Became the Villainess’s Guardian

Time had undoubtedly passed, and Baldor was not the only one who had been meticulously cultivated.

Some time later, after materializing from thin air on the park bench, Freugne asked the nearby Ulr:

“Do you have a grasp of how this operation unfolds?”

“Yeah. Holding something precious as hostage, making them envision the consequences of refusing the proposal. I understand.”

“Well… I didn’t go quite that far, but you seem to get the general idea. Let’s move on to the next person.”

After leaving the park, Freugne remained busy traversing the city.
In truth, appealing to Baldor’s sense of duty, or failing that, his meager salary, had made him the most challenging to persuade.

Investors glimpsing stock fluctuations a step ahead.
Businessmen privy to the kingdom’s upcoming projects.
Fledgling legislators with insider knowledge of bills to be passed or rejected at the eleventh hour.

Those who had been soaring remarkably high suddenly found their wings clipped, plummeting into ruin.
And they shared the common trait of frantically searching for letters while fretting whenever a close acquaintance advised them to ‘take a short break.’

“Any news today?”

“Sir, I’m afraid I don’t quite…”

“The sender-unknown letters that arrived monthly! Could someone have secretly intercepted them? Hmm?”

What could one say to families whose expectations had been inflated with promises of moving to better houses soon?

No, there was no need to go that far – the instances of pooling funds from relatives and banks based solely on those ‘insider tips,’ undertaking various ventures, were too numerous to count.

‘I never expected those anonymous golden tips to end-‘ Such excuses would only make them sound foolish.
But having persisted for around six months, wasn’t it understandable to inertially anticipate their continuation? Those abruptly cutoff clung to that consolation, for now.

And as some reluctantly relinquished their attachments through prayer or blind floundering, someone suddenly appeared, remarking:

“-My, my.”

“…Who might you be?”

“It seems you’ve been quite discomfited.”

“What business do you have?”

“Since you seem to have thoroughly enjoyed the experience thus far, I thought we could engage in a more equitable trade.”

More certain and absolute than vague sentiments like trust or affection.
Believing the law of give-and-take was sacrosanct between humans, they immediately grasped the implication.

-The free trial period had ended.
-Want to continue experiencing it? Then it’s time to start paying subscription fees.

Having something taken away after briefly possessing it was more agonizing than never having it at all.
Though in this case, it wasn’t something ‘given’ but unilaterally ‘bestowed,’ so ‘taken away’ was inaccurate – more like the ‘giving’ had ceased.

But human nature was inherently cunning, inevitably inducing a sense of loss.

Having thoroughly lapped up the sweet, sweet honey, they were now addicted and expected to quit cold turkey? Absolutely unacceptable.
Only the timid would willingly relinquish that thrilling peek at the answer keys and drug-like results – such folk could never survive in Londinium.

Of course, some attempted to negotiate from a position of strength, snapping defiantly.

“Ha! I don’t know what you take me for, but I’m fully confident in succeeding without such trivial assistance!”

“Is that truly so?”

“Indeed. I have merely been observing quietly to gauge the extent of power that can be unleashed through cooperation. So if you would elaborate-”

“Well, I can’t help that. There are plenty who would want it anyway.”

“Wait, wait. Upon further reflection, I may have misspoken-”

“You were the one claiming confidence in succeeding independently as a full-fledged adult and entrepreneur, were you not? If you truly possess such self-sufficiency, I suppose there’s no need for my aid.”

“……”

“Do you have anything else to say now?”

“…Guh.”

“Guh?”

“Guh-give me……”

Since Freugne’s stance was ‘take it or leave it,’
the thought of such an opportunity being extended to a total stranger was enough to make one’s insides churn.

Moreover, taking a step back, the proposal wasn’t exactly unfavorable.
In a world where pledging allegiance often yielded no rewards, being provided answer keys in exchange for loyalty was a decent bargain.

Hence.

“Despite some initial reluctance, they all eventually accepted in the end.”

“As expected.”

Freugne nodded.

“But I am curious – why not approach those of higher standing?”

“Ah, about that?”

Had she attended a boarding school, she might have had opportunities to engage with more esteemed individuals.
But then, wouldn’t bottom-fishing have become impossible? Having already risen in social status, with fewer unfulfilled ambitions, the likelihood of cooperation would have been lower.

It was the way of the world for the second-place finishers to be more resentful and tenaciously persistent than the champions.

And there was one more advantage to her approach.

“The more they benefit from my favor, the more obedient they’ll become, won’t they?”

“I see.”

“And eventually, I may discard them, but they cannot discard me.”

Of course, Freugne did not personally meet with that many individuals.
Unless they were important enough to warrant direct negotiation, she would relay messages through multiple subcontracted layers.

