t for the concern about leaving Ifia alone in the palace and the need for a legitimate reason to bring Ifia into the Dark Forest, Amelia wouldn’t bother with others.

Once she obtained the Lint Fruit required to restore Ifia’s fragmented soul, she would return to the Sith Empire. Afterward, she would go to the church to seek guidance from the Saint on the next steps. Amelia was determined to ensure Ifia returned to normal.

“Ifia, what are you looking at?”

After unceremoniously dismissing Princess Sissi, Amelia lifted Ifia’s small hand and, instead of leaving immediately, curiously inquired.

This prompted a mischievous smile from Ifia as she quickly shared some gossip, including her confusion about Irene’s flirtatious behavior towards the unconscious Prince Carloy.

Unexpectedly, Amelia provided an answer, “It’s precisely because Prince Carloy is unconscious that Irene resorts to such ambiguous actions to mislead everyone. Otherwise, given Prince Carloy’s character, he wouldn’t leave room for Irene’s theatrics.”

“Eh? Really? I thought Prince Carloy quite liked Irene, he always takes her everywhere!”

Amused by Ifia’s surprised expression, Amelia chuckled and couldn’t resist lightly pinching her rosy cheek, considering her a bit of a silly girl.

Was Prince Carloy liking Irene? It’s merely manipulation. It’s an attempt to create a false love story between a prince and a commoner, using it as a reason to nullify the engagement between the Barlen family and the royal family, thus ending the betrothal.

Amelia found this situation quite amusing, as long as Prince Carloy didn’t disturb her, she was more than willing to let the theatrics play out.

However, regardless of the validity of the engagement between the Barlen family and the royal family, Amelia intends to contend for the throne of the Sith Empire. She might leave Prince Carloy a glimmer of hope, creating internal strife within the Sith Empire, resolving issues with those who hold differing political views.

Later, she plans to swiftly seize power with thunderous force, fully securing control of the Sith Empire. Subsequently, she will use the pretext of imperial conquest to make moves against other nations. Just the thought of it brings immense amusement – even if one desires to destroy the world, it should be done with a touch of entertainment. Otherwise, it becomes too monotonous and boring.

“Having seen too much filth, it hurts the eyes. Shall we go back and pack our things? This time, we might spend a few days in the Dark Forest.”

“Yes.”

Ifia is indifferent to the romantic relationship between the main characters, her primary concern lies with the impending journey into the Dark Forest. While simplicity is favored when traveling, conditions permitting, some indulgence is acceptable.

Upon returning to their residence with Amelia, they found that the damaged doors and windows from the Dark Elves’ attack had been replaced, and the entire place had been cleaned of any bloodstains. The palace maids at Taric Palace were remarkably efficient in their tidying efforts – a commendable feat.

With everything now cleaned up and the atmosphere no longer menacing, Ifia allowed Amelia to attend to her own matters instead of accompanying her. Ifia’s first priority was not to organize clothes but to gather small packets of seasoning, preparing for outdoor cooking in the Dark Forest.

People rely on food for sustenance, even when away from home. The principle stands: eat well, even on the road.

In addition to the essentials, such as simple clothing, shoes, and fire-starting tools, Ifia took the opportunity to chat with the system while packing, hoping to glean some information.

[System, can you reveal some information about the Dark Forest? I can’t shake off this feeling of unease.]

[Host, I apologize. The Dark Forest is an unexplored area, and the system possesses limited knowledge about it.]

This time, the system wasn’t lying, it genuinely didn’t know. While there were records of hundreds of world collapses that could be accessed for important clues, the system had never encountered information about the Dark Forest in Taric Kingdom.

Moreover, a special force field blocked any attempts to explore and gather information from the area. It remained a mysterious region yet to be unveiled.

After all, this is a world within the pages of a book, and many things are left unexplained. In the original plot, the male protagonist, rescued by the main character Irene, faced numerous conflicts with the villainess on the ship. Even after returning to the Sith Empire, their relationship remained hostile.

