The Villainess Has Proposed a Contract Marriage

2 – The Monster of Rumors

The moment the prince entered the orphanage.

I immersed myself in cooking with humble ingredients and sought the opinion of the prince.

“What would be good?”

“It doesn’t matter. Anything will do.”

“In that case, Pobi.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

The prince, who was trying to sell me with awkward formalities, seemed to have blue blood flowing through his veins.

Indeed, the unmistakable king of nobles.

Even though all I had to do was choose a pen name for the future, it was getting on my nerves.

“Deoksoon.”

“Sounds like a girl’s name.”

“Deokgu.”

“I’ll just come up with one myself.”

That guy seems to have learned how to capture a woman’s heart with half-hearted respect.

Meanwhile, the prince’s gaze resembled that of a workaholic who had been working overtime for three days straight.

His unexpected maturity was unfamiliar.

“Alright. Give it a try. Let’s see how royal your naming sense is.”

How adorable would a child’s name be if he tried to come up with one?

To my careless expectation, he handed me the bitter taste of defeat.

“Nepelius Yulician Epenferk Unis III.”

“These days, why are kids so precocious?”

With such precocity, it wasn’t a black-haired dragon playing around in the head of a mere ten-year-old boy, but a second-year middle school student.

The crown prince was more MZ (Mysterious Zone) than my prejudice.

“But Yulician is still okay…”

However, it reminded me of an unexpectedly cute Dalmatian, so let’s fix it a bit.

“Yulician… Yulian… Well, how about Urian?”

He pondered my suggestion for a moment, then nodded decisively.

“I guess I have to compromise. Fine.”

“All right. From today, your name is Urian.”

“Well, I’m Urian now.”

Thus, the crown prince’s first nickname creation event came to an end.

Now, it’s time to face the music.

The nickname change voucher won’t be given until the original work begins.

“What shall I call you?”

“My name is Hartein… Call me Director Hartein or something.”

“Got it, Director. Now, bring me some food. Give it to me.”

The protagonist of this world had a quite sharp way of speaking. If I were the common wicked orphanage director in a romance novel, I would have slapped his bottom soundly.

But as someone who came out to break death flags by driving the knight order, I had quite a strong patience.

“Hey hey hey, just because you add ‘yo’ at the end of your words doesn’t make you a good kid, you brat!”

“It’s a highly offensive language.”

“It’s not easy…”

Already, the director’s authority over the orphanage had been shattered.

The confrontation between Julian’s imperial power and the director’s authority.

It was like a stormy night before the disgrace of Kanoza, unfolding in this small orphanage.

“…”

“…”

What can I do?

As someone who receives sponsorship from the Viscount, I can only lose.

I’m not a despicable adult who would stubbornly try to overpower a ten-year-old.

I filled a boiling hot meat stew and presented it to Julian. But then, Julian, true to his noble status, didn’t even bother to say thank you, and simply scooped a spoonful into his bowl.

Still, I had some expectations.

Like a cliché of a chaebol heir experiencing culture shock from instant ramen, I thought that Julian would open his eyes wide and be amazed by the stew, as if entering a new world.

How can I be so sure?

Actually, this is K-gogi stew. It’s because it was originally a newspaper article about pork kimchi jjigae.

“Oh, I didn’t want to show the taste here.”

Open your eyes wide and look carefully. Look at this visual.

And tell anyone. About the experience of an N-year-old living alone.

“No, this taste…?”

Julian froze like a statue.

And slowly, as the meal cooled down…

“Director, this soup is too salty.”

“It’s driving me crazy…”

It was an unfamiliar nagging from my mother-in-law.

“The vegetables are too spicy, so I’m boiling them in ice water. You know.”

If that worked, I would have turned the turbine and become rich.

“The essence of cooking is following the recipe.”

“I’m not a pushover who would listen to that kind of advice!”

“Sigh, adults who can’t see themselves objectively are exhausting.”

Yurian cheerfully picked out only the meat and put it in her mouth. I was dizzy with her refined picky eating habits.

It felt like my life, which I had lived with pride as a cook, was being denied.

“My head is already spinning… Did I underestimate this? Can I handle it when there are three of them?”

If I were to leave a comment about my first meeting with Yurian, it would be, “It’s not easy,” after all.

◇

On a bright morning.

I was out with Yurian, exploring a quiet downtown.

Surprisingly, Yurian willingly came along.

Since she couldn’t be left alone, there was no other choice, but it seemed like Yurian enjoyed strolling through the city in the first place.

She had never confessed her true feelings. But her round eyes, like enjoying the unfamiliar scenery, couldn’t lie.

It was when I was crossing the road opposite to where I was.

