The True Villainess Niece Falls Under a Spell
“Uwoongnyam….”
Liriet let out a sound like a kitten stirring from sleep, propping herself up with drowsy, half-lidded eyes.
She glanced around the room, and something felt profoundly empty.
Truth be told, the room had always been needlessly sparse.
But today, that void felt indescribably vast.
Ah, Uncle!
Brushing away the fog clouding her mind and rousing her hazy thoughts, she puzzled it out.
Liriet belatedly realized what was missing and leaped from the bed.
Baal Argent was gone.
It had been only a fleeting encounter, a mere half-day together.
Yet the sudden visit from her uncle had been utterly joyful.
That made his absence feel all the more cavernous.
Even a girl of just ten years old wasn’t so naive as to miss it.
Bang!
“Miss, why do you rush out with such a startled look on your face?”
She flung the door open as if to shatter it, only to find a familiar elderly man standing at the entrance.
It was Gilbert, the family butler.
“G-Gilbert! Where did Uncle go?”
Liriet didn’t even notice how uncharacteristically loud her voice was, blurting out the question in a frantic rush.
Gilbert nearly burst into laughter at the sight.
How had this timid young miss been so captivated in just half a day?
Wasn’t he holed up studying mathematics away from the main house? Or did he secretly learn how to charm women?
He caught himself entertaining a thought unbecoming of a subordinate.
Baal’s demeanor today and Liriet’s transformation had been nothing short of miraculous.
“Please calm down, Miss. The young master returned to his workshop in a hurry.”
“To the workshop? Oh, right…!”
Only after hearing Gilbert’s words did fragments of forgotten memory bloom fresh in her mind.
Just before she’d lost consciousness.
A familiar had popped out of Baal’s embrace with a plop.
After learning it was called Cyclo and was spying on him, she’d grabbed her wooden sword….
How embarrassing!
Thinking back now, what a foolish display it had been.
If it was something she could defeat, he would have crushed it without lifting a finger.
She hadn’t needed to step in at all.
Yet she’d let her temper flare and acted first.
Uncle doesn’t think I’m some wild, improper girl, does he?
What if he saw her as some reckless brat swinging a wooden sword before an elder? Lost in worry, Liriet snapped back to reality.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t fully composed.
Another shock followed hot on its heels.
And after that, I didn’t even know it was from Uncle’s master, and I spouted nonsense at it….
Quack.
A duck-shot-by-a-stone sound escaped Liriet’s lips.
Just imagining it made her dizzy.
“Gilbert, did Uncle leave any other message?”
“What sort of message do you mean, Miss?”
“Anything. Maybe some criticism about me….”
“Haha, surely not. The young master gossiping behind your back? Unthinkable.”
Gilbert’s hearty laugh eased her mind a little.
It seemed there really hadn’t been anything like that.
She’d thought the odds low anyway.
She didn’t know Baal well, but somehow, she was certain he wasn’t the type to badmouth others behind their backs.
“Good, I’m relieved. I almost thought I’d made a bad impression….”
“Worry not, Miss. The young master promised me he’d visit you again soon.”
“Really?”
“Quite so. Oh, and he left something for me to deliver….”
As Gilbert rummaged in his pocket, Liriet flinched instinctively, the memory of that familiar flashing back.
But seeing it was just paper, she felt foolish for overreacting and whistled nonchalantly.
“Here it is. Glad it didn’t get crumpled.”
“This is a letter?”
“Yes, a letter.”
“Wow! It’s my first letter ever.”
“…….”
Unaware of how tragic that sounded coming from a ten-year-old, or the dilemma it posed for Gilbert’s expression, Liriet snatched it eagerly and darted back to her room.
“Thank you, Gilbert. I’ll go read it alone.”
“Of course, Miss.”
As if the earlier shocks had vanished like mist, she waddled off, swaying her hips like an excited duckling. Gilbert couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I wonder what sort of letter Uncle left.”
Back in her room, Liriet shut the door firmly and sat at her desk.
She didn’t dare lock it—last time, her mother had used that as an excuse to whip her calves.
A gentle ripple stirred the ever-stagnant lake of her eyes, as if sunlight had scattered across it, adding a glow.
Soon, his words began to inscribe themselves letter by letter in the lake’s depths.
To my beloved niece.
I’m sorry for leaving without a proper goodbye.
But we’ll see each other again soon, so don’t hold it against me too much.
Thank goodness I at least left a gift.
Please cherish that child until we meet next.
Oh, and have you named it yet?
Your uncle has named your new friend with all sincerity, as it’s one you chose.
Its name is Nosebig.
I named it that because its nose is so very big.
It didn’t feel particularly thoughtful, but it was cute enough to let slide. Liriet read on.
I hope you enjoyed our time together today.
If you did, that’s my joy.
If not, I’ll play even harder next time.
You’ll probably meet Master Oden at the workshop soon.
If I can arrange that meeting I mentioned, join us if time allows.
Oh dear, so much I want to say, but the paper’s too small.
It seems insufficient to hold all my feelings for my niece.
I’ll cut it short here—stay healthy until we meet again.
P.S. If you name your new friend, try following your uncle’s suggestion.
And if your mother comes by after I leave, read the back of this letter.
“……?”
Liriet tilted her head at the final lines.
Unsure of the meaning, she decided to follow his instructions anyway, rising to approach the doll.
The rabbit doll sat by the head of the bed where she’d lain moments ago.
It had a slightly drab gray tint, but Liriet loved it.
It’s like Uncle’s hair color.
A fact too embarrassing to admit to his face.
