TEWMD Chapter 05

Chapter 5

“Waaaaah!”

“Waaaaaaaaah!”

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…”

My desperate scream traveled far away on the gentle breeze.

Maybe it was because the village was surrounded by huge mountains.

It made a really nice echo, almost like shouting “Yahoo!” from the top of a mountain.

Of course, it probably felt even more dramatic because nobody else was saying anything.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around.

“……”

“……?”

As expected, everyone was staring at me.

Even though they had been having a very serious conversation just moments ago, they all looked completely stunned.

Gasp.

Maybe this much attention was a little too much.

But if it can save Mom, I can do even worse things than this.

I glanced at the scroll.

The progress was still at 1%.

Just as I thought.

The side story wouldn’t begin unless Mom said, “Let’s go to the Imperial Palace!”

That meant if I could stop Mom from going to the palace, she wouldn’t die, and the world wouldn’t be destroyed either.

“What’s wrong, Cici?”

“Are you sick?”

Mom and Dad Harzen quickly came back to their senses and asked me worriedly.

Good.

I’d gotten everyone’s attention.

Now I just need to finish the job.

I had to separate Mom from Count Rionard.

Even if this was only a temporary solution.

“Mommy.”

I climbed down from Dad Harzen’s waist, grabbed Mom’s clothes, and looked up at her with big, innocent eyes.

“There are too many people here. I’m scared.”

“Is that why you screamed, Cici?”

“That wasn’t really a scream. It was almost a battle cry. I thought another ♩♬ monster had appeared.”

Kyle’s shoulders trembled as he muttered.

I glared at him for a moment before putting on my most pitiful expression again.

I am Puss in Boots.

No one in this world can resist my eyes.

Sad eyes…

Big, innocent eyes…

“Indeed.”

Had my desperate look worked?

Dad Harzen looked around with his blue eyes and spoke.

“This is certainly an environment that could frighten a child. If they only wanted our cooperation, there would have been no need to bring this many soldiers.”

Count Rionard swallowed nervously before answering.

“I believe I already gave you the answer earlier.”

“You already answered?”

“His Majesty ordered us to bring you back even if we had to use force if you refused…”

“Force?”

Harzen immediately gave a cold laugh.

“With so few soldiers?”

“…Even if you are Duke Einhalt, we will not tolerate you insulting our soldiers any further.”

Jesus Christ, holy moly.

I was trying to stop the destruction of the world, but now it looked like I was going to cause the destruction of the entire empire!

“Mommy, Daddy.”

I quickly reached out and grabbed Dad Harzen’s leg.

“That man is scary, and Daddy is scary too. I want to go home.”

Those scary men and my dads need to be separated.

Preferably forever.

“Go inside with your dads first, Cici. Mommy will come in as soon as I’m finished talking—”

“No! I can’t go without Mommy!”

Mom is the most important thing!

“Cici.”

Mom called my name with a serious expression.

I guess I have no choice.

I had just decided to become a mature and well-behaved seven-year-old.

But…

Ah, whatever.

I’ll put aside being a good daughter for just a little while.

I slowly lay down on the ground.

Then…

“NOOOOOOO!”

I started kicking and screaming as hard as I could.

“They tried to hurt Mommy earlier too! They’re bad men! No! I don’t want them here!”

How about that?

This is the legendary tantrum of a troublesome seven-year-old!

“Oh, this is embarrassing. Oh dear…”

Kyle covered his face with one hand and turned away.

Then Derek started walking toward me.

“Bad behavior.”

He picked up my struggling body.

“Stop.”

Dad Harzen spoke again.

His face was still cold.

“This is the first time she has shown such a strong dislike for something, isn’t it?”

“……”

“And considering you came here asking for our help, it is also true that you have not treated us with the respect appropriate for such a request.”

“That is—”

“For today, withdraw.”

Harzen lifted his chin and spoke sharply.

“This request is far too sudden for us to accept immediately. We need time to think.”

“But—”

“Or are you planning to defeat us by force?”

The moment Harzen finished speaking, a huge magic circle appeared above the soldiers.

“…I will return tomorrow at this same time. I will come alone then.”

Count Rionard stepped backward as if he had no choice.

I checked the progress.

It was still at 1%.

I let out a deep sigh.

Good.

At least I stopped the side story from progressing for now…

“And Cecilia.”

At the same time, an icy voice came from above me.

“Go inside. We need to talk with Mommy and Daddy.”

I guess the only thing left now is paying the price for my troublesome seven-year-old behavior.

Once I went inside the house, I got completely destroyed.

Absolutely destroyed.

Ugh… I’m exhausted.

Getting scolded by four people at the same time nearly made my soul leave my body.

“Cici.”

After getting a long lecture, I went back to my room.

I was trying hard to think of a solution when I heard a voice through the slightly opened door.

“Are you still sulking?”

I turned toward the voice.

Of course, Mom and my dads were standing in the doorway.

Maybe they felt bad after scolding me so much.

They were standing there one after another like a line of sausages.

“Honestly, they were a little too much. They could have stopped after saying it once, but they had to keep going and going.”

“That’s not it.”

I shook my head and denied Kyle’s words.

Meanwhile, the four of them surrounded my bed.

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“Our princess still looks sad.”

I’m not sad because I got scolded.

I’m sad because my future is doomed.

This is actually perfect.

Since everyone was already here, I could try to convince Mom.

“Mommy.”

As soon as I made up my mind, I looked directly at Mom and slowly asked,

“Are you going to the Imperial Palace?”

“Well…”

“Can’t you just not go?”

I can’t tell you the real reason, but I have a very important reason.

“How am I supposed to live without Mommy? Hmm? Hmm?”

“How will you live? You can stay with your dads.”

“Even without Dad Harzen?”

Are you seriously planning to leave me with those two?

Seriously? Really?

“……”

Mom pursed her lips and silently moved her eyes around.

“What’s wrong with us? Is there some problem?”

“There are lots of problems.”

“Hey! You can’t say that!”

Mom sighed deeply before slowly speaking.

“Cici. You want Mommy to live for a very, very long time, right?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Of course, Mommy.

That’s exactly why I’m trying to stop you like this.

“There is someone who wants me to live for a very long time too. But that person is very sick right now.”

Gasp.

She was using the classic “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” lesson on me.

Now I had nothing to say.

“What if it’s a lie?”

“What if it isn’t?”

“……”

“I’ll really come back soon. If you listen to your dads and behave well, I’ll be back within ten nights.”

After saying that, Mom held out her pinky toward me.

I stared silently at her finger.

If I linked my pinky with hers and promised, wouldn’t Mom’s life be in danger?

But whether I made the promise or not, Mom wasn’t going to change her mind.

Of course, my mother was extremely strict and scary toward bad people.

But deep down, she was an incredibly kind and selfless person who always wanted to save people.

Hmph.

But just this once, I wish Mommy wasn’t such a wonderful person.

I secretly glanced at the scroll.

Progress remaining until full activation: 0.5%

0.5%?

Is this thing seriously teasing me now?!

“Ugh… I guess I can’t help it.”

I finally pouted and looked at Mom.

Since things have come this far…

I’ll use Plan B.

Pink-Haired Heroine Fan Club

Spoiler

If only there had been anyone else in the Imperial Palace at this time, I don’t think the ending would have turned out this ♩♬ terrible.

And as luck would have it, I saw this spoiler right after returning to my room.