📖 Chapter 3 …

“……”

The aide looked back and forth between me and Grandmother, his face pale.

He looked at me as if I were already dead—almost pitying me.

I didn’t care at all.

If anything, I was just thinking, I kind of want to pull out more of her hair.

Thoughts should be put into action.

Just as my tiny hand shot forward—

It was suddenly blocked by a large hand.

Ah, did she stop me from pulling her hair? Or is she angry?

The moment that thought crossed my mind—

“Ha, ahahahahahaha!”

Grandmother burst into loud laughter, as if she found this incredibly amusing.

At the end of her laughter, her gleaming eyes turned toward me.

There was a languid satisfaction in her gaze.

“Pierre, something like this came out of that lunatic who gave up on life?”

But her sharp eyes continued to examine me, as if I were extremely interesting.

Her wrinkled yet handsome face suddenly came very close.

So close I could clearly see every wrinkle.

The Orca family could imbue their gaze with killing intent.

Those gleaming eyes definitely didn’t hold only goodwill.

“You’re the first grandchild who dared to pull my hair, you tiny thing.”

“…Ung?”

Grandmother dropped me onto the bed with a thud.

It wasn’t something you’d normally do to a baby, but the bed was soft, so it didn’t hurt.

“Very well. I will postpone disposing of this one.”

In my previous lives, the first thing that happened after I regressed was being thrown out to the farthest building of the main house.

“Throw her into the educational institution this summer.”

“…Yes, Head of the Family.”

Her long, slitted eyes turned toward me.

Beneath her sleek, orca-like hair, her murderous gaze curved slightly.

“Listen well, you rice-cake-looking thing. If you fail to show results at the educational institution, you’ll be exiled straight to the cold halls. Understood?”

Because I was weak and hadn’t awakened the Power of Water, I was always cast out.

‘Fine, just you wait. I’ll grow up quickly and get out of this family myself.’

But before that, I’ll make sure to see that old hag’s face twist first.

‘I’ll become strong enough to make you drool—and then disappear as the Dragon’s Bride.’

I’ll become the best. I will become the best.

And just like that, in this life, I changed my beginning.

* * *

You could only be sold as the Dragon’s Bride at age ten.

But before that, I had always been sold off to other families again and again.

I had resisted countless times, thrown tantrums, and even tried to run away.

But even with memories of the original story, there was nothing I could do with this powerless body.

‘The only reason I managed to escape in my last life was because I risked my life.’

But now, thanks to finally mastering the trick of speaking clearly, I had bought myself some time.

Now there was only one thing I needed to do.

‘First goal: survive safely until age ten.’

And before that, avoid being sold to any family connected to the original story.

Even though I already appeared to have exceptional intelligence, that alone wasn’t enough.

‘I need a guardian until I turn ten.’

I could develop my abilities over time, but until then, I needed someone strong to support me.

‘My physical abilities are too weak. That’s unavoidable since I take after my father.’

My three older brothers were either protected by powerful retainers or were strong enough not to need protection.

But I wasn’t.

‘It would’ve been nice if I still had the Power of Water.’

So who could help me until I grew stronger?

Most adults wouldn’t want to become my guardian.

No matter how smart I was, this family valued overwhelming strength over intelligence.

‘I need an adult with strange tastes—someone who would also leave me alone.’

And I knew exactly one person like that.

‘My father. Pierre Aquasiadel.’

My father occupied a peculiar position within the Orca family.

Grandmother, the Head of the Family, had three sons.

The first and second were fierce rivals from a young age, both possessing outstanding abilities…

But the third son, Pierre, was different from birth.

He had an extremely weak body.

However, unlike me—who was looked down upon for being weak—my father was not despised.

That was because he possessed an immense Power of Water.

‘The problem was that his weak body limited how much he could use that power.’

If I had to describe my father:

A weapon with firepower strong enough to terrify everyone—but with a strict usage limit.

Even Grandmother treated him as a waste, despite his potential.

And my father withdrew from everything, living in seclusion.

Though he had children through a political marriage, he didn’t take care of them like my uncles did.

My older brothers didn’t even pay attention to him.

‘But right now, I need that indifference.’

At the moment, I was being carried back to my residence by the servant who had brought me earlier.

Strangely, the hands holding me were more careful than before.

‘Because I caught Grandmother’s attention.’

When we arrived, the servant hesitated before speaking.

“Miss, in one week, you will be moved to a new residence. I will come again then.”

Currently, I was staying in a shabby room at the far western end.

The servant left after saying I would be moved closer to the main building.

‘Power really is great. The moment I caught Grandmother’s eye, I get a better room. Well, this place was old and dangerous anyway.’

The moment I was left alone, I waddled forward.

In this old building, there was a nanny who took care of babies like me all at once.

She was the type who only fed us just enough so we wouldn’t die.

Babies of the Orca family all started here, and only those who showed talent could leave.

Those born with the Power of Water didn’t even need to come here—they lived in the main building from the start.

I kept walking diligently.

* * *

After walking for quite a while, baby Calypso finally arrived at the place she had been looking for.

She turned her chubby face left and right, scanning the area.

‘It should be around here… Ah!’

Her face brightened.

She had found the person she was looking for.

In her large eyes, she spotted a man sitting absentmindedly near a fountain.

The fountain was old and cracked, looking like it belonged in ruins.

The man sitting there was very tall with a large frame, yet somehow gave off a frail impression.

His collarbone was clearly visible above the round neckline of his shirt, and the loosely worn cardigan added to his languid atmosphere.

His face deepened that lazy aura, even giving off a slightly decadent impression.

His pale skin, as if he had never seen sunlight, only amplified it.

‘Hmm, as expected of a strong Orca… he is handsome.’

Calypso evaluated simply.

The man before her was her father—

Pierre Aquasiadel.

Surprisingly, across all three of her lives, Calypso had rarely seen her father alive.

The reason was simple.

Before she was sold off, he rarely showed himself.

And after she was sold, he died not long after due to illness.

Despite possessing power worthy of being called the strongest, his weak body couldn’t endure it.

‘In my last life, I only saw him through portraits after becoming Head of the Family.’

In this life, this was the first time seeing him.

She had even heard he wasn’t present when she was born.

Calypso toddled toward him.

Even as she approached very close, Pierre didn’t turn his head, still gazing somewhere absentmindedly.

“Mister!”

Only when she stood right in front of him did he slowly turn his head.

“……”

Calypso carefully examined his face.

It really was fascinating to see him alive like this.

‘He’s as strong as Grandmother right now—but heavily restricted.’

And on top of that, he was someone destined to die early.

Whether he knew it or not, he gave off a strange atmosphere—like a neon-lit night that didn’t exist here.

“Hello, mister.”

Calypso smiled brightly, pretending not to know him.

“Do you know where the educational institution is? I have to go there.”

Of course, it was just an excuse to start a conversation—a blatant lie.

Pierre stared at her for a long time.

Strangely, it didn’t feel like he was looking at her—more like he had simply shifted his gaze.

As if he couldn’t even perceive her presence.

It felt like his gaze passed right through her.

His eyes were filled only with indifference and laziness.

Calypso’s round eyebrows shot up.

Among her family, she had the roundest features—something she had always been self-conscious about.

While others had sharp, fierce looks like typical orcas, she alone was soft and round.

But at this moment, she wanted to raise her eyes sharply.

Hey, I’m annoyed!

‘Why isn’t he answering?’

Only after quite a while did his slow reply come.

“You’ve taken quite the wrong path.”

Pierre’s voice was low and hoarse.

As if he hadn’t spoken in a very long time.