I Just Wanted Revenge, But Everyone Loves Me - Chapter 13

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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 13
“Brother!”
The moment she added that one word with exaggerated emphasis, the Duke’s brow furrowed.
“That’s precisely why you must be prepared. If you go in there sniveling and falling apart, it becomes our problem…….”
“Don’t worry!”
I understood what the Duke was concerned about.
‘He’s afraid I’ll get in his way.’
Dragons are inherently independent beings.
They don’t nurture others or take care of them—that simply isn’t their nature. They’re indifferent even to their own kind, so how bothersome would it be to look after one human child?
‘I can do this alone.’
I’m used to it.
“I promise I won’t be any trouble at all. I won’t whine or cry about being scared. You don’t have to worry about me.”
……
“I sleep just fine on my own, really!”
There were plenty of other things I could do.
I could eat without spilling, all by myself.
I could wash, I could do laundry.
Long ago, the nights frightened me and I’d cry from loneliness, but I’m accustomed to it now, so it’s fine.
“I really won’t be a bother.”
……
“Just protect me.”
That was the condition of our arrangement.
I’d never thought of asking for anything more, nor had I ever wished for it.
“I’ll do my part too. I’ll work hard to clear your false accusation.”
With Bangcardium’s protection, I could pursue my revenge.
‘I’ll uncover the truth.’
And I will protect what must be protected.
Bangcardium.
And myself.
* * *
“……This won’t do.”
After Karin returned to the Prison first,
Veronica, who remained in her seat, clenched her fists tightly.
After a moment’s hesitation, she turned to Rodrigo.
“Brother.”
“No.”
“But I haven’t even said anything yet?”
“You want me to take the child in.”
“Yes.”
“Forget it.”
“Why!”
His refusal was firm, and Veronica pushed back. But Rodrigo remained stubborn.
“What if Karin actually agreed to become a true member of Bangcardium?”
Not protection—but a genuine part of the family.
“There’s nothing to agree to.”
“No, honestly it doesn’t matter. We have plenty of rooms in our house. Surely there’s space for one small child? Besides, she said revenge is her dream.”
Bangcardium’s patronage wasn’t mere power. It carried honor and authority rivaling the Imperial Court itself.
Though she bore a false accusation, it wasn’t a matter of clan extinction.
I don’t know who she means to take revenge against, but that much, at least, we could certainly provide.
“It would be far better than fighting alone.”
There would be no comparison.
To have a dragon’s aid.
But.
“The child refused.”
“What? Refused Bangcardium?”
“Yes. She asked only for shelter.”
She said she would pursue her revenge on her own.
The way she’d spoken so carefully—that lingered with me.
Hearing his words, her face twisted with something she couldn’t quite contain.
“But…… how can I pretend I didn’t hear that?”
Now that she’d heard such a thing.
The child was barely four years old.
An age where eating well and sleeping soundly earned praise.
Dragons, granted, developed independently from infancy, but Karin was an ordinary human child.
No—setting aside whether she was a dragon or not, was it even normal for a mere four-year-old to speak that way?
“……I don’t know what Brother thinks, but I can’t stop being bothered by it.”
The way she looked like she’d tumble if you poked her, how that pink dust kept swirling around her, and the way she sometimes carried herself as though she’d lived a thousand lifetimes—all of it nagged at her.
‘Revenge, she said.’
A small child bearing such a determination must have a reason.
Veronica found herself wondering what pain the child carried to harbor such thoughts of vengeance.
At first she’d been bothered because the girl resembled a friend of hers; now the child herself had lodged in her mind.
It was odd. Dragons rarely concerned themselves so deeply with another being.
But that very fact was precisely why Rodrigo could not accept her.
“Don’t develop unnecessary attachment. Unless you want things to become troublesome later.”
“What about putting her under my care?”
“Are you suggesting adoption?”
“If it were possible?”
“Ridiculous.”
To register an identity still uncertain with Bangcardium was unthinkable.
“Under normal circumstances, this child wouldn’t even be allowed to set foot in Bangcardium. Don’t entertain such notions.”
Even if Veronica wished to bring the girl in as her adopted daughter, final approval rested with Rodrigo.
Which meant that unless he consented, the child could never become part of Bangcardium.
Faced with his unmovable resolve, Veronica finally relented, clicking her tongue.
“Stubborn dragon.”
“That’s rich coming from you.”
Rodrigo let out a light scoff, crossing his long legs with practiced arrogance.
But even as he spoke that way,
his gaze had drifted toward the door through which the small child had departed.
‘I promise I won’t be any trouble at all. I won’t whine or cry about being scared. You don’t have to worry about me.’
‘I sleep just fine on my own, really!’
‘……Damn it.’
Why had she said such things?
* * *
Normally, those confined to the Solitary Cell weren’t permitted to walk outside.
The purpose was to keep them locked away the entire day.
But exceptions could always be made.
I still had three more days left in solitary, but fortunately, with Sys’s permission, I was able to take brief walks during the day.
Thanks to that, after lunch I could spend a little time with my sister—
“Oof!”
“My Karin! You in such a harsh place without me!”
The moment we met, she swept me into her arms and rubbed her face against mine.
By the time we’d been together for a while,
“Prisoner 444. Release 100.”
even the guard who couldn’t bear it any longer had to speak up.
“How can I put her down? She’s so tiny.”
My sister breezily ignored this, only holding me tighter.
“Sister, don’t your arms get tired? I’m heavy.”
I’d been eating a lot lately, so I must have gotten heavier.
“Of course not. You’re not heavy at all. How could holding a bit of dust tire me out?”
‘Dust?’
Was I really that light?
I tilted my head in confusion, but my sister simply patted my back without further comment.
“Yawn.”
Nestled in her warm embrace, warmed by the sunlight, sleepiness naturally began to overtake me.
After I yawned and whimpered a little, my sister said it was fine to sleep, her voice turning gentle. But I stubbornly shook my head.
“No. I won’t sleep.”
Everyone else walked about confidently on their walks. How could I alone be carried around and do nothing but sleep?!
“……Whimper.”
Just for a moment…… sleep!
‘A person can sleep a little…… can’t they?’
Losing to sleep was dreadfully embarrassing, but what could I do about it?
‘My sister’s arms are just too comfortable!’
During the day, I couldn’t consult with the Duke or Sys even when I saw them.
They too had to mind others’ eyes for now. So we could only meet at night.
‘I need to build up my strength.’
I rationalized that this was all because of the warm sunlight and my sister’s warmth, a preparation for what lay ahead, and drifted off to sleep.
And when I stirred myself awake again with determination,
“……Huh?”
the sun had already set.
“Is our Karin awake now?”
My sister still held me,
“She certainly sleeps a lot.”
and across from us stood the Duke and the Prison Commander.
“Children sleep considerably, Your Lordship.”
“That one didn’t used to.”
“But Veronica is a dragon, is she not? One mustn’t compare an ordinary child to her.”

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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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