This Three Year Old Is a Villainess-Chapter 241
That evening, at the residence of the 2nd Duke of Astra.
Leaning on Dad’s arm, I had been lounging around all day when I let out a big yawn.
Dad chuckled softly.
“If you’re sleepy, go to sleep.”
“I want to stay with you a little longer.”
“What’s wrong with a kid who’s never spoiled acting like this?”
Dad rested one hand on my head and looked at me affectionately.
It was strange.
Usually, I was the one who pushed him,
“Dad, if you don’t work, who will raise the baby?”
—forcing him back to work.
But today, his expression was so bad.
After seeing Bella and Blossom, or rather, after seeing Blossom, Dad hadn’t looked well.
Was it because he remembered a painful first love...?
While thinking that, Dad lifted me up with a gentle “Come on.”
“Go wash up, eat, and then rest.”
“But...”
When I murmured with a sulky face, Dad kissed my cheek.
“Just knowing my daughter worries about me makes me feel like I could fly.”
His voice was unbearably sweet.
I could understand why unmarried women, married women... even men in the empire would feel fluttering hearts just seeing him.
I hugged Dad’s neck and rubbed my face against him.
“Okay, work hard.”
“...Do I have to work?”
“Of course. Who else will raise the baby?”
“I will.”
Dad smiled and gently stroked my hair.
Together, we left the room.
My nanny Jeanne and Mari were waiting by the door.
“They were worried because dinner is late. If our lady gets any thinner, Jeanne’s heart aches.”
“Okay, I’ll eat.”
But something felt strange.
Dad was looking at Jeanne with an extremely arrogant expression.
What was even stranger...
“If you like, I will take the lady with me.”
Jeanne’s eyes, looking at Dad, were sharp.
Like an empress and a concubine vying over the emperor...
‘No way.’
Even if it’s Dad, Jeanne wouldn’t engage in such childish power struggles.
Dad knelt on one knee before me and said,
“Don’t worry too much.”
“Yes!”
I nodded at Dad and looked at Jeanne.
“I want to eat in my room.”
“Yes. We’ll send your meal up. Mari, teach the lady how to prepare her food.”
“Yes, nanny.”
I waved my hand to Dad and headed to my room.
Han Jihyeok was waiting at the door.
“Come in.”
After saying that, I entered first, and Han Jihyeok followed.
“How’s the investigation on Beltri?”
“Well...”
Han Jihyeok scratched his neck awkwardly.
I narrowed my eyes.
“She was a commoner who lived in the Astra territory. There shouldn’t be anything difficult.”
“I found the basic facts. But there’s something strange.”
“What?”
Han Jihyeok spread some documents on the tea table.
“Look at this.”
I read the part he pointed to.
[Robin, Sarah, and their daughter (3 years old) migrated from Alloster territory.]
“What’s this?”
“Robin is Beltri’s father, the gardener. Sarah is the mother.”
“Right.”
“So Beltri migrated with the family at age three. But it says there are three people. Then where’s the younger sibling?”
Bella said she was one year younger than Beltri.
‘That’s strange.’
I furrowed my brows.
Han Jihyeok said,
“They might have hidden a daughter to reduce taxes. That happens a lot.”
“Still, it’s odd. It’s a ‘daughter’.”
I heard Beltri dressed as a boy from a young age.
She even came to the Astra Duke’s manor dressed as a boy and worked as the gardener’s assistant.
‘Astra has so many enemies that they investigate thoroughly before hiring anyone.’
Even if it’s a child.
The fact she could disguise herself means the documents probably said she was a boy.
I looked at Han Jihyeok.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes daughters are registered as sons. Most children working in estates are boys.”
“For money.”
“Right. It’s easier to get work, so poor families raise daughters as sons...”
“But it doesn’t add up. Male taxes are higher than females.”
Because the average income differs greatly.
“Exactly. Usually, they correct the documents later because they can’t stand male taxes.”
“The gardener’s family was poor, right?”
“Yes. But they didn’t correct the documents.”
Definitely suspicious.
Han Jihyeok said,
“Your suspicion rubbed off on me. Conrad thinks it’s just tax evasion by commoners, but I still think it’s strange.”
“No, it’s weird.”
I rubbed my chin.
“What about the steward? He was involved when hiring people, so maybe he remembers.”
