Chapter 3: The Villain (3/390)

Chapter 3.

In the dead of winter, my body shivered immediately as I got drenched in cold water.

The adjutant who came with my grandfather approached me right away. Then, he took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

“What’s going on?”

“That...”

Lord Moro, who was flustered upon seeing the duke, laughed awkwardly.

“I heard about the incident at the main castle. When I heard about the cheating, I was shocked. Besides, I already thought you needed to reflect, and now you’ve even gotten into a fight with another child.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry. By now, you must have reflected deeply, so you won’t do such a thing again—”

“What nonsense!”

The adjutant raised his voice.

Lord Moro looked back and forth between me and my grandfather, his expression flustered.

“Your return was delayed because of the cheating...”

“The reason for your late return was because you manifested the blessing!”

“...What?”

My grandfather looked at me.

“You were right. The area where the dragon’s bones were buried was the old Mirtan Plain.”

I thought it would take quite a while, but you found it so quickly.

Well, it wouldn’t be that hard to find with the blessing.

Lord Moro turned pale.

He finally seemed to grasp the situation.

His hands trembled.

‘Of course.’

What my grandfather hated the most was insubordination.

I may look like this, but I am the granddaughter of Duke Astra.

While I was treated like a nonentity, now that I’ve proven my worth, I am one of the little masters of Astra.

Lord Moro opened his pale lips to make an excuse.

“This, this, that is...!”

“I will ask.”

It was my grandfather’s voice.

Just one word, but it sent shivers down my spine from my toes.

The wind sound was swallowed by the dark night.

The moonlight streaming in from the window shattered along the contours of his silhouette.

As he walked over with the low sound of his heels, Lord Moro collapsed.

My grandfather asked.

“What are you?”

His voice was flat.

Only a cold, piercing light shone in his downcast eyes.

Lord Moro swallowed hard and said,

“I, I am the 16th descendant of the Moro family—”

“No.”

My grandfather lifted Lord Moro’s chin with the end of his cane.

“You are a dog.”

“...”

“Bark when I tell you to bark, and bite when I tell you to bite.”

The end of the cane slid down Lord Moro’s chin to his Adam’s apple.

“A dog that doesn’t recognize its master.”

Lord Moro spoke in a choked voice.

“P... Please spare me.”

“...”

“P, please, please spare me. Please spare me. Please spare me. Please spare me. Please spare me. Please spare me. Please spare me. Please...!”

“You know how to bark.”

Saying that, he turned his back on Lord Moro.

The adjutant took care of me and followed my grandfather.

When the adjutant put me down, Lord Moro finally caught his breath.

At that moment, what I heard was—

Crack—

...a strange cracking sound.

“Cough, cough... cough...!”

I stiffened. Trying to turn my head slowly like a broken machine,

“Don’t look back.”

The adjutant stood close behind me, blocking my view.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what Lord Moro looked like.

* * *

I was moved to the castle.

When I came out with my luggage, the teachers and students who had already heard the news were there.

The teachers bid me farewell from the hallway.

“Classes with you were really enjoyable.”

“Live well at the castle.”

“You’re so wise, you’ll do well with anything. If you need anything, please contact us.”

The teachers were really good to me.

They gave me a lot of candy and milk.

“Thank you, teachers. And if you invest in Sabong Bank, you’ll make a lot of money.”

The teachers sniffled and took out their notebooks.

“Yes, Miss. Live well. But is it Sabong? Or Sabon?”

“I will never forget the two years I spent with you... My pen isn’t working. Can I borrow one? Sabong Bank, right?”

We had a tearful farewell.

The teachers escorted me to the carriage, and I waved as I got in.

The adjutant, who got in the carriage after me, looked at the teachers who were sobbing and petting their notebooks with a strange expression.

“Isn’t it Sir Andward and Sir Shimorik?”

“Yes, those are the teachers’ names.”

“Weren’t they the top students of the Eastern and Western Academies, respectively?”

The adjutant muttered, “Why didn’t such talents take the civil service exam and become officials...?”

That’s right.

The teachers were actually talents mentioned by name in <Ice.Black.Hand>.

The reason why such people are now teachers is—

‘Because they don’t have money.’

They knew.

Even if they became officials, they would end up being pushed around until they died without connections and money.

So they became teachers at the Twelfth Tower.

