Chapter: 03
“……”
The aide looked back and forth between Grandma and me, his face drained of color.
He looked at me with the pitying expression of someone staring at a dead child walking.
I didn’t care in the slightest.
If anything, I was just thinking, I kind of want to yank out some of her hair too.
Thoughts should be put into action.
Just as my tiny little hand shot forward—
It was stopped by a large hand.
Huh. So she blocked me from grabbing her hair? Or is she angry?
The moment that thought crossed my mind—
“Hah… Ahahahahahaha!”
Grandma burst into booming laughter, as if she found the whole thing endlessly amusing.
When her laughter subsided, her gleaming eyes settled on me.
There was lazy satisfaction in her gaze.
“Pierre, that lunatic who gave up on life… and this is what came out of him?”
Yet those sharp eyes continued examining me.
As though I were an especially fascinating specimen.
Her handsome, wrinkle-lined face suddenly leaned in close.
Close enough that every wrinkle was perfectly visible.
Members of the Orca Family could pour killing intent into their gaze.
The shine in her eyes wasn’t filled with goodwill alone.
“You’re the first grandchild who’s ever tried to rip out my hair, you tiny little rice cake.”
“…Ung?”
Grandma casually dropped me onto the bed.
Not exactly something you should do to a baby, but thankfully the mattress was soft enough that it didn’t hurt.
“Very well. I’ll postpone disposing of this one.”
In my previous lives, the very first thing that happened after my return was being driven out to the building farthest from the main house.
“This summer, throw her into the training institute.”
“…Yes, Family Head.”
Her long, narrow eyes turned toward me.
Beneath her glossy hair, smooth like an orca’s hide, her fierce eyes curved into a smile.
“Listen well, you little rice cake. If you fail to produce results at the institute, you’ll be exiled straight to the freezing quarters. Understood?”
All because I was weak and had failed to awaken the Power of Water.
That had always been my fate.
Fine. Just wait and see. I’ll grow up quickly and leave this family on my own.
But before that—
I want to see that old hag’s face twist in frustration.
I’ll become so powerful she’ll drool over it, then disappear as the Dragon’s Bride.
I’ll become the strongest.
I absolutely will.
And so, in this life…
I changed the beginning.
A child could only be sold off as the Dragon’s Bride after turning ten.
But before that age, I had repeatedly been sold to other families.
I’d resisted countless times.
Thrown tantrums.
Tried to run away.
Yet despite remembering the original story, there was nothing I could do trapped inside this powerless body.
The only reason I managed to escape in my last life was because I literally risked my life doing it.
But now, thanks to finally learning how to speak properly, I’d managed to buy myself some time.
Now there was only one thing I needed to do.
First objective: survive safely until I’m ten years old.
And before then—
Avoid being sold to any family connected to the original story.
I already appeared unusually intelligent, but that alone wasn’t enough.
I need a guardian before I turn ten.
I could develop my abilities little by little.
But until then, I needed someone strong enough to protect me.
My physical abilities are far too poor. That’s unavoidable since I inherited Father’s constitution.
My three older brothers possessed overwhelming talent and either had retainers protecting them or were monsters who needed no protection at all.
But I wasn’t.
If only I’d kept my Power of Water…
So who could help me until I grew stronger?
Most adults wouldn’t be willing to become my guardian.
No matter how smart I seemed, this family valued overwhelming strength far more than intelligence.
I need an adult with unusual tastes… someone willing to leave me alone.
And I happened to know exactly such a person.
My father. Pierre Aquasiadel.
My father occupied a rather peculiar position within the Orca Family.
Grandmother, the Family Head, had three sons.
The eldest and second sons had been fierce rivals since childhood, each boasting extraordinary ability.
But the third son, Pierre…
He had been different from birth.
His body was incredibly frail.
Unlike me, however, his weakness didn’t earn him ridicule or contempt.
That was because he possessed an overwhelming Power of Water.
The problem was that his weak body severely limited how often he could use it.
If I had to describe my father…
He was like a weapon with enough firepower to terrify everyone—
But one that had a strict limit on the number of times it could be fired.
Even Grandma regarded him as a regrettable but ultimately useless son.
So Father shut himself away from the world.
