🔊 TTS Settings
~Chapter 4~
And so, my one-sided sales pitch continued.
“For reference, I’m actually very easy to raise!”
“……”
“I sleep early, wake up early.”
“……”
“I study hard, and I can even help Father with his work. I can become the perfect daughter—like those ideal daughters your friends brag about—ow!”
That was when it happened.
I had been enthusiastically showing off my charms when the man suddenly stopped walking.
My round little forehead smacked straight into his leg.
…Wow. That’s ridiculously solid.
Not a log.
Steel.
Were gardeners usually built like this?
Still dazed by the sheer sturdiness of his leg, I rubbed my forehead in shock when—
“You.”
The gardener abruptly turned around, then dropped to one knee so he could look me in the eye.
His face was still hidden beneath that robe, but somehow…
He looked deeply troubled.
“Did you act like this with everyone else at the orphanage?”
“Act like what?”
“Saying things like you’ll become the Mercenary King, or that they won’t regret choosing you.”
“Oh, no.”
My eyes sparkled brightly.
“I only say those things after judging the person first.”
Then I gave him my brightest smile.
It was the smile Spy Aisha had been trained to perfect since childhood—
But instead of looking reassured, the man only seemed more conflicted.
“…Wait here in the corridor. A servant will escort you to the Duke’s office. When that happens, stop chattering and quietly tell him where the young lady is.”
“But I need to gain something too, you know?”
“I told you—among House Crost’s vassals, there’s a count’s family looking to adopt a child. They’re a knightly house, so you’ll be protected there. Isn’t that enough?”
His large hand settled on my shoulder.
But honestly…
Compared to some random count family, this gardener uncle seemed way better.
“Understood?”
When I stayed silent too long, something desperate flickered in the gaze hidden beneath his shadowed hood.
“…For now, okay.”
Well, I didn’t exactly have another choice.
The moment I nodded, the man exhaled the breath he’d clearly been holding.
“Then wait here.”
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as the gardener disappeared, only I and the knight guarding the hallway remained.
“……”
I slowly glanced at the knight.
“Ahem!”
He awkwardly cleared his throat and immediately looked up at the ceiling.
He had definitely overheard every word.
So… a knight of House Crost, huh.
I fell into thought again.
If war broke out, a knight’s life wouldn’t exactly be guaranteed…
But then again, neither would a gardener’s.
Still, knights were stronger than gardeners, right?
And probably paid better too.
Plus, if he was a knight of House Crost, at least his identity was legitimate…
“Huh.”
That was when it happened.
I had been staring at him like a sneaky little owl when our eyes suddenly met.
The gardener uncle said he’d introduce me to someone, sure—
But insurance policies were important.
More importantly, there was no guarantee a common gardener’s promise would actually be fulfilled.
Gotcha.
With a sweet smile, I started approaching the knight.
“Excuse me, mister. By any chance, would you be interested in adopting a brilliant little daughteeeer—”
“Brat. This isn’t an orphanage.”
My feet suddenly left the ground before I could get any closer.
…Levitation?
Wait.
What?
Was this one of Aisha’s hidden powers?
But then I noticed something even stranger.
The knight standing in front of me had suddenly gone pale and snapped into a perfect salute.
“D-Duke! What brings you here…? Anyway, greetings, Your Grace!”
…Duke?
I frowned.
In House Crost, the only person called Duke would be—
Calypse Crost.
Which meant…
“I was passing by and thought this one seemed to be in danger. More importantly, what is this brat?”
Slowly turning my head, I came face-to-face with the black mask I had only ever imagined through the novel’s descriptions.
It was Duke Calypse.
“Your Grace, greetings… but what exactly is that brat?”
“None of your concern.”
Like he was carrying a sack of potatoes, Calypse effortlessly hoisted me up with one hand.
As we walked through the corridor, every servant and knight we passed froze, their eyes locking onto me and Calypse.
Meanwhile—
I had completely frozen solid.
Because in the original novel, Calypse was described as terrifying.
Which made sense.
He was the main villain, after all.
But…
…He’s way scarier than I imagined.
He was huge.
No—
Bigger than huge.
185 centimeters?
Nope.
Definitely over 190.
And his voice…
It was so deep it sounded like he lived alone in a cave.
“……”
My body was five years old.
But mentally?
An adult.
And not just any adult—
A professionally trained spy.
I had nothing to fear.
Nothing to lose.
And yet—
I was terrified.
Swing, swing—
Every time his log-like arm moved, my body swayed like I was riding a human pendulum.
