I Live With My Villain Uncle Chapter 27

“Yes…… What about you, Miss?”

But the young woman even took off her gloves and pulled me into a tight hug.

“I’ve been well. I’m so glad. I’ve missed you so much, Aika. Thank you for coming back……”

Then she gently patted my back.

There were tears in her eyes as I looked at her face again.

The flower shop lady exchanged a few words with Zenda before taking my hand again.

“I’ll show you the flowers.”

“Yes! I’m going to give flowers to three people tomorrow. They have to be really pretty flowers. And there’s someone I’m giving a present to today, too. My Uncle! Oh, I have to give one to Gerard, too. And Zenda!”

“I’m fine, Miss.”

“Haha, you’re giving one to your Uncle? All right, I understand. I’ll pick out the freshest and prettiest flowers for you.”

It was quite a while later when I finally had the flowers I was going to give Uncle and Gerard in my arms, while Zenda carried one flower I had picked for her and another bouquet for tomorrow.

Then the flower shop lady held out a single rose to me.

“This one is a present for you, Aika. Come visit again next time, okay?”

“Thank you!”

I bowed politely and hurried outside so I could go to Uncle.

In the distance, I saw a tall figure standing with his hands shoved into his pockets.

Uncle was talking about something with Gerard, who had appeared at some point.

I quickly ran over.

“Is that it?”

“Yep! Uncle, this is yours!”

And I suddenly held out the biggest sunflower to Uncle.

It was the biggest one in the flower shop.

“What. Is it for me to eat?”

“Nooo! It’s Uncle’s present. Why would you eat it? You’re supposed to keep it beside you while you work.”

Uncle took the flower with an indifferent look.

“It’s my money anyway.”

“……”

I had nothing to say, but I glared at him with my cheeks puffed up in protest.

Uncle really knew how to say the most annoying things.

Then Uncle simply picked me up into his arms.

I quickly held out a flower to Gerard as well.

“You’re so troublesome. We can go now, right?”

“Yep!”

“Good thinking, Peanut.”

“I told you, I’m not a peanut!”

“Then grow up if you’re so offended.”

Annoyed by Uncle, I timidly grabbed a handful of his hair as he strode toward the carriage.

Though Uncle didn’t seem to feel it at all!

 

***

 

The next day.

I had asked Zenda in advance, so I woke up two whole hours early.

Today was finally the day I had promised to meet Ruspe at the Imperial Palace.

After breakfast, I hurried to get ready so we could go straight to the Imperial Palace.

I packed the flowers for Ruspe.

The flowers for Grandfather.

The flowers for His Majesty the Emperor.

Candy and a handkerchief.

And I had to make sure to tell Uncle to bring the key.

“Ah, Zenda.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“What happened to the lady who came to visit yesterday? Did she get home safely?”

Come to think of it, there had been no one at the main gate when we returned home.

“Yes, I believe so. It was nothing serious, so please don’t worry about it.”

“It wasn’t something bad? That lady from yesterday came to the banquet, right? Her voice sounded like one I heard there.”

I told her the truth.

I’d already been scolded for everything I could be scolded for anyway!

Zenda’s eyes widened.

“You remembered something like that?”

“Yep. If I had gone with you, I would have seen her face, too.”

“Hmm……. I think she was indeed one of the people you saw, my lady”

I whipped my head around.

“Why, why did she come?”

“Um……. It’s a little difficult to explain……”

“Tell me!”

Zenda reluctantly opened her mouth.

“They committed a serious offense against you, my lady.”

“Umm……. But I was okay.”

“Absolutely not. That’s why House Vallier and House Reguier have barred members of those four families from entering the shops and stores operated by their houses.”

“Why……?”

“Because they did something wrong. I heard the family of the person who came yesterday was included as well.”

Apparently, all the places where young noble ladies who were eligible to attend banquets in the capital rushed to order their dresses were owned by Uncle and Grandfather.

Even their jewelry and shoes were among the most sought-after.

“Is that really such a big deal?”

Enough of a big deal for her to come all the way to our house?

“If a young lady is sensitive to the latest fashions, she would make a reservation even if she had to pay extra. But now they’ve been completely barred from even entering those shops.”

“……”

“On top of that, they’ve withdrawn from every business connected in even the slightest way to those four families, including the Green family. I heard their sources of income have been cut off so badly that if this continues, they may even end up in debt.”

“Really?”

