The Villainess Duke Lady Hides Her Identity - Chapter 15

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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 15

Reponya had suggested they bury the matter cleanly and move on, but Craiton would not hear of it.
Reponya explained that the more they pursued this, the more his retainers might harbor resentment toward her. Yet Craiton, as if the incident had shaken him deeply, only grew more resolute—declaring that he would personally deal with anyone who bore her ill will. When they could find no middle ground, Reponya finally proposed a solution to Craiton to secure her own safety.
“Your Grace, then assign the children of your House’s retainers to serve as my personal attendants. Let that be the punishment.”
At Reponya’s proposal, Craiton let out a hollow laugh, as if the notion were absurd.
“Ha, Reponya. How is serving under you a punishment? That’s a reward.”
Wasn’t she ashamed? How could she say such a thing with such composure?
Reponya, hearing this, flushed and covered her face with her palm in mortification. Felens, who had been nodding beside Craiton, added his own remark.
“Father’s right. Serving a noble lady directly is something to boast about for generations—it could never be punishment. Little one.”
“That’s not what I mean. If something happens to me or I’m injured, responsibility falls on whoever is assigned to look after me.”
At Reponya’s words, both Craiton and Felens stopped short.
“In such cases, no separate investigation is needed—they can be executed on the spot for failing to properly serve their charge.”
In other words, if the retainers’ children became her attendants—
“They won’t be able to attack me anymore. If I’m harmed or endangered, their children will face consequences.”
It was a contemptible tactic: taking the children as hostages.
“But to all appearances, just as you both said, it will look like a reward for serving a noble lady. So they won’t be able to protest that it’s unjust.”
Especially if they were vassal families of Craiton House. After all, their own children would be directly serving the Craiton ducal family.
‘Doing nothing would be best, but if we truly cannot let this pass, this is the cleanest way.’
Craiton would be satisfied—his retainers’ leashes firmly in hand.
The retainers themselves would be powerless, unsure whether this was reward or punishment.
Their children would harbor hope that diligent service might earn them a position within the ducal household.
And Reponya, standing at the very center of it all, would be safe.
“What do you think?”
Reponya posed the question to both of them. Felens uncrossed his arms and leaned forward.
“Hey, little one. You’re not five years old, are you?”
Reponya flinched inwardly. But she masked her expression smoothly, casting her gaze downward.
“Is this something a five-year-old could think of? Hmm? Father, didn’t you say I couldn’t even speak properly at five?”
She’d thought he’d seen through her true nature, but apparently not.
Relief washed over her. Reponya exhaled softly.
“…That is certainly an excellent approach.”
Craiton stroked his chin and nodded thoughtfully.
“Reponya.”
“Yes?”
“Using force to solve everything isn’t always the answer, but I had planned to demonstrate absolute power just this once.”
“I see.”
“Not because circumstances have become this way, but because I resolved to act the moment they spoke carelessly to you. I simply waited for the right moment.”
For your safety.
That was what the Duke was saying. Reponya slowly shook her head.
“I understand what you mean. But in situations like this, the best solution is always for both sides to hold each other’s leash.”
Yet Reponya had resolved the situation without resorting to any violence at all.
“Both sides holding each other’s leash.”
Those were not words that should come from a five-year-old’s mouth.
Craiton knew the world was not a gentle place for a child without a guardian to navigate alone. But still, what kind of life had she lived to speak this way?
“Reponya. Is this truly what you wish? If you desire it, I can force every one of them to their knees before you and beg your forgiveness.”
Craiton murmured as though the matter were trifling.
“I have the power to do so, and for your sake, I would not hesitate to use it.”
“Well, thank goodness Father rescued you. When you think about it, there nearly was a murder at the Residence…”
Smack!
“Ow! Why did you hit me, Father? It’s true! You said yourself if you’d been even a moment late, the little one would have been dead!”
“Is that something to say in front of a five-year-old child? What if she develops trauma from remembering that incident?”
Pffft!
Felens, realizing he hadn’t thought that far, covered his mouth with his palm and drew in a sharp breath.
Then he rolled his eyes and spoke gently to Reponya.
“Hey, little one. Don’t worry. I’m having Mana Stones installed all throughout the Residence. Even if fire breaks out again, there’s no way you’ll be hurt this time. Who would dare challenge the authority of Craiton House?”
“Mana Stone?”

