The Villainess in the Childcare Story Doesn’t Hide Her Personality - Chapter 47

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

“Miss, shall we race?”
“Yes!”
The patter of running feet echoed against the austere stone walls of Athos Fortress.
Princess Melissa laughed with delight, her hand reaching the opposite end of the corridor first.
Catching my breath and turning around, I found Shuria standing still with a gentle smile.
“You’ve won, Miss. What would you like me to bake as a prize?”
“Apple pie!”
Shuria prepared hearty, unpretentious meals for us every day.
Among them, apple pie was Princess Melissa’s favorite.
The kind made with generous amounts of apples and just a whisper of cinnamon—warm and comforting.
Soldiers passing by perked up at the mention of it.
“Shuria, can we have some too?”
“Half a slice each.”
Shuria spoke with firm authority.
And so Princess Melissa, along with all the Athos Fortress soldiers, trailed after Shuria down the corridor.
“Here you are.”
Shuria cut a generous slice of apple pie for Princess Melissa first, and she bit into it with pure joy on her face.
“Delicious… so delicious. Really, really delicious!”
“You’ll get indigestion. Eat slowly, please.”
Watching her, the soldiers unconsciously clutched their chests.
“Oh, my heart…”
“She’s like a squirrel. How can she be so adorable?”
They thought they were whispering, but with so many loud-voiced soldiers around, Princess Melissa heard every word.
Me… a squirrel?
Princess Melissa blinked rapidly.
Scatterbrained, crybaby, strange, immature…
All the words Princess Melissa Cardicha had heard from strangers until now were purely negative.
‘These uncles are different.’
Despite their rough and intimidating appearance, they liked me without any prejudice.
A warm, ticklish feeling spread through my chest.
‘I don’t want to go back.’
Not to the Capital, not to the Northern Territory.
Everyone except my brother and Sister Tessa had disliked or ignored me.
They’d heard rumors about the “penniless princess” first, and besides, I hadn’t behaved like other noble children.
But the people of Athos Fortress were different.
They too had heard the rumors about the “penniless princess,” but their affection for an innocent child they’d met after so long completely overshadowed any prejudice.
And so a week passed.
I had completely adapted to life at Athos Fortress.
The only drawback was that I could barely see Achilles, who was always busy dealing with monsters.
Still, whenever I heard news of his consecutive victories, I could suppress the longing to see my brother.
‘Achilles is a busy man, so I shouldn’t throw tantrums.’
And to fill the void left by Achilles, Shuria and Jeto, along with the other soldiers, showered me with affection and care.
“The Grand Duke is truly remarkable. It’s nothing worthy of showing the young lady, but every time he swings his sword, monster heads just fly off….”
“Our young lady is still so young—why are you telling her such gruesome stories!”
Shuria covered my ears.
“Ah, that’s right. The young lady would probably prefer the story of the Squirrel Princess instead.”
“The Squirrel Princess?”
When I tilted my head in confusion, the soldier who had been recounting Achilles’ exploits moments before suddenly shifted into a vivid storytelling voice and began an impromptu tale.
“Once upon a time, in the Squirrel Kingdom, there lived a Squirrel Princess. The Squirrel Princess was small but incredibly brave. One day, the Squirrel King, who was the Squirrel Princess’s older brother….”
‘This is about me and Achilles!’
Seriously. Do they think I’m a baby?
Still, I listened intently to the soldier’s story without saying a word.
I much preferred hearing the tale of the ‘Squirrel Princess’ over being called a ‘half-wit’ or a ‘foolish young lady’.
And so peaceful days passed.
Except for the fact that soldiers occasionally returned injured.
Everyone assured me it was commonplace at Athos Fortress, but I couldn’t help being startled each time.
Eventually, Shuria prevented me from leaving my room whenever there was a monster attack.
Thanks to that, I could enjoy myself without being affected by whatever happened around me.
Until suddenly, the water began to taste strange.
“I… I can’t drink this.”
I made a face of distress.
It had been fine just yesterday, but when I took a sip of the water Shuria gave me today, it had such a foul smell that I couldn’t swallow it.
“That’s odd.”
Shuria sniffed the water and took a sip herself, tilting her head in confusion.
“There’s nothing wrong with the water. You’re not usually one to be picky about food either… though it’s true that children your age sometimes suddenly lose their taste for things they normally enjoyed. Would you like to try this instead?”
“…Hmm?”
“It’s birch sap. It’s good for you.”
Shuria poured a cup of pale, translucent liquid.
I accepted the cup with some hesitation.
‘Birch sap…? It’s probably bitter.’
Tree juice? I’d never seen or heard of such a thing.
‘Ugh…!’
I squeezed my eyes shut and took a sip.
“It’s delicious!”
It was like a light honey water with a subtle woody aroma. Unlike the water I’d drunk moments before, the birch sap went down smoothly and easily.
Shuria smiled.
“It suits you, doesn’t it? I thought the sweetness would match your palate better. Still, you should see the Doctor for a proper examination. It could be that your body isn’t feeling well.”
The Doctor who was summoned shortly after could only tilt his head.
“The young lady seems to be in very good health, actually. It appears the water here simply doesn’t agree with you. Some children experience this when they change their water source. For now, it should be fine to get your fluids from the sap.”
After the Doctor left.
Princess Melissa apologized to Shuria, her voice trembling.
“I’m sorry. I’m being strange.”
“Why are you apologizing, Miss?”
Shuria looked genuinely taken aback.
“You haven’t done anything wrong. It’s not as though you’re deliberately refusing to drink water.”
Princess Melissa fell silent for a moment.
Was that true…?
The child turned to Shuria with desperate earnestness.
“Am I strange? Do you think I’m difficult, or odd, or stupid?”
As though understanding something, Shuria’s eyes dimmed.
But she showed no sign of it, offering Princess Melissa a gentle smile instead.
“The Doctor mentioned it—at your age, it’s possible for your body to undergo such changes. Since birch sap is far more beneficial than ordinary water, you should drink plenty of it.”
Fortunately, nothing else had changed besides the taste of the water.
Princess Melissa often vomited even when eating soup made with ordinary water, so Shuria always prepared her meals separately.
I felt grateful for this, even as I felt guilty about it.
It meant Shuria cared for me that deeply.
I didn’t want to leave.
I wanted to stay in this strange place where everyone didn’t hate me—where they were actually kind to me.
I missed Tessa, but she was busy anyway. Perhaps she was even relieved that I wasn’t a burden.
But peaceful days never lasted long.
Soon everyone began to fall ill.
Shuria, Jeto, the knights—
Everyone.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————