The Baby Villain Dreams of Conquering the World

Chapter 21

Episode 21

A weak voice and worried glances directed towards the outside of the castle.

Seeing this, Zamira, as if realizing something, comforted Flora in an energetic voice.

"Don't worry, Young Lady. The Lord and the Young Lord will return safely."

"Mm."

"Shall we go inside and wait with a warm glass of milk? I'll add lots of honey too."

Flora was about to act excited but, noticing the gloomy atmosphere, nodded weakly instead.

Feeling the pitying gazes of the gathered servants, Flora buried her head in Zamira's embrace.

Then, she quickly wiped the sorrowful expression from her face.

'They'll probably handle it quickly and come back anyway.'

With that much divine power and a role that involves dealing with monsters in place of Executors, they should resolve it easily and return.

'They're Lucifers, after all.'

They are the descendants of that Etar, who possessed the greatest power even among the five heroes of the past. Surely, it's more efficient to drink more milk than to spend time worrying.

But Flora didn't know at this moment.

That the Benio she would meet again would return in a miserable state, covered in his own blood, looking completely different from yesterday.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

It was strange.

She had drunk warm milk full of honey, taken a pleasant, warm bath, put on soft pajamas, and laid on the plush bed for a long time, so why couldn't she sleep?

Wandering near the window because sleep just wouldn't come, Zamira, who had just entered the room, scooped her up.

"Oh my, Young Lady. It's time for you to sleep now."

'As if I don't know it's time to sleep? I just can't sleep, that's all.'

But Flora's body was that of a tiny four-year-old; she was forcibly laid down on the bed by Zamira.

Zamira sang a lullaby to Flora, and after a while, when Flora was breathing evenly in sleep, she let out a small sigh.

"How shocked the Young Lady must have been. She's worried too, so they must return safely..."

Muttering that, Zamira led her heavy footsteps out of the room.

And the moment she left, Flora's eyes snapped open.

"Who said I was worried about those Lucifer brats?"

She had tried to pretend to give in and sleep, but she had heard something she absolutely couldn't let slide, and all sleepiness fled.

Flora looked at the darkened room, snorted, and approached the large window.

"Give me a little help."

At Flora's call, demonic energies popped out like fluffy clouds and settled at her feet.

Then, Flora's body began to float slowly, as if levitating, and she could sit very safely on the large windowsill.

Of course, it was a scene that would make anyone who saw it scream in alarm, but Flora paid no mind.

'The castle gates are still closed.'

For them not to be back even at this late hour... I thought the Lucifers were strong, but perhaps they aren't?

'Am I really going to become an orphan again right after finding a family?'

Flora shook her head at the horrible thought.

'Maybe if it were a wealthy family, but leaving me alone to manage this poor castle is a bit...'

Moreover, Flora's existence hadn't even been formally announced, so the possibility of being kicked out empty-handed with nothing to her name was even greater.

While Flora was having such useless thoughts, the castle gates finally opening came into view.

Seeing the figures of those urgently returning on horseback, Flora pressed herself against the window and stared intently outside.

"Oh, I see it. The holy energy!"

Even if she couldn't see their faces clearly, who else could it be but Athanas, brimming so intensely with that sacred aura?

Without even realizing she felt relieved, Flora let out a sigh of relief, "Phew."

And only then did sleepiness begin to wash over her.

'Wait, why am I sleepy? Don't tell me I couldn't sleep because I was worried about those Lucifer guys... That can't be it, right?'

Realizing belatedly why she had been so restless, Flora's small fist trembled.

'How dare you Lucifers disturb my sleep.'

Perhaps forgetting that she herself was a Lucifer, Flora, unable to bear the unfair feeling, pushed the door open and stepped out.

'I'm going to confront them about why they're so late.'

They must have come back with tired bodies, but she would bother them as much as possible.

Harboring mischievous thoughts, Flora ran to the lobby in one go.

And then she saw it.

Benio, carried in covered in blood, in the center of the chaotic lobby where servants ran about with confused faces and shouts flew back and forth.

Stunned by the shocking scene, Flora stood there for a long time, unable to say a word.

"Who brought the Young Lady here!"

At Zamira's voice, who had spotted Flora belatedly, the servants' eyes turned towards Flora.

