Two days later.
Sephiel was playing in the forest clearing, picking flowers as usual.
“Heyre, a gift!”
“Oh, how pretty. What a pretty flower ring. Do you have one for Young Master?”
Sephiel flinched.
‘Why would I give one to him?’
‘Even if I did, he’d probably just snap the flower’s neck like he did with that raccoon doll.’
Berry chuckled slightly as she watched Sephiel crouching and playing around.
“I’m glad you’re feeling good today, Miss Baby.”
Berry stroked Sephiel’s head.
Tomorrow, people from the Allegro royal family were arriving.
Because of that, Sephiel had been feeling down for the past few days.
Yesterday, she even said she wouldn’t eat her snacks.
That was nothing short of a shock to the servants.
‘Oh my, you’re thin again today.’
She checked her belly every morning and evening and put in so much effort to make it as plump as other tadpoles!
She considers anyone who causes her Miss Baby to lose even a little bit of weight as her enemy.
Berry had already made up her mind.
“Hey, can I come out?”
“By the way, can I gyo outwside?” (By the way, can I go outside?)
“Yes, but don’t ever enter the Grand Duke’s garden.”
“Okay.”
It was said that, as expected of a grand Duke estate, the duke’s castle had a beautifully maintained garden and flower field.
But for some reason, the place was surrounded by a high wall, and the only entrance was tightly locked.
Sephiel was very curious about that place, but she did not go near it because it was not permitted.
Instead, she played in the forest surrounding the lone path leading to the main building, so she had no major complaints.
Then, suddenly—
“Get out of the way!”
A path right next to the forest.
The loud sound of carriage wheels echoed along the path. The ground shook, startling Sephiel, who quickly stood up.
‘That carriage. Isn’t it the symbol of the Allegro royal family?’
An incredibly ornate carriage.
The surface of the carriage was engraved with a huge red bird design.
The carriage stopped in front of Sephiel, and a woman dressed in very fancy clothes got out of it.
“Oh my! This is really messy. I can’t believe the Grand Duke’s estate, which I’ve only heard about in rumors, is buried in a forest like this.”
She fanned herself in annoyance.
‘Huh? That woman?’
Sephiel opened her eyes wide. It was a very unexpected person.
‘Why is Queen Erata here?’
She was number seven on Sephiel’s personal ‘Death Note’.
Erata was the king’s second wife, who had taken the place of the previous queen—the Crown Prince’s mother—after her death.
* * *
Sephiel felt a chill for a moment.
‘The foster mother who tormented and abused me.’
Erata had a very bad reputation.
She came from a lowly background and had only managed to marry the king because she happened to bear his child.
That fact followed her everywhere.
And the child she gave birth to was the third prince, Huron.
‘My grandmother and Erata’s mother-in-law, Queen Dowager Yulin, often said things that offended Erata.’
<You’re lucky Huron is a boy, Erata. If you’d given birth to a daughter, you might have ended up like that woman, Lilia—the one who birthed that white-haired rat. Never mind the fact that it’s a monster, daughters are useless, aren’t they? You should bear more strong sons to serve the royal family.>
Whenever Queen Dowager Yulin scratched at her pride like that…
Sephiel shuddered.
‘Yeah, I’ve always been a place for her to vent her anger.’
Erata would vent her frustration by scolding Sephiel for small things.
<You and my precious son, Huron, are the same? Because of you, I’m humiliated! I’m being treated like that Lilia…! Ugh, you look more and more like her every day—so unlucky!>
The hidden meaning of those words became clear later.
‘The third prince, Huron, and I are similar in age….’
So, Sephiel and Huron were born around the same time.
That fact alone was enough to make Erata hate Sephiel.
‘My biological mother, who was pregnant with me around the same time, died giving birth to me. But thanks to Erata, I learned my mother’s name, so maybe that was a good thing.’
Thinking about it made Sephiel feel melancholic.
‘Yeah… Looking back, my previous life’s royal family was a total mess.’