“Yes. That’s probably why she came to ask for forgiveness. It’s one of the reasons people are afraid of House Vallier.”

What? Things had gotten that serious?

“Because of me……?”

At my question, Zenda added,

“No. They are simply paying a price appropriate for the wrong they committed, so it isn’t because of you, my lady. Please don’t worry about it.”

“But what if everyone starts hating us and avoiding us?”

“That’s not something you need to worry about. There are already families lining up to take the newly opened spots and do business with them.”

“How do you know so much, Zenda?”

“I heard it from Gerard yesterday.”

“……”

“Learn from this. How to deal with trash.”

Suddenly, Uncle’s low voice echoed in my ears.

How to deal with trash…….

I wasn’t sure if I fully understood everything, and I still thought it was frightening, but I decided to remember what Uncle had said.

Because it might become a way for me to protect my grandfather and my family.

And.

And……

And!

“Waaaaah!”

The room Zenda took me to after breakfast was filled with all the toys and dolls I had seen at the toy store yesterday, exactly as they had been.

“Zenda, look at this!”

“Hehe, are you that happy?”

“Yep! They’re all brand-new!”

I plopped down right in the middle and looked around.

They were all here.

Every single one I had carefully looked at in the toy store yesterday.

“……”

No.

Except for one.

The doll I had chosen.

I eagerly rummaged through the mountain of toys looking for it, but the doll I had picked wasn’t there.

“……The doll.”

Why wasn’t it here? Everything else I had seen yesterday was here.

I trusted Uncle.

As expected, Uncle was not someone I could trust.

This wouldn’t do.

I might have to send grandfather a letter asking him to buy that doll for me.

Unable to hide my disappointment, I slumped my shoulders and looked at Zenda.

Zenda suddenly burst out laughing.

“Zenda, why……?”

Did she think this was funny? I was devastated!

There were plenty of good toys, but something was missing.

For some reason, that one had caught my attention among all those toys.

It wasn’t a puppy or a polar bear, but a plump-looking white-furred doll with black eyes.

It had no other decorations, just a metal button hanging from its neck like a necklace, exactly like my nameplate!

The button had a large claw-shaped design on it, like a tiger’s claw.

“Why don’t you go ask the master?”

“Uncle?”

“Yes. He might know where the doll is.”

“Gasp.”

At those words, I jumped to my feet and went looking for Uncle.

I really did trust Uncle.

He was the only person I could trust in the first place.

When I heard that Uncle was on the first floor, I dashed down the stairs.

Uncle was sitting leisurely on a sofa in the first-floor hall.

Holding the doll I had wanted so badly.

I hurried over to Uncle and stretched out my hands.

“Uncle, give it to me!”

But Uncle quickly raised the hand holding the doll.

Then he gave me an annoyingly smug grin.

“Take it.”

“……”

As if I wouldn’t be able to take it if he told me to!

Like I was climbing a mountain, I stepped onto Uncle’s rock-hard thigh and climbed up.

Uncle let out a short, pained “Ugh.”

“Hey, am I the ground? Is it okay for you to step all over me like that?”

At the same time, I managed to grab the doll.

Oh, I got it.

Thankfully, it came into my hands so easily that I didn’t even have to use any strength.

“Hehe.”

“You like it that much?”

“Yep. I like it the most in the whole world.”

Once I hugged the doll to my chest, a deep sense of satisfaction welled up inside me.

Yes, this was it!

“All right, now get down.”

“Okay!”

I grabbed Uncle’s clothes as though I were trying to tear them off while trying to steady myself so I could climb back down.

But my body suddenly wobbled.

“Be careful.”

A firm hand touched my back.

That was when—

“Ah.”

Again.

Without any control over it, my vision suddenly turned hazy.

Not in front of Uncle!

I thought it had been quiet for several days, but no matter how many times this happened, I could never get used to it.

I’ve been so comfortable for the past few days!

Mommy had told me this was our secret, but this was absolutely not something I could control.

What was I supposed to do when my vision changed all on its own?

Mommy hadn’t told me about this.

No.

She couldn’t have told me.

How was I supposed to deal with something like this?

That was why I was afraid of having this ability.

What if I became unable to escape from this vision?

The only thing I could think of right now was going to the Ancient Book Room with the key Mommy had given me.

Mommy said I would be able to see it.

Though maybe that was just what I thought.

“Peanut. Hey, Aika……”

Uncle was calling my name, but his voice seemed to grow farther and farther away.