TBLM 04

Chapter 4

House Heartfinder was not a particularly ancient family, but apparently the first head of the family—and the current Count of Heartfinder—was a once-in-a-thousand-years genius.

He was famous even among commoners as a living legend.

According to one account, he wielded even greater power than the Emperor of the Baros Empire.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Baros Empire couldn’t function without the Count of Heartfinder.

That was why he had quite a significant role in the novel as well.

Whenever the protagonist was in trouble or had fallen into a trap, he would suddenly appear with a dramatic ta-da!, solve everything in the blink of an eye, and then disappear again.

He was practically a master key who could solve any problem.

On top of his abilities, the Count of Heartfinder also possessed considerable personal charm.

That was why he was very popular with readers, and he was one of my favorite characters too.

And to think that such a person was my grandfather!

And…

Apparently, the Count of Heartfinder was also incredibly handsome.

By everyone’s admission, the Count of Heartfinder was the most beautiful man in this world.

It was said that, through his immense magical power and years of training, he had reached the realm of transcendence and maintained a youthful appearance.

Just looking at Bernando, his direct descendant, was enough to prove how stunningly beautiful the family’s bloodline was.

I was really looking forward to meeting him.

For the first time since entering the novel, I was going to meet a proper character from the story.

My heart swelled with anticipation.

Now that I thought about it, this was an incredible opportunity.

A chance to escape from the poverty I was sick and tired of…

Perhaps the only chance I would ever get!

It would have been absurd to throw away an opportunity like this without even trying.

But there was still one very important issue before I could happily follow Bernando.

I desperately concealed my excitement and spoke to Bernando as calmly as possible.

“…If I pretend to have a good father-daughter relationship with you in front of the Count of Heartfinder, as you suggested, what will you give me in return?”

“Give you? Do I really need to spell it out? Once you enter the Count’s family, you won’t have to work as hard as you do now. You won’t have to suffer from poverty anymore, you won’t go hungry, and you’ll be treated with the utmost respect for the rest of your life.”

“That’s obvious!”

Bernando stiffened at my response.

Trying to get all that for free, are you?

Judging by how hard he was trying to get away with it, I suspected Bernando’s favorite food was probably sashimi.

I glared at him fiercely, and he spoke with a sigh.

“…I thought you were merely perceptive, but you’re quite crafty as well.”

“I’ve been living on the streets for years. Of course I am.”

I’m not an ordinary nine-year-old, after all.

Everything Bernando had listed was simply what I would naturally be entitled to once I became a member of a noble family.

Bernando stood there for a long while with a thoughtful expression before slowly opening his mouth.

“All right. Fine. Since you’ll be officially recognized as my daughter, I’ll naturally provide everything I mentioned. And once I become head of the family, I’ll make sure you receive your fair share as well. You’re now my only child, so you’ll probably inherit a considerable fortune. I’ll even pass a small territory on to you. Are you still dissatisfied?”

Yes!

I’d only said it just in case, but I couldn’t believe this had actually worked!

See? It never hurts to negotiate.

House Heartfinder was the richest family in the Baros Empire.

I’d wondered whether I might get a thousand gold coins or so as a reward, but I was going to receive property and a territory!

Receiving a territory from House Heartfinder was, in modern terms, basically the equivalent of someone saying, “I’ll give you an entire building sitting on prime Gangnam real estate.”

Everything produced within the territory would belong to me.

It was a goose that laid golden eggs that would never stop.

In other words, I could spend the rest of my life playing around and eating without ever having to work.

I tried to maintain my poker face, but there was no way I could hide how happy I was.

“H-Hmm… Well, I suppose it can’t be helped! If you really need me that badly, I’ll help you! Of course, purely out of! Goodwill!”

“…It’s painfully obvious how happy you are.”

“……”

At some point, the corners of my mouth had risen so high they seemed determined to reach the sky.

Damn it… My facial muscles are way too honest.

I’d never be able to play poker for a living.

“H-Hmph! Let’s leave quickly! We have to get to the Heartfinder estate before sunset. The days in Baros are short!”

“……”

I deliberately raised my voice and strode ahead.

I had no idea what expression Bernando was making behind me.

From there, I said goodbye to Mr. Dumpling and Mrs. Dumpling—the innkeeper’s wife. Even though people say that married couples tend to resemble each other, when I first met her, I honestly thought she was Mr. Dumpling’s sister—and turned around.

Or rather, I tried to.

Suddenly, Mr. Dumpling demanded payment for the cost of raising me all these years.

