Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 14

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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 14

To be honest, yes—there was a petty motive. The desire to blow off stress.
Ever since I opened my eyes as the Neglected Princess with no answers in my future, I hadn’t slept a single night without worry. Stress accumulated all day long.
Yesterday, I’d even had a strange dream. Some white rice-cake-like thing wavered in the air asking, “Will you make a contract with me?” I can’t remember what I answered, but….
In any case, Lisianthus’s visit turned out well for me. I safely took possession of the contract goods and confirmed everything I needed to.
The problem is, he brought worries along with him.
For now, I can’t let it show—not in any way—that my relationship with the Castrain Ducal House has improved, or that we have some contractual connection, or anything of the sort.
Why would I have bothered warning Raymond that “I’m going to keep acting like a madwoman, so don’t mind me,” otherwise?
But that Lisianthus—he came straight here, exactly as the Duke sent him, without any excuse or pretext. That was the problem.
Is this another test from the Duke? Am I supposed to keep my reputation in the gutter of my own accord?
We met, and there’ll be times we meet again in the future, but am I supposed to tell everyone that “our relationship is absolutely terrible”? Isn’t the test a bit harsh for a Neglected Princess with no money, no power, no reputation, Duke?
So there I stood, looking at the charred wooden branch, the wide-open garden window, and Lisianthus, turning the problem over in my head with deliberate care.
And then I smiled, delighted.
“Let’s cause such a scene that everyone forgets what happened when we meet.”
Lisianthus’s eyes narrowed. I grabbed his hand and pressed the half-burned wooden branch into it.
“Light this for me.”
“Uh, what?”
Lisianthus obediently lit the branch. Crackling flames leaped from the wood as I jumped up delightedly. Then I looked around.
The window was truly enormous—wide enough that one person could slip in or out without anyone noticing.
I set fire to the tablecloth first.
Lisianthus went pale.
“You—what are you—what in the world do you think you’re doing?!”
“Wahaha! It burns so well! Wahahaha! I love destroying property!”
“Are you setting the Rose Palace on fire?!”
Can’t you tell? I’m setting a fire, not pouring water.
“It’s my palace—what does it matter if I set it? Actually, it matters plenty! This will be your name that burned it!”
“What kind of nonsense is that?!”
I don’t understand why this idiot, who was just lighting fires indoors, suddenly plays the innocent. Of course it’s his doing. Why would I have asked him to light the fire in the first place?
Two hands are better than one at holding a blank page; two hands clapping together make a sound.
Even if word of today’s events spreads, I have nothing to be ashamed of.
Why?
Because the person who drove the Neglected Princess—who’d only ever caused small property damage before—to such a rampage is obviously—
That crazy lunatic who came here cursing at the foolish princess who dared summon her precious older brother under the pretense of illness!
I’m simply turning the would-be arsonist into an actual one a bit earlier, that’s all.
I grabbed the branch and danced.
“This is revenge for my broken mind! Wahahahahaha! You finance manager handling the Rose Palace budget! You must’ve been so happy, conspiring with the servants’ leader to embezzle! I’ll slit open your belly and make you cough it all back up! Wahahaha!”
“What—what?! Embezzlement?”
As my words poured out, Lisianthus kept gasping in shock. Did he really think I wouldn’t know? That Titania was treated as nothing but a figurehead princess. Of course he knew.
I ignored Lisianthus’s reaction and pressed on with my rampage.
No one could stop me. I walked my path of chaos alone, like a rhinoceros’s horn.
“Put out the fire, servants! This won’t end with just this!”
“You—really, you’ve lost your mind! What kind of royal sets fire to their own palace?!”
“This one!”
That’s right.
Even when Titania nearly died falling from the palace balcony, no one mentioned repairs—not even the beginning of the word.
So then!
All I have to do is make repairs absolutely necessary!
I dodged Lisianthus as he desperately tried to grab me, squeezed myself through the wide-open window, and jumped.
Whoosh!
I threw myself into the garden. Lush green surrounded me. Honestly… nothing worth looking at. Even for a palace where a princess lived, they could’ve planted more flowers, but instead of clicking my tongue, I set things on fire.
“Burn, burn it all!”
Each time Lisianthus heard my mad laughter, his face grew paler.
Crackling, flames spread to the shrubs trimmed to ankle height, and an acrid smell filled the air.
Sorry, gardener!
Sorry, yew trees!
Actually, I’m not sorry to the gardener. You must’ve been thrilled embezzling from a palace where guests rarely visit!
You sold off expensive seeds and planted only evergreens and weeds instead!
To begin with, nearly seventy percent of the servants belonging to the neglected Rose Palace are spies planted by others, and the remaining thirty percent are worthless people who drifted here because they have no power anywhere else.
But even if they initially stumbled into the Rose Palace by chance, they gradually became corrupted by the spies who came with ulterior motives.
In other words, they conspired to neglect the princess, scorn her, embezzle her funds, and make her look foolish.
How stupid of them.
Even the spies planted in this palace have some backing from above, however temporary their use might be.
But those palace servants with no backing, no connections, who were pushed here out of necessity—I can’t fathom why they would scorn a princess.
In short: there’s not a single person in the Rose Palace who feels guilty toward the princess, who sneaks her favors or anything like that!
They all deserve to suffer!
“What are you doing?! You’re putting yourself in danger! Do you underestimate fire? Do you want to die?!”
Just as I intended, the Rose Palace—built without proper insulation or fire precautions from the start—burned beautifully and bright.
Soon, the outer walls of the reception room and the entire space adjoining the garden transformed as if demons were leaping forth from Hell itself.
When things reached this point, a horrified voice came from a distance.
“Fire!”
“Isn’t that the young master Lisianthus?!”
“Your Highness…!”
Hmm, not much time left.
As I calculated the minutes in my head, I looked at Lisianthus—whose eyes still couldn’t understand what I was doing—and smiled sweetly.
“I’m not underestimating it.”
“What kind of insanity is this….”
“It’s dangerous, so yes—even when a princess fell from the balcony, no one mentioned repairs. But when a fire breaks out, there’s a risk to life, so no one will suspect a princess of setting it herself, right?”
I threw the branch Lisianthus had lit far from me. Crack, crackle—I heard things continuing to burn. I stepped on the branch. The fire went out faster than expected.
I leaned close to Lisianthus’s ear and whispered. His ear twitched.
“When they rebuild the Rose Palace, slip some of your family’s people in and create a passage for me.”

