The Beloved Youngest Daughter of a Noble Family

Chapter 9: You’ve Already Saved Me

[Translation By Divinity]

“Mmm! Mmm!”

I could barely make out the man’s muffled cries of “Just kill me!”, but I had no intention of granting his wish. Someone who attempted to take another’s life didn’t deserve the easy way out of a clean death without facing proper punishment.

‘Handing him over to the soldiers like this feels a bit unsatisfying too.’

It’s a good thing I’m a special child with exceptional magical talent, otherwise… An ordinary two or three-year-old would have met a miserable end without any resistance.

Who knows how many people this man has killed for his own amusement?

‘Ugh, the more I think about it, the more irritated I get.’

This won’t do. Bad guys deserve suitable retribution!

“Mister, you wouldn’t mind losing an arm or a leg, would you?”

“Mmm…?”

“It’s okay. You’ll be spending the rest of your life in prison anyway. It won’t hurt if I use magic.”

“Gasp…!!”

Just as I raised my hand to carry out the perfect punishment…

BANG!

Suddenly, with a loud bang, three maids burst through the door.

“Bella-nim! It’s dangerous here! You need to get out of here!”

“That’s right! The palace intrusion alarm went off… huh?”

The maids looked back and forth between me and the assassin, frozen and immobilized on the floor, their expressions bewildered. The sight of a man in disarray and me in neat pajamas, holding a doll, must have been quite a contrast.

“Uh, so… Bella-nim, did you do that to him? With magic?”

“I heard you had a talent for magic, but I never imagined it would be to this extent…”

“Hehe, surprised? Sorry.”

I scratched my cheek awkwardly and hid my small hand, still tingling with residual magic, behind my back.

The reason I kept my abilities hidden, even from my closest confidantes Rosa, Roy, and Ronia, was partly to prepare for unexpected dangers like this.

The assassin had let his guard down around me precisely because he had no information about me.

When the soldiers arrived and took the assassin away, the commotion subsided.

I was moved to a safer location under tight security and fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning, when I opened my eyes, Sione was sitting in front of me as if by magic.

“Good morning, Bella-nim.”

‘What? My wish actually came true?’

A mix of joy and bewilderment washed over me as my prayer for her to return after one night instead of two was answered.

She probably came back early because of the assassin, but regardless of the reason, I was just happy she was back.

I rubbed my eyes with my sleeve and quickly got out of bed.

“You’re back early, Sione. Did you have a good trip?”

“Yes. I felt the barrier I placed on the Rose Palace break, so I rushed back all night.”

Noticing the dark circles under her eyes, I sighed deeply.

“Oh dear, you didn’t even sleep? You should have rested a bit.”

“How could I rest peacefully after putting Bella-nim in danger?”

Sione, her face filled with guilt, carefully took my small hand in hers.

“I’m so sorry, Bella-nim. It’s all my fault for being careless. If something had happened to you… The thought alone is terrifying.”

She trembled, unable to continue speaking.

I could feel her tension and fear through her large, warm hand holding mine.

My heart ached, and without thinking, I hugged her neck.

“I’m really okay. So please don’t apologize. Alright?”

“Bella-nim…”

Finally, Sione burst into tears and hugged my small body tightly.

I patted her head gently, comforting her as she had taught me.

As I waited for her tears to subside, the maids, who had been watching from a distance, hesitantly approached.

“We apologize too, Bella-nim. We should have been more careful in Sione-nim’s absence…”

“That’s right. We should have at least kept watch in your bedroom. We were too complacent.”

In truth, their words were half right and half wrong. The artifact the assassin had planted created a sort of virtual space.

Even if someone had been guarding my bedroom, they wouldn’t have been able to help me, isolated in a different space.

While listening to the maids’ apologies, Sione, who had regained her usual composure, narrowed her eyes and spoke.

“You three need to reflect on your actions. Where’s your military discipline? You’ve become far too lax.”

“Eek… Sione-nim! You promised not to treat us like subordinates anymore. We’re proper palace staff now!”

“Once a soldier, always a soldier,” Sione retorted. “You were the ones who insisted on following me even after I retired.”

Ah, so all three of them were former soldiers.

‘No wonder they didn’t seem like ordinary maids.’

They were assigned to a palace with a baby, yet these three sisters were clumsy with childcare and lacked any domestic skills.

Their occasional mimicry of sword fighting while sweeping with brooms now made perfect sense.

“I heard the assassin is imprisoned. What happened after that?” Rosa inquired.

“Since Captain Walter is away, the vice-captain personally interrogated him.”

“The vice-captain…”

Folding her arms, Sione fell into deep thought for a moment before suddenly lifting her head and speaking.

“First, I need to meet with him and discuss this matter. It would be best to report that I captured the assassin, not Bella-nim, and forge the documents accordingly.”

“Yes, that seems like the safest course of action.”

“You three also need to keep quiet about Bella-nim’s abilities for the time being. We can’t hide it forever, but it’s best to buy some time until the Lord returns.”

