This Three Year Old Is a Villainess-Chapter 297

Puffing out her cheeks, she spoke like a child.

“Apologize?”

I asked casually, and Dalia scowled.

“Yes. For sending me ahead alone through the Northwest Gate to the Empress Consort’s palace.”

“Why?”

If I’d caused her to faint, that would be my fault—but sending her through the Northwest Gate wasn’t my doing, was it?

Dalia pouted ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) as if I truly didn’t understand.

“You’re the one who did it. You went first and something bad happened to me.”

...What kind of illogical reasoning is that?

“‘Commoners enter through the Northwest Gate.’ That’s palace protocol. Why should I apologize for that?”

“But you said the guard was someone you knew!”

“...Yes. So?”

“If you’d told me that, I would’ve used the Central Gate.”

Dalia sulked and counted off on her fingers.

“The Northwest Gate can’t be passed by carriage, so my legs hurt terribly. And my attendant suffered trying to keep pace. Then I arrived alone when the Empress Consort fainted and everyone was suspicious of me.”

“....”

“If you’d gone in with me through the Central Gate, none of that would’ve happened.”

“....”

“But I’ll give you a chance to apologize. I still don’t dislike you, Erilot.”

Dalia smiled sweetly, as if bestowing mercy.

I managed a hollow laugh.

“Shall we say it also rained today because of me?”

“What?”

“Why must I have you enter the Central Gate simply because the guard was someone you know?”

“That’s....”

“Do you know what ‘protocol’ means? Rules set to maintain order. Break them, and you’re punished.”

“....”

“Are you saying I should’ve been willing to suffer punishment for your sake? Why would I?”

“Well, we’re family....”

“If being family means I must understand everything and endure any punishment, then you should too, right?”

“....”

“I had no choice but to see you go through the Northwest Gate because of protocol. You should understand that much. Shouldn’t you?”

“Th—that wasn’t hard! You could’ve just asked the guard to let me through!”

“Why do you get to decide whether that’s hard or easy?”

“Huh?”

“Isn’t it strange for the recipient of ‘consideration’ to say, ‘This is easy, so of course you should do it’? That’s called coercion.”

“....”

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Dalia’s face hardened. She gripped her skirt tightly and fixed me with a fierce stare.

“Are you treating me like a fool?”

“Your logic is so bizarre I wondered if my words didn’t fit your logic, so I asked.”

“You...!”

“I can’t understand you at all, but I’ll still try. I don’t dislike you.”

When I spoke as if comforting her, Dalia’s face flushed crimson.

‘What... Why?’

I was only returning her own words.

A stifled giggle came from behind me—those former Western Army men trying and failing to hold back laughter.

Dalia turned redder and bit her lip. Then a maid who had been watching our exchange stepped forward.

“Lady Dalia, His Majesty awaits.”

“....”

“Lady Dalia.”

“All right.”

Dalia puckered her lips, turned sharply past me, and strode away.

I froze at the sight. The former Western Army men chuckled and teased:

“Are you flustered because your cousin’s sulking?”

“No, it’s not that....”

“It’s really unfair!”

“B-but it truly wasn’t my fault....”

“Enough!”

The image of Yuse-eun sprang to mind—she always pouted just like that if things didn’t go her way. When I was Yoo Hye-min, that look terrified me—it meant she’d tattled to Grandma and I’d be punished.

‘Her expression was just like Se-eun’s....’ 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“Erilot?”

The former Western Army men looked at me in puzzlement.

“It’s nothing. I must be going. Perhaps we’ll meet again.”

“Yes.”

“Take care.”

I walked on with Han Jihyeok and glanced back. Dalia had vanished.

‘This feels strange....’

The chance Dalia is Yuse-eun is virtually zero. Grimie summoned a special soul—and it happens to be the half-sister of Yoo Hye-min? Too many coincidences.

‘Moreover, in <Ice.Black.Hand>, Dalia resented her parents since childhood.’ But Se-eun grew up showered with love from Grandma, Father, and even Mother.

‘Yet....’

Han Jihyeok called me.

“Erilot.”

“Yes?”

“What’s the matter? Something’s wrong?”

“...When we return to the manor, activate your domain to strengthen my Blessing.”

