My Child Is A Villain

‘Should I have come earlier?’

Hayren clicked his tongue and looked at the closing door.

Well, Rosaline is there. She’s not a very naughty kid, so she’ll do her part right.

Then, all of a sudden, the green-eyed woman who was standing straight up staring at him appeared in his mind.

‘Weird.’

This must be my first time seeing her, but she was strangely familiar. On top of that, she had a strange reaction.

It seemed like she was trying hard to hide it, but she couldn’t fool Hayren’s eyes. How many years has he spent in the social world? It’s a piece of cake.

‘Where did I see her?’

The problem is that he doesn’t remember. Looking at her reaction, it doesn’t seem like it was a particularly good memory. Well, there are many who have bad memory with me.

Hayren looked at the now completely closed door and turned around.

“You are too strict. Can’t I congratulate him as a fellow Elementalist?”

Lucas glared at Hayren as he spoke smirkingly.

“The congratulations are over.”

“As I said before, it is up to Ronschka himself to decide.”

“It is a party where the maids and servants gather together. People like us are better off not participating.”

“Even though you are the teacher?”

“Yes.”

Lie. It was obvious that he originally intended to participate. Then he must have changed his mind when he saw that he had come. Otherwise, why would he come all the way here with a gift?

Hayren smirked. “The distance between the disciple and the master is farther than I thought.”

“It’s closer than you think.”

“You’re too confident.”

“Hayren, stop.”

“It’s you who should stop.”

Hayren had to get his hands on what he wanted. There was no way Lucas, who was interfering, would help. He was a man he didn’t like too much in the first place.

“Later. I’ll arrange a meeting for you two later.”

It hasn’t been long since Adele received documents about Weatherfield and Hayren. She’ll need time to think properly. Because of that, Lucas tried to buy as much time as he could.

“Do I really need your permission for that?”

“If you don’t like it, I’ll use all my power to get in the way. Remember that this is my mansion.”

Hayren raised his hands at Lucas’ words.

“Okay, let’s finish here for today.”

Then he disappeared at the end of the hallway.

Lucas who was left behind looked at the door of the dining hall and turned around. He then felt that he had to set a place for Ronschka once again.

* * *

“Mom?”

Ronschka called his mother again. His mother’s condition is strange. Ever since she saw the red-haired Elementalist.

“Ronschka.”

“Mom, are you not feeling well?”

“No, Mom is fine,” Adele reassured him.

She added, “Oh, your name is Rosaline? Since you’re at the birthday party, let’s have fun together.” Adele smiled kindly at Rosaline.

She was so tired she wanted to sit down, but she didn’t want to ruin Ronschka’s first birthday party. So she tried to hold on somehow.

“Come here.”

At Adele’s words, Rosaline nodded her head and held out the box she was holding in her arms.

“This is a birthday gift.”

“A birthday gift?”

Adele hesitated for a moment, then took it and handed it over to Ronschka. Ronschka, who looked at this with a strange expression for a moment, opened the box.

With a click, the box opened and showed off the stone’s presence inside giving off a brilliant light. It is more like a gemstone than a processed gem.

Isn’t this too expensive? Should I refuse this? It must have been prepared by that man. I don’t want to take a penny from him.

‘But it’s Ronschka’s birthday.’

Her head hurt as if something sharp had stabbed into her brain.

My mom is weird.

Ronschka realized it, but he said nothing. He wanted to ask why his mother was like that, and if she didn’t like that person either.

But he held it in. Because he knew that his mother had prepared this day just for him.

Instead, he tried to laugh as brightly as possible for the sake of his mother, who always said she wanted to make him happy.

* * *

It was like a dream. Rosaline thought so.

At first, her only thought was that she should do well in what her father asked her to do. So she put on pretty clothes and tried to smile.

She had only one thing to do, to smile as prettily as she could and hand the gift to the birthday boy. Better if he likes her.

That’s all. But what’s this?

