SWER 01

SWER

Posted by Fahad, Released on October 14, 2025

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Chapter 01

Today’s main dish was lamb steak.

The scent of pepper and rosemary filled the air, tickling my nose.

I started by cutting the grilled zucchini and asparagus garnish into small pieces and bringing them to my mouth. Crunch. The fresh green aroma of the vegetables spread in my nose, whetting my appetite.

Once my palate had been refreshed by the garnish, I carefully picked up my knife and placed it against the meat.

Then I cut straight down at a right angle — for a softer, more perfect first bite.

The well-cooked meat was as tender as pudding, and the knife slid through easily. I sliced off a small piece and then impaled it mercilessly with my fork.

If a third party had been watching, they would’ve thought me the very picture of noble grace — my table manners were flawless.

Before putting the meat into my mouth, I gazed at it for a moment.

The red interior, cooked close to rare, shimmered with bubbling fat. If I were my old self, I probably would’ve pounced on it the instant I saw it — like a bull charging at a matador’s red cloth.

But today’s meal was steak. Yesterday’s, steak. The day before, also steak.

Steak. Steak.

Sometimes beef, sometimes lamb, occasionally goat — with only slight variations in the garnish. The endless repetition made bile rise in my throat.

But it’s not the meat’s fault.

I calmed my stomach and cautiously took a bite.

The moment it touched my tongue, the juices flowed out. The rich, overwhelming flavor was almost dizzying.

As always, the first bite was ecstasy itself.

“Spring’s Artwal is coming soon. Are you preparing well?”

“……”

I had been lost in the bliss of my first bite when Mother brought up another suffocating topic.

“Spring’s Artwal” was a ballroom party for noble sons and daughters who had just reached adulthood. It was a grand event — a stage for the young and unmarried aristocracy to meet. Once it passed, engagement announcements would flood in from every direction.

My mother was clearly looking forward to it for that very reason.

Why does it sound just like relatives asking if you’re getting married soon during the holidays…?

The steak that had been melting in my mouth suddenly tasted like rubber.

“I’m doing well, Mother.”

“I see. How about having Shirley design your dress this time? I hear she’s quite talented.”

“I’ve already asked Audrey, but I can visit Shirley too.”

“Don’t forget — a dress that makes you shine isn’t an extravagance.”

Mother smiled warmly at me, and I forced myself to smile back. Father, who was eating quietly beside her, nodded in agreement.

Even in her later years, Mother was still beautiful.

It hurt to think that her lovely smile would soon disappear forever.

Actually… no. It doesn’t hurt that much.

I chewed the meat — like gum — and reflected on the 18 years of my life so far.

Eighteen. Such a cursed number.

Eighteen years already. I’d really endured for so long.

Today was the day I would finally end this miserable life and begin a radiant new one.

Just as I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, the dessert arrived.

Freshly picked strawberries and grapes were neatly plated in a dish.

Though it was called “dessert,” there wasn’t a single trace of sugar — that glorious human invention — anywhere in sight. Everything was raw and plain.

Just like yesterday. And the day before. And probably tomorrow.

Burying what little conscience I had left, I decided it was finally time to become the raging bull.

“Mother, Father.”

I gracefully picked up my napkin and dabbed my lips. Both of them turned their attention to me, curious.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Oh? My, how mysterious. What could our daughter want to say?”

“……”

Mother smiled brightly. I averted my eyes from her cheerful face. Father, silent as always, simply looked at me. I met his gaze.

“Go ahead and speak.”

With his permission, I didn’t hesitate.

“I received a divine revelation yesterday.”

“……!”

“Oh my…!”

Both of them widened their eyes — the resemblance almost uncanny despite their differing personalities.

Mother clasped her hands to her lips, her voice trembling with excitement.

“What?! Priscilla, does that mean… you’ve become the Saintess of the Iris Church?”

Only a Saintess could receive divine revelations.

So, naturally, it was reasonable for them to assume that was what I meant.

“Well… no.”

A faint blush colored Mother’s cheeks.

Becoming the Saintess of the Iris Church would be the greatest honor a family — no, the entire Empire — could receive. If that had been the case, the duchy would’ve held a three-day festival starting today.

“I received the call of another god.”

“…What?”

As I smiled brightly — the very image of a dutiful daughter turned firebrand — the words “If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it” came to mind.

“Mother, Father. I’m converting.”

Apparently, they couldn’t “enjoy” it.

Despite my radiant smile, silence fell over the dining room.

One second.

Two. Three…

Their stunned gazes locked onto me. The quiet stretched, heavy and suffocating.

Cold. I can almost feel the steak knife stabbing me in the chest…

Finally, after what felt like forever, Mother managed to speak.

“Y-you…”

Her voice came from deep within her chest, strained and trembling.

“My… my daughter…!”

Her body swayed.

Her trembling words turned into a faint groan as she clutched her forehead and collapsed to the side.

Father, frozen until that moment, leapt up to catch her.

“…Camilla!”

“How could this happen! To my daughter…!”

“Camilla! Get a hold of yourself. Damn it, Alvin! Fetch the physician!”

“No, Priscilla! Priscillaaa—!”

Mother’s desperate cries and Father’s frantic shouts mixed with the hurried footsteps of the servants.

In an instant, the entire mansion was in chaos.

And at the center of it all — the cause of the commotion — I simply turned my head toward the window.

Outside, the scenery was peaceful.

The sky was blue, and the clouds drifted lazily by — a picture-perfect day.

“Priscilla, Priscilla!”

“Camilla, stay with me!”

“Your Grace, this way—!”

“The physician will be here any moment!”

What a perfect day to ruin a family.

Ignoring the uproar, I gazed out the window, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

* * *

Before explaining how things came to this, let me start from the beginning — my story.

My name in this life was Priscilla Lockhart.

That’s right. As you can see, I had reincarnated.

When I first opened my eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling, I was completely bewildered. When my body wouldn’t move the way I wanted, I panicked even more.

What the—why can’t I move? Did I gain that much weight after eating three packs of ramen last night? What’s happening?!

When I tried to scream, only a weird gurgle came out — “Uwaaah.”

Then, someone gently lifted me up.

“My beloved daughter, Priscilla. How beautiful and precious you are.”

A stunning silver-haired woman smiled down at me.

Her beauty captivated me for a moment — until I realized everything around me looked enormous.

Wait… why is she so huge?

As confusion washed over me, the woman’s soft hand stroked my head.

This warmth — like being in a mother’s arms — felt oddly familiar.

A mother’s arms.

A baby’s body.

Wait. A baby?