WRBEFM 04

Chapter 4

“Yes, that’s right.”

“There’s nothing here.”

Rodrigo frowned as he glanced at another document.

What he had asked for was information about the little girl who had been following him around for nearly a month.

But surprisingly—

‘There’s only her name, age, and charges.’

There was no way to determine even the most basic information, such as who her parents were or where she came from.

“She may have come from a vagrant background. They literally wander the streets, after all. Most of them have lost their parents at a young age.”

“……”

“But there is one suspicious point.”

“Tell me.”

“I believe her trial records were falsified.”

At those words, Rodrigo slowly raised one eyebrow. Siss immediately cleared his throat and continued.

“It is true that a trial was held at the time, and the judge who presided over it actually exists… but there wasn’t a single observer present.”

“……”

“Even if no one was interested, newspapers are different. They go through every trial looking for something worth reporting. Especially when the defendant was unusually young.”

“……”

“No one attended that trial.”

“Suspicious.”

“Yes.”

Siss nodded with a grave expression. Rodrigo looked over the documents once again.

After seemingly falling into thought, Rodrigo eventually gestured with his hand.

Come here.

At the signal, Siss quickly approached.

When he came close, Rodrigo whispered something into his ear.

A moment later, Siss nodded at the order.

“I’ll summon her immediately.”

‘Why did they ask to see me?’

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

As I hurried up the stairs, I pondered the situation.

I had been out taking my walk when I was suddenly summoned. And not just by anyone—the warden, the most powerful person in Izteille.

‘I haven’t done anything wrong…’

I had charges against me, sure, but I hadn’t caused any trouble here.

All I’d done was wander around trying to get the dragon to like me a little.

‘And I only did that during the designated hours.’

I had never moved around secretly.

“Go inside.”

The guard who had escorted me to the top floor of Izteille opened the door.

Click.

I peeked cautiously through the opening before stepping inside.

There was already a man sitting on the sofa.

‘He’s really young!’

I had assumed the warden would be some stern, old-fashioned man.

But the blond-haired, blue-eyed man didn’t look particularly young or old. With his slender build and sharp eyes, he did look a little strict, though.

“Sit.”

The man stared at me as I entered and gestured toward the sofa.

I toddled over to the sofa opposite him.

After struggling to climb onto the rather tall seat, he cleared his throat.

“You said your name was Karin.”

“Yes.”

“Your surname?”

“I don’t have one!”

The fact that I was the daughter of a count was supposed to remain a secret.

I lied without batting an eye and stared straight at the warden.

“You know that you’re the youngest person here, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I heard you were four years old, so I looked through your records to find out what kind of crime you had committed. And I found something rather interesting.”

Something interesting?

I pricked up my ears, wondering what he meant.

Then the warden suddenly asked,

“Who were you trying to assassinate?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking who made you put a dagger in your mouth instead of a piece of candy.”

“Uh… um.”

That was awfully sudden.

Still, he’d asked me a question, so I supposed I should answer.

“His Majesty the Emperor.”

“……What?”

“I was trying to get rid of His Majesty.”

I cautiously gauged his reaction.

“Is that not allowed…?”

Meanwhile, while the two of them were talking, Rodrigo was hidden behind the enormous desk, listening intently.

388,112 assassination requests.

4,829 counts of threats and extortion.

Those were absurd charges for a four-year-old.

So when they asked whom she had been trying to assassinate—

“His Majesty the Emperor.”

……Is she sane?

It was possible to hate the Emperor.

He was an absolute bastard, after all.

But to speak so casually about assassinating the Emperor?

That was an entirely different matter.

“I was trying to get rid of His Majesty.”

“……”

“Is that not allowed…?”

At the cautious question, Rodrigo genuinely began to worry about the child’s mental state.

If she had been an adult, perhaps he could have understood.

But she was only four years old.

She was so small that she looked like a baby.

“Do you have some grudge against His Majesty the Emperor?”

“Uh, um. That’s…”

The child trailed off and lowered her head.

Without realizing it, Rodrigo leaned in slightly, listening more closely.

Did she really have enough hatred toward the Emperor to boldly declare that she wanted him dead?

But then—

“It’s difficult for me to tell you.”

At that answer, Rodrigo’s brows furrowed sharply.

“Difficult to say?”

“Yes.”

“If I report what you just said to the Imperial Family, you could receive additional charges.”

“……”

“And even then?”

“Yes.”

Despite Siss’s warning, the child answered without hesitation.

“I’ve already made lots and lots of assassination requests, and I’ve threatened people and stuff, too.”

“……”

“So I’m sure the Imperial Family already knows about my little wish to assassinate His Majesty…”

“So even if you tell them, it probably wouldn’t make that much of a difference.”

The child muttered timidly.

‘……Huh.’

Rodrigo was utterly dumbfounded by that audacious answer.

She looked frightened, yet she still said exactly what she wanted to say.

‘Should I call that gutsy?’

Usually, people who held a grudge against the Emperor had lost a family member or friend.

Or they had experienced something else being taken away from them.

Perhaps that was the case with this child as well.

Especially if she had come here without parents.

‘Suspicious.’

If she had answered as he expected, he would have lost interest in her long ago.

But every one of her answers had gone against his expectations.

And that only made him more curious.

Siss continued questioning the child about her family and basic personal information, but before long, he sent her back.

The information the child provided was limited.

There was no reason to keep her any longer.

“She’s definitely suspicious.”

After confirming that the child had left, Siss added this in a serious tone.

She had been suspicious enough on paper, but after meeting her in person, it was clear that she was someone who needed to be watched carefully.

“What should we do? Just give the word, and I’ll have her transferred to another prison.”

“……”

“It’s uncertain whether she actually has a grudge against the Emperor, and she hasn’t revealed a single thing about herself.”

Experience told him one thing.

That child was quite dangerous.

Very dangerous.

But Rodrigo thought differently.

“Keep an eye on her. Don’t send her anywhere else.”

“But, my lord.”

“There are only two reasons someone would hide their identity.”

Either they intended to hurt someone.

“Or they’ll be attacked the moment their identity is exposed.”

“……”

“We need to find out everything. How she got in here, who her accomplice is, and what kind of grudge she has against the Emperor.”

This might have been another prison.

But this was Izteille.

There was no way such a young child had prepared everything by herself.

If someone had been skilled enough to make forged documents pass inspection, they had to be highly capable.

And for such a suspicious child to approach him…

It was only natural for Rodrigo to worry that she might somehow cause harm to the Bancadium family.

“What are the chances that a vagrant would have connections to someone that capable?”

“……”

“None.”

“Exactly. None.”

Therefore, he needed to determine exactly who that child was.

“Contact Veronica. Tell her to keep a close eye on that little brat.”

Apparently, they shared a room.

That actually worked out perfectly.

“Understood.”

Siss bowed his head.

Rodrigo crossed his long legs and recalled the little girl he’d seen that morning.

She had a grudge against the Emperor.

She followed Rodrigo around everywhere.

And she had the audacity to lie to his face without hesitation, even when the records had clearly been falsified.

‘Unbelievable.’

Rodrigo turned his gaze toward the window and folded his arms.

The child was visible not far away.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

She was working very hard with those short little legs of hers.

At first, he had thought of her as nothing more than an annoying little brat.

But she had managed to provoke him in the strangest ways.

And quite irritatingly, too.

So—

He supposed it was time to find out.

Just who exactly was this little brat?

……Without realizing that all of this was part of the scheming little brat’s plan.