Holy Power for a Villainess? - Chapter 07

Chapter 7

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“As I mentioned last time, I’ll be teaching you the Imperial language. First, we’ll progress through reading words and combining them, and I’ll decide later when to teach pronunciation tones depending on the pace.”

While briefly explaining the lesson plan, Dikal opened the bag he had brought.

The item he pulled out with a slightly excited expression was a thick stack of white papers covered in writing.

“What’s that?”

“These are word cards I made myself. I thought the books currently sold in stores might be difficult for you to learn from, so I prepared something simpler. I wasn’t able to bring the official textbook because there wasn’t enough time, but I’ll send it to the estate as soon as it’s completed.”

“Woooow…”

Dikal was far more passionate than I expected.

‘He even made a book personally for his student.’

Of course, Heinox was probably paying him generously, but seeing how genuinely happy Dikal looked made me feel happy too.

‘It’s always a good thing when a teacher genuinely cares about their student.’

As if touched by his sincerity, I lightly patted Dikal’s shoulder.

“Young Lady?”

Dikal looked puzzled by my sudden action.

“Nothing. I’m just proud of you.”

“Proud…?”

“Mm. Teacher is very admirable.”

“Uh…”

Hearing a four-year-old tell him he was admirable gave Dikal a strangely complicated feeling.

‘Is this praise?’

He couldn’t tell whether it was praise or teasing, but the small hand patting his shoulder didn’t seem willing to stop until he answered, so he awkwardly replied:

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Then let us begin with the basic spelling and pronunciation. First, for the letter ‘t,’ place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and release it while pronouncing it as ‘tteu-eo.’”

“Teu-eo.”

“You need to roll your tongue a little more. Like this: ‘tteu-eo.’”

“Teu-eo.”

“Just a little more…”

“Teu-eo.”

‘Is it because my tongue is too short?’

It was difficult to imitate Dikal’s pronunciation.

Dikal seemed to realize that too and comforted me.

“This word is particularly difficult to pronounce. Other young ladies and young masters learning Imperial for the first time struggle with it as well, so there is no need to rush.”

But for some reason, his words only irritated me more.

‘What? Even if I’m physically younger now, you’re saying I’m the same as other kids?’

The pride of someone who had been speaking for over twenty years refused to accept that.

‘I will pronounce this properly.’

The passion that had cooled slightly after growing accustomed to comfortable living suddenly reignited.

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“We’ll end today’s lesson here. Due to time, we’ll continue with tones next lesson.”

“Teacher!”

As Dikal tried to leave the room, I quickly grabbed his sleeve.

“What is it? Do you perhaps have a question…?”

“Nope. I just wanted you to stay and eat apple pie!”

“Pardon?”

He was definitely moved by my great generosity.

‘This is my first time eating it too, and I’m still sharing!’

“Ah, unfortunately I have somewhere I must go.”

But Dikal declined with a regretful furrow of his brows.

“I see!”

‘Whew. Thank goodness.’

Honestly, I regretted inviting him almost immediately after offering out of politeness.

‘What if Dikal eats all of it?!’

Since Dikal was built as heavily as a knight, that concern wasn’t unreasonable at all.

“Goodbyeee!”

I practically shouted my farewell and ran out of the room even faster than Dikal.

Anne, who had been waiting outside the door, stared at me in surprise as I rushed out in excitement.

“Are you finished?”

“Mhm! Hurry, hurry, let’s go!”

“Yes, Miss.”

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“Ahh, what a good smell…!”

The moment I entered the kitchen, the rich buttery scent of tart crust filled the air.

“Puichi! Is it done yet?”

“Young Lady? Why have you come all the way down here instead of staying in your room?”

Puichi, who had been watching the tart bake inside the oven, jumped in surprise at the sudden sound of my voice.

“I came to see you!”

‘Actually, I just wanted to eat it sooner…’

But despite the obvious lie, Puichi looked deeply touched.

“To think the Young Lady wished to see me—what an honor!”

“Mhm.”

A little overwhelmed by his excessive reaction, I awkwardly stared past him toward the tart baking behind him.

Perhaps noticing my gaze, he smiled brightly.

“The tart will be finished very soon. Please sit at the table and wait. I’ll let it cool slightly before bringing it to you.”

“Okaaay.”

I stared longingly at the tart until Anne gently led me out of the kitchen.

“When will it be done?”

“It should only take a little longer.”

At Anne’s vague guess, I nodded while swinging my short legs.

“But Anne. When will the pie…”

“Miss.”

“Okayyy. I just hafta wait.”

‘I thought I’d be able to eat it immediately after lessons ended.’

