Prologue
Year 1287 of the Empire, February.
Abner Territory.
“This is the final matter for today. It’s a petition from the far southeastern corner of the territory — from the Ivhill region…”
The person receiving the envelope made a strange face.
“A local orphanage? How did this end up on my desk?”
Petitions from orphanages were usually handled by local retainers.
It was practically unheard of for one to reach the lord himself — everyone knew how busy the lord of Abner was.
“It seems to be because of the seal on the envelope.”
His gaze slowly moved across the envelope.
The blue wax seal bore the symbol of House Abner — a lion.
That much was normal.
Plenty of families in the territory used the lion as their emblem.
What drew his attention, however, were the two crossed swords beneath it.
More precisely, what was faintly engraved on the blades—
‘Altus Craum.’
An ancient phrase meaning “Sacred Secret.”
“This came from an orphanage?”
The lord reached for his letter knife.
The seal’s meaning was anything but light.
An emblem inscribed with ancient words like that was something only entrusted to the most loyal of retainers — those he could trust with his life.
And this particular seal wasn’t even one he had personally given out.
“They didn’t just crudely forge a confidential seal… they even sent it directly to the main estate?”
The knife slid between the metal wax and the paper.
A thin sheet of parchment was pulled out.
To the great master of Abner, defender of the mighty Taranta Empire,
Duke Sharon Misharian Abner.
It began with a very polite greeting.
I’m Anelia from the Ivhill Orphanage.
I’m four years old, and I’m a genius.
I’m confident in magic and medicine!
I think I can be of help to House Abner.(Please turn to the next page.)
The only problem was that the handwriting looked exactly like what a three- or four-year-old might scrawl — wobbly and crooked.
Chapter 1
When I opened my eyes again, I was staring at a ceiling covered in spiderwebs.
My dazed gaze slowly lowered.
Walls and floors full of scribbles.
Toys scattered everywhere.
Chipped bowls sitting on a table.
“Alright, children. Let’s pray.”
A familiar voice rang above my head.
When I looked up, a woman was smiling gently.
“Thank you for giving our Ivhill family enough food to eat today as well…”
Only then did I take in my surroundings.
I was sitting at a large round table.
Like the other children, my eyes were closed and my hands clasped in prayer.
‘…Wait.’
Children?
My widened eyes caught sight of an old wooden nameplate hanging on the wall.
Every groove was filled with black grime, and the edges were chipped and broken.
〈Ivhill Orphanage〉
“…Ah.”
A small gasp escaped me.
“Anelia, what’s wrong?”
The woman across from me asked, but I couldn’t answer.
Because I knew her.
“Lia?”
My head drooped despite myself.
And then—drop, drop.
Wet spots spread across my pants.
“Hu… huu…”
This wasn’t a dream.
Nor was it a hallucination.
My name was Anelia.
And somehow, I had returned to the past.
***
When I burst into tears, the woman took me to a small room and held me close.
Absentmindedly, I looked down—then froze.
‘…Just as I thought.’
The hands in my sight didn’t look like mine.
My body was tiny.
My short little fingers and fingernails were so small they looked like thin pieces of paper glued on.
‘How far back did I go…?’
If I was still at the orphanage, that meant I was younger than the five-year-old who’d been adopted by the Longton family.
‘So I really did come back to the past.’
I glanced up at the woman again.
And instantly, my confusion vanished.
Of course, I’d never mistake that face.
‘That’s Miss Anne.’
Miss Anne was the one who had taken care of me when I was an orphan in my previous life.
She raised me here, in this tiny orphanage on the outskirts of the capital.
Until I turned five—when I was adopted by a prestigious noble family.
“Anelia, be happy. You deserve that.”
I still remembered her words when I left this place.
At the time, I believed them completely.
Because I hadn’t yet known what the future held.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to organize my thoughts.
In my past life, the man who had adopted me was Duke Lambert Longton, one of the most powerful figures in the Taranta Empire.
He had three sons, all of whom treated me with kindness—almost like real family.
That lasted until I turned twelve.
Until his real daughter, Hiana, returned home.
Composing my face, I looked up.
Clutching the hem of Miss Anne’s dress, I spoke with my hoarse, tearful voice.
“Miss…”
“Yes, I’m here, Anelia.”
