This Three-Year-Old Is A Villainess - Chapter 213
‘Is this… could it be, perhaps?’
An old flame?
So, I glanced up at Dad.
He was frowning as hard as he could.
‘Guess not.’
Then something came to mind.
‘Ah… they did say there was a princess who clung to Dad before.’
I had heard that there was a princess who even jumped from the second floor because of Dad.
Could that princess be this former imperial princess?
I looked around, thinking my guess might be right.
Everyone was laughing and chatting, but there was a clear effort to act like they hadn’t noticed anything.
‘So it is this former princess.’
Still, Dad’s expression was so full of disdain, it was almost a bit much.
I gently tugged at Dad’s sleeve, and when I looked at him with a worried expression, he finally relaxed his face.
The princess, seeing this, was startled and looked at me.
“Oh…”
She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes welling up, and her shoulders hunched.
‘I get that she’s tearing up at the sight of Dad, but why is she looking at me like that?’
Just as I thought she might start crying, the Imperial Consort stepped in.
Her brows furrowed, clearly showing her discomfort.
“If it’s too much for you, you don’t have to attend the luncheon.”
What she really meant was, ‘If you’re going to cause trouble, don’t bother coming.’
“…No, I’ll attend.”
Even as she said this, the princess’s gaze never left Dad.
* * *
The luncheon began.
One by one, plates were set on the table, and soon, the table was filled with an array of lavish dishes.
Even before picking up his spoon, Balzac had a look on his face like he was desperate to escape.
“Every time guests arrive, it’s luncheons, banquets… Can’t we stop eating together? Are we really supposed to be a family that doesn’t get along?”
Balzac grumbled quietly, and Joshua frowned.
“Behave yourself. The former princess is looking this way.”
“She’s not even glancing at us, just staring at Father.”
“…Even so.”
It was true.
I poked at my salad with a fork and stole a glance at the former princess.
My aunts were chatting away on either side of her, but she didn’t seem the least bit interested.
She was just staring intently at Dad.
‘Her gaze is so earnest.’
Even as she poured out her heartfelt gaze, Dad remained stoically unmoved. I found it quite admirable.
Lysmond asked Dad,
“When are we heading back to the jurisdiction?”
“Immediately.”
“I will prepare the spell.”
The fact that Lysmond was willing to prepare the spell for teleportation showed that even he was uncomfortable with the princess’s constant gaze.
Dad nodded.
“As soon as we leave the dining room, use your Teleportation.”
It looked like he planned to abandon the carriage and just teleport away.
Lysmond gave him a puzzled look.
“But we’ll get caught because of the wards.”
“I’ll disintegrate them or break them with brute force, whichever works.”
The corners of my three brothers’ mouths lifted slightly.
They seemed amused by how annoyed Dad was.
Balzac grinned and said,
“Why don’t you just tell her off?”
“I’ve already told her off dozens of times.”
Lysmond lowered his voice.
“How about filing a formal complaint with the Imperial Palace?”
“I’ve sent four letters of protest already.”
Joshua glanced downward, pretending not to speak directly to Dad.
“Maybe you need to publicly humiliate her to make sure she doesn’t cling on anymore.”
“In her desperation, she even jumped out of—”
Dad continued, blocking my ears with his hands, but I could still see his lips moving.
“She jumped out of the second floor, even though it was a bedroom.”
“Well, there’s no way she has any sense of shame.”
My brothers shook their heads.
The twins were quite popular, and Lysmond had received more than his fair share of dramatic love confessions, but the spectacle of the former princess was evidently on a whole other level.
Balzac shrugged.
“Maybe you should just accept it as fate and start dating her… Just kidding, Father.”
He snickered, but quickly changed his tone when he caught Dad’s sharp glare.
‘We need to get out of here soon.’
Dad was clearly fed up.
‘If this keeps up, there’s going to be trouble.’
But Dad’s wish wasn’t granted.
Just as we were about to leave after the luncheon—
“Are you Erylotte?”
—the former princess spoke to me in a wistful tone.
Naturally, our family, who was about to head out to the hallway, was stopped in our tracks.
I forced an awkward smile and replied,
“Yes, Your Highness. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Erylotte Astra.”
“I see. So, you’re…”
The princess, seemingly having forgotten all sense of decorum, knelt down and looked up at me.
Anyone watching might have thought she had found a long-lost daughter.
The Imperial Consort, seeing this, tightly closed her eyes.
