The Baby Villain Dreams of Conquering the World

Chapter 124

Episode 124

Faced with the Grand Marquis Eisollen's furious command to leave immediately, Flora had no choice but to hastily vacate the spot.

'......What? That man is my grandfather?'

Stunned by the wave of disappointment, Flora snapped back to her senses as a cool breeze touched her cheek.

Afraid she might run into other people if she stayed outside, Flora had to quickly return to her room.

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Having successfully returned to her room, Flora restored the doll to its original form and flopped down onto the bed.

As her mind settled, the image of the Grand Marquis Eisollen she had just met began to creep back into her thoughts.

"......But is he really my grandfather?"

Until now, her family had only consisted of Athanas and Benio, and having been showered with nothing but love from them, it was hard for Flora to shake off the shock.

"Why was he so angry with me when we just met?"

The Grand Marquis's reaction was so intense it made her wonder what the reason was.

It felt like she had touched a nerve that should never have been touched.

"Come to think of it, the name on the gravestone was different too."

By law, women take their husband's surname after marriage, but the gravestone was inscribed with 'Nersha Eisollen,' not 'Nersha Lucifer.'

"Was he dissatisfied that she married into the Lucifer family? Or is there another reason?"

Flora knew absolutely nothing about Nersha, nor about the Eisollen Marquisate.

'I would have had to hear stories to know what kind of person my Mom was.'

Neither Athanas nor Benio ever mentioned Nersha in Flora's presence, and the servants were all tight-lipped too.

It was also possible because Flora herself had never been curious, so she had remained ignorant about Nersha until now.

Being so uninformed made the recent situation both bewildering and absurd.

"It was the Eisollen Marquis who invited us in the first place. If he's going to be angry, he should be angry at his own son."

It wasn't as if they had begged to be allowed to visit, so the more she thought about the treatment she received, the angrier she became.

"And if anything, he's the one whose daughter abandoned him."

She was the one who should feel hurt and angry, so why on earth was the Grand Marquis so furious?

Her encounter with this vexing problem was brief, as her young body couldn't overcome the encroaching fatigue, and she let out a long yawn.

She tried to fight the sleepiness and continue thinking, but the relentless drowsiness was impossible to overcome.

"Let's just sleep for now......"

Wriggling, Flora slipped under the covers and soon, unable to keep her heavy eyes open, closed them.

Falling asleep took only a moment.

In the end, all she gained from her night stroll was the knowledge that the Grand Marquis Eisollen really, really disliked the Lucifers.

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Perhaps because she had been so active the previous night, she didn't want to get out of bed even when she heard the maids' voices announcing morning.

As Flora wriggled under the covers, refusing to get up, the maids found it troublesome but also cute, unable to hold back their laughter and smiles.

Among them, the head maid, Hanel, the eldest, swallowed a bitter smile as she watched Flora lying curled up in a ball, throwing a sleepy tantrum, just like Nersha, whom she had once cared for.

'She really does look like her. I wish Lady Nersha could have seen this.'

Remembering Nersha, who had passed away so young, she couldn't simply smile happily upon seeing Flora.

'If only the Oracle concerning Lady Flora had never been delivered......'

As she continued this train of thought, Hanel was startled by her own thinking and shook her head urgently.

'I mustn't think such things. Lady Flora has done nothing wrong.'

Pulling herself together, Hanel called Flora's name again.

"Young Lady, you'll miss breakfast if you keep this up."

"Mmh, it's fiiine."

With a voice full of sleepiness, Flora squirmed and burrowed deeper under the covers.

"If you sleep this much, you won't be sleepy at night. So you really must get up now."

The gently persuasive voice sounded more like a lullaby.

'Just a little more......'

She was just mumbling and about to fall back asleep when...

"Oh my, it's the Young Lady's companion birds."

"We didn't see them last night; it seems they've returned from their stroll."

Hearing that the birds were back, Flora snapped awake and sat bolt upright.

With a dazed look, she scanned her surroundings, then smiled faintly upon seeing the two small birds rolling about on her body.