For the first time since possessing Aisha, cold sweat trickled down my neck.
“Brat. Name.”
A low voice rumbled above my head.
“……”
“Dead already? Why so quiet?”
Only then did I realize he was talking to me.
I hurriedly answered.
“…A-Aisha.”
“Was she always this type? I thought she was supposed to be obnoxiously loud.”
…Huh?
What was that muttering?
I couldn’t hear him properly.
…Forget everything else. I miss gardener uncle. He was the friendliest person here.
Click—
But my useless thoughts vanished the moment a door opened.
The cold draft disappeared.
A warm fireplace.
A plush burgundy carpet.
This was his office.
“…What exactly did you bring in here?”
Inside, a handsome young man wearing a monocle looked up from his paperwork.
It had to be Knox—Calypse’s aide.
“Brat. I’m setting you down, so stand properly.”
Ignoring Knox’s obvious curiosity, Calypse placed me on the floor.
“She claims she knows where the young lady is.”
“…This brat?”
“Yeah. So speak. Where is she?”
At the voice rumbling above me, I looked up—
And met the black mask.
It wasn’t flashy, but elegant.
A finely engraved black panther motif was etched into its surface.
And beneath it—
The only visible feature.
Red eyes.
Eyes gleaming with eerie curiosity and suspicion.
I suddenly felt like prey trapped in a snare.
Leaning down slightly, the massive man stared at me without blinking.
My mouth went dry.
Knox too… and Calypse too…
They were way too big.
Even in my past life, they would’ve been intimidating—
But from a five-year-old’s perspective?
The fear was doubled.
“…Can I have some paper and a pen?”
But I was a spy.
A trained one.
So despite my internal panic, I kept my expression calm.
Calypse’s scarlet gaze shifted toward Knox.
“Knox. Get them.”
“I’m suddenly very curious what she intends to draw.”
Following the order, Knox handed me paper and a pen.
Get it together.
Looking at these two, I realized something.
Yes, I was a spy.
But at the same time—
I was also just a powerless five-year-old girl.
Which meant…
“Let’s write the contract first.”
“…What?”
Calypse looked genuinely stunned.
“…Who exactly are you trying to negotiate a contract with right now?”
Even Knox looked equally baffled.
Scratch, scratch—
Ignoring their stares as much as possible, I gripped the pen with my tiny hand and began writing.
“All done.”
My fingers ached from forcing strength into them, but I’d written everything I needed.
Proudly stretching out my little hand, I watched Calypse frown at the page.
“What does this say?”
“Give it here.”
Flash—
Knox adjusted his monocle, the lenses gleaming dramatically.
Then—
“…I have no idea.”
He answered shamelessly.
Honestly. These people.
“I’ll explain.”
Apparently, despite writing better than most normal five-year-olds, I still needed more penmanship practice.
Pointing to each sentence, I explained:
“If I tell you where the young lady is, Duke, then you must fulfill the conditions written in this contract.”
“……”
“The condition is this: until I become an adult, you must find me a legal guardian who can safely protect me.”
“If you truly help me find my daughter…”
Calypse replied in a low voice, one eyebrow twitching.
“I could give you an entire territory. So hurry up and tell me where she is.”
“After you sign.”
“You don’t trust House Crost’s word?”
I shook my head.
According to the original story, Calypse was a man of honor.
Even with a child, he wouldn’t casually break a promise.
But—
“Right now, what can protect me isn’t someone’s oath.”
I met his gaze steadily.
“It’s a legally binding contract.”
I was alone.
A being raised only to survive as a spy.
In Doctia, I had no true identity.
In Frozen, I had no status either.
Even if I died—
No one would acknowledge I had ever existed.
“So please sign it.”
I was alone.
“Then I’ll tell you exactly where the young lady is.”
The only thing I could trust…
Was a contract.
Crossing my arms firmly, I stood my ground.
Calypse stared at me for a long moment before sighing.
“Knox. Bring my seal.”
“…What? Just signing it should be enough—why use your seal too?”
“Look at her eyes. Do you think she’ll settle for just a signature?”
“…Ha. Fine. Do as you wish.”
Ah.
Thank goodness.
Now I finally had a way to survive.
For the first time since entering this room, it felt like I could breathe.
But then—
The pen vanished from my hand.
“In exchange…”
At some point, Calypse had taken it.
He wrote something onto the contract himself.
“I’ll add my own condition.”
His deep voice echoed coldly.
“If I go where you claim… and my daughter isn’t there…”
