Goddess Kingmaker Chapter 13

“Aaang!”

 

I held on tenaciously, not hiding my strength that was as strong as pulling out the cradle railing. When he couldn’t take it from me easily, even Thebes joined in.

 

“Do you want to die, you little brat?!”

 

“Y-You can’t do that!”

 

Roen, who had been anxiously stomping her feet, finally rushed over.

 

Considering her timid nature, she must have mustered a great deal of courage. Her face flushed red as she spread her arms wide, blocking my front.

 

“Young Masters, that is the baby’s dress. Please, return it.”

 

“Ugh! Who do you think you are, you lowly maid?!”

 

“I… I’m sorry. But this was a gift personally sent by Count Montes. It’s the first proper dress our baby has received, so please don’t be cruel and—Ugh!”

 

—Plakk!

 

Roen’s head snapped to the side. There was no need to ask who the hand belonged to—it was the Grand Duchess.

 

“You dare to be mean to my sons? And you dare talk back?!”

 

“Y-Your Highness….”

 

The Grand Duchess, who had always ignored Roen as if she were invisible, lost all reason when it came to her sons.

 

When she pushed Roen’s shoulder hard, even with a slap, the little brats who thought, “That’s right!” were properly satisfied.

 

“Mom! More! Do it harder!”

 

“How ridiculous. Count Montes must have lost his mind. Of all people, why would he send a gift to the daughter of some unknown monster!”

 

“Please don’t say such things. The baby is listening. The baby is not a monster!”

 

“This insolent girl is still talking back?!”

 

“Argh!”

 

A maid, acting as the Grand Duchess’s hand, pushed Roen to the floor.

 

There was no need for the Grand Duchess to dirty her hands further.

 

Pleased by the maid’s flattery, she calmly folded her fan.

 

“Oh? Then why don’t we ask the child directly?”

 

With a smooth smile, she suddenly leaned toward me.

 

“Let it go.”

 

“……”

 

“No matter how young you are, you should know your place. It will be better for your future.”

 

Let… let it go.

 

Her red lips moved gently in front of my eyes.

 

Thebes, who was elated by his mother’s words, pulled the ribbon.

 

When Roen tried to block it once more, I slowly loosened my grip.

 

“Baby!”

 

“Yeah, that’s right.”

 

Despite Roen’s pitiful cries, the Grand Duchess raised her eyebrows in satisfaction.

 

I knew this was the best kindness she could offer me, so I stopped reacting altogether.

 

“Still, you’re better than that arrogant maid.”

 

“No, Mom. She’s just scared! She’s acting like a coward!”

 

“We’re not cowards, right, Mom?”

 

“Of course not. I raised you better than that.”

 

She patted her sons’ shoulders affectionately, tucking them under her arms.

 

Then, as if finally leaving, she turned away—but not before casting a sharp glare at Roen, who still collapsed on the floor.

 

“Still, what should we do about someone who doesn’t know their place?”

 

“Yes, Your Highness. For the sake of the discipline of the palace, she must be punished thoroughly.”

 

“Oh dear, no need to frighten the children with talk of punishment.”

 

She covered her children’s ears and acted as if nothing had happened.

 

“But some education might be necessary.”

 

“Then what should we do?”

 

“Bring her to Clayton Palace during the day and train her personally. Teach her that a servant must never bark or bite in front of her master.”

 

She finished what she wanted to say and turned around gracefully.

 

Meanwhile, Thebes, still holding onto my dress, stuck out his tongue and pulled down his lower eyelid mockingly.

 

Once the rowdy trio had finally disappeared, Roen clung desperately to the remaining maid of the Grand Duchess.

 

“I… I must take care of the baby. His Majesty said I have to stay by the baby’s side.”

 

“How dare you. Now you’re even using His Majesty as an excuse? That baby can’t even walk yet-just give it a toy and be done with it! Stop whining and come tomorrow. Understood?”

 

The maid, who was even more angry than her master, pushed Roen away without any hesitation.

 

In the end, Roen, who had been holding back tears with a desperate look on her face, came to me.

 

“Baby…. What should we do?”

 

“Mm…”

 

It’s okay, don’t cry.

 

I wiped away the tears streaming down Roen’s cheeks.

 

Surprised, Roen grabbed my tiny hand, bringing it to her lips.

 

“Hic… my sweet baby.”

 

“Aang.”

 

“It’s a relief… that you don’t understand anything yet. Please, forget everything you saw and heard today. Okay?”

 

“……”

 

But at Roen’s last words, there was no response, not even a babbling sound.

