Chapter 28

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 28

Chapter Title: Suspicious Newcomers

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"Slaves getting sold are so pitiful. A pitiful Go is a sad Go. Ishak, you're making Lebu sad."

"That's... that's because those weaklings are bad. The Late Duke said it. The weak get eaten by the strong."

"Then am I bad too?"

Ishak's eyes flew wide open at those words, and he shouted.

"Why would you be bad!"

"I'm weak too. I'm this small, not strong like Ishak and Henri."

The boy froze.

He opened and closed his mouth, but with no comeback, he soon shut it and put on a gloomy expression.

I lightly tugged at his collar.

"But Ishak will still buy Lebu a slave, right?"

"No. Truth is, I've never bought one. I just heard nobles say slaves are the best toys these days... I wanted to give you the very best..."

"I see. Then Ishak really is cool!"

Ishak's face brightened again.

Raising kids is tough.

I sighed inwardly.

By the time we returned to the castle, the duke was in a foul mood for some reason.

Because of that, the servants, administrators, and retainers were all walking on thin ice.

"We need to prepare for the guests ahead of time..."

"Make sure the master isn't displeased... decorate the east wing... the guests are..."

The servants' tense whispers drifted over faintly.

Lea and my maids were just as frantic. And that was good for me.

I'll use this chance to check out the new administrators.

I announced that I was heading to the greenhouse—where I'd spotted the administrators while pretending to do homework—to study.

"The greenhouse...? Uni, go with Little One."

Lea spoke, so I quickly waved my hands.

"No need!"

"Little One, you must be careful around new people in the castle. The Duvereds accept anyone regardless of background or status, so you never know who might be mixed in."

I was already thinking the same, since I was off to figure out who the wanted criminal was. No room for argument.

"Yes..."

"Such a good child."

Lea kissed my cheek and loaded Uni up with homework papers.

Uni and I headed to the greenhouse.

The silver lining was that Uni was my only shadow, so she wouldn't get in the way while I scoped out the administrators.

A sharp voice rang out as we entered the greenhouse.

"I said it's too expensive! Cypress saplings normally go for 40 francs!"

The new administrator, Seria, was arguing with a plant supplier.

Soon, the other administrator, Charlie, butted in.

"Girls always make a fuss over nothing."

"This is more than double the market price. At this rate, we could suspect the former manager colluded with the supplier to embezzle funds."

The supplier jumped up. "Oh no, sir! Don't say such dangerous things!"

Charlie scoffed.

"Seria, you're new to this, so you wouldn't know, but noble houses sometimes import goods at inflated prices on purpose. To flaunt their wealth."

"Even so, this is way too much...!"

"That's commoners for you."

"Why bring up commoners? The rule for trainee administrators is no distinction by status... Little One."

She'd been about to shout but spotted me and hurriedly bowed.

"I see the beloved of House Duvered. I'm Seria."

The man who'd been blankly watching the fight between Charlie and Seria also scrambled to greet me.

"Uh, Jacob."

He was the one Nos had marked after calling me a "kid."

His eyes were glued to my hand gripping Uni's skirt hem.

Then he muttered, "About 9 centimeters to the middle knuckle... so small."

Does he like kids?

But Charlie didn't greet me.

Seria jabbed his side with her elbow.

"What are you doing?"

"What?"

"Greet Little One."

Charlie clicked his tongue briefly and said, "Fine, Charlie Mayrol," with a perfunctory nod.

Seria and Jacob looked at him in dismay.

Uni’s face twisted in anger.

"What rude behavior is that!"

"What?"

Charlie looked Uni up and down incredulously.

"A mere maid dares yell at a castle administrator and call me rude?"

"What did you say?"

"What's your name, girl? I'll drag you to the disciplinary committee right now...!"

The disciplinary committee judged those who disrupted the household order. If more than half the section chiefs deemed it a violation, the punishments were brutal.

Seria glanced at me and grabbed Charlie's wrist.

"Stop it. You were rude."

"You think you're something special? Mind your own business and butt out."

Charlie slapped Seria's hand away and brushed off his sleeve where she'd grabbed it.

He clicked his tongue again and stormed off, but as he passed me, a small mutter reached my ears.

"Fawning over some commoner."

I'd heard it countless times before.

Almost no one truly believed I was the Child of Destiny, with divine power weaker than the temple priests'.

The temple had practically shoved the nameplate on me to advertise their god's miracles.

Only the deeply devout bought it—like the Empress Dowager.

Even she didn't fully trust it.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have excluded her own birth family, House Mars, from adoption candidates while shopping me around.

A fake who'd get booted once exposed—that was how most saw me, so Charlie's words didn't faze me.

But.

I yanked his sleeve hard.

"Wh-what?"

"Gotta greet before you go."

Charlie let out a hollow laugh.

"I did. My introduction just now was the greeting."

He wore the look of someone talking to an idiot child.

I beamed and said,

"You greet when you meet, so greet when you leave too. Uncle's dumb?"

"Hah..."

His glare twisted into a sneer.

"Yes, yes. Good evening."

Sarcastic as ever.

I kicked his knee. Hard.

"Argh!"

He yelped, dropped to one knee, and clutched the opposite knee where I'd hit him.

"Jeez. When you greet, you kneel and bow your head to the floor. Now do it again."

Charlie's face went rigid.

The new administrators' eyes bulged, and even Uni gaped in shock.

Can't have them thinking it's okay to look down on me.

In my past life, I'd been clueless and awkward, taking it all lying down. But not anymore.

Once you accept "it's inevitable," it escalates the second time, and by the third, they'll try to crush you underfoot.

His pride wounded, Charlie ground his teeth.

"What do you think you're doing!"

I ignored him and tugged Uni's skirt.

"Uni, Uni."

"Yes, Little One."

"Isn't that right? Everyone except Grandfather and the young masters has to greet me?"

"Yes."

"So what happens to people who don't greet?"

Uni smirked down at Charlie.

"Their heads get chopped off."

Then she added, "Shall I tell Nos?" His face drained of color.

He slammed his forehead to the floor.

"I-it was my clumsiness! I forgot my manners to Little One. Forgive me!"

I grinned wide and approached him.

"Don't forget next time."

That I was the lady of House Duvered.

He gulped, understanding.

Charlie flushed red and bolted, and I hopped onto the greenhouse table.

Seria and Jacob eyed me tensely.

"Even though Little One isn't true Duvered blood..."

"Yeah, that presence."

Uni beamed at their whispers.

Her face screamed, This is our Little One!

Meanwhile, I propped my chin and focused.

Ugh, today's luck sucks.

No slave auction. Then the auction house explodes.

And still no clue on the wanted criminal.

Charlie's the rudest, but the fugitive's someone who infiltrated a noble mansion alone, killed the noble without a trace.

Meaning they're clever.

But Charlie seemed too dim for that.

Seria seems the smartest to me...

She didn't strike me as a criminal. Even at a glance, she seemed diligent and rational.

Or Jacob?

I glanced at him.

He stared back intently. At my dangling feet in midair due to short legs. "14 centimeters..." he muttered.

Just a weirdo who loves kids way too much.

I sighed, chin still propped.

For now, I'd settle for not getting a slave as a toy today and check them again tomorrow.

Wait... slave?

A sudden thought hit me. I clenched my fist.

Why hadn't I thought of that!

Then it's my money—no, the wanted criminal is that person.