For the Young Villain’s Happy Ending - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 11

Only after Kevenriak learned how to make a pinky promise could he finally escape from Raina Hart’s embrace.

“You hook your pinkies together and press your thumbs like this.”
“Is this a promise?”
“Yes. Repeat after me. I will.”
“I will.”

Kevenriak spoke each word clearly, not yet understanding what Raina Hart was leading toward.
Raina Hart suppressed the smile tugging at her lips and composed her expression into something solemn.

“Become a magnificent mage.”
“Become a magnificent mage.”
“And shower my master with comfort and prosperity.”
“And shower my master with comfort and prosperity…?”

This was early childhood education at its finest.
A satisfied Raina Hart ruffled Kevenriak’s hair.

“Since you’ve made a promise, you must keep it. In return, I’ll make sure you’re happy, Your Highness. Even more so than now.”

Her words struck him as peculiar.
How could she make him happier than he already was?

“Do you think I’ll break my promise?”
“Not at all.”

Even as Kevenriak denied her concern, he beamed with joy at having a master who would make such a vow to him.

***

A month passed.
Kevenriak studied diligently to honor his promise.
He had always possessed a brilliant mind; he simply hadn’t known what he was missing before.
With Person and the Butler teaching him etiquette bit by bit, he now carried himself with the bearing of a true prince.
And magic—he grasped Raina Hart’s lessons instantly and applied them with remarkable aptitude.

Raina Hart’s study, which served as a classroom.
Raina Hart gazed at Kevenriak with wide, astonished eyes.
Upon Kevenriak’s palm hovered a small flame, suspended in the air.
It was his first successful fire spell.

‘He’s already capable of first-circle magic.’

At eight years old, children typically couldn’t yet form a mana heart—they were still in the theoretical learning phase.
Yet Kevenriak had constructed his own mana heart just three weeks after beginning his studies, and now,
in the fourth week, he had already mastered how to wield that mana.
His astonishingly rapid progress even impressed Raina Hart, who carried the memories of an archmage.

“You truly are remarkable, Your Highness.”
“…?”

When Raina Hart trailed off, Kevenriak watched her expression carefully.

‘Perhaps she’s disappointed because the flame is too small.’

But as if to dispel such needless thoughts, Raina Hart gently patted his head.

“You’re truly my finest student.”

Beneath her calm voice lay unmistakable pride.

‘The author didn’t write this carelessly after all. Of course—the main villain’s stats need to be at least this impressive.’

As she gazed fondly at the child, the Butler arrived seeking Raina Hart.

“My lady, the Village Chief has arrived.”
“Ah, has it already grown so late?”

Hibei had been rebuilt, and Raina Hart had returned to the castle.
Word of this spread, and the villagers who had fled began returning to Hibei.
Among them were those of unknown origin, and the Village Chief had sought Raina Hart several days prior regarding this matter.

“Only with your lordship’s approval can they be accepted as residents.”

The Village Chief said he would bring them to the castle, but I had no desire for the fortress to be bustling with activity.
I disliked a crowded castle.
I told them to gather in one place, using the pretext of personally inspecting the living quarters.
The Village Chief’s visit today was to escort me to that location.

‘An increase in residents is actually welcome. The village was short on hands for farming, after all.’

Not all who had left Hibei had returned.
I couldn’t solve the labor shortage with magic every single time.
This timing worked out well.

‘As long as they’re not criminals, I’ll let them stay.’

I placed the flame Kevenriak had created into a transparent cube and carved today’s date into the cube’s base.
As long as the cube remained unbroken, the flame would never extinguish.

‘What on earth… are you doing?’

The Butler watched me slip the cube into a spatial pouch, puzzled by my actions.
He could never quite fathom the thoughts behind my expressionless demeanor.
In the meantime, I handed Kevenriak a grimoire.

“I’ll be away in the village for a bit. Study up to this point while I’m gone.”

I may seem like a rather demanding mentor, but this approach was better.

“…Person, why is the Fourth Prince sleeping here?”
“It seems he dozed off while waiting for you. Whenever you leave, he sits at the main hall entrance without moving until you return.”

Whenever I left the castle, Kevenriak would sit at the entrance to the main building without stirring until my return.
Once I realized this, I began assigning him homework every time I had to go out.
Fortunately, the homework worked. At least it kept him seated in a chair instead of on the cold floor.

“You know you’re supposed to read books while sitting at a desk, don’t you?”

At my words, Kevenriak nodded, clutching the grimoire.

