Chapter 2
If the Grand Duke hadn’t caught me, I probably would’ve fallen flat on my face. With incredible reflexes, he stood up from his seat.
“…Let go of me.”
He even naturally slipped his hands under my armpits. Then he lifted me into the air.
“You’re light.”
He shook me side to side like I was a toy.
His gestures were so casual they felt like an insult to my very dignity as a human being. That just made me angrier.
“D-Don’t do that!”
“So light. Feels like you’re empty inside. Like a feather.”
“Let go!”
But I was like a paper doll fluttering in the wind—there was no escaping his grasp.
“I’ll use my powers! You’ll regret this!”
I raised my hands, but he just let out a soft laugh, clearly unimpressed by my threat.
“…Are you underestimating me?”
“You look like you collapse after using your powers once. Am I wrong?”
B-Busted.
How did he guess that so quickly?
My body flinched reflexively.
“I-I’m not…”
“Then go ahead. Use them.”
His voice was low and calm, with not a hint of emotion.
You think I won’t use them just because you said that?
I snorted in frustration and tried to summon my power… but gave up soon after and let my body go limp.
If I pass out after using magic when Mom’s not here, it could be a disaster. I can do almost anything—except turning back time or healing others—but each time I use my powers, I collapse.
‘And depending on the power I use, the strain on my body increases.’
When I used a powerful spell, I often couldn’t get out of bed for days afterward.
‘To show him something impressive, I’d have to use a lot of power like last time.’
But using my strength without even knowing where Mom is would be foolish.
“Uuung…”
I mumbled with a pout.
‘What do I do? Should I use my power or not?’ I was still debating when the Grand Duke spoke.
“How old are you?”
“Five.”
“Quite small for a five-year-old.”
His blue eyes, like the color of the sky, stared intently at me.
“I’m small, so let go. I said, put me down!”
“I will.”
“Huh?”
Unexpectedly, the Grand Duke Abelrant gently set me down on the chair where he had been sitting.
“Happy now?”
“…”
“Alright then. Start talking. You said you hate thieves, so let’s hear it. Who are you? And how did an uninvited guest end up here?”
His oppressive gaze made my body tremble.
I’d never gotten used to the eyes of adult men. The ones who abused me were always grown men.
“A small child. A very weak woman. But you appeared here using magic in the Grand Duke’s household where magic doesn’t work. Just what are you?”
“…”
“You and your mother both woke up after exactly three days. I’d say that’s enough reason to call me merciful, wouldn’t you?”
Three days?
So I really did overdo it. But if I woke up after three days and this guy is still here…
‘Don’t tell me… he’s been here the whole time?’
I quickly shook my head.
No way. He must’ve just shown up coincidentally right when I was waking up.
“T-That! I won’t answer right now. Give me back my mom first! I’ll talk after that! If you’ve done anything to her, I won’t let you off…!”
If anything had happened to Mom, I would just give up on this life again.
If Mom dies and I die, time resets.
Then I’ll just get revenge on that fake emperor and this Grand Duke afterward.
“Your eyes are still sharp.”
Everyone who wasn’t Mom was the same.
They tortured us, killed my mom. Worse yet, they experimented on my body to extract its seemingly limitless power.
Even the knights who monitored us were abusive.
That’s why humans—adults—can’t be trusted.
Except for Mom.
“Stop spouting nonsense! Give me my mom!”
“You’re like a little rabbit flaring its nose, baring its teeth.”
“I’m not a rabbit!”
“A rabbit that thinks it’s a giant predator. I guess that’s why you have no intention of answering my questions?”
“I won’t tell you!”
It wasn’t like I had only one dad candidate anyway.
The Grand Duke was just the easiest one to negotiate with.
“If you keep silent, your situation will only worsen. I’m not the kind of kind soul who spares intruders just because they’re a child or a frail woman.”
His gaze darkened with a faint murderous intent.
I could feel it clearly.
This man might actually be more dangerous than the fake emperor.
‘Which makes him perfect.’
He couldn’t be soft. For my perfect revenge, he had to be a villain with no attachments.
