Taming The Villainesses

Chapter 452: Side Story – Everyday Life Is Always Honey-Colored (1)

One spring day, after the wedding that had been the talk of the town for days finally ended.

This is a story of one such day—after the long lingering glow of those festival-like days had faded, and everyone had returned, one by one, to their everyday lives.

━Jijibae, jijibae!

Imps, awakened by the warm weather and the chirping of birds, shook off their midday naps with a full-body stretch and a shiver.

“Uuuuugh...!”

They always began the same way after waking up—with a deep stretch. Then, using a hand mirror or whatever was nearby, they would dust off any dirt on their faces or bodies and tidy up.

“Ahh! Dust has landed on Moromoro’s precious star-tail...!”

Especially the long, glamorous tails—they received extra care and attention for quite a while. Brush, sweep, brush. And before they knew it, it was already well past lunchtime.

What snapped the imps out of their tail-preening trance was another imp’s loud voice.

“Everyone, it’s time to begin the afternoon shift...!”

The one shouting from atop a raised platform was an imp with short red bobbed hair wearing a dashing uniform. On her left arm was a crimson armband that gleamed brightly.

That armband had no actual power or function, but it was so highly coveted that it was always ranked in the top wish list of all imps—right alongside the honey water dispenser.

Tartart, the imp with the armband, knew this well and always made sure to flaunt her crimson armband to stir up the others’ motivation.

“Any imp sister who works hard will be promoted to the blue armband, and eventually, like me, will wear the crimson armband...!”

At her words, the imps imagined themselves wearing those armbands with sparkling eyes, and then returned to their designated posts.

Thus began the imp employees’ afternoon shift at the Black Angmar Company.

“Imp sisters, let’s work hard this afternoon too...!”

Their afternoon work was highly productive. Recently, they had been crushing piles of flower petals to make dye, using it to color cloth and cotton.

While the work was overseen by armband imps like crimson-banded Tartart or blue-banded Purupuru, there wasn’t actually a hierarchy between them and the unbanded imps.

“Ahhh! Gargargar, you mustn’t eat the flower petals...!”

“Garrarar! Garrar!”

Aside from special cases like Gargargar, most imps obediently listened to managerial imps like Tartart, so there wasn’t much trouble.

“Today, we’ll use black roses to make black-tailed imp dolls...!”

The imps extracted dye from flowers, then sewed cloth and stuffed cotton to finally produce cute, high-quality dolls.

Marumaru. Tarutaru. Purupuru.

Imp dolls were wildly popular not only in the Kingdom of Angmar but also overseas—they were an important export that brought in foreign currency.

Because they knew the pride behind their work, the imps took even the simplest tasks—cutting thread, sewing on buttons—with utmost seriousness.

Recently, after collecting customer feedback, a new doll named Garugaru was launched. It sold out the moment it hit the shelves.

And so the imps worked diligently, sweat beading on their foreheads.

But even fun labor requires proper rest.

The off-duty imps spent their time playing tag in the wide gardens of the Black Angmar Company, chasing butterflies, or watering flowers and imp tails.

Today’s off-duty and watering-duty imp was Moromoro with the star-shaped tail.

“Hurry, time to water them...!”

Grasping a water can filled to the brim, Moromoro waddled toward a planter full of colorful, oddly shaped imp tails.

Yes—tails.

The jars were filled with planted tails. Now that barriers were no longer needed, in the lands where roaming adventurers and soldiers had begun reconquering, countless jars of unknown use had been found.

The remaining imp tails in those jars were all recovered and sent to the Black Angmar Company.

Since the company paid a high price for them, discovering imp tails was considered a joyful reward for warriors and adventurers alike.

If you planted those tails in flowerpots, watered them daily with clean freshwater and a potion filled with the imp’s secret recipe and love... Surprisingly, new imps would grow from them!

“Everyone, grow up quickly so we can play hide-and-seek together...!”

Moromoro gave a proud twitch of her coveted star-shaped tail. After watering today, she would play hide-and-seek with the other off-duty imps.

Or maybe try squid-game, the newest trend. Whatever it was, playing with her imp friends was so much fun that Moromoro never noticed time passing.

“Hm-hmm, hmm-hmm~”

“Moromoro.”

Just then, as Moromoro was humming and watering the tails, someone approached.

When she turned her head, Moromoro flinched. It was NarNar, the imp she feared most, suddenly standing behind her.

“Mo-Moromoro is off-duty today! I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“Ah...?”

NarNar was a tall imp, towering like an adult, and incredibly cool.

But unlike the tiny, chattering, laughing imps, the towering NarNar had a stern personality, so most of the imps were secretly afraid of her.

Moromoro, too, had once dyed an entire batch of red-haired dolls blue by mixing up the dye order, and had been thoroughly scolded by NarNar for it.

Remembering that incident, Moromoro grew anxious. Why had this big imp come looking for her...?

As if to confirm her fear, Moromoro’s proud star tail drooped between her legs and began trembling.

Then NarNar spoke.

“It’s nothing bad. I just had something to give you. Yesterday, I handed it out to everyone, but I missed you.”

Shff.

In NarNar’s slender hand was something wrapped in sleek, black luxury paper.

Moromoro didn’t know what was inside, but her sensitive nose picked up a sweet spring scent with a slightly bitter edge.

“Ahhh!”

Moromoro’s tail perked up.

“Ahhh! This smell—it’s honey chocolate...!”

“That’s right.”

Honey chocolate!

It was chocolate filled with honey.

After some FTA trade agreement or whatever with Turki, a bunch of these chocolates had ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) been imported. Among imps, they were as coveted as crimson armbands.

But the supply was so limited, and the price so high compared to honey candy, that very few imps had ever actually tasted it.

