~Chapter 9~
“Grandfather, he totally tricked us! He’s a conman!”
When I shouted, the conman’s face turned pale and he jumped up, screaming like a banshee.
“A conman?!”
Nigel, still not fully grasping the situation, opened his mouth wide.
“No, no! Something must be wrong. This is definitely Nightshade…!”
The conman shook his head in shock.
The old man quietly watched the sword slowly corroding, losing color and crumbling, then suddenly swung it.
The sword moved with invisible speed, instantly stopping just below the conman’s neck.
Though the tip was corroded, the blade still had plenty of sharpness with just a bit of blood on it.
It was enough to threaten the shameless conman.
“I may be retired, but I’m not to be underestimated. How dare a worthless merchant try to climb against this family? I’ve been too lenient.”
His sharp, chilling voice descended like a dark cloud. The conman, meeting his gaze, screamed.
“Lock him up and investigate further. This family is probably not the only one to get such a proposal.”
Hmm, so I really did a good deed, right?
It felt like the magic circulating in me had grown slightly.
“To try to scam me, you’ve got some nerve. Might as well beg me to kill you.”
As soon as he said this, the conman twisted his body and screamed.
I grinned mischievously where only the conman could see and stuck out my tongue.
The conman’s eyes widened.
“That’s a demon!”
He pointed at me.
“A demon! Only a demon would know this isn’t Nightshade… Aaaah!”
Soldiers grabbed the conman, twisted his arm, and dragged him out screaming.
‘…That one?’
The restaurant door slammed shut firmly. His last words lingered in my mind.
‘Well, he got it right, but no one will believe him anyway, so it’s not my concern.’
Eventually, he confessed the ore was fake. His life is obviously doomed.
‘A little bit of magic is back. Not sure how much though.’
I need to visit the temple soon to see Father and confront that damn god.
I wonder if I have the energy for that.
“You.”
“Yes?”
The old man’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I opened my eyes wide.
Like an innocent child.
“First, let’s heal your hand. Go get the doctor.”
“Yes, Master.”
“We’ll eat here. Nigel, you can join later.”
“Yes, Father.”
Nigel’s dry voice sounded defeated as he left with his family.
Suddenly, only the food, me, and the Duke remained.
“How did you know it was fake?”
“Um… Well… Esther is a genius…?”
I’m a genius.
I decided to push the genius story and skillfully dodged.
“Nonsense,” the old man snapped coldly.
His chilling voice made me shrink.
He seemed surprised by my reaction and glanced at me with displeasure.
I felt awkward shrinking like that.
“It was in the book! I just… wanted to help, Grandfather…”
Actually, it was because I had to do good deeds.
I mumbled, and a sigh came from across.
“You’re foolish.”
His voice softened a little. His sharp gaze still held my bleeding hand.
He came closer, wrapped my hand with a handkerchief, and tied it tight.
“Ow! That hurts!!”
“Endure it, little one. A child of this family must bear it.”
Soon the doctor came and examined my hand.
“This will sting a bit.”
When he dabbed disinfectant, my hair stood on end.
“Con… con…!”
Not a little sting, it crackled!
“Ow! Grandfather, this woman’s a conman!”
I struggled, and the doctor frowned awkwardly and quickly finished.
He sighed and watched her, but she looked away and bowed, cleaning up neatly.
“I used a special medicine, so you should heal in two days. Sorry for the pain.”
She bowed politely and left after greeting the master.
“Ow…”
My palm stung.
I buried my face in the sofa and stomped my feet as several clearing throat sounds came from opposite me.
“He’s skilled, despite all. If he’s from the Duke’s family, he must endure it.”
I glanced at the old man, rubbed my forehead, and stood.
Being the Duke’s kid twice would wring out my soul!
I sighed, stroking my aching hand.
“Did it hurt?”
Of course it did.
“No, no, I’m fine. Not hurting at all, Grandfather.”
I smiled and shook my head, pretending it didn’t hurt because if I said it did, I might get kicked out.
Sigh, my fate.
“Where did you learn that strange word?”
He frowned, asking.
“Strange word?”
“Yes, that ‘Grandfather’ or whatever you called him.”
His face was stern but not unpleasant.
Ah, surrounded by arrogant, fame-hungry family and grandchildren with no charm who’ve lived tough but are weak to flattery.
I’ve got a good read on him.
“As author of ‘101 Human Types,’ this isn’t hard.”
A must-read for demons coming to the human world.
I wrote that best-seller in the demon world a thousand years ago.
This type seems unyielding but is actually soft and weak to cuteness.
“Might be easy to do good deeds after all.”
Besides, isn’t the best revenge to party hard when happy?
“Decided.”
First, get into the Duke’s family center.
“In the book, it says! The coolest person I like is called Grandfather!”
I smiled brightly.
“…Cool?”
“Yes! Grandfather’s cool! He made the conman go ‘shing! psht!’ with his sword!”
Of course, if I weren’t here, the conman would’ve tricked me like a sucker.
I acted like I didn’t know.
“Don’t spout nonsense. Next time, don’t do such dangerous things.”
He clicked his tongue and gave me a scolding order.
But I saw his dry cheeks twitch with a wrinkle.
The meal ended awkwardly because of the conman.
After treatment and the scolding order, my maid and the child about to leave looked longingly at the food then shyly tugged my clothes.
“Grandfather… can I take this to-go?”
Takeout at the Duke’s house!
I almost laughed.
Should I yell to keep some dignity?
But remembering how she pulled back like fleeing when my hand was hurt, and smiled with tears in her eyes saying she was okay, I couldn’t scold her.
If I said no, she’d probably cry again.
So the Duke reluctantly nodded.
Not only that, even as I was harshly chased off, she cheerfully begged to meet her father and somehow got permission to go out.
I regretted allowing it.
“Going to meet that guy!”
The Duke clicked his tongue.
After the child left, the dining hall became silent.
The Duke broke the silence, asking his aide,
“River, that girl’s the seventh, right? Was she always like this?”
“I haven’t seen her much. Reports say she wasn’t very noticeable.”
“Yes, I remember the same.”
But seeing her smile directly at me, then quietly slipping away with food, was a fresh shock.
Who dares turn their back or call him “Grandfather” like that without permission?
The empire’s hero, living legend, pinnacle of pure bloodline, beloved husband and family pillar.
He was Duke Ernhart Egbert.
“The last time I saw her, she had just started walking. She’s grown well.”
His dry eyes slowly faded again.
“That is… the one.”
Ernhart said.
The guilt for causing his beloved wife to fall ill and his son to wander outside.
‘I think I heard she’s called an idiot.’
A lot of time must’ve passed without seeing her.
She’s a truly curious child.
How did she know about an ore no one else knew?
“River, reward the child with 10 million mileon, plus snacks and food the kids will like.”
Taking food to-go meant their living conditions weren’t good.
But Ernhart didn’t want any headache.
Money was the best he could do.
His son ran wild, fathered a bastard outside.
His wife, valuing bloodlines, couldn’t bear his son’s rebellion and broke her oath, falling ill long ago.
“Go to Mari.”
So he didn’t want to bother with the child.
“Yes, Master.”
“And interrogate and punish the conman who dared trick me.”
He gave the orders with dead eyes and stood up.