“I’ll pay you back later. For now—well, as you said, a fleeting princess like me could die there if someone bored decides to start a fire.
Lisianthus’s eyes widened at my words. His lips moved as if to speak. That was when—
“Your Highness!”
A servant’s panicked cry reached us.
I immediately shoved Lisianthus.
Then, eyes rolling back in my head, I pointed at him with fingers trembling with rage.
“That madman! He tried to burn the princess—the princess! Just because he carries a Magic Sword!”
“Your Highness!”
“Doesn’t anyone hear me?! He set fire to the Imperial Palace! He tried to harm the princess! Seize that traitor!”
As I thrashed and ranted as if I could eat Lisianthus alive, terrified servants and attendants rushed to hold me down. Our eyes met.
The shock in his eyes, which had frozen for a moment, suddenly filled with meaningful light.
Yes—if you’re not an idiot, you should understand why I’m doing this.
“Your Highness, please!”
“Someone call the guards! Extinguish the fire!”
Lisianthus’s expression changed. Now he wore an expression so infuriating and exasperating that anyone would want to hit him.
The climax was his line.
“You say I’m incompetent and can’t light a fire?! You insult me, calling me a fool who can’t even light a fire with a sword?!”
Grinding his teeth as if furious, Lisianthus drew his sword.
Whoosh!
Right on cue, flames erupted from Lisianthus’s blade.

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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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