Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Woman Called the Wicked Woman
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Meanwhile, in the Mersie region, Matthias had opened a gate between the demon realm and this world. Demonic beasts poured out from within.
Axel Mirmod would charge madly at those beasts. The same went for the deranged unit that followed him, reveling in slaughter.
But they had no idea those beasts were just the beginning.
The moment all the beasts were slain, the gate to the demon realm would fully open.
And Axel Mirmod would be dragged inside.
Even if he survived the demon realm, he'd be stuck wallowing in the muck for the next ten years or so before returning. By then, stripped of all his abilities, he'd be easy to crush.
Matthias smirked, propping his chin on his hand.
It could be called a cruel fate. But...
His mind flashed to the tiny infant bundled in swaddling clothes—Sien, not the babbling child she was now, but five years ago.
The little baby who couldn't even cry properly, stifling her sobs.
And Axel Mirmod, mocking Sien as she clung to his chest.
‘Why not just ditch that pathetic little thing?’
‘Shut your mouth.’
‘That’s the blood of a curse. Get too close, and you die.’
He’d wanted to crush Axel Mirmod right then, but fresh from the trial, he could only focus on caring for Sien.
It was because of a request from that woman—convicted as a witch and executed.
The woman branded with the stigma of summoning demons to the empire, called a wicked woman.
Sien’s mother, Yuela.
No one remembered her name anymore, but Matthias had not forgotten.
Matthias recalled Yuela’s final words—her pink hair and green eyes just like Sien’s.
This child’s name is Sien.
Even if I die, please raise her to be kind and gentle, healthy and strong.
He hadn’t said a word when he heard it.
He felt no particular affection for Sien back then.
But the moment he met Sien’s innocent green eyes gazing up at him brightly, he cast aside his heir’s title as if drawn by fate.
After slaying the judge who had summoned and humiliated him, labeling Yuela a witch, he abandoned his rightful place as heir for Sien’s happy life.
Yet even then, he kept mulling over Yuela’s words.
The long tales of those who plotted to kill her and him, claiming her innocence...
His lips twisted at the memory.
He had bided his time for five years to exact revenge, and now it was time to draw his blade.
Gritting his teeth, Matthias murmured lowly.
“Handle it as quickly as possible.”
The day to hurl Axel Mirmod into the demon realm’s pit was near. Seeing his chilling expression, his aide cautiously spoke up.
“Yes, but there’s something more important.”
“What is it?”
There was only one thing that could be more important.
“Lady Sien has established a merchant company.”
Yes, Sien.
“What?”
That five-year-old country bumpkin?
My precious daughter?
“Someone must be trying to use Sien.”
He was puzzled by the unexpected news of Sien for only a moment.
“Yes. And it seems something unpleasant has happened...”
His aide began whispering in Matthias’s ear.
His expression twisted horribly.
His daughter’s merchant company, built with her tiny hands, had clearly fallen into a trap.
***
“We need a guardian to oversee the merchant company. They say your father, Lord Matthias, doesn’t count, and direct family won’t work.”
“A guardian...?”
Dedri unnie let out a deep sigh at my question.
“It’s usually a nominal rule, but anonymous reports flooded the palace. They’re saying a five-year-old starting a company doesn’t make sense—it’s child exploitation.”
The palace officials, too scared to approach the Mirmod family directly, sent a written notice. I stared at the notice fluttering in the air and let out a long sigh, puuuuh.
“If there’s no guardian within a week, it’ll be shut down.”
“Gasp.”
“Eek.”
The gasps didn’t come from me.
I just made a face like a hard potato rice cake and scratched my cheek.
“Hmm.”
“They’re calling it unfair child labor exploitation. There are cases where people pretend to run companies under kids’ names to evade taxes.”
“It’s a goob law.”
Not good for me, though.
More importantly, someone had set a trap targeting me.
Axel Mirmod was busy quelling the riots, so the culprit narrowed down nicely.
I turned to Ted, the holy knight standing rigidly, and said.
“Ted.”
“Yes?”
I looked at him and asked innocently.
“You know, does Gabwielle hate me?”
“Ah...”
“And the temple people hate our family too?”
Ted bit his lip hard, unable to continue.
“...I’m sorry.”
That said it all.
I shook my head and waved it off.
“Ted didn’t do nothin’ wrong? It’s okay.”
‘I’m the type who hates collective responsibility anyway.’
Let’s think. The ones behind this plot are probably from the temple.
More precisely, Gabrielle, who sees me as a thorn in her side. And the backer behind her, Saintess Melodia.
