Chapter 5

“Haaaah…”

“Oh my.”

With a sigh from Father and a gasp from Mother—

“…A coal monster.”

That was Yuri’s one-line verdict as he stared at Jeryl.
And indeed, Jeryl was covered head-to-toe in soot.

“Jeryl, greet Mother and Father first.”

“Oh, right. You’re back?”

“…We’re back, brat.”

“Huh?”

That little exchange went: Seran, Jeryl, Yuri… then Jeryl again.

Lirian shook her head as she watched her youngest older brother roll around like a lump of charcoal.

“Dummy.”

At that word, all three brothers turned toward her.

“What?! You little runt!”
—of course, that was Jeryl, huffing and puffing.

“Lirian, have you been well?”
—gentle Seran, smiling kindly.

“Cheeks.”
—Yuri, eyes widening slightly at the sight of Lirian’s chubby round cheeks, staring like he’d just witnessed a wonder of nature.

“All right, I’m glad you’re back safe, boys. Jeryl, go wash up with me.”

“…Can’t I wash later?”

“Ahem.”

“Tch.”

And so, after a short commotion, Jeryl returned not as a coal monster, but as a slightly scruffy pretty boy.

At last, the whole Ersioni family gathered together.

“The first topic today is…”

Caesar, acting as chair, cleared his throat and stood.

“…Our youngest, Lirian’s ‘accidental regression case.’”

A short silence fell around the round table.

The children whispered among themselves.

“What’s regression? Something you eat?”

“Jeryl, shh.”

Seran and Jeryl.

“Magically, it doesn’t make sense.”

That was Yuri, muttering as he frowned—he hated illogical things most of all.

Resa said nothing, just stroked Lirian’s hair warmly.
She already knew everything from Caesar beforehand.

“Anyone wish to speak?”

Jeryl shot up with an “I—mph!” only for Yuri to quietly and efficiently shut him down.

The eldest raised his hand with dignity, as befitted a firstborn.

“Yes, Seran.”

“Since this is Lirian’s matter, I think we should first hear Lirian’s story.”

Caesar nodded.

“Fair point.”

All eyes turned toward Lirian.

She took a small breath.

“I…”

Her lips trembled as she looked at her family’s worried faces.

“…I missed you.”

Countless words sparkled in her heart like stars, but she chose the one she wanted to say most.

“I really, really missed you.”

Sever, the kind people of the ducal household, and here—her whole family.
Everyone she loved was right here.

‘Ah, except for one.’

She remembered the silver-haired man, cloak glittering with starlight.
And she smiled brightly.

She wanted to protect them.
All of them.
Because when she’d finally grown strong enough in the last life… they were already gone.

So she was truly thankful for this “unbelievable miracle.”

Drop.

Clear tears spilled from her big eyes.

Resa, face full of emotion, hugged Lirian tightly.

“My baby grew up too quickly.”

Caesar wrapped them both in his arms.

“True… I’d hoped she would grow just a little slower.”

Seran approached and gently wiped her tears.
Yuri silently took her hand.

Left alone, Jeryl flushed bright red under everyone’s gaze—

“I-I! I ate your pudding!”

A sudden confession.

“What?!”

Lirian froze mid-sniffle, glaring sharply at him.
Memories of the ancient “Missing Pudding Case” resurfaced.
She’d never found the culprit in her last life, only to learn the truth now!

“Why did you eat my pudding?!”

“I just wanted some!”

“My pudding!”

“Ugh, fine, I’m sorry! I’ll get you more later!”

“Grrr!”

“I said I’ll get you more!”

The five-year-old girl leapt to chase her six-year-old brother around the table.

“Same as always,” Yuri muttered.

Just an ordinary day in the Ersioni household.

“Catch me if you can!”

“I’ll kill you if I do!”

The little ones ran circles around the round table.

Resa sipped her tea gracefully, then stood.

“Stop right there.”

With one move, she caught them both mid-sprint.
Dangling in her grip, the two glared at each other, still growling.

“Now, apologize.”

“….”

“….”

“Well?”

At her smiling but firm tone, they wilted.

“S-sorry…”

“…Sorry.”

“Good. When you play, it should be fun for both of you. Understand?”

“Yes…”

“Mhm…”

“Lirian, you should say ‘Yes, Mother.’”

“Yes, Mother…”

Only after a forced handshake of reconciliation were they released.

“Not easy.”

“Since when was parenting easy?”

Caesar sighed, and Resa chuckled in reply.
It wasn’t easy—but they could smile, because their children were so dearly loved.

“…Here, take this.”

Later, Jeryl grumbled as he shoved his own pudding portion toward Lirian.
His hair was mussed, his cheek had a big bandage, but still—

“So don’t cry anymore.”

Lirian blinked at him, then split the pudding exactly in half.

“I’m fine with this much. You eat the rest.”

“What’s wrong with you, runt, refusing food?”

“Ugh, just eat it!”

And so, bickering as always, they shared dessert side by side.

Caesar and Resa exchanged glances, smiling.
In each other’s eyes, they saw a reflection so alike it was uncanny.
Both smiling.

“Big Brother, I want milk.”

“Me, juice!”

“Jeryl wants apple juice, right? And Lirian, cocoa?”

“Yeah!”

“What about you, Yuri?”

