I Raised the Villain's Daughter Too Well-Chapter 27: Didn’t Know! -

The Academy ranking Firnea just below the Crown Prince wasn’t exactly surprising. After all, the Seriratus family was a colossal power.

Oh, I see. Or, well, it was to be expected.

However, no one anticipated her entering alongside a completely unknown noble.

Several cadets, who had been eyeing Virdem curiously, began to speak.

"Now that I think about it, that guy... he’s the one who showed up at the Special Talent Exam wearing a butler’s uniform..."

"Oh, right. The sword-wielding butler."

"Special Talent Exam? You’re saying he’s a special talent student?"

Considering the power of the Seriratus family, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable to think that they could push a mere butler through as a special talent student.

However...

"...He’s being treated like her closest aide."

Virdem was escorting Firnea.

Anyone else attempting to act that way would be torn to shreds.

The cadets, who had been whispering about how a mere butler had been given such a bold position, soon realized that such trivialities weren’t all that important.

"This entrance ceremony is so quiet. I almost thought it was a library."

After Duke Pitus’s assassination, Firnea rarely made public appearances.

At most, she had occasionally invited other nobles to her birthday parties.

Today, all the nobles finally realized it.

"...She’s beautiful."

Leah muttered unconsciously.

Hair that shimmered like silver spun from molten metal, a face sculpted into gentle, flawless lines, a voice as smooth as polished jade, and an elegant dress that maintained both grace and dignity.

A peerless beauty whose radiance made Leah, with her overly adorned necklace, feel like a pig draped in pearls.

The ordinary face of the butler standing beside her only served to highlight her beauty even more.

...No, rather than ordinary, he looked slightly terrifying.

While Leah and the other cadets were still wallowing in inferiority as they gazed at Firnea’s appearance—

"Le-Leah! I found her! I found her!"

The oblivious Armeria came running over with a beaming smile, holding onto something strange.

"...?"

Leah frowned as she looked at what, or rather, whom her sister had brought along.

"What the hell is that?"

It was a very small and cute black-haired female cadet.

But she clearly looked extremely displeased.

And for good reason—she was dangling in the air, caught under Armeria’s armpit.

Armeria answered with a proud expression.

"Our savior!"

"Oh... The person you were looking for on the street the other day?"

So it wasn’t just a delusion. She really did exist. And she did look quite wolfish.

Leah’s surprise was short-lived, and she frowned at the sight of the girl dangling helplessly.

"But she doesn’t seem to like it. Just let her go."

"No way. She doesn’t hate it. Right?"

"..."

"I’m Armeria. What’s your name?"

"..."

The girl lifted her head without a word—

Then, upon seeing Firnea and her butler, she trembled and immediately lowered her gaze again.

She was on the verge of tears.

Armeria began pulling and releasing the girl’s cheeks repeatedly, practically harassing her.

"Ahh, she’s so cute. Isn’t she just the cutest?"

"..."

Leah backed away as far as she could from Armeria, regretting not having dyed her hair earlier.

All she could do was hope that when the girl finally decided to report her sister, she wouldn’t get dragged down along with her.

****

"Was it really necessary for me to enter with you?"

"Why are you dwelling on it? It’s already over."

Firnea responded playfully to my whisper.

I let out a small sigh. If it hadn’t been for Firnea’s insistence (if I refused, she’d sulk for three days), I would have entered first.

Now I was attracting far more attention than necessary.

"Lady Firnea, may I have the honor of a dance...?"

"No, no, please, dance with me instead!"

Firnea’s beauty and the Seriratus family’s prestige drew countless cadets’ gazes the moment she entered.

Naturally, the elite heirs and heiresses swarmed in, their eyes bloodshot.

They all seemed desperate to dance with Firnea—or at least strike up a conversation.

‘What should I do?’

I glanced at Firnea, and she gave me a sly wink.

‘Handle it for me?’

...Of course, it was my job.

I methodically declined each one, ensuring they withdrew.

"I’m sorry, but the Lady is wearing heels today and cannot dance."

"What? No, why are you the one decid—Ack, cough, cough..."

Some of them grumbled but suddenly found themselves unable to breathe.

...Firnea, no doubt.

Of course, there were a few who couldn’t be dismissed so easily.

"..."

Clink, clink...

A metallic clanking sound, utterly out of place at a ballroom, echoed through the air.

A woman nearly as tall as me approached, her long, icy blue hair swaying slightly, her decadent eyes fixed on Firnea.

She was clad in magnificent armor that had clearly seen multiple battles.

I swallowed. This was not someone I could handle.

"Greetings, Lady Olvesia."

"Hmm. May I speak with your master?"

Her voice was rough and husky.

There was no need to respond. Firnea stepped forward with a disinterested expression.

"What business does Senfenesia have with me?"

No matter how much Firnea adhered to her villainous policy of ignoring everyone...