I had already lived my five-year-old life ten times. Once, I even made it to seven. Another time, I survived until nine by playing dead in front of the emperor.
And in every life, this man—Grand Duke Abelrant—always coveted the emperor’s throne.
‘He’s greedy and ruthless.’
I swallowed hard.
“If you give me my mom, I’ll tell you then. I just can’t trust you.”
“You’re a bold child. You’re trying to go toe-to-toe with me. But what if I already killed your mother?”
“You just said, ‘I’m not the kind of kind soul who spares intruders,’ right? But I’m still alive, so Mom must be alive too.”
“Quite clever for a five-year-old. But that cleverness, that bravado of someone with nothing to lose, could end up tightening the noose around your own neck. Intruder.”
His hand moved to the sword at his waist.
‘Is he going to kill me? Was I too cocky?’
Ah, was I wrong?
My only world had been the one inside books.
In them, it always said to act strong.
‘W-Was that wrong?’
“You show your emotions on your face.”
“…Wh-What!”
“You look flustered. Like you’re starting to worry if you made a mistake.”
“I’m not! I’m strong, so I don’t worry about anything! Just give me back my mom before I do something really big!”
I raised both hands.
At that moment—
The door burst open.
“Your Grace, we’ve brought the one you requested.”
I could feel the same intense magical suppression as in the Imperial Palace.
Normally, I’d draw a magic circle to break it, but that would take time.
‘Screw it. I’ll just cast something strong enough to break the barrier.’
Unlike the massive palace, this place seemed manageable for my body.
Then I’d be able to attack him.
“I’m going to attack now, okay?”
I puffed up my cheeks as I issued my very un-subtle threat.
The Grand Duke’s gaze returned to me.
Then—
“If you collapse again from using magic, you won’t get to see that woman you call your mother.”
“What?”
“Look that way.”
I paused mid-attack and turned where he pointed.
And sure enough, a familiar figure walked through the open door.
“A-Aga!”
“Mom? Are you okay?!”
It was my mom. My real mom!
The one who’d always been my only everything.
I jumped down from the chair and ran into her arms.
“Mom… Mom!”
The moment I smelled her warm, familiar scent, all the anxiety I had melted away. The soul of my mother—who had withered away like a dying flower—had regained a faint glimmer of life. Just the fact that she’d opened her eyes was enough.
I clung to her waist.
“My baby… My sweet baby. What is going on? Are you okay?”
“Mom. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. And you, Bebe? Are you okay?”
“Yeah!”
“Thank goodness… Thank goodness.”
My mother’s golden eyes, like starlight, crinkled with relief.
“Thank goodness…”
Tears fell from her eyes.
“Why are you crying? Are you hurt?”
“No. Not hurt. Just… I’m just so happy to see my daughter like this…”
She said she was happy, but tears kept falling. Holding me in her arms, she cried and cried, not understanding what had happened.
And since Mom cried… I cried too.
‘I finally saved her.’
After dying nine times, I had finally saved my mother in my eleventh life.
I had been born as the daughter of the former emperor, but due to my mother’s status, I was never called a princess—an unfortunate royal child.
‘My poor, poor mom.’
Sitting on the floor, my mom gently caressed my cheeks.
She had been born a princess of the Kingdom of Afreta, gifted with powerful magic, but abandoned by her family for being unable to wield it properly. My grandfather hated her, calling her a useless bloodline.
Then one day, the emperor of a foreign nation—my dad—found her, and they fell in love.
Dad truly loved us.
He gave me a name, visited us every chance he got.
Until I was three, every day was full of joy. I had Dad and Mom. Even though we were hidden away, we lacked nothing. But then came the rebellion.
Dad was killed by his own brother, and a new emperor took the throne. I heard that the empress had fed Dad a powerful poison.
And that was the beginning of our nightmare.
“Baby… My baby, are you okay?”
I gently stroked my mom’s tear-stained cheeks.
“Yeah! I’m okay because I have you, Mom!”
I rubbed my cheek against hers. She still looked sickly and close to collapse, but… Mom was alive.
‘I finally saved her.’