“Why?”

“I need to review Dalia’s account with <閲覧>.”

I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.

The Emperor’s study.

“So,” he said casually, “you feel quite hurt by Erilot.”

Dalia chatted as she poured hot water from the pot into her teacup.

“Yes, because it hurt me that she went ahead through the Northwest Gate without me. Even if the guard hadn’t listened, I’d have felt better if Erilot had said, ‘I’m sorry for going first.’”

The Emperor lifted his teacup and glanced at Dalia. Meeting his eye, Dalia flinched, then dropped her brows and murmured:

“It was just a childish complaint... I only wanted Erilot to apologize. It wasn’t her fault....”

The Emperor chuckled.

“I admire your honesty.”

Dalia propped her chin on the desk, crouched, and looked up at him.

“Do you think Erilot was angry because she knew I was whining? She’s probably busy, and I just annoyed her.”

“Well,” he said, “if you still feel uneasy, apologize and talk to her again.”

“Yes! I will!”

Dalia giggled.

“Talking to Your Majesty makes me happy.”

“No one else seems to feel that way— you’re odd.”

“Why? You share your wisdom, and my worries vanish. Maybe the others are too shy to say so.”

Her innocence shone in her eyes—she never lied. The Emperor chuckled and stroked her hair.

“No. Conversation is hard with them because they don’t treat me as purely as you do.”

“You said ‘me,’ not ‘His Majesty’!”

“Oh my.”

He let out a light sigh, hand on his chin. Dalia tilted her head happily.

“But I like it better. Friends speak freely, right? You are my first friend.”

“Do you dare mock me?”

“I-I’m not....”

Dalia flustered, and the Emperor burst into laughter. Esther, standing by the wall, covered a smile.

Dalia laughed again and asked:

“How is Your health now?”

“Since your hand touched the crumatus tea, it’s far more effective than before.”

“Father says blessings need not be activated consciously. They can flow naturally in breath and gaze.”

“I see.”

“Since I don’t know how to use Blessings, I can’t control it, so it’s even more so.”

“Thanks to you, I feel much better.”

“Your health is my joy!”

The room glowed with warmth. Outside in the antechamber, Grimie, disguised as an attendant, whispered:

“His Majesty seems pleased.”

“Yes. His pain has eased, and she can open hearts easily.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Her soul is such. Having been loved so freely, she knows how to give love.”

“I see.”

“His Majesty will feel even more special—a survivor in this den of vipers cannot help but be fond of someone so genuine.”

‘And with such a Blessing embedded...’

He cannot help but be charmed. Grimie smiled sardonically. Through the door’s crack came the Emperor’s affectionate laughter.

A few days later, I gathered all the crumatus from across the realm and set it ablaze. Watching the roaring flames with Conrad and Han Jihyeok, they froze.

“Th-This is...!”

“What is happening!”

The smoke from burning crumatus took the form of a monster. C-r-u-m-a-t-u-s— the Spores of Despair in ancient tongue.

“It’s the ancient monster, the Spores of Despair.”

“D-Despair? A plant-type monster?”

“Yes. In my first life, people believed it was medicine.”

Despair was feared, for unlike other monsters it didn’t attack directly. It forced creatures to ingest its spores, draining their energy.

“In my ancient memories, I saw that Despair was far more terrifying than any other powerful monster.”

“It merges with pathogens to become a living plague....”

“Yes, it becomes zombies. When enough energy accumulates, the zombies merge into Despair proper— the adult form in ancient times.”

“If, in your first life, people across the continent ate those adults....”

Han Jihyeok turned pale. I shrugged.

“Don’t worry. There were no adults. Some turned zombies and sixty percent died.”

“What? Why?”

“Because Dalia eradicated them.”

With her overwhelming Blessing, she purified the heart of it whole. That was how she became hailed as a saint worldwide.

‘If this continues per <Ice.Black.Hand>,’ the plot proceeds, and Dalia becomes the most special protagonist again.

“We must stop the plague’s spread at all costs.”

“If the Empress Dowager and Empress Consort are infected, others at court are also at risk. How is the Dowager’s condition?”

“She refuses to see anyone. She must be losing consciousness repeatedly.”

The Dowager, being elderly, is in even greater danger.

