My Niece Is Not A Villainess

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘If he’s the grand duke, then he must be of the emperor’s bloodline, so why does he have black hair?’

 

In the original story, even illegitimate children of the imperial family were described as having golden hair, like molten gold, and blue eyes.

 

Siegfried, the male protagonist and crown prince, also had blonde hair and blue eyes.

 

But the man standing in front of me had black hair and black eyes, looking very much like a Korean.

 

‘An artifact, perhaps? Maybe he changed his appearance to avoid revealing his identity as a grand duke?’

 

While Ian was lost in thought, staring at the man, the man suddenly turned his head towards Ian.

 

‘Did he notice me?’

 

Ian was tense, unsure whether the man was looking at him or just glancing in his direction.

 

“I found it!”

 

A knight approached the iron cage next to the tree and shouted loudly, diverting the man’s attention back to the knight.

 

‘I need to move.’

 

Worried that the man might look his way again, Ian quickly left his spot.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

“You’ve really changed.”

 

Edelmar murmured to himself as he watched Ian, who had stealthily vanished without a trace.

 

He thought no one in the empire could hide their presence so well that even a Sword Master like him couldn’t detect them.

 

The person he had once thought of as a fool had not only recovered but also managed to conceal his presence to the point that Edelmar would not have noticed if he hadn’t turned his head by chance.

 

Edelmar, who found everything boring unless it involved war or massacres, was suddenly filled with interest.

 

At that moment, Count Berman’s daughter, in dirty clothes, approached Edelmar.

 

She greeted him with the manners befitting a noble and said,

 

“Grand Duke, thank you for saving me.”

 

‘This is different from what I heard. Is this because of the duke again?’

 

Last night, Edelmar had received information that Count Berman’s daughter was dying from a fever caused by a arduous situation.

 

To save time, he had even used magic to gather his knights and raid the slavers.

 

But now, the count’s daughter appeared perfectly healthy, despite her dirty clothes.

 

She didn’t look sick at all—in fact, she looked very healthy.

 

“Grand Duke?”

 

Count Berman’s daughter tilted her head, sensing something strange about Edelmar’s silence.

 

“It’s nothing, my lady. I have a question.”

 

“Yes, Grand Duke.”

 

“Did you meet anyone before we arrived?”

 

At Edelmar’s question, the count’s daughter’s eyes sparkled as she exclaimed,

 

“I met an angel!”

 

“An angel, you say?”

 

At the knight commander Perzen’s inquiry, Count Berman’s daughter nodded enthusiastically.

 

“Yes, an angel with glittering purple eyes!”

 

“An angel, huh.”

 

Edelmar recalled meeting Ian in front of the inn.

 

Considering his lemon-colored hair shining in the sunlight and his appearance, he could see why a child might mistake him for an angel.

 

“I see. Did this angel heal you?”

 

Count Berman’s daughter covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes widening.

 

“How did you know?! I was really sick, but after meeting the angel, I wasn’t sick anymore!”

 

“Thank you for answering. Now you should return; I’ll escort you to the carriage.”

 

With Edelmar’s nod, the knights escorted Count Berman’s daughter to the carriage.

 

“This is interesting.”

 

Ignoring the puzzled look from the knight commander, Edelmar wiped the blood off his sword and turned his body.

 

“Prepare to head to the capital.”

 

“…..To the capital?”

 

Edelmar Spenbaum, despite being the emperor’s brother, disliked going to the capital where the imperial family resided and was also known for his aversion to attending imperial events.

 

Knight Commander Perzen, who assumed he would be the one to report to the emperor, was taken aback and asked again.

 

“Yes. I think I should pay my respects properly.”

 

“……I’ll make the arrangements.”

 

Though perplexed, the knight commander dutifully prepared the carrier pigeon as ordered by his lord, Edelmar.

 

This was the moment when the madman became interested in Ian Loenbaum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian first checked on the sleeping Rose after taking off his mask and throwing it into the trash can.

 

Although the alarm magic he had set did not go off, he checked just in case.

 

– Waaaah.

 

Ignoring the crying Ermenia who seemed to ask if he was back, Ian walked past and discarded his mask in the trash can.

 

He then looked at the child lying on the sofa.

 

A child with shaggy gray hair, pointed ears standing atop the head, and a fluffy tail at the rear.

 

“Haa.”

 

The child, clearly a beastman, was Fenrex, a sub-male lead and the prince of the beastmen tribe whom Ian had vowed not to save.

 

– Waaaah.

 

Ermenia, curious about the new character, jumped off the bed and approached Fenrex.

 

– Hiss!

 

However, whether it was due to the wolf’s smell or because he hadn’t bathed and was dirty, Ermenia hissed and looked at Ian with a reproachful gaze.

 

“I had no choice.”

 

Although it sounded like an excuse, it was true.

 

Ian had discovered Fenrex, who he suspected, while leaving the doll market.

 

Ian didn’t know why this event, which was not in the original story, occurred, but since Fenrex was a sub-male lead who always glared at Rose as if he wanted to kill her, Ian had no intention of saving him.

 

Even if he was fine, Ian would hesitate to save him, especially since Fenrex had made Rose cry in the original story.

 

Though these events hadn’t happened yet, Ian already had the perception that Fenrex was a ‘bad guy.’

 

That’s what he thought, anyway.

 

“Unfortunately, his eyes looked too much like Yoori’s.”

 

Fenrex had a desperate look in his eyes, an expression that did not suit a child.

 

Ian wondered if Yoori, on Earth, had the same look before making her drastic choice.

 

Realizing he was holding Fenrex and heading back, Ian shook his head.

 

“Haaa.”

