Chapter 2

If the Grand Duke hadn’t caught her body, she’d probably have fallen over. In front of such a dazzling man, she stood up.

“…Let go of me.”

He even naturally put his hands between her armpits. Then he lifted her up.

“Light.”

As if playing with a paper doll, he shook her body back and forth.

This small gesture hurt her dignity as a person, so it made her even angrier.

“S-stop!”

“Very light. Like an empty cushion.”

“Let go of me!”

But she was like a paper doll fluttering in the wind, so it was too much for her to shake him off.

“I’m going to use my power! You’ll regret it!”

She raised her hand, but he just smiled as if he didn’t feel threatened.

“…Are you looking down on my power?”

“I think once you use it, you’re going to faint. No?”

‘Eh, I got caught.’

‘How did he know immediately?’

Her body flinched momentarily.

“No…”

“Then, go ahead.”

A low and serious voice came out without a slight change of expression.

‘You don’t think I will use it if you say that?’

She was going to use her power, but soon gave up the idea. Instead, she drooped down.

In this situation where her mother is gone, it will be a big problem if she uses her power and faint. Her power could do anything except heal the sick or resurrect the dead, but her body would collapse every time she uses her power.

‘It will be hard for my body to handle depending on the power.’

Especially when it comes to a great deal of exertion. It’s not uncommon for her to pass out for a few days.

‘I’m sure I’ll have to show my power as strong as last time to convince the Grand Duke.’

It would be unwise for her to use her strength without knowing where her mom is.

“Heeung…”

She mumbled her lips.

‘What should I do? Use my power or not?’

When she was agonizing over the decision, the Grand Duke spoke.

“You, how old are you?”

“Five years old.”

“You’re small for five.”

The blue eyes that seemed to hold the sky stared at her.

“I know I’m small, so let go. Put me down!”

“I’ll let you go.”

“Huh?”

Unexpectedly without much resistance, he sat her in his chair.

“Okay?”

“…”

“Okay, then. Now tell me, unidentified and uninvited guest, explain yourself. I need an explanation on how this happened.”

Looking up at his overbearing gaze, her body trembled.

The gaze of an adult man is not something unfamiliar to her. The people who abused her were all grown men.

“A mere child. A sick woman. And you showing up here through magic where all magic is nullified, so who on earth are you?”

“…”

“Your mother and you woke up after three whole days. That alone makes me feel like I’ve shown mercy.”

Three days.

She guessed it would be so. She woke up after three days and saw this guy sitting here.

‘Don’t tell me you been here all this time?’

Having thought of that, she shook her head.

It can’t be. It’s just a coincidence that he must have made a short visit at the time she woke up.

“T-that’s! I’m not telling you now. Give me my mama back first! I’ll answer after that! If you did something to my mama, I’ll kill you…!”

If by chance there’s a problem with her mother, all she has to do is give up on her life.

When her mother dies, she will die and time will be rewinded.

After that, she can take revenge against the fake Emperor and the Grand Duke who bullied her mother.

“There’s light in your eyes.”

Everyone not her mother is the same.

They bullied them, and let her mother die. They didn’t hesitate to experiment on her body to extract the near-infinite power from her body.

The knights who watched them also committed violence.

So humans-particularly adults-are not to be trusted.

Except for her mother.

“Stop talking nonsense! My mama is all mine.”

“It’s like a rabbit showing its big teeth with its nose flinching.”

“I’m not a rabbit!”

“A rabbit who thinks it’s also a huge predator. So you don’t want to answer me till the end, do you?”

“I won’t tell you!”

There’s only one candidate for her father anyway.

Grand Duke Avelon was just the easiest opponent to deal with.

“If you don’t say anything, your situation will be even worse, because you’re a child and I’m not such a kind man who keeps an uninvited guest alive just because a weak woman has come.”

In his eyes he did not see her as a mere child.

She felt it for sure.

This man, perhaps even more dangerous than her fake father, the Emperor.

‘So it’s more than perfect.’

It shouldn’t be a weak person. For her perfect revenge, it had to be such a villain who even disregarded children.

She has already experienced the life of a five year old ten times. Luckily, she had survived to the age of seven, and even managed to live to the age of nine when she bowed down to her fake father.

