I Raised the Villain’s Daughter Too Well

Well, if I think about it, it’s only natural.

If we don’t find any treasure, the young lady is going to throw a fit.
“Let’s go in. Carefully.”
The hidden passage was narrow and steep, so we carefully descended in single file. At the end of the passage, there was another door—made of thick steel. Complex patterns were engraved on it, along with some dwarven script.

“What’s this? Letters?”
Firnea asked as she fiddled with the door.
“Looks like dwarven script. It’ll need deciphering.”

I pulled out the ancient script decoding chart and a writing tool from my backpack. Then, summoning all the knowledge I had learned in this world, I began deciphering the characters.
Fortunately, the butler education curriculum included the basics of ancient languages. Back then, I wondered what use it would ever be—turns out, it's useful here.
“Hmm... ‘Greed... brings... ruin... Only... a pure heart... shall open... the way’?”

A fairly cliché warning phrase.
“Pure heart? What’s that supposed to be?”
Firnea tilted her head.

“Perhaps... it means we must pass through the door without greed.”
“But I came here to find treasure? Isn’t that super greedy?”
“...Wasn’t your goal the joy of exploration and discovery, my lady? The treasure is merely a secondary outcome along the way.”

I dressed it up as plausibly as I could. Firnea seemed to ponder for a moment, then nodded.
“Hmm... is that so? Well, whatever. So how do we open it?”
“Let’s see... There’s no visible locking mechanism. Maybe...”

I focused on the dwarf face sculpture in the center of the door. Was it one of those that required mana infusion?
“My lady, would you mind placing your hand on that carving and channeling a bit of mana into it? With a pure heart, free of greed.”
“Okay.”
Firnea placed her hand on the carving and focused. As a soft blue mana flowed from her hand, there was a click sound from the door, and it slowly began to open inward.

“Wow! It opened!”
Firnea cheered. Beyond the door was a fairly wide chamber. In the center stood a stone altar, and atop it rested a single old box. Though dust had piled up thickly around it, the box itself was relatively clean.
...God, that looks cheap as hell.

But it seemed enough to fool Firnea.
“That’s it! A treasure chest!”
Firnea started to run forward, but once again, I stepped in front to block her.

“It could be trapped.”
I pulled out the mana detector again and scanned the area.
As expected, there were no dangerous mana reactions. But faint traces of mana-drawn magic circles could be seen on parts of the floor. Whether they had been dismantled or were simply inactive, I couldn’t tell.

Well, even if it’s WWE-tier, you still have to act like it’s serious.
“I’ll approach it carefully.”
Watching my step, I slowly approached the altar. Before lifting the box, I double-checked the surroundings. There were no signs of traps connected to the altar or the box itself.

“Seems clear.”
I carefully lifted the box and set it down from the altar. It was quite heavy, but there was no lock on the exterior.
“May I open it?”

Firnea nodded with an anxious look on her face. I slowly lifted the lid of the box.
Inside, instead of gold and jewels, there was an old leather-bound book, a small pouch, and a letter.
“Huh? That’s it?”

Firnea looked disappointed.
“This isn’t treasure!”
“Just a moment, my lady.”

I picked up the letter first. It was written in dwarven script on parchment.
“To the brave soul who has found this place. The items within this chest may have no monetary value, but they are the final legacy of our dwarven artisan clan. We hope you will treat them with care. The book contains several of our secret techniques, and the pouch holds a small mana crystal known as the Heart Fragment. It may serve as a core material for a powerful mana tool. Though we hid here after being driven out by the greedy, in the end... may this legacy fall into worthy hands…”
The letter ended there. I examined the book and pouch in turn. The book seemed to contain the dwarves’ unique techniques for metalcraft and magical enchantment.

Inside the pouch, as the letter described, was a red mana crystal, faintly pulsing like a heart.
“A book of techniques and a dumb rock? That’s it? Lame.”
Firnea grumbled. But I recognized the value of this legacy.

Dwarven secret techniques—especially enchantment magic—had become virtually extinct among humans. Used properly, they could unleash tremendous power.
The mana crystal known as the Heart Fragment didn’t seem ordinary either. It looked like Maclaine had spent quite a bit of money on this.
“My lady, this is an invaluable legacy that cannot be measured in money. These techniques, in particular—”

“Whatever, boring. Let’s go back now.”
Firnea had already lost all interest.
...Well, to a 10-year-old, an ancient technical manual probably ranks lower than a toy.

