The Villainess Is Sh Chapter 6

Chapter 6

***

“I’m not sure. Although I feel indebted to the

doctor, the idea of learning dical work just doesn’t resonate with …”

“In that case, I can look into arranging a place for you in an orphanage. I know one run by the temple. It might even be possible for you to receive patronage from nobles. It would provide you with a comfortable ho.”

lody didn’t know much about orphanages, but she instinctively understood that the Duke was offering her a significant favor. An orphanage with connections to nobles wouldn’t be accessible to just anyone. Perhaps this was his way of repaying her for making Loretta happy. This thought weighed heavily on her. Of course, when Loretta first ca, lody had intended to be nice to her to gain the Duke’s favor and rcy. But now that this was being presented as a tangible reward, lody felt an aversion to it. Her ti with Loretta had beco more than just mories; it was a profound reward in itself. Now, she found this fickleness of her heart troubling. How should she deal with these changing feelings?

While lody was prostrated on the ground, speechless, a small hand gently touched her shoulder. It was Loretta.

“Is it true…? Will lody and Loretta live in different hos?”

Loretta’s voice, slightly quivering, prompted lody to hastily rise and tenderly embrace the child. However, she couldn’t bring herself to confirm what Loretta wished to hear.

“Well, of course, it’s different…”

lody glanced nervously at the Duke, hastily adding “Sir” at the end of her sentence. Then, she heard a soft whisper from Loretta in her embrace.

“Loretta likes lody.”

Oh, how I like you too, you adorable little thing! But you’re a Duke’s daughter, and I’m a slave trader’s daughter. We’re not supposed to like each other! It’s forbidden!

lody struggled to hold back these thoughts. How could she say such things in front of the Duke?

“lody also…”

Perhaps because lody didn’t give a clear answer, Loretta lifted her teary-eyed face.

“Do you like Loretta?”

Oh, this straightforward young lady! How could she ask so directly!

…She had no choice but to answer honestly.

“I like Loretta too… Sir.”

At these words, Loretta’s face lit up with joy, still tear-stained.

“Then, Loretta and lody like each other!”

Oh, Loretta, when did you beco such a logical thinker?

While lody marveled inwardly at the child’s reasoning, Loretta quickly stepped out of her embrace and boldly faced the Duke.

She looked up at the tall man she claid as her father.

“The Duke is a pot of gold. Therefore, Loretta wants to go with lody.”

Loretta didn’t yet call him ‘Dad.’ Instead, she cleverly used the formal title ‘Duke.’

Her assertive declaration made the Duke turn his head to look at lody, as if asking for an interpretation.

“Well.”

lody hesitated before relaying her words.

“The Duke is a pot of gold, so Miss Loretta wants to go with .”

“A pot of gold?”

He questioned the exact aning of the term.

lody regretted not having explained the precise aning of ‘pot of gold’ earlier.

But lody had no choice but to answer when the esteed Duke asked.

“It ans ‘moneybag.’ A bag full of a large sum of money.”

“Who taught you that aning?”

“My mother…”

The Duke did not respond further. Perhaps he didn’t grasp the value of the term. It must have been overwhelming for him to be treated as a re moneybag by his daughter, whom he had t just two days ago.

“Yesterday, when lody carried , I cried. I was scared of the rain.”

“Loretta…”

“And lody cried too.”

lody realized that Loretta was referring to the events that had just transpired. lody nodded in acknowledgnt.

“Yes, I cried thinking Loretta was not here.”

“It’s okay for lody to cry because she’s a baby.”

Loretta, born with a girl-crush and straightforward nature, patted lody’s head and then turned to face the Duke again.

“That’s why I want to go with her!”

The Duke was astonished that such a small child could make such a bold request to him. Even his sons had not been so audacious in his presence. Moreover, her request was to take the daughter of a slave trader to the capital’s Ducal House. It was out of the question. He could not possibly agree to Loretta’s request. However, the Duke found himself unable to outright reject Loretta’s plea, especially considering the events of the previous night.

“lody, lody carried .”

The child, with her ears covered, had cried incessantly, only calling for ‘lody.’ Separating the child, who had grown so attached to soone after experiencing significant events, did not seem like a good idea. Moreover, a new environnt would be unfamiliar and frightening for the child. She needed a place to belong more than ever.

“…I see.”

The Duke then looked back at lody.

“What do you think?”

“?”

lody responded with surprise and looked up at the Duke.