If I’d known I’d have to wait this long, I would’ve stayed and learned pronunciation tones too.

‘Ah… would Dikal have demanded extra pay if the lesson went overtime?’

But that wasn’t my problem.

Heinox was the one paying, not me.

While idly wondering how much Dikal earned for tutoring me, Puichi emerged from the kitchen carrying the pie.

“Oh! Ooooh!”

“It has cooled enough now, so it should be safe to eat.”

Using the tiny custom-made fork designed for my small body, I cut into the pie, and thick jam immediately spilled out from the inside.

I sliced off part of the crust, scooped up plenty of jam, and stuffed it into my mouth.

“Nom!”

‘Th-This flavor!’

The buttery crispness of the tart crust, the sweet cooked apples spreading through my mouth, and finally the faint hint of cinnamon lingering right before swallowing.

In one word, this apple pie was—

“The beeeest!”

As I widened my eyes in amazement while savoring the pie, Puichi puffed up proudly.

“I’m relieved it suits your taste.”

“It’s sooo delicious! Puichi is the best!”

“Thank you. Hahaha…”

At that moment, in the middle of the warm atmosphere filling the dining hall, Renzard entered through the door.

“Puichi. I was walking down the hallway and smelled something sweet…”

The moment Renzard spotted me sitting in a chair holding a fork, his face twisted into a deep frown.

“What’s that? Why is she here?”

At his openly displeased reaction, sweat immediately poured down Puichi’s face.

“Ah, well… The Young Lady was eating the apple pie I baked.”

“Apple pie? Why didn’t you tell me you baked one?”

‘Seriously? Why would Puichi tell you? I’m the one who requested it.’

I inwardly scoffed at Renzard’s ridiculous complaint and continued eating my pie.

Or rather, I tried to continue eating it.

Until Renzard snatched my fork away.

“What are you doing?!”

Renzard examined my tiny precious fork from different angles before letting out a laugh.

“What’s this pathetic thing even for?”

“Give it back!”

“What? Don’t tell me this is your fork?”

Seeing the fury on my face, Renzard burst into loud laughter.

“Hahaha! Objects really do resemble their owners! Puichi, look at this. Could anyone even pick up food with this thing?”

Suddenly becoming the focus of both our attention, Puichi awkwardly scratched his beard.

“I said give it back.”

“And if I don’t?”

Holding the small but sharp fork threateningly, Renzard sneered.

“Did you already forget being told to stay in your room? How many people here do you think actually welcome you wandering around?”

Clicking his tongue, Renzard turned toward Anne, who stood frozen nearby.

“Hey. You there.”

“Yes?”

Anne clearly hadn’t expected him to address her.

“Don’t you think so too?”

“I-I don’t know what you mean…”

“What’s wrong?”

Renzard slowly approached Anne as she lowered her head and answered with a trembling voice.

“Isn’t it annoying having to cater to someone like that?”

“I’ve never thought that…”

Then Renzard leaned close to Anne’s ear and whispered:

“Priscilla Tanzeric.”

At that beloved name, Anne froze.

Renzard didn’t miss the reaction.

“Mother died because of that thing.”

Though Renzard whispered it to Anne, there wasn’t a single person in the dining hall who failed to hear him.

The moment those previously unspoken taboo words left his mouth, the atmosphere instantly froze.

“Y-Young Master…”

The attendant who had entered alongside Renzard turned pale while nervously glancing at me.

“Perhaps you should return to your room…”

“What’s your name?”

Ignoring the servant’s desperate tone entirely, Renzard questioned Anne.

“I-It’s Anne.”

“Good, Anne. I’ll give you a chance.”

“A-A chance for what…?”

“If you speak honestly now, I’ll ask Father to transfer you somewhere else.”

“I don’t wish for that…”

“You respected our mother, didn’t you?”

At Renzard’s words, Anne tightly shut her mouth.

“And you know she died because of that thing.”

I clenched my fists tightly.

‘It wasn’t my fault.’

But unlike my calm mind, my small body trembled uncontrollably.

“What a shame, Roxina. Looks like even your maid resents you.”

At Renzard’s sneering words, I glanced toward Anne.

But Anne kept her head lowered without saying anything.

“Ah…”

“Do you understand now? What kind of existence you are?”

I knew very well how much the Duchess’s death had affected the ducal household in the original story.

‘But…’

Unlike the original plot, I hadn’t remained locked inside my room.

Because of that, the servants in the mansion had gradually become closer to Roxina.

And I had realized something important:

They didn’t actually resent or hate Roxina as much as I had believed.

That was why I had hope.

Hope that if Roxina’s loneliness—the thing that eventually destroyed her in the original story—could disappear, maybe she wouldn’t become a villainess at all.

