Chapter 36

It was when everyone gathered in the conference hall was doubting their ears.

“Pfft… haha!”

The cool laughter broke the silence.

It was Ixion.

Before I knew it, he followed Duke Paeraton and burst into a big smile.

“Why didn’t you do a good job brushing your teeth, Wincher?”

Said Ixion, wiping away the tears on the corners of his eyes.

The face of the Viscount Winchern rotted.

“Prince.”

“Why? Oh, through this door? I came in with your Excellency, but isn’t it okay?”

Ixion shrugged slightly.

“… It’s done.”

In the end, Winchern couldn’t get rid of the stigma of not brushing his teeth.

Ixion walked in a lazy position and sat down in an empty seat.

The vassals who saw it exchanged glances with each other.

“Ixion young master will attend the conference.”

“How long has it been?”

Return of Duke Paeraton.

Return of the youngest princess and rising her position at a high speed.

In addition to that, Ixion’s attendance at the convention.

“Then we’ll start the last monthly regular conference this year.”

With a solemn declaration, a meeting of those who hid complex screening began.

* * *

I quietly looked at the atmosphere of the competition and opened the quest that I checked the other day.

<Magpie to revenge (2)>

The real culprit of the kidnapping case, former butler Allen, confessed that he was bought by Nicolas Tarenka. 

In fact, he received enormous funds from Nicolas and commissioned the crime to kidnap you. 

But what is it? 

This uncomfortable feeling. 

How could no one notice such an insidious crime in the Paeraton duchess? 

Please find out, reader! 

-Condition: Finding someone related to the kidnapping case.

-Reward: 2000 cash coupon

Quest <???> Activating…

Hint: You are not alone now. 

Allen was commissioned by my uncle to organize the kidnapping.

Maybe it was the last hope of the former Marquis Tarenka.

I know why they didn’t tell me.

My uncle tried to kidnap me— they can’t tell me about it.

‘I thought it was already over.’

There’s still someone involved, so who the hell it is?

Duke Paeraton was a much larger family than I thought.

It would be nice to identify factions at today’s convention.

<You have to rule the house first (2)>

Dear reader! 

You’re conquering the Paeraton Duchy well! 

If you’re a Ropan reader, you expect what’s next, right? 

-Condition: To be recognized by Ares as a member of the family. 

-Reward: 5,000 cash lottery ticket, increased influence of the Duke of Paeraton, and linked quest <???>

I was confident in this quest.

‘Wouldn’t it be breaking the record for the shortest time of quest that you set recently?’

Hehe.

Seeing that it is not automatically completed, I guess I should hear from Ares directly.

‘I’ll talk to him after the meeting. There was also a quest to eat something delicious with Ares.’

[The related quest has been opened, so the quest <???> will be revealed] 

<Clean up the room!(1)> 

Dear reader, you are smart!! 

The period you stayed at Marquis Tarenka is about three years. 

Is it possible that after the Paeraton Duchy, who paid huge child support every quarter, did not supervise him? 

It doesn’t make sense no matter how much Duke Paeraton was absent!

The Duchy is neither that easy nor sloppy! 

If so, the conclusion is that there was one person who had the information. 

The Duchy, whose owner has been away for three years, is full of all kinds of parasites and fungi. 

Let’s clean up! 

– Condition: Finding a traitor who communicated with Nicolas Tarenka. 

– Reward: 3000 cash raffle tickets, Duke Paeraton’s influence increased.

<Clean up the room!> is a quest that came out last time when I did all of those things to Nicholas Tarenka.

At that time, it was indicated that the related quest could not be disclosed because it did not open yet.

‘Now that it has been released, it means that this quest and the other quest are related.’

To be recognized by Ares as a member of the family or to find out who is involved in the kidnapping case.

Of course, it’s related to the latter, right?

‘Then, is the person involved in my kidnapping case a traitor through Marquis Tarenka?’

