Reincarnated as the mother of an otome game's villainess?!

Chapter 14. Last Dinosaur

Victor had told me about the Nymphs a few times when he had visited me to help me with the greenhouse. There wasn't too much to say though, they were quite elusive creatures. Their habitat was pretty deep into the forest, and they really liked their privacy.

—For the longest time, they were believed to be just myths and legends —Victor said—, but in most recent times they have been forced to come in contact with people as their forest become smaller. A few researchers have been able to study them in exchange for protection, and a few botanists have claimed to have been able to grow their own. The reports have a few conflicting points, so it is hard to know what is true and what is not.

There were many varieties of them too, each one linked to a type of flower or plant, but their appearance was pretty much the same in every record of them.

—There is a legend of a man being saved from drowning on a river by a beautiful woman —Victor told me on another occasion, pretty much unprompted—, but when he saw her closely, he saw that her hair was like vines, and her clothes were actually leaves. Flowers were growing from her bare skin too. She was a Nymph.

About their personality, they generally acted as the solemn guardians of their forest, elegant and stoic, yet quite brutal if attacked. The Rose Nymphs were specially known to be cold and deathly.

The one that was resting on my lap was anything but that. She was quite small, with a body and head that looked like meat buns, and tiny chubby stumps as limbs. She had three fingers in each, though they were barely noticeable. Her skin was slightly green, her hair was made of leaves, and there was a rose growing at the side of her head. Personality wise... she was a crybaby. From the moment I picked her up, despite the warnings of Carmila, she refused to leave my side. When we came back into the house, I put her on the table for a moment, and she started weeping really loud. No wonder why some people think they are related to Mandrakes. She even managed to wake up Violett, who had slept soundly through the whole ordeal. She wasn't angry or scared, just looked pissed that someone had woken her so rudely. She fell asleep rather quickly afterwards, though.

—I'll be calling for the investigation department first thing in the morning —Carmila said after giving me a warm cup of milk—, and also the company that provide us with our barrier. In the meantime, Mr. Adrian will be watching the outside of the mansion, and Nora and everyone else will be guarding your door. Please try to rest now, we'll keep you safe, Madame.

—Thank you, I'll try to sleep a bit —I said, but I wasn't too sure I would be able to do so.

I just couldn't understand why someone would attack me. If they were planning on robbing the house they had bypassed the barrier already, they only needed to wait for me to get in, and so that was unlikely. I was aware that I wasn't liked by some nobles, and maybe my friendship with the queen had made them jealous, but for them to actually try to hurt me was a bit too much.

—Ugh... —my head hurt, probably because I was tired and over thinking too much.

I went to bed, with Violett still on my arms. I didn't felt entirely comfortable with leaving her in her crib, despite it being just a few centimeters from my bed. The Nymph pushed her way under my arm, and I had to force myself to ignore a couple of dull thorns she had on her forehead. Despite everything, I fell asleep almost immediately. The next morning, I woke up later than usual. Apparently, Carmila had asked everyone to let me sleep a bit more, but Violett slapped my face and demanded to be fed after just half an hour more of sleep.

—Maybe I should go to the city to inform the authorities in person —I said, as I entered the dining room, still wearing my pajamas.

—Madame, you don't have to worry about it, Mr. Adrian, Iridia, and Sophie were already on their way, with the letters I wrote myself, before the light of dawn reached us —Carmila said, slightly proud of herself. The dark circles under her eyes indicated that she hadn't gotten too much sleep.