"Why are you only coming now?"

Peep, peep-peep.

Peepeepeep, peep!

As the birds chirped and muttered something, Flora nodded, then suddenly made a choked face and cried out.

"Do you know how worried I was?!"

Bweep, peeeek.

Peep, peepbeebeep!

The birds chirped something again, but Flora turned her head away with a sulky expression.

At that, the birds fidgeted as if they were human, then fluttered up and landed on her shoulders.

Rubbing their bodies against her cheeks as if begging for forgiveness, the corners of Flora's mouth twitched.

"Hmph, you should know I'm only letting it slide this once."

Finally, as the corners of Flora's mouth lifted, the two birds spread their wings wide as if delighted.

'My, it's like a scene from a fairy tale.'

'Exactly. Seeing that, it really looks like she's talking to animals, doesn't it?'

It was a cute enough scene for the maids to whisper about, but the reality was different.

"Why are you only coming now?"

"We wanted to gather the desired information perfectly, so it took a bit longer than expected."

"I did my job well, so why that face? Did you not sleep because we were gone?"

"Do you know how worried I was?!"

"I tried to come back quickly. But Pascal kept insisting we look more, that we had to gather the information completely, so I had no choice."

"Hey, hey, don't believe Janet. No matter how much I said let's go back, you have no idea how stubborn she was! Just because she's a senior, she's so full of herself!"

It wasn't really something to get angry or sulk about, but because it was morning and her mind was still foggy, her voice came out grumbling, and she found herself acting petulant without realizing it.

As she gradually woke up, Flora felt sorry and stroked the sparrows' heads.

"I want to eat my meal in my room today. Is that okay?"

At the cautious question, Hanel gave a bright smile.

"Of course. The Marquis gave orders that we are to grant anything the Young Lady wishes. Please wait just a moment."

"Okay. And I can wash my face by myself, so everyone please leave until the meal arrives. I want to get ready alone."

At this, the maids began exchanging glances. Seeing this, Flora sat bolt upright and placed her hands on her hips proudly.

"I may look like this, but I'm seven years old. I'm perfectly capable of doing things by myself."

She was acting the part of a young child who wants to do everything by herself, and it proved quite effective.

The maids tried hard to hide their looks of adoration and, after finishing the preparations, all left the room.

Finally alone, Flora quickly asked the sparrows,

"Now, explain."

"I'm hesitant to deliver this news, but......"

Janet cautiously began but couldn't continue, so Pascal clicked his tongue and cut in.

"The current Marquis's younger sister was our master's mother."

He threw out the main point without any additional explanation, making Janet glare at him.

"What if our master is startled? How can you just blurt it out without any preamble?!"

"And you, Janet, why were you going to beat around the bush so frustratingly? There's even a portrait somewhere in the castle that looks exactly like our master."

When they mentioned how chaotic the castle's employees were, Flora nodded calmly.

"I already know that. What else?"

"What? How do you know?"

"There are ways to find out. The hints given were too many to begin with."

It was information she had realized after meeting the Grand Marquis during her diligent wandering, a substitute for the two demons who hadn't returned, but Flora maintained a proud demeanor as if she had deduced it all herself.

"As expected of my King. How are you so intelligent and astute?"

Flora smiled smugly at Janet's praise, but Pascal posed a new question.

"Then do you also know that the Duchess Lucifer died here?"

And it was a question with a shocking content.

"What?"

Startled by her question, Pascal continued his explanation as if asking if she hadn't known.

"It seems the Duchess Lucifer was resting at her parents' home before she was full term. One day, she said she was going out for a bit, and a month later, she returned with her stomach completely flat. The problem was, there was no baby in her arms... And not long after, she fell ill and passed away."

As he continued, Flora's expression hardened, and Pascal, noticing this, closed his mouth.

"...I'm hearing this for the first time. So that's it. That's why she died here and is buried here."

Leaving the confused demons behind, Flora was lost for words when suddenly, a knock came at the door.

"Flora, it's your brother. I heard you want to eat in your room today. If it's okay, may I join you?"