Became the Villainess’s Guardian

As Freugne was a good child with enough restraint to pass the marshmallow test, she never told Edan to stop visiting the orphanage or other places, offering to take over everything herself.

Frankly, no matter how much she thought about it, such a suggestion would have been too cruel.
It was not a sentiment she should have harbored towards children even younger than herself. Though Freugne herself was still of school age when she had such thoughts, it was undoubtedly cruel nonetheless.

Objectively speaking, Freugne tended to be quite possessive.
If she had lacked such desires from the outset, she would not have conceived the plan to covertly devour the kingdom, so in a way, it was only natural.

And human relationships, belonging to a category that could not be obtained at will like money or power, were one of the few factors that complicated her mindset.

Just looking at Edan alone, had he not shot at her future self?
The human heart was fickle like a reed, yet unyielding above all else. And unlike a machine that outputted B when inputted A, it required considering numerous factors.

Of course, she had heard that methods existed to control the human heart at will, such as the Demonic Tribe’s magic or Professor Magni’s ability.
But could such inauthentic means truly be called a normal relationship?

The reason for Freugne’s jealousy was simple.

In her childhood, having never properly possessed anything, be it clothes or money, she had been oblivious. But upon reflection, she had simply disliked losing things – she had wanted everything.

“I wanted it all.”

“Then, aren’t you doing well as it is now? You lack neither money nor connections with the members, and you’ve even built bridges with capitalists and entrepreneurs.”

“No, there’s still one thing missing.”

Disliking loss. Wanting it all.
At a glance, they might seem similar concepts, but the latter required the added desire to possess what one did not already have.

If money was lacking, one would want more money. If power was lacking, one would desire higher social status and reputation.
And confining it to human relationships, one would wish to monopolize that heart. Whether that desire stemmed from familial love or not… she was uncertain.

“Hmm.”

“Wh-Why are you like that…?”

“Hmmmm.”

“……?”

The day after returning from the orphanage with Edan, Freugne glanced at Sithe upon arriving at school and asked:

“I have a question.”

“Yes, yes! Go ahead.”

“What do you think about Mr. Edan? No need to beat around the bush, just be honest.”

Come to think of it, wasn’t Sithe also somewhat dependent on Edan to a degree?

While she fully funded the organization’s operations herself, caring for and educating the vagrant children had to be done aboveground.
So while Freugne contributed in the form of donations, most of the expenses came from Edan’s own pockets.

Asked to be frank, Sithe’s response flowed like a clear stream.

“He’s a good person. Thanks to him, I’ve been able to learn magic and make friends! If it weren’t for his help, I’d probably still be working in a factory in the slums. Hehe.”

“I see. Anything else that comes to mind?”

“Not just me, but seeing how he’s brought in other children too, he must be wealthy. And… he must have a kind heart as well! Most adults I’ve met so far have been rather stingy with money.”

As Sithe continued, Freugne’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Her gaze seemed to say, ‘So we’re enemies, then?’ Undoubtedly.

“And?”

“And… I’m also grateful to Miss Freugne for coming to find me, making this possible.”

So praising Freugne was not the right answer.

Sensing the imminent danger, Sithe instinctively realized that leaving things as they were would only lead to trouble, and swiftly course-corrected.

“But my gratitude is merely gratitude, nothing more! There’s no deeper meaning to it!”

“…Huh?”

“I love pretty love…!”

Sithe had hit the bullseye. The tense atmosphere from moments ago had vanished, Freugne’s eyes widened, her face flushed crimson, and she protested in a defensive manner:

“I-It’s just family, that’s all!”

“Really, is that so…?”

“Yes!”

“What are you two doing?”

Witnessing Freugne’s shriek, Erine let out a bewildered chuckle.

“You’ve arrived at a good time.”

“Hm?”

“Could you provide some counseling?”

“Again? Is it different from what you spoke about before?”

“Similar, but different.”

Having exhausted her ability to continue the conversation with the utterly perplexed Sithe, lest her own mind become similarly befuddled, Freugne naturally shifted her target to Erine, the daily psychological counselor.
And upon hearing the full story, Erine’s prescription could only be similar to her previous one. She was an adopted daughter, after all. Family, family.

“I suppose that’s just how it is? It’s only natural for family to want more attention than others, right?”

“Well, about that……”

…Was it really?
Even Erine was starting to have her doubts.

“Is it okay to indulge in such greed here?”

“Ah, I don’t know. That’s about all the help I can offer, so you’ll have to figure out the rest yourself.”

