This Three Year Old Is a Villainess - Chapter 16

‘What should I do?’

 

I contemplated for a moment about telling it on, which is my specialty, but I decided to leave it.

 

‘After doing that without any proof, it’ll surely be perfect to hit me with a backlash.’

 

After I said that “From what I see, hitting the maids was for trying to make me scared”, then I’ll be the only one who would be funny.

 

How would a three year old know such a fight technique?

 

‘If I say that I was like that because I became angry after she hit the maids… no, that’s not it.’

 

She’ll make an excuse that it was to educate the maid.

 

According to the maids, they said that Madam Rachel can’t be such a nice person to her superiors.

 

 

“I heard that it’s your daughter’s first party? Then, of course, I have to help you. I will send the maids of the Territory’s Castle.”

 

“So you’ve started a flower business. If you do, can I just stay? As a matter of fact, I was going to change the garden plants in the Territory’s Castle.”

 

 

“Oh my gosh, how could the weapons be this old? I’ll change Sir’s a little bit.”

 

She splurged out internal money to win favor.

 

That’s why the Castle falters as soon as the budget coming to the Territory decreases.

 

However, the high-ranking people who benefited from her praised her on and on.

 

‘The soldiers are like that, too.’

 

As Father was the Commander of the Western Army, he paid the most attention to the barracks.

 

That’s why, Rachel must have taken special care of the barracks to be in Father’s favor.

 

Even if you look at it right now,

 

“Ooh, Madam Rachel! It has been really a long time since I saw you.”

 

“I know. I heard that you’ve made a lot of contributions even on the battlefield?”

 

“Of course! Was there no big deal with the Madam?”

 

“If it’s a big deal… should I say it’s as big as I got into a fight with bullies after I went to buy a dress recently?”

 

“Ah, I told you to tell us if something like that happens! What’s a family member good for!”

 

“Ho-ho, I feel reassured if Astra’s elite soldiers are going to protect me.”

 

—They look very close.

 

Father came out while I was watching them.

 

Father who’s wearing a uniform was very marvelous.

 

“General!”

 

Madam Rachel walked up to Father with short and quick steps.

 

“I hope you will have a peaceful day going out. I will immediately prepare the bath water and a meal to relieve your fatigue when you get ba—“

 

But Father approached me even before Madam Rachel’s words were over.

 

“Erylotte.”

 

“Yesh.” [Yes.]

 

“It’s not Monduky.”

 

“…Yesh?” [Yes?]

 

“It’s Daymond.”

 

‘What is he… ah.’

 

I remembered what happened in the Duke’s Castle.

 

Right, I wrote Father’s name as [Monduky] to pretend to be a child, oh my.

 

‘Did that bother him?’

 

I blinked my eyes, and Father continued his words.

 

“Practice it until I get back.”

 

‘Huh?’

 

Is he letting my education slide?

 

Usually, the nobles’ education is the domain of the teacher.

 

Cases, where parents let it slide, are almost none, but this was a clear sign of ‘them being interested in their children’.

 

‘Wow!’

 

I yelled, with my brightened expression.

 

“Yesh!” [Yes!]

 

“Yeah.”

 

Father, who said so, smiled.

 

The soldiers giggled, but Madam Rachel’s hands trembled with a turning red-hot face.

 

It seems that she was very embarrassed being ignored by Father.

 

“I’ll be back at night.”

 

“Yesh.” [Yes.]

 

I saw off Father and the soldiers.

 

Madam Rachel, who was glaring at me, thud, thud, stomping her feet as she went inside.

 

 

***

 

 

I settled down in the garden I really like which I saw last night and practiced writing.

 

‘Day… mon… d.’

 

Great.

 

Writing it big on the paper, I nodded.

 

If it’s to this extent, even if Father comes and checks it out, he will surely think it’s pretty good, right.

 

It was the moment when I was nodding my head with a proud feeling.

 

“Why are you so slow like this!”

 

I heard the shouting of a man.

 

I looked around because I was startled.

 

The gardener was shouting at some old man.

 

“Why are you still doing it when it has been a while since I told you to prune it!”

 

The servants who saw the gardener shouting whispered.

 

“When did he tell him to prune a tree?”

 

“Shh–, he’ll hear it.”

