Chapter: 07
Judging by the woman’s face, Misa looked genuinely kind.
At the very least, she didn’t seem like someone who would bully or hit children.
“Really? Okay.”
“Y-Your Grace…!”
“Hm?”
“I-If I may be so bold… where are you going?”
“I’m going for a walk.”
“Ah.”
I toddled past Misa.
“Y-Your Grace…! There are a lot of weeds around here, and many collapsed buildings. It’s dangerous for such a young child. W-Would you like me to come with you?”
Only then did I turn around.
Her gentle eyes were filled with sincere concern.
It felt unfamiliar.
There’s actually someone like this in this mansion?
But instead of accepting her offer, I tilted my head.
“I’m not in danger. But thank you. Bye.”
“Your Grace…!!”
Leaving her anxious voice behind me, I walked away without a second thought.
I walk my own path!
“Ah, I remember now.”
I finally remembered where I had seen someone named Misa before.
More accurately, I remembered the name “Misa”…
It happened during the war in my previous life.
Back then, when we fought the land beastkin inland, there were two essential requirements.
A commander with exceptional water powers.
Nana and my idiot brothers were strong enough to provide water for entire armies, but not every battalion had someone like that.
Without such a person, we had to find a nearby water source and fight close to it.
To do that, we needed a beastkin capable of locating water sources.
Among beastkin, there were a few who possessed an extraordinary talent for it.
Since I was the supreme commander, I usually led the army while receiving reports.
“Your unit manages well even without someone using water powers?”
“Yeah. Captain, we’ve got someone in our unit who’s incredibly good at finding water sources. Her name’s Misa. She’s only a partial beastkin, but she’s unbelievably good at it.”
“Really?”
Come to think of it, I had definitely heard that name before.
I might have even met her once out of curiosity, but my memory was too vague to be certain it was the same person.
Still, there was a high chance it was.
Hmm… In this life, she’s not really someone I need…
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to remember her.
I looked up.
While lost in thought, I had unknowingly arrived at the same place I’d visited two days ago.
Just like before, a man sat lazily on the broken fountain.
It was Pierre.
Even after spotting me, my father merely glanced my way before turning his head again.
He made no attempt to acknowledge me.
“Hello, mister.”
“…”
Hm? What was that? Did his expression just change?
Contrary to my expectation that he’d ignore me, Pierre looked back at me.
Then, to my surprise, he actually spoke.
“Lost again?”
“No. I’m not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.”
“…”
Dad, when someone talks to you, couldn’t you at least respond?
Undeterred, I trotted over to him.
“I came to see you today, mister.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Mister, you’re an orca, right? So why do you live here? You’re not even a baby like me.”
“Judging by the way you speak, you don’t seem much like a baby yourself.”
“That’s right. I’m pretty smart.”
I proudly lifted my chin.
Do you have any idea how difficult it is to speak this clearly, even as a regressor?
Ahem.
Having my body become younger meant my brain had physically become smaller, limiting my thought processes.
During my second and third regressions, I couldn’t overcome the limitations of my child-sized speech organs.
This time was different.
Although I still notice my thoughts becoming more childlike from time to time.
Pierre crossed one leg over the other, rested an arm on his knee, and leaned his chin against his hand.
Maybe I was biased because he was my father, but beastkin naturally became more beautiful the stronger they were.
His appearance was dazzling.
Though he looked utterly exhausted, sickly, and completely resigned.
He looked like someone who belonged perfectly on the neon-lit streets of an old Hong Kong crime film.
“Mister, I have a question. Will you answer it?”
He didn’t respond, but somehow the fact that he kept looking at me felt like a yes.
“Mister, can you use water powers?”
“…What if I can?”
“Me! Teach me!”
I boldly held out my hand.
“You can teach me.”
“Your speech is fluent enough, but it seems you’ve learned the language incorrectly.”
“Huh? No, I said it perfectly. Teach me.”
I shamelessly insisted.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t help noticing that, unlike two days ago, Pierre had been talking to me for quite a while.
“You seem like you’d be a good teacher.”
“…Based on what?”
“I don’t know. You just have that kind of face.”
“My… face?”
Impressive, right? My vocabulary.
This is what four regressions’ worth of vocabulary looks like.