Tomorrow, she was set to be inaugurated as saintess.
The question was how Melodia would act once she had power.
‘Around the time she’s inaugurated as saintess, will she try to mess with the Mirmods?’
I propped my chin on my tiny hand.
As I fell silent, the worried voices of my maid unnies reached my ears.
“Who could be a guardian...? Time’s short; not sure if it’s possible.”
“It’ll be tough, but what if someone from our family steps up?”
“Your family wouldn’t be bad. You have ties to the information guild.”
The maids nodded at that.
As they said, the Pfort family stepping up would be great, but I planned to refuse.
“No, unnie. It’s okay.”
At my firm words, the maids froze in unison.
They’d believe me if I said beans were red beans by now. Their crystal-bright eyes fixed on me.
“You have... a way?”
Instead of answering, I flashed my tiny front teeth in a bunny-like grin.
“I have a way.”
The maids’ jaws dropped at my words.
What’s with those faces—like they believed in me all along!
“As expected!”
“We believed in you!”
Twitch.
I blinked, thinking.
‘Our thoughts aren’t shared or anything, right?’
As that silly thought crossed my mind, their sparkling gazes crashed into me.
Feeling even more burdened, I twitched again when Ted cautiously asked.
“W-what’s the method?”
I opened my mouth quietly.
“Just think of one. A guardian.”
“You have someone in mind? Maybe a socialite you know?”
“Heh, just... need a stwong person, wight?”
A great idea hit me.
One that would even shock the villains trying to trap me.
‘If I play it right, it’ll promote our company too?’
Like I always say, the best opportunities come when you’re in a pinch.
The updraft after overcoming adversity can’t be stopped by human hands.
I patted the still-brawny shoulders of my sulky maid unnies.
Ouch, their shoulders are so hard my hand hurts.
***
A week later, I was still holed up in the Mirmod estate.
Playing rabbit hunt with the maid unnies, taking poisonology lessons with Leonhardt and Grandma—still full of the despairing fact that my body had no mana—and learning about holy power with Acid and Ted.
Also got smothered by Delphia unnie...
Amid all that,a surge letters kept coming from the palace nonstop.
Register a guardian now, or register the company for shutdown—that was the gist.
Right after a few of those arrived, aggressive messages started hitting the newspapers two days ago.
Maybe because the Mirmod family—and I—stayed silent on the shutdown threats disguised as letters.
People seemed to think I’d been abandoned by the Mirmods.
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[Front Page] Sien Mirmod’s Company: Sinking Already?
Sien Mirmod (5 years old) of the Mirmod family ambitiously launched a magic tool company, only to face crisis before it even began.
Failure to find an adult guardian to back the company.
Sien is known to have spent her early years in the countryside, lacking deep ties not just to high society but even to her direct family bloodline.
Moreover, the guardian requirements are quite strict.
Must be the same gender as the child company head, not direct blood relative, at least two people, and women of authority.
With her father, Matthias Mirmod, avoiding society, securing guardians seems a major hurdle.
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Even I was shocked at how detailed it was.
With the Mirmods staying mum despite this level of attack, even the gossip rags peeking at their mood jumped on the “bash Sien’s company” bandwagon.
Thanks to that, not a single mage applied to my magic tool company.
Yet the atmosphere in the Mirmod estate where I stayed remained utterly calm and quiet.
Except for one thing: Dad’s fidgety letters.
[Sien, Dad’s sending some guardians. Dad knows people. Why start a company? Did someone tell you to? Contact Dad quick. Or should Dad come right now?]
Scribbled so badly I had to squint.
“Gonna need weading glasses soon.”
Decoding—no, reading—Dad’s rambling letter made me sigh.
“You’ll reply, right, Lady Sien?”
“You need to find a guardian soon...”
“Don’t worry. Lady Sien has a plan.”
The maid unnies chimed in from the side. I nodded and replied.
“Yeah, wight away. And send a wetter.”
I wrote diligently to Dad, pouring in my heartfelt feelings.
[Daddy, miss you. Don’t come! Go away!]
I showed the maid unnies for review, and their faces turned pale as dawn. I tilted my head curiously.
“I-is it okay to wwite it like this...”
“It’ll be a disaster.”
“Mersie might be left with just dust! Please reconsider!”
“Ung, otay...”
I prettied it up and flapped my body around. My hair fluttered with each movement.
And there was a gaze watching me wistfully from afar.
“Honey bun.”
...It was Grandma, part of my plan.