It was a nightmare she never wanted to return to.
* * *
Leaving behind the noisy entourage, Erata approached.
“Hey. Is this the right way to the Grand Duke’s castle?”
“Yes, that’s right. However, the Grand Duke rarely receives visitors. May I ask the purpose of your visit?”
Berry hid Sephiel behind her.
“I am Queen Erata, an envoy from the Allegro royal family, here regarding a marriage proposal.”
“I was informed the envoy was expected tomorrow.”
Arriving a day early.
In diplomacy between nations, that would be extremely rude.
Berry carefully chose her words.
“How dare you talk back to me? And that child behind you—who is that? Could it be…”
Erata twitched her eyebrows and let out a hum.
“I had a feeling something was odd, so I stopped the carriage. Oh my, how fortunate. I’ve found you already.”
A chill ran down Sephiel’s spine at her smile.
‘I hate this.’
<The white rat with the plague>.
Erata used to call Sephiel that.
“That white rat. It’s obvious. Hey, Hey, move aside.”
“……”
“What’s with that look? Do the Grand Duke’s servants not receive proper etiquette training?”
“Apologies, but may I ask what business you have with Miss Baby?”
Erata let out a groan of annoyance.
“I am her mother!”
Berry spoke calmly, without backing down.
“It would be best if you entered the Grand Duke’s estate first. As this child is currently under the Grand Duke’s protection, you must receive his permission before meeting her.”
“Huh, what did you say?”
Erata scoffed in disbelief.
“Are you ignoring me now?”
“…..”
Berry’s face darkened. The queen’s behavior was so undignified, it was hard to believe that she was a noble.
‘Yeah, I know. It’s not surprising.’
Erata had been hastily chosen as a wife to counterbalance the influence of the first prince’s maternal family.
Her own family had only recently become nobility after making a great contribution—though there were widespread rumors that they were nothing more than bandits who had bought their titles with money.
“How dare you stand in the way of a mother seeing her child! You there, move her aside.”
In an instant, the knights Erata had brought surrounded Berry.
Sephiel flinched.
The place they are is near the forest path connecting the Grand Duke’s Forest and the main building.
Even if they screamed, it was uncertain if the servants at the main building would hear them in time.
Sephiel quietly pulled on Berry’s collar.
“Beyyi.”
“Yes, Miss Baby.”
“It’s okay. I’ll go.”
Anyway, in her previous life, there was hardly anyone kind to Sephiel.
But once, there was a maid who secretly gave her medicine out of pity.
<Oh my, you might have caught the white rat’s disease. We should disinfect you.>
That had angered Erata…
‘That maid ended up with burns all over her hands.’
Thinking about it again made Sephiel’s blood boil.
‘I can’t let Barry end up like that.’
Berry hesitated, but Sephiel walked forward with small, careful steps.
“Do ywou have anytwhing to say to me?”
“Hmm.”
Errata glanced at Sephiel. Then suddenly she smiled kindly.
“Come here, child. Come to your mother.”
“Mothwer…?”
“Oh my, don’t forget—I am your foster mother, after all.”
Sephiel was speechless.
‘What is this woman up to?’
“I came all this way for you, my dear. Shouldn’t you at least greet your mother properly? If you act like this, what will people think of the Allegro royal family?”
When Sephiel didn’t move, Erata roughly grabbed her arm.
Then, she pulled her into a tight embrace.
While holding her close, she whispered in her ear.
“Hey, you’re quite smart.”
“…….”
“Even at such a young age, you’re already acting up and wagging your tail at the Grand Duke’s family?”
Erata pulled away and met Sephiel’s gaze, whispering coldly.
“I will make sure you pay the price for making me come all the way here.”
Then, with a bright smile, she tapped her cheek.
“Just like your mother—always so shameless.”
Sephiel was at a loss for words.
‘My family is even worse than I remember.’
Allegro’s royal family had to be the most disgraceful in the world.
What kind of adult said such things to a five-year-old?
