My Niece Is Not A Villainess

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh, no, I just…”

 

“What in the world! Didn’t I tell you not to come out?!”

 

Though she spoke quietly to keep others from hearing, Rose’s shoulders involuntarily hunched at the sharp, thorny tone.

 

“I told you I would be scolded by the butler! I said to stay in the room! Why aren’t you listening?!”

 

“That’s… I…”

 

“Enough!”

 

Approaching confidently, the maid grabbed Rose’s arm.

 

With a forceful grip and pressure, Rose felt pain in her shoulders and let out a groan.

 

“Get inside quickly before the duke finds out!”

 

“Ah, it hurts!”

 

“Anyway, They say the blood of the common people cannot lie! Didn’t you understand when I told you to stay in your room?! Just because you think someone likes you, you come crawling out!”

 

It was when the maid pulled Rose and moved towards the main building.

 

“What are you doing now?”

 

At Ian’s cold voice, both the maid and Rose stiffened.

 

“Th-that…”

 

Ian, trembling, passed by the frightened maid, picked up Rose, and looked at the maid with a cold gaze.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Du, duke.”

 

“I ask your name.”

 

“It’s Heidy.”

 

‘Damn, I didn’t think about this woman.’

 

Heidy was one of the supporting characters in ‘Flower Garden.’ Although not a prominent role, she was depicted as a character who didn’t fall for the villainess Rose and handled her coldly.

 

However, Heidy had one hidden backstory, known only to those who delved deeply into the original work.

 

Heidy was born between a lower-class noble father and a maid mother.

 

Her father never treated her as a child and even expelled her, claiming she was a mistake. To survive, Heidy had no choice but to work as a maid in the mansion with her mother, dreaming vaguely of the noble life.

 

In the original story, Heidy didn’t appreciate Rose’s ruthless methods to protect her status as the lady of the mansion.

 

In the original story, Heidy was portrayed as an upright character who knew her place and faithfully carried out her duties. However, Yoori’s argument was different.

 

“Heidy was jealous of Rose!! They were in similar situations, but Rose, for some reason, became the lady of the mansion, and that made Heidy jealous. It’s just baseless bullying driven by jealousy. I feel sorry for Rose. Even when Rose was young, Heidy scolded and harassed her for trivial mistakes!”

 

Yoori’s words were right.

 

All Rose did now was wander outside the room; she didn’t cause any trouble. Moreover,

 

‘How dare you use the term ‘vulgar blood’ about my niece?!’

 

Ian glared at Heidy with a fierce expression.

 

When Heidy trembled and burst into tears, Ian silently signaled for Sebastian, who hurriedly approached.

 

“Rose, would you mind covering our ears for a moment?”

 

Rose, who was tilting her head, covered her ears with her small hands. Ian then beckoned for Sebastian to come closer and whispered to him.

 

“Punish her for saying something she shouldn’t have said and for causing harm to a direct member of the Duke’s family.”

 

Sebastian, who understood the meaning of cutting off the speaking tongue and the injured arm, bowed his head and answered.

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

Having heard Sebastian’s response, Ian moved forward.

 

With each step towards the room, Ian’s heart fluttered.

 

The child he had just embraced.

 

He thought he was exerting his strength and efforts to protect the child against the flow of this world.

 

However, the child was under attack, unbeknownst to Ian.

 

And it was happening within his own shadow.

 

‘Is this the flow of the original story? Can I really defy this?’

 

A moment of vulnerability crossed his mind, but Ian shook his head.

 

Regardless of what happens, he had to protect this child in this lifetime.

 

“Rose.”

 

Just as Ian reached the bed to gently place Rose on it,

 

A faint whimper escaped from Rose’s lips.

 

“Rose?”

 

“Oh, no! It’s not that!”

 

Rose instinctively grasped Ian’s shoulder.

 

Something seemed off about her—like she was suppressing pain.

 

Ian narrowed his eyes.

 

“Rose, may I take a look at your shoulder, dear?”

 

Rose’s eyes trembled, expressing her uncertainty.

 

Ian gently placed Rose on the bed and knelt beside her.

 

“Your shoulder hurts. Uncle will take a look.”

 

Suppressing the urge to burst out and tear Heidy apart, Ian whispered with all the patience and tenderness he could muster.

 

Rose, who had been rolling her eyes, nodded.

 

Ian carefully unbuttoned all the buttons to avoid touching the painful area directly. The slightly oversized dress flowed down.

 

“How dare her.”

 

Ian gritted his teeth.

 

There wasn’t a large wound on the shoulder that had been expressing pain.

 

However, a bright red bruise lingered on the slender forearm, as if someone strong had grabbed it tightly.

 

Clenching his fist, Ian ground his teeth. His vision reddened.