And this man, Grand Duke of Avelon, has consistently triumphed over the Emperor.

‘You’re mean and selfish.’

She gulped.

“If you give me my mama, I’ll tell you then. Because I don’t trust you.”

“Quite a daring child. You think you’re on the same footing as me. But I could have killed your mother, couldn’t I?”

“You just said, ‘I’m not such a kind man who keeps an uninvited guest alive,’ but I’m alive, so my mama is alive.”

“You’re smart for a five year old. But that cleverness, of a person who has nothing, such confidence can be your downfall. Uninvited guest.”

At that moment, his hand turned to the sheath of his sword.

‘Kill me? Was it wrong to be too confident?’

‘Oh, was it wrong?’

To her, the world is just like the world of books.

She was certain that she had to be strong.

‘Eh, was I wrong?’

“Your face is revealing your feelings.”

“…What, what!”

“Surprised at my words. You seem to be thinking about what you did wrong.”

“…No I’m not! I’m strong, so I was thinking! Before I do something really really big, take care of my mama!”

She raised both hands.

Then.

The door burst open.

“Your Highness, I have brought the one you asked.”

She felt that this place had magical restrictions as strong as the imperial palace.

In that case, she can draw a magic circle, but it would take too long.

‘I’m going to use a magic trick to break that spell first.’

The palace was so huge and big that it seemed like it would be too much for her body, but she thought it would be okay if it was this size.

Then she can attack.

“Are you attacking? Huh?”

She puffed up her face in a threatening manner.

The gaze of the Grand Duke fell on her.

Then.

“If you use magic and faint again, you won’t be able to see her, the woman who might be your mother.”

“What?”

“Look over there.”

With a deep sigh, she who was about to attack, quickly turned her head at his words.

Indeed, a familiar person entered through the open door.

“B-baby!”

“Mama? Are you okay?”

It was her mother. Really her mother! Her mother, who’s been sleeping all this time.

She sprang down from the chair and rushed to her mother.

“Mommy…Mama!”

As soon as she felt her mother’s warm scent, she calmed down. Her mother’s soul, which was dying day by day like a withered flower, faintly flickered. It was enough for her to open her eyes.

She hugged her mother’s waist.

“My baby…My baby. What’s going on…? Are you all right?”

“Mama. Are you okay?”

“Of course, Bebe, are you okay?”

“Yes!”

“I’m glad to hear that…Thank God.”

The brilliant starry eyes of her mother closed.

“Thank God…”

Tears fell from her mother’s eyes.

“Why are you crying? Are you hurt?”

“No. I’m not hurt. I’m just… just happy to see my daughter like this…”

Her mother said she was happy, but she shed tears without reserve. While crying and asking her if she’s okay, her mother held her tightly.

Seeing her mother cried, she cried too.

‘I finally saved my mama.’

She died nine times, and in the tenth life finally saved her mother.

She was the late Emperor’s first born, but unfortunately couldn’t even be called a princess because of her mother’s status.

‘Poor mama.’

Her mother, who sat down in her seat, swept her cheek affectionately.

Her mother was born the royal daughter of the Afreta Kingdom and was born with strong mana, but was abandoned by her family for failing to use it. Her maternal grandfather hated her mother, calling her a useless bloodline.

Such a woman caught the eye of her father, who was the Emperor of another country, and that’s how the two became in love with each other.

Her father loved them with all his heart.

So he gave her his name, and would visit them every day when he had time.

But because of her mother’s bloodline, her father hid them, in fear of them being used for something.

Although there’s already an empress, regardless of her, her father really cared for them.

Until the age of three, every day was happiness. She had a father and a mother. She was confined, but did not lack anything growing up. Then, a rebellion broke out.

Her father lost his life to his brother, and the imperial palace was overthrown by the new Emperor. The Empress, who was her father’s wife, was said to have given her father a very strong poison.

The nightmare began ever since then.

“Is my baby girl okay?”

She bitterly looked at her crying mother.

“Yes! Bebe is fine because she has mama!”

She rubbed her cheek against her crouching mother’s cheek. It looks like she’s going to collapse any minute now, but her mother was still breathing.

‘Mama finally lived.’