Chapter 4

Lotto, the prison guard who was in charge of Sephiel, despite his trashy personality, was a formally appointed knight.

 

‘However, after falling into the rabbit hole of gambling, his life turned for the worse. His wife left their house and he was demoted to a mere prison guard because of his poor conduct.’

 

Because of her background as a cursed child, Sephiel had no relatives willing to make bribes for her.

 

There was no way Lotto, who was rude to people like Sephiel, would treat her well.

 

“You stupid thing! I told you to behave! You aren’t going to run over here?”

 

Tang! Tang!

 

Sephiel’s body reacted to the sound of the sword banging on the iron bars.

 

‘Before I turned ten, I had thought that this sound was the most terrifying sound, right?’

 

To a child who had just turned four or five years old, the loud noise was fatal.

 

However, Lotto liked to surprise Sephiel like this and make her cry loudly.

 

Moreover….

 

“Do you want to eat late again?”

 

The most outrageous thing was that he delayed giving Sephiel’s meal for fun.

 

It should be called a meal, but only ones with barely any nutrition came out….

 

Even with that, Lotto used to deliberately withhold her meals just to make Sephiel cry.

 

How many days had she clutched onto her empty stomach and begged because of Lotto, who took away her food and refused to give her medicine?

 

‘Fortunately, there weren’t many cases where I got hit since I was known as a cursed child and he was reluctant.’

 

There was also a time where she fell harshly onto the floor after running away from Lotto who was trying to hit her.

 

At that time, she couldn’t even see for a while because the way she fell down was wrong.

 

‘Although it happened a few years later, it was really scary at that time.’

 

Thinking of it again, her anger flared up.

 

“Do you think I became a knight to take care of someone like you? Why was such a disgusting wench even born, what kind of nuisance is this? Just die!”

 

Lotto began to curse as usual.

 

‘Because of that bastard, I thought my name was Wench, Fool, Idiot, and a bunch of other insults.’

 

In other words, Lotto was a true enemy whom she felt deserved the second highest rank in her Death Note.

 

‘You’re dead.’

 

Sephiel quietly measured the angle while browsing through the information that she knew.

 

‘Stupid Lotto. He was a gambling addict who had a household loaded with cash and blind fate in his fortune. His addiction was too bad and he always failed his investments. Of course he’d fall into some kind of pyramid scheme.’

 

Maybe it was because of his negative attitude toward life. After multiple unfortunate events such as his mother’s absurd death, being caught up in a fire, etc….

 

He became crazy about pseudo-religious and started to worship devils, before finally running away.

 

After recalling all that she needed to know, Sephiel looked at Lotto motionlessly.

 

“What? What are you staring at?”

 

Putting up a good front was important. Sephiel simply looked at him, mouth shut, until Lotto became uncomfortable.

 

Then, she threw her bait.

 

“Ywou, dwers sometwing bad happwening in yow hwouse, wite?” [You, there’s something bad happening in your house, right?]

 

It wasn’t as charismatic as she thought it would be.

 

‘Using this bastard’s words, how can it not work?’

 

Aside from her short tongue. The problem was her lack of experience in speaking.

 

A child would learn the honorific way of speaking only when someone would use it towards that child.

 

Because Sephiel grew up listening to the hateful words of adults who treated her badly…

 

‘Of course, I didn’t know how to use the honorific way of speaking even when I was all grown up.’

 

Thanks to learning while being beaten, she was barely able to stop stuttering and speak according to etiquette at the age of 20.

 

‘Hm. First, let’s just speak comfortably.’

 

Even if she could speak fluently thanks to her memories of her previous life, there was always a limit. Moreover, even if it was possible to suddenly speak like an adult. It would only raise suspicion.

 

‘There’s nothing I can do. I’ll just get used to it as I talk.’

 

She would, however, try her hardest to make sure that at least the decisive words or the important words were clear.

 

‘Then my tongue will catch up with my knowledge.’

 

Lotto flinched at Sephiel’s words.

 

“What? When the hell did you start talking?”

 

“Nweva mwynd. I knoq evwything. Yow mom is swick.” [Never mind. I know everything. Your mom is sick.]

 

“….”

 

“Her shwolders hurt hwere. Dwere’s a bit of bwue, right?” [Her shoulders hurt here. There’s a bit of blue, right?]

 

“T-that, how….”

 

Lotto was taken aback.

 

It’s all true. Sephiel was smiling inside.

 

When Sephiel turned five. Lotto’s mother, who took the fake nutritional supplements distributed on the market, died from mercury poisoning.

 

‘She fell for it and was fooled.’

 

Sephiel pondered for a bit before delivering a hook once again.

