Chapter 18
“W-Where is the slave trade ledger, get it quickly!”
At that time, Eillian’s 2nd mansion.
At the sudden death of her husband, Marchioness Eillian didn’t even feel the sadness.
She warned him long ago.
Not to touch Vallois.
[No matter how he’s a noble who runs away, don’t ignore him.]
When she didn’t see her husband for the first time, she thought he had gone to the Free State because of the Twin Ax guild as usual.
But after a month.
Soon after, six months had passed, and the Madam had already anticipated it to some extent.
Gambling. Lottery. Illegal slave trade.
If even one was caught, it would be difficult for them to escape the death penalty.
Marchioness Eillian wanted to stop such a husband.
However.
[I couldn’t easily stop from the amount of wealth that came in easily compared to the effort.]
That’s right.
The water had already spilled.
“…The Knights of Vallois will come soon.”
Before that, she had to run away.
The only property not registered as of Eillian family was the illegal slave ledger.
The Marchioness , who was in a hurry to pick up a bunch of paper, gave a shout to the servants.
“What are you doing, not helping me! You’re not even a turtle, carry the loads quickly!”
In the middle of all that fuss.
“Kyaaak!”
Something hit the Madam’s forehead as she was rushing to the private carriage.
“Has it been taken yet?”
It was a huge man with red hair.
“…What?”
“The slave document of a child named Xian. I asked if it hadn’t been taken away yet.”
A shady look flashed through the shadows that covered it like the shadows of trees.
“…Yes, yes. That’s right.”
Feeling her lungs shrink from the ferocious force, the Madam stammered her words.
“Then I’ll take it.”
Swooshㅡ
Neither an explanation nor a request.
A man who extorted documents by force wasn’t the attitude a commoner would show to an aristocrat.
Yet the frightened Madam couldn’t even speak.
“…C-Coachman. Let’s go.”
After so long.
The Madam came to her senses only after the man disappeared from her sight.
Rather, it might have been a good thing.
If you see a man asking if it was ‘taken away’ by Vallois, it means that he doesn’t have a favorable relationship with Vallois.
“…If you take that bomb-like document, the favor is on me.”
In the face of her husband’s death, the Madam saw nothing but her own life line.
“Coachman, let’s go. Hurry!”
The Madam, who decided to forget the slave papers of a child named Sian, took refuge in a mountain valley.
***
“…What, what!?”
It wasn’t only Marchioness Eillian who became a mess because of the death of Viscount Shrek.
“No wonder Viscount Shrek was executed.”
“I heard they left Madam Vivian who was sick so unattended, of course he will go to the goal.”
Duke Bell gnashed his teeth at the reaction of the nobles.
He was a collateral family of Vallois and the current Duke of Bell.
“The problem is that he passed the property on to his five-year-old direct princess.”
“…What?!”
Surprised by the Duke’s words, the people on the side of the branch almost fell back.
It was no surprise that Viscount Shrek had died.
Known as a master of swordsmanship, the Vallois family rose to the ranks of the four major families through war and conquest.
On the contrary, Vallois knew nothing but hit and run.
It means that they’re scary yet ignorant.
And in the present.
They were at the peak of their ignorance due to the defeat of the Duke of Vallois, who couldn’t acknowledge the dead Duchess.
“…In the meantime, the property of the Marquis is passed on to a five-year-old child?”
“It’s crazy.”
“How crazy.”
Other collateral families nodded at Duke Bell’s words.
In fact, considering the size of the property alone, it wasn’t surprising.
It was a bit excessive for a five-year-old, but the children of the four major families had some level of wealth.
The problem was that the family head of Vallois gave it directly.
“…The five-year-old princess… No matter how much she claims to be a direct descendant, isn’t she a child born on the street? Young Lord Kai and Young Lord Bian are also direct descendants, but why on earth…”
“The rumors may be exaggerated.”
“It would be clear if you go to the castle and check it yourself.”
“Who would step into the lair of the black panther on their own?”
“I’m scared.”
People trembled.
They wanted to check secretly when the Duke was gone, yet the leashed black panther managed to stay at the Duke’s castle until now.
He even gave a present to his daughter.
“Will Vallois be able to make a fresh start?”
In fact, the collateral families were tired of the Duke running away for five years.
Vallois possessed the largest military power in the Rolls Empire.
It was said that they had kept the dignity of the four major families with that one, yet his current reputation was heading towards the abyss, being called a villain.
It was like that last time too.
Didn’t he kill a witch and turn the forest into a sea of fire?
“Anyway, we’ll find out whether the rumors are true or not through the regular meeting.”
“The regular meeting?”
“His Grace hasn’t attended in five years, has he? But if he takes this opportunity to attend the regular meeting…”
The sound caused a few people to burst into hollow laughter.
“It sounds like something out of a fairytale.”
While the collateral families were worried about the future of Vallois.
‘Why are you worried about a family that is going to ruin like this? No matter how collateral I may be, the Bell family is definitely one of the four major families!’
In another sense, Duke Bell, full of worry and jealousy, rose from his seat.
“I’ll check it out.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll check to see if the black panther is still in his house!”
At Duke Bell’s promise, people looked at him with hope.
Duke Bell felt satisfied and left.
However, it wasn’t only the collateral that kept an eye on Vallois’ progress.
At that time.
At an unidentified glass greenhouse.
“…A direct princess out of nowhere?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The red-haired man knelt before his master without hesitation.