 

“Why does he have a temper immediately in the morning?”

 

“It’s surely relieving his anger. Madam Rachel is in a bad mood. I heard that he got a sharp retort after talking to her for nothing.”

 

“Surely he only shouldn’t do that to older people.”

 

The servants tsk tsk, clicked their tongues, and passed by.

 

I stared at the gardener and the old man.

 

The gardener fumed and pointed at the old man.

 

“You begged earnestly to me to let me do something so I used you as a worker. But surely you have to have something that meets with my satisfaction!”

 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

 

The old man kept bending his body as he held his beret in his arms.

 

“Take care of the bush wall first! I’m going to come after taking a break, but don’t think about screwing around.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Cole, tsk, clicked his tongue and turned his back.

 

At that time, the wind, whoosh–, blew and the old man’s hat flew this way.

 

I picked up the fallen hat and approached the old man.

 

“Thank you, Young Miss.”

 

Receiving the hat from me, he greeted me.

 

‘Huh?’

 

The greeting posture is perfect.

 

Put the right foot to the back, put the left arm between the solar plexus and the navel, and while doing that, bend the waist to 45 degrees.

 

I couldn’t see such a perfect posture like this even in Duke’s Castle.

 

‘It’s a very shabby outfit, though?’

 

On the surface, he was a perfectly poor and ordinary old man.

 

He looked at the paper I was holding and said.

 

“You were studying.”

 

“Yep.”

 

“You’re excellent. But how about going back now for today? There’s going to be an Even(rain shower) soon.”

 

I was surprised.

 

‘He uses a noble’s word.’

 

(t/n: the noble word, is Even (에벤) while the regular word as stated by the author is 소나기 (rain shower)).

 

And at that, it was also an antiquated noble word that’s now used only by older people.

 

‘There’s something.’

 

I took a breath pretending to be surprised.

 

“Grandfathher, you’re a magishian! Jushth how do you wnow ith?” [Grandfather, you’re a magician! Just how do you know it?]

 

It seemed that he knows because his joints hurt before the rain comes, but I pretended to be surprised.

 

(t/n: apparently it’s a thing, as I copied from a korean site, M*tro Hospital, which says, when it rains, the atmospheric pressure is lower than usual, which causes changes in the function of the joints (tissues within the joints expand and stimulates the nerves), and breaks the pressure equilibrium in the usual weak areas, making the pain more severe. In particular, patients with arthritis react more sensitively to pressure changes, which can intensify the pain.)

 

And furtively said what I wanted.

 

“Mishther Magishian. Pweashe theww me your name”. [Mister Magician. Please tell me your name.]

 

Maybe because such me was cute, the old man smiled widely.

 

“I am Mikelan.”

 

‘Mikelan?’

 

I think I’ve heard of it somewhere, though…

 

Did such a character like this come out in <IPTVG>?

 

I know almost all of the names of the major characters, but among them, there was no Mikelan.

 

“Then, I will go now. Have a nice day, Young Miss.”

 

“Yeshh.” [Yess.]

 

I looked at Mikelan’s back as I tilted my head.

 

‘It’s not a common name.’

 

Where did I see it?

 

While I was thinking like that, something, tuk, dropped.

 

Just like Mikelan said, the rain shower began to come.

 

‘First, let’s go in.’

 

Even if it’s not because of the rain, I was not feeling well after coming to Daymond’s Territory.

 

It looks like I was tired because I had a lot of work recently.

 

‘If I even get rained on here, I’m guaranteed to catch a cold.”’

 

I came into the room with holding the paper.

 

Even when I returned to the room, I kept thinking about the old man’s name the whole time.

 

‘Mikelan, Mikelan, Mikel….’

 

After I keep on thinking about his name for a while, I opened my eyes wide.

 

Right, it’s that person!

 

 

[“These days, it has become difficult thing even to handle a person. I don’t know, this time, our servant … (omit) … is there no other hands and feet like Mikelan?”]

 

 

It’s that Mikelan that comes out there.

 

‘Right. Mikelan, who was the head servant of the deceased late Queen’s Imperial Palace.’

 

Empress did not even want her political enemy, the late Queen to be placed in the Imperial Family’s grave.

 

She was going to find fault and move the late Queen’s grave, but….