“He was purged when they searched for the late duke’s remnants.”
“Damn...”
I stared quietly at the documents.
Robin, Sarah, and daughter migrated.
The daughter was disguised as a boy.
‘How did they correct the documents?’
They must have bribed the officials heavily...
While thinking that, I flinched.
“What if this ‘daughter’ isn’t Beltri?”
“What?”
“If it’s Bella!”
“...!”
Then there would be no need to correct Beltri’s documents at all.
Han Jihyeok’s eyes widened as he stared at the papers.
“That doesn’t fit the age. Bella said she’s a year younger...”
“She’s not younger. Same age as Beltri.”
“Then what about Beltri...? There’s no further record of the family migration.”
“Check the adoption records!”
“Huh?”
“Adoption records are managed separately from migration records!”
Han Jihyeok took a deep breath.
Then quickly organized the documents and said,
“I’m heading to Astra territory.”
“Take the blessing stone for travel.”
“Right.”
Han Jihyeok /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ used the travel blessing stone to move to Astra territory.
A guard at the estate gate asked,
“State your identity.”
“I’m Jihaek from Daymond territory. Under Lady Erilot’s orders, I’m going to the Duke’s manor.”
“Wait a moment.”
The guard contacted Daymond territory.
A familiar voice came from the communication stone.
It was Mikellan’s voice.
“Yes, that’s our territory. She is Lady Erilot’s personal attendant.”
“Yes, Baron.”
The guard raised the flag, and the massive castle gate opened.
Han Jihyeok thought with a pale face,
“Even after eight o’clock, they’re still letting people through.”
There was no place that wouldn’t let Erilot pass just by her name.
After passing through the gate, he immediately used the blessing stone to teleport to the manor.
Conrad was waiting in front.
“I received a message from Mikellan. What’s the matter?”
“Beltri’s personal info is suspicious. Lady ordered me to investigate adoption records.”
“I see. Let’s go.”
With the Duke’s aide Conrad, there was no library they couldn’t enter.
The two headed straight to the fourth archive, where adoption records were kept.
Han Jihyeok was astonished looking through the records.
“The palace library with four floors isn’t even this big.”
“This many records?”
“Yes. We need to know the year.”
“Ah, the year is...”
Conrad opened his notebook to check.
“Ah, then it’s here.”
Han Jihyeok searched through the books in the indicated place.
...Countless books.
‘When will I ever find it?’
I felt like screaming.
Conrad, who had always found records in these storages before, looked amazing.
“How do you find these so fast?”
Han Jihyeok asked, and Conrad tilted his head with innocent eyes.
As if it wasn’t difficult at all...
‘...Monsters, really.’
I wonder if Erilot knows.
All the talented people she commands are among the best in the world.
Starting with Conrad, who was a monster himself.
They arrived at eight, but dawn was already breaking.
Han Jihyeok, pale-faced, returned the last book to the shelf.
“This is killing me... how much longer?” 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
“This is the last one I’m reading.”
Han Jihyeok groaned as he stood and stretched.
“I’ll get some tea.”
“Oh, no food in the archives... I found it!”
“You found it?!”
Han Jihyeok hurriedly ran.
[Unnamed / 6 years old / male
Orphanage from Biferi territory.
Adopted by Robin of 232 Kitri street.]
“Unnamed?”
Han Jihyeok murmured, and Conrad said,
“Children without names are registered as ‘Unnamed.’ Ah, I found it. Now I’ll deliver it to the lady...”
“But the signatures on the document differ.”
“Huh?”
Han Jihyeok opened the front page.
“Hatchin Eto signed here.”
“At that time, Duke Hatchin was in charge of the adoption agency.”
“The back page also bears Hatchin Eto’s signature, but only this ‘Unnamed’ child’s document was signed by Baron Rostock.”
Conrad examined the documents with a stern face.
After flipping through all documents and checking others from that time...
“Only the Unnamed child’s document was signed by Baron Rostock.”
“That’s suspicious.”
The two looked at each other.
Conrad looked very surprised.
‘I thought he was a goofy guy, but he’s very sharp.’
He was surprisingly competent.
Mikellan, who never forgot to double-check, trusted Han Jihyeok’s work.
‘Lady Erilot has a tremendous man as her subordinate.’
