chapter 3
Ariletti El Clemens Cadis.
There had once been a time when she possessed such a grand noble name. Probably until she was one or two years old, anyway.
The Cadis Viscount family had never been especially prominent among the high nobility. And when Ariletti was still barely babbling, the family was purged for treason.
She had been too young to remember the exact charges, or why her mother had run through a dark swamp carrying her in her arms.
In truth, she only knew they had been branded traitors because the First Prince, Albert, had told her so.
But there was one thing she remembered clearly—her mother’s desperate whisper in her ear.
“Always remain neutral, Aril. The Sage of the White Forest must always stand one step apart from the affairs of mortals. Never carelessly take anyone’s side, and especially never interfere in matters that can alter fate itself. If you do, you will surely pay the price. Do you understand?”
Before her powers awakened at twelve, she hadn’t understood what those words meant.
After turning twelve, she had half forgotten them.
She should have listened.
Was this why she had regressed so far back? A price for not merely meddling in human affairs, but personally leading the charge that overturned the world itself?
Ariletti raised both hands and stared at them seriously.
‘Short. Chubby, too.’
Next, she rolled over and stretched her legs toward the floor from the bed.
No matter how straight she extended her knees, her feet only dangled helplessly in midair.
Gripping the blanket, Ariletti carefully lowered herself down.
Sliiide—thud.
‘Ack!’
A sharp pain shot through her tailbone hard enough to bring tears to her eyes.
Swallowing her humiliation, Ariletti crawled across the carpet on all fours.
One leg was wrapped tightly in bandages, making it absurdly difficult to stand, but halfway there she at least managed to get onto both feet.
She trudged toward the mirror with determination.
And there she was.
A doll-like child with soft pink hair and turquoise eyes stared back at her with a dazed expression.
“……”
Her cheeks were puffed up like well-risen bread dough.
Her eyes occupied nearly half her face. She wore a vacant, fluffy expression that made the word “baby” far more fitting than “child.”
That confirmed everything.
‘Aaaaaaah.’
Bracing her sausage-like hands against the mirror, Ariletti screamed internally.
‘Why am I a child?! I’ve never gone back this far before!’
Just how old was this body?!
As payment for rolling around in the snow during midwinter, Ariletti came down with a terrible cold. Her throat had swollen so badly she could barely pronounce a single word properly.
Still, she had at least managed to figure out roughly how much younger she had become this time.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
Tanessa, a maid working in the County of Hezeit, crouched down to inspect the paper in her hand.
Ariletti repeatedly pointed between herself and the crookedly written numbers.
‘If someone was born on October 15th, 1343 according to the Inabachio calendar, how old would they be this year?’
That was what she wanted to ask.
But what came out of her mouth instead was an unbearably shameful toddler pronunciation.
“M-me… how owd……”
Aaaaaaah.
Ariletti screamed internally again.
An age where she couldn’t even pronounce words properly!
But the shocking revelations didn’t stop there.
“October 1343? Let’s see… that was three years and three months ago?”
Roughly thirty-nine months ago!
‘Then if this year is 1347, and it’s January right now…’
Five years old!
Thunder crashed through her mind.
Ariletti clutched the paper she had spent a full thirty minutes writing and trembled violently.
Good heavens.
Not one or two years this time.
She had regressed a full fourteen years!
“Could this be your birthday? I was wondering how old you were in months, but it looks like you just turned five. And you already know your own birthday? What a smart baby!”
Tanessa burst into cheerful laughter.
“Look at that pouty face. You’re too cute!”
The situation was so absurd that Ariletti forgot to even feel embarrassed anymore.
Ariletti chewed miserably on bread soaked with her tears.
‘I should’ve just died…’
Even after dying and coming back to life, she was still hungry.
“Slow down, baby. What’s your name? Where’s your home?”
“Ariwetti……”
“Ariletti? Oh my, even your name is adorable.”
The place Ariletti was staying at was one of the midway outposts leading toward the northern borderlands of the Bertel Empire.
