The Oracle of the Villainous Baby - Chapter 3

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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 3
“And this is the Annex Building of the Udiah Duchy, where you will reside from now on, Miss.”
“Eh….”
My eyes widened as I gazed at the mansion Roden Heiner pointed to after we came to a halt.
‘It’s not white, it’s not gleaming, and it’s even smaller than that one.’
Now that I thought about it, the surroundings had become quieter, and the glittering had diminished considerably.
“From today onward, Miss Bunny, you are the 52nd collateral branch member of the Udiah Duchy.”
“…Fifty-two?”
“Yes.”
A number?
I spread my plump, maple-leaf-like hands and began counting on my fingers, then tilted my head in confusion.
“Roden, is fifty-two bigger than twenty-two?”
“Ah, it’s twenty-two twice, and then twelve more added to that.”
Whiiiiing—
A chilling wind swept between me and Roden Heiner.
‘Twenty-two twice and twelve more….’
My head spun in circles. Even using my fingers and toes, it wasn’t enough no matter how many times I counted.
In any case, it was an enormously large number!
“Bunny, are you a young lady of the Gongja-kka…?”
“Yes, Miss Bunny, you are the 16th young lady among the 52 young ladies and young masters.”
Crash!
My daydream of a powerful demon father and spinning in his arms while he laughed shattered with a loud sound.
This was strange. In fairy tales, the protagonist usually monopolized the demon father’s love all by herself, passing through an adorably cute childhood to become a great Demon King….
Fifty-two children…?
The demon father’s back would bend….
If there were as many as fifty-two, I would surely go unnoticed.
‘Bunny, my life is completely ruined…?!’
Recalling the catchphrase that Luriel often said when things didn’t go well, I collapsed to my knees on the ground.
“Miss?”
Roden Heiner, with a startled expression, rushed over and quickly helped me up.
I melted into a puddle.
* * *
“Roden.”
“Yes.”
“I want to live there too.”
After shaking off the gloom that had found me, I pointed my finger at the gleaming, pristine white mansion and spoke.
Roden Heiner, who had been looking at my eyes, averted his gaze slightly before opening his mouth.
“That place is… somewhere you can go if you rank within the top 5.”
“Top… 5?”
“Yes. Since you arrived today, Miss, you are currently ranked 52nd.”
“What does that mean…?”
“The ranking is… well…”
After a moment of hesitation, Roden Heiner knelt on one knee again and met my gaze before speaking.
“It’s a ranking of who studies the best.”
“Studies…?”
“Yes. Here, basic necessities are provided—meals, clothing, shelter, and a minimum allowance—but everything else, you must obtain yourself.”
Roden Heiner spoke carefully, observing my spinning eyes.
Seeing my dazed expression, he continued even more cautiously.
“Do you understand?”
“Um… So Bunny has to work because she’s poor?”
“Ah… well…”
Roden Heiner faltered at my blunt words.
“No. Here, you simply need to participate well in classes, study hard, and earn good grades on exams. As your score increases and your ranking rises, your allowance grows, and eventually you can even hire your own personal knight and maid.”
A knight and a maid!
A lady of the Duke’s House!
My eyes sparkled as I nodded my small head repeatedly and clenched my fists tight.
“Bunny’s super smart!”
Luriel always said I was a genius.
Because I could copy anything perfectly the moment I saw it—I was a truly incredible genius.
That’s why Luriel always taught me so many things.
At the sight of my sparkling, jewel-like pink eyes filled with determination, Roden Heiner’s rigid expression softened, and a faint smile crossed his face.
“…”
He hesitated and reached out his hand, but caught himself and was about to lower it when I thrust my head forward.
“I like head pats!”
“Ahem. Is that so?”
Roden Heiner gently stroked my shimmering water-blue hair a couple of times.
“With your intelligence, you should be able to raise your ranking quickly.”
“Um! Is Roden mine?”
