This Three Year Old Is a Villainess-Chapter 266
In that moment, a flood of thoughts came.
Should I just flatly deny it?
On the Kansis Continent, at the Varan palace no magic may be used except that which is authorized.
So I couldn’t perfectly disguise myself with magic, but I did apply makeup.
“So if I just deny it outright... no, that won’t work.”
Even so, I look exactly like her and my voice is identical, so it’s impossible. And besides, Raon has a keen nose.
If they drag me off now they’ll recognize me at once.
If I deceive them, the matter could escalate even further.
“Should I kill them? No one’s around... no, that’s not it either.”
If a member of the Kansis royal family were to be killed in Astra—
Even without a formal invitation from Kalsoie, it would become a serious incident.
In that brief instant my mind raced fiercely.
“The Crown Prince of Varan is questioning me.”
“Lil?”
“That’s bad. Heben and Yuri came too.”
Heben of the Brikt ducal house, nephew of Queen Terevia, with teal hair. Yuri, the Third Prince, with blond hair.
They’re as sniffing as Raon.
Ten minutes earlier, at the ducal manor.
Heben narrowed his brow at Raon, who was gripping the window frame.
What is this.
It’s Lil.
Raon vaulted over the frame and ran off.
Valderik cried out, greatly flustered.
“What...! Your Highness! Crown Prince!”
Heben and Yuri also hurriedly called out to Raon.
Hey! Crown Prince!
Brother!
Damn, what is all this fuss? Is that really Lil?
I don’t know.
Her back looked familiar.
Yuri manipulated his monocular magic tool. The woman running was magnified.
There are similarities. But...
Yeah, no matter how you look at it, she’s a noble. Lil was a commoner. Why would a noble serve as a maid in a trading troupe in the first place?
She was extremely good at her work too.
Duke Brikt, Heben’s father, said,
“She’s a talented child. It’s as if she was born under the star of labor! Ha ha ha ha!”
She did her job so well that the cleaning company hired her and she accomplished many feats.
In the end she won Duke Brikt’s full favor.
Thanks to that, despite being a foreigner, she was allowed to work in the royal palace.
Yuri muttered,
“There’s still a chance, right?”
“But, Your Highness the Third Prince—”
“In any case, we have to chase her. It’d be troublesome if my brother turns the Astra estate to rubble.”
“Damn it!”
The two of them vaulted over the frame.
“No, what are you two doing? This is problematic! If you go about unguarded—!”
As Valderik shouted, Yuri said,
“It seems we’ve found a lead on the person we’re looking for. If you resolve this matter, Your Highness, I’ll discuss a reward.”
Valderik’s face brightened.
The three, including Raon, hurried after the woman.
All the way to the gate where the Third Generation astra gathered.
They stood with mouths agape.
This is insane...!
Is that really Erilot?
She didn’t have any physical-enhancement blessing!
Darkness enveloped the running woman’s body.
The darkness climbed the trees, and when it reached the top she sprang forth from the shadows.
Whoa, she’s falling!
No! Look!
She was flying through the air.
Yuri manipulated the monocular again to zoom in on her.
Her face couldn’t be seen beneath a wide-brimmed hat.
But you could see spirit familiars the size of adult male hands supporting her arms.
Spirit familiars....
At that moment one of the Astra Third Generation who was watching through binoculars shouted,
“It’s a marsh nymph! She’s being supported by marsh nymphs!”
My goodness. She’s utilizing monsters tremendously....
Not only the Third Generation but the soldiers were flustered.
Soon the woman vanished in a certain direction.
“We pursue.”
Heben showed reluctance.
“Must it be like this? If we move carelessly, who knows how we’ll get out of Astra—”
“Yuri.”
Yuri sighed.
Then he tossed a coin-shaped magic tool into the air. The coin whirled and began tracking the woman’s magic.
“Got her. Northeast.”
“We move.”
Heben muttered as if defeated, “Yes, yes.”