“Lia wants to see the calendar.”
“…Huh?”
Miss Anne blinked in confusion.
But I had no other way.
‘I need to confirm what time I’ve come back to.’
“Can I see the calendar? Please, Lia wants to see the calendar.”
After a brief pause, she took something from a shelf.
It was just what I wanted—a thick, handmade calendar tied with string.
But as soon as I held it—
“Oh, my dear Lia, you really can’t wait, can you?”
Miss Anne smiled, amused.
“You must be eager to meet Duke Longton. You know, the man who’ll be your father soon. That’s why you wanted to see the date, right?”
My lips parted slightly, but I quickly lowered my head.
To hide the color draining from my face.
“Y-yes…”
As I thought.
This wasn’t a good time to come back.
***
〈Empire Year 1287, February〉
That night, when everyone was asleep,
I sat under a flickering candlelight, staring at the calendar in my hands.
No matter how many times I looked, the numbers didn’t change.
Every date up to the 12th was crossed out.
Tomorrow would be the 13th.
“Haa…”
A sigh escaped my lips.
‘Only two weeks left? Are you kidding me?’
Duke Longton was scheduled to visit the orphanage in exactly fifteen days.
To adopt me.
“…No way.”
Clutching the calendar tightly, I crawled under my blanket.
My heart pounded so loud it filled my ears.
‘I’m not going to that house again. I can’t.’
But how?
My body was too small. My thoughts weren’t working properly.
‘Should I just run away from the orphanage?’
Then I shook my head.
Running away like this was impossible.
It was still winter.
What could a four-year-old possibly do outside?
‘And it’s not like I can stop the Duke from coming.’
The adoption had already been arranged.
No one would listen to a four-year-old who said she didn’t want to go.
But if I ended up in that house again, I already knew what awaited me.
Because I’d lived through it once before.
‘Being adopted was fine. Even becoming part of that family was fine.’
My eyes trembled in the darkness.
In my past life, I’d been a recognized genius.
I thought I could become someone important.
Back then, I was full of dreams—completely unaware of what was coming.
I created countless magical formulas and medicines for the Longton family.
The Duke and my three “brothers” praised me, and I was happy.
But once Hiana returned, all of that became meaningless.
‘Everything ended up belonging to her.’
Hiana was, in a way, late to reunite with her family—because of me.
I had taken her place.
After she returned, guilt consumed me every day.
That’s why I did her homework,
and gave her my newest magic designs without hesitation.
Eventually, she used my formulas to sweep every academic competition across the continent.
Of course, no one knew that Hiana’s magic came from my head.
“Why do you live like that, Young Lady? Don’t you care that your talent is going to waste?”
Except for one person.
“If you ever need help, write to me. I’ll help you without asking anything in return.”
My eyes widened.
Yes, that person.
The one who’d pressed a seal into my hand before leaving.
“Someone like you is always welcome in my house.”
A lion—the symbol of strength and courage—engraved on top,
and beneath it, two crossed swords with an ancient phrase etched into the blades.
I could still see that seal perfectly in my mind.
“Don’t worry, Lia. Just sixteen nights, and he’ll be here. You know that, right? You’re smart.”
Miss Anne’s voice echoed in my ears.
“Sixteen nights pass very quickly. Like a rabbit, very quickly.”
Exactly—that was the problem.
‘If I only have fifteen days to change my future…’
“If you ever need help, write to me.”
The image of that seal overlapped with the flickering shadows on the wall.
Whenever things were hard, whenever I wanted to run away—
I used to look at that seal, again and again.
It was burned into my memory.
‘I never got the chance to use it in my last life…’
“Not this time.”
I crawled out of bed and tiptoed out of the room.
***
If you promise not to ask me any questions, I’ll be a great help to House Abner.
For reference, I also have some very, very valuable information.
I’m also really good at catching mice.If you want to know whether I’m telling the truth, ask around the Ivhill city youth research club—
specifically the part-timer working at Hans’ Fruit Shop at the end of Alley No. 2 near the fabric store.I’ll be waiting for you to come pick me up.
(I know it’s rude to send a letter like this instead of visiting in person, but I’m four years old.)
P.S. If you come too late, Lambert Longton might take me away first!
Goodbye for now.
