“Alright. There’s no need to delay. Let’s go finalize the last contract.”
“Yes, the seller is waiting. The official contract date is tomorrow, but it would be best to wrap things up today. There’s been a lot of commotion in the area lately… There’s even a chance the contract might be canceled.”
“Alright. Let’s get going.”
Upon hearing those words, Sephiel’s face turned pale, and her small hands and chubby cheeks, like white pudding, trembled.
‘If the finances of the Grand Duke’s family are affected because of this,…’
Of course, the Grand Duke’s family never went bankrupt in Sephiel’s previous life.
‘But it may become difficult temporarily.’
Since the Grand duke’s family had remained secluded, perhaps the outside world simply never found out.
‘Then what about me? My snacks!’
She had finally achieved her dream of eating three full meals a day.
‘And they promised to let me study! But all of that might become a luxury.’
In her past life, Sephiel had always been cautious around adults.
‘Whenever something bad happened, the adults always blamed me first.’
The kingdom’s misfortune. An unlucky child.
Even though she knew it wasn’t her fault, the memory of being scolded was deeply ingrained in her body.
‘Anyway, it won’t be good for me if the Grand Duke’s family becomes poor! Besides, this incident…’
‘That person is behind this incident.’
Sephiel swallowed hard.
“Well then, I’ll see you later.”
At that moment, Sephiel slipped out of her baby chair in one swift motion.
“Miss Baby! It’s dangerous!” Elton shouted.
Cherno caught the struggling Sephiel in surprise, then put her down on the floor.
“What is this? Elton, pick up the child.”
Sephiel grabbed onto Cherno’s coat tightly, refusing to let go. Then, with large, pleading eyes, she gazed up at him.
“Gyandpa….”
“Huh?”
“I want to go too….”
“Where do you mean?”
“I wanna go with Gyandpa.”
Cherno’ expression became complicated. It seemed like he was amused and a little annoyed.
“Hmm, kid. I’m busy.”
Elton tilted his head. Sephiel wasn’t usually a tantrum-throwing child.
“Miss Baby, please let go. His Grace needs to leave.”
“No.”
Sephiel shook her head and clung tightly to Cherno’s leg.
“…..Does this child usually act so clingy?”
“She doesn’t usually cling to just anyone.”
“This guy.”
Cherno bowed down to Sephiel.
“Hey, what are you planning?”
“N-no, I just… like you…”
‘Ah, I clearly don’t have enough excuses.’
Sephiel scolded herself internally.
‘This is the same excuse I gave to Erga!’
“Why?”
“…..B-because ywou’re handvsome…”
Sephiel wanted to slap her small hands over her mouth.
Elton’s lips slightly raised.
“Miss Baby originally liked handsome men.”
“Well, then, you certainly made a good choice. The dragons of our family are second to none in looks.”
‘But their personalities are awful.’
Sephiel swallowed those words.
Daihan had nearly thrown her off a wyvern the first time they met, and as for Erga…
‘No need to explain.’
“That’s not all…..”
Sephiel finally came up with a proper excuse.
“I don’t have a gyandpa. And Gyandma… she didn’t like me…”
“…….”
“I thought I finally had a Gyandpa… But now ywou’re leaving again…?”
Sephiel’s eyes sparkled like those of a stray cat demanding food.
‘We just met, but I wanna get close to ywou… Please?”
‘I’m just throwing out words now. I don’t even know anymore.’
Faced with that desperate situation, Sephiel instinctively unleashed her ultimate survival skill—cuteness.
Cherno, looking troubled, suddenly picked her up, holding her at eye level.
“You wish you had a grandfather?”
“Yes….”
“And you think of me as your real grandfather?”
Nod, nod.
Sephiel nodded pitifully.
“Yes… Ywou’re exactly like the kind and gentle, cool gyandpa I always imagined.”
Kind. Gentle. Cool.
The perfect words to appeal to a dragon who loved treasures and all things glamorous.
A perfect score of 100 out of 100.
Sephiel had just hit Chernos’ weak spot.
A smile appeared on Cherno’s lips.
‘Well, it’s not a lie.’
After all, out of all the elderly people Sephiel had ever met in her life, Cherno was the only one who had been kind to her.
“You look like a tiny little animal, yet you’re claiming that a dragon—who’s scarier than any beast—is your grandfather?”
Cherno said teasingly.
“Actually, Miss Baby is often called a baby raccoon. She even has a doll.”
“huh?”
Cherno observed Sephiel and burst into laughter.
“I see. Those round eyes, plump cheeks, and soft little face… You really do look like a baby raccoon!”
“But I don’t have dayk ciycles ayound my eyes…”
“White skin, white hair, dark eyelashes… You’re practically a raccoon.”
Sephiel pouted but eventually nodded.
Compared to being called a monster, like in her past life, being compared to a fluffy raccoon was much better.
Cherno put Sephiel down.