What did she think? It almost sounded as if he would really take her along if she said she wanted to go.

‘That’s impossible.’

By avoiding death and punishnt, lody had already achieved her goal of escaping the fate of the original story. Moreover, she had received an offer from the village doctor. If she stayed in the village and learned dicine, she might beco a decent adult, unlike her mother.

“lody.”

Suddenly, Loretta tugged at lody’s clothes.

Turning to her, lody saw Loretta’s round eyes looking at her earnestly.

Loretta, the blessed female protagonist who everyone in this world would co to love. Surely, her future would shine brighter than anyone else’s.

‘Hmm… Though it’s not always the case.’

Loretta would face harassnt from the elders of the Ducal House who disliked her. Later, her cursed constitution would awaken, leading to significant struggles. Although she would eventually find happiness, her path would undoubtedly be filled with hardships.

‘If only she could be happy without such troubles.’

Just like lody had overco her fate and survived.

lody wished that Loretta’s happiness could be different from the original story.

‘Wait?’

Suddenly, an astonishing thought struck lody.

‘Could it be… that I could also slightly improve Loretta’s future?’

This was the first ‘task only lody could do’ that she had discovered since being born into this world.

‘A task only I can do…’

These words sounded incredibly sweet to her. Didn’t it feel like she was an essential person in this world?

‘Maybe, one day, it could really be like that.’

lody clenched her small fist slightly and finally gazed steadily at the Duke’s face.

“I’ll go…”

lody wasn’t pleased with her hesitant reply.

Shaking her head in negation, she gathered strength in her eyes and answered again with more conviction.

“I want to go.”

She bowed her head, almost like making a request.

“If the Duke permits.”

lody knew that nobles, even with their servants, wouldn’t just let anyone into their mansion. They maintained a strict standard for mbers of their household to uphold the dignity of their family. And lody was a sinner’s daughter, the daughter of a slave trader who had even tried to sell a noble child. No noble would want such a person in their mansion.

“It’s decided. We will return.”

After hearing lody’s response, the Duke turned and left a bit quickly. Soon a splendid carriage arrived in front of the house, and soone opened the shabby house door for the Duke. Before completely leaving, the Duke glanced back at lody.

“Take whatever you want with you, and give it to the coachman.”

“Does that an you will take

to the Duke’s house?”

“I’ve heard you’re smart.”

“I am smart!”

lody quickly responded, worried that the Duke might change his mind. In truth, she didn’t have much to take: a few clothes, so books, and…

“Ah.”

She needed to speak to the doctor, to whom she was deeply indebted.

“Duke.”

lody, with a very apologetic face, stopped the Duke again.

“I would like to say goodbye to soone I owe a great debt to. It won’t take long…”

Fortunately, the Duke nodded. lody quickly ran to the doctor’s house. The doctor, handing out dicine to a patient, was startled by lody’s hurried entrance.

“What happened now? Did the guards co for you?”

lody appreciated her genuine concern and felt sorry.

lody had to refuse her kindness.

“I have sothing to tell you, Doctor.”

She started with an apology and recounted everything that had happened that morning. Worry filled the doctor’s face as she listened.

“Do you know what kind of place the capital is…”

The doctor sighed, understanding her concerns. If lody’s background as a slave trader’s daughter beca known, she might face rejection from many people, unlike in this village where she was protected.

“lody. Relying on the favor of nobility is dangerous. That child might…”

“I know. There will be plenty of people in the capital who Loretta will like.”

She is the female protagonist of the story.

She will face many difficulties, but will also receive a lot of love.

And among them is the male protagonist.

Perhaps Loretta will forget about lody quite soon.

“Yet you’ve decided to go…”

The doctor looked down, seeming regretful.

“I’m sorry. But I was really happy when you offered to live with .”

“Yes, lody.”

The doctor opened a dicine chest, took out several ergency dicines, and put them in a pouch.

She handed it to lody while patting the little girl’s head.

“If life in the capital gets tough, feel free to co back. Everyone needs a place to return to at tis.”

lody hugged the gifts tightly to her chest.

“And if you et my son in the capital, don’t forget to smack him on the back of his head. He’s a bad boy for not contacting his mother.”

“Hehe, I will.”

“Go now, don’t keep important people waiting.”

When lody ca out, the Duke’s carriage was already waiting outside. Loretta waved from inside the carriage, beckoning lody to hurry. Thus, lody set off for the capital, the setting of “The Duke’s House has Three Sons and One Daughter.”