The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief in Exile - Chapter 91

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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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Episode 91
It was then that Pereus felt anxiety for the first time.
And he understood something.
Perhaps the worst obstacle blocking his path forward was not his half-brother, but the noble blood of his dead mother.
After that day, Pereus had been working desperately to earn the favor of the Stria Household.
Even with such efforts, the rift between Stria and the Imperial Court showed no sign of closing.
‘Such fools and idiots.’
Pereus clicked his tongue in irritation.
‘All the more reason Stria should support me. These blockheads, buried in petty grudges, unable to see true victory and value.’
Swallowing the surge of annoyance, Pereus emerged from the station and immediately searched for a carriage.
Fortunately, he spotted one without delay.
“Your Highness.”
A small girl descended from the carriage with quick, light footsteps.
Hair as white and gleaming as a cloud.
Pale skin and round cheeks.
And eyes as dark and radiant as polished onyx.
“Ah, so it is you!”
“How did you know?”
“I recognized you at a glance. The radiant golden hair, the refined bearing — you are exactly as I imagined Your Highness to be!”
The girl offered a greeting with a cute and endearing smile, her manner perfectly respectful.
“It is an honor to meet you. I came from the Deste Estate to welcome Your Highness and the Duchess of Stria…….”
The girl’s clear eyes looked directly at the crown prince.
“My name is Beni.”
Hebenian smiled brightly.
* * *
Molle Ribus had summoned all the servants to the entrance hall and arranged them in neat lines on both sides, creating quite an impressive formation.
“We honor the empire’s second sun. Welcome to the Deste Estate, Your Highness.”
Beside him, offering this exaggerated greeting with a flourish, stood a young and beautiful woman.
And with the crown prince’s party came the girl Beni as well.
Pereus extended his hand to Molle Ribus.
Molle Ribus grasped it respectfully with both hands.
“A pleasure to meet you, Baron Deste.”
“Though our preparations are humble in many respects, we shall attend to you with utmost care for the fortnight.”
“First, I would appreciate it if you could show my grandmother to her chambers so she might rest.”
“Then I shall be delighted to guide you.”
The young woman beside Molle Ribus stepped forward with a bright smile.
She introduced herself as Misa.
Misa chattered ceaselessly as she led them to the chambers.
“I work as Baron Deste’s secretary, you see. Goodness, is there another man in the world as splendid and magnificent as he is? Of course not!”
“…….”
“Oh my, I’m so honored to be able to speak of such things to the Duchess! Please do look kindly upon our baron! I spent all night thinking of how best to serve Your Highness and the Duchess!”
“…….”
“My, how the Duchess remains so fair and beautiful even now? Everyone will surely mistake me for your younger sister when we walk outside! The capital does seem quite fashionable these days with such refined fabrics!”
“How dare she……!”
The Duchess’s personal attendant could no longer contain herself and moved to point out the disrespect.
“…….”
The Duchess of Stria shook her head slightly, silencing her.
The attendant fell silent and stepped back, her lips pressed shut.
“Do rest at your ease then!”
The moment the tour ended, Misa whirled away and departed.
Only then did the attendant release the anger she had been holding back.
“How could she be so utterly lacking in manners……!”
“Compose yourself.”
“My lady! No matter the circumstances, such disrespect and insolence…….”
“There is still more.”
“Pardon?”
Only then did the attendant notice that the Duchess’s gaze was directed toward the door.
She turned quickly and saw the young girl who had come to meet them at the station — Beni.
‘Ah…….’
The attendant averted her eyes from Beni’s smile, which held a touch of bitterness beneath its grace.
“Please forgive my aunt’s rudeness.”
Beni bowed her head apologetically.
“My aunt is simply a bright and healthy person. She’s a wonderful woman who raised me alone all these years.”
“I noticed your hair color matches hers.”
The Duchess of Stria gestured for her to come closer.
“So you are family.”
Beni walked toward her with quiet steps.
“You have lovely hair.”
“Thank you. But my mother’s hair was even more beautiful than mine—a shimmering silver, or so I’m told.”
“Raising a child alone is difficult work. Your aunt is a remarkable woman, and I do not dislike her.”
“Hehe.”
“But what is that you’re holding?”
“It’s a gift for you, Duchess.”
Beni set what she’d brought onto the table with barely a sound.
The maidservant was inwardly startled.
‘She set it down without a whisper of noise.’
It was not the sort of refinement one expected from a child her age.
‘Under such a proper aunt, the girl has grown into a perfectly well-mannered young lady. Is it really true that people aren’t inherently wicked?’
The maidservant revised her assessment of Nema slightly.
“It’s a First Aid Kit.”
“A First Aid Kit?”
“My friend’s parents work at a trading house, and they’ve just begun selling these. It’s a small box filled with essential medicines.”
Beni opened the First Aid Kit to show what lay inside.
“When your stomach feels unsettled at night, or when you can’t digest, or if you have a fever, or if you prick your finger while sewing and it bleeds—you just use the medicine from this box.”
“My goodness.”
The Duchess of Stria’s eyes widened in surprise.
“And, well, you see…”
Beni lowered her voice conspiratorially.
The Duchess of Stria and the maidservant instinctively held their breath and leaned in closer.