She couldn’t afford to act that way toward the ruler of the North.

"...I was just curious about something."

Olvesia stared intently at Firnea with her cold blue eyes—

And then, a crooked smile spread across her lips.

"The Seriratus family has given birth to a monster."

"And the Senfenesia family has given birth to a rude child."

"Heh, haha. I look forward to the Grand Competition. Don’t disappoint me."

Olvesia shrugged off Firnea’s sharp retort with a laugh, then spun around as if her business was done.

Firnea continued to glare at Olvesia as she leaned closer to whisper in my ear.

"Why are there so many annoying people here?"

"It seems they’re making mistakes in the process of trying to express their interest in you, my lady. I don’t believe any of them mean any harm."

Since we’d been staying secluded in the territory for the sake of safety, there were few nobles who knew us well. In fact, given how infamous I was as Firnea’s closest aide, my face might be more recognizable than hers.

But—rumors spread.

The Lady of the Seriratus family is beloved by the God of Magic.

Her beauty has even captivated the Crown Prince.

The assassination of Pitus—she was the one behind it.

We’d already hunted down and punished every single person who spread that last rumor.

But the rest was still more than enough to pique the interest of the nobles.

"I’m not mad at these people. It’s just funny, that’s all."

Fortunately, Firnea only seemed mildly annoyed, not truly angry.

And that made sense. From her perspective, every cadet here was just a child.

If anything, the rumors were understatements rather than exaggerations.

Take Olvesia, for example, who just strutted off like she was something impressive.

If she actually faced Firnea in the Grand Competition, she’d be ground into meat paste in less than 0.1 seconds.

By then, she’d regret her behavior today.

Firnea, who had been fuming just moments ago, suddenly put on a mischievous expression and asked me,

"Oh, right. Virdem, since this is a ball... Do you want to dance?"

"...Excuse me?"

Caught off guard, I frowned and shook my head.

"No, no way. Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"I told those cadets earlier that you couldn’t dance because of your shoes, didn’t I? If I were to dance with you now, what would they think?"

"Just take the shoes off then. What’s the big deal?"

"My Lady..."

Please, maintain your dignity.

Before I could plead any further, the music changed.

The hall dimmed, and a figure stepped onto the stage.

Blazing red hair and a strikingly handsome face that looked like it could seduce any woman with just a whisper.

—Second only to the Emperor himself.

The Crown Prince stood there.

"Hmm, so everyone’s gathered."

Clap, clap, clap, clap—!

Applause instantly filled the hall.

Of course, he hadn’t entered earlier. He was here to give the welcome speech as the representative of the new cadets.

Well... It made sense. If it was the Crown Prince, that was expected.

The Crown Prince scanned the crowd with his deep, commanding eyes.

His gaze lingered on Firnea for a fraction longer than necessary.

But only for a moment. He then raised both hands and began his speech.

"To all the cadets entering the Academy, I have a few words to say—"

And as for me...

I ignored the entire speech, instead sweeping my gaze around the room and remaining on full alert.

A place where all these nobles gathered should theoretically be the safest place...

But the most recent incident had occurred in what was supposedly /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ the safest venue—the Imperial Banquet.

There was no guarantee the enemy wouldn’t use the same tactics again.

I glanced at Firnea. She didn’t seem particularly tense or distressed.

That only meant I had to stay even more vigilant.

"And so, by joining forces, we will all..."

I extended my magical senses as far as they could reach.

Staying on high alert throughout the entire speech, just in case there was an enemy hidden somewhere.

'...Huh?'

In the midst of my surveillance, I spotted two familiar faces.

The first was Emily.

She was hiding in a dark corner, and the moment our eyes met, she flinched and quickly averted her gaze. She was clearly terrified.

The second was Arin.

Armeria...? Is she really a hero? I couldn’t see clearly, but for some reason, she seemed to be enduring some heavy petting from a blonde cadet as she glanced over at me.

"..."

Her eyes dropped, filled with dejection.

When did she get close to that hero?

I decided to ask her about it later.

Throughout the entire twenty-minute speech, I didn’t relax for even a second, but thankfully, no assassins appeared.

"Whew..."

I let out a deep sigh.

And at that moment, a soft hand touched my shoulder.

"You did well. Thank you."

"...My Lady."

Firnea patted my shoulder with a look of pride.

It wasn’t exactly appropriate for a master to casually touch their butler, so I quickly scanned the surroundings. But it was still dark, and everyone was focused on the Crown Prince, so no one was looking our way.

"I was only doing what needed to be done."

"And I’m only doing what needs to be thanked for."

Firnea’s hand, which had been patting my shoulder, suddenly slid down, and she began to stroke my chest.

I recoiled, horrified.

"My Lady, please don’t do this."

"Oh? I kind of like that line. Resist a bit more."

"My Lady..."

