Chapter 1317 – ##16_Malika’S Adventure (2)
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1.
Malika, having woken up early in the morning, was fully armed for her adventure.
She was wearing a light pink mendi coat and a scarf that Amelia had knitted for her.
Her neatly braided pigtails swayed as she diligently walked through the academy.
“Hmm, hmm.”
Malika’s little figure, humming as she toddled along, was enough to draw the attention of the witches staying at the Hesed Academy.
“Whose apprentice witch is that? She’s so cute?”
“Don’t you know yet? She’s the Duke’s daughter.”
“Wow, it’s Malika? When did she grow so much? I thought she was walking on all fours when she was flying at high speed over Tarot Town before.”
“Hello.”
“Hello! Malika!”
If Siwoo was the world’s first male witch, Malika was the world’s first baby witch.
Not an apprentice witch, but a real witch, not a witch who crossed over from another dimension and was being monitored by the ‘system,’ but a pure witch who was born a witch and thus free from the system’s surveillance.
To those who walked the path of magic, Malika was a much higher-value target than Siwoo.
It meant that there might be witches who would try to experiment on her, let alone kidnap her.
But everyone just thought Malika was cute, and not a single witch was targeting her.
There were two reasons for this.
One was the existence of the system.
It was widely known that if a witch was obsessed with only one magic, she would be further away from the realm of transcendence.
Just like the Buddhist saying that obsession with Nirvana will lead one further away from Nirvana.
This naturally instilled a moderate approach throughout the witch society.
Now, even orthodox witches were expanding their horizons by engaging in external activities and going out into the world, instead of being cooped up in their workshops shouting, ‘Magic is the best!’
The public enemies who hid themselves in the world were just being ridiculed, like, ‘Those idiots took the wrong path, haha.’
The second reason was that Malika’s father, Shin Siwoo, was practically the king of witches.
Not only was he powerful, but the witches he led were all major pillars of Gehenna.
Anyone who tried anything with Malika would instantly become a public enemy.
In this situation, becoming a public enemy was nothing short of a suicidal act that would cut off one’s lineage.
It could be said that no witch who valued their life would have any vain thoughts.
“Malika, take this. It’s a glass craft, isn’t it pretty?”
“Is it tribute? You can give it to me here.”
“Oh my, look how clearly she speaks.”
“Princess Malika! Would you like some lemon candy?”
“Yes! Please!”
So, when witches saw Malika, they would praise her cuteness and give her gifts.
She was actually cute, incredibly cute.
Every 50 meters she toddled, one or two people would give her a gift or snack, so Malika’s surroundings were filled with tributes floating around her by telekinesis.
“……”
Although Malika couldn’t openly show how happy she was because of her princess status, her lips were full of undisguised joy.
Of course, her mom and dad also thought Malika was cute, but the reactions of others excited Malika.
It felt like she had really become a princess.
But she shouldn’t forget her original purpose.
The reason for Malika’s grand adventure today was to uncover her mother’s lie.
It was to reveal the truth about whether she really couldn’t marry her father.
“…Malika is smart, so she won’t be fooled.”
First, she planned to quickly meet the other mothers to ask them the truth and come up with a plan, but….
Malika stopped when she saw the academy where the handmaidens stayed.
Of course, she was in a hurry.
But wouldn’t a little detour be okay?
Unable to overcome the impulsive nature of a child, Malika entered the Las Werphanas Academy.
The academy, which had a particularly old-fashioned feel even among the antique interior decorations that were popular in Gehenna, welcomed Malika.
Then.
“We greet the young lady.”
“““We greet the young lady!”””
The handmaidens, who were leisurely spending time in the academy lobby, bowed their heads to Malika in unison.
To the handmaidens who served Shin Siwoo, Malika, Siwoo’s biological daughter, was of high status.
Although they didn’t want to imagine it, if their godfather were to pass away, Malika would be next in line for succession.
As Werphanas was run strictly according to rules, they treated Malika as their superior without any resistance.
They kissed Malika’s small, fern-like hands in a row, expressing their utmost respect.
Malika, who had received hand-kiss greetings from five handmaidens, could no longer pretend to be indifferent and revealed her bright eyes.
This was the place.
The place where Malika could be reborn as a true princess.
So, whenever Malika saw the handmaidens’ academy, she would stop by even if she had no business there.
“Rest comfortably.”
“Thank you, young lady.”
“Malika will not forget your loyalty. When Malika takes a high position later, I will make sure you all get promoted.”
“Oh, no, young lady. Just having the honor of serving you is like accumulating three generations of virtue.”
