A Villainess Should Be Strong

"Mother, your condition has been getting better," After Sheila gave birth to Noah, her body was weakened by a considerable amount.

For a week, she suffered repercussions from Noah's strong energy as it abruptly left her body through pregnancy, leaving her state unbalanced and filled with riot.

It could be said that her case was quite similar to those who were pregnant with Witches. Their body would be affected by the baby and end up spiraling out of control.

"It's all thanks to you, little star," Sheila herself did not think that she would survive. She was pessimistic, but her daughter was much more capable than she thought.

Estelle nursed Sheila back to a stable health, focusing on nothing but Sheila's treatment.

Noah was checked by the healers and was brought to the church to be blessed. His birth rights also had to processed, as the birth of a male offspring was a big deal for them, who had the Duke title.

Not much people were informed of Sheila's pregnancy, so the sudden announcement brought shock to many.

Although a female heir apparent was not something unheard of, people still preferred males as the head of the household.

When the small age gap between Estelle and Noah were looked upon, Alan decided to temporarily shift the successor title to Noah instead of Estelle.

Estelle had not begun her successor studies yet, and Alan himself knew how much Estelle loved her freedom and consequently her hatred for studying.

These little changes did not affect the family, but it brought uproars to the noble society.

To Estelle, they could only be described as stupid. One wouldn't be able to not notice the love Alan shared with Sheila.

Why did they doubt that a second child was possible?

There was no need to freak out over Noah, she wouldn't be surprised if another one would come in the near future.

Well, Alan was having serious mental aggravations after Sheila's condition plummeted, and that scenario would probably be something he would desperately avoid. He wouldn't risk Sheila's life once again.

One thing that bothered her was the words Yulia said on a visit.

"Your younger brother is just as interesting as you. I would advise you to be mindful of yourself.. and your powers. We haven't really researched deep into it yet, have we? I'd recommend you to understand yourself a bit better. Your effect on the world is not miniscule, I wouldn't want you to lose sight of your path," Yulia's words were vague, but Estelle instinctively knew what she was talking about.

The concept of someone's fate.

In truth, she was an anomaly. She was someone who bore the thoughts and memories of another person who had lived in a separate world.

There had been no records of someone like her appearing in history.

Sheila's condition was too dire. If Estelle did not exist, Sheila would be dead.

Not only that, Noah was also unstable. If Estelle was not there to stabilize his overflowing energy, Noah would've gone on a rampage. His infant body would not be able to handle to surge of power. He would've met a sorry ending as well.

If we take those two into account, Alan would also be affected, for obvious reasons.

The problem here was Estelle.

She brought otherworldly knowledge with her, and applied these ideas into her research. Her magic aided her even though she hadn't understood them fully.

Just these little facts were enough to change someone's fate. Extending someone's life.

She was sure that what she did was possession. She did not reincarnate right after she was born, apparently a day or two had passed when she opened her eyes to this world.

Estelle's consciousness was not there.

Did she, Kirisaki Reina, make the real consciousness vanish as she fused with the infant body?

Or maybe it was when she had a dream about the girl who told her that Estelle Clareste was meant to be a villainess?

When she lost her mechanical mind and started to grow her emotions?

'Understanding yourself.'

She really didn't understand herself.

Perhaps, Estelle was still unwilling to accept her existence.

Her unsolved aspirations, her hatred for Hikari, her wish to reunite with Yuuma, all of them made her detached from her current world, while at the same time, she was undoubtedly the five - year - old child nearing six, Estelle Clareste.

She was still hung up on her past, and that prevented her from being truly Estelle.

The adult her and the child her was fusing. Day by day, she felt her emotional side take over, and her logical side was getting eclipsed by the large presence.

Again, this was something she had never experienced.

In her previous life, even as a child, she lacked humane emotions, and her actions were based solely on logic.

[..Living a life as Estelle and forgetting Reina's existence.] Her past bothered her. This was a fact. But it still made her uncomfortable to forget everything.

She felt like there was something unsolved, sitting right in front of her. It was just that, she wasn't able to see it yet.

[Because I am not worthy yet?] Estelle was reminded of the Duke Miller's words.

Proving her worth. Her existence.

Proving that she is truly Estelle Clareste and not someone who possessed a body.

She was nearing six. Noah was born, and Sheila would probably be the cheerful self she was in a few months.

In those few months, she had to secure the household's safety, so that she would be assured when she left for the Elven Kingdom to research her lineage.

Sheila's health was priority for now. From then, she would invest her mind on setting up Yulia's protective barriers and counterattack measures for the Dukedom.

If she had to build a fort for protection's sake, she wouldn't mind.

It would only cost her a few months, but in the case that she didn't, she would lose her entire family and acquaintances.

[My effect on the world..] Estelle contemplated on this matter, but could not find a definite answer. The answer she sought for.

____________________________________________

Today, Estelle also held her regular tea time with Sheila. As her temporary doctor, Estelle had to make sure nothing went wrong, so a full day observation was needed.

"Young miss, are you going to hold a banquet for your upcoming birthday?" Lylia, who was always by their side, poured chamomile tea for the pair of mother and daughter.

"..It will probably just be a party like before. No more fireworks though, we knew how that went the previous year," Estelle regretted her showcase even until now.

It made the royals more aware of their existence. They took advantage of that, and as a result, they were almost charged with unjust claims.

"I see. Then, may I ask you something?" Lylia was hesitant. She fiddled around nervously, as if what she wanted to say was a precarious matter.

