Home/I Saved the Villain and Fell Asleep/ch 26

Chapter 26

"Oh, right. I brought two kids from outside."

"From where?"

"An alley."

"Hmm, are you going to use them as servants? If you need attendants, just tell Mother."

"But those would be Mother's people."

I met Sier's sparkling green eyes. He stared at my face for a moment, then let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Have you already reached the age where you need secrets?"

"I'm sixteen!"

"Your behavior doesn't seem like that of a sixteen-year-old lady at all. You reckless young miss."

Even as he said that, Sier didn't press further.

I didn't bring Regina to make her a handmaiden. Maybe it was a whim, or maybe it was a small sense of responsibility.

"Do you think I can take them when we go to the main estate?"

"If their backgrounds are clean."

Street kids probably had as much past as you'd expect, though.

"When are we going back to the main estate, Brother?"

"Very soon."

"Why is it being delayed so much?"

"The cleaning isn't finished yet."

"Just how much did you tear apart and fix that the cleaning still isn't done?"

Wait. Was this "cleaning" what I thought it was? They said they installed magic circles and redid the interior decorations, right?

If so, cleaning would naturally be needed—but that chilly expression seemed to say otherwise.

"You don't need to worry about that either. Mother's taken the lead this time."

I nodded quickly. It was hard enough just taking care of myself right now.

I had to keep an eye on Kali, who was teetering on the edge of going astray, and I also had to figure out how to use the golden gems—the subspace pockets of the Goblin Club.

Wouldn't our lady of the house handle the household affairs well enough?

Ever since I was young, even cleaning my own room required sacrificing my back dozens of times just to make a show of tidying up.

But Mom, it's just going to get messy again by tomorrow—why bother cleaning...!

After seeing Sier off as he returned to his room, saying he'd rested enough, I also went back to my room. Kali was already sprawled on the sofa as if it were his own.

"You're really making yourself at home, aren't you?"

Without answering, Kali just turned his head to look at me.

"What? Do you have something to say?"

"Once we go back to the ducal estate, you'll be visiting the capital often, right?"

"There are so many events, so yeah. Father stays at the townhouse in the capital more often than the ducal estate anyway."

Even though the ducal house is keeping a low profile for now, the moment Mom steps into high society, invitations to parties hosted by the Imperial Palace will inevitably pour in.

We'll have no choice but to attend.

"Then I'll run into Isaac too."

It was the first time Kali had brought up the current Grand Duke with me.

"Do you remember his face?"

"Vaguely."

He's both Kali's only blood relative and his enemy. He wouldn't just charge at him and try to kill him the moment they meet, would he?

"The ducal house's intelligence network is more impressive than I thought. I didn't want to know about that man's disgusting personal life, though."

I ruffled Kali's hair roughly with both hands. His hair, which shimmered a deep pink in the sunlight, scattered messily.

"But the time isn't right yet. You have to hold back. Got it?"

"I know."

"Just by looking at his appearance, no one will notice you were Lambert the former Grand Duke's son. I mean, you're so fluffy and soft now."

"Ah, stop it."

"Hey, don't take it off."

When Kali's eyes took on a combative glint and shot upward, I raised both hands in surrender.

"The hero appears at the last moment, right? You have to strike when all the preparations are done!"

"Hmm, but it'd get troublesome if we get caught in the middle."

"Just stay close to me. Or stick close to Mom or Dad."

That should be fine. At the very least, we'd avoid being left alone together. I've never actually seen Grand Duke Isaac either, so I'd have to stay on guard at all times.

At the start of the original story, the Grand Duke wasn't Isaac—it was Kali. Isaac never appeared, not even once.

I assume Kali killed him... but since the original story is already derailed, it's hard to predict how Isaac will act.

"Alright. I'll stay close to you."

"Just don't cause trouble."

"Trouble? Me? That's a joke."

Wow, look at how shameless he is.

I was glaring at Kali with sharp eyes, taken aback, when I heard someone outside. Kali, who had been lazing on the sofa, half-rose and said.

"Someone's outside."

The moment he spoke, a knock came at the door.

"Young lady, it's Julia. The children you brought would like to see you."

"Come in."

Regina and Leo walked in behind Julia. Dressed in clean clothes, they looked like completely different children.

I looked at the white bandage on Regina's cheek and asked.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better. Thanks to you, miss, I was able to see a healer. Thank you."

Regina bowed deeply. I sent Julia out and sat the children across from us on the sofa.

"Uh...?"

Regina and Leo's gazes turned to Kali. Leo's pupils, in particular, shook with confusion.

"Uh, um, uh..."

Regina also fidgeted her hands, unsure of what to think.

"He's the same person you saw back in the alley. His name is Kalipr."

"What are you looking at, squirt."

Kali curled one corner of his mouth and looked at Leo. He'd been acting all chummy in the alley—why was he being so rude again?

"Wow. Is that magic?"

"Yeah, this is his real appearance. He's only fifteen. But he acts like a grown-up."

"Fifteen?!"

"Speaking of which, Regina, Leo. How old are you?"

"Ah... I'm thirteen, and Leo is eleven."

"What? Thirteen?"

She didn't look it at all. Regina looked at most eleven. Leo looked about seven or eight—probably because they hadn't eaten properly.

"Make sure you eat well from now on. Listen to Julia. We'll be leaving this place soon."

"Huh? Where to?"

"The ducal estate where the main castle is. A castle incomparably larger than this place."

I smiled playfully at Regina. She'd even tried to run away upon seeing the villa—I wondered how she'd react to the main estate in the Algenprina ducal territory.

"Ah... so will we be working at this estate, then?"

"No? You'll come with me. To the ducal castle."

Regina hadn't expected to go along—she gasped and shot up from her seat. Leo, by contrast, seemed calm.

"Do you have any attachments to this village?"

"No."

It was Leo who answered. He looked up at his sister, then at Kali, who was burying his face in a cushion.

"What happens to us now?"

"What do you want to do?"

Kali, who seemed to have no intention of joining the conversation, asked Leo. Leo clenched and unclenched his fist, then met Kali's gaze and spoke in a small voice.

"I want to become strong. Like you, hyung."

"The squirt has good eyes. Well, do whatever."

With Kali's half-hearted nod, Leo's future was decided. He's still young, but once he grows a bit, he'll likely be trained.

As a knight or a shadow.

Leo's unique magic suited a shadow perfectly, but I didn't really want to recommend that path to a child.

"Leo! You shouldn't call him hyung—you should call him young master."

"Forget the young master. Just call me by my name."

"Ah, yes! Yes, Kalipr-nim."

"Right. Kalipr-nim."

I squinted lazily at Kali. His somewhat generous attitude toward these kids was clearly not my imagination.

Is he unexpectedly soft with younger children?

"I have something to give you."

Just then, Leo spoke up. Regina fidgeted, glancing at me, then let out a small sigh.

"Let me say in advance—it wasn't intentional."

"What are you talking about?"

"Back in the alley, I mentioned that Jack had stolen something and, while running away, called out to us to get caught in his place."

"Right."

"I thought that was all. But Leo..."

Regina squeezed her eyes shut with a troubled expression. Then Leo blinked his clear eyes and said.

"I swiped it."

"What?"

"I swiped it?"

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