The Villainess' Son is Innocent - Chapter 7
Chapter 4.1
As night fell, I felt a great deal of fatigue wash over me.
‘Why am I so tired when I supposedly got younger?’
Perhaps it wasn’t my physical stamina but my mental energy that had depleted. After spending a considerable amount of time integrating Emil into the group, I realized that the sky had darkened.
While there was still a hint of awkwardness between Emil and the other children, he was no longer sitting alone by the window. The children weren’t immediately engaging in conversations with Emil, but they were gradually approaching him and initiating discussions more frequently.
And unexpectedly, Valencia was standing by Emil’s side.
‘Has she lightened up a bit…?’
Feeling thirsty, I sipped from an elegant glass filled with juice. Since it was hot, I’d briefly stepped out to the balcony for some fresh air, and no one else followed me, allowing me to stretch my legs in peace.
I observed the group of children gathering inside.
“What are you doing out here alone?”
Hildred, with his spiteful expression, finally approached. I didn’t go out of my way to be kind or ask, “Would you like a drink too, Lord Raymon?”
Hildred didn’t seem to care about my silence. In fact, he casually moved closer.
“That cake earlier was very impressive. And today, you really…”
His vibrant gold hair swayed gently in the cool breeze. Someone unfamiliar with him might be easily deceived by that face. But not me.
“Look pretty.”
“I know.”
“And it annoys me.”
“I know that too.”
Even before my regression, I didn’t have a particularly good relationship with Hildred Raymon. More precisely, we pretended to be on good terms despite not genuinely liking each other.
Due to our frequent interactions since before I turned ten, I never felt the need for formalities, thanks to both our parents.
“Move aside.”
“Why should I?”
Our balcony couch was spacious. As long as it wasn’t for a lavish dress, that is.
And since I was wearing a dress, this seat I’ve taken could easily be considered a one-person seat. Nevertheless, Hildred casually flicked my dress aside with his foot.
“This is expensive fabric, you know.”
“As if it matters. You probably have it strewn all over your house.”
Would you look at that?
He was definitely trying to provoke a fight, so I didn’t hold back and kicked him.
* * *
Two years ago, Marquis Raymon declared her decision to remain unmarried.
“But a successor is still necessary. I understand that. That’s why I plan to adopt a child from one of the families here.”
Her declaration pleased the collateral and vassal families of House Raymon, as sending their own children was an excellent means to ensure they devoured the marquisate.
The marquis brought several children, including Hildred, from families closely connected to her, such as the Costney family, the Clorante family, and the Zior family.
According to the desires of the adults, the children were quickly placed on display and subsequently selected.
Among them, Hildred stood out the most.
“Oh, come on, you still don’t get it? That position doesn’t belong to you.”
With a desire for power and sharp-wittedness, he had excellent learning skills, and sometimes, he wasn’t afraid to be cold-hearted.
“So, get on your knees and say you’ll give up. Then I’ll give you an antidote.”
Hildred tricked his final competitor in the Raymon family by feeding him an emetic, convincing him it was poison. The terrified child immediately gave up his claim to the inheritance, and Hildred emerged as the final victor.
Due to his personality, it’s possible that it was real poison, but he was skilled at pressuring others’ minds, making him good at sugarcoating and fabricating himself well.
“I never thought you’d use Emil Calixt like that. That boy has some uses after all.”
With a friendly, deceptive face, Hildred didn’t hesitate to degrade Emil.
Even though I was physically a child, I still had the mentality of an adult. And to me, Hildred’s words were nothing more than peer pressure aimed at a child.
“So, why are you here?”
“To pick a fight.”
“Then go ahead, bring it.”
“What?”
“You said you came to pick a fight.”
After declaring that I was ready to accept any challenge, Hildred looked at me strangely.
“Were you always like this?”
“Didn’t you realize it?”
“I guess you just nodded along, no matter what I said.”
“Do you like that sort of thing?”
In my past life, I was quite fond of Hildred.
But it was right after my debut that we had a major disagreement over a trivial misunderstanding and ended up avoiding each other.
‘And we pretended to still get along only in front of others.’
I don’t remember what we fought about. Anyway, now that I’m back, it’s safe to say that our relationship is fine, maybe even a little close.
Still, in the process of changing people’s perceptions of Emil, Hildred would inevitably try to stop me.
If Emil’s allies were to increase, it wouldn’t be so pleasant for Hildred. That was a bitter pill for him to swallow.
“It’s not like you suddenly became a different person. And why don’t you seem happy? Isn’t it your birthday?”
Hildred, unable to sit still, was still squirming in front of me.
With a kind expression that contrasted completely with the atmosphere among the children, I smiled warmly, just as I did before.
“Because you keep harassing Emil.”
He fell silent without uttering a word. Like he was trying to figure out my intentions in protecting Emil. But it was only for a brief moment.
His gaze shifted towards the window beside me and then returned to me. It seemed someone was approaching us.
“That’s not true.”
“Is that so?”
“You said that a friend of a friend was a friend too.”
His soft golden brown hair swayed in the wind, and a pretty smile spread across his face.
“I’m your friend. Aren’t I?”
Before Hildred could fully finish, Valencia stepped onto the balcony.
Emil was there, too. He still seemed a bit awkward about having someone accompany him.
“Excuse me, Lord Hildred. Marquis Raymon is looking for you.”
Valencia delivered the message, glancing in my direction. When I smiled, she blushed and quickly redirected her attention back to Hildred.
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