Chapter 48 – The Youngest Daughter of the Count’s Family (11)
The romantic fantasy novel ‘I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family’ focuses solely on the love and happiness of the protagonist, ‘Angelina Chimac’.
Society, economy, politics, culture…
All elements deemed unnecessary for romance are excluded.
‘That’s natural.’
If plausibility were prioritized over commercial appeal, it wouldn’t be a hit, and the patient wouldn’t be so immersed.
But what about the natives of that novel’s world?
Readers find vicarious satisfaction in the protagonist’s happiness, but for the natives, ‘Angelina Chimac’ being happy doesn’t improve their lives.
On the contrary,
“Stop! We’re bandits!”
“Hand over everything if you don’t want to die!”
“Obey, and we’ll spare your lives!”
The protagonist’s selfishness makes the natives’ lives harder and more miserable.
The war between the Somaek and Chimac families.
Even if they forcibly conscripted outsiders to minimize damage, there’s still loss.
Reduced troops worsened city and village security, and those intoxicated by war’s madness and blood wandered as amateur bandits.
“Lord Baron, we’ll clean this up quickly.”
Shing—
The lady naturally drew her sword from the scabbard on her saddle.
She looked like she belonged with flowers, not swords, but she was my escort knight, overseeing my swordsmanship during the journey.
Shing—
Shing—
The apprentice knights and squires assisting us drew their swords like her and charged.
“W-What?!”
“Please, spare us~!”
“Eek?! Run—”
Thinking we were ordinary travelers, the novice bandits lost their will upon sensing the dangerous aura and fled.
Clatter!
Thud!
Trampled by hooves, beheaded by blades, or shot in the back with arrows after thinking they’d escaped…
It didn’t take long to wipe out the bandit group, three times our number.
“Good work, Lady Valentine.”
Valentine.
Daughter of a knight family loyal to the Somaek for generations, and in the original novel, the decisive reason the protagonist and fiancé’s betrothal breaks!
Yet despite her plot significance, her setting was just her name and origin.
Actually,
‘Most are like that.’
The author meticulously described the protagonist and her men down to every eyelash, but was indifferent to others.
Especially women—sparing even a single “beautiful” descriptor…
“Baron Amolang.”
“Let’s rest here and clean up. Walking around bloodstained would draw too much attention.”
“Understood.”
Swish—
Lady Valentine removed her traveler’s hood, wiping sweat beaded on her forehead.
Light golden short hair, large clear eyes like black pearls, petite lips, a sharp jawline without excess…
A beauty forged by effort?
Her physique, honed by exercise no ordinary noble lady could dream of, radiated healthy balance and vitality.
‘This makes sense!’
If the “kingdom’s jewel” fiancée was ignored by the duke’s heir for a “supporting” character with average looks, that’d be strange.
As a fellow man, I somewhat understood Baron Somaek’s slip.
Whoosh— Whoosh—
While Lady Valentine and the retinue cleaned up and rested, I practiced swordsmanship.
‘Stare at the tip without blinking…’
I wanted to test my progress, but couldn’t join the bandit subjugation.
If the protected target fought recklessly, the knights and retinue couldn’t fight freely.
“Lord Baron, your stance has improved greatly from the start.”
“Really?”
“Don’t doubt. Hesitation dulls the blade.”
“Yes.”
This world lacks fantasy elements to compensate for women’s lesser strength compared to men.
Thus, female knights, mercenaries, and bandits are extremely rare.
Even born to a knight family, becoming a “knight”—difficult even for men—her effort and talent are incomparable to the protagonist.
‘Truly impressive.’
Women who receive men’s love are common, but women excelling in men’s domains are rare.
Even accounting for innate talent and background, Lady Valentine deserves respect.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the Chimac Count’s territory. Security isn’t what it used to be.”
“Didn’t you participate in the war?”
Swish—
I paused my swinging sword to ask.
“The moment a knight joins, the two families cross an irreversible river.”
“Ah!”
Since I was asking, one more question.
“What do you think of Baron Somaek, Lady Valentine?”
“Hm. A pitiful older brother who can’t assert himself surrounded by sisters? Watching from afar, I sometimes feel sorry for him.”
“Ah!”
There was a reason the fiancé strayed in the original novel.
“Do you have a lover, Baron Amolang?”
“I was recently dumped…”
I brought up a topic and got hit in a sore spot.
“Oh! I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
We arrived at the Chimac Count’s main castle without further issues.
***
The purpose of dating varies, but one is to find a lifelong partner.
Not just for a moment—'a lifetime’.
Divorce is a variable, but only frauds marry planning to divorce from the start.
Meaning, once chosen, it’s irreversible—so spouses are selected carefully.
Looks, personality, wealth, age, hobbies, job, health, background…
Many factors are weighed.
“Huh? Really?”
“Yes. There was a boy at the orphanage as you described.”
“…Good work.”
The information from Lady Valentine’s squire was unexpected.
‘She still hasn’t recruited the genius boy who assists the protagonist?’
The timeline had passed the mid-point of volume 3, yet the patient’s romance progress was far slower than I expected.
A smart pretty boy added to cater to some readers’ tastes.