"Yeah?" Estelle was puzzled. Why did Lylia have to ask for permission?

"It's about Derrick and Sierra. Surely they.."

"Of course they will attend. Even if they don't want to attend, I will make them come," Estelle thought that Lylia was silly for asking such an obvious question.

The pair of Sullivan siblings were placed in a luxurious detaining center. The life inside the bars were even better than what a normal commoner had.

"Is that so," Lylia heaved a sigh of relief. What those siblings did was unfortunate. Estelle was willing to forgive them, but they still had to face the repercussions for their actions.

Estelle told the people in the mansion to avoid the two. At first, the knights were distraught as they thought that Derrick was doomed for sure. They later realized that Estelle was just trying to make the two of them see how great the people were, how much of a shame would it be to separate from this environment.

Sierra was a hardheaded person. She refused to give in and even acted quite rudely to those who passed her.

Although they weren't allowed to say anything to the siblings, they still looked at them endearingly. Sierra was still a child, it wasn't impossible to revert her psyche back. Derrick, on the other hand, took his actions under the pressure of Sierra.

"My, I really liked those two. What are you planning to do with them, hm?" Sheila asked.

"For Derrick, I will still be employing him as my personal escort. As for Sierra, I plan to have her go under the tutelage of Minerva and Yulia. After all, her potential as a Witch is there, it would be a waste to ignore it," Estelle had thought about how to change the siblings' misconceptions.

Derrick despised Witches because they stole his mother from him, while Sierra adored her Witch bloodline. If Sierra was to be a good -natured Witch, surely Derrick would have no choice but to respect her wish.

Perhaps he would even open up to the existence and Witches and somehow get along with Minerva and Yulia.

If the plan succeeded, that is.

Once a traitor, always a traitor.

Estelle is willing to give them second chances, but there must be some barriers between them that distinguished their positions.

[What a shame.] Estelle lamented. She thought that they would've been great aides.

"Is that so? Then... what else... Ah, right! Won't you be Noah's teacher when he grows older?" Sheila proposed.

"..Noah's teacher?"

Sheila explained that she saw how Noah seemed to be attached to Estelle, to the point where she even felt jealous at one point because Noah preferred Estelle's embrace than hers.

"Young Master Noah always smiles whenever the Young Miss holds him, right?" Lylia chuckled from the side, acknowledging Sheila's complaints. She too participated in caring for Noah, but the infant always sought for Estelle.

This could be attributed to how Estelle had encased him within her mana on the last moments before the delivery occurred.

Noah might think of Estelle as a familiar warmth, the one who he feels most comfortable to. The energy he possessed couldn't be fully controlled, so it must've had some kind of backlash. Estelle, who freed him from that constricting feeling and soothed him would naturally be memorable for him on an instinctive level.

"I see.. I mean, I don't mind, but just know that my common sense isn't exactly applicable to anyone else?" Estelle sipped her cup of tea and munched on the desserts.

"Don't worry, Noah won't lose to you! I'm sure of it!" Sheila was fired up for the strangest reason. Knowing her mother's personality and seeing how determined she was, Estelle could do nothing but agree to the promise.

"Ah, that reminds me. After a few months, I will be going to Alfheim with Minerva, Yulia, and Heine,"

"Ara, you really got closer to those three, huh?" Estelle never told anybody that she had a close relationship with them. Minerva was someone they could expect, but Heine and Yulia was surprising.

One was a former Fae King, and the other was another powerful Witch that wasn't close with the human race.

Both didn't detest humans, but refrained from interacting with the race.

[On that note, I haven't heard of Heine for a while. Should I go check his country out?] Estelle was interested in the new Fae King.

Heine had told her that since she possessed the blessing of the Spirits, it was possible for her to enter their forest without attracting hostility.

[Let's see... Sylvania is to the right, and Alfheim is a bit far from there, but I could make it in one trip.] Estelle did not want to use the other three's space rift to get to the places.

She thought that it was a pretty good idea to go over and take a look herself, scouring through the large continent.

[For that, I need a transportation method.]

There was no way Estelle was going to stick with the world's classic transportation devices. Carriages, horses, wooden ships, farmer carts...

None of them was comfortable. Even the carriage the royals sent to them on the trial day was uncomfortable to sit on.

Going on a trip to Sylvania would take days if she used the traditional devices, so she hoped to create a new device.

[My checklist is.. Making a transportation method, finishing up Yulia's map, increasing the mansion's protection, going to Sylvania, followed by Alfheim... My birthday is in.. two months? Mana potions are done, so next is the health potions.. Need to make weaker and smaller types if I want it to be commercialized though. After Alfheim, I will go back to here? To meet Duke Miller.. Duke Alfonso and his monsters...]

[Aih, there's no way I can do this in just one or two years. How long would it take? Sheesh.] Estelle grumbled. She had to arrange the sequence of events with care, or else there might be a fatal mistake.

[There was also the matter with the gun..]

[And with the inefficient magic spells...]

"What are you thinking, little star?" Sheila asked after seeing her daughter zone out for so long.

"How to convince father to let me go to Alfheim..." Choosing her utmost priority, Estelle gazed at Sheila with an expectant look.

Knowing what she meant, Sheila chuckled. "I will help you with that one, you don't need to worry. Alan is stubborn, but surely he can't win against me?" Sheila lifted her index finger up to her lips.

Patting her head, they enjoyed the rest of their tea time in happiness.

A moment of relaxation before executing upcoming tasks that might take up to more than a year, it should be well deserved.