I Became the Villainess’s Daughter – Chapter 47

It was easy to go to Thea.

All I had to do was call a servant and ask to be guided to his palace.

Even though he had been placed under house arrest, it seemed that visitors weren’t a problem.

When we arrived at the palace, the head servant came out to greet us. After telling him that we had come to see Second Prince Thea, the servant hurried off to inform Thea of our visit.

Not long after, the head servant returned and led us into Thea’s reception room.

“Prince Thea, your guests have arrived.”

The doors slowly opened.

My first impression of Thea’s reception room was how bright it was.

The walls were decorated in a soft jade green, the ceiling a creamy hue. Being on the first floor, the doors to the white terrace opened to the royal garden, lush and green. Sunlight streamed in, making the beige curtains, subtly touched with gold, flutter gently. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling caught the sunlight, scattering light around the room.

The view of nature lent the space a comfortable, warm feeling.

Thea stood right beside the terrace. He wore a bright cream-colored uniform, and his gentle smile radiated a calming aura.

“Welcome.”

His words made my heart flutter. Though he said it to everyone, it somehow felt directed at me. While I was momentarily dazed, everyone else had already greeted him. Snapping back to attention, I cleared my throat and said my greeting.

“It’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well.”

“Of course,” Thea said with a bright smile. I could feel my cheeks warm slightly.

Perhaps noticing the unusual tension between us, Ivharun cautiously spoke up.

“I’m glad to hear you’ve been well.”

“I should be the one saying that, Princess Ivharun. I’m very pleased you came in person. Please, have a seat.”

Thea gestured for us to sit. When the servant tried to serve tea, Ivharun raised a hand to stop him.

“…?”

Thea looked at her curiously, and she calmly asked,

“Have you ever heard of the winter strawberry, Your Highness?”

Thea took her question in stride.

“You mean the wild strawberries native only to the Ulysses Empire? Of course, I’m aware. I’ve heard that a winter strawberry gathering is being held at the palace today. Is that why you visited my palace?”

“You guessed it. However… there’s a bit of a problem with that gathering.”

Seren, whose face had turned slightly red from nervousness, spoke up.

“My name is Seren Arpa, and I am in charge of this winter strawberry gathering alongside Lady Laila.”

“I remember. We met at your estate before.”

“It’s an honor that you remember. This year, we specifically enlisted the palace patissiers for the gathering, but… unfortunately, the desserts were stolen.”

Seren’s face was almost tearful. I thought of how much trouble she must have endured.

“We tried to find the culprit ourselves, but we couldn’t identify anyone. We even looked for clues at the scene, but it was beyond our abilities. That’s when Lady Laila suggested asking Second Prince Thea, who is skilled in magic. So… here we are.”

“I understand,” Thea said with a small smile, after listening to Seren’s nervous explanation.

“My skills in detection magic are limited, but I can handle a little.”

Without hesitation, Thea rose from his seat.

“Then let’s go to the scene.”

On the way to the kitchen, we saw many carriages entering the palace, likely carrying guests expecting the winter strawberry gathering.

Seren’s face, overwhelmed with tension, turned increasingly pale. As we gently guided her along, we arrived at the palace’s first kitchen.

The moment the prince, two princesses, a nobleman, and other nobles entered, the chefs nearly panicked and bowed deeply.

“Oh… such esteemed guests in such a humble place!”

“Ah…”

We waved them off to stop their exaggerated bows.

“It’s fine,” Thea said. Though they stopped, their faces remained pale—probably still shaken by yesterday’s dessert theft.

But we had come to find the culprit.

Lucran stepped forward and pointed.

“Here. This is where the desserts were placed.”

Thea closed his eyes and muttered an incantation. Then, suddenly, magic unfolded before our eyes.

A mirror-like image appeared, replaying past events like a projection. Lucran quietly gasped beside me, astonishment written across his face. From his expression, it was clear that Thea’s magic was impressive.

We all watched the image intently.

“…What on earth…”

“Shh. It’s starting.”

At first, nothing happened—except for the desserts.

On a silver tray, the desserts were as grand as their reputation.

The top layer was covered in seasonal winter strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, drizzled with chocolate syrup, jam, and fresh cream—enough to make anyone’s mouth water. Below, jelly decorated with fresh flowers and winter strawberry jam filled the tray, alongside various mousses, fresh strawberries, and chocolate-covered winter strawberries. I could hear Raon swallowing nervously beside me.

The chefs and servants went about their tasks, ignoring the tray. The video flowed without incident, and we began to wonder.

Then it happened.

A small white figure appeared on one side of the screen. It took a moment to realize it was a human silhouette.

“Eek!”

Seren let out a small scream. I clenched my fists. Could it really be a ghost?

The small figure was shrouded in a white robe, tiny in stature.

Strangely, the kitchen staff paid no attention. The figure noticed the cake and froze in place.

Clearly, the cake had captured its attention. It stayed still for a moment before pushing the tray away.

Despite its small size, it managed to move the heavy tray across the kitchen like a squirrel carrying its haul, and escaped without interference. The unbelievable thing was that none of the staff stopped it.

After a while, the footage showed the head chef looking around in confusion, realizing the tray was gone.

“That’s where it ends,” Thea said, stopping the video. With a wave of his hand, the magical mirror dissolved into air. We all had questions buzzing in our heads.

“What happened?”

“Why didn’t anyone stop it?” Seren and I wondered aloud.

“I suppose I bear some responsibility for that,” Thea said, unusually troubled.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

He ran a hand along his chin.

“The culprit is someone I know.”

“…?!”

A silent stir ran through us. Thea gave a strained smile.

“Shall we go meet the culprit?”

It felt like we were one step closer to solving the mystery. If this were a detective novel, it was the climax. But Thea’s words lingered in my mind.

“Someone he knows?”

I glanced at Thea’s face. Despite being in front of others, his poker face revealed only a faint smile, making it impossible to read his thoughts.

Thea led us to…

“…Fourth Prince’s palace?”

Ivharun muttered.

“That’s right,” Thea confirmed, calling over a passing servant to announce our visit. What followed was quick.

Once we reached the Fourth Prince’s reception room, we soon met him.

“…Ah.”

Everyone’s impression was the same: the prince was like a cute little creature.

White-blonde hair, closer to platinum, a tiny mouth and nose, delicate ears. Large yellow eyes, around eight or nine years old. Holding the hand of a servant, he looked anxious, eyes darting around.

“Uh… hello, elder brother. I’m Piater,” he stammered.

“It’s been a while, Pia.”

Called Pia, the boy rolled his eyes nervously. He was the youngest prince of the Ulysses Empire. Despite the usual sibling rivalry, he seemed relatively friendly.

Thea exhaled softly. Pia stiffened further, tears forming in his eyes.

“Did… did I do something wrong?”

The sudden arrival of adults had clearly startled him.

I had heard that Pia’s mother was a princess from a small state, with little backing or influence. His timid personality was likely compounded by his youth.

The servant standing protectively in front of him bowed deeply.

“I am Elrn, Prince Piater’s head servant.”

“Yes, Elrn. I… need to talk about something,” Thea began, pausing to choose his words. I thought he would bring up the cake immediately, but he spoke differently.

“Pia, when I gave you that robe, you promised you wouldn’t use it for anything bad, didn’t you?”