Despite entering a political marriage and having children, he never cared for us the way my uncles did.
Even my older brothers showed no interest in him.
But right now… his indifference is exactly what I need.
At the moment, I was being carried back to my residence in the arms of the servant who had escorted me earlier.
Curiously enough, the hands carrying me had become much gentler than before.
Because Grandma took an interest in me.
When we reached my room, the servant hesitated before speaking.
“Young Lady, your residence will be moved in one week’s time. I’ll come for you then.”
The place I currently lived was a shabby room at the far western edge of the estate.
After informing me that I’d be moved closer to the main building, the servant withdrew.
Power really is wonderful. The moment Grandma noticed me, they’re already moving my room. Well, this place was old and dangerous anyway, so that’s for the best.
The instant I was left alone, I began waddling away.
There was a nanny in this decrepit building who looked after babies like me all at once.
Or rather…
She only fed us the bare minimum necessary to keep us alive.
Every baby in the Orca Family began life in this building.
Only those who distinguished themselves were allowed to leave.
Babies born with awakened Power of Water never came here in the first place.
They lived in the main residence from birth.
I hurried along as quickly as my tiny legs would carry me.
After quite a long walk, Baby Calypso finally arrived where she had wanted to go.
She turned her chubby little face from side to side, carefully searching the area.
He should be around here somewhere… Ah!
A bright smile spread across her face.
She had found the person she’d been looking for.
Her large eyes spotted a man sitting absentmindedly beside the fountain.
The fountain itself was old and cracked, looking as though it belonged in the middle of abandoned ruins.
The man sitting there was extremely tall with a broad frame.
Yet somehow…
He also gave the impression of being painfully thin.
His collarbones protruded clearly above the wide neckline of his shirt.
A cardigan carelessly draped over his shoulders completed his languid appearance.
His face only deepened that sleepy atmosphere while carrying an almost decadent beauty.
His pale skin, as though it had never once seen sunlight since birth, amplified the impression.
Hmm. As expected of a powerful member of the Orca Family… he’s definitely handsome.
Calypso made the simple assessment.
The man before her was her father—
Pierre Aquasiadel.
Surprisingly, throughout all three of her lives, Calypso had only seen her father alive a handful of times.
The reason was simple.
Before she was sold away in her previous lives, he had almost never shown himself.
And after she had been sold…
He hadn’t lived much longer.
His weak body had ultimately failed to withstand his overwhelming power.
In my last life, after becoming Family Head, I only saw him in portraits.
This was the first time she’d seen him in this lifetime.
She had even heard he wasn’t present when she was born.
Calypso toddled over.
Pierre didn’t turn his head, even when she came right up beside him.
Instead, he continued gazing lazily into the distance.
“Mister!”
Only when she stood directly before him did he slowly turn his head.
“……”
Calypso carefully examined her father’s face.
Seeing Pierre alive really did feel strange.
Someone whose strength rivals Grandma’s… yet whose power comes with crippling limitations.
And on top of that…
A man with little time left to live.
Whether he understood his own circumstances or not, he carried a strange atmosphere about him.
Like a night illuminated by neon lights that didn’t actually exist here.
“Hello, Mister.”
Calypso smiled brightly, pretending not to know him.
“Do you happen to know where the training institute is? I need to go there.”
Of course, that was a complete lie.
It was merely an excuse to start a conversation.
Pierre stared at Calypso for a long while.
Oddly enough…
It didn’t even feel like he was looking at her.
It was more accurate to say that he had simply turned his gaze in her direction.
His eyes seemed to pass straight through her, as though she didn’t exist at all.
They held nothing but indifference and lazy detachment.
Calypso’s round little eyebrows shot upward.
Among everyone in her family, Calypso had the roundest features.
It had always been her greatest complex.
Compared to the sharp, intimidating image of the Orca Family, she alone looked soft and round.
But at that moment, she desperately wanted to raise the corners of her eyes into a fierce glare.
Hey! I’m offended, you know!
Why isn’t he answering me?
Only after a long silence did his slow reply finally come.
“You’ve taken the wrong road.”
Pierre’s voice was low and hoarse.
As though he hadn’t spoken to anyone for a very long time.