 

Ian sighed as he sat in the chair. Ermenia scratched Ian’s leg with her claws while crying.

 

– Waaaah.

 

“Shh. Rose will wake up.”

 

Ermenia glared at Ian and leapt onto the bed, sitting next to Rose in a loaf position and watching Fenrex with wary eyes.

 

Looking at the sleeping Fenrex, Ian murmured softly.

 

“Why did I bring this guy back? I should have left him alone.”

 

In the original story, Fenrex was destined to appear as an adult, so Ian was certain he wouldn’t die.

 

But if he did, it would be no concern of Ian’s.

 

Not caring whether he lived or died, Ian scoffed and released the magic in the room, setting a barrier only around the sofa.

 

The barrier Ian created served not only to block external attacks but also to prevent anything inside from escaping, like a cage.

 

“This way, even if he wakes up, he can’t attack Rose.”

 

Although Ermenia was keeping watch, it was best to prepare for any potential danger.

 

Ian double-checked the barrier and lay down next to Rose to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

“……Uncle. Uncle!”

 

Ian pulled the small hand shaking him closer.

 

“Rose… let’s sleep a bit more.”

 

“Uncle, get up! Quickly!”

 

The small hand slapping his cheek prompted Ian to lift his heavy eyelids.

 

“Rose, what’s wrong?”

 

“There’s a puppy in the room!”

 

“A puppy?”

 

Following Rose’s pointing finger, Ian saw a wolf pup scratching at the barrier.

 

‘Tsk, he turned into a wolf.’

 

Since he was still a young pup, Rose perceived Fenrex as a puppy.

 

With curious eyes, Rose looked at Fenrex, while Ian frowned at him. Rose tugged on Ian’s sleeve and asked,

 

“Did you bring him, Uncle?”

 

“Well… something like that. Did you sleep well, Rose?”

 

“Yes.”

 

As a morning greeting, Ian kissed Rose on the forehead.

 

“Rose, if you’ve woken up, you should wash up. Let’s go wash up.”

 

“But I want to pet the puppy!”

 

As Rose tilted her head, Ermenia nudged her waist with her head.

 

“Er, why are you doing that?”

 

Having already given Ermenia the nickname ‘Er,’ Rose tilted her head again.

 

“Er is saying you should go wash up too. Come on, Rose.”

 

“Alright, alright.”

 

As Rose was urged by Ermenia and went into the bathroom, Ian looked at the wolf pup baring its teeth at him.

 

“Turn into a human, we need to talk.”

 

“Grrr.”

 

“Or do you want to go back to the slave market?”

 

“Grrr.”

 

“I don’t have the hobby of talking to animals. Do you want to stay trapped?”

 

Fenrex’s ears twitched at Ian’s words.

 

“I’ll say it one more time. Turn into a human.”

 

Fenrex stared intently at Ian before his body began to transform with a crunching sound.

 

The short legs of the wolf turned into arms and legs, and the fur transformed into skin.

 

As the hunched body gradually took on a human shape, a boy with ears and a tail stood in front of the barrier.

 

“A human!”

 

At the boy’s loud shout, Ian raised his hand.

 

“Be quiet. Just answer my questions.”

 

“What?”

 

“We’re going to the capital today. What are you going to do? Are you coming or not?”

 

Since the king of the beastmen, Fenrex’s father, would also attend the crown prince’s coronation ceremony, taking him to the capital meant reuniting him with his family.

 

Fenrex’s eyes wavered, knowing this.

 

“If you don’t want to, I’ll let you go here. I have no intention of forcing someone who doesn’t want to come.”

 

Fenrex bit his lip and shouted,

 

“How can I trust you! You might sell me back to the slave market!”

 

“If I wanted to sell you, I would’ve done it earlier. Decide if you want to come or not.”

 

Fenrex flinched at Ian’s indifferent response.

 

“If you don’t trust me, I’ll let you go now.”

 

Ian removed the barrier that had been trapping Fenrex and pointed to the window.

 

“If you can’t trust me, leave.”

 

At the cold and indifferent words and actions, Fenrex flinched again, then quickly transformed into a wolf and jumped out of the window.

 

Just then, the bathroom door burst open, and Rose came running out.

 

“Uncle!”

 

Rose, who had clearly played with water rather than washed, was soaked from head to toe as she ran to Ian.

 

“Did you wash up, Rose?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Rose answered cheerfully while looking around the room.

 

“Huh? The puppy is gone.”

 

As Ian wiped Rose’s face with a soft towel, he said,

 

“He went to find his mom.”

 

“Aww, I wanted to pet him.”

 

“If you pet such things, you’ll get dirty.”

 

Despite Ian’s words, Rose’s disappointment didn’t disappear.

 

“Rose, how about we have cake after breakfast?”

 

“Cake!”

 

Rose, who had been disappointed about not being able to pet the puppy, quickly cheered up and stomped her feet in excitement.

 

‘This should be the end of it.’

 

Ian genuinely intended to take Fenrex to the capital to reunite him with his family. Even if their relationship soured in the future, Ian couldn’t ignore a child separated from his parents.

 

But if Fenrex didn’t want it, Ian didn’t see a reason to force him.

 

Feeling good about his decision, Ian headed to the bathroom, pushing away thoughts of the child he would never meet again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

“Uncle! It’s the puppy from before!”

 

While crossing the mountains on the way to the capital, Rose pointed excitedly.

 

Ian frowned deeply when he saw what Rose was pointing at.

 

Caught in a hunter’s trap, unable to move, was Fenrex.

 

“Grrr.”

 

Fenrex bared his teeth as he met Ian’s eyes.

 

“It’s the puppy!”