Home/The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief of Exile/ch 117

Chapter 117

Rosi's face flushed red as she trembled.

Before coming to the tea party, her father, Arun Octo, had drilled into her ears, "You must make a good impression on the Crown Prince!"—but she'd completely forgotten it all.

"Why would my grandfather be your grandfather!"

"But that's what Grandfather said?"

Standing with her hands on her hips, Annabelle looked defiant.

"If you don't believe me, ask the adults. I came with Grandfather Kommer! He bought me this dress, and these shoes too!"

"Th-that's impossible...!"

Rosi pointed at Annabelle, calling her a liar.

But Annabelle just lifted her chin and acted composed, which only confused the children more.

Just then.

"Quiet."

The Crown Prince spoke.

The rowdy tea party fell silent as if doused with cold water.

Realizing the Crown Prince was genuinely angry, the children belatedly shut their mouths.

Rosi also remembered her father Arun's words and fell silent, but tears welled up from the unfairness and hurt.

Instead of comforting Rosi, the Crown Prince let out a deep sigh.

At his blatant mockery, Rosi's shoulders flinched.

"You there."

The Crown Prince called a nearby attendant.

"Find out who that child came with."

The attendant returned quickly and reported.

"She is Miss Annabelle, who came with Chairman Octo. One of the chairman's closest associates married his relative's sister."

With her identity confirmed, the tea party buzzed again.

Rosi, on the other hand, looked like she was about to cry, her face crumpled.

"See! I told you!"

Annabelle was triumphant.

Then she said something shocking.

"Grandfather Kommer originally wanted to come with Rosi, but Rosi's father stopped him, so he had no choice but to bring me."

"...What?"

Rosi, who had been on the verge of tears, widened her eyes.

Annabelle nodded lightly.

"Because, um, he said he had to discuss some really difficult matters with the adults, so he brought me instead."

The tea party fell quiet for a different reason.

Everyone looked at Annabelle with shock and surprise.

But Annabelle just kept chattering on.

"Grandfather Kommer bought me clothes and shoes as payment! Don't you know what payment is? It's money you get for working. A salary! A wage!"

"......Hey, Annabelle."

Rosi, who had finally grasped the situation, asked in a calmer, more serious voice.

"Are you okay in the head?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty, aren't I?"

"......"

---

'Haha, this is a complete failure.'

I hadn't planned to play Annabelle as this stupid.

But I don't regret it.

I couldn't just ignore Rosi, who was sad thinking she'd lost her grandfather's love.

'You've done nothing wrong.'

I'm already a sinner to that child.

I'm going to take Chairman Kommer to the village, and I'll punish her father, Arun. Her aunt Kanna will also disappear.

I couldn't hurt her any more here, when she's about to lose her family.

Thanks to that, I've become a full-fledged crazy child.

The silver lining is that the children's gazes toward me have become more favorable.

I'm guessing it's because they found out I'm the chairman's relative.

'Even if they're young, they know what they need to know.'

Children are much smarter than adults think.

"So, is a tea party just eating and chatting?"

I handed Crown Prince Edelros a slice of pie packed with nuts and asked the orange-haired girl sitting right next to me.

Her name was Monille, right?

'I'll remember you.'

Monille was a child who took good care of others. She was the first to speak to me among the children at the tea party, and she'd tried to stop my rude behavior.

She answered my question without showing any annoyance.

"Tea parties are for building friendships and sharing information."

"Information? What kind?"

"Books and music that are popular, and..."

"We also discuss various policies and economic editorials."

Rosi flipped her fine pink hair with an exaggerated gesture.

Then she looked at me as if to challenge me.

"Today's tea party is to discuss the T'mari port expansion project. His Highness the Crown Prince personally proposed it."

"Wow!"

I was genuinely impressed.

I glanced at the Crown Prince, who looked much happier. He wasn't smiling, but his expression had noticeably softened.

'Hmm, time to butter him up a little.'

After all, my reason for attending the tea party was to protect Crown Prince Edelros.

Fortunately, because the clueless Annabelle had drawn all the attention, the Crown Prince hadn't been harassed.

Besides, if I angered the Crown Prince any further, it could backfire and put the Crown Prince in danger.

"I don't know anything about that stuff, but it's amazing that His Highness the Crown Prince can think of such great ideas!"

"It's nothing special."

The Crown Prince said, taking a sip of tea.

Then he looked at Crown Prince Edelros, who was sitting across from him.

Edelros, meeting his gaze, straightened his already upright posture even more.

'Oh, really?'

The Crown Prince was up to no good again.

"Edelros, I'm curious about your opinion."

"I'm embarrassed to say I don't know much about these things. I only know how to pray—I haven't cultivated the dedication to serve the Empire like you have, brother."

