Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 116

Chapter 116

'Oh no, what do I do?'

I was flustered.

Poppy and Chuchu weren't exactly what you'd call well-behaved, but they were loyal dogs who always listened to me.

For them to act so recklessly.

'Are they trying to mate here too?'

I still hadn't forgotten the conversation I'd overheard through the dog translator.

I guarantee that while I was suffering in the exile camp, those two were busy enjoying nature and breeding.

'Sigh, fine. Go ahead and have fun.'

This place was also where the two wolf divine beasts had mated, after all.

"Shouldn't we chase after them?"

Chairman Kommer, who had come up beside me, asked. I just shrugged.

"It's fine. They're smart and strong—they'll come back on their own."

"Did you remember everything I told you?"

"Of course, Grandfather!"

Today, I was playing the role of the granddaughter of Chairman Kommer's closest associate.

The setting was that my grandmother, his associate's wife, was a distant relative of the chairman.

"I'm so excited, Annabelle."

The alias 'Annabelle' was my choice. Named after a famous possessed doll, it was meant to convey that I'd do whatever I wanted without drawing too much attention.

"Thank you for bringing me, Grandfather Kommer!"

---

"Oh my, Chairman Octo."

Countess Reten, who had been greeting guests, briefly frowned but soon smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.

"I was worried you might not come, but here you are."

"When someone invites you, it's only natural to make time."

The two exchanged greetings with smiling faces.

"I really wish you hadn't come."

"I wasted my precious time on you."

'...Or so I heard.'

I subtly touched my ear. I could hear perfectly fine—my brain must have automatically translated it, thanks to the noble-style speech I'd learned from Aunt Prellia.

Countess Reten appeared to be in her fifties.

Her hair was tied up, exposing her neck, and her heavy eye makeup and large earrings were a bit excessive but suited her.

However, her dress didn't match her age at all. It was the kind of design that would look good on Libby.

I won't judge her taste, but she might have looked younger if she'd worn something more age-appropriate.

"And who is this child?"

"She's my relative's granddaughter."

"Hello, I'm Annabelle."

I gently lifted the hem of my skirt with both hands, bent my knees, and greeted her quite cutely.

"Oh my."

Countess Reten let out a brief exclamation and smiled.

"Please, go on in. The children will gather in a separate area. Oh, have you heard that His Highness the Crown Prince is attending today?"

"I heard the Crown Prince is also here, isn't he?"

"Since she's Chairman Octo's relative, I'm sure she'll get along well."

"She's my granddaughter, after all. Of course."

Chairman Kommer knelt on one knee in front of me. He gently embraced me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck like an affectionate granddaughter.

"Have fun."

"Yes, Grandfather."

I followed the attendant to the children's tea party.

'Countess Reten...'

She'd given me a lukewarm greeting, and when the chairman mentioned the Crown Prince's attendance—which she'd deliberately omitted—she said I'd get along well with him.

'She must have judged me as a child the chairman hurriedly brought along just to attend the tea party.'

I'd intentionally introduced myself by only my first name, hoping she'd think that.

With that, the adults' tea party would become quite tense.

The pro-imperial side wanted to push the port expansion, while the Octo Trading Company side wanted to proceed cautiously.

'The chairman will use this opportunity to sort out his connections.'

As I was thinking, I arrived at the children's tea party.

The Sanctuary of the Divine Beasts encompassed the old temple ruins and the surrounding forest.

The adults' tea party was set up on the temple grounds with tables and chairs, while the children gathered in a large marble pavilion at the forest entrance.

'This looks like an old ruin too.'

To treat such a preserved site so carelessly.

Having lived in a civilized society for 25 years, I simply couldn't understand it. Though it seemed even here, this was considered madness.

The children who had arrived earlier were already seated.

'The head seat is empty.'

More precisely, the head seat and the seat opposite it at the foot were empty.

I was guided to the seat right next to the foot seat—in other words, the very corner.

The children looked at me with curious eyes. They were all dressed in expensive clothes and adorned with flashy accessories.

'I'm no different, though.'

So they were probably curious.

These children must have known each other from wealthy families in the south, but I was a completely new face, radiating an air of luxury.

'I'm not curious at all, though.'

But I was curious about the snacks on the table.

'I'll pretend to eat and stash them in my subspace. I need to replenish my snack supply. When I get back to the village, I'll share them with Libby unnie and the kids...'

Just then.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is entering."

All the children stood up.

I quickly stashed three jam-covered cookies into my subspace and stood up too.

Crown Prince Pereus appeared with a large entourage of attendants.

The Crown Prince, whom I hadn't seen in weeks, had a sharper jawline. His blue eyes, slightly darkened by the pavilion's shade, held a strange venom.