The three men took the blessing pendants from around their necks. After syncing them with the tracking device, they moved.
When I opened my eyes we were before a huge tree.
And in front of that tree...
What is that.
A woman was feeling all over the tree.
Raon called to her.
“Lil?”
The woman didn’t answer for quite a while.
Heben asked,
“The Crown Prince of Varan is questioning you.”
Yuri also stepped forward and spoke.
“Isn’t it Lil?”
Up close she became clear.
Her height, the size of her hands, the line of her neck—she was a dead ringer for Lil.
But the woman kept her head bowed and said nothing.
She didn’t even turn around.
Heben narrowed his brow.
“Are you listening? We’re asking—”
He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.
But...
......!
......
What the—.
Yuri, Raon, and Heben frowned as they saw her face.
The woman folded back her hat brim and revealed her face.
“You say you are the Crown Prince of Varan? Oh my! I also studied abroad in Kansis! How wonderful to see you~!”
Her cheeks were puffed, her lips very thick, and her eyes slanted sharply. In no way did she resemble Lil.
Heben jumped back in surprise.
Did you bathe in perfume? It’s horrible.
“Is that so? It’s a very expensive luxury perfume. If it doesn’t suit your taste, next time I’ll wear something even pricier...!”
You said you studied in S-em? You know our language.
“Oh my, you are all such handsome gentlemen! How delightful to see you!”
The woman shyly placed her hand gently on Heben’s outstretched hand.
Heben uttered a groan and quickly recoiled.
“By the way, since fate has brought us together like this I’d like to invite you all to my domain. How delightful would it be if such distinguished gentlemen honored us with your presence!”
Heben retreated with a sour expression.
Yuri glanced at her.
She said Erilot Astra, didn’t she?
Greed plainly shone in his eyes.
“I’m staying in the Valderik domain. I’ll often visit the manor so it shouldn’t be difficult to meet, Lady.”
“Oh my my my my, how joyous. I heard there was talk of the Crown Prince’s visit. Although I have a fiancé, tee hee, if I could form ties with the Kansis Continent....”
No, no, that’s enough.
Heben grimaced and stepped back.
Then he said to Raon,
“Will she stay there?”
......
“You need the passenger list. We must find Lil.”
......
“I’m going back.”
As the woman clung to them, “Oh my my my my, what a pity. Don’t go....”
Heben shouted with a livid face,
“Let’s go!”
Yuri snickered and nodded.
“All right, let’s move.”
The three withdrew their pendants.
Heben muttered,
“Is that all this woman can say, ‘Oh my’?.”
“But she does know our language.”
“But, Yuri—”
“Come on, shall we?”
Heben and Yuri moved first.
Raon watched the woman quietly, then manipulated his pendant.
After they all disappeared, the woman sank onto the underbrush.
“Nana, that’s enough now....”
—she said.
I wiped sweat flowing along my jawline and sighed deeply.
If I hadn’t brought Nana along, I would have been in serious trouble.
The ancient monster ’s special ability, cellular transformation, altered my upper body.
It even touched my vocal cords and altered my voice, allowing me to barely escape those fools.
“It’s a relief to return quickly.”
If I’d returned late, what would have happened?
Awen asked with interest.
“Nana is still young and can’t control her ability well. The longer she stays transformed, the harder it becomes for her to revert to her true form.”
was said to have been attached to the Varan Crown Prince since childhood.
“That’s because the Varan royal blood is special.”
I groaned and rose to my feet, strength draining from my body.
“But I still have things to do.”
I approached the barrier stone embedded in the tree. When I channeled my mana into it a sharp clang sounded and a solid shield formed.
I analyzed the defense formula.
“It’s incredibly complex.”
That’s why I trained in Kansis. Their magic formulas are in a different league from Kalsoie’s.
Having passed through Kansis made the analysis even easier.
In less than ten minutes I had broken the barrier.
Then...
There’s a passage.
“Let’s go in.”
Inside the passage was so dark that I drew the magic tool I carried.