For the first time, a faint wrinkle appeared on Pierre’s face.
“I really want to learn. Won’t you? I actually have lots of candidates, but I’m giving you the chance.”
Surely I could find someone to teach me water powers if I pooled all my knowledge from my previous lives.
…Actually, no. Not right now.
He absolutely must not find that out.
“Mister, please teach me. Okay?”
“…Who did you take after to become this shameless?”
“My dad.”
Dad, I take after you.
I heard Mom was a genuinely kind beastkin.
“Oh, I guess you don’t know my dad.”
“…You speak as though you know him well.”
“Of course I do! First of all, my dad is incredibly handsome and amazingly capable. He’s the coolest person ever. And he loves me more than anything.”
“…”
Well, Dad?
How’s that for flattery?
After thinking for a moment, I added another line.
“He loves me soooo much. He treasures me, worries whenever I might get hurt, and if I get even the tiniest scratch, he starts crying.”
“…He cries?”
“Yep. He’s soft-hearted.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie.
I was talking about my dad on Earth.
I recalled the memories I had buried deep inside my mind.
“Our little princess! Daddy loves his daughter so, so much!”
“What are you talking about? Honey, I love our daughter even more.”
Back on Earth, I had been the beloved only child.
“Oh no, did it hurt? Daddy will kiss it better. There, all gone!”
Even after adopting me, my parents chose never to have biological children of their own.
They had been that wonderful.
…I really want to go home.
That was why I wanted so desperately to return home.
Pushing those memories aside, I smiled brightly.
“…”
Still resting his chin on his hand, Pierre stared at me.
Then his head tilted ever so slightly.
The moment his large hand reached toward me, I flinched.
“So this father who cherishes you so dearly just left this alone?”
His cool adult hand brushed against my cheek.
The cheek that had swollen badly after I fell and got hit yesterday.
Ah… Come to think of it, Misa looked so startled earlier too. Was it because of my face?
I lightly covered my cheek and darted my eyes around.
I had to keep my story consistent.
“If your father treasures you that much, then whoever did this to you can’t possibly still be alive.”
“Huh? O-Of course! Um… Dad gave them the beating of their lives!”
I hurriedly nodded.
As though every word were true.
“He beat them so badly they flew clear into the distance. It was super cool!”
“Then why not learn from your father?”
“Um… My dad’s busy. Really, really busy. I don’t want to bother him.”
“…”
“You seem unemployed, so help me.”
…Huh?
Did he just smile?
I looked again, but his face remained as expressionless as ever.
As if he had absolutely no interest in anything in the world.
“I don’t know about anything else…”
The moment his lazy voice drifted out, a chill ran down my spine.
“But I do know that you’re an incredibly arrogant and shameless little brat.”
I recognized this.
It was water power.
He was using water power to pressure me.
It was far too much pressure for a three-year-old to endure.
But mentally, I wasn’t three years old.
He’s not trying to kill me… It’s just intimidation.
Orcas were apex predators of the sea.
A simple display of intimidation was enough to terrify prey.
Without hiding my trembling, I hurriedly shouted,
“Mister! So you really can use water powers! Please teach me!”
“Strange. Shouldn’t your first instinct be to run?”
“I’m not weak.”
Pierre’s eyebrow lifted slightly.
For just a brief moment, I felt the pressure lessen.
“What do you plan to use it for if you learn?”
What should I say?
After a moment’s thought, I decided to tell him.
“I’m going to an academy soon.”
“Right. You’re about that age. So?”
“I’m going to become the strongest there.”
“…”
“I’m going to be the absolute strongest.”
I clenched both fists tightly.
More accurately, I planned to become the strongest in this family.
But it was still too early to reveal that to Dad.
“So please teach me. Okay?”
I knew full well that nothing I was saying was particularly consistent.
The important thing was that I had concluded this shameless approach was the only way to deal with Pierre.
“…You might die.”
“That’s okay!”
That was practically my specialty.
“You only live once. So what if I die?”
Although this time, I planned to survive to the very end, become the Dragon’s Bride, meet the Dragon, and return home.
If I failed…
Well, I’d simply be reborn again.
Until I met the Dragon, I was willing to keep trying.