'Sigh, he really is pathetic.'

I hadn't expected him to reflect on what happened in the Deste Territory.

However.

'Even so, this isn't right.'

What I found absurd was the sight of Crown Prince Edelros, who followed behind the Crown Prince and his attendants like an afterthought.

Unlike the Crown Prince, who was impeccably dressed, Edelros wore a plain white outfit like a priest's.

He didn't even have a single attendant. No one announced his entrance either.

"Sit down."

At those words, everyone sat. They pretended not to even see Crown Prince Edelros.

'Hmph.'

I was speechless.

'This is how you restore your pride? This is no different from taking out your anger on your younger sibling because you got scolded by your father.'

How sad and painful it must be for the one on the receiving end.

'I'm sorry, but you're really not going to get away with this.'

I was willing to let it slide because he was just a nine-year-old child.

"...Hey."

The child sitting right next to me tapped my shoulder with her hand. She was a girl with short orange hair and a flower-shaped hairpin.

"What are you doing? Sit down."

"I can't sit."

I said loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"His Highness the Crown Prince hasn't sat down yet."

The other children gasped and looked at me like I was crazy.

Among them, one gaze was particularly chilling—the Crown Prince's.

I continued, as if I were a clueless child.

"And that attendant is really foolish. Not even announcing the Crown Prince's arrival! That's disrespecting the Royal Consort!"

"Ah..."

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Edelros, who had taken his seat alone at the foot, let out an awkward laugh and smiled gently.

I finally sat down too.

'Oh, look at our Crown Prince.'

The Crown Prince I hadn't seen in a while was as beautiful as ever. Dressed in white, he looked like an angel.

But he seemed a bit tired, no doubt busy with his prayer tours.

Regardless of the tea party, I wanted to take him to a soft bed and put him to sleep.

"But why is the Crown Prince wearing priestly robes? Doesn't he have other clothes? Why didn't he bring any attendants? Does he not have attendants?"

There were gasps from all around.

Despite my rude and ignorant questions, the young prince remained calm.

"I'm currently in prayer, so I have to be mindful of my attire and behavior. That's why I'm wearing white and not bringing attendants."

"Why are you praying, Your Highness?"

"I want to become a priest when I grow up, so I'm learning in advance."

"I see. I didn't know!"

I stood on my chair, bracing my hands on the table, and reached for the farthest plate.

It was a plate of chocolate dusted with gold powder.

I placed it in front of Crown Prince Edelros.

"Please, eat!"

---

'What is wrong with this girl?'

Monille Palla, with her short orange hair and flower-shaped hairpin, stared in bewilderment at the pink-haired girl next to her who was causing all sorts of chaos.

'Is she trying to ruin her family?'

All the children here were from prominent families in the south.

Monille herself came from a merchant family that ran several jewelry stores.

"Don't ever displease His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Don't draw attention to yourself. Just stay quiet."

"And don't even make eye contact with the Crown Prince."

Her parents had drilled these instructions into her until the day of the tea party.

Eight-year-old Monille was smart and sensible enough to understand. There was no benefit in offending the imperial family, nor in drawing unwanted attention.

Because the imperial family had become very dangerous since the Clavis's destruction.

She'd once overheard her parents talking about it.

'But this girl...'

She was out of her mind.

She ignored the Crown Prince, only talked to the Crown Prince, and kept doing things that drew attention.

She was doing everything Monille's parents had told her not to do.

As a result, the tea party atmosphere was a mess.

But no one was stopping this girl.

'Pink hair.'

The most influential figure in the south, Chairman Octo, was born with pink hair.

So his children inherited pink hair as well.

And right now, at this tea party, there was another child with pink hair besides this clueless girl.

Rosi Octo, the daughter of the chairman's eldest son, Arun Octo.

Rosi, seated next to the Crown Prince, also seemed quite bothered by the girl clinging to the Crown Prince and chattering away.

"Hey."

Rosi finally spoke.

"I know this is your first time at a tea party and you're excited, but could you please be quiet?"

"Okay!"

"......"

She answered so readily that Rosi frowned. It felt like she was being mocked instead.

"Um..."

Just then, another child next to Rosi asked.

"Who are you? We don't know your name, so we don't know what to call you."

"Oh, I'm Annabelle."

"Your last name?"

"I don't have one."

The children quickly exchanged glances.

'No last name?'

'Then how did she get here?'

'She must not be from a prominent family, given she's sitting at the foot...'

Just then.

"Grandfather Kommer called me 'Octo,' too, but hmm, I didn't like it. So I just go by my first name."

"What?"

Rosi shot up from her seat.

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