My Niece Is Not A Villainess

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The trip afterwards went smoothly.

 

When they encountered beautiful scenery, they would stop to admire it, and at night, they would find a nearby village to eat delicious food and rest at an inn.

 

Rose was happy every moment and slept well, even though the bed was less comfortable than her room at the duchy.

 

Most of all, she laughed more during the trip than she ever did at the duchy, likely because of the joy the trip brought her.

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

“Rose, would you like to eat this?”

 

“Yes.”

 

The fourth territory they visited was in the middle of a festival.

 

Ian bought a skewer that smelled delicious and handed it to Rose, then asked the merchant,

 

“Are there any rooms available at the inn?”

 

“Probably not.”

 

“Really?”

 

“During the festival, people from other territories come too, so it’s hard to find a room.”

 

Ian thanked the merchant and lifted Rose. Just as the merchant said, there were no rooms available at the inns due to the festival.

 

“What should we do?”

 

If he infused mana into his legs, they could walk to another territory, although it would take some time.

 

However, that wasn’t an option because:

 

“Fireworks! Fireworks!”

 

Rose had heard from the merchant that there would be fireworks in the evening, and she was happily singing and waving her chicken skewer.

 

Ian was pondering what to do after being turned away from the last inn when a deep baritone voice, resonating like it came from a cave, called out,

 

“Are you looking for a room?”

 

Ian quickly turned around. The man, with black hair and black eyes like an Asian, was a handsome man with strong features.

 

If he had been born on Earth, he could have become a world-famous model. His striking appearance was accentuated by a small teardrop mole under his eye, but what surprised Ian wasn’t his looks.

 

‘I didn’t sense his presence.’

 

Both on Earth and after coming to this world, Ian had never failed to detect someone’s presence until now.

 

Unlike the startled Ian, the man smiled and showed a key he was holding.

 

“I don’t intend to cause any harm. It just seemed like you were in a difficult situation, and since you have a child, I thought I could help. Do you need a room?”

 

“…Are you saying you have a room available?”

 

“Yes. I came with a group, but they had to leave for the capital unexpectedly.”

 

Ian eyed the man suspiciously.

 

The fact that he managed to hide his presence so well, and the convenient timing of his group’s sudden departure, were too perfect to be mere coincidences.

 

“Do you not need it?”

 

The man’s gaze shifted to Rose in Ian’s arms. Ian looked down at her and clicked his tongue. At some point, Rose had fallen asleep with the chicken skewer still in her mouth.

 

Ian had only two choices: accept the suspicious man’s offer or let Rose sleep outside.

 

After a moment of hesitation, Ian chose the former.

 

“…Alright. How much?”

 

‘He probably isn’t an ordinary person.’

 

He wasn’t trusting that man; it was more about acknowledging the man’s presence couldn’t be ignored. In an emergency, Ian could use his skills to protect Rose, so he decided to accept.

 

The man handed over the key and said,

 

“Room 302. Are you staying for just one night?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then leave the key in the room when you depart tomorrow, and give me 20 silvers.”

 

Ian asked, looking at the man,

 

“Isn’t the room charge 50 silver here?”

 

“It’s discounted because we rented the entire third floor.”

 

‘…Something still feels off.’

 

Feigning agreement, Ian handed over 20 silver. That man thanked him and entered the inn first.

 

Ian fiddled with the key before following him inside.

 

The third floor was indeed quiet, unlike the first and second floors, confirming the man’s claim.

 

Upon entering room 302, Ian noticed it was clean and luxurious, unlike the inns they had stayed in before.

 

Ian carefully laid Rose on the bed, smiling with satisfaction at the sight of the attached bathtub.

 

Removing her shoes and skewers from her hand, he dampened a towel and wiped her sauce-stained face, murmuring softly.

 

“Who was that guy just now?”

 

If such a handsome person had appeared in the novel, there would have been a description about him.

 

He had an aura that was different from ordinary people, making it hard to believe he was an extra.

 

Especially since he could hide his presence from an aura user.

 

‘Could the flow of the story have changed, introducing new characters?’

 

If this world followed the plot of <Garden Flower> exactly, that man’s existence wouldn’t be a problem.

 

However, as the constellations mentioned, <Garden Flower> was just one of many possibilities in this world, and the flow could change depending on Ian’s actions.

 

Just as there wasn’t a single villain on Earth, there could be other villains in this world besides Rose.

 

That man could be one of them.

 

In other words, new characters might appear due to Ian’s intervention. Whether he would be Rose’s enemy or ally was still uncertain.

 

Running away wasn’t the answer. Given his unusual strength, gathering information about him was the priority.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Ian’s eyes fell on Rose, who was sleeping soundly with chicken sauce smeared around her mouth, making him smile.