If this is correct, this is important information.

It’s a big clue that one person is the culprit of the two cases.

It was then.

“So I’m thinking of officially launching Luatisha’s aides.”

At my sudden name, I raised my head.

But the reaction to it came from the mouths of others, not from my own.

“Your Highness! Isn’t it too hasty?····!”

“You’re still too young! You’ll only be five years old in a few days.”

“How old was the 2nd eldest one to have an  aide?”

“… four years old.”

“The first?”

“He had it when he was three.”

“The third was just the same time as the youngest. You started it when he was five years old. Even though Ixion hated it, saying it was the responsibility of the Paeraton direct bloodline.”

Duke Paeraton’s red eyes glanced through the hall.

“You guys,”

the vassals shut their mouths.

However, they also had a clear reason to oppose.

“The Young Masters and the Princess are different cases. Isn’t Paeraton’s remarkable growth rate and excellence due to innate magic?”

“The youngest lady is not much different from ordinary children. How small is she right now? She is smaller than four years old.”

But if there are opponents, there are allies.

“What kind of ordinary child reveals her uncle’s fraud at the age of only four and receives compensation!”

“If the princess hadn’t revealed it, Paeraton would have been humiliated for participating in the fraud, too. The princess kept the honor of Paeraton!”

Vassals familiar with me in the Capital know the history.

This is a sharp confrontation.

I nodded at the war of words going back and forth.

To be honest, I understand them and I’m against it, too.

As it turns out, Duke Paeraton is an amazing lineage of extracorporeal standards from the Ropan world.

I’m not born with that special power, so of course, they can’t trust a child to leave the family’s work.

At that time, someone raised his head and asked my dad.

“Since your Highness has returned, we have to reorganize and relocate our duties. Are you personally going to appoint the aides?”

I think they’re worried that I’ll participate in the fight in succession.

“I don’t intend to entrust my existing business. Not yet.”

“What?”

“What the youngest wants is the Manastone mining project.”

“D, do you mean the Manastone mine where Nicolas Tarenka cheated?”

“Yes.”

The noisy hall became quiet at once.

“T, then…”

“It’s not bad for her to gain experience, too.”

Those who are opposed to me having aides keep on making noises.

However, they were only opposed to mining empty mana stones and pushing ahead with projects that were obvious to lose money.

‘Hmm,·······’

If so, the people who opposed it earlier are the most suspicious now.

‘I know it’s a business that’s going to fail, but even if they don’t disagree, the only thing they’ll agree with is me failing, right?’

The traitor who communicated with Marquis Tarenka will never want my position to be strengthened in the family.

‘I’m going to remember the list. Oh, there’s also a Wincher’s work that doesn’t brush his teeth?’

Wincher pretended not to, but he seemed to care, and every time he spoke, his lips were as small as a goldfish.

‘By the way,’

I glanced up at my dad.

‘Wouldn’t my dad really know?’

That there was a traitor who had a secret agreement with my uncle, Nicolas Tarenka.

So far, I have been constantly in and out of my dad’s office.

That’s why I know.

‘My dad always does things well.’

There’s no way he didn’t notice.

When Dad checked the documents, he picked out several names that had pocketed his property at once.

‘Not only have you noticed the existence of a traitor, but you must also know who he is.’

Seeing the quest appear, father did not punish the traitor.

Then.

‘Is it just a whim to bring me to a convention like······?’

The other day, I said I wanted to run a mana stone mining business in the office, and my dad had already talked to the servants.

Of course, the weight will be different now because it is officially spoken at the conference hall.

When I was in office, there were only a few people who gave reports.

‘But there were enough people to talk to others.’

Failing to stop my father, they must have found another high-ranking person.

‘The high-ranking people must have come to visit my father.’

They would have done anything to oppose or protest the formation of my aides.

I looked around.

The conference hall was spacious.

Those in the corner, I couldn’t even see their faces properly.