“The medicine is…”
“The medicine?”
“It tastes awful!”
Beni’s face scrunched up as though she’d just swallowed it, her head shaking vigorously.
The Duchess of Stria and the maidservant quickly bit their lips to suppress their laughter.
“So after you take the medicine, you absolutely must eat one of these.”
“This is…”
“A candy! Apple flavored!”
A round piece of candy rolled around in the old woman’s palm.
“I’m truly grateful.”
Wrinkled fingers gently caressed Beni’s soft cheeks.
Beni smiled once more.
* * *
After leaving the Duchess’s chamber, I made my way down to the dungeon.
‘Ugh, this leaves a bitter taste.’
The Duchess of Stria was kinder than I expected—a mother who could not bury her dead daughter in her heart and so carried her still.
Frelia and I had dyed our hair silver because the late Empress had been silver-haired.
‘While Frelia annoyed the Duchess with her thoughtless cheer, I was meant to appear—a bright, intelligent child who would stir her maternal instinct…’
But now, having done it, I found it was something I couldn’t forgive myself for.
“Miss.”
Swallowing down the bitterness, I descended into the dungeon, where a hand suddenly thrust out from the cell at the far end.
It was Verity.
“You’ve worked hard.”
I opened the cell door and stepped inside, where various wires and mechanisms lay spread across a stretched-out table.
“This is…”
“You’ve never seen one before, have you, Beni?”
Pex spoke.
With his craftsman’s gift for breaking curses, he had been invaluable to this plan.
“It’s an Eavesdropping Device that Verity installed before.”
“This huge machine?”
“If you input a specific voice into this magical artifact, it will only eavesdrop when that voice is heard. I’ve modified it to work that way.”
“Oh…….”
Frightening, isn’t it?
‘It looks like a composition keyboard at first glance…….’
But in truth, it was a terrible magical artifact that showed complete disregard for other people’s privacy.
I asked.
“And Modi?”
“He’s been eavesdropping on that location just now.”
“Modi’s doing a good job.”
Pex pressed something like ear coverings into my hands.
‘Oh, a headset.’
The moment I slipped it over my head, the conversation from the study came through crystal clear. The sound quality was far better than before.
Someone suddenly apologized.
[……forgive me, I am utterly ashamed.]
Listening closely, it was the voice of Modi disguised as Molle Ribus.
Verity explained.
“In the study are the Crown Prince, Commander Rashid, and the two of them.”
“The Crown Prince too?”
An unfortunate suspicion crossed my mind, and Verity nodded.
“That misbehaved nine-year-old appears to be involved as well.”
“Damn, figures.”
I’d suspected as much.
Without thinking, I let the truth slip from my lips.
Verity and Pex stared at me with wide eyes.
Their gazes seemed to demand how I could possibly know, but I pretended not to notice and refocused on eavesdropping on the study conversation.
The Crown Prince had just begun to speak.
[It can’t be helped. Even the Magic Tower Master is at a loss, I hear.]
[Ribus. What word from the Magic Tower?]
[A month ago, all ten Battle Mages were suddenly recalled to the Eastern Magic Tower in a unilateral report. Nothing since.]
Wow.
‘Modi’s quite the actor.’
Molle Ribus is generally this type.
He’s truly a capable, talented man—or so he believes—but he’s too wrapped up in self-pity that the world hasn’t yet recognized his worth.
His superiority and inferiority complexes are equally bloated, and whenever someone he considers far beneath him succeeds, he schemes from his corner to drag them down.
Men like that have a peculiar way of speaking that comes out only in front of the strong.
‘Deepening the voice artificially, relishing the authority of others as if it were his own.’
Then turning obsequious and loyal before those with power.
Modi was perfectly mimicking this ghastly persona.
“Not bad at all, Modi.”
“Even knowing it’s an act, I want to hit him.”
“He must be suffering through it himself.”
Pex and Verity exchanged words.
“But a month ago…….”
Verity and I exchanged a glance.
I nodded.
‘A month ago—there’s only one thing that could be.’
The Antemma Research Institute.
Me, Ian, and Nema barely managed to capture a Demon and an Angel.
It seemed that turmoil had reached even the Magic Tower Master who’d made a pact with the Demon.
‘Then the House of Sycaph, who presumably made a contract with the Angel, must be facing something too.’
Just then, the Crown Prince resumed the conversation.
[How are the Primordial Forest searches proceeding? Is Clavis actually alive in the first place?]
[Her last confirmed whereabouts are the only reliable trace we have.]
[But she’s only seven. Wouldn’t another Clavis be…….]
Tsk.
Irritation finally burst from my lips as I listened in silence.
‘Listen to this bastard talk.’
That girl, that woman.
‘You’re free to curse, but I’m free to beat your teeth in.’
I memorized every degrading word that fell from the Crown Prince’s mouth.
If a day came when we met and fought, I swore I’d sew his lips shut—one stitch for every insult.
Rashid dismissed Modi without preamble.
[Contact the Deste Temple. The youngest son of House of Sycaph hasn’t been in touch — they’re worried.]
[……Understood.]
Then.
[Your Highness.]
Rashid turned to address him.
[So — what’s your impression? Having seen the Undead?]

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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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