At my question, Roden Heiner almost nodded without thinking, then caught himself.
“No. I’m what you might call a shared knight—I help the young ladies and gentlemen ranked from 40th to 52nd whenever they need assistance.”
Crash!
‘Roden isn’t mine.’
Shocked, I stumbled along behind Roden Heiner.
‘I don’t even have a knight?’
Then… I really am poor…
“This is the Dining Hall.”
Roden Heiner guided me through the interior of a large mansion—smaller than the pristine main building but still impressive—provided me with necessary supplies, and brought me to my room on the Second Floor.
Along the way, I saw several children. Most of them were older than me.
“My guidance ends here. From now on, you’ll be living on your own, but if you need anything, please call for me anytime. Soon, your assigned maid will come to introduce herself.”
“Is the maid mine?”
“No, similarly, those ranked from 40th to 52nd are also….”
Droop.
Before Roden Heiner could even finish speaking, my eyes drooped downward.
‘The path to becoming a Duke’s daughter is so far away….’
Roden Heiner stopped mid-sentence. With each word he spoke, guilt gnawed at him.
This wasn’t the first time he’d brought a child from a collateral branch, but today his heart felt inexplicably pricked with each revelation.
“Roden, goodbye….”
I bowed my head deeply, then sighed heavily before slipping through the barely-open door. Roden Heiner opened the door a bit wider and spoke.
“Yes, it was a pleasure to meet you. Please feel free to call on me anytime, and I will check in on you frequently. So for today, please rest well. For dinner, just come to the Dining Hall at the appointed time.”
“Okay….”
Click.
As the door closed, I pattered around the small room on tiny feet, taking in my surroundings.
No sparkling jewels!
No beautiful, flowing gossamer curtains draped over the bed!
“Sniff sniff. Musty smell.”
There was definitely a stale odor lingering in the air.
Still, it was a room all to myself. Back at the Orphanage, I always had to share with friends, so in truth, this was quite a blessing.
“Hmm.”
I shook my head side to side.
According to Luriel’s “28 Recommended Fantasy Novels for Young Demon Children,” all babies destined to become Demon Lords grow up in harsh environments.
And then an incredibly powerful demon father discovers them.
Stories like “I Thought I Was an Orphan, But I’m Actually a Princess?!”, or “I Was Actually the Real, Real, Real Deal,” or “How I, the Lowest-Ranked Demon, Was Actually the Demon Lord.”
“Young Master, becoming a Demon Lord requires many trials. But don’t worry. With just Luriel’s notebook, any trial can be solved in an instant!”
“Instantly solved!”
“Yes. So Young Master, you must do well even without this Luriel.”
A good child gets head pats.
I raised my short little hands and patted my own head a couple of times, then plopped down on the floor with my legs spread wide.
‘Bunny, undergoing trials!’
I wriggled out of my fluffy rabbit backpack and set it between my legs, then unzipped it with my maple-leaf-sized hands.
From inside the plump, muscular rabbit emerged the courage-inspiring Bear Doll and Toto, the rabbit doll who chases away bad dreams.
I pulled out a piggy bank shaped like an elephant holding gold coins and lined them all up in a row.
Then I plunged my arms deep into the now-flatter rabbit backpack and rummaged around, pulling out a child’s cutting board and knife, along with Luriel’s secret notebook.
Finally, I clutched the cloth pouch I’d received along with daily necessities as pocket money.
When I opened the cloth pouch, my eyes narrowed to slits.
I turned the pouch upside down and shook it out.
Clink, roll roll.
“…Gongja-kka is stingy.”
What tumbled out was merely a single gold coin.
“I’m richer than that.”
I picked up the elephant with both hands and shook it with a jingling sound, then sighed deeply and shook my head in disappointment.
In truth, Bunny’s piggy bank contained nothing but dull, tarnished copper coins, whereas the Udiah Duke Family Estate had provided gleaming gold coins—their value was vastly different.

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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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