“…Hup.”
When Oksana, with her red hair, wiped away her tears, the handmaidens next to her bit their lips and tried not to laugh in unison.
In fact, the handmaidens were loyal to Malika but also thought she was cute.
Wasn’t it just too cute how Malika would make excuses like getting lost every time or getting tired of walking and play princess?
And because the intelligent Malika was still a child, she often showed a slightly clumsy side, which was also adorable.
It was something they couldn’t have imagined in the past, but the new, more relaxed atmosphere of the organization under their new godfather made it possible.
“Young Lady Malika. You’ve received a lot of things today as well.”
“That’s right. The witches who recognized Malika’s nobility competed to offer tributes.”
“May I take a look at the tributes for a moment?”
But Frau, the eldest daughter, couldn’t be so carefree.
She had been told by her godfather, ‘Frau, Malika is cute, but if you spoil her too much, she might develop bad habits, so please cut her off at an appropriate level.’
“Why, Frau?”
As expected of Malika, who was still young but had a keen sense, she gathered the gifts that were floating like tree decorations, as if the Duke was showing off his feathers, and hid them behind her back.
Frau persuaded her with a gentle smile.
“There might be items among the tributes that could harm the young lady’s safety.”
“It’s okay. There are no bad witches like that in Gehenna.”
“It is also our duty as handmaidens to take care of the young lady’s safety. It is desirable for the young lady to trust and follow our judgment, which is the proper relationship between master and servant.”
“…Okay.”
Malika couldn’t help it when she was so polite.
Frau calmly examined the tributes that Malika had farmed.
Shiny, pretty glass crafts, toys made of feathers, and crystal balls that changed color depending on the magic stimulation.
They were harmless.
But it was as she expected.
Milk butter caramels, lemon candies, and mint sticks.
There were too many snacks among the gifts, perhaps because Malika reacted so well to them.
“Is there no problem?”
In front of Malika, who was anxiously glancing around, Frau showed the strictness of a guardian’s proxy.
“The godfather has informed us that the young lady’s meals are being affected because she eats too many snacks every time she goes out. Therefore, I will keep these snacks.”
“What? What! No way. Malika won’t accept it!”
Malika, who was trying to quickly pull the snacks back with telekinesis at the declaration that they would be taken away, was cold-hearted.
No matter how much Malika tried, she was still not skilled enough to penetrate the magic field that Frau, a 21st-level being, was sincerely exerting.
“Ugh! Ugh….”
“You can’t throw a tantrum, young lady. It’s all for your own good.”
“These are tributes offered to Malika.”
“It is the godfather’s order to confiscate the snacks among those tributes.”
“Frau, Malika will not forget loyalty, but she will not forget grudges even more. When Malika becomes a high-ranking person later, I will demote Frau to the youngest daughter.”
“It’s still not allowed. And I will also inform the academy that they should not give snacks to Malika.”
To think that she would be in such a predicament at the handmaidens’ house, where she had stopped by to confirm her nobility as usual.
Malika, reading Frau’s stubbornness, urgently requested help from the other handmaidens.
“What are you doing? Help Malika protect her snacks right now!”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s the godfather’s order….”
But the handmaidens she had trusted were all on Frau’s side.
“How could you all….”
Malika felt the pain of betrayal for the first time.
To think that all those good people would turn their backs on Malika’s request for help.
She learned today that power was so cold and ruthless.
2.
Like a squirrel that had watched its carefully hoarded acorns burn in a lightning strike, Malika trudged out of the handmaidens’ academy.
Should she take comfort in the fact that she was lucky not to have lost the four lemon candies she had hidden in her coat pocket?
Still.
The adventure must continue.
Malika, who was walking listlessly, perked up her ears when she heard a familiar footstep.
Malika immediately straightened her posture and paid attention to her gait.
Because the person she was about to meet was the person Malika wanted to model herself after the most among her many mothers.
Compared to Malika, who was still lacking in many ways, she was someone who showed the dignified and noble demeanor of royalty more than anyone else.
She didn’t want to show such a pathetic, slumped figure in front of such a person.
“Your Majesty.”
When Malika quietly called out, clearing her throat….
“Oh, who is this? Isn’t it Malika!”
Malika’s role model, L’Ruelle Nukelavi, replied.
L’Ruelle, the little mother who received Malika’s respect, favor, reverence, admiration, worship, and adoration, walked across the hallway.
That dark blue-black hair, those calm eyes like the deep sea, her elegant movements and speech.
“Waaah….”
Malika was once again impressed.
As expected, the queen of the Nukelavi dynasty was amazing.