As I listened to their conversation, my thoughts drifted to the artifact the assassin had hidden. The fact that he had gone so far as to install it in my room, ready for intrusion at any time, indicated meticulous planning.

Just who was it that wanted me dead?

As I pondered this, the topic of conversation shifted in that direction.

“Attempting to infiltrate the palace during a lockdown isn’t something an assassin would do alone. There’s definitely someone behind this.”

“That’s obvious, isn’t it?” Rosa interjected. “It must be one of the purebloods who see Bella-nim as a threat. And among them, it’s highly likely to be a noble from Wilhelm-nim’s faction…”

“Shh. Watch your words, Rosa,” Sione cautioned.

Rosa, the eldest of the maids, reluctantly fell silent, and the other two also cautiously observed Sione’s reaction.

But judging by the atmosphere, their thoughts didn’t seem to differ much from Rosa’s.

‘Wilhelm… I don’t even know what he looks like. Could he really be trying to kill me?’

The eldest brother, Wilhelm, said to possess a perfect combination of family background, character, and ability, had a completely opposite personality to Luca.

Perhaps I’ll have a chance to meet him in person when Father returns from the expedition.

‘It won’t be too late to judge then.’

Deciding to avoid jumping to conclusions, I turned my attention back to Sione.

“Anyway, how did it go with your teacher?”

“Fortunately, I was able to meet with him. We couldn’t talk much due to the circumstances, but he gave me this instead.”

Sione took out a palm-sized jewel from the bag on the table.

The multifaceted, reddish mana stone flickered between light and dark, as if breathing on its own.

“Wow, it’s pretty.”

“This is a mana stone. You can obtain it by killing magical beasts. They’re often processed into necklaces or earrings.”

“I see.”

“Mana stones contain a lot of life energy; they’re also called the second heart of a magical beast. Most magical beasts die instantly if this is removed. Would you like to touch it?”

I nodded and carefully stroked the mana stone she handed me.

My head instantly cleared, and I felt a surge of energy. It definitely seemed to have an effect.

“It’s strange. Just touching it makes me feel so energized!”

“Actually, this mana stone is from a dragon. It’s like a miracle cure for people with congenital mana exhaustion like Bella-nim.”

A dragon?

My mouth gaped open at the mention of the mythical creature from legends.

How on earth did she get something like this?!

“So, if I have this, all my problems are solved?”

“Unfortunately, not quite. It’s more of a temporary solution until we find a permanent one.”

‘Aww, that’s a shame.’

I pouted in disappointment.

Still, according to Sione, it would be enough to prevent me from suddenly fainting and allow me to resume my magic studies in earnest, which was good news.

“For the time being, please carry this mana stone with you wherever you go. It’s the only one we have, so don’t give it to anyone or lose it.”

“I wouldn’t give something this precious away. Sione gave it to me.”

“Oh, you’re so sweet,” Sione chuckled, her eyes softening.

A little while later, Sione left the Rose Palace to meet with the vice-captain, and I returned to my room, settling back into my normal routine. It seemed like everything was calming down, at least for the moment.

☆

A few days later, an incident shook the royal palace to its core.

The assassin imprisoned in the dungeon had committed suicide by poison, and all the evidence related to the crime had vanished without a trace. Even the artifact that the Royal Magic Corps was investigating had disappeared, leaving the case shrouded in mystery.

“Damn it, I should have kept the artifact myself,” Sione muttered, clutching her forehead in frustration. She had been consumed by the task of reinforcing the Rose Palace’s barrier.

With Lord Bladi away on a prolonged expedition, conducting further investigations seemed nearly impossible.

“You three, gather information on the nobles residing in the capital,” Sione instructed the maids. “Movement might be restricted due to the lockdown, but we need to do what we can in advance.”

“Yes, Sione-nim,” Rosa replied. “But… should we explain the situation to Bella-nim?”

Sione fell into deep thought.

Although Bella was remarkably intelligent and articulate for her age, she was still only two or three years old.

Like any mother, Sione wished for her child to enjoy a carefree childhood.

After all, the poor girl would likely have to fight for her survival for the rest of her life.

“No,” Sione decided. “I’ll explain it to her myself later. It’s best to let her focus on recovering for now. She’s been struggling with mana exhaustion until recently.”

“You’re right,” Rosa agreed. “We need to take even better care of her. She’s so confident and mature that we sometimes forget she’s still just a baby.”

Having reached a consensus, they dispersed, and Sione headed to Bella’s room where she was taking a nap.

‘She’s sleeping soundly,’ Sione thought, approaching Bella’s bed.

She gently stroked Bella’s hair, admiring the angelic sight of her peaceful slumber.

“Hmm… More cookies…” Bella mumbled in her sleep, a contented smile gracing her lips.

It seemed she was dreaming of indulging in her favorite treats.

“Hehe, how can you be so adorable?” Sione whispered, planting a soft kiss on Bella’s marshmallow-like cheek and adjusting her blanket.

She prayed that such moments of happiness would last forever.

☆☆☆

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