This Three Year Old Is a Villainess-Chapter 271

I was yanked away from Alexis by Balzac grabbing the back of my collar.

Balzac and Joshua glared coldly at Alexis.

“What business brings you to the Astra estate?”

Balzac demanded.

Alexis, however, remained composed.

“I heard the fiancé had returned home.”

“How did you learn that? Did you plant spies here?”

“No need for spies when he tells me himself.”

“...What?”

My brothers’ gazes snapped to me.

I answered casually, “I communicated with him before I left Kansis.”

“...But not with us?”

“You know how difficult it is to send a message from Kansis to another continent. One transmission costs a fortune!”

“...And you made that message to some ragamuffin over family?”

What was the problem?

Family would see each other upon arrival.

But the academy where Alexis stayed was far off.

He had to announce his arrival, no?

I couldn’t go to the restricted academy myself.

My brothers smiled thinly at my ‘Why?’ expression.

Daymond Domain.

After settling affairs and returning home, Heidi and Betty ran up with joy.

“You’re back, milady!”

“We were so worried! When we heard you were in a different carriage, Heidi... Heidi was—!”

Heidi choked up.

I hugged each of them once. “I’m fine, I’m fine.”

“Now that our guest has arrived, please prepare the rooms.”

“I heard the fiancé came. We’ve readied his room—no need to worry!”

“You’ve prepared Alexis’s old chamber?”

“Of course.”

“I’m glad you handled things so quickly.”

I motioned to Alexis behind me. Even during these brief words, he was locked in a staring contest with my twins.

As we climbed the stairs, I mused, “Why do they hate each other so much?”

“It’s your MBTI being T,” Han Jihyuk teased.

“Pseudoscience? I’m not a fan.”

“That’s a T response.”

“You saw everything when we were in Korea.”

Han shook his head. I called, “Alexis, let’s go.”

He finished his stare-down with my brothers before ascending the stairs beside us. Han followed into the room.

Alexis asked, “Where’s Conrad?”

“He’s at the duke’s manor finalizing the abduction case. More importantly—did you bring it?”

“You sent that letter for that, didn’t you?”

“A twofold purpose!”

I’d been eagerly awaiting it myself!

Alexis sighed.

‘He’s grown at least twenty centimeters since I last saw him.’

Now nearly my father’s height, and maturing...

‘No wonder he was the hero.’

Where Father was a flamboyant beauty, Alexis was classic elegance incarnate.

His features—eyes, nose, mouth—were so cleanly defined it felt the gods had placed them with precise intent.

His long, sleek black hair and narrow eyes gave a cool impression, yet the eyelashes that framed his blue irises curved softly, tempering that chill...

“...Erilot.”

“....”

“Erilot.”

“Ah, yes.”

Alexis looked at me as if surprised. “Here.”

“Ah, so this is it...”

The precious treasure of the Marquess of Sébentin: the Left Twin Timepiece.

House Sébentin was one of the empire’s ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) few families predating its founding, and among them one of the oldest.

Furthermore...

‘A line descended from a deity-king of an ancient holy state.’

They possessed many extraordinary treasures.

“Thank you for deliberately provoking Prince Sébentin and dueling for me.”

Indeed, Alexis had taken my request to incite Prince Sébentin, they’d wagered relics.

Alexis risked the Isiron family heirloom, The Eight Heroes—a painting of the empire’s founder-emperor and the seven clan progenitors.

Prince Sébentin had staked this Left Twin Timepiece.

Alexis had won, and so he’d brought me the watch.

“It’s nothing special.”

“I hear Prince Sébentin is formidable. Was it dangerous?”

“Not really.”

“Good to hear.”

“This timepiece is the key to opening the interspatial gate?”

“Yes! And with this magic device I recovered from Kansis, we can retrieve Marie!”

How I’d struggled to filch that device from the Brikt ducal estate.

‘I’d joined the caravan to access the ducal estate but ended up at the palace.’

Han and I sighed.

Alexis said, “But you said we need something else too.”

“Yes: a new Blessed Land.”

To use the interspace key, we need a “gate.”

“Can’t your original Blessed Land suffice?”

“After visiting the Celestial Realm and moving Marie here, I fully expended my Root power.”

“Then recovery will take quite some time.”

“Uncle Cainlord estimates at least two or three more years.”

“Have you located a new Blessed Land, then?”

Han and I exchanged grins and answered in unison, “We have.”

“Of course.”

Thus we made Father the hero of this world.

He travels the continent in war; when near a Blessed Land, descriptions emerge in his accounts.

As expected, it worked perfectly.

“Where is it?”

Alexis asked, confident. Han and I froze.

Finding it was one thing.

But...

“The location is... problematic.”

I said.

“And the land’s owner is troublesome too.”

Han sighed in agreement.

“Who is it?” Alexis asked.

“...Salvatore.”

“Who?”

The Bushez family—Oséllia’s natal house. When the late Marquess Bushez died, he bequeathed that region to Prince Salvatore.

That’s where our new Blessed Land lies.

“How can we wrest that land from Salvatore?”

“Well, we must consider it. At least we can meet him...”

“At least meet him?” Han asked. “You said you wouldn’t go to the capital for now—you’d delay retrieving Marie by accepting every invitation.”

