Chapter 5

This 3-year-old is the villain in Chapter 5. (5/390)

Chapter 5.

“Ah! Aah!”

The Marquis Tollyso’s blessing was <Vision>.

This meant that he was a frail old man who could maintain 2.3 vision even in old age.

He had never lifted anything heavier than a pen.

Naturally, he had never had his hair pulled.

On the other hand, Erylott was a very spirited child.

She never lost to kids much bigger than herself.

Her specialty was using her cute little hands to pull the hair of her tormentors.

Crack.

With the sound of the few remaining roots giving way, a sword blade was drawn before the Marquis Tollyso.

Only then did Erylott let go of the Marquis’s hair.

The Duke spoke to the pale-faced Marquis Tollyso.

“We have a lot to talk about.”

At the Duke Astra’s words, the Marquis Tollyso’s face turned pale.

“You shouldn’t think it’s going to be easy.”

“A, Duke Astra… This, this is—”

Duke Astra picked up Erylott.

Behind the Duke, who was walking through the night, the Marquis Tollyso’s anguished screams followed.

* * *

Dawn.

The Marquis Tollyso and his aides were dragged to the ducal castle and subjected to severe torture.

The torture was carried out by Viscount Debussy.

He entered the Duke’s office with a summary of the confessions extracted from the Marquis Tollyso and his aides.

“They were trying to recruit Conrad.”

Conrad was very surprised and asked, “Me?”

“It seems they knew you needed the blue root for your brother and tried to recruit you.”

“Such…”

Conrad’s eyes trembled greatly.

Viscount Debussy, confused by Conrad’s reaction, asked, “Fortunately, you had already obtained the blue root, right?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then who?”

“The young lady gave it to me.”

“What?”

Grandfather and Viscount Debussy looked at me.

I smiled and said, “Hehe.”

The Duke, who had given me the root, did not specify that I must consume it myself.

So, there was no reason to blame me for giving it to someone else.

On the contrary, using the root to prevent the loss of talent was a great achievement.

“You have a good sense. The young lady was the first to sense the Duke’s danger.”

“Yes. She said, ‘Bad people will torment Grandfather.’”

Viscount Debussy looked at me and exclaimed, “But how did she know?”

“She said she overheard the aides’ suspicious conversations by chance.”

Of course, it was a complete lie.

It was a conclusion drawn from the novel’s content and circumstances, but who would believe a three-year-old?

So, I said, “The guards will torment Grandfather! (The guards will torment Grandfather!)”

“Huh?”

“The guards will send Grandfather to the other world when he gets weak. They were talking in secret. I heard it! (The guards will send Grandfather to the other world when he gets weak. They were talking in secret. I heard it!)”

“What?”

Viscount Debussy, who had heard this from Conrad, nodded.

“They must have talked freely, thinking a child knew nothing.”

“Yes. Since you’ve been around the Duke recently, you could have overheard the guards.”

Viscount Debussy and Conrad were convinced, and I felt relieved.

Grandfather, who said nothing, didn’t seem to suspect anything.

‘Still, my wrist hurts continuously.’

Perhaps because the tension had eased, the pain became more intense.

It seemed I had injured my wrist when I grabbed the bad guy’s hair.

I gently massaged my wrist.

Then, I met Grandfather’s eyes.

“...”

“...”

Grandfather clicked his tongue and pulled my wrist.

‘Why, why...?’

What is he going to do with my wrist!

I tensed up and stiffened.

But what he did was examine my wrist.

“It’s sprained. Why did you get involved in something so dangerous with such small hands?”

“I have to protect Grandfather. (I have to protect Grandfather.)”

Otherwise, other direct descendants might target me.

Grandfather glanced at me and cleared his throat.

“What are you, a grain of sand, going to protect me with?”

“...”

“You’re so small. When I was your age, I could kill a bear.”

That’s because Grandfather has a lethal blessing.

After applying ointment to my wrist, Grandfather cleared his throat again.

“Go to your room and get treated.”

It was a welcome suggestion.

I was incredibly tired, so it was perfect.

“Okay!”

I answered and skipped out of the room.

* * *

The conclusion of the attack was a territorial war.

Astra’s armed forces swept over the Marquis Tollyso’s territory.

Astra was a house known for its military prowess.

Tollyso’s forces were no match, and the castle fell within a week.

Grandfather is said to have taken the Marquis Tollyso to the burning territory.

And there, he did something to the Marquis’s wrists and ankles...

