I Am the 5-Year-Old Spy Who Kidnapped the Villain - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 16】

For a moment, my thought process stopped and my body froze like ice.

“…Well then, I’ll be going.”

Mai also seemed flustered, as if she had spoken without realizing it, and quickly bowed her head before hurriedly disappearing.

A cold silence pressed down on my shoulders.

“…”

Mai was right.

I was the one who broke the contract in the first place.

* * *

At that moment, in the study.

The space where the child’s scent had disappeared lost even the last traces of playfulness.

Especially right after Aisha left.

Callipus’s eyes, no longer needing to maintain a gentle expression, instantly sharpened.

So much so that even Nox, who had been angry, flinched for a moment.

“Can’t even distinguish what should and shouldn’t be said in front of a child.”

At the ice-cold question, Nox finally felt that Callipus had returned to his original state.

He unconsciously stood at attention, but that was actually a relief.

At least it meant His Grace hadn’t gone mad.

“That’s why I fed her strawberries. I’ll ask honestly, Your Grace. What do you like about that brat?”

“Like about her? Is it such a big deal for the ducal household to take in and raise a child with nowhere to go?”

“If that were the case, you would have sent her to the orphanage sponsored by the ducal household, or to a noble family wanting children. That would be the proper thing to do as an adult, as Your Grace said before.”

In fact, Aisha wasn’t the first orphan to enter the ducal household.

After the young lords and princess went missing, the kingdom’s people became obsessed with finding the Croste princes and princess.

No, to be precise.

‘They were obsessed with creating a Croste princess.’

The princes, whose faces were publicly known, couldn’t be helped.

But the princess had gone missing before the duke, who had been away for five years, could even see her face once.

The only thing that could be predicted was that her hair and eye color would be the same as his or the duchess’s. That was all.

Orphanages and lower nobles throughout the country went into chaos.

Whenever they saw a baby with even the slightest resemblance to the ducal couple, they would somehow insist it was the princess.

Callipus arranged good adoptions for the children among them who had nowhere to go.

Then gradually, more and more people began deliberately leaving crying newborns in front of the castle gate.

Knowing how bitter Callipus felt each time this happened, Nox became even angrier.

‘He even started wearing a mask after losing his children.’

Nox knew.

He knew what face and emotions were hidden behind that mask.

“What exactly has changed Your Grace?”

Therefore, Nox protested despite his rudeness.

Callipus was human before he was a hero.

He could break.

He could make mistakes.

It was the aide’s job to assist the head of the family in preparation for such situations.

“…”

A suffocating silence flowed for a moment.

Callipus, now leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, seemed deep in thought.

His face showed he was seriously choosing words he could answer with.

Eventually, he sighed and answered quietly.

“Nothing has changed.”

“Then why…”

“Saving that child. That was the only choice left in my life.”

“…What?”

The only choice left in his life. Saving her.

Nox’s eyes narrowed as he tried to piece together his master’s cryptic words.

That meant.

If he hadn’t saved the child.

“…Your Grace!”

Nox’s face turned pale as he belatedly interpreted the meaning of the answer.

Nevertheless, Callipus remained unmoved.

As if this was something he had thought about for a long time, his red eyes reflected only slight fatigue.

“Going through hell only to get a medal as a result. What reason would I have to live?”

“Was that why you asked for the death potion back then?”

Callipus closed his eyes.

“Figure it out yourself.”

“What do you mean figure it out! Your Grace. Even if dirt gets in my eyes…”

“Ugh.”

This was why he didn’t want to talk about it.

Nox sometimes cared for Callipus more desperately than Callipus thought of himself.

Nox sighed deeply as he watched his disgusted master.

In the end, the aide, who could neither drive the child away nor accept her, had only one choice left.

“…I’ll take charge of the child called Aisha myself.”

“…?”

Callipus’s eyes slowly opened as he had been covering his ears, half-jokingly, half-seriously.

Nox nodded firmly at his surprised face.

He didn’t want to believe it, but he had to acknowledge it.

That child had saved the duke.

“I’ll watch over the child called Aisha to see if she’s really given up being a spy.”

If the child was that important to him, it was worth testing.

Whether that child had really saved His Grace.