“Coffee.”

“What? No way! You’re still a kid! Absolutely not!”

“Father, I’m seven.”

“Seven is still a kid!”

Watching Caesar scold and chase his children, Resa laughed softly, lifting her teacup.

If this is the flow of fate…

Her gaze lingered on her precious family—
Especially on Lirian, the only one who had inherited her “eyes.”

…then I’ll twist it once, just a little.

For a moment, dark violet veins flickered across her hand before fading away.

It had been so moving, so warm—

But then—

“Of course, our Lirian should be the ‘baby villain.’ Can’t you just picture how cute she’d be?”

“…She’d be adorable, sure! But why must it always be ‘villain’ or ‘mastermind’? Can’t she just grow up normally?”

Wait. How had it come to this?

Lirian munched her cookie as her parents argued.

Crunch.
Mm, tasty.

It had all started with Mother’s words—

‘In other words, we need to become villains.’

After tea, the family meeting resumed.
Agenda: How do we save the world?

Resa immediately declared, “Cut off all the rotten heads!”

Caesar looked shocked. She pressed on.

“Controlling the Imperial Family like puppets, suppressing the Mage Tower, taking over the Church—that’s what being the mastermind means, isn’t it?”

…Straight-up treason.

Lirian blinked.

Wow. So my plan was basically treason too?

“According to Lirian’s story, there’s no solution otherwise. Unless we flip the Empire upside down!”

“Well, that’s…”

“Rotten water stays rotten, no matter how much you stir. You know that as well as I do.”

Caesar fell silent.

Lirian munched another cookie. Mother’s winning this argument.

“…But overthrowing the Imperial Family?”

“This is why conservative nobles are useless.”

Caesar’s brow twitched.

“‘Nobles are useless’? You’re one now too.”

“Hah! According to the Council of Elders, I’ll always be just a ‘lowborn nobody.’”

Lirian’s ears perked up.

“…Who said that?”

Inside the house, Caesar was a doting fool. But outside, he was the fearsome Iron-Blooded Duke. His voice dropped like ice.

Resa hid a sly smile.

“Oh, just gossip. I can’t stop all of it. Sometimes it just hurts, that’s all.”

Crack. Caesar’s fist clenched with a dangerous sound.

“…If all they do is block progress and sneer, perhaps clearing them out wouldn’t be so bad.”

“My, so you agree?”

And so, her parents reached dramatic agreement.

The children clapped.

“In that case, I’ll handle politics.”

“And I’ll take society and the noble ladies.”

“…Will you be all right?”

“My body, I know better than anyone.”

Caesar swallowed his worries.

“Then may we take charge of commerce?”

Seran spoke calmly.

“Money isn’t to be taken lightly,” Caesar said.

“I know, Father. But when you sent us to the capital, you said to see the world for ourselves. What I saw was a giant tide of money sweeping through everything. I don’t yet understand politics or society well enough to compare with you or Mother.”

“But—”

“I’m Seran Ersioni.”

At that, Caesar laughed.

“So bold, using the family name like that.”

“Talent is talent, whether born or made.”

“You’ve got your mother’s stubbornness.”

“Excuse me? He’s your spitting image.”

The couple bickered.

“Fine, then. But who is this ‘we’ you mentioned, Seran?”

“Yuri and Jeryl.”

Yuri looked up from his cocoa.

“He’s fascinated by magic, so the Mage Tower field suits him. He’ll grow along with it.”

“Hmm. True enough.”

But… Jeryl?

Everyone turned to him.

“…Zzz.”

He’d long since fallen asleep, dead to the world.

“…After bringing him along, I realized I can’t relax when he’s out of sight.”

“Ah.”

“He might cause trouble otherwise.”

Better to keep him close.

“…I’m sorry, Son.”

“It’s fine, Father.”

Father and son shared an unspoken bond.

“So what about me?”

Tap, tap!

Lirian drummed the table impatiently.

“I want a job too!”

Resa, unable to resist her daughter’s expectant eyes, smiled.

“Our Lirian can be the family mascot. The Baby Villain!”

Caesar tried to object.

“We don’t all need to be masterminds. Does she have to be a villain too?”

“But think of how cute she’ll look in a villain costume!”

“…That’s true.”

“So you agree?”

Thus, Lirian was officially granted the title of Baby Villain.

“Now, the crowning ceremony!”

“Clap, clap, clap!”

Caesar placed the “Moonlight Crown” from her Rose toy on her head.

Resa tried to hand her the “Flora Moon Ruby Wand,” but—

“Not that. A sword!”

Her tastes had changed. In the end, she was given Jeryl’s toy sword instead.

“But… what does a villain actually do?”

“…Well.”

Seran hesitated for a moment, then smiled.

“…Just help the whole family.”

With your cuteness, he left unsaid.

“Oh!”

Lirian nodded seriously.

So basically, chop down anyone who gets in the way, right?

The misunderstanding grew stronger.

Seran popped a toy firecracker, Yuri clapped with a straight face.
Jeryl snored.

And Lirian puffed her chest proudly.

“I’ll protect everyone!”

At that moment, Yuri pressed the Rose doll’s belly.

From it came the familiar line:

“In the name of villains, I’ll reform you!”

And so began the rise of the Ersioni Dukedom—
The Empire’s future masterminds.