The Villainess in the Childcare Story Doesn’t Hide Her Personality - Chapter 36

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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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The children seemed to accept it readily enough, but I certainly did not.
‘…Sustaining meals with baked flour dough.’
Not even proper dough like bread or cookies, but baked flour dough made for tactile play.
Joanna came into view again.
Skeletal wrists protruding from loose sleeves, lips cracked and fissured throughout, sunken cheeks.
‘…She wasn’t simply thin.’
Add to that a sharp, unstable temperament.
‘Malnutrition was unmistakable.’
My mouth had gone completely dry.
How could I possibly condemn someone who surrendered all food to the children and sustained herself on flour dough?
“It’s getting late… I’ll show you to Cici’s room.”
Joanna, having hurriedly finished tidying up, led the way.
She appeared unusually weak.
Before Cici’s door, Joanna hesitated.
“You will care for her well, won’t you?”
“I will do my very best to look after her.”
“I did my very best too.”
Joanna murmured vacantly.
“But it fell terribly short. I’m certain you will do better than I did, Vice Director.”
“….”
“So it was a bloodline mark all along… If only I had known sooner. I’m truly sorry to Cici.”
Joanna’s face was complicated with emotion.
Guilt toward the child, disappointment in herself, and even anger at a world that had tormented her.
Of course, I couldn’t say Joanna had always been right.
She had been trapped by prejudice and failed to recognize the child’s bloodline mark.
Likely everyone who had cared for Cici, however briefly, had done the same.
A shaggy beast of a child could never bear a bloodline mark—the symbol of a noble house.
But….
‘I don’t want to make her blame herself further.’
It would be easy to point out that she had been trapped by prejudice and failed to see the child’s true nature.
But what came after?
What good would it do to criticize someone caring for ten young children who saw only themselves?
Wasn’t it ultimately nothing but petty venting?
Before opening the door.
I handed Joanna a heavy pouch.
Joanna seemed to immediately sense what was inside, freezing in surprise without thinking to accept it.
“It’s Imperial Court support funds.”
“…For me?”
“Food supply support funds.”
I spoke in a dry, businesslike tone.
“Please note that using it for any other purpose may result in confiscation.”
“Of course, I’ll use it only for meal preparation. But I’m curious why you’re giving me this….”
She trailed off, but the unspoken words hung in the air: *Why are you doing this when I haven’t even been taking proper care of Cici?*
“The most significant problem with this facility is the inadequate meals. The children, of course, and you as the director must all be eating well and balanced nutrition.”
A look of bewilderment crossed Joanna’s face.
“I do feed the children well! As much as I’m able to. And I try my best to give Cici the most nutritious food possible.”
“Do you take your meals together with the children, Director?”
Joanna’s mouth closed as realization dawned on her face.
I opened Cici’s door with a light heart.
Thank goodness it happened to be payday.
* * *
Trembling, trembling.
The moment I lifted Cici, who had been lying motionless as if dead, she began to shake like a small frightened animal.
“I’m sorry.”
I spoke with genuine sincerity.
Of course, it had no effect whatsoever.
Wondering what to do, I carried her toward the carriage.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
A piercing shriek tore through the air.
“Kyaaah! Kyuuuh! Aaaaaaah!”
Cici thrashed her limbs desperately, trying to break free from my grasp entirely.
Seized by panic, she clawed and snapped at me—more like a wild animal than a child.
Joanna cried out in alarm.
“She’s afraid of carriages! Ever since the kidnapping attempt, she’s been…constantly….”
I quickly brought Cici back inside the building.
The moment the carriage was out of sight, Cici regained her composure.
“We can’t take her in this state.”
Forcing her would only worsen her condition.
“Is it only carriages she fears? What about riding on horseback?”
“She’s never tried it.”
“….”
I had learned horseback riding during my Academy days, but I’d rarely ridden since then.
Keeping a horse in the city was a luxury.
Still, if I could calm Cici and take her this way, it was worth attempting.
Fortunately, with Joanna’s help, I was able to rent a good horse at a reasonable price.
The cost included the return fee.
Though the unexpected expense lightened my purse considerably, I felt relieved when Cici showed no resistance to being on the horse.
‘The stable rental fee will be substantial too, but there’s no help for it.’
I couldn’t possibly subject a child to hours of traumatic distress just to save a bit of money.
“Let’s go, Cici.”
I deliberately spoke in a bright voice to Cici, who was already mounted on the horse.
“If you feel uncomfortable at any point, you have to tell me, understand?”
“….”
Cici offered no response.
A heart sealed shut wouldn’t open all at once.
I swung myself up onto the horse in one fluid motion.
‘…It’s so high.’
No matter how hard I practiced horsemanship, I could never catch up to students who had been riding since childhood.
Though my efforts had yielded respectable results, none of my lessons had covered how to carry a small child while riding.
And the consequence was….
Sway, sway.
Cici’s body lurched forward somewhat precariously.
I brought the horse to a halt and steadied the child’s posture.
“Are you uncomfortable? Should we rest for a bit?”
“….”
Silent as ever.
But I could sense, ever so slightly, that she was beginning to trust me more, leaning her weight into my support.
As I guided the horse at an agonizingly slow pace, mindful of Cici, a journey that should have taken an hour stretched into three.
‘There’s no helping it.’
We hadn’t even covered half the distance to the Capital when the sun began to set.
Cici was now dozing, her head bobbing gently.
‘We can’t go any further.’
After wandering the roads for a while, I managed to find an inexpensive Inn in a nearby Village.
It was quite fortunate.
Setting aside the wage purse I’d given to Joanna, I’d nearly exhausted my remaining cash on horse rental fees.
‘I’ll need to visit the bank first thing when I return.’
I carried Cici into the room.
Her face was completely hidden beneath the deep hood of a cloak that concealed her entire small frame.
It was an outfit Joanna had prepared.
“If we went out like this, Cici would draw far too much attention. With this cloak…I’m sorry, Cici. Would you try wearing these clothes?”
I’d thought it unnecessary since she’d remain in my arms, but Joanna’s foresight had proven invaluable.
“Do you like it, Cici?”
I glanced around the room and spoke to her naturally.
“Even if you don’t, you’ll have to make do. I’ve run out of money.”
I removed Cici’s outer garments and shoes, then laid her on the bed.
Watching how docilely she surrendered to my touch, I felt reassured—she no longer seemed wary of me.
“I need to get some rest too. We have a long way to go.”
I removed my own cloak and lay down beside Cici.
She gazed at me with bright, intelligent eyes and moved her lips slightly.
And then.
“Kyuu…?”
It was the first sound I heard from Cici since meeting her—not a scream, but something else entirely.

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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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