A girl who was diligently selling flowers shouted with a flushed face,

“Oh, it’s a grumpy old man.”

“I’m not an old man, I’m an oppa.”

“Your oppa isn’t the one who curses at my mom.”

Yurian’s expression soured upon hearing those words.

“The director’s morals and character are incredibly cunning.”

“Not at all, really?”

Meanwhile, the girl selling flowers seemed quite intrigued by Yurian’s way of speaking.

“But why does he talk weird?”

“Because he doesn’t have a mom.”

Yurian’s mother, the second queen, was already small and insignificant, so I had to forcibly use honorific language in this palace-like place.

But the girl in front of me gave me a contemptuous look, as if she had interpreted my words somehow.

“Wow, you’re a real piece of trash. What kind of person are you?”

“I’m the director of the childcare center.”

“Oh my, a childcare center director who makes s*xual jokes? That’s unbelievable! I’m going to file a complaint.”

“Oh, no, you can’t do that. Please, just stop.”

If by any chance the complaint reaches the royal family and Yurian’s true identity is revealed, it would be troublesome.

More importantly, the fact that the term “s*xual jokes” existed in the world of romance novels. I realized a disturbing fact in the worst way possible.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

“Yurian.”

“Yes, Yurian. I’m Ploti. If that man treats you poorly, let me know. I’ll protect you at home.”

“I will consider that as well.”

“Is it not just empty words? Then, consider this a gift as proof of our promise!”

Ploti skillfully twisted and turned the delicate stems of small flowers from the basket, creating a cute flower ring.

Without hesitation, Yurian extended his hand and put the pure white flower ring on his left ring finger.

Unintentionally, I jeered at the cute scene.

“Oh, how romantic.”

“Mr. Woo, the flowers I sell are clean, you know?”

“But the heart of the person selling them is dirty.”

“Don’t speak so disgustingly for an old man! Isn’t that right, Yurian?”

“Yes. Due to the wear and tear of time, the principal’s teeth are decaying, so his speech may sound strange. Don’t worry about it.”

“…Yurian, you were always an odd one in terms of speech.”

Finally, Ploti’s spirit, which had faced the cruel reality, became faint.

As I looked at her with enthusiasm, Ploti pouted and protested.

“Hmph, anyway, that man is a bad person, and that won’t change.”

“In that case, shall I write an unfavorable contract like a bad person?”

I took out some coins and handed them to Ploti.

“I’ll buy all the flowers in the basket.”

“Is that man really a good person?”

“You’re just realizing that now?”

“People used to say that you get to know someone bit by bit.”

Indeed, there is nothing money can’t buy.

In this way, I traded personalities and subtly revealed my true intentions, sealing a meaningful big deal.

“Now that you have nothing to do, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you should come with us. I’ll show you interesting places and buy you delicious things in return.”

“Really?”

“Call me oppa instead of ajusshi.”

“Okay, handsome oppa!”

Whoosh!

At that moment, Yurian suddenly turned her head as if she had caught a glimpse of something she shouldn’t have seen.

What could be bothering her so much?

Honestly, our dynamic is a bit awkward, so I purposely included a peer like Ploti…

Anyway, kids these days are too fast, even in their puberty.

But luckily, there is no awkwardness in the conversation between the two.

“Yurian, where do you live?”

“At the end of 4th Street, in the orphanage.”

“Huh? There’s an orphanage there? Come to think of it, you… I mean, oppa, said you’re the director of the orphanage?”

“I’m a rookie director. It hasn’t been long since it was established, and there’s only Yurian under my care.”

“Oh, I see. So I can come and play anytime, right?”

“If Yurian allows.”

Nod.

The moment the words left my mouth, Yurian nodded quickly. At a speed that felt uncomfortable, he nodded his head…

“Thanks, Yurian!”

Following that, Floti, who was smiling widely, added, “Still, it’s fortunate. Do you know the mountain path at the end of 7th Street? There have been strange rumors related to that place lately.”

“Rumors? What kind of rumors?”

I didn’t have much interest in gossip about distant places.

When I revealed my curiosity, Floti, with a serious expression, lowered his voice and whispered, “Actually… it’s said that a vampire appeared there. Something small was sucking the blood of animals. The blood was inverted, so its appearance wasn’t clear.”

“Ah, I see…”

That’s quite… a description that gives a creepy feeling.

After contemplating for a moment, I asked Yurian.

“Yurian.”

“Yes.”

“How do you feel about one more person joining the orphanage?”

“That’s an odd question. If it serves the purpose of the orphanage, there should be no issue.”

“Seems fine…”

… I asked just to ask, but I’m not sure if there really is no problem.

After all, the identity of the vampire from the rumors might be the unique female protagonist of this world.