This Three Year Old Is a Villainess - Chapter 15

‘Huh?’

 

There was not even a slightest change in Father’s expression.

 

As if he already knew.

 

The employees who were standing by the wall were somehow trying their best to hold back their laughter. However, they couldn’t hide their shaking lips.

 

Rachel grasped the hem of her skirt tightly. Then, she smiled with effort and said,

 

“Come to think of it, it turns out there was a request from the barracks. Please excuse me.”

 

Rachel went out like she was running away.

 

I looked at Father.

 

“Rachel likes Fwathher?” [Rachel likes Father?]

 

When I asked again with the meaning of ‘Did you already know?’, Father looked at the documents with a calm look.

 

“There’s nothing you need to worry about.”

 

“…?”

 

“Since most of them are like that.”

 

It was an awfully shameless remark.

 

If someone else did it, it was something that would be reproached, but it sure was convincing as hell.

 

Since it was a plot point that was emphasized to the extent it was tiresome in [IPTVG].

 

Daymond Astra is handsome.

 

He is very popular with women.

 

Sometimes, he even gets courted by men… anyway, it was like that.

 

‘Since it was to the extent that it was because of that popularity that Father’s misanthropy began.’

 

There was also a time when someone tried to feed him cookies that were made by adding hair and nails, proclaiming that it was a love potion.

 

And they said there was also a time when they jumped right in front of his eyes, while saying that they will make him remember them for the rest of his life….

 

‘If it was like that, then it’s definitely enough for him to get a phobia.’

 

I nodded inwardly, as I stuffed a meatball into my mouth.

 

Glancing at me, Father stretched out his hand.

 

And lightly swept off around my mouth with his thumb.

 

“Certainly, it must be hard for a young kid to eat noodles that have this kind of sauce on it.”

 

“….”

 

“Since your manners aren’t bad, it won’t be to the extent that you need a teacher.”

 

Uhm, he really deserved to be popular.

 

 

***

 

 

I finished my meal and came out of the dining hall.

 

‘I have to go to the garden.’

 

Throughout the time she was coming to this place, the soldiers were like that.

 

They said that the night sky that was seen from Daymond’s Territory Castle garden was so beautiful. And that no night sky will be as good as the one that’s seen from the Territory’s Castle garden.

 

I was looking forward to it very much because it was praised to the skies.

 

‘Uhm, so the garden….’

 

I asked the maids who were passing through the hallway.

 

“Gwarden.” [Garden.]

 

“Garden…. Ah, are you looking for the garden? If you go to the east gate—”

 

After the maids pointed to where the east gate was, they looked at me, and groaned, “Uhmmm.”

 

“It would be scary because it’s pitch-dark, though.”

 

“Shall we take you there?”

 

“Yesh!” [Yes!]

 

When I shouted, the maids stood beside me.

 

I held each of the two people’s hands.

 

“…!”

 

“…!”

 

Since it seemed that they were surprised, I alternately looked at the two.

 

‘Ah, right.’

 

In the Main Castle, I’ve always walked hand in hand with Hilda and Greta, so I forgot. Surely the people here must be awkward with it.

 

The Main Castle wasn’t a suitable space for a child to walk.

 

Since the stairs were high and it was also full of expensive decorations. For a child to walk alone through, it was dangerous.

 

I was going to retract my hand stealthily, but the maids quickly grabbed it again.

 

“T-Then, shall we go holding hands?”

 

“Wow, turns out a baby’s hands are warm.”

 

The maids walked together with me with a face that had become incredibly soft.

 

“If you go this way you’ll find the kitchen, that’s the meeting room, and this is….”

 

I remembered well the things that the maids told me.

 

‘So that’s Father’s office.’

 

While I was thinking so, Madam Rachel and the other maids came walking from the opposite side.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Her voice was cold.

 

The maids flinched.

 

“W-We were going to show the Young Miss the garden….”

 

“Did you forget I told you to go support the barracks? What am I going to do if you are fooling around in a chaotic time where the military has increased by 10,000!”

 

“….”

 

“Young Miss is also the Young Miss. To think that when the territory is already chaotic, you disturb the children who are working.”

 

Madam Rachel folded her arms and sighed.

 

“Really, there’ll be a lot to teach.”