"Sigh, I've told you time and time again."

The Crown Prince set down his teacup and scoffed.

"You need to realize that you too are a prince of the Empire. No matter how difficult your studies, you must keep trying."

"Yes, brother."

Even under public criticism, Edelros simply apologized as if it were his own fault.

'...He's used to this.'

My heart ached as if it were about to burst.

I wanted to become the clueless Annabelle and call out this injustice to the Crown Prince right now.

But as if the momentum from earlier had been a dream, I could only stay still.

"......"

Because Crown Prince Edelros had taken my hand under the table.

As if to tell me to stay still.

While I was frozen in surprise, opinions about the port expansion began to fly across the table.

At the same time, the Crown Prince let go of my hand.

Only then did I come to my senses, and I listened to the conversation while pretending to eat and stashing snacks in my subspace.

Thanks to my act of being stupid, no one asked for my opinion, which was convenient.

The Crown Prince, too, was naturally excluded from the discussion.

'It's less of an exchange of opinions...'

It was more like a one-sided lecture.

Whenever the Crown Prince explained why the expansion was a good idea, the children just nodded and praised him.

The only sign of opposition was Monille, sitting next to me, who remained silent.

And surprisingly.

'...Rosi, are you also against it?'

Rosi nodded and smiled beside the Crown Prince, but occasionally, the emotion surfacing on her face was clearly distrust.

'As expected of the chairman's granddaughter.'

He had been very worried about his granddaughter in the carriage on the way here, and now I could see why.

She must have been a kind granddaughter who loved her grandfather so much that she'd cry at the thought of seeing him.

'His children were half failures, but at least his grandchild turned out well.'

Just then.

Crown Prince Edelros interjected in a gentle but firm voice.

"That's truly impressive. How do you come up with such ideas?"

"If you work hard, you can be like me too."

The Crown Prince scoffed.

'Hmm.'

To my ears, it sounded like a backhanded compliment.

Maybe because of the hand-holding earlier, I no longer saw the Crown Prince as just naive.

'Could he be a mastermind who pretends to be innocent while plotting dark schemes?'

Yes, live like that instead of being a victim.

'I'll help you usurp the throne!'

Just as I was praying for the Crown Prince to become a mastermind.

"Actually, I found a part of what you said earlier a bit difficult."

"What is it?"

"I don't understand how you can blast the seabed for the port construction. How do you set off explosions underwater?"

"Oh, that's not a difficult problem."

The Crown Prince explained, as if doing him a favor.

"These days, magical tools are so advanced that there are many bombs that explode without needing to be lit."

"Even without matches?"

Matches?

"Ports have special bombs for testing foundation strength. When you put them in water, the special gunpowder reacts and explodes, releasing heat and steam."

"Wow, so they'd explode even bigger outside the water?"

"That's what they say. Apparently, they're powerful enough to level most buildings."

Flames.

'Flames, matches...'

Where had I heard this before?

'No, not heard...'

Seen.

The matches I found at the orphanage, based on the testimony of the young siblings rescued from the Antema Lab.

The blackened exterior walls of the building.

"My Lady, congratulations."

"You might get that parcel delivery ticket."

And the demon.

'The matches were just a cover...'

The fire wasn't started by matches.

Among the thirteen demons allied with the Emperor, one had an ability similar to what the Crown Prince had just described.

Heat accumulation.

The power to gather heat.

"The T'mari port mainly handles industrial products and raw materials. If a fire breaks out, the damage would be uncontrollable."

The Crown Prince said, his tone growing heavy.

"I understand Chairman Octo is being cautious about this, but if an accident happens, it would be a disaster."

Though he spoke with concern, the corner of his mouth was slightly curled.

"......"

The sweet smells and chattering voices faded into the distance, replaced by the buzzing of cicadas, drunk on the heat, filling my head.

'I have to go.'

I have to get to the port right now.

'Fuck, I need to hurry! Or else...!'

Crash!

A teacup fell to the ground.

"Wh-what...?"

"The table is sh-shaking...!"

Thud!

Thud!

A massive sound, like the earth being crushed, began to be heard.

The sound grew closer and louder, and the children's faces turned pale.

The marble pavilion shook as if it would collapse at any moment, and the floor was already a mess of shattered teacups and scattered food.

The forest swayed like unending waves.

"Kyaaa!"

"Waaah! I'm scared!"

"Mommy, Mommy!"

Frightened children burst into tears and ran. Leading the stampede was none other than the Crown Prince himself.

But I didn't follow.

'This sound...!'

I ran into the forest instead. With Crown Prince Edelros.

No, to be precise, he was holding my hand and leading the way.

"There's a small caretaker's hut inside."

The Crown Prince said.

"Go through that door to the T'mari port. With your ability, you can do it, right?"

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