I Reincarnated as a Noble Girl Villainess But Why Did It Turn Out This Way?

Chapter 31

People were strung up on wooden stakes as the smoke rose around them, and I could only watch without diverting my eyes. Under the harsh summer sun, with the burning straw beneath them, the people that were in the process of dying could do nothing but scream and scream.

There were other people that were truly enjoying the sight of the last moments of those thrashing about terribly on the wooden stakes. They would sometimes add oil to the fire or douse it with water, seeming to want to prolong the suffering of the victims.

The screams would slow down and gradually stop as what used to be human turned black on the stakes. Before I realized it, there was a horrible stench drifting around me.

At the same time that the heat and stench caused me to vomit reflexively, I heard the sound of raucous laughter next to me. It sounded so out of place at this type of location, that I couldn't get it out of my head and it agitated me greatly.

I couldn't take any more of this, and all I wanted to do was crouch up into a ball and close my eyes and cover my ears, but because I was being held in someone's arms, I couldn't do so.

Let me go, I desperately tried to say that but I wasn't able to talk yet, and the adult arm was easily able to hold on to my baby body.

Everything's a blur. I feel like my head will break with how much it hurts.

The summer heat, the hot air from the fire, the stench, they combined to choke me. My nausea was at the limit of what I could bear, and something traveled up my esophagus as I reflexively vomited. The smell of my own vomit mixed with the stench of burnt flesh and made things smell even worse.

After staring at my own puddle of vomit in a daze for a bit, I slowly raised my head. I wanted to take a look at the person that was holding me. It was almost something instinctive, I'm not sure myself why I wanted to do so. But, after I looked at him, I regretted it from the bottom of my heart.

He had beautiful long black hair, with eyes the color of blood, and he was smiling with an ecstatic expression as he looked back into my eyes.

I realized that he was my own father, and I woke up from my nightmare in my own bed.

In the stifling hot atmosphere of my room, I hurriedly wiped off the sweat dripping down my cheeks. Perhaps it was because of the nightmare though, my hands were cold, and I was shaking badly.

Without even opening my curtains, I left my room. I wanted cool, refreshing air, but even outside it was hot. I'm fed up with this suffocating heat and humidity. I opened the window, and at least some fresh air came blowing in.

It's currently the hottest summer that I've experienced in the Kaldia domain.

There's been an increasing number of people getting heat stroke in the western part of my domain, we've been too busy dealing with that to set up the civil militia yet. Earl Terejia and I have been confined to our rooms dealing with how much work there is, but the servants forced us to get plenty of water and take breaks as well.

The soldiers have begun returning from the eastern village construction project. The refugees have begun moving there in groups of twenty. Since there's more water in the east, the climate there is milder and I heard from some of the soldiers that they wished they were still there.

Kamil's still not back at the mansion yet, it'll be at least two months before things finish and he returns.

I took off my nightclothes that were soaked in sweat, and put on a light tunic and dalmatic. Mrs. Hortensia should probably be helping with breakfast preparations, and she won't be coming to wake me up. After I turned five, I didn't need anyone coming to wake me up anymore unless I overslept.