 

Then the maid, who nervously read the situation, spoke carefully.

 

“Well, we were on our way back from the barracks because they said it’s okay even if more support doesn’t come, and it’s not the Young Miss who asked to go together, but us….”

 

Slap—!

 

The maid’s cheek turned around.

 

Surprised, I looked at Madam Rachel.

 

“From where do you learn to talk back.”

 

“….”

 

The maid who was hit by Madam Rachel lowered her head while holding her cheek.

 

The maids who were behind the Madam, snicker, ridiculed.

 

I wasn’t flustered at all, as if this sort of matter was common.

 

‘This aunt.’

 

I let out a snicker inside.

 

That just now wasn’t disciplining the maid.

 

Violence can’t be a discipline, and above all, the reason why she slapped the maid on the cheek was something else.

 

‘She’s venting her anger on her.’

 

It’s certain that she thought she was embarrassed by Father at the dining hall.

 

However, since she can’t hit me, she hit the maid. Telling me to look and be afraid of her..

 

I let go of the maids’ hand.

 

Seeing such me, the corners of Madam Rachel’s mouth curled up. It seemed that she thought she had successfully reached her aim of making me afraid.

 

“Hwey.” [Hey.]

 

“Yes?”

 

“Hwere.” [Come here.]

 

“What did you say?”

 

Madam Rachel bent over towards me as she said, “Please talk louder.”

 

At that moment.

 

Slap!

 

I slapped Madam Rachel’s cheek.

 

Although I am young, I hit her with all my might, so it must’ve hurt quite a bit.

 

“T-T-This…!”

 

Madam Rachel’s face hardened.

 

The maid who had tried to take me to the garden, and also the maids who were behind Madam Rachel were all extremely surprised.

 

“What are you doing!”

 

“Auntie alsho hwit da mwaid, wight?” [Auntie also hit the maid, right?]

 

I terribly hated violence, but even so, I wasn’t a non-violent ideologist.

 

If my opponent attacked me, I’d attack them likewise.

 

What’s even more, touching the people around me in order to pressure me was the dirty act which I hated most.

 

“You—”

 

I slightly grabbed the end of Madam Rachel’s hair and whispered.

 

“Be careful. I won’t hold back.”

 

“…!”

 

Madam Rachel’s eyes grew bigger, as if she had seen a ghost, as those weren’t words that’d come out from a young kid’s mouth.

 

I smiled sweetly to Madam Rachel, who went white trembling.

 

‘You thought I’d let myself get beaten up because I’m young?’

 

I have experienced the end of social lives.

 

I knew very well that if I’m pushed back here, I’d forever be treated as a pushover.

 

I grabbed the hands of the maids who were going to the garden together with me, again.

 

“Now let’sh go!” [Now let’s go!]

 

“Yes? Ah, yess….”

 

“Ye-Yes!”

 

Leaving behind Madam Rachel who was frozen and the other maids who didn’t know what to do.

 

 

***

 

 

Bang!

 

Rachel entered, opening the door of the butler’s room roughly and breathing heavily.

 

 

“Be careful. I won’t hold back.”

 

 

‘What, is there such a thing!?’

 

It was absolutely not the words a young kid would say.

 

She slapped her face and in the eyes which were looking at her, it even showed a glimpse of something resembling murderous energy.

 

‘And you’re saying that that pathetic thing is also Mister Daymond’s daughter…!’

 

Rachel was able to enter the Territory’s Castle thanks to her dead husband.

 

Her husband, who was a knight, died on the battlefield, and her husband’s boss, Daymond, let her, who was left alone, in as a butler.

 

At first, she was disappointed.

 

To think she would be a butler.

 

Although it sure was a single-winning noble title, she was still the Lady of a Baron Family.

 

However, because she wasted all of her husband’s inheritance with luxury, she had no choice but to work.

 

‘Being a butler was surely the right choice.’

 

Since, thanks to Daymond who didn’t get married, she, who was the butler, became in charge of the Territory Castle’s housekeeping overall.

 

A castle owned by the second son of the Duke of Astra Family. And she was that castle’s manager.

 

Even the snobbish nobles lowered themselves for her.

 

Of course, the servants couldn’t even dare to raise their heads.

 

Rachel was the same as this beautiful Castle’s queen.

