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Chapter 35
“Could it be that? The succession conflict that was in the newspaper?”
Rubens recalled the article from a few days ago. Al grinned, saying that was exactly it.
“Right now, Count Petra is bedridden with illness. So the competition for the next successor has gotten fiercer. Among the disputes, the biggest issue is the bank.”
Hearing Al’s explanation, Nivellia and Aref both nodded.
“Hmm, so…”
Aref checked if he had understood correctly.
“There’s this Count Petra, and his children are fighting over who gets the bank?”
“Yep, that’s it. You got it.”
“Why are they fighting?”
“What do you think?”
At Al’s question, Aref thought again.
“…Because a bank manages money, so they want it out of greed?”
“That’s not wrong. A bank is money.”
“If you inherit the Petra Bank, then, uh… you get to be the successor?”
“Exactly.”
When Al confirmed, he stared straight at Aref.
Maybe he’s smarter than I thought.
He probably hadn’t received much proper education in the orphanage, yet just from a short conversation with Rubens and himself, he had reasoned this much. Al found it admirable.
“Nini too! Nini too!”
Nivellia shot her hand up.
“If you get the bank, you become the boss! That’s why they fight!”
“Haha! Nini’s answer is the most accurate!”
Beaming at Al’s praise, Nivellia shrugged proudly.
The Petra family had run banks for generations. Their wealth, honor, and title had all been built through that bank.
In other words, Petra Bank was no mere business.
Whoever inherited the bank would become the next Count Petra.
But on the very eve of deciding the successor, Count Petra suddenly fell bedridden.
The rumor most widely accepted was that it was due to old age, but no one knew for sure.
“The Petra family has both a daughter and a son. Both are fairly old and have families of their own.”
Rubens explained further.
“So they’re each trying to win the support of various nobles to claim the bank.”
“That? Like an alliance?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“They shouldn’t fight…”
Nivellia sighed deeply.
She had learned in kindergarten:
If you fight, you can’t properly say what you want, and in the end, you don’t even know what you wanted anymore—only pain remains.
And if someone gets hurt, it could even go to a legal dispute.
If it went badly, it could ruin the whole household.
“They must not be afraid of the law.”
“Nini, you’ve gotten really smart in the short time I didn’t see you.”
Al was greatly impressed at Nivellia’s sharp insight.
“I go to kindergarten. Kids have to learn, don’t they?”
“Hahaha! Nini, you’re really an amazing kid.”
“Praise me more.”
“Puhahaha!”
In the end, Al laughed so hard he rolled on the floor.
And that was the end of the talk about Petra Bank.
Just as they were about to play with other toys, Deter arrived with freshly baked chocolate cookies and some milk.
“Deter, is it cold milk?”
“It’s lukewarm.”
“Heeeng…”
Since the day was hot, Nivellia had secretly hoped for cold milk, so she looked disappointed.
“You know, still… milk like this, not too cold, um, it’s actually better when eating cookies. It makes them nice and soft.”
She broke her cookie in half and handed the bigger piece to Aref.
“Here!”
Then Aref broke his cookie too, giving the bigger piece back to Nivellia.
Watching, Rubens asked:
“What was that just now?”
“We’re sharing! Cool, right?”
“You two have gotten really close. Soles will be jealous.”
“Brother, you should share with us too.”
As Nivellia dunked her cookie in her milk, suddenly a thought popped into her head.
“Hey, um, that….”
The boys, who were blankly watching her dip the cookie, tilted their heads.
“That, Nino, Nima, Imma…?”
“Imma?”
Rubens repeated her mispronounced word.
“Do you mean Lima?”
“Yes! That one!”
Nivellia nodded enthusiastically.
“Why isn’t she here? Did she die?”
“She didn’t die. Lima is being punished, so she can’t come out of her room.”
“Did she hit someone?”
Aref asked as he caught Nivellia’s soggy cookie just before it broke apart.
Rubens shook his head.
“No, recently she went on an errand, then wandered off on her own, and when she got caught, she lied and blamed it on a maid.”
“But Aref,” Al asked, “why did you think Lima might’ve hit someone?”
“……”
Instead of answering, Aref just bit into his cookie in silence.
Al didn’t press further.
Nivellia, munching on her soaked cookie, stared quietly at Aref.
