I came today to cast a strong and righteous holy knight who swore loyalty to Melodia.

I will bring him to our villainous family as a knight to protect me and my father.

In the same way Melodia won his heart.

With my knowledge of the original story, it won’t be difficult to persuade him.

‘That person will surely stand on the opposite side of me someday, so he’ll be helpful in stopping Axel.’

His powerful and destructive holy power was the antithesis of Axel who used black magic. So he would clearly be a great help in stopping Axel.

‘Now that he hasn’t met Melodia, he’s probably hiding his abilities because he hasn’t found a lord to pledge loyalty to.’

I decided to carefully approach where he would be.

***

Going into the temple was going to take an extremely long time with my footsteps.

The maids with their wide strides picked me up and set me down in the center of the temple in less than a minute.

“Thank you, Sien is happy!”

“It’s the honor of a lifetime!”

“You’re too soft, ugh. You need to build some muscle.”

The maids are way too excessive! I’m already quite impressive for a 4-5 year old child.

“We have to leave now,” they said.

“Huh?”

“The sacred temple… is incompatible with the Mirmode family, so we can’t stay long in a group.”

“But we’ll find a way to come back, so go in for now!”

The maids’ eyes sparkled.

As expected of a villainous family. To be hostile forces with the temple.

I nodded my head while inwardly sighing. A maid whispered while dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve.

“…I’m worried, even if it’s just for a moment! Whether our baby will endure well here.”

Objectively, it wasn’t something to cry about. I just needed to find one holy knight, but I thought it was overprotective anyway.

I waved my hands to shoo the maids outside. Then I began to carefully examine the interior of the temple while moving my short chubby legs diligently, but soon faced a major problem.

‘I came in recklessly, but now how do I find Sir Ted? I don’t know what he looks like.’

Since the Senoa Temple isn’t big, I might be able to find him quickly. I walked around inside the temple, toddling eagerly.

The temple corridors were large but eerily quiet with no one coming to pray.

It was also strange that there were no adult priests to ask for directions.

‘Ah, there’s someone over there!’

I had expected there to always be baby priests and priestesses in the temple.

My expectation was correct.

As soon as I went past the corridor to the landing, I could see a group of young priests.

“What’s this?”

“Hello! Um, by any chance…”

I was about to say the name of the holy knight I came looking for. Or say that I wanted to see the succession ceremony for holy knights held every night.

I was full of hope until they glared at me.

“Did you come to donate offerings? Give them to us first.”

I tilted my head.

I didn’t come to donate offerings. Moreover, what were these kids trying to do to a baby, I wondered.

I was bewildered by the four young priests… no, thugs, who surrounded me without any gaps.

‘Am I being extorted right now?’

I came to the temple to meet a holy knight?

It was a bewildering situation. I looked around, but my view was blocked by them.

“Look at those clothes. A noble? But seeing as you’re alone, you must have been abandoned.”

“Gasp, it must be true. There’s no maid.”

“What, so you’re a beggar.”

“Doesn’t look like there’s anything to extort, right?”

I froze.

Being called abandoned was a huge trauma for me. So when I heard such words, my mind would go blank for a few seconds.

‘I wasn’t abandoned. Dad said Sien is the most precious thing in the world.’

I wanted to spit it out bluntly.

But maybe because of the trauma, it was difficult to respond immediately to the outpouring malice. As I remained frozen in that state, they spewed out malicious words.

“Is this kid stupid? There’s no answer even though she heard us.”

“Look how chubby she is!”

“You’re gonna get beaten by Gabrielle!”

The maids are too excessive! I’m already quite impressive for a 4-5 year old child.

I finally regained my senses from the trauma and thought.

‘It’s not chubby, it’s plump. You idiots!’

Words like chubby were only used for baby pigs. I frowned and clenched my plump fist tightly.

‘I can’t stand such bad words!’

I was going to ignore them and leave, but I can’t.

To even resort to personal attacks, they’re very bad kids, so I need to educate them a little.

I opened my mouth ominously like a detective in a scary mystery novel, looking at them.

“Kids.”

“What?”

The children glared at me with fierce eyes.

Children are not always pure and innocent. That was the truth of the world I had realized.

I stood with one leg out, widened my eyes, and spat on the ground.

I was about to blurt out the curse words I had said to my dad, but stopped for a moment.

‘I don’t need to curse.’

I smiled with my innocent eyes half-closed like a broken sun.

“Shut up.”

“Wh-what?”

“I’m not a beggar. I’m looking for someone. So move!”

The kids who seemed speechless for a moment exchanged glances with each other and glared at me again. They were probably strengthening their bond with each other.

Even while wearing pure white priest robes, they were quite vicious and knew well what bullying was.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Forget it, get out of our temple!”

Eventually, one child grabbed my hair and messed it up.

“Aack! Ow! Get away!”

The “safety device” given by grandmother was helpless against the slight malice sent by a young child. That safety device only worked when there was danger to my life, but a young child couldn’t affect my life. It was only natural.

“No!”

