Chapter 07
The mansion was, quite literally, turned upside down.
There was no need to step forward and count them one by one.
As expected, the names written in the ledgers became undeniable evidence against those who had long been protected by the butler.
As for me—just a five-year-old child—I became nothing more than a pitiful victim, whose seal had been stolen and used.
It was all too easy. So easy that it made me anxious.
Even though I hadn’t touched the main players, I had swept away all their underlings, and that meant I had no idea what kind of counterattack might come.
What’s coming next? Who was the highest authority in this mansion again…?
As I tried to recall the duke’s family tree, my thoughts were interrupted by the loud, gossiping voices of some maids.
“Can you believe someone actually said our noble lady was a fake?”
“I know, right? I heard the butler got locked up too! No wonder they were always scheming together!”
Yes, indeed.
Right now was teatime in the flower-filled garden.
Linda and Rosy, who had taken part in the embezzlement, survived only because they had stopped the head maid from attacking me in a fit of rage.
Or rather—I let them live.
For a reason.
Slurp.
“How is it, my lady? Does it taste alright?”
“Is it too hot? Should I blow on it for you? Yes? Yes?”
I had realized it was easier to keep transparent, simple-minded people by my side than high-ranking ones with too many thoughts.
I said curtly,
“I wanna walk now.”
When I reached out my hand, the maid Rosy picked me up.
But she was inexperienced—she held me like an infant, which was uncomfortable.
Linda quickly noticed and rushed over.
“Oh my, Rosy! You can’t hold the noble lady like that! Here, give her to me.”
“Huh? Hey, what are you doing, Linda?”
Linda snatched me away, her strong hands making my legs dangle awkwardly in the air.
“This is how you do it. You turn her forward so she can see the world. Isn’t that better, my lady?”
“Linda, is comfort the issue right now? Can’t you see how startled she is? After all she’s been through!”
“I—I just wanted her to see better…”
What’s with all the fuss?
I wasn’t planning to get rid of them anyway.
But they wouldn’t stop; they even bowed deeply before me.
“My lady! We never said it before, but thank you for protecting us!”
“Me too! I only went along because I was threatened… I’m so sorry!”
“…”
Begging for forgiveness?
Were they actually better people than I thought? No, no—they weren’t.
The more bonds you make, the more they drag you down.
“Hmph, I didn’t protect you. I just told the truth, that’s all. If you listen to weird orders again, I’ll chase you out. Got it?”
I deliberately spoke coldly to keep my distance—but once again, their reaction was unexpected.
“Oh my, only five years old and already so perceptive! You saw through everything and cleared the misunderstanding!”
“As expected of our righteous young lady! She already knows everything there is to know!”
What the heck is this over-the-top flattery?
Ah, maybe this was normal. Noble children were always treated like this—that’s why they all turned out so insufferable.
Even though I had once lived as a “duke’s daughter,” it had been a scam. I’d never been genuinely respected.
So perhaps that’s why this kind of treatment just felt… uncomfortable.
In the end, I escaped their suffocating affection by walking on my own.
And then one word caught in my mind.
…Righteous? Doesn’t that mean I broke the contract?
Maybe my entire premise was wrong.
This place was a den of snakes and schemers.
So, playing the “villainess” here… wasn’t that, in a way, justice?
Did the Duke foresee this? No, impossible. He couldn’t have known I’d pull it off this well… Then why did he make that contract with me in the first place?
Since the day Duke Dain gave me the seal, I hadn’t seen him once.
Everything might have seemed coincidental, but surely he would’ve checked in at least once after my spectacular success.
It was a little disappointing—but I understood.
He probably wasn’t ready to accept me yet.
If we ran into each other and I called him father, it would only remind him of his real family…
I swallowed the bitter thought and kept walking diligently.
My goal was simple: a walk disguised as a territorial inspection.
When a new ruler takes power, the first thing they do is tour their domain, right?
So look, everyone!
Behold the five-year-old “evil young lady” who dismissed dozens of staff!
See what happens to those who dare cross me!
Every time someone met my eyes, I clasped my hands behind my back and strutted proudly, pretending to be the master of the house.
“Ahem!”
The gardeners, the laundresses—everyone bowed deeply, desperate to earn favor.
After receiving all those greetings, I finally entered the main building—only to hear gasps behind me.
“Oh dear…”
“She used the wrong entrance again… oh no.”
When I looked around, I understood why.
It was because of the portrait hanging on the wall.
The duke and his wife.
The silver-haired, handsome Duke Dain, and beside him, a fair, delicate duchess with soft pink hair.