“Right. Just in case something happened, I stole a Mana Stone from the Academy. Turns out it’s quite useful. Now there’s no risk of fires starting at the residence or buildings collapsing.”
Before Felens could finish, Craiton let out a heavy sigh from beside him, muttering under his breath.
From what Reponya could make out, he seemed to be calculating the compensation owed to the Academy.
‘So even if there’s another fire, I won’t get hurt. But I can’t use the same method next time. Setting the residence ablaze and running away won’t work either.’
Reponya nodded, thinking she’d need to plan her escape route in advance once she found the Family Heirloom.
“Your Grace. As I said from the beginning, I’d prefer if we handled this quietly.”
Reponya spoke calmly.
“The bigger this gets, the more word spreads, and the worse the rumors about me being unwelcome become.”
“How dare anyone say such a thing—!”
“Is your priority my safety, or the anger you feel at someone daring to lay hands on one of your people?”
Felens muttered from beside her, ‘By any measure, she doesn’t seem like she’s five years old.’ Reponya ignored him.
“There’s no child a parent can’t be beaten by, they say.”
Craiton pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes as he sighed. Then he reached across, lifted Reponya lightly from her seat, and brought her to sit beside him. Felens shifted over slightly to make room between them.
“Ponya.”
Reponya, suddenly seated between Felens and Craiton, looked up awkwardly.
“If I can’t get the better of you, then I’m certainly your parent, and you’re certainly my child.”
Craiton stroked Reponya’s hair gently.
“All right. We’ll do as you say.”
Parent and child.
Reponya lost her words at the unfamiliar address and merely nodded awkwardly.
Seeing Reponya’s uncomfortable expression, Craiton smiled and rose from his seat. He then called for his aide and ordered him to bring the vassal and her children to the Office.
‘…Something feels strange.’
Reponya touched her own tousled hair the way Craiton had just done and scrunched her face.
Until now, she’d made a habit of killing such feelings. They’d never been necessary.
Especially not before her final task.
‘I need to steal the Family Heirloom and get out quickly.’
Staying here any longer felt dangerous.
Reponya pressed her palm against her restless chest, willing the things stirring inside to die and stay silent.
Reponya shifted her gaze to Felens to change the subject.
“You’re staying at the residence?”
“Why? Would you like me to stay nearby?”
Would you like me to stay nearby.
She wanted to tell him to leave, but feared it would only deepen his suspicion, so she bowed her head instead of answering.
“Aren’t you busy?”
She spoke around the edges of the question.
“Hmm.”
Felens leaned back against the sofa in thought, crossing his legs.
Because of Felens’s suspicion, she hadn’t been able to get close to the Duke’s side lately.
She needed to watch his every move and discover the Family Heirloom’s location quickly.
“I thought I’d stay a bit longer before I go.”
Internally, Reponya clicked her tongue.
While Felens was around, she couldn’t shadow the Duke everywhere she pleased.
‘Parent and child, then? Fine. I’ll act like a true young lady.’
She’d do her best to ensure they didn’t suspect anything by behaving as a proper daughter would—studying the family and asking straightforward questions about the Family Heirloom’s details.
‘Good.’
Reponya clenched her fist. Just then, Felens’s hand dropped onto her head.
“What is it? Little one. You were talking so much, now you’ve gone quiet? Happy that I’m staying a bit longer?”
Felens laughed softly and mussed her hair playfully.
“Stop, stop it!”
“Isn’t this what you wanted when you were touching your own hair? I saw you stroking it just now, copying what Father did.”
Felens laughed as if amused.
Learning that he’d witnessed her unconscious gesture, Reponya’s white cheeks flushed a delicate pink.
“And don’t misunderstand. You’re a patient, so I’m looking after you until you’re fully recovered. Once you’re better, I’ll send you from the residence, and I’ll return to the Academy then. Understood?”
Felens warned her with a smile.
‘Once I find the Family Heirloom, I’m leaving whether they tell me to or not!’
Reponya wrapped her tousled hair in her hands and glared at Felens as she nodded.
Felens stood, watching Reponya nod obediently even though he’d said he’d send her away.
“So, little one, shall I go find a knight to escort you while you stay? Father seems to be getting forgetful—he didn’t even assign you a guard. I’ll pick one for you personally.”
From across the way, Craiton muttered to his aide, “I should look into what exactly they teach at the Academy.”
“…An escort?”
The young retainers assigned as attendants would be easy enough to dispatch on errands or find tasks for when searching for the Family Heirloom, but guards were another matter entirely.
An escort’s job was, by definition, to protect their master—and you couldn’t simply send them away.
It would be troublesome to have one trailing behind while searching for the Heirloom.
“This is absurd.”
Reponya frowned, muttering the words before she could stop herself.
The corridor fell silent. Reponya lifted her head, suddenly alert.
Every eye in the room was fixed on her.
‘Oh no.’
Being treated like a child by everyone around her had made her careless lately—this sort of slip was happening more and more often.
“I-I mean… guards aren’t necessary because the Duke and my senior will protect me anyway, so it’s pointless.”
Reponya grinned like a five-year-old, scrambling to recover.
“S-what? Hahaha.”
Felens burst out laughing at the sight of this child solemnly referring to him as her senior.
His laughter was loud enough that all eyes shifted toward him instead.
‘Thank goodness. That worked.’
Reponya exhaled in quiet relief.
“Hey, little one. Doing pointless things is actually my specialty, you know. You wouldn’t understand that yet, would you?”
Felens chuckled and scooped Reponya up in his arms. Despite his teasing tone, his hold was remarkably gentle.
“If you’re planning to have the children of those who burned down your bedroom as your personal attendants, you’ll definitely need at least one proper guard to stay safe. Leave it to me—I’ll find you a good one. Come on.”
Felens carried Reponya out into the corridor.

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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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