This Three-Year-Old Is A Villainess - Chapter 5

Grandfather turned his gaze toward me, and I felt a chill down my spine emanating from his narrow eyes.
It was an overwhelming aura that could easily make a regular child burst into tears.
I gripped my skirt’s hem tightly and forced an awkward smile, conveying my understanding:
‘I know my place.’
Just feed me and don’t torment me, and I’ll be well-behaved.
Grandfather’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
***
I disembarked from the carriage with a feeling of complete exhaustion.
While my body had been comfortable thanks to the carriage provided by the mansion, my overall feeling was akin to having ridden a roller coaster ten times in a row.
‘Why do people here give such ominous glares?’
Criminals in movies don’t even have such eyes, I thought as I walked nervously to the twelfth tower.
Perhaps because it was getting dark, the tower was quiet.
Voices could be heard from the children’s bedrooms.
“The central mansion is really amazing. I heard there are monsters guarding every door!”
[Aren’t you scared at all?]
“No, I didn’t cry once.”
[Of course not. Our dear Delun is brave.]
It was the sounds of children communicating with their parents.
“I don’t like carrots. I hate you, Nanny.”
“Come on. You’re hurting this Nanny’s feelings. My beloved lady hates me.”
“No! It was a lie…”
“Then, you’ll eat the carrots, right?”
“Okaaaay… I don’t like it though…”
There were also sounds of children being a little playful with their nannies.
I stood in the dim corridor, listening to the affectionate sounds coming from each room.
‘A kid’s body is really uncomfortable.’
If I were an adult, I wouldn’t envy such things at all.
I didn’t have a mother, and my father was far away on the battlefield.
‘Besides, I’ve got no nanny here.’
Children here were provided with a nanny by their parents because they were from noble families.
For the longest time, no one took care of me. It’s like I’m an invisible ghost here in this Astra household.
So, I wasn’t given a nanny.
‘I can act cute in front of the tower’s servants and teachers quite well, but…’
I trailed off, absentmindedly stroking the hem of my dress. Soon, I raised my head.
‘I need to take a bath quickly.’
Warm water flowed abundantly here.
Unlike Yoo Hyemin’s room, there was even a bathtub.
Once I immersed myself in the warm water, I knew I’d feel better soon.
‘No matter how bad I feel now, it doesn’t mean I’ll be like this forever.’
With determination, I strode down the corridor, contemplating the tasks ahead.
If dragon bones are found in the Myrten Plain, my worth will skyrocket.
If things turned out as planned, there would be several benefits.
I should consider how to use those benefits to live well.
‘Accumulating wealth is the best option…’
I thought as I reached the door.
“Ah!”
Someone suddenly grabbed my collar.
Startled, I looked up to see a familiar face.
“Thwe anky one…” (The lanky one…)
I muttered, recalling the kid from yesterday who just cried from ten pages of a reflection paper because I told on him.
He had dragged me deep into the corridor.
“Do you know how much I suffered because of you yesterday?”
‘Well, that’s because you bullied me,’ I thought, but he had a displeased look on his face.
“You’re doing this and that, huh.”
I remained silent.
“You cheated on the test today, didn’t you? That’s why you got called to the central mansion. They scolded you.”
While I was in the central mansion, it seemed like the people in the tower had jumped to their own conclusions over here.
A three-year-old reading ancient language was definitely suspicious.
The only thing that could explain it was cheating.
Lanky grinned wickedly.
“You’re already on Duke’s bad side. If they find out you cheated, you might get expelled from the tower.”
“…”
“Because of a blockhead like you, I had to endure such shame… Do you even know who my father is? He’s a senior vassal with jurisdiction!”
“……”
“Apologize to me. Get down on your knees and beg!”
He shouted, pushing me forcefully, and I fell to the ground with a painful cry.
“Ouch!”
I was in so much pain, and even in the midst of my suffering, Lanky continued to shout at me.
“Don’t you hear me?!”
Lanky snapped and grabbed my hand.
I don’t really fight with kids.
I usually involve adults to resolve issues.
It’s more convenient and, besides, since they are kids, it’s better to handle them gently.
‘But violence is a different matter,’ I thought to myself. It wasn’t the first time.
This already happened several times before.
“Get down on your knees and beg… Ahhhh!”
I bit Lanky’s leg hard.
He yelped and released me…
“Ack!”
…And I grabbed his hair forcefully.
I shook his head with all my might.
You keep pushing me—
“Ack!”
You keep calling me stupid—
“Ack!”
You keep threatening and looking down on me!
“Aaaaack!”
As I shook his head up and down, side to side, Lanky eventually burst into tears.
“Huaaaang! Mommy…!”
The commotion had drawn a crowd, and the surroundings buzzed with activity.
Soon, teachers rushed to the scene.
Pushing through the onlookers, once they finally got a good look at us, they were just left speechless.
