Chapter 5
“Oh-ho, what do you mean a mistake? You’re the one at fault, miss. If you keep interfering with our work, I’ll tell the head of the house to spank you. Just so you know. Or do you even understand what the word means?”
“Didn’t you hear? She said ‘dalmot’, not ‘mistake’! Dalmot!”
As the servants’ attitudes didn’t change, I was furious to the core. I folded my arms and walked past them.
“That’s it. You’re all getting punished.”
Then one of the big servants suddenly picked me up.
“Hey!”
“P-put me down!”
It was just a light lift, but to a small child, being raised to a grown man’s chest height was a terrifying threat.
I looked toward the maid responsible for my meals, silently pleading for help.
She had a face on the verge of tears, but only used a knife to scrape off the parts of my bread the men had touched, keeping her mouth tightly shut.
From her reaction, I understood immediately.
She’s a slave. And those guys who stole my food—they’re commoners. That’s why she couldn’t say a word.
“I told you to put me down!”
I shouted as I kicked the man holding me in the stomach.
“Y-You little brat!”
As the man bent over, my feet finally touched the ground.
Once I landed, I gritted my teeth and ran.
I will.
I will!
I will definitely make them pay!
I had completely forgotten I was supposed to be hiding. I just ran without thinking—and eventually, the courtyard came into view.
A chestnut tree standing in the yard caught my eye, and I smirked.
“Stop right there!”
The man I kicked swung his arms wildly, but they only cut through empty air—he couldn’t even graze the swift child.
His coworkers laughed at him like it was some sort of entertainment.
“Don’t waste time—might as well eat another bite.”
“Yeah. She’s just a discarded kid anyway. Why get all riled up?”
Then, a few chimes rang out to signal the end of their break.
Knowing the temperament of their overseer, the workers cursed and threw their plates to the floor.
“Break time’s over.”
As they noisily crowded toward the entrance—
“Still, that brat gave us a good laugh—AHHH!”
The man stepping over the threshold slipped hard.
“What are you—WAAAH!”
The servants behind him fell one after another.
“Ahhh! It hurts! What the hell is this?!”
Screams erupted as the servants landed flat on the ground.
The floor was covered with sharp chestnut burrs.
“W-What the…?”
A bit farther away lay a ceramic jar, likely the one that once held olive oil.
In a hurry, I had gathered chestnuts from the garden and spread them at the kitchen entrance. They must’ve gotten a decent punishment by now.
But this isn’t enough.
To properly scold those servants, I needed help from Lord Tiberius—the one who brought me here.
I’d heard he was very angry because I couldn’t use my power, but I decided to trust the character described in the family’s historical texts.
The Ignitus Chronicles—the family history that detailed everything from our founding myth to our golden age.
Lord Tiberius, prominently featured in volumes 26 and 27, was a strict upholder of rules and principles.
He wasn’t the kind of person who’d stand by while Lady Kalidora and her parents were treated poorly by commoners just because they didn’t like me.
So I’ll tell him. Anything’s better than continuing to live like this!
I clenched my fists and waited, hidden behind the large vase next to the head of the house’s office.
Finally, Lord Tiberius emerged with several retainers.
Perfect. Here goes!
“Lord of the House!”
As I revealed myself, everyone looked utterly shocked.
“L-Lady…?”
“How did you get out? The report said you were quietly resting in your room…”
Even Lord Tiberius looked surprised, his expression clearly flustered.
“My lord, I have something to say—!”
“Take her away. Quickly.”
“Pardon me, miss!”
Before I could even say another word, a burly servant scooped me up.
“No! My lord!”
The servant carried me straight back to my room.
“You mustn’t leave! Especially not today! We have important guests coming soon!”
“B-but…”
I wanted to argue, but seeing the servant sweating nervously, clearly more flustered than I was, made it hard to get angry.
“It’s dangerous, so please just stay still!”
He slammed the door shut, and I was alone again.
The Next Morning
“Ugh.”
Using the tablecloth, I carefully opened the door again, only to see the inner hallway doors firmly shut.
“No way…”
If I tried to open that door, it would draw the attention of everyone in the hall.
As I nervously paced back and forth, I felt a cool breeze graze the back of my neck.
Fresh air was coming in through the open window of my room.
I started thinking.
If I throw the curtain out and hold onto it… maybe I can climb down?
Funny how clever my brain gets when doing things I shouldn’t be doing. Even in my ancestor’s body, my true nature remains unchanged.
I immediately put the plan into action.
I tossed the bright red curtain out the window and grabbed it tightly. Down I went—!
“Wait…?”
I managed to grab the fabric, but then a strong gust of wind picked up from somewhere.
The curtain flapped violently in the wind.
Wh-what do I do?! It’s way higher than I thought!
Clinging to the curtain, unable to move up or down, I screamed:
“Help me!”
“Did I just hear a child’s voice—?! Gasp!”
“My lady!”
“Who put her up there?!”
Thankfully, some slaves working in the garden saw me.
Thanks to their help, I finally made it down. My legs trembled, still tense from the ordeal.
Hearing the commotion, the house’s servants came running and immediately scolded me.
“Lady, why are you causing so much trouble since yesterday? We thought you were a quiet child, but if this keeps up, it’s going to be a problem!”
“Hmph…”
“Don’t raise your voice. Just take her back to her room. I’ll report to the lord myself.”
I had been hanging my head in defeat, but that snapped me out of it.
I really didn’t want to go through another painful escape attempt.
Besides, if they dragged me back now, they’d probably seal the window too.
“Let’s go. If we just get through this busy period, the lord will fix things. You just need to hang on, okay?”
I took advantage of the moment when the maid loosened her grip—and broke free.
“Ah! Lady!”
“Someone catch her!”
“No! I said I have something to say!”
I ran around the building and into the overgrown outer garden.
It had just rained recently, so the grass was taller than I was. Perfect for hiding.
“Lady! Where are you—Lady!”
I heard voices calling for me outside.
Sweating profusely, I crawled toward the opposite exit.
The rough grass irritated my skin, and it was hard to open my eyes. I tried to navigate by instinct, but suddenly a wave of emotion hit me.
Ancestor… why is it so hard to meet you? We live in the same house, so why can’t I see you? I’m really starting to struggle…
Once I could no longer hear the voices of the servants, I stopped and took a deep breath.
“Haahhh…”
This is hard.
Never in my life has anything been this…
“…W-Wait, what?”
At the end of my sigh, something sparkling flickered from my mouth. A small ember. It vanished within seconds—but I was sure of what I saw.
“T-that was…”
I jumped up in shock.
That was definitely fire.
I quickly grabbed some nearby grass and blew air through my lips.
Fwoosh!
The grass burst into flame.
What the—
My power… works?!
