Chapter 2

Astra walked quickly into his study. As soon as he sat down, the administrators who had followed him in began to speak.

“I can't understand it at all. A lady who is only three years old interpreting ancient language!”

The people of Astra did not believe that children could achieve good results in exams.

Another person spoke, taken aback.

“The exam might have been leaked.”

“Leaked?”

“It means that she might have known what sentences would be on the exam and memorized them.”

Ancient language was a script that was still difficult to interpret. There were no precedents, and it was entirely different from any existing language, making it hard to guess. Even the historical books from which the exam questions were excerpted were only half-deciphered.

Another administrator shook his head.

“The exam questions were decided just before the direct descendants took the exam.”

“Yes. How could ‘Lady Erylot’ have bribed the examiners?”

Her mother was a commoner, and her father was the son who had the worst relationship with the duke.

‘Who would dare to leak the exam questions for such a lady?’

The administrators all sighed in agreement.

‘But how?’

While everyone was pondering, one administrator spoke up.

“Perhaps Lady Erylot has awakened her ability.”

“……!”

“……!”

In this world, nobles are born with special abilities.

Foreseeing the future.

Superhuman strength.

The power to make plants grow quickly, and so on.

Each person's ability varied greatly.

It was called a ‘blessing,’ and being born with this blessing was what defined a noble.

‘But Lady Erylot was a non-ability user.’

An administrator asked.

“Blessings manifest before the fontanel (the soft spot on a baby's head) closes.”

“Yes, the lady's fontanel has been closed for a long time.”

That's why she was sent to the twelfth tower, where the collateral branches lived, as soon as her fontanel closed.

The duke, who had been lost in thought, spoke.

“Bring Erylot here.”

His voice was frighteningly low.

* * *

When I arrived at my grandfather's study, I subtly looked around. The room was filled with administrators, scholars, and even vassals.

They showed me a book.

“Read it.”

“……”

“From the second line on page 72. Here.”

I glanced at my grandfather and read the part the administrator pointed to.

“Cheomtabyi anggongdatta. Gosae-e, gyeoseulieotta. (The tower was completed. The fruit of hard work.)”

The scholars all drew a sharp breath.

“Y-Yes, that's correct.”

The old man looked as if his eyes would pop out from shock.

The administrators nodded and looked at the duke.

“It seems her blessing has indeed manifested.”

‘It’s just because it’s in Korean.’

Since this is a novel written by a Korean, it’s not strange that the ancient language is Korean.

However, it’s within the realm of expectation that they think this way.

In this world, people attribute most unusual situations to blessings.

The vassals' expressions were subtle.

Blessings are like family assets, but just the ability to read ancient language?

That was exactly the expression they had.

The vassals began to converse.

“At least it’s a blessing….”

“Should we assign a priest to develop her ability?”

“Yes. What can we gain by developing the ability to read ancient language…?”

While they were talking, I was looking at the book. When I reached a certain point, I read the content hesitantly.

“Mirute, pyeoya, yoe beot, maesanhae…… (Mirten, plain, dragon's bones, buried……)”

“……!”

“……!”

Everyone's gaze immediately focused on me.

A vassal, with a stiff expression, asked me.

“What did you say?”

“Mirute pyeoya. Beot isseoyo. Yogi. (Mirten plain. Bones are here. Here.)”

I pointed to the sentence, and everyone's mouths dropped open.

Dragon bones are a very precious resource. Because of their strength, which surpasses iron, weapons made from dragon bones are all extremely powerful.

However, they are so rare that even if you offered money, no one would sell them.

It’s like discovering a diamond mine.

“Map! Bring the map!”

An administrator hurriedly brought the map, and the adults gathered to confirm the location.

“This place was called Mirten Plain in ancient times.”

The vassals quickly handed the map to my grandfather.

My grandfather, who had been quietly looking at the map, spoke.

“Verify if it’s true.”

The administrator rushed out.

I looked at my grandfather with a calm expression.

‘It’s true.’

It’s clearly written in this historical book.

‘Besides, it will be discovered soon.’

It will be found during the construction of a temple a few months later.

I chuckled to myself.