 

At that moment, feeling the trembling from his fingertips, Ian hastily softened his expression and embraced the trembling Rose.

 

Kissing her forehead repeatedly, he spoke.

 

“Sorry. Were you scared?”

 

“….No.”

 

“I’m sorry. Uncle was wrong.”

 

No matter how angry he was, it was Ian’s fault for revealing his temper in front of the child.

 

Ian continued to gently kiss her forehead and caress her back until the child calmed down.

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset Rose. I’m truly sorry.”

 

After Rose’s trembling ceased, Ian sat back on the bed, still holding the child in his arms.

 

“Rose.”

 

Rose looked at Ian with round eyes. Confirming the fading fear in her eyes, Ian asked.

 

“Did you want to see Uncle’s sword training?”

 

Rose’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

Ian unconsciously smiled, remembering the expression Young Yoori made when she received a surprise gift in a past life.

 

Blushing, Rose lowered her head and spoke, fiddling with her small fingers.

 

“Well, you looked so cool, Duke.”

 

“Is that so? But Rose.”

 

At Ian’s inquiry, Rose raised her head slightly.

 

“Why do you keep calling me ‘Duke’? I’ve wanted to say this for a while. I’m your uncle, not a duke.”

 

“Huh?”

 

At Ian’s call, Rose looked up curiously.

 

“A duke is a title, and I’m Rose’s uncle.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“A duke is a position, and I am your uncle.”

 

Rose blinked, not quite understanding. Ian lightly tapped her nose, explaining.

 

“Rose, you should call me uncle.”

 

“B-but.”

 

‘Where did she hear such things?’

 

Looking at Rose, who lowered her head again, Ian opened his eyes narrowly. But with no intention of interrupting the child, Ian patiently waited. Then Rose whispered softly.

 

“I-I can’t because I’m someone from a lowly birth.”

 

It was surely something Heidy said.

 

Heidy, portrayed as a strong-willed maid in the Duke’s residence, might not have had intentions to treat Rose, who had a detestable background, kindly, even if there were other maids who despised Rose. However, Heidy had taken away Rose’s chance to be loved.

 

At the sudden sigh, Rose lifted her head, and Ian quickly conjured a sad expression.

 

“Rose doesn’t like that I’m her uncle.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Whether you say, ‘But you’re allowed,’ or ‘Why are you said you’re from a lowly birth?’ — such words wouldn’t likely reach the child’s ears.

 

Children’s thinking was both simple and complex, making it challenging to change ingrained perceptions in an instant.

 

Instead, slowly, very little by little, like getting wet in a drizzle, it was better to bring about change.

 

“Uncle thinks it’s good that Rose is my niece, but I’m really sad.”

 

Ian lowered his eyes with a sad expression.

 

“No, no! I like that you’re my uncle too!”

 

“Then call me uncle.”

 

Ian looked at Rose without removing the sad expression, and Rose’s cheeks blushed.

 

“Huh? Uncle Ian!”

 

Tickling Rose’s side, Ian elicited the child’s bright laughter.

 

“Stop it! Hahaha. Uncle! Uncle!”

 

Chuckling with her calling him uncle, Ian felt a warmth in his chest.

 

Ian hugged Rose tightly and kissed her cheek.

 

“Want you call me uncle now?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good girl, our Rose.”

 

Ian’s face, smiling at Rose with blushing cheeks, quickly fell when he saw her swollen arm.

 

‘I should have prepared a lot of healing potions.’

 

Back on Earth, Yoon Sijun was a cherished child of the nation.

 

Therefore, his inventory was filled with high-grade healing potions rather than common items.

 

The child’s injuries could have been swiftly healed with the healing potions Sijun possessed.

 

However, on Earth, Yoon Sijun, the world-class hunter, rarely suffered injuries requiring potion use.

 

Thus, he often shared potions with hunters of lower grades, thinking it would only be a burden.

 

Little did he know that healing potions could be so precious. If he had known, he would never have given them away.

 

‘I’m so stupid.’

 

Ian raised his head, filled with self-blame, recalling the guilt he felt when he first opened his inventory.

 

‘That painting…’

 

In an instant, a scene from the novel flashed in Ian’s mind.

 

After inheriting the duchy, Rose, as Sebastian had told him, could have survived if Ian had taken the vial from the saint.

 

The beautiful lake landscape in the painting Ian just saw represented the secret vault, accessible only by the duke’s bloodline.

 

Ian quickly placed his palm on the painting.

 

“Loenbaum.”

 

As Ian spoke, the picture distorted, colors mingled, transforming into a black vault.

 

Upon opening the vault, Ian found precious jewels, magical stones, various documents, and two silver vials containing Saint’s Elixir.

 

“Rose, endure a little even if it’s cold.”

 

Ian carefully applied the silver vial of Saint’s Elixir to Rose’s shoulder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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