‘Who would have thought he’d be so terrifying to avoid being the mastermind.’

How could an old man, now crippled, survive after his house fell?

It was a fate worse than death.

* * *

I scooped a spoonful of pudding and wore a blissful expression.

‘Perfect.’

The texture, the aroma, the caramel’s richness.

Nothing is lacking.

And the best part is that I can enjoy this delicious pudding without any worries.

I popped the pudding into my mouth and smiled widely.

‘I’ll have to savor it fully because I’ll be busy again soon.’

I have some free time now because the ducal castle is busy with the aftermath of the territorial war.

The Marquis Tollyso’s territory has been integrated into the Duke Astra’s domain.

So, there’s a lot of noise about who will govern this land.

My uncles, aunts, and even my cousins are busy trying to become the new land’s master.

‘Thanks to this, I’m in a good position.’

The ducal castle is noisy, so the direct descendants’ lessons have been postponed!

I pushed away the empty pudding bowl and jumped off the chair.

Then, I hummed a song and went to where the picture books were stored.

As I was about to open a book, I felt a gaze from behind.

Turning my head, I saw the maids staring at me intently.

“Didn’t you read this book yesterday?”

“You read it the day before yesterday too.”

“Even four days ago.”

The maids groaned.

“There’s nothing for the young lady to play with in the ducal castle.”

“Have you requested toys from the general affairs office?”

“It will take at least two weeks before they can be reviewed and brought in.”

After Grandfather was attacked, the security of the ducal castle was strengthened to a terrifying degree.

They had to conduct a thorough review to ensure that no curses or other harmful things were attached to the items.

Because of this, I read the same books over and over again.

‘But they’re still fun, right?’

Maybe it’s the mental penalty of being in a child’s body, but I enjoy things that children do.

As I focused on the picture book again, the maids approached.

“Should we call a friend from the Twelfth Tower?”

“Yes. Since they are collateral relatives, they should be able to get permission to enter even in the current situation.”

I focused on the book and said lightly, “I don’t have friends.”

“Didn’t you grow up together?”

“But they don’t play with me.”

“Why not?”

“Because their families don’t like me.”

Sometimes, children who know nothing come close.

But every time, their nannies panic and carry them away.

“If you play with the main house’s outcast, you’ll be treated the same.”

—They say.

If they are caught playing with me, their parents often get in touch and scold them.

So, children don’t play with me, and I don’t want them to get in trouble because of me, so I don’t approach them.

I nonchalantly answered and turned the page.

‘Ah, it’s my favorite picture.’

I love the illustration of the mother fish looking for her baby fish.

As I looked at the picture with sparkling eyes, the atmosphere around me suddenly became quiet.

Noticing the strange atmosphere, I turned my head and saw the maids with strange expressions.

“What...”

Seeing the maids about to cry, I was startled.

‘Oops.’

I must have looked pitiful.

‘I spoke without thinking because I’m used to it.’

This supporting character penalty.

Because I’m not the main character, I often lose focus and become a child.

So, I miss the adults’ feelings.

‘Oh, these sisters have soft hearts.’

They were kind sisters, unlike the typical employees of the Astra ducal castle.

That’s why they didn’t advance in their careers.

‘Well, they must have been assigned to me because they couldn’t advance.’

Other precious direct descendants have nannies (high-ranking employees who care for noble children).

I raised my arms and said frantically, “I’m not sad at all. Playing alone is fun! (I’m not sad at all. Playing alone is fun!)”

Despite my efforts, they became even more teary-eyed.

“Young lady...”

“No one will play with you anymore.”

“That’s right! Now that you’ve manifested your blessing and are staying in the castle.”

Hilda hugged me tightly.

Greta stroked the back of my hand.

“Adults are bad. Why wouldn’t children play with you? They’re not letting you.”

“That’s right.”

Hilda and Greta’s eyes sparkled.

* * *

“—That’s what they said.”

Conrad relayed to the Duke what he had heard from the employees.

The children from the Twelfth Tower did not play with Erylott.

It seemed the adults had pressured them.

The maids had reported this to Conrad.

And Conrad immediately told the Duke.

The Duke, focused on his documents, spoke.

“So.”

Conrad’s face darkened.

‘I thought the Duke’s view of the young lady had changed recently.’

She had manifested her blessing and helped the house.

She was even the greatest contributor to thwarting the attack.

I wondered if the Duke, known for his cold nature, had found his granddaughter endearing.

