Chapter 48………….
“A blemish? You mean Piace?”
“Of course. At her age she still can’t speak properly, she stutters, she’s timid, and so slow in everything she does… Haah, I suffered quite a lot because of that child.”
“I thought you would’ve just dumped her on the maids and ignored her. Unexpected.”
“Th-that’s…”
“Then tell me in detail, Marchioness. What kind of suffering did you endure because of Piace? I’m very curious.”
The Marchioness of Molton faltered.
For a while, she only blinked her lashes, then stammered:
“I-I can’t explain in detail, but anyway, I really tried. After all, I thought of her as my daughter. But her vicious temperament… that I could not control.”
Vicious?
Piace, who would even tend to an injured bird in passing? That’s the funniest nonsense I’ve ever heard.
“My, did you not know? Piace was disowned because she harmed our Bianca.”
I chuckled.
“I’ve seen the record saying Piace scratched Bianca’s forehead.”
“Oh, you know then. It’s all true. Bianca was terribly wounded because of Piace. Every time I see that scar, my heart breaks…”
I raised my brows as I looked at Bianca’s flawlessly clear forehead.
“Scar?”
The marchioness cleared her throat.
“If you look very closely, you’ll see one.”
“Well, sure. Maybe Piace somehow managed to hurt a child twice her size. Maybe she suddenly gained the strength of a bear.”
“…Are you saying you don’t believe me?”
“No, I believe you. But I wonder—while Piace was scratching her forehead, was Bianca just standing still?”
“…What?”
“A child who doesn’t know how to restrain herself, who lashes out at anyone around—she just stood there and let Piace do as she pleased?”
“Your Grace! How can you say such a thing? Bianca is not that kind of child—”
“Don’t brush it off as mere speculation. Answer properly.”
“……”
The marchioness bit her lip.
Of course she had nothing to say. Piace must have been mercilessly beaten by Bianca. Far more than any scratch Bianca might have received.
But none of that was recorded, for a simple reason:
Piace was an orphan. Bianca was the precious daughter of a marquis.
“Did Piace, by any chance, claim she was abused in our house? Ah… So that’s why you cut ties with us.”
“Cut ties?”
“My husband told me. That House Ibrante suddenly ended its contracts with us. Do you know how much trouble that caused? Are you saying it wasn’t true?”
Contracts severed? What’s this nonsense… Ah!
“You mean the construction guild, Fabius?”
“Of course I mean Fabius. Would I be speaking of another guild?”
She snapped irritably, certain I was pretending not to know.
So the Fabius Construction Guild belongs to the Moltons, huh?
Interesting.
Seems she only heard from her husband that our house cut ties—
But she doesn’t know about the embezzlement.
“I always wondered why you suddenly broke off relations… I never thought a great house would be swayed by a mere child’s tricks.”
“How could Piace, who lags behind her peers and barely speaks, pull off such a thing? She probably didn’t even know what abuse was.”
“Then why…?”
“Wouldn’t it be best to hear it directly from the marquis himself? Of course, I could tell you… if you’re prepared for humiliation.”
The marchioness stiffened, but she wasn’t reckless enough to press further. A seasoned woman indeed.
“Now, answer my question. I’ve always wondered, but couldn’t bring myself to ask Piace.”
“…What question?”
“Did you abuse her?”
“Of course not! Abuse—what a vulgar accusation… Such words shouldn’t even be spoken aloud!”
“Then why did a perfectly normal child develop mutism? According to the records, she was already mute when she was disowned. Doesn’t that mean something happened in your household?”
“How should I know? I’m not a physician! Yes, Piace was often injured, but isn’t that normal when children play together?”
“Normal, you say…”
“If you doubt me, ask Piace yourself! Ask her if I ever laid a hand on her!”
True enough—she probably never did. The sort who wouldn’t even hold her own daughter’s hand likely wouldn’t strike Piace either.
But if Piace was often injured, then it must have been Bianca.
Did Bianca beat her? Treat her like a doll, mocking her for being an orphan?
Still… even if Bianca bullied her, she was only seven.
Would that really cause mutism…?
“Think, Your Grace. Our Bianca is of noble birth.”
“And?”
“The only reason Piace could live in a marquis household for even a year was because of Bianca. She wanted a younger sibling. What greater honor could there be for a common orphan?”
Her arrogance made my skin crawl.
To think someone besides Adrian could say such things aloud.
The marchioness snapped open her fan and fluttered it gracefully.
“As a duke, surely you share my views? Am I wrong?”
Her meaning was clear:
“You despise commoners even more than I do. You don’t even see them as people.”
Once, that would have been true.
Adrian would never have cared what Piace endured.
But too bad. I’m not Adrian.
I smiled coldly.
“You’re mistaken. I’m simply curious what exactly happened to my official ward while she was in your house.”
The marchioness’s face betrayed unease. She realized I saw Piace’s suffering as an issue between noble houses—one I fully intended to avenge.
“B-but Your Grace, Piace wasn’t yet your ward at that time.”
“I’m petty like that.”
“…Isn’t it all in the past? Shouldn’t we bury it there, so Piace can start anew?”
“She’s already started anew. Don’t worry about her. Worry about me—I hold grudges.”
The marchioness wasn’t easily cowed.
Narrowing her eyes, she asked:
“Is Piace enrolling at the academy?”
“Why?”
“Seeing Your Grace here, buying her clothes… I can guess.”
“What exactly are you implying?”
“You seem to care for her. Enough to buy her dresses yourself… Am I wrong?”
“In my way, yes.”
“Then you should know this: at the academy, status means nothing. Marquis’ daughter or duke’s ward, all are just students.”
“And?”
“So, if children quarrel, the houses cannot interfere. Everything must be resolved within the academy. That’s the rule.”
Oh? Was that a threat?
If I didn’t keep on her good side, would she encourage her daughter to bully Piace?
Strange though… Doesn’t feel like this is our last meeting.
I had thought the Moltons would be one-time extras in the story—
obstacles for the protagonist, then gone.
“Your daughter attends the academy?”
“She’s in her third year. She’ll go on to become a mage.”
“…Has her mana manifested?”
The marchioness waved her fan proudly.
“Manifested at three years old. Earlier than Master Ruspel himself, so they call her a magical prodigy. His Majesty even said he would watch her progress with interest.”
Wait a minute.
Manifested mana at three → hailed as a magical genius → destined to rival Ruspel → but with a vile personality.
Could it be…
At last, a villain?
I studied Bianca closely.
She was giggling after amusing herself pulling hair from the maid’s head, clutching a fistful of it.
Oh, wow. A tree’s nature shows from the sprout indeed. As expected, rotten to the core already.
I felt a little deflated.
I hadn’t expected a villain on par with a Demon Lord, but still… she seemed so petty.
Maybe the villain standards are just lower in this childcare story.
No—that’s not it.
She’s simply still young. That’s why she seems trivial now.
When she grows up, it’ll be different.
Imagine that child maturing into a mage as powerful as Ruspel—
then suddenly deciding to conquer the world.
Oh… that would suit her quite well.