Somehow, it felt like she was becoming even more reckless since coming to the Academy.

I could overlook it because I knew she’d always been a bit too touchy since childhood, but other cadets wouldn’t see it that way.

I gently tried to reason with Firnea.

"This may not be the right time to say this, but wouldn’t it be better to maintain a bit more caution?"

"I’m not worried. You’ll protect me, won’t you, Virdem?"

"Of course. I would gladly give my life for you, my Lady."

"..."

"However, the enemy will undoubtedly strike with methods beyond our expectations. Letting down your guard would be unwise."

"Hmph. I know that much."

For some reason, Firnea’s face flushed bright red, and she covered it with her fan as she spoke in a slightly flustered tone.

"But those people also don’t know how much I’m capable of right now."

"...I agree with that."

Firnea’s confident smile carried a palpable weight.

No assassin in their right mind would ever assume Firnea could slaughter a hundred people with a single breath.

That was our greatest weapon.

—Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Thunderous applause filled the hall.

I joined in as well, so as not to seem out of place.

The lights came back on, and the Crown Prince descended from the stage, graciously accepting everyone’s greetings.

And that’s when it happened.

"Y-Your Highness, um...!"

A cadet holding a wine glass rushed toward the Crown Prince but suddenly stumbled and lost his footing.

—Right in the direction of Firnea.

"...!"

—Splash!

Without a second thought, I pulled Firnea into my embrace and raised my arm to block the wine.

But a few drops still splattered onto her dress.

Without hesitation, I licked the wine off my hand.

Ever since the assassination of Pitus, I had been ingesting every known poison to build up my resistance.

No matter how potent the poison, it couldn’t kill me outright.

But the important thing was Firnea.

She hadn’t developed any resistance, so even a few drops on her dress could be lethal.

Fortunately, it tasted like ordinary wine. Still, I asked urgently,

"My Lady, are you alright?"

"Ah..."

It was only then that I realized the problem.

I had been holding her far too tightly.

Our faces were so close that I could feel her breath against my skin.

In this proximity, I could see her clear, luminous eyes with unnerving clarity.

...I almost lost myself in them.

Hurriedly, I released her and stepped back.

"..."

The entire hall fell into a heavy silence.

"S-S-Sorry, I’m so sorry, it was a mistake, I’m really sorry!!!"

The cadet who had spilled the wine dropped to his knees, bowing his head over and over.

Of course, he had to do that.

It was Firnea, after all.

The one whose father had been poisoned by wine right here in the hall.

And she would have been completely soaked in it if I hadn’t intervened.

Firnea now had every reason to destroy the cadet’s entire family.

In the frozen silence of the hall, the only person with the authority to speak was Firnea.

I remained silent, waiting for her judgment.

If she chose retribution, I was ready to act immediately.

"Hmm..."

—Snap!

Firnea, who had been staring blankly at me, suddenly snapped her fingers.

The cadet winced and squeezed his eyes shut, but...

The flames that appeared didn’t touch him.

They burned me. More precisely, they burned my butler’s uniform.

And they burned Firnea’s own dress as well.

The flames precisely evaporated only the wine.

"..."

For a moment, I forgot the situation and simply admired her skill.

Evaporating only the wine from the fabric without damaging the clothing?

It sounded easy, but it was a technique bordering on godlike.

Even if it were possible, the wine-soaked fabric should have still left at least a faint purple stain, but—

My butler’s uniform remained pristine white.

I was certain that every magic-specialized cadet in the hall had just realized the insurmountable gap between them and Firnea.

After erasing the wine, Firnea finally spoke, delivering her judgment.

"Which family are you from?"

"L-Lotius family... I’m Radan... s-sorry...!"

"Calm down. People make mistakes."

"...?"

Radan looked up, his expression utterly bewildered.

Firnea—who, for once, genuinely looked like she was in a good mood—fanned herself lightly and said,

"There’s no need to blow things out of proportion at the entrance ceremony. I forgive you."

"...Th-Thank you! Thank you so much, truly...!"

"It’s fine. Really."

Radan rubbed his forehead against the ground, expressing his gratitude.

And finally, the tense atmosphere began to dissolve.

"Ah, haha. Lady Firnea is truly merciful."

"Indeed. If it were me, I would have at least demanded a duel..."

I could tell that the cadets’ perception of Firnea had changed.

Previously, they had seen her as nothing more than a breathtakingly beautiful but emotionally distant noblewoman—one with little information available except to the foolishly infatuated.

But now, after witnessing her unexpected mercy, they began to view her as a more approachable, humane figure.

A good change.

Firnea was gaining more allies.

I scanned the cadets, smirking slightly.

"Uh... uh... wh-why...?"

Everyone appeared satisfied with Firnea’s mercy—

Except for one.

Armeria of the Hero family, whose eyes were wide with shock and whose body trembled as she stared at Firnea.