 

Instead, I just clung to Roen’s neck and growled, grinding my few teeth.

 

Forget? How could I?

 

I’ll remember it deep in my bones.

 

◇ ◆ ◇

 

The next day, Roen, who had been checking the clock all day with a worried expression, laid me in the cradle.

 

She pulled the blanket tightly over me and whispered lullabies in my ear.

 

She did her best to make me fall asleep, but when I wouldn’t fall asleep, she brought me a bunch of handmade rag dolls.

 

“Baby, I’ll be right back. Play with these, and if you wait without crying, I’ll come running, even if I have to run away. Okay?”

 

“Aang!”

 

Go! Just go already.

 

I smiled brightly to assure her that I was fine. But the more I did, the more uneasy she seemed. She kept looking back, swallowing her tears as she walked away.

 

“Baby, you must never leave the cradle.”

 

Roen cupped her hands around her mouth to emphasize the warning. But when she saw me hugging the doll tightly, completely unaware of the world, she muttered,

 

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Baby can’t even walk yet.”

 

The moment Roen left, feeling slightly relieved, I put the doll down beside me.

 

“Ahhh.”

 

Hey, come out.

 

I had already noticed the watchful eyes peeking this way.

 

Roen, distracted by her own worries, hadn’t realized, but my daily habit of scanning the surroundings from this cradle had long since caught them.

 

“Hey, she just left, right? You saw her leave, didn’t you?”

 

“Yeah. She walked out crying like an idiot.”

 

“……”

 

These little brats.

 

I wanted to curse, but I couldn’t dirty a baby’s mouth.

 

The troublemakers, who seemed even more energetic than yesterday, rushed in as soon as Roen left.

 

They stretched their shoulders and stretched their bodies from side to side, as if they were waiting for a moment when no one was around.

 

“Well, if we play here for a bit, no one will find out, right?”

 

“You saw it yesterday. Mom called this place a beggar’s den.”

 

“Haha, then this baby must be a beggar too.”

 

No matter what, it seems like that bastards have a similar sense of humor.

 

When I saw Harmel laughing out loud at Thebes’s words while pointing at me, I couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“Hey! Why are you laughing? Who gave you permission to laugh?”

 

“…..”

 

‘Do I need permission to even laugh in my own home?’

 

Today, having drawn a line in my life with the highest level of difficulty, I lay down again in a daze.

 

I wanted to hug the doll Roen gave me, but knowing these brats, they’d snatch away anything I showed affection for.

 

‘No!’

 

That doll was something Roen had stayed up all night sewing for me after I lost my dress.

 

I let my head drop onto the pillow, feeling utterly drained, and the troublemakers immediately leaned over my cradle.

 

“But Brother, doesn’t this ghost kid look a bit like Castiel?”

 

“Of course, they look alike. They’re siblings.”

 

“…..”

 

These idiots.

 

Although it was due to ignorance that made it difficult to tell the difference between siblings, I was struck by post-traumatic stress disorder when the emperor asked me, “Aren’t you a boy?”

 

‘There’s no one here. I see nothing. I hear nothing.’

 

Mumbling nonsense to brainwash myself, I suddenly stopped as a thought crossed my mind.

 

‘Now that I think about it, my brother’s name is Castiel.’

 

I heard from Roen that I have an older brother, but this is the first time I’ve heard his name.

 

I thought it was a pretty good name, but the troublemakers thought otherwise.

 

“Castiel is such a coward. I heard he never steps out of the Duke’s mansion.”

 

“He didn’t even come out that day.”

 

“What’s the point of being the son of a monster?”

 

Apparently, these brats grew closer when bad-mouthing someone.

 

After ridiculing my brother, they turned their complaints back to their own mother.

 

Seriously, they were living up to their title as little troublemakers.

 

“Ugh, but why does Mom insist we have to be in the Imperial Palace? Grandpa doesn’t care about us anyway.”

 

“Exactly! We can’t even run around or shout here!”

 

“At least we found this place. In this beggar’s den, we can do whatever we want, and no one will scold us!”

 

They stomped around noisily, showing no concern for the baby in the room.

 

Soon, they turned it into a competition to see who could make the loudest sound.

 

‘I hear nothing. My ears are closed.’

 

Once again, I attempted to brainwash myself. Lying there, staring blankly at the ceiling, I lazily bit my lips.

 

For a moment, I even considered crying just to humor them, but they weren’t worth the effort.

 

“…….”

 

Instead, I just lay there, staring at my tiny feet.

 

With more focus than any of my previous self-brainwashing attempts, I wiggled my big toe.

 

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