“For now, cutting off crumatus distribution is crucial.”

“This task has become difficult.”

Lord Rishimond’s voice. I whirled around to see him staring solemnly.

“Difficult?”

“The plague has spread throughout the capital.”

“What?!”

“Thirty cases yesterday, five hundred today. At this rate, the city will be paralyzed within a week.”

“How is it spreading so fast?! In my first life, it wasn’t this rapid!”

“Because people treat crumatus as medicine.”

“What? How...?”

“Since yesterday, Dalia has been using crumatus to treat the sick.”

This fool’s needless actions...!

I ground my teeth. Rishimond continued flatly:

“A medical tent led by Dalia was erected in Sades Square moments ago.”

I shouted to Han Jihyeok:

“We must stop it! Let’s go!”

“Right.”

We dashed toward the square.

Inside the medical tent, Dalia looked around in dizzy amazement.

“What should I do...? So many people....”

The tent buzzed with patients. Yesterday she treated only commoners barred from hospitals; today nobles were lining up too.

Grimie’s attendant called from one side:

“Count and Countess Laus have arrived with their son. Marquis Matong brought his father—”

On the other side, another attendant shouted:

“Over three hundred still waiting!”

Dalia clenched her apron.

‘This is overwhelming. But I’m the only one who can heal them.’

Should I ask the Emperor to relieve her of this duty? Yet he rejoiced when she volunteered....

“All right! To heck with it! Let’s do what we can! I’m someone who even made music an evil!”

Dalia cried.

“Bring more crumatus from the palace vault! If it’s insufficient, ask Father to send people! Let’s use Blessing to replicate crumatus!”

“Yes!”

“Milady!”

The people watched Dalia darting about, tears of gratitude in their eyes.

“You precious lady, helping people like us....”

“They said crumatus is prohibitively expensive. Even hospitals can’t afford to use it, yet she uses it to heal us.”

“They said it comes from His Majesty’s store— truly a wise ruler!”

“And it was this lady who requested it.”

Not just commoners, but nobles too looked at Dalia with boundless gratitude.

“O-mother, I don’t hurt anymore....”

“By the gods, Az... thank goodness, thank goodness!”

Dalia saved their children, parents, spouses. They owed her a lifetime’s debt.

“Please try this tea. It will restore your strength.”

“Nutrient brew from House Astra?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“My daughter has experience in social functions— she will help. Come see me before your debut.”

“Thank you for even saying so, Marquis Paangte!”

“I owe you for aiding my wife— this is but a small favor.”

Dalia offered tea shyly.

‘I’m helping people and building connections. Yes! Keep at it!’

“All right, next! Oh, I need to see His Majesty soon....”

As she murmured, someone entered the tent.

“Erilot?”

“What on earth are you doing—”

“You’re just in time! Will you help me? I need to see His Majesty. Without me, he worries. And the Empress Consort and Dowager’ve been calling for me recently.”

Dalia hurriedly thrust her apron aside.

“Can’t you at least serve crumatus tea? It won’t be as effective—”

“I won’t let this continue!”

Erilot seized Dalia’s wrist roughly.

“Huh...?”

“Do you even know what that herb is before using it?!”

“It’s an herb, right? A cure.”

Why was she so angry?

Dalia blinked, then said, “Ah.”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t spend the family fortune. You’re worried because Father will become Duke?”

At her words, the bystanders eyed me coldly. Dalia smiled innocently.

“I personally asked His Majesty for crumatus. We replicate it for use. Look! All this!”

Erilot froze at the sight of an enormous pile of crumatus in one corner—several times what Han Jihyeok had procured.

“Stop immediately.”

“...Erilot.”

“And hand over the list of everyone who’s taken the herb. Now—”

“Erilot!”

Dalia shouted, stamping her foot and glaring.

“I know you value riches. But lives are at stake! This is a time to share!”

“You....”

“Do you plan to visit those who took it? If you’re after money, I’ll never give you that list!”

The crowd cheered for Dalia.

“A compassionate lady like her....”

“She puts us to shame!”

“If you won’t help, leave!”

Riding the tide of popular support, they condemned me. Dalia turned coldly to me:

“See? They need me, not you. If you won’t help, go.”