Chapter 14

‘G – Grand Duke? And he’s also…?’

Not just any Grand Duke, but Grand Duke Heithrian?

Even though this body lacked memories of the past, Leciel knew well about Grand Duke Heithrian.

‘I might need to reconsider this decision…?’

Despite it being impolite to back out in the middle of a conversation and even while drafting the contract, Leciel couldn’t help but wonder if it was appropriate to sign the contract under these circumstances.

“Why are you like that?”

While expecting the child to be surprised upon hearing his identity, Kael was taken aback by how much more surprised the child seemed than expected.

The child, who had never been greatly flustered before, was visibly agitated in front of him.

“Well… Just a moment. It’s an unexpected fact…”

How exactly should this be accepted?

Leciel, whose mind was now confused due to the information she had learned along with Kael’s identity, suddenly adopted a more serious expression.

Kael nodded as if he could afford to wait for that long.

Though he didn’t know why the child was so surprised and why she became so serious, it seemed like she needed time to think.

‘Now, let’s think about it.’

The man she accidentally encountered turned out to be the Grand Duke. Moreover, he was the villain in the novel she had read before opening her eyes in this place.

And that meant she hadn’t reincarnated, but rather had been transmigrated into a novel.

It was strange not to have memories of the past, indeed.

‘I never imagined I’d meet the villain of a novel like this…’

Although she had considered the possibility of being transmigrated into a character in a novel, but now that she realized the fact, it was inevitably shocking.

Certainly, she would end up continuing her relationship with Kael and possibly even becoming close to him if she left the Monster Forest with him.

After all, that was the condition from the start.

‘Still, is it okay?’

Though she had occasionally thought about feeling lonely in the Monster Forest and wanting to leave, she wasn’t sure if she could trust the villain.

‘No, thinking about it, it might be for the best.’

The Grand Duke in the original story would eventually rebel as a villain, kill the emperor, and become the emperor himself.

Of course, that wasn’t the end of it. If so, he wouldn’t have been referred to as the ‘villain.’

The problem arose afterward.

As the duke became the emperor, he became completely obsessed with power, causing indiscriminate slaughter and leading the empire to the brink of destruction.

When it reached that point, the saint, who was the original female lead and the empress candidate, stepped forward with her allies to kill the villain.

That was the content of the original novel as Leciel remembered it.

However, Leciel didn’t take the content of the original novel at face value.

It was understandable because, from the moment she transmigrated into this world, the novel wasn’t just a novel but rather an original work.

In typical original works of transmigration stories, all sorts of schemes and twists played out.

In other words, the villain wasn’t just a villain, the saint wasn’t just a saint, and even the villainess had hidden circumstances.

It was difficult to simply treat the villain in front of her as a bad guy.

When considering the clichés of original works rather than straightforward romance novels, there was a clear possibility that Kael might not be the villain.

And even if that wasn’t the case, it seemed better to follow the villain for now.

In fact, regardless of whether it was a transmigration or not, when she thought that the events would unfold as they did in the original story, there was no point in staying here.

After the villain became the emperor, the first thing he did was to subjugate the Monster Forest with his knights and kill all living beings there.

So, even if she stayed here quietly, it meant that she would eventually die at the hands of the villain.

It was better to follow the villain.

If he wasn’t the villain as seen in the novel but had hidden circumstances, or if he was indeed the truly evil villain from the original work, there was a need to get close to him to prevent the original ending.

Thinking about it that way, her initial shock, and confusion quickly subsided.

‘Perhaps rescuing the villain could be considered a buff for the transmigrator.’

Wasn’t that how it usually went in other transmigration novels?

No matter how a transmigrator ended up in the body of a passing extra, they eventually got involved with the main characters and resolved the main incidents…

So, Leciel decided to move forward rather than fretting too much about the original work.

Since she had become a part of this world from the moment of transmigration, it would take time to see what kind of outcome her actions would bring about.

At least as the transmigrator, she was the protagonist of this novel, so there was no need to worry too much.

With her deliberation over, Leciel spoke with a much lighter expression.

“Then let’s continue with the contract, uncle.”

Even after learning that Kael was a Grand Duke, Leciel naturally continued to call him uncle.

Since she had been diligently calling him uncle all this time, it had become a habit.

Since Kael didn’t have any intention to insist on being addressed as Your Grace or any other title, he simply accepted it without any concern.

“I don’t have a seal, so we’ll use signatures instead. That should suffice.”

“Alright then. Of course, I’ll rewrite a proper contract outside.”

“If there’s anything missing, feel free to add.”

“Understood.”

Leciel carefully examined the contents written on the paper Kael handed her.

All the conditions he had proposed so far were written without omission. There were even additional clauses, all of which were favorable to Leciel.

“But… do you think I’m worth this much to you?”

