Chapter 44 – The Youngest Daughter of the Count’s Family (7)
“Argh?!”
“Ack?!”
The bandits I struck with my spear screamed and fell one by one.
Guilt about killing? Hesitation?
I left such lukewarm emotions on the last battlefield. If I don’t kill, I die.
Whoosh—Crack!
“Urk?!”
A bandit’s head caved in as I smashed my spear shaft down on his crown.
“You bastard…!”
Another bandit, ignoring his comrade’s death, aimed for my back.
A perfect sneak attack, but it was the very move that killed me last time.
‘Think I’d fall for the same trick?!’
I regretted and reflected while dying. If only I’d paid more attention to my surroundings.
Swish—
Using my forward-stepping right foot as a pivot, I spun like a top.
“Gasp?!”
The bandit, raising a dagger to stab my back, gasped and widened his eyes.
Immediately after,
Slash—!
My spear’s sharp tip grazed his throat.
‘Next!’
No time to catch my breath or check my wounds.
We were outnumbered and surrounded from the start. Plus, we had two non-combatants to protect.
“Grab the women!”
“Come if you want to die…!”
The two women, pulling crossbows from the carriage’s cargo, stood back-to-back, surrounded by bandits.
But no one dared approach them rashly…
“Hurry and grab them!”
“You do it!”
“Don’t push me!”
Even a single shot, pre-loaded crossbow could be fired easily by a woman with little strength, just by pulling the trigger.
Meaning, the first two to rush them were guaranteed dead!
In other words,
“Come on!”
“Try to grab us!”
Despite their taunts, the bandits couldn’t move. Their own lives were most precious.
As the standoff continued,
Thud! Thud!
I broke through the encirclement, tilting the battle in our favor.
‘Good.’
We weren’t specialized mercenaries or professional soldiers, so we had plenty of weaknesses.
But the bandits targeting us were at a similar level!
A weak kid can only bully kids of the same age.
“Damn it! Someone stop him!”
“What is this guy?!”
“Eek?! Save— Urk?!”
The proof? No ranged attacks, which I’d been wary of since the fight began.
Plus, time was on my side.
Everyone except me, with my stamina, was tiring quickly. My spear’s blade would dull before I did.
Swish.
I boldly discarded my spear and grabbed one from a fallen bandit.
‘A bit heavy.’
But not so much that I couldn’t take down exhausted bandits.
“Hey! Help!”
“Deal with the women later!”
“They can’t escape anyway!”
The bandits, still stuck in a standoff with the women, charged at me.
Their movements were quick, barely having moved, but how strong could cowards targeting weak women be?
They fell like rotten straw.
“Retreat!”
“No way!”
“Run!”
I chased and killed the fleeing bandits, their morale broken.
All by myself?
Of course not.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
“Urk~?!”
“Agh~?!”
Thanks to the crossbows the women had preciously saved.
“Mercy—”
Thud!
I drove my spear into the neck of the last bandit, kneeling and begging, ending the fight.
“Hooray! We won!”
“God, thank you!”
“We survived…!”
But the joy of victory was fleeting, quickly turning somber.
“Cough, cough…”
“Hang on!”
“…”
“Quick, bandage the bleeding…!”
“Too late.”
“Oh…”
From the 14 who left the Chimac Count’s territory, only 6, including me, survived.
And one was so badly injured, it was uncertain if they’d see tomorrow’s sunrise.
The youngest boy in our group wailed.
“It’s my fault that he…!”
“We need to collect his belongings and return them to his family. That’s our duty as survivors.”
The man who’d informally taken the role of leader comforted him.
“Yes… sob, sob!”
“It’s tough, but let’s hurry.”
We gathered the belongings of our fallen comrades, buried them, and looted anything valuable from the bandits’ corpses.
Most of the spoils would go to the families of those who fought…
“Thank you. We survived because of you.”
“No, it’s thanks to everyone fighting bravely.”
“Still, without you, we’d all be dead. Or worse, humiliated by those scum.”
“I got lucky.”
Without real combat experience traded for my life, I wouldn’t have performed this well.
“Luck doesn’t take down that many bandits.”
“…”
Honestly, I didn’t know I could fight this well either.
“Have some confidence.”
“…I’ll think about it.”
“Stubborn guy.”
The man, who promised to ensure the families of our group were cared for upon reaching our destination, patted my shoulder.
“…”
“…”
After that, we quietly lay in the carriage’s cargo area to rest.
Clatter, clatter.
Thankfully, the bandits hadn’t attacked the horses pulling the carriages. Probably to sell them.
“Mr. Gang munsu.”
“…”
“Are you asleep?”
“…No.”
I groggily opened my eyes at the call from the woman driving the carriage.
‘Suspicious.’
She was the one who offered to pay the bandits’ outrageous toll.
With that kind of money, she could’ve hired mercenaries to safely reach the Somaek Duke’s territory.
She cautiously said,
“I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“If something happens to me, please deliver this letter to the Somaek Duke.”
***
The protagonist is, as the novel’s title suggests, the youngest daughter of a count’s family.
She has plenty of older siblings, but since the original story focuses solely on her romance, they’re mere background or briefly mentioned…
“I’m the nursemaid of Lady Anmilina Chimac, the third daughter of the Chimac Count.”
“That’s why you had so much money.”
The reason she could afford the bandits’ absurd toll was clear.
‘Lady Anmilina Chimac…’
When analyzing ‘I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family’, investigating the protagonist’s family was a must!
Anmilina Chimac, the third daughter, is a young widow who lost her husband early.
She briefly appears as a character jealous of her younger sister, loved by countless men…
“The betrothal between the two families was conditional: a son from the Somaek Duke’s family and a daughter from the Chimac Count’s family.”
