The Villainess in the Childcare Story Doesn’t Hide Her Personality - Chapter 52

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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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“….”
Without a word, Princess Melissa leaped from the bed and wrapped her arms tightly around Shuria’s waist.
“Are you truly better now?”
“Of course.”
Shuria set down the apple pie beside her and embraced Princess Melissa in return.
My heart ached at the sight of the trembling child.
“What about my brother…?”
“His Highness is perfectly well. Would you like to see him?”
“Yes!”
Princess Melissa bolted out like a spring.
All traces of her earlier melancholy had vanished.
Her bare feet struck the cold stone floor, yet the child seemed utterly indifferent to such trivial discomfort.
“Princess! You must put on your shoes!”
Shuria chased frantically after her.
The long, shadowed corridors of the Athos Fortress were crowded with knights clad in dark armor.
Because of them, Shuria could only keep losing sight of Princess Melissa.
“Haha, there goes the squirrel princess again.”
“Hey, if His Highness heard you say that…!”
“Why? She really does look like a squirrel.”
Low laughter echoed throughout the corridors.
The knights of House Cardicha who had arrived with the Grand Duke kept their distance from Princess Melissa, but the soldiers of Athos Fortress found her utterly endearing.
Most of them had been stationed at Athos for a long time and had not seen a young child in ages.
Though rumors of the “late-blooming Princess Melissa” had reached even this isolated fortress, they all dismissed it as mere gossip.
Surely the rumors had been exaggerated simply because she acted somewhat innocent and naive for her age.
Princess Melissa was indeed an innocent, spirited, and lovely child befitting her years.
There was nothing wrong with her whatsoever.
‘Just around this corner and I’ll reach my brother’s room…!’
She rounded the corner.
Though he looked somewhat tired, her brother showed no signs of illness as he spoke with his Adjutant, his expression as coldly composed as always.
“Brother!”
The moment Princess Melissa called out, she faltered.
In her brother’s eyes as he turned to face her, she sensed something ominous.
“…Melissa, let’s talk inside.”
Achilles swallowed a sigh and looked down at his sister.
Only ten years old.
Having spent so long bedridden, she was noticeably smaller than children her age.
And certainly, she was indeed “late-blooming.”
But she was undoubtedly his precious sister.
This child with rosy cheeks, tousled hair, and bare feet—who had rushed to see him—was his treasure.
Achilles withdrew a magical artifact from his pocket.
It was a small brooch perfectly suited to a child’s clothing.
He knelt down and fastened it to her garment himself before speaking.
“You must never lose this. When you’re in true danger, it will protect you.”
Princess Melissa’s eyes widened in surprise.
“…O-older brother, I was…”
The child’s words stumbled.
“I wanted to save you. S-so I tried to purify the b-bad water…”
“I understand.”
Achilles kept his voice as composed as possible.
“But I’m curious—why did you think it was the water?”
“…Only I didn’t get sick. But only I didn’t drink the water…”
In that moment, my heart sank.
I remembered worrying when she mentioned changing the water supply.
I’d suggested finding a better alternative when she said she’d substitute birch sap, wondering if that would really work…
‘I was truly foolish.’
No—not foolish, but careless.
All because of the excuse that I had to stop the monsters.
All because of my obsession with quickly defeating the monsters and returning to the Capital with Princess Melissa.
I never thought to actually meet with Princess Melissa and understand what she was going through.
I was content simply watching my sister from a distance, always smiling.
After all, it was rare to see Princess Melissa laugh so innocently when she was with me.
“I alone didn’t get sick. B-but…recently when I drank a little water, it hurt.”
Now that I thought about it, the healthy knights were mostly heavy drinkers.
‘I should have realized sooner.’
Achilles pressed his forehead.
Failing to notice beforehand was my own blunder.
No matter how urgent it was to deal with the surging monsters, how could I have forgotten such basic common sense?
“You’re truly remarkable, Princess Melissa. To think of all that. But you should have consulted with me before removing the magical artifacts.”
“I was going to!”
Princess Melissa pouted her lips in protest.
Her eyes reddened quickly, but she didn’t cry.
“But when I went to find you…you were in so much pain. You were suffering terribly! So I did what I could.”
“…”
Achilles fell silent.
There was nothing to say.
When Princess Melissa needed me most, I lay bedridden.
As a result, a mere ten-year-old child had to deduce the cause alone, find a solution, and even save everyone’s lives.
‘How frightened she must have been.’
Achilles pulled Princess Melissa into a tight embrace.
“…You did well, Princess Melissa.”
“Did I… do well…?”
Princess Melissa repeated his words in a daze.
“Yes. You’re truly strong, my sister.”
* * *
The Messenger sent by Grand Duke Achilles Cardicha arrived at the Imperial Palace with his still-unrecovered body, breathless and urgent, and reported the situation at Athos Fortress.
The relentless tide of monsters, the contamination of the water source from their corpses, and the epidemic that followed in its wake.
The Messenger declared boldly before the assembled ministers.
“Princess Melissa saved us all.”
Most did not believe his words.
They thought it was a desperate gambit by the Grand Duke to restore the reputation of his sister, whose standing had already fallen to its depths.
Yet at least one person within the Imperial Palace firmly believed the Messenger’s account.
‘How wonderful for you, Princess Melissa.’
I had hoped that this opportunity would improve her reputation as well, but the affairs of the world rarely unfold as smoothly as they do in novels.
What mattered was that Princess Melissa had conceived a way to save everyone, even in such dire circumstances.
‘…Come quickly, Princess Melissa.’
I whispered softly to myself.
There were so many things I wished to tell her.
On a verdant day when spring blossoms bloomed in full splendor and the air was thick with their fragrance,
a letter arrived from Princess Melissa.
Written in disorganized, crooked handwriting, the letter was as imperfect as Princess Melissa herself, and all the more endearing for it.
My gaze lingered long on the largest, most forcefully pressed letters as I read through Princess Melissa’s letter, where she listed the people of Athos Fortress one by one, assuring me they were all in good health.
[Big brother says I make him proud!]

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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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