 

‘Mikelan, who was the late Queen’s head servant, took care of it so that she couldn’t catch even one fault.’

 

Even though the Imperial Palace administrators dug for three months and ten days, not even one piece of dust came out.

 

Loyalty for his dead Master.

 

An outstanding ability.

 

That’s why, he became the byword for a person’s hands and feet.

 

Although actually he was kicked out of the Imperial Palace because he made the Empress angry, and could not get a job anywhere.

 

‘Turns out that Mikelan was in the Astra Manor.’

 

Indeed, if here, it was a place where even the Empress could not reach out.

 

All kinds of people lived there enough for it to be called a crime city, and migration was also extremely easy.

 

The moment I was thinking like that.

 

Knock, knock.

 

I raised my head because I heard the knocking sound.

 

“Young Miss, it’s Heidi.”

 

“Yesh.” [Yes.]

 

When I answered, Heidi came inside.

 

“I heard you are going to practice writing, so I brought you some paper. And also this is a pen that I used to use when I was young—”

 

Heidi glanced at me, and smiled hehe, perhaps feeling shy.

 

“—My father, who was a carpenter, made me this, telling me to practice writing. It’s easy for a child to grip.”

 

“Ith’sh shomethhing precioush tho Heidi.” [It’s something precious to Heidi.]

 

Is it okay for you to give it to me?

 

When I looked at her with such an expression, Heidi quickly nodded.

 

“Because I’m all grown up now and I can write well even without this.”

 

“….”

 

“If you don’t mind, will you take it…?”

 

Heidi looked at me carefully.

 

‘Oh my my, she’s so nice.’

 

It wasn’t that she was trying to curry favor. It was sincerely for the child.

 

I smiled brightly.

 

“Thhanw you.” [Thank you.]

 

To think that I received it, Heidi was really happy.

 

With her face brightened, she quickly gave me the pen, but,

 

“Whath’sh thhish?” [What’s this?]

 

—I snatched her wrist.

 

It is because a terrible scar was peeked very slightly under her sleeve.

 

“Ah, I got hurt by mistake.”

 

“No.”

 

“After I was tapping the laundry with the bat—”

 

“No!”

 

It was a wound from being hit by something like a whip.

 

Heidi hesitated and so I frowned hardly.

 

“Heidi, did you geth beathen?” [Heidi, did you get beaten?]

 

“It’s not like that. Uh, so what that I mean….”

 

“Madam Rachew beathen you. Am I righth?” [Madam Rachel beaten you. Am I right?]

 

“Please don’t mind it. Really—”

 

“Did Beththy geth beathen thoo?” [Did Betty get beaten too?]

 

“….”

 

Turns out, after last time she slapped them, today she whipped them.

 

It was obvious why she did this kind of thing.

 

Heidi and Betty were maids who started to get close to me. They have been in and out of my room for days.

 

And Madam Rachel didn’t like that.

 

‘She must’ve tormented Heidi and Betty and made them an example for the other servants.’

 

With the meaning of, if they’re trying to look good to me, she’ll make them like this.

 

“Where ish madam Rachew?” [Where is Madam Rachel?]

 

“N-No, don’t do it, Young Miss!”

 

Heidi continued her words with a white face.

 

“It’s dangerous because the General is not present in the Territory Castle right now. He said he’s coming at night. Since right now, the sun has not set yet—”

 

At that time, a shrill voice came from outside the door.

 

“Are you still fooling around, Betty!”

 

Heidi with a blue face looked back at the door.

 

“Young Miss, I will go right now. Don’t get out of here. Never!”

 

She talked to me and hurriedly ran out of the room.

 

She seemed to be very worried about Betty.

 

And I glanced out the window.

 

Rrrrrumble, boom—!

 

It was raining accompanied by thunder.

 

 

***

 

 

When Heidi ran out, Betty was being whipped near the courtyard.

 

Madam Rachel raised her whip high.

 

“Madam Rachel, please stop it! Please, I beg you!”

 

Heidi hugged Betty, who had already been beaten several times.

 

Betty groaned as if she was breathing her last breath.

 

‘This is too much. This is really too much…!’

 

They were also whipped yesterday, and the day before as well.

 

Because there was a thread in the laundry, because she called but they came late.

 

But everyone knew that those words were just an excuse.