“……”
Lima let out a long sigh as she stared at her firmly shut door.
Right now, she was forbidden from going outside as punishment.
Finding the information broker had gone well.
She hadn’t had money, but by offering information—that the egg of the evil dragon Ater was in the hands of the Mercenary King—she had barely been able to commission the job.
The problem was what came after.
When she came back outside, the employees of House Deigladis were already searching for her, worried at her disappearance.
Upon returning to the mansion, Lima was severely scolded by the head maid.
“How many times have I told you? Stay close to adults! Don’t wander off!”
“B-but, that’s…”
The head maid, who had always pitied her, scolded her for the first time. Feeling wronged, Lima impulsively blamed the maid who had gone out with her.
“Lima was well-behaved, but the maid suddenly….”
“And then I got scared so….”
But Lima’s lie was quickly exposed.
The employees searching the square heard from several witnesses.
Especially the shopkeeper and customers testified the same: Lima had played strange pranks and stormed off in a tantrum.
Her claim of being well-behaved was deemed a lie.
In the end, Duke Kalalov Deigladis imposed severe punishment: confinement and a ban on going out.
Though Lima belatedly begged forgiveness, Kalalov’s face only hardened as he said:
“The first person you should apologize to is not me. It’s Comen, who worried about you more than anyone.”
“C-Comen…?”
“You’ve been spending time with the maids, yet you don’t even remember the name of the one who went out with you?”
“B-but Lima is only seven…!”
“……”
Lima could never forget Kalalov’s expression then.
Eyes full of disappointment.
Lips pressed tight in displeasure.
“…This is unfair.”
She bit hard at her fingernails.
“In other novels, when a child disappears, everyone just says it’s okay, that it wasn’t their fault. So why am I the only one being scolded? Getting lost in a square is supposed to be a required plot point!”
Her complaints spilled out nonstop.
“That maid is selfish too. She could’ve just taken the blame herself. What’s the big deal….”
The sight of the maid silently crying was unbearably irritating.
“She kept quiet just so she wouldn’t get scolded as much. An adult using a child as a shield to lessen punishment—how cheap.”
That’s why she’s just a maid.
Lima concluded on her own, that their levels were different.
“Once it’s revealed that I’m actually the duke’s daughter, she’ll be kicked out without question.”
Just then—
Kyaah—!
A child’s bright laughter echoed.
Lima quietly cracked open her door.
Even though she was confined, the door wasn’t locked.
Her punishment relied on her conscience—a chance for self-reflection.
She could move freely anytime.
Peeking out, Lima’s eyes widened.
At the end of the corridor were people.
The first thing she saw was black hair: Al and Rubens.
And between them, shining golden-blond hair.
Re■ came to see me!
Lima couldn’t help but beam.
Since Re■ had gone to the Deiamore mansion, she hadn’t heard any news.
Whenever she asked Al and Rubens, all they said was “he’s doing well.”
Has he grown taller in such a short time? Maybe gained a little weight? His eyes are still killer-like, but that slight hint of childishness makes it charming…
But as she peeked through the crack, Lima’s smile froze.
“……”
Her gaze shifted.
There was silver hair, fluttering.
Like fluffy cotton candy, soft strands swayed as laughter rang out.
It was the laughter she’d heard from inside her room.
“Bounce it again!”
“Okay. This time, I’ll juggle it with my knees, then bounce it off my forehead.”
Rubens tapped the ball on his knees and then popped it up, bouncing it off his head.
The children clapped and cheered.
“Nini wants to try too!”
The little girl reached out, whining for the ball.
After receiving it from Rubens, she suddenly pointed outside.
“Let’s do it outside!”
“Good idea. Let’s split into teams and see who can kick it the farthest!”
“Then Nini will be on Aref’s team!”
“Young lady, please hold my hand. Going down the stairs…”
“Be careful, careful! One step at a time!”
“Haha! What kind of song is that?”
“I learned it in kindergarten. Al, didn’t you go to kindergarten?”
The children soon disappeared from sight.
Shortly after, the door creaked open.
“……”
Lima looked at the now-empty corridor.
“Lady Lima.”
Startled, Lima turned around.
Shhh.
A servant she had never seen before pressed a finger to his lips.
“This is a letter from Lord Delac.”
The servant handed her a black envelope.
It was the result of the request she had made.
