Chapter 42

When she heard from the maid that Reine had disappeared, it felt as if the world before her eyes had turned pitch black, and she almost collapsed. That child always worries me. Even today, I had intended to send ten knights as her escort when she went out to play. But if I told her that, she would use her godspeed to run away. There is no one in this mansion who can catch up to her when she uses it.

That's why I repeatedly told her to always keep the maid who serves Reine nearby.

But... but the worst-case scenario I had hoped would never happen came true. When that child's life was in danger, we were not by her side. What a terrible thing...

Sukuna and the others are indeed strong for their age. But, after all, they are just that—children. They could never fight against the bandits who kidnapped a princess. But despite my worries, Sukuna came home. She had apparently defeated four bandits and found out where the princess was. I tried to ask her for the details of how she defeated the bandits.

But she would never talk about it. That means Reine had ordered her to keep quiet. Unlike the maid, this child, who I myself taught to prioritize Reine even over my commands, is very loyal to her.

To protect Reine's trust. If she ever broke a promise to Reine, that trust might be lost. Sometimes, that child has an uncanny sense. Even things I haven't taught her, things no one has seen, she somehow knows. Reine doesn't trust people. She doesn't trust anyone. You can tell just by looking into her eyes. She doesn't even try to make eye contact with us. She looks at us as if we are strangers, with a distant and reserved gaze.

And yet, that child bought a slave. A stranger. Reine, who doesn't even trust her own family, brought a slave. She said she wanted a confidant.

I thought this was it. I asked Reine later if she was only buying one. The answer was that she would buy more. This is it. This is the only way. Not just Sukuna, but other slaves as well. This is the only way to protect Reine, who doesn't trust others. Reine's weakness is that she doesn't understand what she doesn't know. Her knowledge is book knowledge. The exact price of a slave isn't written in books. If I can make her think it's a reasonable price, it will work. I immediately met the slave trader and colluded with him. It's a risky move. We had a very cautious conversation, and I bought a pair of very talented twin brothers from a distant land, which I gave to Reine. The price I paid, combining the money Reine had secretly saved and the money I gave her, was just a bit short.

To make her rely on me. ...

The talented Reine quickly realized how talented they were. For the first time, she bowed her head and asked for more money. "I was a bit short on money, so could you lend me some more?" Of course, I attached a few conditions. When she came home with them, she hugged me with a truly happy smile and said, "Thank you," blushing.

I felt guilty.

But to be honest, I was so happy I almost cried. For the first time, I felt like she was looking at me. I think I'm a pitiful mother. I can only get close to her this way. To talk to Reine, I have to be within a certain distance. Beyond that, I can hear her mental scream: "Don't come any closer, don't touch me." When I bought the twins, that scream disappeared. For the first time, Reine came close to me and touched me.

After a while, when she had saved a little more money, she told me she was going to buy more slaves. Of course, I had already laid the groundwork. Aina, a girl with the rare ability to use water magic and the white fang race, which is extremely rare. A top-class slave bought for 100 gold coins. The white fang race has silver hair and red eyes and is a type of beast person. Their rare ability is that around the age of 15, their status temporarily increases dramatically. Because of this, they are often persecuted and rarely appear on the market. It's not even written in books. Reine definitely doesn't know. So I was sure. As expected, Reine bought the white fang I had the slave trader prepare for her. It was expensive, but it was worth it for her life.

I had the maid watch her for a while and was sure. Reine trusts Aina and the others. She wants them even closer than the maid. Finally, we've come this far. I've pushed myself to this point.

But it might all fall apart. This is the most important time for Reine and me. If it breaks, I have no idea what Reine will think.

Since I banned the magic books, I've found it harder to get close to Reine. Because of her mental weakness, I couldn't tell her the reason I banned the magic books. She acts as if the world is her enemy and continues to be afraid. Sometimes, noble children blame their parents for their lack of talent. I was most afraid that she would end up like that from being afraid all the time.

But recently, it's different. She doesn't flinch when I touch her. She doesn't stiffen when I hug her. She still avoids eye contact, but she tries to look at me. Reine has started talking to us. Our distance is finally closing. I can't let this opportunity slip away. So I don't ask any more questions. Just in case.

When the princess kidnapping incident happened, I immediately ordered the soldiers I work with to keep Reine from going outside. It was a mistake. The garden is not outside, so as expected, she disappeared. After a while, Sukuna came and said that Reine had found out where the princess was. I asked Rondo, who had returned home, to bring Reine back first. But he laughed and said, "That's my son. I can't promise, but I trust him."

Then, when he didn't come back for a long time, a message from Rondo arrived. Apparently, Reine, who is only five, had performed admirably, playing a key role in rescuing the princess.

Ah, that child is really...

I've discussed Reine with Rondo several times. About how she avoids eye contact. To be honest, it was creepy. I haven't done anything to deserve that. But Rondo doesn't seem to mind. When I asked him why, he said:

"Genius, no, in his case, a prodigy. They are usually like that. Take Glorious Noa, for example, and even Princess Almeria, who was an extreme picky eater. Moreover, this is not widely known, but she would destroy everything in her room once a week. If I'm worried about Reine being a coward, who surpasses even Princess Almeria, I shouldn't be."

Yes, Reine is a prodigy. If she had the talent for magic, she could stand shoulder to shoulder with heroes.

And through this incident, I understood. Rondo was right.

But! But that child is not a hero. Despite having such a large amount of MP, she can't use magic. She failed to become a hero. I don't want her to get involved in dangerous things. There are countless stories of heroes who died young. When I told her this, she looked sad and said it was impossible.

Ah, this is what she has decided, I almost collapsed, but I decided to talk to her about it properly later. When we return to the duchy, I will tell Reine that she doesn't have the talent for magic and that she can't become a hero. It's too late, but it's the last chance. To stop her from being captivated by the stories of heroes she has been reading recently.

Just then.

"Madam!! Lord Reine suddenly screamed, spat blood, and collapsed!!"

Such a report came in.

I'll try my best to post another chapter today. m(_ _)m