This Three Year Old Is a Villainess

Though I told him to keep quiet, even to my eyes, it was a surprising place. Not because of the appearance, but because of the barrier. “So the barrier is... one, two, three, four... my god, more than ten layers.” It was a twelve-fold barrier, and even a single layer was woven with ultra-advanced spells. “No wonder the name ‘Wizard of the Wilderness’ spread so widely...” Cain Lord opened the door first and spoke. “Come in.” “Yes!” I quickly stepped inside. Han Jihyeok looked around in disbelief. Then he whispered into my ear. “This is the dirtiest place I’ve ever seen—even dirtier than the soldiers’ dormitory in your father’s jurisdiction.” “Excuse me.” “That said... honestly—” “They say there’s mushrooms growing on the soldiers’ underwear. It’s not like a bioweapon facility. Just looks like a dump.” While Han Jihyeok and I were whispering like that, a gloomy voice came from ahead. “Yeah, at my place mushrooms don’t grow.” Cain Lord said that, narrowing his eyes. Han Jihyeok awkwardly smiled. “Should I clean it up for you...?” “Don’t bother. It may look dirty at a glance, but everything is orderly!” That sounded very familiar. Cain Lord waved his hand as if annoyed. “Enough nonsense, sit wherever.” I lifted my skirt slightly and walked gently toward what looked like a dining chair. Alexis and Han Jihyeok took seats near me. Cain Lord began rummaging through the kitchen cupboard recklessly. He was so rough that crashing and smashing sounds echoed. “The kettle... here it is.” Meanwhile, I looked around. ‘It’s dirty, but...’ Some areas seemed like a different world, exceptionally clean. The desk far from the kitchen was especially so. It was full of laboratory tools but spotless without a speck of dust. ‘Seems like it’s protected by a barrier to prevent germs.’ Another clean place was the nightstand next to the bed. On it lay a single book, a framed picture, and a box containing food—nothing else. Even the lamp used instead of an electric light was placed under the nightstand. ‘What’s that framed picture?’ It was a portrait of a woman with pale purple straight hair. She looked to be in her thirties. The items painted behind the modern-looking woman were all antique and didn’t quite fit, which was striking. While I was thinking this, Cain Lord placed a tray down with a clack in front of me. On the tray were two cups of cocoa and one cup of strong black tea, seemingly for Han Jihyeok. “Thank you.” Cain Lord sat down opposite me without a word. “So, what’s the request?” “Huh?” “Coming all this way means you want to commission me, right?” Cain Lord folded his arms and continued. “I charge properly. My fees are expensive.” “...” “Being the daughter of Daymond Astra, you probably have that much money.” “Then why does your uncle live in a place like this?” “...What?” I quickly added, “Not because the house is shabby. It’s not a good place for security.” “No one with a fourth-level blessing can break through my barrier easily.” “That requires tremendous magical power.” “...” Seeing the twelve-layer barrier, I realized. ‘Even Dad, the best in magical power, or Selene noona couldn’t maintain a barrier this strong easily.’ Just walking must feel like dying. It must feel like your whole body is being torn apart. “Maintaining it is painful and difficult enough to be hypersensitive to every word.” I opened my eyes wide and asked. “If it were me, I’d settle where the flow of the land is good. That way, I could use the land’s flow to maintain such an immense barrier.” Cain Lord’s face immediately stiffened. “...Did you read my barrier?” “Roughly, yes.” “That’s impossible. Even the smartest of the kids, Tedriols, couldn’t decipher my barrier!” Cain Lord jumped up and frowned. “No one could read it. It’s more believable that the authority of the Magic Tower has inspected my residence.” “I never let anyone do that!” “How could a kid barely ten read my barrier?” Feeling so wronged. But I really could interpret Cain Lord’s barrier. ‘I learned it by heart in my first life, struggling to survive.’ Because I had no blessing, I had to rely on other things. That’s how I became an expert at reading spells. I pointed to the nightstand. “The box on the nightstand! There’s food inside, right?” Han Jihyeok’s eyes widened in surprise. “How do you know there’s food in the box? Are you a fortune teller or what?” “It uses Hestia’s spell in the barrier.” “He... what?” “It’s a spell that preserves food from spoiling. Seeing the Lecto symbol, it probably mixes Togd, which is often used in dairy and shape-retention magic, so the food is likely cake.” How hard I worked in my first life. From six years old, my average sleep time was only about five or six hours. Except for two meals a day, I never left my desk. Cain Lord stiffened. He let out a bitter laugh. “Daymond really did have one competent daughter.” “Not Dad’s doing. Mom gave birth to me.” “Do you happen to know how to break it?” “The Lecto spell is weak against Plente style... but since Hestia’s spell is the base, it’s hard to counter as is...” “Yeah, in that case, you use Yoshgda.” “But even using Yoshgda probably won’t help. It’s too solid.” “Whoa...!” Han Jihyeok looked like he was hearing an alien language. Alexis furrowed his brows. Meanwhile, Cain Lord was excited. His eyes sparkled the entire time he listened to me. “If I were you, I wouldn’t try to break it with magic.” “Why not?” “The configuration is tricky. Though it looks like the Lecto symbol, isn’t that Callisto’s alphabet? The moment you launch an offensive spell, a counterattack would probably hit.” Ha ha ha ha ha! Cain Lord laughed heartily for the first time. “It’s been a while since I met someone who makes sense.” “Thank you.” “I’ve been frustrated because the world is full of idiots.” He chuckled, then suddenly said, “Ah.” Turning around, he said, “I’ll show you the research records. There’s an interesting result—” His eyes were sparkling. It felt strangely familiar. ‘Exactly like when I was offered graduate school...’ Recalling that memory, I swallowed dryly.

If he suggests we research together, I’m in trouble. ‘I need to change the subject.’ While I was nervously spinning my mind, the beak of the parrot in the cage next to the bed suddenly changed into a human mouth. “Why aren’t you answering the comms! Do you think I’m a joke! Son of a b****! Son of a b****!” Cain Lord’s face twisted. “Communication terminated.” “Damn it! If you don’t want to lie in a coffin before your old parents, you’d better answer right now! Why did I raise that damn bastard! Damn! Damn!” “Communication terminated!” “If you ignore even the Nothon (long-distance communication magic), I’ll break your legs at Eurose! Damn bastard! You deserve a beating!” “...Should have roasted that son of a bird long ago.” Cain Lord frowned and picked up the communication stone rolling around on the bed amid the trash. “What is it?” [Just sending medicine and no news to a sick mother—what’s so great about that that you suddenly say ‘What is it?’ ‘What is it?’!] “You said you were sick but seem fine.” [Why! You’re not upset because you haven’t heard news of death? How did you grow up with such disrespect for your elders? Did I teach you that?] “...” [When elders teach you, just nod and say ‘yes’! How many times must I say that!] ‘Wow...’ It was very similar to what I heard when I first met Cain Lord. I understood where the tone was inherited from. [When will you send a letter to your father!?] “Take care of your mother. I’ve long considered father as non-existent.” [You bastard still isn’t in his right mind...!] “Why do you ask a husband who still visits his illegitimate child for a letter to his unrelated son?” [Hey, you bastard!] “I’m hanging up.” [Take the money! How many times must I tell you not to send it!?] “I gave alms because I have money to spare, so don’t worry.” [You bastard...! If you left, then live your life; if you can’t, come back.] A red glow flared in Cain Lord’s hand. It was a magic block spell. Before he grabbed the communication stone, a desperate voice sounded. [Hey, you bastard! Did you get the birthday cake... bastard! Cain Lord!] Crackling noise cut off the communication. Cain Lord threw the communication stone onto the bed. Then he looked back at me. “How far did we get?” “...The Marchioness Madilo, right? Your uncle’s mother.” “I’ll find the research records.” Cain Lord ignored me and entered the storage room. ‘What was the Madilo family like?’ The current marquis was a worthless drunkard. Over sixty years old, enjoyed alcohol, women, gambling. Rumored to use drugs. Not bringing in any income, the perfect example of an incompetent family head who uproots the family’s foundation. So the household was maintained by the Marchioness. Cain Lord was also born as the marquis’s illegitimate child and raised by the Marchioness. ‘The Marchioness has pale purple hair... huh?’ I stared at the frame. A young woman with pale purple hair. The objects painted behind her were antique, things rarely seen recently. ‘That’s the Marchioness’s portrait!’ There was more information about the Marchioness... what was it again? I recalled reading <Ice.Dark.Hand>. She was one of the heroic women maintaining the crumbling Madilo family and also... ‘Ah.’ I looked at Cain Lord coming out carrying a bundle of parchments. Cain Lord said, “These are the research records. Read for fun. And I’ll accept the request unless it’s something too dangerous...” “The Marchioness is ill, right?” “...!” Cain Lord’s eyes widened. After a moment, his face stiffened and he asked. “Has it become rumored in the capital?” “...Not yet.” “The information network of Astra is impressive.” He raised one corner of his mouth crookedly and slowly approached me. Then, bang! He slammed his hand on the table roughly. “You better keep your mouth shut.” “...” “If you make an enemy of me, not even the nourishment of Duke Astra’s house will be safe.” His pupils flickered fiercely. I felt the same pressure as when Dad was angry. He truly was called the strongest magician. I stared firmly into his eyes and said. “It’s mage sickness. ...A disease caused by the damage that comes from using forbidden magic.” “...Shut up.” Forbidden magic is called forbidden because it is outlawed by law. If discovered using it, one would be punished with the death penalty. “You were experimenting to cure mage sickness, so you needed three-colored grass.” “...” “You accept shady requests for experiment funds.” “...” “And yet you live in such a house while sending huge sums to the Madilo family.” “I didn’t tell you to shut up!” Cain Lord shouted, stepping away from me. “Get out of my house. If I see you again, I won’t forgive you!” Magic power began to gather around Cain Lord. Already in poor health, his magic was sharpening uncontrollably because of his tension. Kugugugugugu...! The house shook violently. Alexis and Han Jihyeok quickly stepped in front of me. “I said get lost...!” “You will leave.” Alexis and Han Jihyeok blinked and looked at me. Cain Lord’s gaze darkened chillingly. I stepped forward before Alexis and said. “Close your eyes before summer comes.” In my first life and in <Ice.Dark.Hand>, it was the same. The Marchioness Madilo passed away before my eleven-year-old summer. “Erilot, stop!” Alexis spoke in a low voice. Cain Lord’s momentum was becoming sharper and sharper. Crash—!! The window broke from the magic vortex. Alexis shielded me from flying shards with his coat. Cain Lord was too excited to control his magic. I said expressionlessly. “The strongest magician is too injured to control his magic.” “Shut... up.” “If you use forbidden magic here, no matter how much Cain Lord Madilo is, he will get mage sickness like the Marchioness...” I let out a hollow laugh while speaking. “So that’s it.” The reason Dalia could have Cain Lord. One of the great blessings she possessed was <Healing>. ‘That girl could even heal mage sickness.’ She saved his life and he became her person. I looked Cain Lord straight in the eye and said.

“I’m commissioning you.” “How much... do you... underestimate me...!” Cain Lord glared at me clutching his chest. “Become my person. Then I will heal the Marchioness’s mage sickness on your behalf with payment.” “...What?” Cain Lord asked stiffly. “Do you have the blessing of healing?” “No! I don’t have that!” “...What?” I smirked. “I recently heard of a way to cure Nоvеlght all kinds of diseases even without the blessing of healing.” Zapytaj ChatGPT