“I’ll be back soon.”
“Come back early?”
“Yes.”

At those words, Kevenriak broke into a broad smile and saw me off.

“Safe travels, Raina.”

***

“We’ve arrived.”

I reached the Village Chief and the Village through instantaneous teleportation magic.
As I stepped into the tavern the Village Chief guided me to, a dozen or so people rose from their seats and bowed respectfully to their lord.

“My lord, you eliminated the bandits not long ago, didn’t you? These are refugees who crossed the mountains alongside our village residents during that time.”

About a week prior, bandits had descended upon Hibei once more, causing trouble.
Word of it reached my ears.

‘If I leave them be, they’ll just keep being a nuisance.’

With that thought, I decided to end the matter once and for all, and swept through every last bandit.
I’d captured them all and deposited them on the opposite continent, so they were probably struggling with communication by now.
I examined the refugees who had crossed the mountains. Among them were small children.
Then one child caught my attention.

‘A girl with red hair, around Kevenriak’s age…’

Red hair wasn’t common, but it wasn’t rare enough to be shocking either.
Yet why did my gaze keep returning to her?

‘Is she a character from the novel?’

My question was answered shortly after.
A translucent window I hadn’t seen in ages obscured my vision.

Go out and see the vast world!
Kin followed her father’s words, disguised herself as a man, and entered the Imperial Knights as an apprentice knight.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace, the first thing she heard was a story about the so-called fool Fourth Prince.

‘Who calls him a fool?’

Raina Hart clicked her tongue while gazing out the window, recalling the novel’s plot that she knew.
Kin. In the original work, the advisor to Kevenriak Heteroven, who ruled as a tyrant.
A swordsmanship prodigy born into an impoverished noble family, yet unable to demonstrate her skills because she was a woman.
Her father, lamenting this, had used his connections to secure her a position as an apprentice knight in the Imperial Household.

‘She would disguise herself as a man and serve as an apprentice knight in the Imperial Palace, eventually meeting Kevenriak Heteroven at the Separate Palace.’

Contrary to the rumors of the fool prince, Kevenriak Heteroven at thirteen, after gaining an opportunity, was skilled in magic and brilliant.
Kin became interested in such a Kevenriak Heteroven and began following him around, eventually becoming his right hand—or so the original work had described.

‘Is this really Kin?’

Raina Hart felt puzzled as she observed the child trembling, unable even to meet her eyes.

‘Her personality seems different from the original work.’

In the novel, Kin had been described as a swordsmanship prodigy overflowing with confidence from childhood.
…Perhaps the journey to Hibei had been so arduous that it affected her.

‘Did she come to Hibei alone?’

Raina Hart scanned the people around Kin with her eyes, then whispered quietly to the Village Chief.

“What’s the name of that red-haired child?”
“She’s Kin. Nine years old this year, and it seems she lost her grandfather during the war.”
“She lost her father?”
“Yes, yes. Is there some problem with that…?”

Raina Hart unknowingly furrowed her brow.
Kin’s circumstances had diverged from the setting she knew. Could it be the influence of her taking in Kevenriak Heteroven?

‘Since Kin is Kevenriak Heteroven’s closest confidant, it’s not entirely implausible.’

At the same time, unease settled over me.
The original story might diverge far more drastically than I had anticipated.
I would need to check on the conditions of Tiernan Fargan, the male lead, and Vivian Asperada, the female lead, very soon.

‘From now on, I must minimize any deviations from the original plot.’

I had already interfered in Kevenriak Heteroven’s and Tiernan Fargan’s childhoods.
I couldn’t predict how much the future would diverge because of it, but at least the beginning of the original story had to match what I knew.
Only then could I anticipate the events that would unfold later to some degree.

“My lord…? Is something troubling you?”
“No. The guests should be able to stay in Hibei. Do we have sufficient accommodations?”
“We do. There are many vacant houses. And regarding a similar matter, I have something I would like to discuss with you, my lord.”

The Village Chief approached me cautiously.

“Besides Kin, there are quite a few children who have lost their parents. I wish we had a facility to care for them.”
“Are you speaking of an orphanage?”
“Yes. Hibei does not yet have such a facility.”

I fell silent in thought for a moment, then nodded.

“You’re right. I’ll draw up a budget and hand it to the Butler for review.”
“Very well, my lord.”

With the lord’s approval granted, the Village Chief gathered the children.

“Ah.”

Then I pointed to one of the children.

“I’ll take that child with me.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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