"Young Lady! Please go back to your room at once!"

"Ah..."

Flora stood awkwardly on the stairs, unable to move.

Although the servants hurriedly tried to block the view, it was already too late.

Benio's head was torn and bleeding, and his body looked as if it had been rolled on a rough floor, with not a single spot unharmed. It was all clearly imprinted in her eyes.

'Why?'

How could the Lucifer, who should be the strongest, be so miserably injured in such a state?

As Flora stood frozen in shock, Athanas, who had been checking on Benio, hurriedly climbed the stairs, picked her up, and covered her eyes.

"Don't look."

It was a very earnest and anxious voice.

"Benio will be fine. He'll shake it off and get up, good as new, just like he always does."

His added words, as if telling her not to worry, only shocked Flora more. Her mouth moved, but she couldn't utter a single word.

'Does "always" mean he's been injured like this before?'

The image of Benio covered in blood wouldn't leave her mind, appearing vividly.

Athanas's large hand covering Flora's two eyes was also full of rough scars and wounds.

'Is this the weight that the Lucifers have to bear?'

They were truly hateful Lucifers.

Seeing the Lucifer heir in such a state should be satisfying... so why does it make me so angry?

〈Isn't it natural to wish that you, so young, wouldn't get hurt?〉

The face of that Etar fellow, who had spoken to the Great Demon, passed vaguely through her mind.

She didn't remember his expression clearly when he said that, but Flora thought that perhaps his expression might have been the same as her own right now.

Flora's golden eyes, hidden under Athanas's hand, shone coldly with a rage even she couldn't understand.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

In the early morning when everyone was asleep, Flora slowly got up from her bed.

Just stepping out from under the covers, a chill wrapped around her body.

"Achoo."

Flora tightened her cloak securely and, this time without taking a lantern, left the room with just her body.

Fortunately, neither Daphne nor a guard knight was stationed outside her door, so her plan wasn't hindered.

'I need to adapt to the darkness.'

No point in carrying a lantern and risking getting a sword pointed at my neck again.

'Though the one who pointed a sword at my neck is lying unconscious...'

Moving her tiny feet diligently, Flora headed for her destination: Benio's room.

Even though three days had passed, Benio still hadn't opened his eyes.

No one in the castle knew the reason, and the castle's atmosphere had been indescribably miserable for the past few days.

'He should have gotten moderately injured. Getting hurt so badly is just bothersome.'

And among them, only Flora knew the reason why Benio hadn't regained consciousness.

That was precisely why Flora found herself taking a solitary stroll in the middle of this night.

The Lucifers were clearly strong.

No, they had to be strong.

Being descendants of Etar, the leader of the heroes who killed Mors in the past, they should be strong and brave, unfazed by monster attacks, living happily, receiving people's respect and awe.

Shouldn't they be trapped in happiness for revenge to be satisfying?

But reality was so different.

Recalling the situation of the Lucifers she had observed for about two weeks, Flora shook her head.

A poor ducal estate so neglected from caring for the territory and its people that it wasn't even properly maintained; a Duke Lucifer who personally steps out to subjugate monsters because Executors aren't dispatched.

'And the Young Lord, who, despite his young age, goes out to subjugate monsters with mercenaries just to cover the insufficient territory operating funds.'

Moreover, on the very night Flora first met Benio, he had returned after finishing work with mercenaries in the Demon Forest, she had heard.

When she heard the details about this situation from Daphna today, she was utterly flabbergasted.

The territory's situation was a mess, to the point of being called the worst.

'Is that why? It's so frustrating.'

Flora had thought about it for several days.

Why didn't it feel satisfying to see the Lucifers, who betrayed her, suffering like this?

And only after three days had passed did she find the answer to that question.

She disliked the fact that all this misfortune wasn't created by her own hand, but by the hands of other people.

'They should suffer because of me.'

She could no longer tolerate them being pushed around, getting hurt, and suffering under the gaze of others by people who weren't her.

That's why Flora had sneaked out alone in the night while everyone was asleep and was heading to Benio's room.

Fortunately, there was no knight or maid guarding the front of his room either.

Flora entered the room and quietly closed the door so as not to be caught.

"Sleep well, you."