Please Don’t Come To The Villainess’ Stationery Store!

Since there was nowhere in particular to take a child who disliked the doctor, we headed to the stationery store.

‘I did cast a cleaning spell, but it still looks pretty shabby.’

The child, having entered the stationery store that had not yet been remodeled, seemed shocked by the bleak interior.

Fortunately, they were busy convincing themselves, ‘I am a knight. This is a battlefield.’

I took out the emergency medicine I had brought from the ducal house, disinfected the child’s leg, and then tightly wrapped it in a bandage.

“We’re almost done.”

Then, Dominic quietly placed his hand on it.

It seemed to be a healing magic, but the child, trying to be brave, closed their eyes and did not see the magic being performed.

“I’m not, not hurt at all.”

“You look like a brave knight.”

My gaze, which had been on the child, soon shifted to the item in their hand.

The item that they had never let go of, even when lying down on the ground alone, or when they were groaning in pain from the disinfectant.

A small music box was packaged in a clear case.

I marveled at the item that looked like an old antique.

It’s not easy to find such music boxes these days!

“Hey, you like this kind of thing?”

The child’s face turned red.

“…Yes, don’t criticize my taste for being bad.”

Perhaps it’s because people tend not to like antiques, considering them old-fashioned. The boy’s desperate attempt to deny his unfashionable tastes was adorable.

“No! I like this stuff too. The old things.”

At that, the child’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s, and they spoke with a voice that rose a tone higher, cheerfully.

“I’ve never seen anyone likes this kind of thing as much as I do!”

“How good are old antiques. This music box also has a very pretty song.”

He beamed joyfully at my words but soon looked downhearted.

“I bought it as a birthday gift for my brother… Would he like it?”

Hmm. I pondered for a moment.

The trending birthday gifts among nobles these days were generally very expensive and sophisticated items.

Like hats that were expensive but well-finished, for example.

Or high-quality dresses made from fabric imported from across the sea, focusing more on the material than the decoration.

I shrugged my shoulders and opened my mouth towards the child.

“You see, I think I’d be really happy to receive that gift. And-.”

“…?”

“If that brother of yours likes you, he’ll like any gift from you.”

‘Conversely, if he dislikes you, he’ll consider any gift worthless.’

Once, Meldenik Babelroa tried hard to win his father’s favor. So, he always bought the latest trendy items from the social circles and presented them to his father.

Yet, he never heard any words of praise.

‘It was a relief if the gift didn’t just end up in the trash.’

Seeing the realization dawn in the child’s eyes as I mixed my experience into my words, his eyes widened. His sparkling eyes, touched by emotion, gazed at me.

“That’s really impressive…”

This kid, seems like he’s starting to like me a bit?

I grinned and gently stroked the spikey hair on the back of the child’s head.

The tiny child, whose name I still didn’t know, leaned into my hand like a purring cat.

“I was going to ask exactly what their name is, why they were hurt, who hit them, and say that I’ll scold the latter.”

“Is the treatment all finished?”

“Yes, it’s a bit rough though……”

Dominic nodded his head and stretched out his legs for a stretch.

His legs were long and slender, it was hard to believe that he was the hero from the legends.

He said indifferently, feeling my gaze staring at him intently.

“It seems the child is tired.”

“I was about to call a carriage right away……”

I cradled the shoulders of the child who began to nod off with a hurt body, saying,

“Hey, how about going up to the second floor and sleeping for just an hour? I’ll call a rental carriage after you wake up.”

The child nodded vigorously with eyes full of sleepiness. Even then, he carefully touched my clothes and whispered very softly.

“There are no ghosts up there, right?”

“Yeah, there are none. If a ghost appears, I’ll beat it for you.”

“……It seems the knight is also full of spirit. Seeing that he lives well even in a ruined house, he truly seems like a knight……”

The child rolled his eyes then tightly closed them.

‘A ruined house…… It’s indeed quite dilapidated, anyway.’

I was absolutely not shocked. Absolutely not.

After Dominic put the child to sleep on a small sofa on the second floor, he trudged down.

“Now let’s finish talking about the remodeling.”

“Suddenly?”

Dominic carefully sat on a chair and asked back.

I nodded vigorously towards Dominic.

“Yes, all of a sudden.”

That was my plan.

It was to send a child, who is clearly a student at the academy, on a carriage while advertising a stationery store!

However, the building was so dilapidated that it seemed unlikely the promotion would take off. Moreover, I couldn’t let our precious young guest leave with bad memories.

“It might be a good idea to tidy up the garden a bit before sending the child outside.”

“True… It is a bit.”

Dominic averted his gaze as if he couldn’t deny it.

‘…Is it that bad?’

Glancing outside the window, I brought it up. I saw a weed-filled garden, so damp and overgrown that it wouldn’t be surprising if ghosts appeared.

“…Let’s start with weeding right away.”

One hour later.

Dominic, who had asked, ‘Use a sword for weeding, me?’ had become docile.

‘Dominic…, what can’t you do?’

He had an incredible talent for weeding. Especially when trimming dense branches, it made me want to praise him as a god of floriculture.

“Doesn’t it look cleaner?”

“It does.”

Dominic stood tall and leaned against a tree.

“Oh, right. Mel.”

“Hmm?”

“There are spies watching us outside, remember?”

“…Yeah.”

I tensed up.

“I brainwashed the child lightly while carrying him on my back. He was trying to report to his master.”

Dominic raised his long sword and gently slashed through the air above, cutting down fiercely.

The sound of branches falling to the ground with a snap was heard.

Looking at me squatting on the ground pulling weeds, Dominic said,

“Well… It’s not really related to protecting, but you can think of it as a surprise gift.”

He always grumbled about Lennox, it seems he really disliked him.

I nodded and smiled at him.

“Yeah, good job!”

“Phew… It’s been a while since I used strength like this, I feel a bit tired. It’s been a while since I used brainwashing magic.”

“Good job, Dominic. Let’s eat meat later!”

I gave him a thumbs-up.

Dominic, weak for compliments, grinned and lowered his sword.

“Hmm. Now I should take care of these dangerous-looking branches.”

Watching him look up at the tree, I smiled faintly.

‘Is it because he used magic after a long time? He really seems to be enjoying himself.’

It was when Dominic turned his back.

With a rustling sound, a strange noise came from the bushes.

‘What’s that?’

I scanned the surroundings.

‘There’s no sign of anything suspicious… He said he brainwashed the spies too.’

But I felt an eerie chill.

I looked around.

‘Huh? It seems like something is visible from the sword.’

I glanced down.

Soon after, a dark sword aura began to flicker from the sword I had placed on the ground.

Whistling, I walked briskly towards Dominic, who was smacking his lips towards the cherry tree, and firmly grabbed his arm.

“…Dominic?”

“Hmm?”

“About this sword.”

“Hmm? Are you talking about my sword, Dominic, who even prunes well?”

Dominic was humming a tune while picking cherries.

I grabbed Dominic’s arm tighter, trying to mention that there was something strange about the sword.

‘Huh? I can’t speak.’

Weirdly, my mouth just wouldn’t open.

And unfortunately, the sword aura moved faster than my words could.

From the ground, a dark energy began to seep towards Dominic’s back.

Boom!

With a loud noise, the air turned incredibly cold.

Still unable to speak, I watched as a round, black smog emerged from the sword, forming a shape.

“Why did the seal break?”

Dominic bit his lip finely, as if disappointed.

What. What’s been unsealed!