It was brought from Kansis and had various functions.
One of them emits light.
I activated the tool.
A snowflake–shaped lamp floated a little above my palm and glittered brightly.
And what I saw was...
This is...!
I looked around with a determined expression.
It was wall-to-wall weapons.
Swords and shields, even firearms.
“These were imported from abroad. Currently, Kansis is the only place that can import firearms!”
There were also huge barrels of wood strewn about, so I hurried to inspect them.
What’s that?
“...gunpowder.”
This too was from Kansis.
Who gathered such enormous stockpiles? Grime?
Dahlia knew this place. It’s possible Grime told her, but I thought otherwise.
“Grime is too cunning. He wouldn’t install a barrier here that I could break through in ten minutes.”
Then who?
“...Valderik.”
It was odd. Why stay specifically in the Valderik domain’s territory?
They must have been trading for some time and were more familiar with that household than others.
Above all, having the leverage of arms trade made it easier to wield power.
But why prepare so many weapons? To rebel when your father becomes duke?
“No, if that were the case he wouldn’t have bought gunpowder.”
Kansis gunpowder is extremely expensive.
But it has a huge drawback: after one year it loses its function.
Miserly Valderik wouldn’t have spent a fortune without considering that.
“He plans to use it soon.”
Then what is he up to?
“Awen, come out. Pin, Pipi and Nana, Ombre, and... ugh, everyone come out!”
Ombre popped out of the shadows.
When he opened his mouth countless monsters emerged from within.
Awen, in his true form, asked,
“What are you planning by gathering everyone?”
“Fetch water.”
“...What?”
“We’re going to destroy all these things.”
You’re dead, Valderik.
In the carriage departing for the domain.
Valderik clicked his tongue.
The Astra retainers were furious that the Crown Prince’s party used magic tools inside the barrier.
“They demanded someone take responsibility.”
At that, Joffrey twisted his mouth.
“They really don’t know what’s important.”
“Yes.”
“You’ll regret it greatly later.”
“Of course. Once I seize power, I’ll purge all those fools.”
“...Is the plan proceeding well?”
Joffrey asked with an intrigued expression.
Valderik raised an arrogant brow.
“When Daymond returns, he’ll lament seeing the ruined domain.”
Loreina, sitting beside Joffrey, glanced at her father.
“When is the execution day?”
“Five days from now, on the Spirit Guidance Festival.”
The day the spirits guide souls. Daymond’s children will become spirits and leave this land.
Loreina said,
“But I’m uneasy. What if we get caught?”
“We imported weapons with that money for this day. They leave no trace of magical residue.”
Joffrey snickered.
“Before you kill them, let me have a turn. I’ll repay them fully for the past.”
Valderik laughed uproariously and patted Joffrey’s shoulder.
“Of course!”
“Oh, but Father.”
“Yes?”
“What about the wealth of the Daymond domain? They earned quite a bit from white jade. It seems a shame.”
“Do you think I didn’t consider that? I’ll extract it before the Daymond domain collapses, so ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ don’t worry.”
Valderik grinned wickedly.
“How so?”
“There are good pawns. Anos from the Sensia region begged to work under me.”
Loreina showed reluctance.
“But what if we get discovered? It’d be admitting we caused the explosion.”
Joffrey snorted.
“You’re always so fearful, sister. Wasting your blessing.”
“What?”
Loreina glared sharply and Joffrey flinched, clearing his throat.
“Once the gunpowder goes off the castle will collapse anyway. There won’t be any evidence.”
Valderik smiled in satisfaction.
“Yes, there won’t be any evidence. As long as I have the gunpowder.”
Seeing the two of them snickering in unison, Loreina crossed her arms.
“In any case, I hope the plan succeeds. Uncle Grime isn’t here, and Uncle Daymond is closest to becoming duke.”
Valderik chuckled ominously.
“That won’t happen.”
—he muttered murderously.
A few days later.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, exhaustion on my face.
“How long do I have to keep doing this?”