He was the man with a large body who extorted slave trade paper from the Marquis of Eillian.
“This is the slave document of Sian you mentioned.”
“Thank you. But it’s difficult for me to keep it, so keep it for yourself. Any other information?”
“Currently, the collaterals select the direct princess as the cause of Duke Vallois’ drastic change.”
“Hmm.”
“I will handle it.”
The man’s red gaze stayed on the owner in the shadows.
“No. Watch it for a while. I want to see the skills of the child I sent to the duchy as planned.”
Her pale arms protruded from the darkness.
The corner of the woman’s lips, who was holding the teacup was lifted terrifyingly.
***
“How is Sian?”
“…Sian?”
“There is a blonde boy.”
“Ah, you’re talking about the slave. I heard he has woken up now, but I guess he hasn’t fully recovered yet. Still, the treatment was successful, though?”
“Phew. I’m glad.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, I swept away my throbbing heart.
100th life.
I can’t let go of my first friend like this.
Like my relationship with Cassis, and with Sian.
It’s all going my way.
“Ihihihi… Hihihi… Fufufufu!”
“Her laugh is also Vallois, as expected of Little Miss!”
When I let out the purest laugh of all the days I had lived in Billishia so far, Agasa, who was standing next to me, clapped his hands vigorously.
Green leaves swaying in sunlight.
Petals blown in the air by the wind.
Wildflowers that had been blooming in the hands of the gardener were sparsely sticking out their heads.
This garden was said to have been made by Cassis while waiting for that woman.
Maybe it was because of Mom’s pink hair and blue eyes.
The garden glistened in the sunlight with shades of pink and blue.
“Hihihihihihi! Sprinkle more! Sprinkle more!”
“I didn’t expect you to reveal the money like this.”
“Whawt?!”
“Luxuriously, I mean.”
When I, who was buried in a pile of money, raised the ax gaze, Agasa mechanically gave a pretty smile.
It was also a historic day.
Episode 2 of the life of Billishia.
Finally, the day of direct maintenance cost!
“Sprinkle more, sprinkle moreeee!”
Vallois is one of the four major families representing the Rolls Empire.
It’s not a golden spoon life that comes every day!
I had to enjoy this feeling of floating in the sky more.
As I spread my short arms in the air and shouted, Lisa, who smiled like a mother, rubbed her palms and sprinkled money.
“Yes. Miss Billishia. I’ll pour it again!”
“Hihihihi… Hihihihihihi!”
Swooshㅡ
When the paper texture of bills descending through the air touched my cheeks, I burst out laughing in a dizzying mood.
These bills, overflowing even covering my body, were only 1,000 pesos.
It’s less than one-tenth of the 1000 gold that came out for direct maintenance cost, so I have no choice but to love it.
“Hihihihi… Hihihihii!”
In fact, I already have a gold spoon.
Whether it’s a dress, jewelry, or furniture. Everything I wanted was arranged before I even said so, that’s why I couldn’t indulge in luxury with this money.
But, with this money, I can buy a building.
Of course, the goal of escaping Vallois Castle is…
[I won’t spill the strawberry cake this time.]
Swooshㅡ
It was then.
My laughter subsided as a friendly voice pierced my ears through the bills filling my vision.
Suddenly, a strange hope struck me.
‘Could Cassis live well without running into the female lead, Isilis?’
Dad and me.
And only our family together with my brothers, whom I haven’t met yet.
‘Eventually, she’ll enter the Imperial Family, so he’ll run into her, but if Dad’s just not obsessed with the female lead.’
…Is it possible?
Suddenly, in deep thought, the short limbs that were swimming stopped moving.
“Miss Baby?”
“Princess?”
It’s true that my relationship with Cassis has improved dramatically recently, but Dad’s obsession with Isilis could have been a different issue anyway.
‘Will he listen if I ask him so?’
“Miss Billishia?”
I was working on a hypothetical scenario of my own, then orange hair fluttered in the air.
“Do you like the cat doll I made or gold?”
Ah, right.
I was with Lisa and Agasa.
.
Only then did I blink when I returned to reality.
Lisa seemed to have changed the subject, wondering why I suddenly lost my focus and was mesmerizing.
Of course…
Hmm. He’d be hurt if I told him right away.
“Cat doll, or gold. What is the Princess’ choice?”
At some point, Lisa, who had come onto her knees, was removing the bills from the top of my head.
I pretended to be worried for a while with the bills and my black hair tangled, then shyly said,
“…That, that… G-Gowld…”
“Then, Miss Baby. Do you like this Agasa or gold?”
“Gold.”
“…Did your pronunciation suddenly become correct?”
Why. So what. What would you do with the choice of the master, who reveals money?
“Dad, or money.”
“Of course… Eh?”
Just then, well-ironed light trousers came into view.
Soon Cassis, on his knees, looked at me buried in the bills and asked in a thoughtful voice.
“Money, or Dad. Which of the two is it?”
Obviously, if you ask such a scary question…
“Dad! Hihii.”
Praise me for giving you the right answer you wanted, Father.
Lately, I raised my hands with a smile, anticipating what kind of expression Cassis, who has improved his reactions these days, would make this time.
“Billishia, you’re wrong.”
It wasn’t a compliment?
Then Cassis, who suddenly touched the bridge of my nose, raised the corner of his bloody lips while resting his chin.
“You should have both.”