‘Since it will be discovered anyway, it’s my achievement for telling them in advance.’

My grandfather turned his gaze to me. His narrow eyes gave me a spine-chilling look.

It was a level of intimidation that would make an ordinary child burst into tears.

I gripped the hem of my dress and smiled awkwardly.

‘I know my place.’

I’ll behave well if you just feed me and don’t mistreat me.

—That was the message I was conveying.

My grandfather's eyebrows twitched slightly.

* * *

I got out of the carriage feeling drained. The ride was comfortable thanks to the carriage provided by the castle, but my mood felt like I had been on a roller coaster ten times.

‘Why are people’s gazes so menacing?’

Even criminals in movies don’t have such eyes.

I thought this as I trudged into the twelfth tower.

The tower was quiet, perhaps because it was getting dark. Only the sounds of children’s voices and conversations could be heard from the bedrooms.

“The main castle is amazing. There are monsters guarding every door!”

[Didn’t you cry in fear?]

“I didn’t cry at all.”

[That’s right. Our Dellen is brave.]

The sound of a child communicating with their parents.

“I hate it. I hate the nanny.”

“Oh my. The nanny is heartbroken. To think that the beloved lady hates me.”

“No! I was lying….”

“Then will you eat the carrot?”

“Ugh… I don’t want to….”

The sound of a child whining to their nanny.

I stood in the dark corridor, listening to the affectionate sounds coming from each room.

“……”

‘Being a child’s body is really inconvenient.’

If I were an adult, I wouldn’t envy such things at all.

I don’t have a mother, and my father is far away on the battlefield.

‘And I don’t even have a nanny.’

Here, children have nannies assigned to them. Even if they are collateral branches, it’s natural for nannies to be with them.

Until yesterday, I was a transparent person in the Astra family, and no one took care of me.

So, I didn’t even have a nanny.

‘The servants and teachers are well-coaxed, so it’s not inconvenient…’

I rubbed the hem of my dress with my palm and then suddenly lifted my head.

‘I need to go take a bath quickly.’

Here, warm water flows abundantly. Unlike the dorm room of Yoo Hye-min, there is even a bathtub.

Soaking in warm water will make me feel better soon.

‘No matter how bad my mood gets, I won’t stay like this forever!’

I marched down the corridor, planning for the future.

When the dragon bones are found at the site of the Mirten Plain, my stock will skyrocket.

With that, various benefits will arise.

I need to use those benefits to plan my future.

‘The best thing is to save money and rise…’

I was thinking this when I reached the door.

“Ow!”

Someone grabbed my collar.

Startled, I looked up and saw a familiar face.

“Hojugi…… (Skinny……)”

It was the child who had reported me for bullying and had to write ten pages of a reflection paper.

He dragged me to a deeper part of the corridor.

“Do you know how much trouble I had because of you yesterday?”

‘It’s your fault for bullying me.’

While I was thinking this, Skinny frowned.

“What’s a half-breed like you.”

“……”

“You cheated on the exam today, didn’t you? That’s why you were scolded at the main castle.”

While I was at the main castle, the people in this tower must have guessed this.

A three-year-old reading ancient language.

It couldn’t be explained any other way than cheating.

Skinny smiled maliciously.

“Since you’re already disliked by the duke, you’ll be kicked out of the tower for cheating.”

“……”

“Because of a half-breed like you, I had to endure such humiliation… Do you know who my father is? He’s a vassal with a fief!”

“……”

“Apologize to me. Get on your knees and beg!”

He pushed me, and I fell on my bottom.

“Ouch!”

It hurt so much that my tears almost fell.

While I was groaning in pain, Skinny kept shouting.

“Aren’t you listening to me?!”

Skinny raised his hand to hit me.

I don’t really fight with children.

I usually report to adults to resolve issues.

It’s easier, and most importantly, I deal with children leniently.

‘But violence is different.’

Especially when it happens multiple times.

“Get on your knees and beg… Ah!”

I bit Skinny’s leg hard.

And at the moment he bent down to pull me off,

“Ouch!”

I firmly grabbed his hair.

He kept pushing me—

“Ouch!”