“Do you know where I’m going?”
Sephiel nodded quickly.
“Yeah. I just… wanna go watch… And get clwoser to ywou… And then come back togethyer… Okay?”
“Hah… This kid…”
Cherno looked dumbfounded.
“You really are unpredictable.”
Even so, he nodded as if he hadn’t heard anything.
“If we take the baby, we’ll need someone to take care of her.”
“Berry and Marie just happened to go to the High God’s temple.”
Sephiel’s ears perked up at those words.
‘Did they say someone needs to take care of me?’
Sephiel nodded.
‘Ugh, I guess there’s no other way. Is it time for my last resort?’
Now was the time to show off the incredible skills she had learned from her past life.
Sephiel smiled brightly.
“Gyandpa.”
Sephiel waved her hands, calling out to Cherno.
Then, grabbing the hem of Cherno’s clothes, she toddled off somewhere.
“Miss Baby?”
“What are you planning to do?”
Sephiel returned to her room.
“Elton, you know that thing, right? Help me with bubble-bubble.”
“Bubble-bubble…? Wait a moment. Right now?”
“Yes!”
Elton knew what Sephiel meant, as he often came to check on Sephiel before and after breakfast.
Elton prepared a basin of moderately warm water, half in doubt.
‘Hah, I guess I have no choice but to show this.’
Sephiel rubbed the soap, making bubbles, and demonstrated washing her face.
She even protected her hair with a sleeping cap.
“Ah-pu, ah-pu.”
Next, she proudly shows her bubbly, thorough toothbrushing.
She expertly tidied up her blanket, arranged her toys neatly, and pretended to eat all by herself.
‘Yes, this was none other than…’
‘A solo performance of <I Can Do It Myself>.’
For the final touch, she tied her hair into slightly uneven twin braids and stood confidently.
“Look at me. I’m all gyown up.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
“Do kids this age normally do this?”
“Isn’t she developing a bit fast?”
“Could she be… a genius?”
Cherno’s attendants clapped and praised Sephiel, though their faces clearly showed confusion about why she was doing all this.
‘I, who have become evil, will do whatever it takes to follow suit.’
Normally, she was just happy to be pampered by Berry and Marie.
Whenever Berry sighed, “Ahh, you’re too cute, Miss Baby. Please grow up slowly, okay?” she had simply played along, pretending to be helpless.
But truthfully, she could take care of herself just fine.
Sephiel chuckled.
“I won’t bother Gyandpa.”
Cherno had a strange expression.
“Hah, I don’t know what you’re up to, but yeah, you’re very mature.”
Sephiel declared triumphantly,
“Yup! I’m gyown up enough!”
Cherno’s attendants turned their heads, holding back laughter.
“What should I do with her insisting like this?”
In the end, Cherno sighed and said,
“I guess there’s no choice. Let’s take her.”
Sephiel let out a “Oh!” sound and clung to Cherno’s leg again.
“It doesn’t matter since we’ll be back in one day anyway.”
“Are you really going to take her?”
“Yes, dress up this little girl.”
Thus began Sephiel’s first journey in life.
‘I’m sorry to leave while Berry and Marie are out, but it can’t be helped.’
It was one of the rare days when the two had time off.
Sephiel confidently followed Cherno.
* * *
To reach their destination, Mutrah, they first had to pass through Volun, a free city-state, and take a gate from there.
‘A city connected to the gate through Volun, huh?’
The gate wasn’t officially established yet, so only a few staff members guarded the entrance, but they conducted strict identity checks for entry.
Upon arriving in Mutrah, the place was bustling with life.
‘The planned city Mutrah. This is not a legend, it is a myth.’
Later, this incident would dominate both political and economic news.
‘And after this, Grandpa Cherno will become the laughingstock of the entire public.’
Of course, since he had been swindled as the head of the Golden Dragon Trading Company, there was no damage to the reputation of the Grand Duke’s family.
‘But…’
Sephiel scanned her surroundings.
“Help carry these materials!”
“Fresh bread! Cheap and delicious!”
A person who carries a basket of bread and sells it. And a person who carries materials and goes around.
People gathered in bars and restaurants, chattering noisily over meals.
‘All of this… is a scam, isn’t it?’
A real estate fraud scheme.
A common scam that mainly targeted the elderly.
They would sell worthless land under false pretenses.
<This land is guaranteed to be developed!>
<This is a very fertile land, so it’s perfect for farming. You can even run an inn as a side job!>
But the land they sold was usually in completely undeveloped areas or was nothing but rocky wasteland.
‘You’d think no old man would fall for such an obvious trick, but…’
Sephiel stared at Cherno, who was sitting next to her.
‘Ah. Right. Here’s one who gets fooled by that kind of thing!’
And this wasn’t just any fraud.
‘Most real estate scams involve a few plots of land or houses at most.’
But the Mutrah case?
‘This was a scam where they sold an entire city.’
* * *