 

She just doesn’t like to see Heidi and Betty come and go into Erylotte’s room.

 

But no one helps them.

 

The Astra Manor which is called the Crime City. Daymond’s Territory was also at the deepest point of that place.

 

The people who possessed enough basic necessities for living gathered and lived near the safe Duke’s Castle, so in this place, there were almost only destitute people.

 

If not in this place, they can not even dream of a stable job like an employee of a noble family.

 

That’s why, despite Madam Rachel’s tyranny, they can not quit and continue to stay.

 

Even so, last time, there was a maid who rebelled.

 

But all of Madam Rachel’s people uniformly with one mouth drove the maid away.

 

Since then, no one could open their mouths.

 

Madam Rachel twisted her lips.

 

“Why do you annoy people so much like this?”

 

“….”

 

“Don’t you things, who tremble even when I only said one word, dare to stand in my way?”

 

“….”

 

“How did it become like that? Hm, Heidi?”

 

Madam Rachel tapped Heidi’s cheek.

 

“Since it seems like you have a three-year-old backing. When the General is back, what will change, do you think?!”

 

It was the moment she raised her hand.

 

“Don’th do ith!” [Don’t do it!]

 

Erylotte totteringly came running down the stairs.

 

Erylotte who was standing between the maids and Madam Rachel, panted as she stretched out her arms.

 

“Don’th hith her!” [Don’t hit her!]

 

“Since the servant’s education is my authority, please go up, Young Miss.”

 

“Erywoththe, ish thhe Mashther.” [Erylotte, is the Master.]

 

If the Master tells you not to, the servant must stop.

 

At the words that she felt from the child’s eyes, Madam Rachel burst out laughing.

 

“Even a pathetic thing said that she’s a Master.”

 

She groaned, “Hmm…,” while she looked at Erylotte.

 

“Young Miss, no matter how noble water is being put after, if the muddy water is mixed with it, it’s just muddy water.”

 

“….”

 

“Is it that you can’t understand because you’re stupid? What I mean is that if a dirty commoner’s blood is mixed with Astra’s noble blood, it’s just vulgar.”

 

Saying that, she ordered the servants.

 

“Take Heidi and Betty to the corporal punishment room.”

 

The servants, who were reading the room, stealthily moved.

 

Just the moment they were about to grab Heidi and Betty.

 

Erylotte who ran towards Rachel, bit her calves.

 

“Arggggh—!”

 

Rachel screamed, and pushed Erylotte.

 

Erylotte, who was pushed by an adult, fell down on her back.

 

“Young Miss!”

 

“Oh my gosh, Young Miss….”

 

Heidi and Betty quickly helped the child.

 

Madam Rachel let out a shout.

 

“You dirty blood—!”

 

“Rachew, ish bad. I’m going tho theww Fwathher everythhing!” [Rachel, is bad. I’m going to tell Father everything!]

 

Rachel burst into, pft, laughter.

 

“And do you have any evidence?”

 

She looked around. The servants, whose eyes met with hers, quickly bowed their heads.

 

“It’ll probably be no use even if Heidi and Betty tell him. Since the others won’t agree.”

 

“….”

 

“And you know. There’s something special between me and the General. Something that a thing like you can’t even imagine.”

 

Rachel raised her chin with an arrogant look.

 

“Although he doesn’t show it, I know. That he has a very warm feeling in the way he looks at me.”

 

“….”

 

“Although he can’t tell me because he’s shy, I surely know it from his return without ending the war. That he missed me.”

 

“….”

 

“He must’ve thought of my eyes, and wants to kiss my lips—”

 

“Isn’t that thing crazy?”

 

This was not what Erylotte said. Of course, it’s the same for the other servants.

 

The startled Rachel looked back.

 

Soldiers and administrators who’ve returned to the Territory Castle were looking at Rachel with dumbfounded looks.

 

The person who’s standing in front of them is….

 

“G-General Daymond.”

 

Erylotte laughed secretly.

 

‘If I don’t have proof, I can just show it to them directly.’

 

Public debate? I mean, such a thing becomes useless with just having one voice recording or video recording.

 

‘You fool, it’s raining and do you think Father will continue to inspect?’

 

I knew he would be back early.

 

And that it will maybe around this time.