This Three-Year-Old Is A Villainess - Chapter 235
There were sights to see and things to eat, so the wait wasn’t boring.
If I had one complaint, it would be:
‘My feet don’t even reach the floor.’
Come to think of it, that was only natural.
What business would a ten-year-old like me have in the Great Audience Hall?
Young members of the imperial family or their relatives would typically meet in private reception rooms, not here.
The chair I was sitting on was excessively ornate and, at the same time, excessively tall.
It seemed designed for an adult male of above-average height, as when I sat all the way back, my feet dangled in the air.
Swinging.
Dangling.
I spent time idly kicking my legs in the air.
How long had I been waiting?
“The Emperor approaches,” announced the attendant, opening the door for the master of the Great Audience Hall.
‘…My feet don’t touch the ground. I’ll have to dismount as gracefully as possible.’
Plop.
I lightly hopped off the chair and turned to see the Emperor entering the hall.
His orange hair billowed like a lion’s mane with every step, and his golden eyes—present only in adult members of the imperial family—gleamed sharply.
He looked exactly as described in the original story and the rumors: a man with an intense and commanding aura.
Just his mere entry into the hall seemed to make the air feel heavier.
But as I looked at the Emperor, I couldn’t help but think of someone else.
Someone soft and round.
The Empress Dowager, with her kind and gentle demeanor.
‘They say they resemble each other?’
Who on earth started that rumor, claiming the Emperor and Empress Dowager looked alike?
For now, I had to greet him properly, as etiquette demanded when meeting an adult.
“May glory shine upon Your Imperial Majesty”
I said, spreading the hem of my finely tailored dress and bending my knee to the proper angle.
The Emperor acknowledged my greeting with a slight wave of his hand and then took a seat in the chair across from me.
“I’ve heard a lot of rumors.”
“I am honored.”
“Erylotte Astra.”
His tone wasn’t one of engaging in conversation but rather of mulling over the name aloud.
I simply smiled and waited patiently for his next words.
The Emperor’s golden eyes fixed directly on me.
Gulp.
“I’ve also heard plenty from those around me.”
“Have you? It is an honor.”
“You seem certain it was praise.”
“……”
Well, isn’t that the obvious assumption?
Would anyone think that someone went to the Emperor to badmouth a ten-year-old girl?
And that the Emperor would then repeat such slander to her?
Of course, it was praise.
You have quite the talent for making ordinary statements sound menacing.
“Hoho. I suppose it’s because I’ve grown up as the youngest and am a bit immature. Please forgive me.”
The Emperor’s gaze grew even more intrigued as he observed me remain unfazed.
“The Imperial Consort tells me you’re an interesting child. The youngest guest ever invited to the Empress Dowager’s tea salon and the most treasured gem of Duke Astra and Daymond Astra.”
“Ohoho…”
Really, how am I supposed to respond to comments like that?
The Emperor muttered to himself as though speaking his thoughts aloud, all the while staring intently at me.
It was a gaze entirely different from one exchanged during conversation.
‘…Is this the charisma of an Emperor?’
His vivid golden eyes seemed to pierce straight into my soul.
As if that wasn’t enough, his sharp gaze felt as though it was exposing every cell beneath my skin.
But it was a bit over the top.
‘My goodness, sir, you’re really dragging this out.’
Wouldn’t it be better to apply this kind of pressure on adults rather than a child?
After all, he was clearly only curious about one thing: the dragon.
Since he couldn’t just demand it outright, he was circling around the topic due to his position as Emperor.
What he really wanted to say was:
“Where did you get that dragon? Give it to me!”
‘At first, I was intimidated by the Emperor’s charisma, but now it’s clear even he has to consider Grandfather’s influence.’
The reason the Emperor was being so cautious and indirect was Grandfather.
Though he mentioned Dad, Daymond Astra, in passing, Dad wasn’t yet a match for the Emperor.
If the Emperor demanded the dragon from me outright, Grandfather would undoubtedly cause an uproar.
So, the Emperor was choosing his words carefully to avoid that.
‘Ah, this roundabout manner is a bit like the Empress Dowager. Is this a trait of the imperial family? …No, never mind. Anatoli is an exception, so let’s not overgeneralize.’
When the Emperor still didn’t bring up the main topic, I decided to take the initiative.