But since no son was born to the duke’s family, the betrothal was indefinitely delayed…
The count’s daughters, unable to wait past marriageable age, wed others, and by the time a son was born to the duke’s family, only the youngest daughter remained single.
“Why tell me this…”
“It means Lady Anmilina also had a claim.”
“But it’s already broken, right?”
The two families are completely divided due to the protagonist’s repeated mistakes.
Could it be mended?
The woman who introduced herself as the nursemaid answered in a slightly somber tone.
“It won’t be easy. But Lady Anmilina is so resolute… She often lamented that if she’d been born just a year later, she, not her youngest sister, would’ve been the fiancée.”
“Why?”
“…”
“A secret?”
“The young lord said he doesn’t like older women or those his age, and they’re the same age.”
“Oh!”
If it’s a matter of taste, nothing can be done!
It deserves respect.
“It’s something every noble with a marriageable daughter knows, but please don’t spread it.”
“Got it.”
I have no intention of doing anything to fry my brain cells.
‘Another variable on top of variables.’
But it’s a good one.
A rebellion by a minor character with no weight in the original novel!
For me, planning to meet the fiancé as soon as I reached the duke’s territory, this was a welcome opportunity.
‘Perfect! I even considered working at the fiancé’s favorite restaurant…’
It’s not easy for an unknown commoner to meet the heir of the kingdom’s only ducal family.
I’d thought of various tricks, but if I played this situation right, I might not need them.
I said generously,
“Alright. If something happens, I’ll make sure to deliver the letter.”
“Thank you!”
“In return, let me stay with you until the end. Meeting a noble has been my dream.”
“Understood. But you might be disappointed.”
She gave a small smile.
“Why?”
“It concerns noble honor, so I can’t say.”
“Oh, okay.”
But I could guess what she meant.
‘Nobles are just human too.’
I only acted naïve to create a reason to meet one.
If you don’t expect anything, you won’t be disappointed.
“Please take care of it.”
“Likewise.”
The duke’s territory was getting closer.
***
Wouldn’t it be simple to meet the patient possessed by the protagonist and persuade her right away?
…One might think so.
But having experienced a horrific death trying that with Choi Kang-min, it’s not an option!
So, even if it’s tedious, I decided to take the long route.
‘This is the way.’
It’s the method that brought even the invincible Magic Boy to his knees in the dream world.
Namely, the bitter taste of failure!
My plan is to make the protagonist, Angelina Chimac, fail in her life surrounded by handsome men.
To make the patient want to escape this world where things don’t go her way!
Just like she escaped from Earth (reality).
That’s my goal.
“I’ll never forget you all until I die! Thank you! Thank you!”
“Be happy.”
“Take care!”
The boy, who’d been glum the whole way, was the first to leave upon reaching the duke’s territory.
The critically injured?
Sadly, their wounds were too severe to make it to the end.
“My parents have run an inn for four generations. If you need a place to stay… no, please come. I want to treat you to a great meal.”
“Stay strong.”
“I’ll definitely visit.”
A woman returned to her family with news that her younger brother, caught up in the war between the two families, had died.
Being from the Somaek Duke’s territory, her brother was a prime conscription target and didn’t return alive…
That explained her somber expression.
“Huh?”
“What?”
“Don’t tell me, Captain, you’re also going to meet the duke?”
The captain, who I thought would part ways soon, was heading to the duke’s estate entrance with us.
Scratching his head, he said,
“You need to know your enemy to win a war, right?”
“…You’re a spy.”
I was slightly shocked by the revelation that he’d disguised himself as a traveler caught in the war.
‘Can’t trust anyone!’
The woman’s unsurprised expression added to my shock.
Am I too naïve?
There might be others in our group hiding their identities, including the two who left.
“Halt.”
“State your identity.”
Clack! Clack!
The guards at the estate’s entrance stood rigidly, blocking our way.
“I bring a letter from Lady Anmilina Chimac, the third daughter of the Chimac Count, to the Somaek Duke. I carry her seal as proof.”
The woman finished her introduction and showed a ring from her pocket.
The ring was engraved with a rooster, symbolizing the Chimac Count’s family.
Immediately after,
“I’m a merchant delivering goods ordered by the duke.”
The captain lied again.
“What goods?”
“Beer. But not ordinary beer.”
“Poisoned?”
“Mixed with something more potent than poison.”
“How much?”
“Enough to knock you out in one gulp.”
I belatedly realized the captain’s conversation with the guard was like a rehearsed play.
Clack!
“We welcome the hero’s return!”
“Thank you for the warm welcome.”
The captain smiled at the guard saluting with respect.
Next up!
“…”
“…”
The two guards looked at me, demanding I reveal my identity.
“…I’m Kang Moon-soo. These two will vouch for me.”
I turned to the woman for help.
“I’m sorry. This is a critical moment for my lady and the family’s fate, so you can’t join.”
“…”
I thought things were going too smoothly, but I didn’t expect to be betrayed like this at the end.
“Haha! Even the dogs raised by the Chimac Count act the same!”
“What…!”
The woman was appalled by the captain’s jab.
Ignoring her,
“It wasn’t my promise, but Gang munsu saved my life. I’d appreciate it if you’d let him join.”
“Hm. Please wait a moment.”
Deeming it beyond his authority, the guard entered the estate.
And shortly after,
Creak—
The estate’s gates swung wide open.
“Thank you, Captain!”
“If you’re grateful, use that strength for the Somaek Duke.”
“I’ll think about it.”
That was my plan from the start.
‘Now it begins?’
I’m going to become a king-maker.