As for the unfortunate plight of Prince Carloy, it was attributed to the actions of someone deemed mentally unstable. Taric Kingdom expressed a firm commitment to investigate and vowed to apprehend the true mastermind behind the scenes. However, due to the vast distance between the two countries, the matter was likely to be left unresolved.

Since the original plot did not involve the main character Irene lifting the seal of the Dark Elves, the diplomatic envoy from the Sith Empire had not encountered Dark Elf attacks. Now, with the disruption of the plot, everything was uncertain.

Upon hearing the host express concern, the system harbored similar thoughts. Nevertheless, as the villainess decided to venture into the Dark Forest, the system was powerless to stop her and could only offer reassurance to the host.

[Host, the villainess possesses formidable abilities. She can overcome any difficulties, and you will be safe as long as you stay close to her.]

However, Ifia, upon hearing this, rolled her eyes and replied with disdain.

[Other systems can deal with gods and go on an unbeatable rampage, but you’re advising me to cling to the stronger one’s thigh… System, don’t you feel embarrassed and ashamed?]

[I have no choice, the system cannot provide assistance in reality, so I can only offer some moral support!]

Ifia couldn’t be bothered to continue the conversation with this seemingly useless system. After finishing her preparations, she immediately went out to find Amelia. Compared to her lingering, Amelia packed up quickly. By the time the two arrived at the assembly point, Princess Sissi and the others had been waiting for quite some time.

Unable to resist, Ifia lowered her head to check the pocket watch in her hand, confirming that they were not late, merely arriving just in time, albeit pushing the seconds. In this regard, Ifia couldn’t help but admire Amelia’s time management skills – they were exceptionally strong!

“Let’s depart!”

With the arrival of the key figures, Princess Sissi immediately summoned the soldiers, and the group set off in a grand procession. Ifia, who insisted on riding alone, couldn’t help but marvel at Amelia’s time control abilities.

In the morning, she watched the diplomatic envoy from the Sith Empire leave on horseback, and in the afternoon, she found herself riding out of the palace as well.

It’s a pity that Jessica and the others were still outside the palace searching for traces of Prince Carloy, so they might return a bit later. Ifia wondered what their reaction would be upon seeing the unconscious Prince Carloy back at the palace.

Due to the proximity of the Dark Forest to the palace, the group quickly entered its depths. It had been a while since Ifia rode a horse alone, and her playful nature took over. She maneuvered her horse around Amelia, circling back and forth on both sides. Although not far away, she refused to stay still.

The dense vegetation, unfamiliar insect chirping, towering canopies that blocked out the sun, and the eerie feeling of darkness within the forest made the atmosphere unsettling. Fortunately, with a large group, there was no reason to fear.

However, as they ventured deeper into the Dark Forest, even the sounds of insects gradually vanished, adding an eerie silence to the already dimly lit surroundings.

The Dark Forest was eerily silent, devoid of even the chirping of birds. Suddenly, Ifia shivered, feeling a sudden sense of apprehension. Subconsciously, she urged her horse closer to Amelia, seeking warmth and security.

Despite being close to Amelia, why haven’t they gotten closer yet?

In the midst of Ifia’s confusion, the system’s voice abruptly entered her ears.

[Warning! Caution…! Danger… Illusion… Host, be careful…]

The system’s voice was intermittent and unclear. Before Ifia could fully comprehend the warning, her consciousness plunged into a momentary haze.

In the dim vision, Ifia saw someone standing ahead. As she approached, the figure became clear – it was Amelia with silver hair and purple eyes!

Before Ifia could react with joy, the surroundings rapidly changed, and the lighting quickly dimmed. In a garden at night, a breeze passed by.

Amelia, dressed in a black gown, stood in a corner, seemingly engaged in conversation. Suddenly, she heard a noise, lifted her gaze, and cast a chilling look with an icy demeanor.

It sent shivers down Ifia’s spine. Startled, she took a few steps back, feeling disoriented. How did she end up back in these fragmented scenes of the plot?

Once again, she encountered another version of Amelia!