CHAPTER~03
About Three Days Later
About three days later, the aftershocks of bringing the female protagonist into the mansion began to appear slowly.
“How is Mela adjusting? Any memories coming back? I’m worried.”
Hubert replied, looking somewhat pitiful.
“Yes. She’s adjusting so well that it might even be a problem. When I went to her room, the maids were all lined up, waiting for Miss Mela. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”
“…So, does that mean Mela trained the maids?”
“Something like that.”
I couldn’t believe it, and I dropped the stack of documents, mouth agape.
If I were to describe the staff of the Leella family in a single word, it would be “ragtag.” The previous Count treated everyone equally, regardless of status. Because of that, I, too, had grown up close to the staff. I was used to it and had no major complaints, but the freedom meant the system was a mess.
Yet now, a child barely five years old was giving lessons?
“A prodigy?”
The female protagonist was extraordinary from the very start. I muttered a short word of admiration and returned my attention to the documents. There was a mountain of work to handle before we went to the capital.
“Oh, by the way, she asked to change rooms, so I moved her to a larger one. Apparently, she didn’t like the old room because too much sunlight came in.”
Even without memories, she had the audacity to speak her mind.
As expected of the female protagonist, her spirit was overflowing. I admired her again.
“…A genius?”
“A genius, prodigy, whatever! That child is really not ordinary!”
Those who wear a crown must bear its weight. In that sense, Mela was a definite female protagonist. Of course, it was unusual that she was so mature for her age.
Hubert, unaware of my thoughts, suddenly scolded me.
“Even though she lost her memories, she is certainly different from other children her age. Miss Mela is extraordinary. Watching her reminds me of Lady Evlyen Leella as a child.”
“…Is that a compliment?”
“Yes. It’s like an adult is sitting inside her.”
Wait—a grown-up? Hubert’s words finally made me grasp the seriousness of the situation.
“Is she precocious?”
“Ugh.”
Now that I thought about it, this must have been around the time she was abused by Marquis Lopenter. In the original story, the female protagonist suffered “training disguised as education” at age five. She endured various tortures, drills, and mental abuse from a young age, so her way of thinking could not be like that of other children.
It was so heartbreaking that tears almost fell. Even if hardships are necessary for growth, this story was too cruel. Fortunately, Mela would stay here for now, so she wouldn’t suffer the original abuse.
Feeling embarrassed by my sniffles, I scolded Hubert unnecessarily.
“Don’t be suspicious and just treat her well, Hubert. Don’t you know that would hurt the child?”
Such a cold old man. Still, Hubert replied in a stern voice.
“…Hmph. Don’t you know that the more harmless a child seems, the more careful you need to be? Honestly, I don’t like Miss Mela.”
Persistent, as always. I lifted my head, only to lose my words.
“By the way, Hubert, since when did you tie her bangs into those little twin tails?”
Her hair even had pink ties with ribbons. Anyone could tell she looked like a “dotting uncle’s favorite niece.”
Hubert adjusted his glasses with a serious expression.
“You might not know, but this hairstyle is popular in the Empire nowadays.”
…Better never to know.
The Reason I Took Mela In
Honestly, I hadn’t taken Mela in lightly. I knew the ending of the original story Devotion of the Great Magician. In short, it’s a tragic ending. The female protagonist, who devoted everything to make her beloved emperor, ultimately gets killed by him. A truly insane sad ending!
Naturally, readers demanded her survival, and the author revised the ending completely. But unfortunately, I died without seeing the revised conclusion, so I never knew. I faintly remembered thinking in the hospital, “What kind of story is this!”
[Please name this child “Mela.” Take good care of her.]
When I read the note asking to name her Mela, I couldn’t help but be surprised. At this point, no one else should have known that name besides me.
In the original story, Kanna became the youngest Great Magician and used the name “Mela” instead of her own. The name came from Kanna’s late mother. Her full name was Mela. The name was chosen to honor her mother, who had died tragically. I knew this because I had read the original. Somehow, the person who entrusted Kanna must also know about this name.