To build connections with the Astra nobility, even if only distant relatives.

‘They were trying to build those connections.’

But the children were too young, and it would take at least a decade to create proper allies.

That’s when I appeared.

The granddaughter of Duke Astra (connections) and a child with a big scoop of information (money).

In other words, a treasure that would give them both connections and money.

‘The teachers think I’m giving them investment information, but that’s not true.’

I was the one making investments.

In case I ever entered Astra Castle, to create talents who would support me.

The teachers were still sniffing and waving to me.

I waved back.

‘Hurry up and build capital and become a castle official, teachers!’

After a while, the carriage started moving.

I was startled and looked at the adjutant.

“Grandfather is not here!”

It meant, “Can we leave without the duke?”

“The duke just stopped by on his way out. Let’s go to the main castle together.”

I replied, “Yes,” and folded my hands neatly.

The adjutant smiled.

He was a kind-looking man, unlike the terrifying adjutant of the duke’s family.

‘And he’s handsome too.’

He had soft brown hair and yellow eyes.

A handsome man with a gentle image.

He had a charm that made people feel at ease, so the ride to the castle was comfortable.

When the carriage stopped at the castle, the adjutant carried me down.

“I’ll show you to where you’ll be staying for now.”

I was to stay on the third floor of the annex.

He said, opening the door for me.

“The servants will unpack your luggage. Rest now.”

As he was about to leave, I grabbed the end of his jacket.

He lowered his body and asked,

“Do you need something?”

“I know your name.”

He paused for a moment at my words.

“You are indeed unique.”

“...?”

“...I mean, none of the direct descendants have ever wanted to know the names of their hired help.”

“Yes.”

“I am Conrad Martial.”

He smiled, narrowing his eyes, and stood up.

“Have a good dream.”

Then he left.

I couldn’t even think about closing the door, just staring at his back.

‘Conrad?’

Conrad Martial?

I covered my small mouth with both hands. I almost screamed!

‘If it’s Conrad Martial, it’s that man.’

There were many names for Conrad in the novel.

The commander of the Black Guard.

The youngest civil service exam pass.

And... a traitor.

‘Because he stabbed my grandfather and fled.’

He later appeared as the leader of the information guild.

* * *

The next day.

It was a fresh morning with chirping birds and a cool breeze, but I wasn’t feeling fresh at all.

‘Conrad appears here.’

Conrad was the assistant to the protagonist Dalia in <Ice.Black.Hand>.

He was pursued by the Astra family for life because he betrayed the duke.

Dalia, who was loved by my grandfather, would intervene on his behalf.

In fact, Conrad, who was tired of being pursued by Astra, became her man.

There was no problem with that.

‘The problem is that after being attacked by Conrad, my grandfather falls into a coma for a while.’

If my grandfather falls into a coma, this place will turn into a battlefield.

The direct descendants of Astra were like beasts. Untamed beasts.

They were restrained by my grandfather, but if he were gone, chaos would ensue.

‘Then, I, who have no one to protect me...’

My heart sank.

While I was thinking this, I heard a knock.

“May I help you get ready?”

“Yes.”

When I answered, the maids came in with washing water.

The maid wet a towel and wiped away the sleep from my eyes and washed my face.

She even combed my hair, and even though I had curly hair, it didn’t hurt at all.

“What kind of ribbon would you like? This yellow lace ribbon would suit you well.”

“Yes.”

“You are very well-mannered. It was easy to prepare.”

“Yes!”

The maids giggled, finding my obedient responses cute.

After all the preparations were done, they showed me a mirror.

“Do you like it?”

I opened my eyes wide and looked at the mirror.

My hair, which had looked like a bundle of straw, was now so neat.

Indeed, the maids of the main castle were different.

‘Right, Erylot was set as the most beautiful in the world.’

I had forgotten because my unmanaged hair made me look like a sick poodle.

When properly cared for, it was clear that I was different from the start.

I had a very cute face.

After the preparations, I had breakfast.

It was a creamy soup with tender beef and fresh vegetables cut into small pieces.

It was delicious, savory, and soft.

I was about to eat the garnish when I stopped at the sight of the bell pepper.

I glanced at the maids.

‘I hate bell peppers.’

I don’t eat bell peppers. They are the enemy of children.

