This Three Year Old Is a Villainess-Chapter 240

Blossom looked at her older brothers sitting across from her with a flushed face.

Since the brothers arrived, she was so excited she couldn’t stop talking.

“...Because of that, the three of you are famous even in the East. I’m truly glad to meet you!”

“......”

“......”

“......”

The brothers looked very indifferent.

Even courteous Joshua only smiled but didn’t reply.

They were at the table because Dad called them, but they seemed extremely annoyed.

Above all...

“I heard there was some trouble between Lady Rospeng and the youngest brother.”

...That story must have caused some hostility.

Blossom flinched at Joshua’s words.

“Th-that’s...!”

She bit her lips, unsure what to do, then looked at me.

“Shouldn’t you clear up the misunderstanding... Lady Erilot...?”

“......”

“You ended up taking all the blame alone...”

‘That fool.’

I laughed inside.

Blossom was too young to see one step ahead.

If I took all the blame alone, there must have been a reason.

‘Then the incident of incurring the emperor’s wrath and being shunned will surface.’

So it’s undeniable that there was conflict from the start.

But then—

“My sister...”

Blossom’s mother Bella looked around us with tearful eyes.

“I wish my sister could have seen this scene... the lovely niece and Daymond brother’s wonderful children sitting face to face.”

‘This woman.’

I no longer felt any goodwill toward Bella Rospeng.

I saw it now.

That black core inside her.

‘Definitely more level-headed than little Blossom.’

Quickly trying to divert attention from Beltri’s story, fearing her daughter’s misdeeds would be exposed.

Dad looked at Bella with an indifferent expression.

“So, get to the point.”

At his words, tears began to fall from Bella’s eyes.

Blossom also teared up and grabbed her mother’s skirt.

Bella forced a smile and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

“I’m sorry. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my sister...”

“......”

“Seeing brother makes those times clearer and I can’t hold back.”

Bella muttered with trembling breaths.

“When times were hard, my sister was always my support. You know? My only family was her...”

“And your husband?”

“He...”

Bella gave a bitter smile and continued.

“He found another woman. He mentioned divorce.”

“......”

“What could I do? Becoming a noble was all thanks to brother. A single title at that.”

“......”

“My husband completely fell for that woman. He says he doesn’t need children anymore.”

I glanced at Blossom.

‘She’s saying that in front of her own child?’

I don’t have a mother, but from what I’ve seen in the past, I knew—

My mother would never say such things in front of me.

“What a mother can give is only a name, so please allow me to gift this child’s name.”

“......”

“Erilot. Let this child be named Erilot. Tell her mother is sorry, so very sorry.”

My mother who said she was sorry to me as her whole body was wasting away.

She gave me the name ‘Erilot (Gift from God).’

Blossom was sobbing by her mother’s side.

Bella whispered while hugging her daughter.

“You have no idea how admirable this child is. She says she wants to become a Wonhwa before my mother is kicked out and ends up on the street.”

Wonhwa is an honorary position but a public office that pays a salary.

And until age twenty, one can continue as long as they do not express a wish to retire.

‘Plus, becoming a Wonhwa is said to change one’s prospects for marriage.’

Bella looked at me.

“But there was friction with brother’s daughter and now she might be buried in the Ecliptic.”

“Erilot wouldn’t harm your daughter without reason.”

Dad said firmly.

Blossom flinched and tried to explain, “That’s not it...!”

But Bella pressed her daughter’s hand firmly and interrupted.

“Of course there must have been a reason. Whatever it was, this child was at fault.”

“Yes.”

“But brother... please pity us mother and daughter...”

“Don’t beat around the bush. Tell me. I asked what you want.”

Bella looked at me with tear-filled eyes and said,

“No matter what happened, I, her mother, apologize, my lady. So could you forgive my daughter?”

I almost clapped my hands.

‘Impressive!’

At this rate, she might rival me, known as Yu Hyemin, for social skill.

‘If it goes like this, I lose the chance to mention Blossom’s faults.’

Moreover, with the mother personally apologizing like this, if it’s still not resolved, then I must be the bad person.

Bella sighed and said,

“I think Brother Devon saw what happened at the charity party.”

“......”

“He found out who Blossom was while checking. And hearing the situation, he was sympathetic.”

“......”

“He said he’d step in, but since I am the mother, it is my duty to apologize, so I came.”

‘She even involved Devon.’

Han Jihyeok, waiting by the wall, looked like he was about to explode.

He thought it was unfair: the other side was at fault, but if they refused to accept the apology, he’d be the bad guy.

Bella scolded her daughter.

“Hurry up and apologize.”

“B-but Mother...”

“What did I say? Whatever it is, it’s your fault!”

Truly impressive.

She even scolds her daughter to shut her up.

But this clever woman didn’t know one thing.

‘I’m pretty good {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} at playing the game too.’

I quickly grabbed Blossom’s hand.

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“Well then...”

“Though I was shunned for incurring the emperor’s wrath and asked for monsters, what does that matter now?”

At those words, the brothers’ expressions hardened.

Hot-tempered Balzac blurted out,

“How much did they actually look down on our child?!”

Richmond’s expression also turned cold.

Joshua raised an eyebrow and crossed his legs.

Blossom was very flustered, stammering, “Th-that’s, that’s not...”

Bella flinched and quickly glanced at Dad’s expression.

Seeing that Dad’s face wasn’t good either, she quickly shouted at her daughter.

“Good grief, Blossom! Did you do such a thing?!”

“I-I didn’t say that. Pinessa did... with the other ladies...!”

“No matter what! You should have stopped it!”

Blossom’s eyes filled with tears.

Bella jumped up and approached me.

She crouched and met my eyes.