While taking minimal precautions to avoid unnecessary trouble, she realistically had little to worry about even if exposed.
Who would suspect a model honor student and prospective debutante? She could simply claim someone suspicious had requested her assistance.

However, unless she could use telepathy, she needed at least one person to convey her words, and Freugne had designated Ulr for that role.
The reason was simple – she had confidence he would not betray her.

“This organization may seem inconsequential now, but in a few years, it will undoubtedly take on a very different appearance.”

“But until we can amass a considerable force, we must remain concealed. And I wish to entrust that role of concealing me to Ulr.”

While her youthful visage would fade with time, making her unrecognizable from the outset, she would not be entirely unidentifiable.
It was Ulr who had hoisted Edan onto his shoulders and carried him away at Freugne’s behest when he had attempted to shoot her.

Upon being instructed to become Freugne’s dedicated human messenger, Ulr nodded in acceptance.

“Well, it’s getting late, so let’s head back.”

Glancing skyward, the sunset had already faded.
Momentarily lingering in its afterglow, Freugne snapped to attention and hurried back to Edan’s house.

-Creak

“I’m back.”

“……”

No response – Edan had not returned yet.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Freugne promptly began dinner preparations. She recalled the previous instance of returning after nightfall, only to find Edan had prepared an unappetizingly soggy cod fritter.

With another career counseling session scheduled at school the following day, she needed to retire early.
After sharing the meal with Edan, Freugne burrowed into her blankets with a rustle.

For all her machinations, at home, Freugne was still a girl her age.

Of course, Freugne issuing Order 66 did not prompt a concerted insurrection by her Londinium-based organization to seize control of the parliament…

The reason, while anticlimactic yet simple, was that the boss of said organization had no immediate interest in the marshmallows before her eyes.
Attempting an uprising with an ill-defined, understaffed organization would only invite the iron fist of law enforcement.

Thus, Freugne decided to productively occupy her remaining time.

“Mister, I don’t quite understand this part.”

Freugne tapped her pen on a section of the book, having seated Edan beside her.

“Presenting it in such a convoluted manner would only make it more difficult. Here, let me walk you through a few solution methods.”

“Thank you.”

“But why… are you already studying magic?”

What was I doing at that age?
Ah, right! Rolling around under Professor Magni’s tutelage. Well, it was the appropriate time to learn magic.

As Freugne approached her graduation from East School, she concluded exams like finals were merely for commoners unable to glimpse test papers through foresight, and boldly commenced self-study.
Harboring no particular aversion to the concept, Edan enthusiastically cheered and assisted her studies from the sidelines.

No, for a child who had once toiled in factories, clad in shabby garments and handling cloth, to have grown up and begun magic studies was remarkable.
No one would be so cruel as to chase her away to study alone. Even Edan felt compelled to lend her his guidance, if only out of admiration.

Meanwhile, the tentatively named Freugne Organization was operating smoothly.
Hardly surprising, considering over three months had passed since its formation without any substantive orders, so implosion was the only plausible issue.

“Is there nothing in particular to instruct?”

“No, there’s no pressing need at the moment. For now, maintaining a holding pattern will suffice.”

“And yet the organization continues functioning remarkably well.”

In truth, calling it an ‘organization’ was rather anomalous.

While a hierarchical command structure had been implied during the entry interviews, the enigmatic boss was merely unilaterally disseminating information instead.

Ordinarily, such an organization could never be established.
If there was only giving without receiving, it would be better to act independently – unless the boss was insane, there was no need to altruistically benefit others.

On top of that air of mysterious intrigue, their activities were hardly illegal either.
Wouldn’t a typical secret organization… sneak someone a cup of poisoned tea, assassinate government officials, and engage in various nefarious deeds?

More importantly, befitting an ‘organization,’ there should have been more affiliated members whose identities were unknown to each other.
While such organizations might scoff at luxuries like a sense of belonging, leading to complete collapse in this case, the chimera persisted solely due to Freugne’s nonchalant divulgence of state secrets as if breathing.

“It’s strange. Truly strange. It defies all common sense.”

“Just what is the identity of the one privy to all this? No, recklessly prying might incur their wrath.”

“But in any case, as long as the organization functions, hurrah!”

As members, they had no complaints as long as Freugne’s letters and relayed messages arrived periodically.

Yet the initial vigilance from the notion of being watched by an unknown entity gradually lapsed with time.

“Hic, I’m drunk. Hic!”

“Ahaha, right. You asked how I managed to earn so much money? This is a secret I’ll only share with you-”

It was the moment Freugne, who had received perfect scores on her finals to Edan’s immense pride, had been eagerly awaiting.