Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Don't Get Cocky
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I looked Princess Anessa straight in the eye and spoke.
“What kind of verification?”
“You might not be a Mirmod after all… Sien. Yes, shouldn’t we do a paternity test or something to see if you’re really a child who fits this Mirmod?”
I stared at her intently.
It was obvious she was trying to hurt me.
“Um…”
I tilted my head as I looked at her.
“Isn’t it embarrassing to say mean things to a ten-year-old kid?”
I omitted the part about being a full-grown adult.
I looked up at her and thought.
‘Princess Serena Anessa, this kind of person doesn’t suit our dad at all!’
Someday, we might get a stepmom.
From what Dad said, that would never happen. Still, I had considered the possibility.
But not this woman.
“Princess, you’re a bad person.”
Our gazes clashed sharply in the middle.
At my words, ‘Princess, you’re a bad person,’ she smirked.
“No, Sien.”
She spoke as if she were trying to teach me a lesson.
“How could I be a bad person?”
“Um…”
“But.”
The princess narrowed her eyes into a smile. But her pupils were ice-cold. I could feel the killing intent strong enough to make my small body tremble.
“A fake who pretends to be the real daughter and lives that way… When dealing with a kid like you…”
Poison lurked within her delicate, fragile-looking appearance.
I faced her trembling lips and stood my ground firmly.
‘Don’t tremble, don’t back down. Sien Mirmod. You’re not a fake daughter—you’re Dad’s real daughter. That’s just her wrong idea. It’s like she’s trying to corner me.’
But because of the trauma from my unfortunate past life as a reverse scale, I bit my lip hard and glared at her without easing my tension.
In this life, this was pretty much the first time I’d openly faced an adult woman exuding hostility and killing intent, so my body trembled a bit from the shock.
‘…She’s like Mom from my past life.’
The pain from the illusion maze five years ago briefly dominated my mind.
But I had no intention of being bound by past trauma anymore.
Compared to back then, I’d grown several levels stronger, and I’d overcome that past life trauma with Dad’s warm comfort.
When I didn’t avoid her gaze, the princess looked at me with interest, her eyes tilting slyly.
“I guess I have to become a bad person too.”
The princess’s demeanor before me was definitely not the angelic image people called her.
But that was fine.
“So, Sien, we’ll definitely meet again.”
And she seemed to know that fact now, something only I was aware of.
That annoyed me a little, so I let out a sigh, “Haah.”
“Yeah. Do whatever you want, Princess.”
I stared at her intently and continued.
“I won’t just take it lying down either. I have Dad and Grandma.”
“Oh? In that case, I have my ways too. I’ll tell the world you’re not the real daughter. Even if you’re a fake, will those people still love you? That infamous ‘him’ of the Mirmods?”
“…”
Our gazes collided in the middle.
She brushed back my pink hair and whispered lowly.
“I do see you as easy prey, baby. Even if I let my guard down a bit, kicking out someone like you is no big deal.”
But the princess overlooked something.
“I don’t think so.”
I’m a pretty smart kid too.
No, I might have lived longer than you.
So…
“Don’t get cocky.”
I stared at her with cold eyes.
Even though I’m only half her size, and I couldn’t emit as much killing intent as her.
‘I’m strong too, you know?’
It wasn’t that I couldn’t threaten her or lacked the ability to leave her alone.
At my words, the princess looked speechless.
It was a pretty satisfying hit.
“You really want to go there, huh.”
The princess glared at me sharply.
It was clear I’d further provoked her.
***
That day ended with us glaring at each other.
After she left, I mulled over what Princess Anessa had said. The words calling me a fake daughter.
‘Am I really a fake daughter?’
I wondered what evidence she had to be so sure I wasn’t Dad’s daughter.
But I couldn’t say something like, ‘Am I a fake daughter?’ to Dad, who was already so fragile. He might burst into tears if I did.
Because whether I was real or fake, I was certain Dad’s heart in caring for me all this time was genuine.
The trust between Dad and me was solid. No mere Princess Anessa could create a crack in it.
So, first thing, I decided to ask Leonhardt, who had been in this family longer than me.
“Hey, Leonhardt. How was I born?”
“Huh? That’s… I don’t know.”
Leonhardt scratched his head and asked.
“But genius, there’s something even you don’t know?”
“Hm?”
“I thought you knew all the knowledge in the world.”
Seeing his pure, bright eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘Not quite.’
I decided to rationalize it for myself. It wasn’t bad to have at least one person who thought I was a genius. No, it was actually a great thing.
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
I brazenly lifted my chin.
“There’s exactly one thing the genius me doesn’t know, and that’s the secret of my birth.”