“Really, really sorry. I will apologize like this, so please forgive me, my lady.”

I quickly stood up and bowed low.

“Please don’t.”

“How can you be so kind—”

Was that going to end the apology just like that?

No way.

“You’re not even Beltri, who was connected to Dad, but the ‘younger sister’ of Lady Rospeng came all this way because she was so distressed.”

“...?”

“Don’t worry. I understand. So you don’t have to visit the mansion ‘ever again.’”

For a moment, Bella’s eyes grew fierce.

She realized I was not ordinary.

But she quickly relaxed her expression and sighed.

“If you do that, I will truly...”

“Yes. Thinking of Father and the connection with ‘Lady Rospeng’s younger sister,’ I will understand.”

“Thank you...”

“I will tell the Ecliptic ladies too. How much Lady Rospeng’s younger sister suffered.”

“...!!”

They came unannounced and forced an apology by mentioning the deceased sister.

Blossom flinched and looked at her mother.

“M-Mother.”

Bella swallowed dryly.

“I appreciate your feelings, but I cannot reveal my sister’s matters. If it becomes known she disguised herself to enter the Ecliptic Academy, there would be big trouble.”

“It’s okay. You can’t punish someone who’s already gone, right?”

“B-But still, it’s disgraceful for my sister’s name... isn’t it, Daymond brother?”

“No. I want everyone to know about Dad’s first love.”

“Huh?”

I cupped my cheek and said,

“People say Dad is asexual because he’s never had a lover.”

“......”

“But I want everyone to know Dad had such a wonderful first love.”

“......”

“Also, I like Beltri. She’s an excellent person who protected her younger sibling alone and was always top of the academy despite being a girl.”

“My sister... she was really... amazing.”

Huh?

Her expression was strange.

Of course, if Dad’s first love is revealed, approaching the man who was her sister’s lover would be vulgar.

So it might be embarrassing, but it was not just that.

That expression was like...

I glanced at Mari standing beside Han Jihyeok.

‘That’s the look Mari has when she’s praised.’

A face jealous of her sister.

Mari’s expression also shifted, perhaps sensing something odd in the tone.

Bella got up.

“Then I thank you for your considerate words and will take my leave.”

After greeting Dad, she looked at me.

Bella wore a cold expression that Dad and the brothers didn’t see.

The carriage left the Astra 2nd Duke’s residence.

Blossom shouted glaring out the window.

“Why should I apologize to that annoying girl?!”

“Be quiet.”

“My mother told me to get along and be kind even to lowly commoner maids, but now I see there’s no more annoying girl than her!”

“Blossom.”

Bella quietly watched her sulking daughter.

“Do you know why the 3 p.m. snack tastes so good?”

“Huh? What sudden...?”

“Because you have to wait patiently until that time. The pie tastes sweeter after patience.”

Bella tucked her daughter’s hair behind her ear and said,

“If you get kicked out of Rospeng like this, you’ll become a commoner. I only have the single title.”

“T-That’s...”

“All the money from Astra was stuffed into your grandfather’s mouth as dowry.”

“......”

“So our only way is for you to become a Wonhwa, and for me to become the Astra 2nd Duchess.”

“But will Father really chase Mother and me away...?”

Bella crossed her arms and sighed deeply.

“He will. Because your birth was exposed.”

“......”

She could only marry the Rospeng Count thanks to the Astra Duke’s protection and her pregnancy.

But Blossom wasn’t the Rospeng Count’s daughter.

She was the child of a nameless knight her mother was seeing.

In other words, Bella lied about her daughter being the Rospeng Count’s daughter and married into the family.

“I should have killed the midwife. That was my mistake.”

“The midwife said I was born three months earlier?”

“I secretly made excuses to leave the castle to give birth, but I couldn’t control the midwife, so I got caught.”

“Father is too much! What’s so important about bloodline?”

Blossom pouted.

Bella gently stroked her daughter’s cheek.

“Listen carefully, Blossom.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Do you know how much I spent to make you look like Beltri?”

She dyed her brownish hair black.

Used exotic magic tools so her black eyes looked reddish purple.

She copied Beltri’s smile, walking pose, even the scented pouch she carried.

“Do you remember the expression of the Astra 2nd Duke when he saw you?”

“What?”

“Though only for a moment, I saw it. He was lost in memories.”

“R-Really?”

“If you cut your hair and dress like a boy, it’s perfect.”

“I-I don’t want that!”

Bella scolded her daughter harshly.

“Are you trying to get kicked out of Rospeng and become a commoner?!”

“But...”

“Hair grows back eventually. But only you can give Daymond the illusion of his first love who protected him during his loneliest time.”

Blossom groaned and then nodded.

“Then I’ll do it.”

“Good, good. My good daughter.”

Bella hugged her.

“When we enter that mansion, let’s send that annoying girl far away to a foreign land.”

“Really? I’m excited!”

“You’ll take over this Ecliptic with Astra’s backing. Isn’t that exciting to imagine?”

“I’ll cut my hair as soon as I get back.”

Bella looked lovingly at her laughing daughter, then turned her gaze to the window.

‘Erilot Astra...’

Annoying girl.

Her eyes are just like Beltri’s.

‘Looks like she saw a child from a girl who looks like Beltri.’

Seeing those annoying eyes again.

It made me sick every time I recalled it.

Daymond looking at Beltri with tender eyes.

Beltri smiling secretly while spying on Daymond reflected in the water.

And himself watching that with gritted teeth.

“Thank you for dying, sister.”

But don’t worry.

Daymond won’t give you to another woman.

He was a man so dazzling even now.

Bella shouted.

“Turn the carriage around. Take us to Marquis Roche.”

I’ll need Devon’s help.