Maybe if Roxina, who originally possessed an ordinary and gentle nature, spoke honestly, someone would finally listen.

If so, then I had another option available to me.

And for that to happen, everyone needed to know the truth behind the Duchess’s death.

‘Maybe now is the right time to voice my suspicions.’

I looked directly into Renzard’s eyes.

They were filled with disgust toward me.

‘Yeah. I can’t just sit quietly and listen to this nonsense anymore.’

Because Renzard openly treated me as an enemy, the servants constantly had to walk on eggshells around me.

No matter what the truth turned out to be, Renzard was free to continue hating me afterward.

But regardless, he deserved to know how strange that day truly had been.

Priscilla.

Not just any noblewoman, but the Duchess of House Tanzeric.

And her cause of death had supposedly been excessive bleeding during childbirth.

That made no sense.

Because this world had temples.

No matter how corrupt the temples were, Heinox wouldn’t have let his wife die over mere money.

Which meant this incident involved both House Tanzeric and the temple.

‘Either the temple ignored Tanzeric’s summons… or someone prevented the priests from reaching the estate.’

Whatever the reason, whoever orchestrated this wanted internal division within the ducal family.

And in reality, after Priscilla’s death, the household had indeed grown cold and eventually stood against the imperial family as villains.

‘But things won’t go the way they wanted.’

Whoever that person was, I had no intention of giving them what they wanted.

I had become Roxina Tanzeric.

And since I’d decided to live as a member of this family, it was my duty to protect this fragile peace until I became an adult.

‘Say it.’

Pressing down my trembling hands, which still shook against my will, I finally opened my mouth.

“From now on, don’t take another step outside your room—”

“No.”

“What?”

Renzard’s eyebrow twitched.

“What did you just say…?”

“I said I don’t wanna do what you say.”

“Ha! You’ve seriously gone insane!”

Renzard roughly ran a hand through his hair in disbelief, but I didn’t even blink.

Only then did he seem to truly realize how much I’d changed.

“Are you serious?”

“What, you think I’m lying?”

Then I twisted my lips upward at him.

Today, I’d made up my mind.

‘I’m fixing your rotten attitude today, you spoiled little brat.’

“You really say the funniest things.”

“What?”

“You say I killed the Duchess?”

“Ha! You little—”

“When did I?”

I wore a genuinely confused expression.

“When did I kill her? I’ve never even seen the Duchess before.”

“That’s because she died the moment you were born…!”

“Exactly. So how was I supposed to knowingly kill her?”

“Th-That’s…”

While Renzard fumbled for words, I finally voiced what I’d kept buried this whole time.

“I. Didn’t. Kill. Her.”

“Hey!”

Renzard shouted, eyes blazing.

“There’s a limit to how shameless someone can be!”

“Shameless?! A limit?!”

Finally, I shouted back too.

Ah… This wasn’t supposed to turn into such a childish fight in my head.

Whatever.

“Why can’t I?! Every time you see me you act desperate to tear me apart, but I can’t even say this much back?”

“You and I are differ—”

“Yeah. We are different. Because I don’t do cowardly things like you!”

“What? Cowardly?! You’ve really crossed the line!”

“Nope! I’m not done yet!”

I slowly stepped closer to Renzard, who looked ready to hit me at any second, and continued:

“Giving birth to me was the Duchess’s own choice.”

“Don’t speak carelessly about Mother!”

“You know it too, don’t you? That I’m not really the one at fault. There’s no one here you should actually resent.”

At my words, Renzard’s eyes shook violently.

“Th-That…”

“The only ones who could’ve saved the Duchess back then were the temple priests. Not you, not me, not the Duke. The temple. And they’re the ones who pretended not to know.”

“No… That’s not…”

I carefully memorized Renzard’s distorted face full of confusion as I deliberately spoke each word clearly.

“So if you wanna hate someone, hate the gods above. Stop taking it out on an easy target like me.”

Leaving behind Renzard frozen in place with a blank face, I walked toward the door.

And there, among the gathered servants, stood Chedman—staring directly at me.

Ignoring him, I exited the dining hall.

Only then did Anne snap out of her daze and hurriedly chase after me.

“W-Wait for me, Miss!”

Still too emotional to calm down, I walked quickly enough to nearly be running before eventually stopping at the sound of Anne’s rough breathing behind me.

“Huff, huff… M-Miss?”

“Anne.”

When I looked up at her expressionlessly, Anne averted her gaze to the side.

“Yes, Miss…”

As soon as I called her name, I could feel countless stinging gazes turning toward us.

So I looked forward again.

“Let’s go back to the room first.”