Who could it be? Without being possessed like me, there’s no way anyone would know…
So, to both solve the mystery and protect the female protagonist from abuse, I took her in. It was a kind of long-term investment. To do this, I needed to gather money. Luckily, I acquired rare minerals, so I needed to sell them quickly.
Currently, the value of Argenta was uncertain due to its rarity, but it would bring enormous wealth soon. My goal was to establish a foothold before Marquis Lopenter monopolized it. Then, I could repay debts and revive my trade guild. I grinned mischievously at the thought.
Arrival at the Capital
“…Wow! Is this the capital, Count? So many people!” Mela jumped up and down excitedly.
The day before going to the capital, she somehow learned the news and begged to come along. “If I go where lots of people are, maybe I can remember!” she argued convincingly, a reason I could hardly refuse.
So I reluctantly took her, feeling uneasy in case something happened.
“Mela, from now on, don’t call me Count. Just call me Aunt. I’ll show you around later, but for now, don’t go anywhere and hold my hand tight, okay?”
I put a hood over Mela’s face and warned her repeatedly. Regardless of her bloodline with Marquis Lopenter, Mela was too cute and soft to leave uncovered. Especially in a place like this, a child could easily become a target for crime.
“Okay! Aunt!” Mela nodded vigorously. Her chubby cheeks shook—so adorable.
One question still puzzled me: why wasn’t Mela’s hair red? Since she had no memories, asking would yield no answer.
“Aunt, where are we going?”
“Work. I need to earn a lot of money starting now.”
“Work? Aunt finally escaping from poverty?”
“…Don’t say that. Did Hubert teach you that? Yes, it’s work. That way I can buy lots of food you want, Mela.”
“Wow, that’s exciting!”
The advantage of being possessed—or reincarnated—was seeing things that didn’t exist in the original story firsthand. I held Mela’s hand tightly and headed for the square. The capital was unusually crowded today.
I held her hand tight, sweating, to avoid losing her in the bustling crowd.
Mela asked, “Aunt, I’m curious. Don’t you have someone? A lover, or a husband?”
“Huh? No, probably never will.”
“Why… why not…?”
I had no answer. Divorce was too complex for a five-year-old. “Well, I guess?”
“You know, I hope my Aunt meets a wonderful man! Strong, super handsome!”
At that moment, a loud explosion rang out—the fireworks shooting high into the sky.
“Eh! I’m not scared at all!”
“That’s good.”
I covered Mela’s ears quickly. She just bounced happily.
Holding her hand, we moved through the crowd, when suddenly voices called from behind.
“Wait, I heard Duke Frezen Decart is participating in the victory parade?”
“During the recent monster hunt, the Decart family’s knights made great achievements. Truly heroes.”
Hearing the familiar name, I froze. Frezen had returned after the monster hunt that began two months ago. And of all days, today!
I immediately thought, I must not encounter him! and tried to escape.
“Mela?”
She stared intently. Following her gaze, I saw a kind couple.
“Mela… did some memory come back?”
“No, just jealous. I wonder what my parents were like. I hope they were strong and cool!”
Though she didn’t show it, she longed for family. Even without memories, thinking of parents evokes longing. Just as I moved to comfort her, her voice cut sharply:
“Mela, my parents… agh!”
The crowd pressed around to see the victory parade, pushing people in all directions.
“Mela!” I rushed to find her, panicked.
From somewhere, I heard a sharp cry. Pushing through, I found Mela standing right in front of a man in the parade.
A strange sense of déjà vu struck me as I saw his face. I couldn’t believe it—he was someone I knew all too well, someone I wanted to forget.
Frezen Decart.
“Oh, no.” A sense of foreboding gripped me as I dashed through the crowd.
“Who are you?”
At that moment, Mela stretched out her arms and cheerfully shouted at the man.
“…Dad!”