Or whether she was preparing to stab His Grace in the back.

* * *

And.

Having no way of knowing this fact, I entered emergency mode.

‘I absolutely must gain their trust.’

Mai’s sincere advice made me realize one thing.

‘Being adopted doesn’t mean it’s over.’

The old man didn’t adopt me because he liked me. It was closer to adopting me out of pity.

If even the only person who trusted me was in this state, what would others think of me?

I didn’t need to think deeply about that.

There was Nox, who was tormenting me even now.

“Do a 5-year-old’s cheeks normally become round like freshly baked bread when eating?”

“…”

I was diligently chewing my steak when a long finger poked my cheek.

Again.

Again, he was watching me.

‘No reaction would be the answer.’

Under his gaze that seemed to be observing a strange magical creature, I rolled my eyes away.

Then Nox, who had been resting his chin on his hand, spoke dryly.

“Or maybe… this brat is a spy.”

“Eat meat!”

I quickly shoved the fork I was bringing to my mouth into his mouth instead.

But-

“Mm. It’s delicious.”

As expected of Croste’s aide.

He didn’t panic even at a former spy’s surprise attack.

He was actually savoring my steak attack.

‘I can’t let my guard down. He’s wary of me.’

For some reason, since that day, Nox had been monitoring me all day long.

Nox Ilias.

He was Duke Callipus’s representative closest aide and the second son of the Marquis Ilias family, vassals of the Croste Ducal Family.

His blue long hair was neatly swept back and tied in a long hairstyle.

His monocle added to his intellectual image, and his remaining teal eye was as beautiful as greenery touched by sea breeze.

Visually speaking, he was quite a handsome man.

However. That was only how he appeared on the surface.

In reality, considering he was a monster otaku with an extreme T MBTI.

Considering he was a childishly brilliant man-child who bullied a 5-year-old former spy.

Except for those things, he was quite handsome.

‘The reason he opposed Callipus’s beheading wasn’t because he pitied me, but because he was worried it would damage the Croste Ducal Family’s image.’

Nox’s outwardly perfect and intellectual image was all fabricated.

All for the sake of the Croste Ducal Family.

‘In the original work, he had no interest in people. I thought he’d just muddle around and disappear on his own.’

Who knew he’d pay this much attention to me.

After savoring the steak for a long time as if toying with me, he swallowed the food.

And then-

“…Miss Aisha is a spy,”

“Derman!”

“Little miss is a spa,”

“Massage is my hobby!”

“…What’s Spider-Man, and what’s spa massage?”

“Those things exist!”

He continued to provoke me like this.

The reason was simple.

“Hmm. Anyway, even though you’re 5 years old, is it because you’re a spy? Your crisis management skills are excellent.”

He was probably curious about what my abilities were.

I appreciate the compliment, but I’ll pass on the suspicion.

“Your skill at tormenting a 5-year-old at your age is also excellent.”

“…Mister?”

That’s when it happened.

When I turned my head at the familiar low voice, a mountain-like man was standing there.

“Kid. Come here and hug me quickly.”

“Yes! …Huh.”

I tried to leap up with frog martial arts at mister’s cool entrance, but-

‘He may have adopted you out of pity, but he probably doesn’t trust you. You were the one who lied first, miss.’

As the uncomfortable truth pierced my heart, my body hesitated.

“…Kid?”

Ah. Mister is calling me.

I quickly hid my expression and grinned foolishly.

But mister had already noticed something was wrong and was approaching me, kneeling down.

Thanks to that, his red eyes became level with mine as I sat in the chair.

And then mister’s arms spread open.

“…”

It seemed like he meant for me to hug him.

“…Aisha.”

Even his low voice urging me was getting lower, half confused and half hurt.

‘No good. I already have no credibility, and if I don’t even act cute…’

I quickly shook my head and put on a bright smile.

And.

“Ahaha, mister~!”

I called him in a slightly over-the-top acting tone and winked once.

Creak creak-

I walked over awkwardly and hugged him.

…To be precise, it wasn’t really a hug but more like I just put my head against him?

“…”

Mister’s gaze looking down at me moved upward-

“Nox.”

“Yes.”

“Kneel.”

“Pardon?”

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