If I were at the Twelfth Tower, I would have hidden it among other vegetables, but now the castle maids were watching me.

Everything I did would be reported to my grandfather.

I really hate bell peppers, but my grandfather probably likes children who eat them.

I picked up the bell pepper with my fork and swallowed hard.

Then I bit into it, and immediately made a grimace.

The maids, who were watching my battle with the bell pepper with interest, giggled.

Fortunately, the staff seemed friendly to me.

‘If I want to continue like this, my grandfather is important.’

The family must not fall into chaos because of his coma.

I decided.

I have to protect my grandfather, no matter what.

* * *

After breakfast, I played with the maids for about half a day.

Playing with the maids was fun.

“Squeal, look this way.”

“Come this way, Miss. Yes, very good!”

...It seemed the maids were enjoying it more than I was.

After all, what fun is there in working in the terrifying Duke’s Castle, both in appearance and reality?

‘Poor sisters.’

I played enthusiastically with the sisters.

In the afternoon, I was called to my grandfather’s study.

There were a few scholars and retainers in the study.

I put my hands on my belly, as I had learned from the maids in the morning, and bowed deeply.

“Hello. (Good morning.)”

The retainers opened their eyes wide.

“Oh, yes. It’s Debusi. It’s an honor to meet you.”

His voice was bewildered.

He must have only seen the direct descendants who had been killing people since they were young, so a polite and normal child like me must have seemed strange.

Debusi smiled.

“Thanks to you, we were able to excavate the dragon’s bones.”

“Yes.”

“The blessing to read ancient language is very attractive. So, could you read other parts of the history book?”

“...”

“I brought you today to see how much you can read.”

“...”

“I know using the blessing is tiring, so I don’t expect you to read a lot in one day.”

“...”

“Read at your own pace. If you feel tired, you can stop.”

A servant brought me a book.

When I opened the cover, the adults nodded as if to say, “Go ahead and read.”

My grandfather, who was sitting at the head of the large table, also focused on me.

I started reading from the first sentence.

“In the beginning, despair created the world.”

“Hmm. At least one sentence...”

“The first world was a land ruled by silence and darkness. We call it the Void.”

“One paragraph is also good...”

“Life was born in the Void.”

“One page...?”

I read the text smoothly.

At first, the retainers nodded, but their expressions gradually changed.

1 page.

2 pages.

.

.

13 pages.

“...!!!”

The retainers were amazed. The scholars and administrators also looked at me with their mouths wide open.

“How long have you been reading the book?”

“30 minutes.”

“Is it possible for a child your age to use the blessing for 30 minutes?”

It’s just Korean, so that’s why.

Since I’m not really using the blessing, reading a book isn’t difficult.

My throat is a bit dry, though.

“The Void pitied the fragile life and bestowed a blessing. To maintain the powerful blessing, it granted a generous land—”

“Generous land?”

—At this part, people’s eyes widened.

“Is there such a land?”

Of course, chaos ensued.

“Where is it? Is the location mentioned?”

“Yes.”

“There must be a hint in the book. Good heavens!”

It was almost like a festival.

* * *

The duke looked at Erylot with a strange expression.

It had been about an hour since she started reading the book.

The child showed no signs of fatigue.

She didn’t even complain.

‘She might have had reason to complain about the tower.’

The retainers were amazed, and when incredible content appeared in the book, they were almost dancing.

After reading for a long time, Erylot coughed.

The retainers and scholars hurried to check on her.

“It’s best to stop for today.”

They looked anxious, as if they were worried that the precious blessing might be damaged.

The duke nodded.

“Have the secretary summarize the content of the book. Let’s end the meeting for now.”

The duke stood up.

He left the room with the elder, Debusi.

“You are amazing, Miss.”

Even Debusi, who was known for his cold evaluations, couldn’t hide his surprise.

“How is the excavation of the dragon’s bones progressing?”

“It’s going well. Rumors are already spreading, and vultures are circling.”

Snap.

“The royal family is also eager for the offering.”

“We can’t just hand it over easily.”

Snap.

“Go to the capital yourself and gauge their reaction. Their drooling is quite annoying.”

“Yes, I’ll gather the officials—”

Snap.

‘...Snap?’

I felt a continuous, distracting presence behind me.

When I glanced back, Erylot, holding a rabbit doll’s ear, was running over.