Rosaline stared blankly at the woman who smiled sweetly at her. Her smile was as warm as the midday sun.

She then subconsciously grabbed her outstretched hand. Her hand was as warm as her smile.

Her hand gripped Rosaline’s tightly and led her to the table.

The food on the table was poor compared to what was on Rosaline’s birthday. Food that was not particularly decorated was piled on the plate, and people ate it laughing.

She felt rather awkward in the noisy room.

“Do you have anything you want to eat?”

Rosaline pointed at whatever was on the plate.

She finally ate it after hesitating for a bit, and it was surprisingly delicious. It seemed the chefs here were more skilled than those at Weatherfield.

“More, please.”

While eating the food piled on the plate carefully, Rosaline then turned around and saw Ronschka and Leon.

Unlike Rosaline, neither of them ate gracefully; the area around their mouths was dirty with food, and they used their forks like shovels.

But it looks very appetizing.

‘Does it taste better if I eat it like that?’

Rosaline hesitated, then tried to follow. She became thirsty from the food that filled her mouth, so she took a glass of juice and gulped it down at once.

As soon as she put down her glass, someone poured more juice.

“Is it delicious?”

She nodded her head at the friendly voice. As her father once said, it’s noisy, messy, and chaotic.

But why is this so exhilarating? The food is also delicious!

“What’s your name?” Leon asked her name again.

“Rosaline!”

She involuntary answered in a loud voice without any elegance. So she immediately shut up in embarrassment, but no one seemed to care about that.

“I’m Leon.”

“Y-yes. Nice to meet you, Leon.”

I knew. Because my father told me in advance. But Rosaline smiled kindly as if she was hearing it for the first time.

“Happy birthday, Ronschka!’

“Happy birthday!”

Along with the happy birthday words, paper flowers started falling. Rosaline opened her eyes wide in awe.

‘I’m jealous.’

Rosaline recalled her birthday, where she sat in the highest chair in the hall and received birthday wishes and gifts from many.

But Rosaline knew. That they didn’t really intend to do that.

As they presented their gifts, their eyes fell on her father. Those gifts were not for Rosaline, but for her father.

So she was not happy no matter how good and many gifts she received. On the other hand, the small gifts Ronschka received seemed more valuable. A small pot, a notebook, a cute pocket of unknown purpose, a basket filled with candies, and so on.

Rosaline was ashamed. She brought a gift, but it was prepared by her father.

“Ronschka.”

So she called out to Ronschka, who was eating with puffy cheeks beside her. Then Ronschka turned his head and looked at her with an unknown expression in his red eyes.

“Sorry.”

This time he had a confused expression.

Rosaline added, “I couldn’t bring a gift.”

“Isn’t that a gift?” Leon intervened.

“That’s from my father’s.”

“Sigh.”

Leon nodded his head in agreement and moved his fork again.

“I’ll give you mine later.”

“You don’t have to,” said Ronshka as he gulped down his food.

But Rosaline shook her head. “I will.”

“What will you give me?”

“Anything.”

Rosaline was determined. And she began to think about the gift. What might he like?

Obviously, it’s something I have to give to someone else, but the more I think about it, the more I feel strangely good.

At the end of the meal, a huge pudding appeared. It was not a common bread pudding, but a yellow, bouncy pudding. The pudding with brown syrup was so sweet and delicious that she ate a lot.

“Now, if you’re done eating, shall we play?”

Play? What play?

Rosaline got up abruptly and followed the people. As she was lost in the middle, Adele held her hand. Next to her was Ronschka whose hand she was also holding tightly.

“Should we play Towel Spin?”

[T/N: It’s like the game Duck Duck Goose]

Towel Spin? Rosaline doesn’t know that.

“First, sit around in a circle and pick the tagger. And the tagger puts a towel on someone’s back. Then that person has to get up quickly and chase after the tagger until he turns around.”

The explanation alone was a bit puzzling. But as she sat with others in a circle, her heart pounded. Right next to her sat Leon and Ronschka.