‘If it were me in my previous life, I would have been scared by these words.’
Sephiel just stared at Erata, blinking.
‘Yeah, the new me isn’t afraid of number seven on my Death Note.’
Erata tilted her head when Sephiel showed no sign of fear.
“Why aren’t you answering your mother?”
“…….”
“Oh, right. So you’re already learning disrespectful habits and ignoring me?”
Erata lifted the fan and pointed at Berry.
“Twist that woman’s arm. It looks like she is her nanny. She should be punished for not teaching the little rat properly.”
“No!”
Sephiel shouted reflexively.
‘Berry is a half-succubus. There was no way she could warn them to stop if they didn’t want to have nightmares!’
‘More importantly, do succubi have the same physical abilities as normal people?’
But the knights knew nothing. They grabbed Berry’s arm.
“Ahh!”
Berry screamed.
‘This is really…’
Sephiel growled and gritted her teeth.
“Lady.”
“What?”
“Lady, dwon’t do it.”
“Where do you get off calling me ‘lady’?”
“Ywou said ywou would kyill me if I cavlled ywou ‘Mom’.” (You said you would kill me if I called you ‘Mom’)
It was true. In her previous life, Erata had once visited her in prison. She was dazzling—extravagantly beautiful.
Sephiel had unconsciously grabbed her collar and called her “Mom” In return, she received a flood of curses.
“That’s why I’m calling ywou ‘Lady’. Ywou’re actying like that in pyison.” (That’s why I’m calling you ‘Lady’. You’re acting like that in prison)
“……”
“Lady, are ywou stuypid? Can’t ywou ryemembeyr?” (Lady, are you stupid? Can’t you remember?)
Sephiel blinked innocently.
“Is that why ywou cwouldn’t gradyuate from the acadvemy for thyee yeayrs?” (Is that why you wouldn’t graduate from the academy for three years?)
“What?”
Erata flinched.
“You—you! Where did you hear that…?”
“Oh, I heayd that even the academy knew ywou weyre an idyiot… Soyyi… I didn’t even know that….” (Oh, I heard that even the academy knew you were an idiot. Sorry, I didn’t even know that)
Erata’s body trembled. The maids and knights all avoided Erata’s eyes.
‘I could have endured having my arm twisted. But touching Berry? That was unacceptable.’
‘Isn’t it true that people tend to get angry when they are hit with the truth?’
Queen Erata.
She had entered the academy as a scholarship student in her youth—only to fail three years in a row. She was eventually deemed ineligible to graduate.
Later, King Witeger III, in order to marry Erata—who had ultimately dropped out—had to…
‘Create a “completion” course just to force a certification and make her queen.’
It was an event that people would mock for a long time.
“Where did you hear that, huh? Kids these days say whatever they want!”
She never treated her like a child—except in moments like this.
Sephiel pouted her chubby cheeks and smirked.
“Lady, where do ywou think I heayd it? Think about it.”
One of Erata’s maids spoke up, oblivious.
“What should we do, Your Majesty? It seems the rumor has spread even to the Grand Duke’s family!”
“Shut up!”
Erata threw the fan at the maid.
“You, bow your head and apologize to your mother for speaking so rudely!”
Of course, Sephiel had no intention of doing that.
“Why are ywou angyyi?” (Why are you angry?)
Sephiel smiled brightly at Erata.
“Ywou’re a noble!”
“… What?”
“Why are ywou actving so undivgnipied and shwouting like that? Could it be… you’re acyually from a lowly family?” (Why are you acting so undivided and shouting like this? Could it be you’re actually from a lowly family?)
Erata looked as if she had been punched in the face. Her expression twisted uncontrollably.
“Ywou look ryeally ugly when ywou’re angyyi!” (You look really ugly when you’re angry)
“You… you…!”
Erata’s face turned pale.
‘Hearing the truth makes you mad, huh? Kids are just mirrors of adults, after all.’
Sephiel wanted to stick out her tongue.
* * *