 

“You hab a beechtwee in yow hwouse, wite? The twee you pwanted when you were ten.” [You have a beechtree in your house, right? The tree you planted when you were ten.]

 

“That too! How do you know that?!”

 

‘How do I know? What an idiot.’  Sephiel thought.

 

Over the years, Lotto had treated Sephiel as an emotional trash bin.

 

The bastard even complained to Sephiel after he had just gone out drinking within working hours.

 

“Tsk…. Dwere’s just some twings dat you jwust don’t know!” [Tsk…. There’s just some things that you just don’t know!]

 

Sephiel clicked her tongue before shutting her mouth again.

 

Sephiel watched as Lotto’s face turned pale just like magic.

 

“You finally became crazy! Indeed, as they said, you’re a cursed child. It seems like you really communicate with ghosts or something!”

 

As usual, Lotto banged on the iron bars to scare Sephiel.

 

However, this time she wasn’t scared at all.

 

“Whatebwa. I dwon’t cware weder you twust mwe or not.” [Whatever. I don’t care whether you trust me or not.]

 

And, just like she thought…

 

A few days later Lotto came to her trembling.

 

“M-my mother’s condition indeed got worse. Y-You, how did you know?”

 

Sephiel indifferently lied down and scribbled on her old notebook, ignoring his words.

 

“Hey, you. Are you ignoring my words?”

 

“…”

 

“Hey… Royal Princess?”

 

“Royal Princess? Are you listening?”

 

(t/n: he’s finally using honorifics folks)

 

It didn’t take long for Lotto’s tone to become increasingly desperate.

 

Only then did Sephiel get up and shrug her little shoulders.

 

“Chwange her doctow. Dat doctow is a qwack. She has to go to the twemple.” [Change her doctor. That doctor is a quack. She has to go to the temple.]

 

Sephiel replied. During this time, Lotto’s old mother was prescribed the wrong medicine. Because it was diagnosed as a simple internal disease, only digestive medicine was given to them.

 

In the end, the small disease worsened significantly and she died.

 

That day, Lotto returned home half in doubt, but in the end, did as Sephiel said. He took his old mother to the temple for treatment.

 

After that, things went smoothly.

 

Sephiel began brainwashing Lotto.

 

It took about a month to get where they were.

 

“Buy that stwock!” [Buy that stock!]

 

“If ywou gwo to a pwace that looks wike a wacetwack, der’ll be a bwig pwoblem!” [If you go to a place that looks like a racetrack, there’ll be a big problem!]

 

“Phew. It’s gwood that I know evewy way!” [Phew. It’s good that I know every way!]

 

She recommended stocks to Lotto, the second highest ranking person in her Death Note, to prevent him from going to racetracks because there would be a fire accident.

 

She gave him various advice…

 

“What should we do next? Hehe. Aren’t you cold? Just like you told me, I didn’t say anything about the Royal Princess. Please recommend the next stock…. Hehe. The last stock has increased by 30 times.”

 

(t/n: Pfft, Lotto changed. I guess from now on he’ll be using honorifics.)

 

Fear, contempt, and hatred were like pieces of paper. The stupid Lotto suddenly became Sephiel’s follower.

 

It had been pretty good since then.

 

Heron, the Second Prince who got his hand stabbed by Sephiel, fortunately, didn’t say anything about the incident.

 

Instead, he gave Lotto money and ordered Lotto to torment Sephiel, but Lotto didn’t follow.

 

Furthermore, he used the money to secretly buy Sephiel an old blanket.

 

Although sometimes she would receive bad bread, there were now times where she got an extra loaf.

 

“Royal Princess. Hehe. When will you give me the next information?”

 

“You, I twold you not to tawk to mwe befow I twalk to you.” [You, I told you not to talk to me before I talk to you.]

 

“Yes, I understand!”

 

Hm. Brainwashing complete.

 

‘Really, he is even more stupid than the Lotto from my memories.’

 

Sephiel thought.

 

‘Then, shall I move on to the next part of my plan?’

 

 

***

 

 

The next day, Sephiel took a deep breath.

 

“Pheeeeewww…. Pitiful.”

 

“Yes? What does that mean?”

 

“You, you’re very pitiful….”

 

Lotto’s face turned white.

 

“W-What does….”

 

Sephiel didn’t speak for a long time. Her mouth only opened to utter a few quiet words.

 

“There’s not much time left now….”

 

At that moment, Sephiel’s white skin harmonized with the gloomy prison background, making her seem like a ghost.

 

In addition, Sephiel’s pronunciation was much clearer than usual.

 

“Royal Princess. What did you say?”

