Chapter 1
I blinked several times, trying to clear my hazy vision.
After pushing myself up from the soft bed with great effort, I looked at the mirror hanging on the wall and saw…
Plump hands shaped like maple leaves.
Chubby arms like linked sausages.
Soft cheeks puffed out.
A tiny body barely three heads tall that refused to move the way I wanted.
No matter how I looked at it, even if I did a somersault, this short little body belonged to nothing more than a four-year-old child.
Staring blankly at my reflection, I thought,
Again. I’ve regressed again.
I have to live this miserable life all over again!
***
My name is Leblaine.
My life was not a disaster from the very beginning.
As an orphan with no one in the world, I became the “Child of Destiny” because I was the only child born on February 29th who possessed divine power. That part was certainly lucky.
Thanks to the grand title of “Child of Destiny,” the Empress Dowager arranged for me to be adopted by a noble family.
All I had to do was sit on her lap and choose one of the portraits she handed me, and I would become the child of that house.
There were three options.
- The righteous hero who protected the empire’s order, Duke Amitié.
- Duke Valois, head of a prestigious family that had produced a thousand scholars.
- Duke Dubled, who possessed overwhelming military power and wealth, but was known as the villain of villains.
In my first life, I chose Amitié.
I picked without knowing anything, with the mind of a complete baby, but Duke Amitié turned out to be a fairly decent father.
He was cautious, just, and rational. I respected and followed him.
Up until then, my life had been peaceful.
That is, until Mina, the real Child of Destiny, appeared in this world.
Yes. I had been a fake, created because of a mistranslated prophecy.
While I barely slept three or four hours a day training yet failed to properly manifest divine power, Mina was the perfect Child of Destiny.
She summoned spirits during droughts and even prevented wars through prophecy.
On top of that, she was bright like the sun and loved by everyone.
Even by Duke Amitié, the father who adopted me.
She looked so much like a perfect mix of him and his first love that it was almost as if that woman had given birth to Mina in another dimension.
They were drawn to each other as if by fate. With the help of the Holy See, Mina became his second daughter.
And I…
I was sacrificed in a ritual to seal an evil god, for Mina’s sake.
When I first regressed, I was happy. I thought it was a new chance given by God.
In my second life, I chose Duke Valois.
And I was beaten almost every single day.
He was truly a terrible man.
He called it “education” as he struck me daily with hands like pot lids. Only when we visited the imperial palace would he wash and dress me nicely.
On the last day of my second life, I was beaten again and hit my head on the corner of a desk.
When I opened my eyes, I had regressed.
In my third life, I ran away.
But what can a baby do? I ended up in a gang of child beggars, suffered terribly, and eventually starved to death.
After three regressions, now in my fourth life, I finally realized:
Nope. This place is hopeless. I’m going to defect.
The moment I thought that, the door burst open and a magnificently dressed elderly woman entered.
She placed me on her lap and gestured. Soon a maid brought three palm-sized portraits.
“It is time to choose your father.”
She smiled kindly.
But I know.
The moment I was revealed to be a fake, how cold those eyes became.
The Empress Dowager gently stroked my fluffy hair and held out the portraits.
“Come now, Child of Destiny. Choose.”
I looked at the three portraits and rubbed my eyes with my chubby fists, feeling like I might explode. Then I took a deep breath.
Calm down. I need somewhere to stay, no matter what.
I cannot die again like in my previous life, begging in the streets.
A family where I can quietly live without worrying about starving or dying on the streets until I am old enough to defect.
That is what I need.
Then this time—
“Oh my.”
The maid and the Empress Dowager widened their eyes at the portrait I chose.
***
With the imperial decree in hand, I arrived at the household I had selected and swallowed dryly when I saw the man who would become my father.
He’s ridiculously handsome.
The kind of beautiful man you could stare at all day.
A sharp jawline as if carved.
Narrow eyes with brilliant cyan blue irises.
A straight nose and well-shaped lips.
A solid body hidden beneath his shirt.
Tall height.
Broad shoulders.
The strange thing was that despite such beauty, his gaze was as chilling as a killer’s.
It felt like being stabbed through the crown of my head with a spear.
After staring down at me for a long moment, he finally spoke.
“Was that chestnut sent here to be boiled and eaten?”
To put it simply, I had chosen Duke Dubled, the notorious villain.
In my first life, he had been the mastermind behind everything.
I worried I might be walking into another pit, but the other choices were far worse.
His adjutant stood beside me and replied awkwardly,
“There is an imperial order from the Empress Dowager requesting that you raise the child.”
The duke lazily stroked his sharp chin with long fingers and stood.
“She’s lost her mind.”
Then he declared without hesitation,
“Send it back.”
“Your Grace, this could be an opportunity to mend relations with the church. Rejecting the Empress Dowager outright may cause complications.”
The adjutant tried earnestly to persuade him. I shook my head inwardly.
No, mister adjutant. You’re wrong.
Even if I’ve never lived past twenty, this is my fourth life.
From experience—
Threats from the Empress Dowager or the Holy See will not work on him.
But that would be a problem for me.
This place is the easiest to escape from once I am older.
Amitié, who values justice over individuals, and Valois, who treats honor as life itself, would never let the “Child of Destiny” sent by the Empress Dowager slip away.
A man who has no interest in me is the perfect new father.
There is only one way.
I smacked the adjutant’s trouser leg with both hands.
“December seven, surprise tax audit.”
Both men’s gazes snapped to me.
“Pardon?”
The adjutant clearly did not understand my babbling.
I wanted to pound my chest.
Ah, this immature body.
My tongue would not move properly yet.
This was supposed to be my secret weapon.
In my previous lives, I clearly saw it.
This winter, there would be a surprise tax audit targeting Dubled.
Of course, the family famous for tax evasion paid an enormous penalty.
Perhaps since he has three sons, he might understand. People who deal with children often understand slurred speech.
But I soon gave up hope.
A cold-blooded man like him probably never raised his heirs personally.
If only I could write. But if I cannot even speak clearly, how could I handle a pen—
Before I knew it, Duke Dubled had lifted me into his arms.
Seeing the sharpness in his eyes up close made my knees tremble.
“There’s a surprise tax audit on December seventh?”
…How did he understand that?
Surprised, but more concerned about seeming unnatural, I tried to act innocent.
“Mhm. Shh, it’s a secret.”
“Nos.”
The duke turned to his adjutant.
The adjutant, who had been flustered, quickly composed himself.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“How far along are the ledgers?”
“Your Grace… she’s only four. Do you truly believe her?”
“A four-year-old knowing the words ‘surprise tax audit’ is believable, is it?”
“…I will verify immediately.”
The adjutant hurried out.
Left alone in the room, the duke and I stared at each other.
He really is terrifying.
With his looks, wealth, and power, I had wondered why he remained unmarried after losing his wife.
Now I understood.
He is simply too frightening for women to approach.
He strode over and pulled a bell cord. Soon, a young maid entered.
Gesturing toward me, he said indifferently,
“She smells like a mangy pony.”
“Shall I assist the young lady with a bath?”
“Yes.”
The woman took me into her arms and bowed.
Dangling around her neck, I was carried out of the room.