 

Her goal was to marry Daymond and become the real lady of the house.

 

Although Daymond was clung to by a Lady of another Duke Family, by the Royalty of a foreign country, and even by the Imperial Princess, he never opened his heart.

 

However, she was the closest to such a cold him.

 

Daymond drank the tea which she served, wore the clothes which she had chosen, and lived in the place which was within her reach.

 

‘I know.’

 

That he also just can’t express his feelings, and that he has a thing for her.

 

It’s just that he doesn’t know what affection is.

 

That’s why he doesn’t know that his heart is drawn to her.

 

‘If it’s not that then why would he return so quickly like this?’

 

It must be that he has missed her.

 

That’s why she certainly intended to become his wife this time.

 

‘But that bitch…!’

 

At first, she didn’t even care about such a bitch.

 

It was to the point that when she heard that Daymond’s daughter was coming to the Territory’s Castle, she snorted.

 

To think that he even brought such a worthless thing, who has blood mixed with that of a commoner, proclaiming that she’s his daughter.

 

She thought that Mister Daymond only looked cold, and on the inside, he was actually a soft-hearted person.

 

That mere three year old bitch.

 

If she didn’t get in the way of Mister Daymond and her relationship, Rachel thought that she wouldn’t even need to care about it.

 

The point that she’s a child who was born from him with another woman sure was annoying.

 

However, it’s only that if she sent her far away after becoming the real lady of this Territory Castle later.

 

‘You’ll properly pay the price for humiliating me.’

 

Rachel clasped the edge of the desk.

 

 

***

 

 

I looked at the night sky with an ecstatic face.

 

‘It’s really pretty….’

 

To think there’s a sky that portrays such a beautiful starry rain.

 

I’ve only heard of it, but seeing it in person, it’s really pretty like a dream.

 

‘Since at night, the sky looks blurry because of the Duke’s Castle and the 12th Tower’s barrier.’

 

I was frantically looking at the sky for quite a while, but I felt the gazes from the side.

 

‘Huh?’

 

Turning my head, the maids were staring at me with sparkling eyes.

 

When I tilted my head, they waved their hands hurriedly.

 

“W-We didn’t mean to interrupt your admiration!”

 

“Yes! We’re just fascinated….”

 

Fascinated?

 

Of what?

 

“It’s my first time seeing Madam Rachel being flustered like that, you know.”

 

“Are you afwaid of Madam Rachel?” [Are you afraid of Madam Rachel?]

 

When asked, the maids gave a big nod.

 

“She whips the servants which she doesn’t like. And then kicks them out after framing them…. Anyhow, she’s a terrible person.”

 

“There are also so many servants who have been brought to ruin by Madam Rachel.”

 

“I couldn’t even report it because I was scared.”

 

The maids who were talking and babbling looked at each other.

 

“Last time, there was also ‘such matter’, right?’”

 

“Yup. A servant reported it above, but because Madam Rachel’s hands and feets matched their words, saying that she was not like that….”

 

“Yeah, only the person who reported was kicked out, right.”

 

The maids shook their shoulders as if they were afraid even only by thinking of it.

 

‘Turns out since Father isn’t present, the Castle has become a mess.’

 

Sure enough as he had emptied his seat for fully more than five years, and not a year or two.

 

It was enough time for it to become Madam Rachel’s world.

 

I stared at the maids.

 

‘They still look young, though.’

 

It looked like the age where they’ve just become an adult.

 

I searched through the bag which I was carrying on one side. Then I found something and lightly! I raised it.

 

“What is that, Young Miss?”

 

It was an ointment that I was applying to the wounds that I got from the monster on Hadix Mountain.

 

The effect is remarkable as much as the ones that the Duke Castle’s direct descendants use.

 

“It’s medicine.”

 

“Medicine?”

 

“Yesh!” [Yes!]

 

I answered and gently applied the medicine to the maid’s cheek.

 

The maids’ eyes were filled with tears.

 

“Young Miss….”

 

“I-I’m glad. I thought that nobles were all damn trash— no, that they aren’t very good people, but…!”

 

“Yeah, because the buggy bastard is a son of a bitch— which they are not that… but because they’re scary people, I surely thought that someday I might end up killing a bastard.”

 

“But the Young Miss is different.”