Whatever. Anyway, treating the letter like an instruction manual, she reviewed it once more and followed the steps meticulously.
“I bestow a name upon you.”
ZZZing.
“Eek!?”
As the words slipped out unwittingly, a gray aura rose from the doll, startling her into tumbling backward.
Luckily, she was by the bed—no harm done.
Calming her pounding heart, she continued carefully.
“Y-Your name is Bell. Your master is Liriet Argent.”
ZZZing.
Light flared again, but this time she stayed upright.
“And then, touch hands….”
Pressing her palm to the doll’s, the gray aura gradually faded.
“…Done?”
With no more instructions on the letter, Liriet blinked in confusion.
A complete novice to magic, she had no clue what any of it meant.
“It worked, right? Right, Bell?”
Though the doll couldn’t possibly reply, pure Liriet bobbed her head side to side before it, asking eagerly.
“Heave-ho.”
With a little grunt, she tried lifting her new friend.
“Huh?”
Somehow, the doll wouldn’t budge.
Like a boulder, it was rooted firmly in place.
“Ah!”
Then she recalled a cryptic line from the letter: before picking it up, call its name cheerfully, as if heading out for a stroll with a friend.
“Bell, come here.”
At those words, the boulder-lightened.
The doll, as big as her torso—which she’d struggled to lift alone before—now felt like fluff.
Thanks to that, Liriet realized Baal had enchanted it before leaving.
But why this kind of magic?
A small question lingered.
Why enchant a plain doll like this?
Thud thud!
“……!”
The doubt vanished in an instant.
A fierce pounding at the door made her fur stand on end.
It wasn’t even a knock anymore.
“Liriet, what have you been doing?”
“M-Mother….”
In stormed Kasdia, etiquette be damned.
Her stepmother—the woman Liriet feared most.
The happy mood from moments ago plunged into oblivion.
Liriet suddenly felt like prey before a predator.
“I asked you a question. What were you doing?”
“I-I was playing with the doll Uncle gave me as a gift.”
“A doll? You haven’t forgotten my words, have you?”
“…I remember clearly. Dolls are unnecessary for a daughter of the Argent family.”
Liriet bowed her head like a criminal, hands clasped neatly.
Instinct told her it was time to part with her new friend.
“Good. Then I’ll take it. Hand it over.”
“…….”
“Liriet? Are you disobeying your mother?”
“N-No, but….”
Even so, her hands wouldn’t move.
It had been just half a day, but it was her first gift from someone who’d treated her so warmly.
She’d even named it as a precious friend.
No matter her mother’s command, Liriet’s heart wasn’t cruel enough to surrender it easily.
“Hah! Fine. I’ll take it myself.”
“……!”
Impatient, Kasdia strode forward. Liriet’s body floated up about ten centimeters in place, as if mocking her anxiety.
Kasdia reached for the doll on the bed.
But—
“Wh-What is this!? The, the doll won’t move… Argh!”
“Ah!”
Bound by Baal’s magic and Liriet’s naming words, the doll didn’t budge an inch.
Kasdia, ever the refined lady of a noble house, rolled up her sleeves and yanked with all her might, dignity forgotten—but to no avail.
“Liriet! What is this? What trick did you pull on the doll…!”
“Th-That’s….”
“Tch, whatever! I’ll just cut it up with scissors!”
Assuming it wasn’t reinforced, she grabbed scissors from Liriet’s desk drawer to shred it.
The sharp blade neared, poised to gouge out her dear friend’s eye—
“Kyaaaaah!?”
“M-Mother!? What’s wrong?”
Kasdia’s piercing scream erupted.
Startled, Liriet checked on her, but Kasdia fled, putting distance between them.
“B-Bu-Bug! C-C-C-Cockroach!”
“M-Mother, cockroaches?”
Cockroaches? Liriet wondered if her mother was drunk.
The spotless room held neither roaches nor even a fly.
“Madam! What’s happened!?”
“Gilbert! G-Get rid of those cockroaches now! Call someone, do something!”
“Cockroaches, you say?”
Even Gilbert, rushing in at the scream, reacted the same.
In truth, none of the three knew it, but one of Baal’s spells on the doll had activated.
The principle was simple: if anyone but Liriet tried to destroy it, they’d hallucinate their most hated thing.
Visible only to them, harmless to others.
“My apologies, Miss. Madam must be exhausted and seeing things. Don’t mind it—rest well tonight.”
“O-Okay.”
With a polite bow, Gilbert hurried after Kasdia, who’d bolted down the hall.
Still dazed, Liriet examined her new friend Bell from every angle and gasped in admiration.
“Right! Uncle’s letter…!”
It had said: if Mother came and left, read the back.
To keep it safe even if the doll was taken, she’d hidden the letter in her waistband. Now she pulled it out.
“Heehee…!”
A cute giggle bubbled from her lips as she checked the reverse side.
See? Didn’t your uncle tell you?
This friend will protect my niece.
That day, Liriet realized something.
Baal was a greater mage than any she’d ever known.
Greater than plucking stars from the sky, commanding winds and rains at whim, or crossing a day’s journey in an instant.
Even a ten-year-old could see that the magic he’d woven around her today outshone any flashy spectacle.
And she was grateful.
She’d nearly discarded her first friend in ages, just because of her mother’s order.
Yet he’d foreseen even her frailty and wrapped it all in protection.
“Uncle….”
When would he come again?
Clutching that small hope, Liriet surrendered to surging sleepiness.
She wished that day wasn’t too far off. A quiet wish rose within her.