This Three-Year-Old Is A Villainess - Chapter 147
With a cough—ahem—Grandfather spoke,
“The imperial capital’s academy isn’t all that bad, and just because you’re my friend doesn’t mean she has to go there.”
“Um… Well, it’s true that the education House Astra provides is quite good, too.”
At that, I quipped with a smile,
“Viscount Debussy is always looking for ways to help us children grow up independently.”
I demonstrated the passion and fervor of a seasoned bottom-of-the-barrel employee who did all her best to flatter her manager and higher superiors.
Thus, the vassals burst into laughter at the same time.
“Viscount Debussy, truly? He doesn’t have any children of his own—I didn’t know he could be such a great educator.”
Viscount Debussy beamed.
He’s the kind of man who could already smile well, but today, the corners of his lips rose about 15 degrees higher.
‘Good. Viscount Debussy’s favor—got ‘em.’
Then, I turned to look at Grandfather.
“And no matter how good the academy may be, what else could I get over there when I can be here by Grandfather’s side, learning everything I can from him instead?”
The vassals nodded again and agreed wholeheartedly.
“Goodness, I wonder when my own grandkids would ever say that as well.”
“I knew His Grace was blessed, but how could the gods be so unfair, bestowing upon him even such a great descendant!”
What a great audience!
***
I left Grandfather’s main residence and settled down by the lake.
‘Aigoo.’
When I rubbed my itchy palms, the fatigue that I’d been keeping at bay came crashing down like an unforgiving reality check.
As I tapped my shoulders with a fist, I saw the communication stone (a blessing stone of communication) sparkle.
I answered the call.
[How did it go, Miss!]
[Miss!]
“We don’t have to fix the property. Viscount Debussy will contact Count Jeantel on our behalf.”
[Yahoooo—!!]
[Yeeeessss—!!]
Cheers and thrown papers could be heard from the other side of the line.
These poor guys.
[Will you be returning soon then, Miss?]
“I’ll have dinner with Grandfather first.”
[Understood. I’ll tell the staff to prepare for your arrival so that you may rest well after coming back home.]
At that, the line was cut off.
I snuck the communication stone back into its soft cloth pouch.
It’s very expensive, after all.
It’s even more expensive than a carriage full of other blessing stones.
“Oh! Ewywotte’s cawwing somewon!” (Oh! Erylotte’s calling someone!)
A little four-year-old boy waddled his way towards the side of the lake. It’s my little baby cousin.
“Hiya Armand.”
“Commushun shone! No touchie, no touchie!”
Armand’s nanny rushed over and gently explained to the child,
“Miss Erylotte has received permission to use that after she went up to the advanced class, Young Master.”
That’s right.
I graduated to the advanced class.
There were various perks that came along with it.
1- Permission to call people
2- Permission to stay at a different accommodation instead of staying full-time like it’s a boarding school
3- Mandatory in-person classes four times a month. All other requirements can be replaced with other assignments.
‘This is why people want to go up to higher levels.’
I patted Armand on the cheek.
“Do you want to call someone?”
“Yeah! Mommy…”
“Just a little while, okay?”
“Wow~!”
Armand jumped up excitedly, and his nanny thanked me, too.
I connected the communication stone with the one at Uncle Gustav’s jurisdiction.
“Young Master, you mustn’t hold it so tightly.”
“Daddy! Daddy!”
[Oh, Armand!]
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew during the communication, and Armand’s hat flew away.
Armand’s nanny, holding his hand tightly to prevent him from breaking the communication stone, was visibly flustered.
“Go ahead and watch Armand. I’ll go get the hat.”
It must be reiterated: that communication stone is very expensive.
Armand, when excited, is not a child I can easily handle.
The hat flew quite far away.
I jogged over to retrieve it behind a tree.
As I was about to pick it up…
“Oh.”
A boy sitting in the tree’s shade looked at me.
He was a skinny boy with curly brown hair and acne-covered cheeks.
‘Who is he?’
Not a direct descendant. Not a branch family relative either.
About thirteen to fifteen years old?
Why would such a young boy be at the castle?
“I’m Porcelony Caldere. Who are you?”
‘Huh. We’ve got an idiot here.’
Who else could a child living in this ducal castle be?
The fact that he spoke informally right away showed how foolish he was.
I picked up Armand’s hat and stood up.
“Erylotte Astra.”
“Astra? …Astra?!”
Leaving the boy, whose eyes had gone round, I turned and walked away with a smile.
When I handed Armand his hat, his nanny bowed repeatedly.
“You know.”
“Yes, Miss?”
“There was a boy who’s a bit older than me over there. He said his name was Caldere.”
“Ah… You must be referring to the son of the Count of Caldere. It seems he came because his father wishes to transfer his estate under the dominion of the Astra Duchy.”
“But Grandfather is in a meeting with the vassals about something else, isn’t he?”
If that were the case, he would need to speak with the count.
“It’s called an estate, but it’s really just a small piece of land in the countryside… Count Caldere lives only on his own estate, so he seems out of touch with the current trends.”
I nodded.
In the meantime, Armand’s communication ended.
I carefully put the communication stone the child had returned to me back into my pocket and returned to the main castle.
It was just in time for dinner.