“Yeah. I’ve never been wrong about my judgments.”

That was why.

Apart from finding Leciel appealing, there were many things to look forward to from her, and his intuition had never been wrong.

At least, Kael believed that he wouldn’t regret this impulsive decision.

“Well, I’ll do my best so you won’t think it’s a waste of money or trouble bringing me here!”

“That’s not something you need to worry about. And I’m not the kind of person who would consider a child I brought home on my own as a waste of money.”@@novelbin@@

“Not at all.”

It was a firm denial.

“…I wonder what kind of impression I’ve made inside the little one.”

“Probably the kind of person who wouldn’t hesitate to kick me out if I’m not helpful.”

“…I can’t deny it, but it doesn’t mean I’ll always keep only those who are helpful by my side.”

“Really?”

Leciel looked at Kael with a somewhat surprised expression.

“At least I tend to be a bit more lenient towards those I like.”

“I know.”

Leciel knew how affectionate Kael could be.

Kael chuckled at those words.

“But I’m worried about your son.”

“Why him?”

“Well, from your son’s perspective, wouldn’t it be unsettling for if your father suddenly brings a girl?”

Fortunately, there wouldn’t be any clashes over her father’s affection as in typical romantic novels since they were not the same gender, but that didn’t mean her presence would be appreciated.

“Well, that’s not something to worry about.”

Despite questioning his actions, ultimately there must be a reason behind his father’s actions, and his son would accept it.

And Kael trusted Leciel.

Given how quickly Leciel had captivated him, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to capture his son’s heart.

Especially since his son seemed disinterested in anyone else and had been a cause for concern, making friends with peers was a welcome development.

If that friend turned into a lover and later a spouse, it would be even more joyous.

A daughter-in-law like Leciel gave Kael no reason to object.

Especially with her confident demeanor even in front of him made her the perfect partner for his son.

Though he was his son, the boy didn’t inherit his good temperament.

Indeed, it was difficult to imagine anyone tolerating such a personality.

Yet Leciel seemed more than capable.

Perhaps she could easily capture his son’s heart just as she had captured his own in such a short time.

He worried because sometimes his son was unruly as an unbridled colt, it was reassuring to have someone who could put brakes on his son’s wild tendencies.

“That’s quite an irresponsible remark. You say I don’t need to worry about how your son turns out?”

“He’s a responsible child; he won’t treat any child I bring myself carelessly.”

“I trust you. But still, what if your son doesn’t like me?”

“In the end, he’ll come to like you.”

As much as he had a bad temper, his tastes were much like his.

“How can you be so sure?”

“You… remind me of my late wife.”

“No, why would you insult the Grand Duchess like that?”

Leciel said, looking bewildered.

Though the Grand Duchess never revealed herself in person since she had died at the beginning of the novel, she had been briefly mentioned.

She was respected and revered by everyone in the Grand Duke’s household.

That’s why Kael, too, had fallen for her, despite his rough and indifferent exterior.

So, it was quite insulting that such a woman, who had a certain allure that drew people in, resembled herself.

She was but far too valuable to be compared to her unremarkable self.

“I’m just stating the truth.”

“But still, how can you compare me to the Grand Duchess …?”

“She had a peculiar charm that attracted people. Her honesty and confidence naturally drew people’s attention.”

In that aspect, Leciel was truly like his late wife.

From the moment he first saw her, her unwavering confidence and fearless demeanor, saying whatever she wanted to say without being the slightest bit intimidated.

“I don’t have the charm to attract people, but I do attract demons.”

“Well, that’s even more remarkable. Unfortunately, my wife couldn’t capture the hearts of demons.”

“No, why would that happen?”

Leciel looked puzzled.

“At any rate, my son will come to like you. I guarantee it.”

“… since it’s unlikely that you’ll tell me grandiose lies just to impress me, I’ll believe you for now.”

Even if wasn’t the case, there was a reason for her to seduce the second male lead boy who was the son of the villain Kael.

So even if he disliked her, she intended to make him like her forcibly.

Though she needed to see how the situation unfolded, if Kael turned out not to be just a typical villain, but had some reasons, she would have to prevent his son from becoming a villain who killed his father with his own hands.

‘Well, this is why they say that raising a son is useless.’

A son who succumbed to a woman and killed his father.

Even if there were reasons for his son’s actions, even in completely insane situations, he was the villain who stubbornly denied his son’s actions and was obediently killed by his son’s hands.

So, she couldn’t help but lean more towards the villain. There had been some affection built up over time.

With that conversation over, Leciel began preparing to leave immediately.

There wasn’t much to take, but it seemed necessary to bid farewell to the affectionate demons she had come to know.

Once they realized it was a farewell, the demons’ behavior would change, but still, with human affection, how could one leave without even saying goodbye?

At least, she wanted to say goodbye to Mimi and Chacha.