 

Lotto’s face turned paler. Sephiel only shook her head.

 

“No. Wat would you dwo if I twold you?” [No. What would you do if I told you?]

 

“Please tell me. I’ll die from frustration.”

 

Sephiel looked at Lotto before speaking.

 

“Die soon.”

 

“Yes…?”

 

“You wiw die swoon.” [You will die soon.]

 

Lotto’s movement stopped.

 

As planned, starting the next day, Lotto kept asking Sephiel anxiously.

 

“Royal Princess! What do you mean I’m destined to die? How can I avoid it?”

 

“Uhm… Swure, der is a way, bwut– No, it’s nwoting.” [Uhm… Sure, there is a way, but– No, it’s nothing.]

 

“P-please tell me.”

 

Only when he begged for a few days did she answer….

 

Sephiel smiled brightly.

 

“Yes. You onwy need to do wat I tell you to dwo.” [Yes. You only need to do what I tell you to do.]

 

“Yes! Anything, I’ll follow it all. Please save me just like you saved my mother!”

 

“First of all, you…”

 

Sephiel said,

 

“…hab to change yow nwame.” […have to change your name.]

 

“Name…. Are you talking about renaming? What should I change it to?”

 

The name that Sephiel recommended to Lotto was ‘Food’.

 

‘Yeah, you are my food.’

 

In ancient language, food meant bread for one meal, but it also meant to be a pushover.

 

For her next goal, the recruitment for the Little Young Lord of Remdragon’s political marriage partner.

 

The venue for the banquet was none other than the Grand Duke of Remdragon’s Castle.

 

Sephiel knew that the Grand Duke’s Castle was not far away. It was a place she could reach if she rode a carriage all night.

 

‘I’m glad I don’t have to go through much trouble to go there.’

 

It was said that it was within the Union of Kingdoms, but it was a great fortune for Sephiel to have two of the four monarchs’ castles close by.

 

“Der is onwy one way to swabe you.” [There is only one way to save you.]

 

The lie that Sephiel told was obvious.

 

In the Grand Duke of Remdragon’s Castle, lived the half-dragons and dragons.

 

And there were flowers that only grew around the dragons….

 

“Dwer is sometwing cwalled the Dwagon’s fwower. I’ll pwick that fwower myself and fweed it to you.” [There is something called the Dragon’s flower. I’ll pick that flower myself and feed it to you.]

 

“But, Royal Princess. That’s too… Such a big matter…. If the Royal Princess is caught going out of the castle, I’m dead.”

 

“Wat cwan I do if you dwon’t want to do it? Alwight. Let’s pwart ways. Now is the twime to say goodbye.” [What can I do if you don’t want to do it? Alright. Let’s part ways. Now is the time to say goodbye.]

 

Lotto turned blue.

 

He suffered and agonized over it for days. During this time, Sephiel was a little nervous.

 

‘It’s not hard to get out if I can deceive that bastard.’

 

Sephiel knew what would happen a few years later. Lotto, who was crazy about pseudo-religions, sold Sephiel to the church.

 

Was she around 13 back then…?

 

When those people barged in under the pretext of offering Sephiel as a “special” sacrifice in a blood ritual…

 

‘This prison was emptied out in an instant, right?’

 

It wasn’t just Lotto that was a pushover, it was also the level of security in the prison.

 

‘I heard that my father, who had completely forgotten about my existence, remembered me again after the incident.’

 

Even worse, it was 50 pseudo-believers who invaded.

 

‘To think that such a kidnapping attempt almost succeeded…’

 

The excited pseudo-believers yelled as they cheered at their successful kidnapping when…

 

‘They were caught near the back door since their voices were so loud that the guards came running, right?’

 

Anyway, thanks to those idiots, Sephiel was now aware that she wasn’t being properly monitored.

 

‘In the first place, they wouldn’t even think that a five-year-old child could make a plan to run away.’

 

So, if Lotto wanted to, he could take away Sephiel for days and days and no one would notice.

 

After thinking for a few days, Lotto finally said.

 

“Royal Princess, is it really only one night?”

 

“Yup. Of cwourse. You dwon’t twust mwe?” [Yup. Of course. You don’t trust me?]

 

“Alright! Royal Princess. I, Lotto, will risk his life to do it.”

 

Sephiel nodded satisfactorily.

 

‘Great. The ride is secured.’

 

Sephiel had promised to recommend stocks to Lotto, who would soon be renamed ‘Food’.

 

Lotto rejoiced.\nOf course…

 

It was a stock that would collapse three months later.

 

‘Yes. I don’t care about the method used. As long as my goals are achieved.’