 

He took out a towel from his inventory and soaked it in warm water.

 

“Uhm.”

 

Rose mumbled, annoyed by the face wiping.

 

“Shh. It’s okay.”

 

Comforting her, Ian finished wiping the sauce off her face and cleaned her hands and feet with another towel.

 

“She’ll wake up if I change her clothes, right?”

 

Ian looked out the window.

 

Fortunately, the sun wasn’t setting yet.

 

“She’ll need to get up for dinner anyway, so I’ll let her sleep for now.”

 

Ian put the dirty towels back in his inventory and lay down beside Rose.

 

Stroking her forehead, he whispered.

 

“Just be happy like this. Uncle will take care of everything.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

Hearing the door close in the next room, the man leaning against the bed opened his eyes.

 

“My lord.”

 

A figure emerged from the floor, bowing deeply and calling him.

 

“Suhhs.”

 

Knowing the room was soundproof, Grand Duke Edelmar still silenced him, fearing the noise might reach the next room. He gestured to block the room’s sound.

 

“Do you know him?”

 

“Yes. Ian Loenbaum.”

 

“Ian Loenbaum…”

 

“Yes, the fool who was confined to his room.”

 

Edelmar lit a cigarette, muttering as he took his eyes off the adjoining wall.

 

“I thought I was mistaken, but it was him. Were my sources wrong? Or has the fool changed?”

 

Edelmar, who was only interested in bloody wars, began to take an interest in people.

 

That person was Ian Loenbaum.

 

The last time he saw him, Ian had been too scared to make eye contact.

 

This time, Ian didn’t flinch. Instead, he exuded the dignity and nobility befitting an aristocrat.

 

It was absolutely not a mistake. The man’s purple eyes were the symbol of the Loenbaum family, a trait passed only to men. Eyes that only a Loenbaum could possess.

 

Edelmar exhaled a puff of smoke and muttered,

 

“Why has that fool come outside? He acts like an entirely different person, as if his soul has been swapped.”

 

Despite the room filling with acrid cigarette smoke, the man prostrated on the floor didn’t move.

 

“I haven’t heard any information about a marriage.”

 

The child, who looked about four or five, nestled in his arms, seemed quite familiar with Ian Loenbaum.

 

Almost like a child.

 

The man listening to Edelmar’s muttering lifted his head and asked,

 

“Should I investigate?”

 

Edelmar, lost in thought for a moment, nodded.

 

Suddenly, he felt a slight curiosity.

 

Edelmar asked the man bowing before him,

 

“What did you find out?”

 

“It’s confirmed as the Jubia territory.”

 

“The Jubia territory?”

 

Edelmar chuckled.

 

“They’ve traveled quite a bit. Are they arriving tomorrow?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then we’ll go right away.”

 

Edelmar extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray, and with a wave of his hand, the two men vanished in an instant, leaving only the cigarette butt and smoke behind.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking through a golden field, Ian looked down at Rose, who was sleeping peacefully.

 

Rose had been so excited by last night’s fireworks that she couldn’t fall asleep easily.

 

“Uncle! Huge flowers bloomed in the sky!!”

 

The sight of the child’s rosy cheeks and joyful expression made Ian happy as well, so he listened to her chatter without trying to put her to bed.

 

It was already dawn when sleep finally overcame her excitement.

 

Despite sleeping late, Ian woke up early and, not wanting to wake Rose, asked the innkeeper for a packed meal and headed straight to the next estate.

 

Rose was so exhausted that she didn’t wake up even after they had traveled far beyond the estate.

 

However, as they entered the forest after crossing the golden field, Rose seemed to wake up, looking around curiously and exclaiming in wonder.

 

“Wow!”

 

Ian held Rose tightly to prevent her from falling and smiled at her excited face.

 

“Rose, do you want to explore?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Ian decided to pause their trip and look around.

 

The moment Rose was set down, she dashed into the dense forest with her short legs, showing renewed energy.

 

Seeing Rose, who had once been as skinny as a broomstick but now ran around healthily with plump cheeks, Ian couldn’t help but smile.

 

“Where are we going today?”

 

Rose asked, panting as she returned.

 

Ian picked her up and replied,

 

“We’re going to a place called Jubia.”

 

“Is there a festival there too?”

 

“No, Uncle has some business there. So we need to cross the mountain now.”

 

“Oh, okay.”

 

Knowing the mountain crossing would be quick, Rose stopped fidgeting and settled down.

 

Ian, holding Rose close, began to climb the mountain swiftly.

 

“Uncle.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I want to be like you.”