Chapter 3
Eek!
I flinched in surprise, then quickly forced an awkward smile and turned around.
Standing there was a refined, silver-haired man in glasses, wearing the pink bunny apron I had picked out for him.
Dias Hessen.
The owner of this bakery, a widower… and my dad.
“Uh… I’m meeting some kids to play in the village square,” I said, avoiding his gaze and poking the toe of my shoe at the floor.
His honey-gold eyes—identical to mine—watched me from behind his glasses. Luckily, he didn’t seem to notice my ambitious little plan.
“Then I’ll be off!”
Before Dad could stop me, I bolted out the door.
“Watch out for carriages! Don’t take off your outer coat even if it’s hot! And stay away from the dangerous forest!”
As always, I waved him off lazily at his nagging and ran toward the Edelvine villa.
Before long, I arrived at the villa—and spotted an unexpected figure.
Rahel?
On the third floor, in the same room as yesterday, stood Rahel, watching me from who knows when.
Her clothes were different today, but her expression was the same.
She couldn’t have been… waiting for me… right?
I stared up at her for a moment, then gave a deep, polite bow.
Maybe yesterday she ignored me because I was too casual for a commoner.
But when I straightened up, she was already gone, having turned back into her room.
Tsk. Our young lady is every bit as aloof as a proper villainess should be.
While I clicked my tongue in mild disappointment—
Hm?
I noticed a servant hurrying out of the villa. One of the ones I had greeted yesterday.
My eyes lit up.
My instincts say… this is a chance!
I rushed over to him.
“Hello, sir! Where are you going?”
“I’m busy, so don’t follow—”
He started to wave me off, but suddenly stopped, as if remembering something.
“Hey, kid. Do you know where I can get good quality cheese? Looks like I need to buy some…”
A slow grin spread across my face.
Helping someone is one of the fastest ways to get close to them.
It was the perfect chance to get one step closer to my goal.
“Of course! I know this town inside and out. Just leave it to me!”
I smiled confidently and took the lead.
On the way back to the villa, the man—James—had a big smile on his face, clutching the finest cheese our town had to offer.
Of course, that was thanks to me.
[A nobleman eating my cheese? No way a noble would touch something like this!]
Old man Gerald, the stubborn shop owner who hated nobles, had been tough to persuade. But in the end, I got him to agree to a steady supply deal with James.
My pride swelled.
Sensing it, James gave me a late word of thanks.
“Thanks, kid.”
“Vivian.”
“Right, Vivian. Thanks to you, we’ll have cheese at dinner tonight.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Neighbors should help each other.”
And now it’s his turn to help me. Heh heh.
I glanced at the Edelvine villa, my smile turning sly. Then I pretended to slump in exhaustion, rubbing my stomach.
James, about to head inside, looked at me curiously.
“Hm? What’s wrong all of a sudden?”
“I got hungry from walking so far… I guess I’ll just go home.”
Right on cue, my small stomach growled. I trudged away with weak steps, my ears straining for his reaction.
“Ugh… I’m so hungry I can barely stand…”
It’s hard to ignore someone who just helped you—especially when it’s about food.
I muttered loudly enough for him to hear, “If I collapse from hunger on the street, what’ll happen to my poor dad, all alone?”
James still didn’t call me back, but he also didn’t go inside—he just stood there, hesitating.
Wow, he’s really wavering!
Just before I could throw myself into a dramatic faint—
“V-Vivian!”
Finally, he called out. I turned back, forcing down the victorious grin tugging at my lips.
“Yes, sir?”
“Well… how about you come inside and have a snack before you go? I think there’s some leftovers.”
“Really? Wow, thanks!”
“Sure. If it’s just for a little while, it’s fine.”
James explained the situation to the gatekeeper.
The villa was big enough to need lots of staff, and outside visitors weren’t rare. After a quick bag check, they let me in.
I gave the gatekeeper a deep bow—making sure he’d remember my face—and followed James inside, smiling to myself.
Since our villainess won’t come out, I’ll just have to go in to meet her.
I glanced around the backyard just in case, but… not even a strand of Rahel’s hair was in sight.
James led me through the back door into the kitchen.
The servants chatting inside went quiet when they saw us.
“James, who’s the kid? I thought you went to get cheese.”
Before he could answer, I stepped forward and bowed.
“Hello! I’m Vivian, I came by yesterday.”
“Oh, you’re the baker’s daughter?”
A few servants recognized me.
James set the cheese on the table.
“Here, everyone, have a taste. This kid—no, Vivian—found this amazing cheese for me.”
“She did?”
“She knows the town better than any of us. Anyway, she said she was hungry, so I thought we could give her a snack. Any of the young lady’s treats left?”
“Let me see… I think there’s some from earlier.”
A maid fetched a slice of cake from the counter.
My mouth watered at the sight.
As expected, the duke’s chef is on another level.
Sure, Dad ran a bakery… but—much as I loved him—his skills were terrible. It had been ages since I’d had proper cake.
“Thank you for the food!”
As I dug in, some of the adults gathered around.
“How about we show you the garden later? The landscaping is beautiful. Of course, you can’t go inside—the main house is for the duke and the young lady—but the garden’s fine.”
“Wow, I’d love that! This place looks just like a princess’s palace.”
“Well, a princess does live here. An ice princess,” one maid said offhandedly.
Another nudged her in the ribs, but I seized the chance.
“I saw someone on the third floor yesterday—is that the young lady?”
“That’s right. That’s Lady Rahel.”
“She’s so beautiful. What’s she like?”
Just as the servants began to answer, the kitchen door banged open.
Sally stormed in.
“More cake—” She stopped short when she saw me surrounded by servants. Her face twisted in anger.
“What is she doing here?”
“She helped us, so we’re giving her a snack. We’ll send her off soon—”
“How can you let some street beggar from the market into the duke’s villa? Ugh, filthy and disgusting.”
“Sally, that’s too much! She’s your friend—”
“Friend? Who’s friends with that dirty girl? Get her out right now!”
Sally stamped her foot and shrieked, “If you don’t, I’ll tell my mother!”
Her sharp voice echoed out into the hallway—
And just then—
“What’s all this noise?”
The kitchen door opened, and a sharp-looking elderly man stepped in.
My eyes widened.
That’s…
“Y-Your Grace,” the servants gasped, springing to their feet.
His hair was streaked with white, but his presence was so imposing it would cow even young knights.
And his eyes—filled with a fierce, blood-red energy—were enough to make anyone kneel.
The man himself: Rahel’s maternal grandfather, and the head of the empire’s only ducal house—
Kaltz Edelvine, the Duke of Edelvine.