 

“Yup, you sure are different. You threw a slap on Madam Rachel’s face for us, and….”

 

Saying so, they shook their shoulders.

 

‘About slapping Madam Rachel, it’s something I did that’s all for my own good, though.’

 

I became embarrassed, I changed the subject.

 

“Whatch yor name?” [What’s your name?]

 

“N-Name….”

 

“Name…!”

 

I asked their name to change the atmosphere, but the maids teared up.

 

“Someone who asks for my name in this Castle, the Young Miss is the first, hicc! I’m Betty.”

 

“Huaang, I’m Heidi…!”

 

…Why are you crying, though?

 

And then because they started to snivel all of a sudden, I was a bit flustered.

 

“I’m happy because I’m able to serve such a kind Young Miss like this!”

 

“I’ll be loyal…!”

 

Only because of this?

 

‘It seems that they had suffered greatly.’

 

The maids surrounded me and bawled, and I had to endure as I groaned.

 

And, the maids kept their own words.

 

From the next day, their excessive loyalty attacks continued.

 

 

***

 

 

A few days later.

 

I had breakfast in my room.

 

After Heidi and Betty, the maids, swoop, swoop, looked around the surroundings, they dipped a spoon in my soup and took it out.

 

“There’s no poison. You can eat it.”

 

“….”

 

“The bread is also safe.”

 

“….”

 

I looked at the maids with a grim expression.

 

These kids checked my meals for days.

 

It seemed they thought that Madam Rachel might poison me.

 

‘Just how much did Madam Rachel do for them to see her as a crazy person?’

 

No matter how she got humiliated once, don’t tell me, she’ll try to poison the Master’s daughter?

 

Since Madam Rachel was overall the butler, everything that happened in the Territory Castle was her responsibility.

 

Even if someone else tried to poison me, she was the one in the position who has to hold someone responsible.

 

‘And Madam Rachel is not a fool.’

 

I ate the soup with cloudy eyes.

 

When my chubby cheeks shook from chewing with my mouth closed, the maids said, “Haaa,” as they let out an ecstatic exclamation.

 

…It seems that they are a bit not normal.

 

Even so, there was a helpful point.

 

“The drawing room’s Jodie is totally Madam Rachel’s person. There are a few pawns in the kitchen, too.”

 

“That’s right. Ah, even so, the head cook is okay, right?”

 

“Yes. She surely can’t do anything because his skills are outstanding whether it’s in the Master’s eyes.”

 

“Cole, the one in charge of the garden, might lick Madam Rachel’s heels.”

 

I knew well of the Territory Castle people’s affairs.

 

I remembered well what the maids had said.

 

After finishing my meal, I came out to the courtyard.

 

It was to see Father off because it was the day when he had to go out to inspect the territory.

 

The courtyard was crowded with people. It was because the soldiers and even the officials went off to the inspection together.

 

“Oh, Young Miss!”

 

Soldier Mosco saw and recognized me.

 

The three-meter tall man who gave me a ride on his shoulders on Hadix Mountain last time was Mosco.

 

The other soldiers also approached me.

 

“How is this place?”

 

“I wike ith.” [I like it.]

 

The soldiers nodded.

 

“Huahaha, that sure is right! This place surely is much better than the Duke’s Castle. There are too many things that you shouldn’t do there, aren’t there?”

 

“You punk, it’s called rules. Keep your honor. Since you’re so energetic that you’re called a Stupid Big Build.”

 

“Being energetic sure is a good thing. Don’t you think so, Young Miss?”

 

I replied, “Yes!”

 

Mosco and the soldiers, huahaha, laughed.

 

“Anyway, I’m surprised that the Young Miss is also pretty energetic. As soon as she came, she slapped the butler’s cheek.”

 

How do the soldiers know that?

 

I was thinking like that, but then I heard Madam Rachel’s voice from behind.

 

“Please don’t be too mean. It seems I’ve done something that the Young Miss doesn’t like.”

 

Madam Rachel came up to me and grinned.

 

“I will work hard so as to please the Young Miss.”

 

“….”

 

“Even so, next time, please don’t punish me physically without any reason. There’s also eyes that’s seeing.”

 

I stared at Rachel.

 

‘You’re saying that you’re coming out for a public debate, huh.’