Maclaine must’ve imagined Firnea obtaining this treasure and devoting herself to study… but it looked like he’d just wasted his money.
Smiling brightly, I placed the book, pouch, and letter back into the box and packed it into my backpack.
This should count as personal side income, right? Hell yeah.

“Understood. Let’s head back.”
We retraced our path and came out of the abandoned mine.
Outside the cave, the sun was already starting to set.

“Ah, I’m tired. Virdem, carry me.”
Firnea tapped my back like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“…My lady, I’m still injured…”

“It’s fine. You took down a lion, remember?”
“…Yes.”
In the end, I carried Firnea on my back and headed for the mansion.

With two backpacks and a person on my back, it felt like hell.
What kind of noble butler lives like this? A construction site would be easier.
Still, today’s expedition had its share of rewards.

The dwarves’ legacy. It might seem useless for now, but one day, it would surely prove valuable.
And… the fact that Lady Firnea and I accomplished something together for the first time.
After today, maybe she’ll think of me a little more fondly.

The young lady on my back had already drifted off into a soft, peaceful sleep.
 
****

After the mine expedition, Firnea’s antics entered a brief lull.
She must have been genuinely tired. Thanks to that, I was finally able to focus on my original duties as a butler. Preparing her meals, handling teatime, helping organize the study—ordinary, but peaceful days went by.
Then, one day, Maclaine called me over quietly.

“Virdem, do you have a moment?”
“Yes, Chief Butler.”
We sat on a quiet bench in the garden. Maclaine set down his teacup and spoke.

“There will soon be a tea party in the capital for young nobles.”
“A tea party, sir?”
“Yes. It’s a gathering where the young heirs and heiresses of various families come together and socialize. Lady Firnea is expected to attend.”

“…I’m not sure the young lady would enjoy such an event.”
I recalled how ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) quickly Firnea had lost interest during the mine expedition. There was no way she’d willingly attend some dull aristocratic social function.
Maclaine nodded, as if he agreed.

“I think so too. But there’s the matter of family reputation, and it’s also important for her social development. The master has given a firm order to ensure she attends this time.”
“Is there something I can do to help?”
“You’ll be escorting the young lady.”

“Me?”
I asked in surprise. Normally, a formal event like this would be attended by Maclaine himself or another senior butler.
“It seems the young lady feels most at ease around you. And… to be honest, the others would probably struggle to handle her unpredictable behavior.”

So it’s another hand-off job dumped on me. I grumbled internally but responded aloud.
“Understood. I’ll accompany her as instructed.”
“Thank you. However… you’ll need to be careful.”

Maclaine’s expression turned serious again.
“The noble children of the capital are not like those of our house. Many of them are jealous and sly. Especially given the young lady’s fame and talent, she’s likely to become a target of envy.”
“Are you suggesting someone might try to harm her?”

“They wouldn’t dare cause direct harm—not with the power of House Seriratus behind her. But they might try to embarrass her, or ostracize her in subtle ways. You’ll need to stay by her side and support her well.”
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
For some reason, I had a bad feeling.

Firnea might be a powerful magician, but she wouldn’t be used to the sneaky bullying of children her age.
There are problems in the world that magic alone can’t solve.
On the day of the tea party, I dressed in a more formal butler uniform than usual and waited outside Firnea’s room.

A short while later, Firnea came out, escorted by a group of maids, dressed up to the nines.
A lavender silk dress, small gemstone ornaments—her usual tomboyish appearance was gone. She looked every bit the noble young lady. But her expression was completely sulky.
“I don’t wanna go…”

“My lady, this is an important event for the family. Just bear with it for a little while.”
“It’s obviously going to be boring. Weird kids will talk to me, and I’ll be stuck eating tasteless snacks.”
“I’ve secretly prepared some delicious treats.”

When I showed her a small box, Firnea’s face brightened just a little.
“Really?”
“Yes. Your favorite—chocolate cookies.”

“Hmm… then I’ll go!”
Was it that she was simple and easy to handle, or had I just gotten too used to her? I suppressed a bitter smile as I opened the carriage door.