“I’ll grab you too, you idiot!”

In the midst of grabbing and being grabbed by the hair.

Fortunately, a relief pitcher appeared for me.

“What is going on here.”

The sound of hurried footsteps.

“Baby priests, you must not bully your friend!”

When the gruff but dignified voice was heard, the children scattered noisily.

I quickly turned my head while grabbing my slightly torn hair.

“Thank y-”

Oh, that mister who helped. Something about his appearance…!

It seems familiar!

‘Could that person be… Ted?’

A holy knight in white clothes with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Tall, always carrying a sword on his left side, with a faint scar on his left cheek.

Even maintaining white ceremonial clothes every day thanks to his perfectionism.

I stared at him intently and compared him to the information in my head.

‘I found him right away, my person.’

But before I could rejoice, the baby priests maliciously interrupted.

“We weren’t bullying!”

The young priests started to act up terribly. There was no need to do this… It was strange.

However, the subtle sense of discomfort was soon shattered as soon as the young priests opened their mouths again.

“Shouldn’t you believe us, if you’re a holy knight?”

“She was the one who first acted violently towards us and caused a commotion.”

“She lay face down on the floor and messed up her hair, see? Look at that messy hair!”

When they were the ones who pulled it!

I was being pushed more and more on the defensive.

Fortunately, the holy knight didn’t seem to believe their words.

“…You shouldn’t lie. Until now, even to the maids-”

“It’s not a lie! Do you have proof?”

“If you keep doing this, Gabrielle might punish you!”

“Gabrielle?”

“Yeah! She’s the one with the highest holy power in our temple! They say she might even become a saint later!”

‘Why does this name sound so familiar?’

It was a name that gave me a sense of déjà vu.

However, there was no time to ponder about the name Gabrielle.

The children looked at each other with frightened faces and then pushed me.

“Hurry up and get rid of her!”

“Send away the outsider with no offerings!”

I took in each of their shocked expressions one by one.

“Ted, don’t tell me you’re siding with that idiot now?”

The holy knight looked down at me with troubled eyes.

Even if they’re babies, the priests and priestesses are beings he must protect. So it’s difficult to scold them outright.

So I decided I should help him.

“Did you really not bully me?”

I grinned and looked at them confidently.

I’ve totally regained my confidence.

Whether they affirm that they bullied me or deny it, in a few seconds it would be them getting punished, not me.

“Do you know what this is, kids?”

I grinned and shook the watch on my wrist.

‘This is the gift from grandmother that was given to our dad!’

It was a video orb artifact that could perfectly reproduce voices and faces, and detect a person even if the video was blurry.

It was mainly used to protect children or track crimes, and was characterized by being worth the price of a mansion.

The children, seeing such an expensive artifact for the first time, looked at me bewildered with my confident face.

“Ta-da.”

When I tapped on the video orb artifact disguised as a watch, a large video appeared in the air.

And in it, what happened earlier began to play.

‘Are you stupid?’

‘Look how chubby you are!’

‘Send her to Gabrielle to be dealt with!’

The watch artifact that grandmother put on me to protect me.

The characteristic of this artifact is that if something big happens to me, it immediately transmits the situation with video to grandmother.

‘My grandmother really likes me!’

…Actually I’m not sure, but I decided to think that way. Because thinking that way makes me feel better.

I thought as I brazenly pushed my round belly forward.

And in fact, this artifact had another function.

It was to record my view exactly as I saw it. This was a function that grandmother added because she was worried I might be mistreated by the high priests of the temple.

‘Who knew the video orb would be this useful.’

I tapped the watch to turn off the video with a big smile. Then I said to them. As if I had prepared a surprising event.

“Ta-da.”

Fortunately, my baby talk didn’t come out! Encouraged by this, I pouted my lips and added one more line pretentiously.

“It was a video orb!”

This time my speech was a bit clumsy, but it’s okay.

I lifted my chin shamelessly. Of course, because I had gained the upper hand!

In contrast to my smile, the young children seemed very flustered. They asked, clenching their front teeth.

“S-so what are you going to do?”

I knew this would happen.

This was all within my expectations. Originally, when people are caught off guard, they either feel wronged or act shamelessly.

‘Now you’re going to act shamelessly, aren’t you?’

I smiled widely at them, showing my front teeth like white early sweet corn.

“I’m gonna tell my granny everything.”

“Who cares about your beggar grandmother!”

“My grandmother is Duchess Lucella Mirmode!”

I observed their reactions with a chuckle.

The Mirmode family.

To children, they were like the bogeyman or tiger.

Especially to the priests, they would feel even more like the axis of evil.

Sure enough.

“Mi-Mirmode?”

“It must be a lie!”

Towards the stupid kids who were denying reality, I continued to pronounce carefully and clearly.

“Stupid, the Mirmodes are coming to get you?”

As soon as the children heard the name ‘Mirmode’, they burst into tears.

I shook my head as I watched the children who had been making vicious expressions until just now sobbing.

Kids will be kids after all.

If you’re going to crumble at once, why bully people?