The nerve of him, after exploiting me as an unpaid worker!

I protested furiously, insisting that I wouldn’t give him anything, but Bernando calmly handed the two of them a pouch of gold coins as payment for raising me and took me away.

Apparently, he said settling things with money would cause fewer problems later.

I hadn’t expected some tearful farewell, but wasn’t this a little too devoid of affection?

Once I climbed into the carriage, I looked out the window at the dilapidated inn where I’d lived and muttered,

“…Hellbaros.”

“You should stop using that word from now on.”

Bernando, who had been giving the coachman some instructions before departure, casually spoke after hearing my grumbling.

“What?”

Without even looking at me, Bernando answered as casually as though he were discussing everyday matters.

“The Imperial Palace is determined to find whoever coined that word and execute them.”

“Whaaat?! M-Me?”

“……”

Had an imperial manhunt been issued for me without my knowledge?

Bernando’s movements abruptly stopped at my unintentional outburst.

Then he looked at me suspiciously with his bright red eyes.

Oh no. I slipped up!

I immediately covered my mouth.

“You…”

“……”

The suspicion in Bernando’s eyes only grew stronger.

I spread my arms wide and crossed them into an X.

“N-No, not me! I mean, someone I know! Someone I know! …But whyyy?”

I put on the most innocent, deer-like expression I could manage.

I wondered what I’d do if he didn’t buy it, but fortunately, Bernando soon withdrew his suspicious gaze.

“Hellba… Ahem. Anyway, apparently that word has become popular among the commoners. They say someone is using it to incite the common people, telling them that this country is hell and that they need to escape.”

“I-Incite them?”

I stammered in shock at Bernando’s astonishing words.

No… Isn’t that taking things a little too far?!

…But did that guy just almost accidentally say Hellbaros himself?

It really seemed like the word had spread much farther than I’d expected.

Maybe I should just report it to the Imperial Palace myself.

“That’s how people in power think. Commoners are supposed to be satisfied with whatever they’re given and accept that life is naturally difficult. But if someone tells them that this place is hell, they’ll become dissatisfied and eventually start a rebellion.”

“A-A rebellion?!”

I’d only said it as a joke to make light of this miserable world…

Why were they taking words like incitement and rebellion so seriously?!

Was there no freedom of speech here?!

…Ah.

Right.

There wasn’t.

If something as extravagant as freedom of speech existed here, the name Hellbaros probably never would have caught on in the first place.

…Maybe I’d done something much more serious than I thought.

I spent a moment reflecting on my actions.

Bernando gave me a brief, puzzled glance before continuing in a cynical voice.

“Well, in truth, the people who turned this place into hell are probably simply furious because they’ve been hit where it hurts. But from now on, you’ll be spending your time around many nobles, so be careful what you say and make sure you don’t give anyone a reason to take offense.”

“…Understood.”

When Bernando added, “For the sake of your own safety, too,” I nodded vigorously in agreement.

If I got caught…

I’d be executed.

The moment I entered the Count’s estate, my mouth fell open.

Since House Heartfinder was said to be the most powerful family in Baros, I’d spent the entire journey imagining how enormous their residence would be.

But the actual mansion surpassed anything my imagination could have conjured.

I had no choice but to admit it.

The Count’s estate was the most beautiful place I’d ever seen in my entire life.

The moment we entered, all the servants were lined up to welcome their master and the new master.

Even though there was quite a distance between the main gate and the mansion, the servants of House Heartfinder filled the entire path as they stood in orderly rows.

The sheer scale of it reminded me of a small village.

The garden was lush and green, as though a skilled gardener tended to every inch of it with painstaking care every single day.

The exterior of the mansion was decorated with delicate carvings, making it look like a work of art.

But what caught my attention most was the floor.

Every floor inside the mansion was made of gleaming polished marble—the kind where, if you accidentally slipped and fell, you probably wouldn’t escape without a serious head injury.

If the Count’s estate was this enormous and beautiful, just how magnificent and grand must the Imperial Palace be?

I couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

Just as I was staring at the polished marble floor and making a mental note never to run inside the house, Bernando spoke to me.

“I assume you understand, but from now on, you need to call me Father. I’ve already informed everyone in the household that you’re coming.”

“Yes.”

“If you need me, come to the room at the far right on the third floor. And besides us, there are also…”

“……?”

“……”

Bernando had been explaining everything to me slowly when he suddenly frowned.

Why does he look like that?

I looked up at Bernando in confusion.

“For now… you’ll need to be washed. You look absolutely dreadful.”