Ever since the one-imp-per-household policy, only imps assigned to wealthy families would occasionally say things like, “It was delicious...! It melted softly in my mouth...!”

Moromoro herself had only ever sniffed at a leftover wrapper. And now, that exact same smell was coming from NarNar’s hand!

Moromoro immediately took it, tore off the wrapper, and greedily shoved the chocolate into her mouth. Just like the rumors said, it melted away in an instant.

“It’s delicious...!”

It was so tasty it made her feel happy.

“Comrade NarNar had a surprisingly kind side...!”

“Surprisingly...? Hmm, well. Sure.”

NarNar knew that the small imps were afraid of her. So she’d started giving out honey treats—chips, chocolates—to grow closer. And surprisingly, it worked well.

Then Moromoro asked:

“To give out such expensive honey chocolates—was it that baron fellow who sent them?!”

“Yes. Even knowing he’s being used, he showers us with gifts. What a foolish man. But this kind of story... is still too early for you lot.”

Just as NarNar said—Moromoro didn’t understand what she meant.

But one thing was clear: the chocolate was sweet and just a little bitter, and NarNar’s expression was a bit bitter too, but also somehow warm—like the chocolate.

Maybe she didn’t completely dislike the baron? Then why couldn’t she be honest about it? Are all tall imps like that? Moromoro didn’t know.

Still, she was jealous of NarNar’s height. What Moromoro had to walk in two steps, NarNar could do in one. How amazing that must be when playing tag.

So she asked:

“I, Moromoro, want to be big like the tall imp sister NarNar...!”

“To grow taller, huh...”

***

And that’s how it all started. The story of how a few imps ended up forming the “Growing Mushroom Expedition Team.”

President Imp Marmar handed me a stack of documents full of scribbles and asked,

“How do you see it, Comrade? Do you think it really exists?”

“The height-growing mushroom? Hmm...”

Apparently, it was NarNar who first told the imps about the mushroom. That deep within the forests and mountains of Angmar, there was a giant mushroom, and eating it would make imps and nymphs grow taller.

Whether that story was true or not, I couldn’t say. But it was clear that the imps were doing well, and that alone made me feel relieved.

Lately, I’d been too busy with the post-wedding festivities and ceremonies to pay them any proper attention. But now, hearing that Moromoro, who had grown from a flowerpot, and NarNar, who’d once suffered deep wounds and trauma, were both doing fine inside the Black Angmar Company’s protective walls—it made me feel at ease.

Marmar said brightly,

“I believe it’s real! So I’m going with them on this expedition!”

Her words startled me. Marmar—now the company president—was going into the field herself?

I knew she enjoyed spring outings, but still—given everything I’d heard lately, I couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy.

“They say strange dungeons have started appearing in the forests and mountains. Isn’t that dangerous?”

It had been a while since the God of Blazing Flame lost his power from beyond the Gate. Now, the world was experiencing upheaval as ancient ruins and sealed dungeons, once suppressed by the gods and the Church, began to rise from the depths.

No one knew what kind of unknown beings or adventures might await.

Letting a bunch of imps wander into the mountains at a time like this? It was only natural I’d worry.

But Marmar seemed to have already made up her mind.

“I’ve already packed our lunchboxes for tomorrow! Even if we don’t find the mushroom, it’ll be a fun picnic! And since Punchnoi’s coming with us, there’s nothing to worry about!”

So that’s how it was. Punchnoi, I knew well. A strong nymph. Now that mages were in decline, a nymph trained in martial arts like Punchnoi was probably the most reliable bodyguard you could ask for.

Still... the height-growing mushroom, huh.

As a half-fairy myself, I was personally curious. If I ate it—would I grow taller too?

Evening.

At the royal palace’s lavish dinner table, I brought up my thoughts to the noble ladies.

“I was thinking... I might go with them tomorrow. To look for that so-called height-growing mushroom.”

At that, all their expressions immediately twisted into scowls. The one who grumbled the most was Elga, who was currently feeding baby food to Leonoi.

“Going off to play somewhere again? We haven’t even picked our honeymoon destination yet.”

Her tone was quite sharp.

Lately, Elga had been repeatedly asking, “Wanna go see cats together?” And I kept turning her down as a joke. Now she was sulking hard over it.

Who knows where she even picked up the cat thing from.

“If you have time to go mushroom-hunting, how about helping feed Leonoi for once? I need to eat too, you know.”

Fwip.

Elga handed me the baby in her arms. The very small, very young, golden-haired fairy girl—Leonoi—immediately burst into a bright giggle the moment she was placed in my arms.

“━─.”

Right now, she smiled as sweetly as a little princess. But come nighttime, she cried constantly and kept all the noble ladies up. Apparently, it wasn’t because she was in pain or hungry—ыhe just liked watching people panic when she cried.

Even at such a young age, she was already showing signs of being a villainess to rival Elga.

“Leonoi, you should grow up quickly so your moms don’t struggle so much, okay?”

I said with a teasing smile, holding out a spoonful of baby food.

—Nymph Technique: Feeding the Baby!

Plop.

It was amazing to see something so tiny gulp down spoonfuls of food. Maybe because she took after Elga, she’d been surprisingly healthy with zero illnesses.

One day, this tiny fairy girl would run around the neighborhood too. Of course, that was still a long way off. But the day would surely come.

At that moment, the noble ladies one by one stretched out their arms.

“Sir Teo, I want to feed her too!”

“Me too, big sis!”

Everyone seemed eager to feed Leonoi. All except for one—Ayra, who alone showed no interest.

That struck me as a little odd. Ayra, who usually adored Leonoi and often carried her around, was surprisingly calm this time.

It was then that Ayra spoke, wearing an oddly confident expression.

“So then—whose turn is it tonight?”

At her words, a ripple of tension spread across everyone's face.