Han Jihyeok asked,
“Who is Baron Rostock?”
“He’s deceased... he was the guardian of one of the second generation nobles.”
“Whose...?”
Conrad said firmly,
“Grimier.”
“...!!”
There it was again.
The name Grimier.
Han Jihyeok thought,
‘Erilot, what kind of bad fate do you have with Grimier?’
The next day.
I entered the palace with sleepy eyes.
‘I’m so sleepy from staying up too late.’
I was there to prepare a gift for the Emperor.
I had talked with Uncle Cainrode until dawn and my throat was hoarse.
‘I’ll finish work today and go to sleep early.’
Thinking that, I got off the carriage.
“Ah, Lady Erilot~”
A bright voice called from behind.
It was Rika Delphre of the Southern Wonhwa.
“Hello, Rika.”
“Greetings.”
Rika smiled brightly and approached me.
“Are you going to the Torch Palace?”
“No, to the Emperor’s Palace. I’m going to ask to transfer leftover funds from the White Knights (the Emperor’s direct order knights) to the Western Army.”
“The budget is still tight after last year’s second half grand training...”
My eyes sparkled.
“I’ll win the first half grand training for sure and get tons of budget.”
“You’ll do well.”
“Why did you enter the palace so early, Rika?”
“Because of Wolfgang.”
Wolfgang?
‘Ah, I forgot.’
He was that damn brat involved with the curtain, so I ordered Rika to handle him.
Rika sighed while holding one cheek.
“Rumors have ruined his reputation, but he still hasn’t died.”
“Hasn’t died?”
“The general’s position is vacant.”
“Yeah, he retired.”
“The new general gave Wolfgang another position.”
“Position?”
“He’s the judge of the Eastern Wonhwa preliminaries.”
I laughed dryly.
Blossom is participating in that prelim.
‘We keep crossing paths.’
Rika smiled cheerfully.
“Don’t worry. We have people watching Wolfgang~ That bribing rat will definitely take bribes again, so we’ll kick him out for sure this time!”
“That’s reassuring.”
“Really? I’m so happy...”
Rika was a tsundere but a loyal one.
I nodded and said,
“The Empress Dowager sent snacks. I’ll share them, so see you later at the Torch Palace.”
“Oh my...”
Rika was so happy she even teared up, which made me a bit embarrassed inside.
“See you later.”
“Yes! Definitely!”
After greeting Rika, I headed to the Emperor’s Palace.
‘The White Knights are at the Emperor’s Palace, so it’s inconvenient to visit.’
It would be better to take funds from other armies.
There are two vacant Wonhwa seats, so few people can transfer the funds.
Sebastia is exhausted managing both Central and Eastern armies; it’s hard to ask her too.
On my way to the White Knights’ quarters, I thought,
‘Ah, Devon’s office is here. Maybe I should stop by and say hello...’
Then.
I saw an unfamiliar back in front of Devon’s office.
Unfamiliar? No, somehow familiar...
Devon was walking toward me from the opposite corridor.
I opened my mouth.
“De—”
“Devon!”
But the kid lingering in front of the office was faster.
Hearing that voice, I flinched.
‘Blossom’s voice?’
But it was strange.
Her hair was cut short like a boy’s and she wore a boy’s suit.
Blossom hurried up to Devon.
I followed behind her toward Devon.
Devon, talking with a man who seemed like an aide, looked at me first.
“You must be Lady Astra.”
“Hello, Devon.”
“And this is... uh...”
Devon’s eyes widened.
Frozen stiff as if time stopped, he looked at Blossom helplessly.
Blossom smiled arrogantly.
“I’m Blossom. I met with my mother yesterday; do you remember?”
“......”
“Devon?”
“...Ah.”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“No. Just a little...”
“I came by to talk briefly, is this a bad time?”
“No. If just a moment, I can spare time. Come in.”
Devon, strict with etiquette, let unannounced visitors in so easily?
He opened the door.
Still confused.
Blossom glanced at me arrogantly.
Smirking.
“Devon, Lady Erilot also seems to want to say something. I want to come in with her.”
“...Okay.”
“Then come in, Lady Erilot.”
I stared hard at Blossom.
Her intention was obvious.
It meant ‘Watch how specially Devon treats me.’
