The Villain Protects the Lady!

Goodbye, you stupid things.

 BOOM! 

A loud explosion sounded from behind me, followed by a barrage of panicked screams.

  “What is this, what is this, my manor, my family name!” 

The father who had brought his hidden mistress and children before my mother’s funeral was over.

 

Count Tekins.

  “Crikey, my dress, my shoes, my jewels!” 

My stepmother, who cunningly made me the perpetrator and herself the victim, and buried me in the family plot.

 

Countess Tekins.

  “Go in there and get it, because that piece of paper is worth more than your life!” 

Loan sharking, extortion, smuggling and more.

 

My half-brother-in-law, who did all kinds of crap and then blamed it on me.

  “No, no, no, the prom is next week, and if the mansion is gone, where are we going to have the prom?” 

Mocking me, my fiancé, and even my half-sister who cheated on me.

  “Is this a collection of trash? 

I’m going to die because I’m being used like this and I call them family.

 Tsk!

I clicked my tongue.

 

I shouldn’t be so surprised that the mansion is only halfway down.

 “There’s still a foot to go…! Boom! 

I laughed out loud as a pillar of fire shot up and the remaining mansion completely collapsed with a loud crash.

 

Good timing!

 

This time, I didn’t hear the screams of the trash. Either they were crushed under the rubble of the mansion or they passed out.

 

Personally, I hope it was the former.

 

By the way, Belloa and I are not done searching.

 

Everyone knew that I was locked in the highest chamber and Belloa in the lowest cellar.

 

My father, the Count of Tekins, had even put locks on the doors with his own hands.

 

But the clothes, the jewelry, the important papers, the gold coins.

 

They shouted at me to come out with everything, but they didn’t call me or Belloa by name.

 

It’s as if we never existed.

 “Whatever.” 

I’m going to get screwed, and I’m going to get screwed big time.

 

I scoffed and looked down at the bag in my left hand.

 

It was a plain leather bag on the outside, but not on the insi

de.

 

I’d robbed the Count before I blew up the mansion!

 

Not only had I opened the Count’s secret vault, but I had also taken all of his jewelry.

 

That’s not all.

 

I’ve cataloged the crimes committed by Count Tekin and his half-brother.

 

Along with the evidence I found in the rooms, the study, and the secret vault, I sent it directly to the Imperial Knights.

 

The debenture contracts were returned to the sufferers.

 “When the lights go out, it’s real.” 

It was time for the ridiculously high interest contracts to reach the original owners.

 

The victims would come running, their eyes rolling back in their heads.

 

The Imperial Knights would take care of the rest.

 “You’ve had a good time pushing people into debt, and now it’s time to pay for it. Isn’t that right, boss?” 

Flames raging, mansions destroyed, vaults looted, crowds of people and Imperial Knights everywhere.

 

It was a shitstorm, and you wouldn’t know it if you saw one or two people missing.

 

Good, good.

 

Then I guess I’ll just disappear and be a raw, flesh-eating vagrant for the rest of my life.

 “Aah.” 

Someone squeezed my hand.

 

That’s right.

 

I have one last thing to do.

 

I looked down and there was the child, clutching my hand as if it were her only lifeline.

 

Pink hair like a rose fresh from the dawn and eyes like molten gold.

 

White skin, red cheeks, and tiny, sweet hands.

 

She was adorable.

 

Although she was thin from not eating well, even that couldn’t hide her adorability.

 

She was so cute that I wondered if the word

“adorable”

could be made into a person.

 

This is Belloa Leandro, the protagonist of The Real Princess Walks on Flowers.

 

I was one of those extras who died as soon as I started. I was also a character who was used by her family and died instead.

 

Why is it that the before and after of the possession are so identical, as if they were cut from a taiyaki plate?

 “Belloa.” 

I swallowed back my tears and leaned down to make eye contact with Belloa, reaching out to smooth out the mess in her hair.

 “Hic!” 

The reaction was not what I had expected.

 

Belloa curled up into a ball and covered her head with her arms. Her small body began to shake violently.

 

The blue bruises on the arm around her head were the work of Count Tekins and his half-brother.

 “Bastards.” 

I gritted my teeth. How could they hit such a small child, so small that there was no place to hit her.

 

And at the age when she should have been bursting with words, she couldn’t even speak.

 

Oh, I should have buried her alive.

 

At least let her feel some of the pain she must have felt.

 “Ah.” 

Whatever her interpretation of my seething face, Belloa’s face turned blue.

 “Ah.” 

She shook her head violently, gripping my hand tightly. Tears pooled in her big eyes.

 

She fought, not wanting to lose her only ally.

 “Belloa.” 

I smiled, clenching my jaw so tight I thought it might burst at any moment.

 “It’s okay, sister’s not mad at you.” “Oh?” “I’m serious, look. Why would I be mad at Belloa?” 

If I’m going to be mad at her, I’ll be mad at the garbage burning behind her.

 “On the contrary, you should be sorry for waking up so suddenly.” 

I quickly scooped her up and held her tightly in my arms. The warmth of her little body made me smile.

 

She seemed relieved when I smiled and hugged her tightly.

 “Hehe…” 

Belloa smiled broadly, her face filled with tears. Her fern-like hands squeezed mine.

 

Sweet.

 

I pulled a handkerchief from my chest and wiped her face.

 

I also smoothed her clothes where I hadn’t touched them before.

 “Now we have to meet someone important.” 

I’ll get her cleaned up.

 “Now, Belloa, we’re going home for real.” “……?” 

Belloa tilted her head at my words.

 

I let out a small laugh as she reminded me of a little puppy.

 “Because this wasn’t really our home.” 

Belloa was the illegitimate daughter of the Count of Tekins, and she lived in the mansion.

 

As if having a new child wasn’t bad enough, I’m the daughter of his ex-wife.

 

The Countess had harassed Belloa like a rat, literally.

 

She made her skip meals and didn’t allow her to leave the basement.

 

She even forbade her users to speak to her or respond to her behavior.

 “It was intentional.” 

She enjoyed watching her slowly wither and die. She thought it would be a terrible way to go.

 

That changed when it was discovered that Belloa was actually the only niece of Grand Duke Leandro.

 

That was the beginning of the novel I became obsessed with, [The Real Princess Walks the Flower Path].

 

Grand Duke Leandro, unaware that the niece he had been searching so desperately for was right around the corner, came running.

“You’re my nephew, my one remaining family member…” 

I knew at once that Belloa was the niece he had been looking for.

 

She immediately recognized her family, too.

 

The reunion was so poignant and heartwarming.

 

I almost became the woman in the story on the bus home from work.

 “Count Tekins sacrificed Hermia to survive.” 

Poor real Hermia Tekins.

 

To think she actually believed them to be family.

 

And

 now I’m Hermia.

  

Tears are streaming down my face…

 

I lifted my hand and stole a tear away.

 “Anyway, Belloa, we’re going to find your real home, your real family.” 

Belloa’s head tilted the other way this time.

 

She’s so cute.

 

My neighbor’s pomeranian looked just like this.

 “When we get to your real home, we’ll have lots of sweets and delicious food!” 

Sweets, delicious food.

 

Finally, Belloa’s eyes started to sparkle.

 

That’s right, that’s right.

 

At this age, food is the most important thing.

 “Okay.” 

It was a family reunion three years earlier than the original story, but it would be fine.

 

It’s not like it’s anyone else’s, it’s the one and only Belloa and Grand Duke Leandro from the parenting novel!

 

I hugged a drooling Belloa tightly once more and shouted,

“Let’s go.” “Let’s go.” 

You to the flowers, I to the living!