Liria fidgeted with her hands and spoke with difficulty.

“My nanny said the budget is all gone. So instead, I’m collecting chocolate gold coins in the drawer. This is all of Liria’s fortune now. I’ll give it all to you, Mr. Assistant.”

“…Pardon? Ah, no, there’s no need for that.”

Emmett’s eyes behind his glasses widened momentarily with bewilderment.

“I only eat one a day to save them. Because these gold coins disappear when you eat them. You become poor quickly.”

Liria said, pretending to be gloomy.

He took out a chocolate shaped like a gold coin from his pocket and examined it with a serious expression.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“It’s a bribe. So please keep it a secret from Grandfather that I’ve woken up. Please.”

Liria looked at his bulging jacket pocket.

Emmett scratched the back of his neck, quite embarrassed.

‘Surely she doesn’t think these are real gold coins and is trying to give them to me? To turn a blind eye? Ha.’

He unnecessarily adjusted his glasses. It might look like gold coins to a child’s eyes, but.

Hmm, hmmmm.

It was behavior that simply couldn’t be understood by an adult’s rational common sense.

Emmett Okims, the prodigy who was evaluated by the Duke as useless except for his brain, became the most stupid he had ever been since entering the Roberg ducal family that day.

‘Children are difficult.’

Chewing on the chocolate gold coins he had received, Emmett walked to the entrance of the east wing and furrowed his brow.

“…Wait. Why am I here?”

Small, fidgeting hands had endlessly put chocolates into his jacket pocket.

A child with large, sparkling lime-green eyes had chattered non-stop.

“I don’t intend to keep lying to Grandfather…… I promised to return the storybook to the library once the qualification test is safely over. Um… I’ll just quickly go to the library and come back. Please wait for me a little. I beg you!”

As if enchanted, he had believed the child’s words, and when he came to his senses, he was on his way back to the assistant’s office.

“Watch over her well so that nothing happens to that child.”

Finally recalling the Duke’s order, he snapped back to his senses.

By the time he managed to turn around, the child had already zipped past him.

Throughout his time as the Duke’s assistant, he had received numerous bribe offers, but this was the first time someone had given him such a sweet bribe. Of course, it was also the first time he had turned a blind eye after receiving a bribe.

***

She wasn’t an innocent child who used chocolate as gold coins.

If they knew her true intentions, they’d be shocked at how cunning such a little one was.

“I feel a bit sorry.”

Entering the library, Liria muttered to herself, recalling the immobilized Emmett.

First, she went to the desk to return the storybook she had brought in her bag.

There sat the young librarian Jimmy, looking bored.

Liria took out the storybook and, grunting, placed it on the desk.

Beep.

“『The Adventures of the Elephant Magician』 has been returned.”

At Jimmy’s soulless response, Liria tapped the desk and asked.

“Excuse me. Are there any books about keys among the Roberg-related books?”

“There should be.”

“Then which section are the Roberg history books in?”

“Go straight ahead, turn the corner, and you’ll find them in 7-A~F.”

Clutching the note Jimmy had written, Liria toddled into the stacks.

It wasn’t hard to find.

The Roberg history books were lined up from shelves A to F.

Seeing books stacked up to the ceiling made her dizzy.

Still, if she searched through books about the Roberg family treasures, she might find something.

So, after 1 hour.

She managed to find a book related to family treasures, but there was no information about the magic key.

“…What’s this all about? Where should I look? Kiki, you go search too.”

Just as she was scolding Kiki, who had come out of the bag and was yawning drowsily.

A group of children appeared from across the way.

With a sharp gaze, a skinny boy shouted.

“What’s that? It’s that Liria girl!”

The branch family children used to mock and bully Liria even before she realized the original story.

Malcolm, Dimitri, and Natasha.

They were the trio of siblings who always went around bullying weaker kids.

“No mother, no mana-“

As the sly Malcolm sneered, the large-bodied Dimitri laughed and said.

“Hey, hey. You should add one more thing. Her father.”

“Now if Liria loses her dad too, she’ll be a complete orphan. Tee-hee.”

Natasha, who came between the two boys bantering back and forth, approached Liria and said.

“Oh, brothers. How can you do that to such a pitiful child? Oh my, but look at her. She came here in her pajamas. Pfft.”

Natasha, who wore an expensive high-end dress despite being from a branch family, said while barely suppressing her laughter.

Despite Natasha’s pointed remark, Liria didn’t falter.

Anyway, it didn’t seem like their behavior would just pass by.

The father of the three siblings was Viscount Jade.

He was known throughout the ducal residence as Osdel’s loyal servant, like his arms and legs.

In return, they lived under the illusion that all his power and influence belonged to them.

So these kids must have learned everything from their father’s behavior, as they were quite arrogant.

Facing the approaching trio, Liria smiled softly and said.

“…Hello, big sister and brothers. This ducal residence is my home, so I came comfortably. Please understand even if I’m in my pajamas.”

Fools, have you ever seen someone dress formally in their own home?

So, what she just said implies that she is the true owner of this ducal residence and a pure direct descendant, while they, as branch family members, are merely guests.

Well, that’s what it meant.

She was not sure if they were smart enough to understand this.

“Liria, isn’t it that you don’t have any dresses to wear?”

“Liria has no dress- and no mother-“

As expected, you never fail to disappoint.

“Thanks for being stupid today too.”

“What? This girl is calling who stupid!”

“This won’t do, brother. Teach her a lesson.”

“Right! Last time, she bit me like a dog and the scar lasted for a long time!”

Recalling what happened then, Malcolm glared at Liria with his sleeves rolled up.

Watching the three siblings, Liria shook her head as if pitying them and said.

“You’ll regret it if you touch me. …Are you sure?”

“Look at this pipsqueak acting all tough! Dimitri, block her way so she can’t escape!”

Deliberately making loud footsteps, Dimitri stood firmly behind her.

Natasha kept watch in case anyone might come.

This is a bit troublesome.

Liria’s face turned ashen.

She tried to run back, but Dimitri was blocking the way.

“You’re dead.”

Malcolm, who was much taller, raised his hand towards Liria’s head.

Thinking she might get hit helplessly, Liria involuntarily frowned.

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh.

As if a wind blew in from somewhere, Eugene suddenly appeared, pushing past Dimitri and grabbing Malcolm’s arm.

Then he growled in a low voice.

“How dare you raise a hand against a direct descendant, is your head just for decoration?”

“Ah, Eugene oppa!”

“Squirt, hide behind me!”

“Okay.”

Liria quickly hid behind Eugene’s back.

Dimitri, who had been standing there stupidly unable to do anything, belatedly said.

“Magic isn’t just for direct descendants, you know?”

Swallowing a sneer, just as Dimitri was about to create a stone.

“Kiki, go bite him!”

The ferret that escaped from Liria’s bag instantly pounced on Dimitri.

The strong teeth that had been crunching on beef jerky bit into Dimitri’s ankle. He screamed and fell.

“Aaargh! My foot, my ankle!”

Tap, tap!

Simultaneously, smooth shoe steps stopped abruptly behind the children.