Calling me a half-breed—

“Ouch!”

Threatening and mocking me!

“Ah!”

I shook his head up and down, left and right, and Skinny burst into tears.

“Ah! Mom…!”

He was crying so loudly that people were gathering.

The area quickly became bustling.

Soon, teachers rushed over.

The teachers who pushed through the crowd looked at us with wide eyes.

* * *

Skinny and I were dragged into a room.

I sat quietly, holding the hem of my dress, while Skinny cried loudly.

Lord Molo, the overall manager of the twelfth tower, held his forehead.

“What is this?”

“That one bit and hit me, uh, sniff, sniff…!”

Lord Molo glared at me.

I tried to calmly explain the situation.

“Hojugi started—”

“Enough!”

Lord Molo sharply shouted.

He didn’t give me a chance to speak and pressed on.

“To assault a fellow student and then try to justify it.”

His gaze was cold.

‘I knew he would react like this, but it’s too much.’

Other teachers like me, but not Lord Molo.

I thought of making the other teachers my allies because of him.

He is a staunch bloodline supremacist and an opportunist.

When I was an infant,

“What a waste to be assigned to such a fool. I’d rather die to find peace.”

—He had burst out in frustration.

Of course, he thought I couldn’t understand as a child.

Even as I grew up, he looked at me as if I were trash.

That’s why I thought I needed to make the other teachers my allies.

If the overall manager is like this, it’s hard to survive.

“Moreover, you cheated on the exam, didn’t you?”

‘So that’s what he’s really angry about.’

He thinks I tarnished his reputation by cheating at the castle.

Lord Molo clicked his tongue.

“As punishment, stand with a bucket during lunchtime.”

After saying this, he turned his gaze to Skinny.

His eyes were dripping with honey.

“Stop crying now. Your father would be heartbroken if he knew.”

“Yes, Lord….”

“Was there trouble yesterday?”

“It was because of that half-breed—!”

Skinny glared at me angrily.

Lord Molo smiled softly.

“Don’t worry. There won’t be any record of it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and tell your father not to worry.”

After saying this, Lord Molo called a servant to bring a bucket full of water.

He had me hold the bucket and then went back into the room with Skinny.

Laughter and chatter could be heard from inside the room.

“Do you want a cookie?”

“Yes.”

“By the way, what hobbies does your father have… Ah, horseback riding. I like it too.”

While Skinny was excitedly talking, I was holding the bucket.

‘Just hold it.’

For the first time, the main castle showed interest in me.

If I made a wrong move here, my initial image could be ruined.

After a while of groaning, the other children who shared my class approached.

“Why is the baby here?”

The children at the same table called me a baby because I was the youngest in the tower. It was influenced by my calling them babies.

“Bul badada. (Receiving punishment.)”

“Why?”

“Sesae da geuron goya. (The world is like that.)”

“Ah, so the world is like that, and you’re receiving punishment.”

The children nodded.

“Go to the babies’ room. Chue. (Go to the babies’ room. Chue.)”

These children, unlike Skinny, were humble collateral branches.

If they were seen together, the nasty Lord Molo might punish them too.

The children said, “Yes,” and went inside.

I had to stand there for a while.

10 minutes.

20 minutes.

30 minutes.

No matter how much time passed, Lord Molo didn’t come out.

‘How long do I have to do this?’

As time passed, my hands hurt more and more. My shoulders felt like they were about to fall off.

I was groaning when Lord Molo came out into the corridor.

“Tsk. Don’t try to trick me.”

He then hit the bucket.

“Hold it properly!”

‘Ah!’

Already weak, I stumbled under the weight of the bucket and fell.

Splash!

The water spilled on the floor, and I became a wet mouse.

“You’re no different from a rat.”

Lord Molo glared at me fiercely.

At that moment,

“Erylot.”

‘……!’

Hearing a voice that shouldn’t be there, I quickly turned my head. Lord Molo and Skinny also hurriedly looked behind them.

A silhouette that had been swallowed by the tower’s shadow walked out of the darkness.

Holding a silver cane, he was looking at us—

“Grandfather…….”

It was Astra.