If the protagonists of a romance novel came to life, they would look exactly like this.
I stared at the duchess’s golden eyes that sparkled like starlight.
Could it be a coincidence? That my eyes have become the same as hers? If this is fate, then maybe what I must do is…
The duke might not expect anything from me anymore, but I knew there was something only I could do.
Cecilia Iorife Ludvik.
I had met the missing duchess in my previous life.
It was at Duke Dain’s funeral.
I had secretly watched the procession after hearing the news of his death—and there, I met her.
Pretending to be a servant, I had spoken briefly with her.
She said she’d lost her memory after giving premature birth in a carriage accident and had been living in the countryside. It wasn’t until nearly twenty years later that she remembered everything… but by then, the duke was already gone.
So, the only thing I could do now was to let the duke meet his real family before his death.
Even if the child had died, his wife was alive. That much I knew for certain.
The problem was just one thing:
I was a clever fool.
Ugh, idiot! I should’ve asked her which village she lived in!
I clutched my head in my short little arms, groaning, and the two maids rushed toward me.
“Oh, our poor lady! To be insulted as a fake…! But you know, your mother will surely return someday.”
“That’s right! Just as the duke miraculously found you!”
“Uh, yeah… mhm…”
It was out of nowhere, but I had no choice but to play along with their desperate comfort.
I even pretended to sob while thinking hard.
How can I search all the nearby villages? Maybe I could suggest a picnic… or say I need to go for my health?
I was busy plotting excuses when I heard it—heavy, steady footsteps echoing on the marble floor.
Step, step, step.
I turned around, wondering if it was the duke, already rehearsing my “cute daughter” act.
Out popped my little bottom, my feet turned inward, and my hands framed my face like flower petals.
Alright! If I’m going to do this, I’ll do it right! Let me comfort you, Duke!
“Aiween mi’th duke so bad…” (I missed you, Duke…)
“Oh, a little child in the duke’s mansion? Ah, could this be the young lady herself? Ho ho ho…”
The shame hit instantly.
But before I could even process it, my breath caught in my throat and my hands went cold.
If my memory served right—this old man was Marquis Pascal Glencia, Speaker of the Council.
The very man who had plotted the scheme that destroyed Duchess Cecilia.
The Duke’s Office.
On one side of the desk, stacks of confiscated ledgers towered like pillars.
Once the missing records were found, the managers responsible would all be arrested, and the long-empty dungeon would soon overflow like ripened fruit bursting open.
“Your Grace, a wise decision indeed. If this was why you made that contract with the child, a word of warning would’ve helped—I nearly…”
…quit outright, the secretary Logan swallowed the rest of his words, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
But the duke didn’t respond.
He was staring out the window.
Outside, a tiny girl was walking proudly, hands clasped behind her back, taking confident baby steps.
“Ah, she’s out for a walk even after everything that happened. How bright she is! I should bring her a gift later.”
“…”
The duke glanced blankly at his humming secretary, emotionless.
Because of that child, they had achieved an unprecedented victory.
If things continued, even the wives of his retainers—those involved in his wife’s disappearance—might finally open their mouths.
Seven years of despair, undone by a child’s hand.
But his expression didn’t soften in the slightest.
If anything, the chill around him deepened, like the breath of a harsh winter storm.
Ding, dong.
The old clock tolled softly.
The duke murmured under his breath.
“A butterfly effect, is it?”
The council session had been convened.
It was originally meant for the duke to receive wisdom from retired retainers—but that purpose had long been lost.
Having discovered that all their ledgers were confiscated, the elders had hastily demanded a meeting. That could only mean one thing: they were preparing to cover up their crimes.
When a thief is caught, he either denies or repents. If it’s neither… then it’s a trap.
His eyes, once bright, were now void of all hope.
He was tired of everything.
No amount of victories would bring back his wife and child.
Perhaps after years of despair, his heart had grown so heavy with loneliness, grief, and guilt that it had finally broken.
Expressionless like a lifeless doll, he rose and left the office with his secretary.
Bang.
The grand doors of the Great Hall opened wide.
Inside, rows of elderly nobles sat stiffly at a long table.
They were the old vassals of the Duchy of Eberhardt, each representing one of its four territories—north, south, east, and west.
Yet calling them “family” was a cruel joke; the hostility in their eyes toward one another was unmistakable.
As always.
But this time, the duke’s icy blue gaze trembled for the first time.
…So it was you who set the trap.
And there, utterly out of place in the tense hall, was a small silver-haired child.
A little girl, sitting in the lap of the elder at the far end of the table—directly opposite the duke’s seat.