Naturally, the closer you are to the Duke of Paeraton, the higher your position.

Therefore, I was able to know at once.

‘Elders have been still since earlier.’

All the elders were sitting on the sidelines of this situation.

‘Strange.’

When I start taking care of my work, there will be a new force in the succession fight.

If the decision is made, there may be an unexpected change in the succession structure.

‘Then shouldn’t the elders be the most intense in this matter?’

Those who are not the elders are being noisy, and the elders are in still.

‘Oh, I see!’

It’s already planned.

I smiled.

‘The important thing now is not whether or not to set up an assisstant agency for me.’

It’s just a bait thrown at those who are distracted by it.

At the same time, it is also a paving stone to set up a real aide to me after this.

The important thing is—

‘Revenge with my own hands. Cleaning is for a grown-up.’

-It’s to test me.

Whether I, who was not born with magic, have the ability to take charge of the affairs of the Paeraton family.

‘Elders came to visit my dad. Saying it’s too early to leave the family’s work to me.’

Dad would have made a deal.

An internal traitor who helped abuse me through external communication with Nicolas Tarenka.

His daughter will catch him.

And proving my ability.

The elders would have nodded under that condition.

They might have thought I couldn’t do it, or they thought they could stop me if I were that capable.

It’s cheating for my dad to tell me who’s the traitor.

‘That’s why you brought me to the conference.’

My dad thinks I’d notice.

Actually, I noticed.

Strangely, the corners of my mouth went up.

My heart beats loudly.

‘I didn’t know I had this.’

Competitive desire.

A desire for accomplishment.

A desire to prove myself.

‘Whoa,······’

The excitement came out of my lips and scattered.

Being recognized and looking forward to it.

That I have a chance to show my abilities. It was a wonderful thing.

* * *

Duke Paeraton looked down at his daughter sitting calmly during the conference.

Plump cheeks.

Large and gentle eyes.

She has an innocent and soft face, but in fact, she is observing people like a beast seeking food.

Those who find it funny just by looking down at this child will pay a lot for it.

Is there another child who is so Paeraton-like?

Smirking and laughing came out.

“Then I’ll dismiss the convention with this. Thank you for your hard work.”

And when the meeting was finally over.

“Dad!”

Luatisha hugged the Duke of Paeraton tightly.

The vassals who got up from their seats stopped at the sight of the bright child.

It was a pleasant sight, but in a different sense, the heart trembled.

But there was something more shocking left.

Kiss!

The youngest princess stamped her lips on her father’s cheek.

And what are you whispering and laughing about in his ears?

Perhaps the child’s sunshine-like smile spreads, so a faint smile spreads to the cold face of Duke Paeraton.

“Huh…”

“I heard rumors, but I guess it was real.”

“In the case of attempted kidnapping the other day, there were more than one or two people who escaped the death penalty with a word from the youngest lady.”

Seeing the glancing vassals, Duke Paeraton hugged his daughter closely.

As if to show off.

In an instant, the vassals looked upset.

Duke Paeraton smiled brightly and slightly pinched his daughter’s plump cheeks.

‘W, what?’

‘Childish…’

‘But-.’

Because of the magic emitted by the Young Masters, not only the vast Duchy, but there was no child around here.

In other words, Luatisha was the only baby.

‘—I do want to pinch it once.’

It was inevitable for the vassals to inadvertently think like that while watching the Duke of Paeraton turning around.

* * *

I whispered to my dad, “Thank you for trusting me!” and his smile came back.

As expected, my thoughts were right.

I jumped down from my dad’s arms.

Starting with easy quests, it’s time to move fast!

“Ares!”

I found Ares’ back from the conference room.

I ran to him.

“Let’s eat cookies together! It’s warm with marshmallows and chocolate!”

Ares, who was walking around the corridor with the vassals, looked back at my call.

I paused when I saw Ares’ face.

‘Huh?’