“Salvatore will come to us.”

“What? Why would Salvatore come to the Astra estate... oh, no!”

“Yes.”

I grinned. “The Crown Prince of Baran resides right at the heart of the magic continent Kansis, on this estate.”

A blessing in disguise.

Sure enough, a message arrived from the palace.

They would dispatch emissaries to escort the Crown Prince of Baran.

Who but someone of crown-prince rank could receive him?

It would be unbecoming for the Emperor to come personally.

Thus a lone representative would serve.

“His Highness the Prince approaches.”

“His Highness the Prince approaches!”

All in the ducal manor bowed at once.

Prince Salvatore dismounted his white steed and surveyed the courtyard.

“Astra is unchanged.”

“Astra cherishes tradition,” I replied.

The Prince raised an eyebrow when he saw me stepping forward from the retinue.

“You are...”

“I am Erilot Astra, eldest daughter of Daymond Astra, twenty-first grandchild of Chronos Astra.”

“...!”

“...!!”

Those who came with Salvatore stared wide-eyed, then murmured admiration as they appraised me.

“Oh, you’ve grown so splendid.”

“Yes, indeed.”

Salvatore smiled. “You favor your father—that hide is still useful.”

—Words none dared utter.

‘Such brazen cheek.’

“It is my honor, Your Highness. You resemble the Empress ever more.”

Your mother, still sidelined by the Empress Dowager—Salvatore stifled a laugh at my meaning.

“Your three-inch tongue remains as lethal as ever.”

“I’ll take that as meaning pure as a child. I scarcely know how emulating our noble Empress makes one ‘lethal.’”

“...Still amusing.”

I pretended not to hear. “Please enter. The banquet awaits.”

I was in charge of protocol for the Prince’s reception.

‘The second generation scrambled in panic.’

Investigations to unearth those involved with Balderick began.

Even the domains of unentailed uncles and aunts were audited.

To avoid the head steward’s scrutiny, everyone was busier than ever.

Thus the third generation handled protocol.

Being from the Sacred Knights, I was chosen chief organizer.

“Is the meal ready?”

At the Prince’s question, the third generation flinched.

They’d be served after him?

‘Such rudeness.’

It slighted the family’s hospitality and berated the main house’s envoy.

If we yielded, the family’s honor would plummet.

Liantin stepped forward to soothe the Prince, clutching a dog-eared legal codex she’d pored over.

“According to the precedent of 112 years ago—when the imperial consort’s party from the Ainz Continent was—”

“How dare you block the Prince’s path!”

The official who’d rebuked Liantin seized her wrist.

The retainers and cadet kin gasped in shock.

The other third-generation grimaced. Adam, the fiercest among us, bristled.

Milan quickly restrained his hand. “He is royalty. Strike him, and you commit treason.”

“But they—!”

Joshua also tried to calm Balzac.

The others seethed.

The cadets watched keenly.

Then—

“The envoy attacked our family’s hostess. Where are the duke’s troops?”

I yelled. At once, the duke’s guard leveled bows at the palace envoy.

“What are you doing—!”

“This is madness!”

“Miss Astra—!!”

Even Prince Salvatore’s face hardened.

“Treason?”

“They only defended against his assault.”

Standing with my hands clasped behind me, I nodded toward the official gripping Liantin.

“An envoy of the palace.”

“If so, did the palace envoy assault our family’s hostess?”

The official stammered, “A-Assault—!”

“You laid hands on her without permission. Clearly aggressive intent.”

“Th-That’s...!”

Loreina and Joshua signaled Liantin. She cried out, “Ow—” and pulled free.

Her pale wrist bore a red imprint.

I met the Prince’s gaze. “Tell me: is he a palace envoy?”

“....”

He could not answer.

Had he confirmed him an envoy, he’d implicate the palace as the aggressor.

The Emperor would hold the Prince responsible.

I slowly turned to the official. “Since no answer comes, you shall speak. Are you a palace envoy?”

“Nonsense! Of course I—!”

“No.”

The Prince overrode him. The official recoiled.

“P-Prince...”

“He came at my personal behest. Offer your apology for this rudeness, Janen.”

“B-But—!”

‘Ah, Janen is his maternal cousin.’

The bastard son of the late Marquess Bushez.

Harboring hostility, he’d acted out.

When Janen hesitated, the Prince’s glare silenced him.

Janen ground his teeth and bowed his head.

“I apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive me—”

Still holding my hands behind me, I looked at Janen, then asked Liantin,

“And you, sister—what say you?”

“...Since he came by the Prince’s personal command, I cannot object. I forgive him for Your Highness’s sake.”

The duke’s guard lowered weapons.

I smiled at the Prince. “Will you still refuse the banquet?”

After all this, would he spurn it?

At that look, he ground his teeth. “...We shall see what you have prepared. It must be extraordinary.”

“Oh dear. It’s merely roast lamb.”

The Prince strode into the castle first.

The palace envoy sighed in relief, pride bruised though.

Behind them, the third generation grinned.

“That fellow’s the world’s worst bore when enemy, but unbeatably reassuring as an ally,” muttered our cousin Fabio.

Milan and Selene giggled.

This third generation is the villain.