He hates nobles but follows the protagonist after being moved by her care for the orphanage kids.
‘This is an opportunity!’
In volume 5, which the patient hasn’t read, this boy’s past is revealed.
A prince of the Desert Kingdom!
With the royal family massacred in civil war, the young prince was abandoned in another country—now his chance arrives.
My guess: his popularity soared as the “least prestigious” of the protagonist’s men, so this sudden setting was tacked on.
Thus, the patient, knowing only up to volume 4, completely missed his importance.
“Prepare. I’ll meet him personally.”
“Lord Baron, didn’t you say we’d wait for the prince at this tavern?”
“The boy is far more important than the prince.”
“Right away.”
No time to deal with the pathetic prince loitering in the Chimac territory instead of the capital’s political arena.
Swish.
Shrrk.
Hooded as travelers, we hurried.
Destination: an orphanage tucked in the slums.
Slums sound filthy with garbage and waste, but…
“Malang?”
“Malang~”
The first alien lifeform I encountered in this world, slimes, cleaned regularly, keeping it tidy.
Slimes.
These ubiquitous creatures ‘malang’ all day, devouring trash, corpses, dust, filth indiscriminately.
Beneficial organisms!
At the bottom of the food chain, they’re also prey for all carnivores, including humans…
‘I want to take them to reality!’
Too bad it’s a dream.
“Come here.”
“Malang~”
Never mentioned in the novel.
But slimes were essential environmental cleaners, like bacteria in this ecosystem.
“The slime follows you well, Lord Baron.”
“Unusual?”
“Yes. Some barbarians eat slimes, though rare. So slimes usually flee from humans.”
“I see. You too?”
“Malang? Malang!”
The slime on my head ‘malanged’ as if answering.
Clank.
Thugs in the slums slunk away at the swords on our hips.
Thanks to that, we reached the orphanage easily.
The haunted-house exterior reminded me of my old calling.
‘A shaman fears no ghosts!’
I knocked carefully on the tightly locked front door.
Knock, knock.
“Excuse—”
“If you’re from Sister Angelina, please leave.”
“…”
I grasped the situation before finishing.
‘How many mistakes is this patient making?’
The protagonist and the boy never progressed from close siblings to lovers—their relationship soured midway.
How absurd.
“I have no relation to Lady Angelina Chimac.”
“Still, sorry. With unrest, we can’t open to strangers.”
A crisp boy’s voice from behind the door.
But I’m not one to back down this easily.
“Flowers bloom even in the desert.”
“…A single dewdrop on a petal sustains me today.”
“Today, I become shade for a weary bee on a long journey.”
“And flowers bloom again in the desert.”
Click! Creak—
The orphanage’s tightly locked door cautiously opened.
The boy who appeared had slightly tanned brown skin and golden eyes that exuded an exotic aura.
“Pleased to meet you.”
“What do you plan to do with me?”
“It’s not a conversation for outside…”
“My apologies. Please come in.”
We entered under wary gazes from all sides.
“Many children.”
“Many became orphans from the recent war and flowed in.”
“Are you the director?”
A woman who approached as I looked around shook her head.
“There’s no director here. I just cook for the kids. But if there must be one, it’s that boy.”
“Thank you for the explanation.”
The boy looked troubled, unable to find a place to talk.
Children were everywhere. No quiet spot in this orphanage.
‘Time to lay the bait.’
Bringing nothing would be rude, so I prepared.
“Lady Valentine, put all the bread we brought on that table.”
“Yes.”
There were nearly twice as many kids as in the novel, so I miscalculated the bread, but it was enough to shift the mood.
“Eat as much as you want.”
“…”
“…”
“If you don’t, the slime on my head will eat it all.”
“Malang malang!”
The moment I moved the slime beside the bread, the children, sensing crisis, rushed without hesitation.
“No fair!”
“Hey, me too!”
“Bread!”
The tense atmosphere dissolved instantly under the children’s bright voices.
But the bread vanished at a terrifying speed…
“Lady Valentine, more bread please.”
“Yes.”
She stayed to guard me while the squire and retinue went out to buy more.
“…Thank you.”
The boy who watched it all bowed politely to me.
“I’m older, so feel free to speak casually.”
“Of course.”
“Thanks. I’m here to protect you until you reclaim your throne. And if you want, the orphanage kids you cherish like siblings too.”
“How do you know the royal song?”
“I’m a shaman.”
Not a lie.
“A shaman?”
“I’ll teach you when we build more trust.”
“…Understood.”
The boy, aware the initiative was mine, obeyed readily.
‘Smart, as expected.’
True to the novel’s setting.
“And know this: I’m not your vassal. So I’ll take clear compensation for protection.”
“…Anything I can do. Just don’t touch my little siblings.”
“I promise.”
I’m not cruel enough to make the author-ignored kids work.
“Then I’ll trust and follow.”
“Looking forward to it. Oh! You can call me hyung.”
“When we build more trust.”
“Cheeky?”
I successfully poached the “butler” who regulates the protagonist’s messy romances.
‘What happens now?’
Without this boy, the protagonist is a sports car with no brakes.
“Malang?”
“Yeah.”
I really have no idea?
I was already excited to see what mess the patient would make next.