Taming The Villainesses

Episode 280.1

Whether it was the hippogriff running so hard, or because the summer days were long, we managed to reach the village of Bilshukrim before sunset.

As the name suggests, it’s known for its cream puffs. In fact, it was more like a small city rather than a mere village, boasting a wide and impressive area.

━Are they travelers?

━They look like adventurers. Judging by the nice carriage, they seem well-off.

The passersby didn’t hide their curiosity toward us. The village had a good atmosphere.

We parked the carriage at a luxury inn and rented two rooms.

One for me, and one for Mirna and Stella.

After unpacking and changing into lighter clothes, I headed down to the tavern where a nymph with orange hair was singing.

━Ditch, ditch, ditch water~ Tiny puddles. Ooh…! Coins tossed into the tip jar are always greatly appreciated…!

Nymph songs were always so peculiar.

The sight of the orange hair reminded me of Marmar, giving me a slight sense of familiarity. Just then, Mirna and Stella, now dressed in comfortable clothes, called out to me from behind.

“Sir Theo, let’s sit down and eat.”

We sat at a large table and filled our stomachs with a crispy roasted bird, few boiled eggs, and some drinks and liquor.

━What did you say, you punk?

━I said, you’re useless! Because of you, we got caught in that trap!

Hullabaloo.

The inn gradually became noisier as it filled with adventurers. As I frowned slightly at the commotion, Stella explained.

“There’s a dungeon nearby. It’s fairly high-level, and Bilshukrim is famous not only for its pastries but also as a hub for the dungeon. That’s why there are so many adventurers here.”

Suksuk-. Wiping beer foam from her lips, Mirna said.

“Lady Bellhawk is more knowledgeable than I thought.”

“Well, I wasn’t just pretending to be a professor. And before teaching, I traveled all over the world, including Angmar, back when I was still a student.”

“In times like these, I envy your leisure and longevity.”

“Is that so?”

Stella responded casually, not making a big deal of it.

As a brief moment of silence or perhaps a sense of calm enveloped us, I thought it might be a good time to say something, so I spoke up.

“Is the post-war settlement of the Bellhawk family going well? I understand it’s not something that can be resolved in a day or two.”

“Well, there are a lot of problems. It’s been such a big upheaval. But everyone knows which side they need to align with to survive.”

Stella seemed quite composed.

Composed.

There’s no better way to describe the current Stella than this. Her state clearly changed before and after the Opal Bellhawk incident.

First of all, her appearance has changed.

Suruk-.

With a quick and discerning glance, I took in Stella Von Bellhawk’s new look.

If before, she had dressed in a way that made her seem slightly older, now she had styled herself so lightly that she could easily pass for someone in their early twenties.

Where she used to invest in the attributes of a professor, now she exuded the fresh youthfulness of a young hunter just arrived in the city.

Her clothes were light armor, easy to wear with leather and belts added here and there. It was an outfit that wouldn’t look out of place if she joined an adventurer’s party right away.

I decided to offer her a light compliment.

“Speaking of, you look much younger. I could believe you’re the same age as us. I didn’t realize elves could change their image so drastically.”

“Is that so? Well, after what happened with Opal, there’s no need to keep up appearances anymore. I prefer this; it’s more comfortable and lets me feel the wind better.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant by feeling the wind, but I recalled hearing that Stella Bellhawk was once said to be as young and radiant as a fairy-tale princess.

This look definitely suits her better than pretending to be a professor.

As I was lost in those thoughts, I suddenly felt someone kick my knee. It was Mirna, sitting across from me.

“…….”

She looked clearly displeased—even angry. Was she upset about how I’m flattering Stella?

* * *

Stella’s question came flying at us just as we were about to finish our meal and get up.

“So, Theo-kun and Mirna-yang, you two are dating, right? How far have you gone? Have you, uh, done it yet…?”

“Pfft-!”

Something wet suddenly splashed across my face.

It was the beer Mirna had been drinking. Startled by the unexpected question, she spat all over me.

“…….”

Thanks to that, I was now soaked in beer. Mirna looked horrified and started fussing, exclaiming, “Eh, ah—!” as she handed me a handkerchief.

Suksuksuk-.

As I wiped the liquid from my face and clothes with the handkerchief, Mirna—her face flushed a deep red, turned to Stella and asked in a reproachful tone.

“Lady Bellhawk, why would you say something like that? That’s incredibly vulgar…! You made me spew out what I was drinking…!”

Mirna scolded, causing Stella to raise an eyebrow.

“Oh, is that so? I just thought it was natural for a couple to have that kind of relationship. It seems Mirna-yang is still green.”

“Immature? Me?”

“It seems like you two haven’t had that deep of a relationship yet? Well, the Draco family has always been as stiff as a stone when it comes to that kind of thing.”

Umum-.

Stella, seeing Mirna’s innocent reaction, quickly jumped to that conclusion.

It seems she didn’t even consider the possibility that the devout daughter of the Draco family would wallow with the man in front of her.