Having intended to provide proper counseling, Erine swiftly backpedaled and vanished to avoid the barrage of further questions, leaving Sithe at a distance.

The solitary Freugne muttered softly:

“…This is unfair.”

That some felt jealous while others remained oblivious.
It was almost laughable to be fixating on such matters in human relationships, but as the conflicted party, it was not a particularly pleasant sensation.

She felt uneasy.

What if Mr. Edan, just as he had treated her, took in someone else in a similar situation as his own child?
Would the special relationship as an adopted daughter not lose its value in such a manner?

‘It’s possible.’

Edan was tenderhearted – if he perceived anyone in need of help, he would readily extend his hand, would he not?
No matter how hard she tried to deny it, was she not the very recipient of such benevolence herself?

Then, if nothing else,
might she not be somewhat more special to him than as just an adopted daughter?

Mustering the courage to hear a response that might refute her, Freugne chose a date and asked Edan:

“Mr. Edan, may I ask you a serious question for a moment?”

“Sure. Just give me a moment.”

Edan, who had been scribbling something, set down his pen and turned towards her.

“What is it?”

“I’d like to know what you think of me.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yes, I’d appreciate it if you could be as honest as possible.”

Was it alright to ask so directly? What if she ended up disappointed by his answer?
Freugne swallowed hard, tense with anticipation.

I raised my head from the paperwork Magni had assigned me in preparation for the Royal Academy meeting.

I think I understand why Freugne is acting this way.
It’s not due to the power-up buff characteristic of puberty. Over the past few days, visiting the foundation’s facilities has led me to a realization.

“What I think of you, you ask.”

“…Yes.”

Children are smarter than one might expect.
While a lack of opportunity naturally limits their knowledge, their ability to read atmospheres often surpassed that of full-grown adults.

Was it not sufficiently proven when the children tearfully asked if they would be abandoned?
Adults jaded by society frequently failed to acknowledge reality, preoccupied with preserving their dignity.

Even adopted daughters were not exempt – there were numerous cases where parents effectively sold their own children’s labor contracts to factories.
Especially during recessions, such occurrences would only be more prevalent in the East End slums at this very moment.

In other words, despite her position as a daughter, her unease was not entirely unfounded.

“Do you remember what I said while visiting the orphanage these past few days?”

“Since you were there, yes. I heard everything.”

“My answer won’t differ much from that. You are a child I have taken responsibility for, and thus I must see that responsibility through to the end.”

“Take… responsibility.”

Come to think of it, I had never directly said such words to Freugne herself.
Each time, it had only been to the orphans or students I sponsored for education, as I had assumed she already understood without needing to be told separately.

This was my oversight. I should not have simply assumed she would be reassured by her status as a daughter.

“Just like the other children I’m currently caring for at the orphanage.”

“No.”

I briefly interrupted Freugne’s words.

Considering the denial that immediately followed my suggestion of treating her equally, after having lived under the same roof with the young girl for so long, it seemed I had developed a certain fondness for her.

“You are more special than that.”

“…Heh.”

“Does this answer suffice?”

“Yes, yes. It does. Thank you.”

And without another word, Freugne swiftly exited the room.

More special, he said.
He said I was more special.

“…I wasn’t the only one feeling that way, it seems.”

The emotion I felt upon hearing that answer was not relief, but joy.
The delight of having the confirmation that this feeling was not one-sided, directly from the person in question himself.

“Then I too shall strive to reciprocate accordingly.”

Freugne affirmed her resolve as if speaking to the empty hallway.

She did not consider herself the white knight who would rescue the Kingdom of Glassgow from its crisis.
Such grandiose notions were better suited for someone far more level-headed and calculating than herself, who was admittedly… no, considerably emotional.

However, she was confident in her ability to perform better than most others.
How embarrassing it would be to clearly see the future yet remain idle and indifferent.

The recent failure had been a stark reminder that, while able to perceive the future, she was neither omniscient nor infallible.

‘But one mistake is enough.’

She could not afford to take such risks again.

A month later, when the shock of the panic had fully manifested,
the Prime Minister officially stated, “There is nothing we can do about this crisis.”

The impact of that statement was far more potent than if he had uploaded a national address on OnlyFans.
Having been told to fend for themselves, the unemployed marched en masse around Parliament, and the cabinet soon fell in its wake.

Thus, when the threat of regressing to the working conditions of the Bronze Age and welfare of the Stone Age loomed, she wedged herself between Lord Norton’s assets and Edan’s charitable foundation.