‘After all, he lived his whole life without forming attachments to people.’

He wouldn’t step in for his granddaughter.

Conrad looked dejected, and Viscount Debussy, who was with him, smiled.

“He’s just relaying what he heard. More importantly, the results of the aides’ torture. Conrad, tell him.”

“Yes.”

The Duke, who received the documents, skimmed through them and glanced at Conrad.

“Is that all?”

“Yes. They said they were lured by the Marquis Tollyso’s promise of a title and money.”

“Tollyso?”

“They harbored resentment over losing the granary.”

The Duke chuckled.

“The excuse is lacking.”

“Pardon?”

“Do you really think Tollyso was the mastermind behind this incident?”

“...Pardon?”

Astra is very cautious with information.

Even if Tollyso belonged to the council of noble elders, he could never find out the Duke’s guard list.

Nor could he identify a guard who might be swayed.

Conrad, who had been squinting, was startled.

“Do you mean there’s an enemy within? Who...!”

“One of my children.”

Only they had the power to move Tollyso.

Moreover, the Duke’s enemies were always of the same blood.

“My goodness...”

Conrad was just a pawn.

A pawn to hide the fact that information was given from within.

The Duke chuckled.

“I must have been too lenient.”

“...”

“Seeing how they’re not satisfied with the scraps I give them and have become greedy.”

The Duke’s eyes flashed with a murderous intent.

Conrad swallowed hard.

“What should we do?”

“We need to tighten the screws. Let’s start by proving the loyalty of the collateral relatives.”

“Proving loyalty...”

“Introduce them. To Erylott.”

“Pardon?”

“Prostrate themselves properly.”

“Pardon?!”

The Duke stood up.

“Disband the private armies of the second generation (the Duke’s children).”

Saying this, the Duke strode out of the room.

Conrad stared at the Duke’s back in confusion.

Why is he making the collateral relatives prove their loyalty by having them bow to Erylott?

And in a way that looks like an apology.

Conrad tilted his head.

And Viscount Debussy...

“Haha!”

Was suddenly clutching his stomach and giggling.

The Duke, who had just stepped into the corridor, threw a vase from the decorative stand.

Viscount Debussy, who narrowly avoided the vase, followed the Duke.

“You must have had a hard time thinking of an excuse.”

“Shut up.”

The sound of Viscount Debussy’s laughter echoed through the dark corridor.

* * *

I looked at the prostrate couple with a bewildered expression.

Their faces were pale.

‘Why are these people suddenly like this?’

This morning, people started lining up outside my room.

They were all familiar faces.

The adults who came to pick up the children from the Twelfth Tower during their breaks.

In other words, the parents of the collateral relatives.

“Rondontas. I greet the young lady.”

“T-that... The things I said in the past were not meant to belittle the young lady...”

Why are they so terrified?

When they saw me at the Twelfth Tower, they had a mocking look in their eyes.

I peeked outside the room.

It wasn’t just the parents of children from the Twelfth Tower.

But everyone else was trembling too.

Thinking about what could have happened, I soon nodded.

‘Ah.’

They must be afraid because I manifested my blessing!

And I even saved Grandfather.

The maids behind me glared at the adults like demons.

“Now, it’s the next person’s turn. Please go.”

“Wait! Give me one more minute. I haven’t cleared up the misunderstanding yet!”

The couple was dragged away by the servants.

And the next person.

And the next.

It took a full two hours to receive the greetings from the collateral relatives.

I was tired, but the maids were beaming the whole time.

“Young lady, there’s more good news.”

“Huh?”

The maids looked at each other and giggled, then presented me with something.

A beautiful fraxinus flower.

“Wow, it’s beautiful! (Wow, it’s beautiful!)”

“Isn’t it? Sir Conrad brought it. He saw a beautiful fraxinus flower that resembled the young lady and picked it.”

“I love flowers. (I love flowers.)”

“It’s fragrant. Would you like to smell it?”

“Yes.”

I took the fraxinus flower and smelled it.

The maids exclaimed, “Kyaa! So cute!”

“You have a lot of good things today. You received flowers and greetings.”

“Good.”

“Isn’t that right? The greetings were very touching, and the flowers are very beautiful.”

I don’t know about the greetings, but the flowers are nice.

‘This is proof that Conrad has a good opinion of me.’

Because of the greetings from the collateral relatives today, the direct descendants will pay attention to me.

While my