Apparently they were temporarily lodging at an inn in the village. The only people there were Ariletti, Tanessa who had taken charge of caring for her, Doctor Sergio, and several rough-looking knights from House Hezeit.
From their conversations, it sounded like Glen Hezeit and Sir Tombel had taken the remaining men out on reconnaissance.
Massive men with shoulders like walls circled around Ariletti all day long.
“Little missy, little missy. Aren’tcha gonna tell uncle your name too? Hmm?”
“Oh ho, look how pale and squishy she is. How’d a tiny little bite-sized thing like this end up buried in the snow? Where’d your mommy go? Don’t got a daddy?”
Ariletti clamped her mouth shut and glared at them.
What’s wrong with you people? Never seen a five-year-old before? Is this your first time?!
Being forced into a third life had left her under immense stress. Naturally, her glare wasn’t exactly gentle.
The men, however, didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.
“Little prophet miss, this uncle’s name is Doris Dunken. Won’t you give uncle a little blessing too?”
Are they making fun of me right now?
Because I’m a toddler who can’t pronounce words properly? That’s it, right?
To make matters worse, every piece of advice Ariletti gathered the courage to offer was dismissed as childish nonsense.
Her insides boiled with irritation.
“Knights, stop teasing the child. She clearly hates it!”
“Oh dear, really? Sorry, little one. Go ahead and finish your bread now. There ya go.”
The muscle-bound man who introduced himself as Doris Dunken suddenly scooped Ariletti up into his arms.
Then he started rocking her as though she were in a cradle, causing her sore tailbone to clatter painfully against his hard muscles.
Ow! Is this a human arm or a steel beam?!
Dunken, who resembled a simple-hearted potato, pointed toward Doctor Sergio and asked:
“So why can’t that slick-looking doctor fella get married? Think he’ll get kicked out naked?”
“……He wooks perfect for a scam mawwiage.”
“Why specifically a scam marriage, little one…? I only got swindled out of my entire fortune less than a month ago.”
Watching from between the knights’ shoulders, Doctor Sergio covered his face in despair.
Oh dear. A repeat victim.
Dunken laughed loud enough to shake the inn and slammed his palm repeatedly against the doctor’s back.
“That’s what happens to bookworms! Listen here, Doc. Once we get to Hezeit territory, we’re putting you through special training. Spend enough time getting battered by northern snowstorms and dealing with the locals, and you’ll naturally learn how to judge people better! You won’t regret agreeing to serve our young lord!”
Nibbling on sesame bread, Ariletti tilted her head.
‘Now that I think about it, this is strange.’
In her previous two lives, Doctor Sergio had always sided with either the First Prince or the Second Prince.
So why was he suddenly working with House Hezeit this time?
If it was currently 1347, then Sergio had only just graduated from the Imperial Medical Academy. His genius hadn’t become widely known yet.
Had the marquis discovered his talent early in this life? That would definitely alter the future.
“We’re absolutely delighted to finally have a physician specializing in mana studies serving our territory. We look forward to working with you, Doctor!”
“Haha, likewise, Vice Captain.”
Apparently the muscle-headed man named Dunken was the vice-captain of the Hezeit Knights.
Even while being jostled around in his arms, Ariletti carefully listened to every bit of information she could gather.
All while fiercely chewing her bread because she was still hungry.
‘For now, it looks like they’re heading to Hezeit territory.’
Well, naturally. It was the knight order personally led by the marquis.
‘But if this is still 1347, then Glen Hezeit hasn’t inherited the title yet, has he? Is that why they keep calling him young lord? And why are they dragging me along?’
From the looks of it, they hadn’t taken Ariletti’s final warning seriously at all.
Then she’d be completely useless to them…
Honestly, she wished they’d just dump her somewhere along the way. Also, why is this sesame bread so ridiculously delicious at a time like this?
Just then, shouting erupted near the entrance.
“We’re under attack! The First Prince’s Black Lion Unit ambushed the reconnaissance squad!”
The piece of bread fell from Ariletti’s hand.
Who?
The First Prince?