“Whoa…”
Leonhardt shook his head. Then, as if he had a sharp idea, he whispered in my ear.
“…There’s a way. What do you think?”
Seeing his sparkling eyes made me nod automatically.
It was a vague story to call him an idea bank, but…
“Sounds good.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Leonhardt’s cheeks flushed pink like ripe peaches.
“I got praised…!”
‘What? Is getting praised by me such a big thrill?’
If so, I could praise him more. Praise didn’t cost money.
I nodded at Leonhardt and clapped my small hands while thinking.
‘Well, if Leon’s happy, I’m a little happy too! Gotta do it more!’
After a few rounds of praise, I turned my gaze away from Leonhardt. There was no time to delay. The sunset was already fading outside.
I stealthily rose my plump body to uncover the secret of my birth, just as Leonhardt had told me.
…The method Leonhardt suggested was, well.
“F-F-F-Fake daughter?!”
To go find Delphia Mirmod.
She had lived in the Mirmod family longer than Leonhardt or me, so I figured she could tell me properly.
For Leonhardt, it was his own logical reasoning.
He listed a few reasons why to ask Delphia. Duchess Rukella would know best, but she’s skilled at lies and tricks.
On the other hand, he said Delphia Mirmod, whom he’d seen for quite a while, was honest and upright in everything and couldn’t lie.
So she’d be perfect for this question, he said, puffing out his chest.
Of course, Leonhardt’s words were quite persuasive.
So I headed to Delphia’s mansion. Delphia came running out barefoot when she heard I was there.
She hugged my small body tightly and patted me affectionately.
Her barrage of affection continued until the sunset was gone.
I gave up on escaping her embrace and endured the ticklish patting all over my body.
After a long hug, I sat beside Delphia and asked sternly and directly.
Whether I might be a fake daughter.
Her face turned whiter than it could possibly be. She started stammering repeatedly.
“F-F-Fake daughter? Who, wh-who dared say such nonsense?!”
Just from this situation, I knew my choice was right.
‘Big Sis Delphia can’t lie.’
“There’s talk like that, so tell me honestly.”
“W-Well… Who said that, huh? Such irreverent words!”
“Who said it doesn’t matter. Even if I’m fake, it won’t hurt my feelings.”
“Our baby’s grown up too much…”
Delphia, who had shed more tears over the past five years, sniffled as she looked at me.
‘She’s gotten smaller in those five years!’
The fearsome Delphia who once vied for the Mirmod heir position had long been my prisoner. A very pathetic one at that—she’d quickly get teary-eyed if I didn’t look after her.
I raised my eyebrows and puffed my cheeks.
“Even so, I love Dad and everyone.”
Delphia pressed her forehead. She let out a deep sigh. And she spent a while gauging my reaction, of course.
“W-Well, you see…”
Delphia hemmed and hawed before continuing. And the story that followed was in a realm I hadn’t imagined up to now.
***
I heard from Delphia all the rumors that had been hushed up regarding my birth.
‘She really spread rumors that I’m a fake daughter. Stories like Dad picked me up from somewhere. You coward!’
I made a decision.
To meet Princess Anessa and find out exactly how much she knew about my birth. And to properly figure out how she planned to use the secret of my birth to drive me out.
‘It wasn’t just annoyance at becoming a stepmom. I felt a determination to eliminate me no matter what. So there must be some intent.’
Princess Anessa visited me often.
So devotedly that everyone in the Mirmod mansion knew.
Of course, I could have chosen to avoid her. But I didn’t want to. Because I needed to think about exactly what Princess Anessa wanted.
Princess Anessa wasn’t the meticulous type. She’d dropped her mask in front of a child like me, so she might be even sloppier when relaxed.
So my job was to boldly confront this woman and gather the information she showed me.
Things like when she’d try to expose me as a fake daughter, whether I really was a fake, and if I was, where the real daughter was.
‘She doesn’t even realize she’s leaking info to me.’
Princess Anessa was good to Delphia too, and she diligently visited Duchess Rukella to pay respects and score points.
The same with the other Mirmod retainers.
I quietly observed her actions during that time. Watching someone like Princess Anessa hide her true nature and grovel was entertaining in itself.
“Try some of this. I made it.”
…She even handed me wild strawberry pie.
Even Big Sis Delphia ate the pie she offered and commented like this.
“Princess Anessa? She doesn’t seem like a totally bad person.”
The princess acted like an angel to everyone to that extent. Since I didn’t mention her true nature, even Delphia thought Anessa was being nice to me.
‘Anessa is kind to everyone in the Mirmod mansion.’
But she was different with me.