My dad, you did it!

Chapter 1

The Grand Duchess had disappeared.

Along with the child in her womb.

The Grand Duke’s household was thrown into chaos, and a massive search party was dispatched to find the Grand Duchess.

Even the Grand Duke, who had been away on the battlefield, hurried back to join the search. But despite a month-long effort, not a single clue or trace was found.

With rain and snow falling day after day, it became even harder to uncover any evidence.

And then, another month later—

Grand Duchess Radia Descartes was finally found.

Her body was discovered deep in the forest, not far from the Grand Duke’s estate, on a night when record-breaking snow blanketed the land.

But—

The child who should have been with her was nowhere to be seen.

Eight years later.

The Seraphium Empire, in the southernmost village of Mille.

The small, quiet village was unusually lively that day.

“So, Village Chief, you’re saying His Grace the Grand Duke is sending the Grand Duke’s elite corps to our village too?”

“That’s what I said! You think I’d lie about something like this? They’re supposed to arrive tomorrow morning.”

The chief’s confident reply made the gathered villagers burst into cheers.

Elbadin Descartes, the Grand Duke.

The only Grand Duke of the Seraphium Empire, admired and respected by all its citizens.

He was praised as one of the rare true nobles who genuinely practiced noblesse oblige.

His knights were especially famous—those who formed the “Guardian Corps” and the “Elite Corps.”

The Guardian Corps helped struggling citizens across the empire, while the Elite Corps sought out talented individuals from all regions.

To be chosen by the Elite Corps was life-changing—not only for the child but for their family and even the entire village where they were born.

For commoners who lived day-to-day, often uncertain of their next meal, there was no greater opportunity.

“Come to think of it, even the young heir to the Grand Duke’s house was first brought in by the Elite Corps, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, that’s right. So there’s hope for our children too, isn’t there?”

The villagers chatted excitedly, filled with hope.

Then one villager, who had been quietly listening, asked the chief:

“Village Chief, um…”

“Hm?”

“When the Elite Corps arrives, aren’t all the children in the village supposed to be gathered in the square?”

“That’s the rule, yes. Why do you ask?”

The villager glanced toward a small house with a navy-colored roof at the edge of the village.

“What about that one?”

“That one?”

The chief followed the villager’s gaze.

“Oh…”

His expression darkened, as if he had just remembered.

“That child is…”

The villager pressed again.

“When the Elite Corps arrives, will you call that child too?”

The chief fell silent. Uneasy murmurs spread among the villagers.

‘What do we do about her…’

That child—

She was the one raised by the old woman known as the witch of the northern mountains.

On rare occasions, the woman would bring her down to the village, and the girl would always hide timidly behind her, peeking out only to duck back again.

‘Light brown hair, light brown eyes… ordinary. Though her small features were quite pretty, she never left much of an impression because she always kept her hood pulled low.’

Then, the witch Briole had died.

The villagers had drawn lots to decide who would take in the child. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side.

She ended up with the village’s most incompetent and abusive man as her foster father.

A year had passed since.

She lived under his roof but never fit into the village.

‘The last time I saw her was about a week ago.’

Despite supposedly having a guardian, her appearance showed no sign of care.

And no one in the village paid her any attention.

‘How pathetic… I can’t even recall her age or name properly anymore.’

The old chief rubbed his temple.

‘What was it again…’

Lu… something? Rosi? No…

Rosian, Lupide, Romain, Lara, Liri, Lulu, Lucille…

‘Ah! That’s it!’

Lucillea.

The next morning.

Snow began falling at dawn.

Lucillea carried a laundry basket nearly as big as her upper body, trudging through the snow toward the riverbank at the edge of the village.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

She broke the frozen river surface, revealing crystal-clear water beneath.

Tying back her wavy hair, she pulled out a man’s shirt from the basket—her foster father Shured’s.

“Don’t you dare step foot in the village until all this laundry’s done, you hear?!”

He had come home drunk again the night before, and even the shirt reeked of liquor.

Lucillea dunked the smelly shirt in water, then beat it with a laundry bat.

Whack, whack, whack, whack. For an eight-year-old, her hands were surprisingly skilled.

She even sang under her breath in a small, soft voice.

“Shured’s head, head, crown~!”

Her rhythm grew more spirited—neck, neck, shoulders, shoulders, arms, arms.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she seemed to be venting her emotions with every strike.

When she finally beat the pants’ crotch area into shape, she paused, slightly guilty.

‘Maybe I hit it too hard?’

The fabric looked more tattered than before.

‘Oh well.’

He was always drunk; he wouldn’t notice even if holes formed.

Setting the bat aside, she blew warm breaths onto her red, frozen fingers.

Hoo, hoo—

‘He may have forced me into this, but doing laundry is the best thing for clearing my head on days like this.’

The icy water refreshed her mind, and the repetitive motion helped her organize her thoughts.

Especially when she imagined beating the clothes as if they were the faces of people she disliked.

Yes, laundry was perfect for sorting through her jumbled mind—especially after what happened.

Because, one month ago, on her eighth birthday, Lucillea’s past life memories had returned.

Like an unwanted birthday gift thrown at her.

She realized she had reincarnated—into the very novel she once read.

And in that novel, she was… the villainess.

Driven by jealousy over the male lead, she had nearly killed him.

‘No wonder he would come to kill me as soon as he became emperor.’

Lucillea sighed, staring blankly at the sky.

‘Look, I don’t even want to be the heroine, okay? Do you know how many extras don’t even get mentioned?’

But fate chose her—

‘To reincarnate as a doomed character… what a cruel joke.’

Snowflakes drifted down gently as she muttered at the silent sky.

At that moment—

[Lu-ci! Luuuciii!]

Through the flurries, a yellow parrot flapped over and circled above her head.

[Lucy! I’m hereee! Cookie’s hereee!]

Cute Cookie! Lovely Cookie! Wonderful Cookie! What a good job, Cookie!

After chattering proudly, the little bird landed lightly on her head.

It had bright yellow wings, a snowy white belly, shiny black eyes, rosy-tinted cheeks, and a little feather sticking up like a crown.

Not only adorable—it could even communicate with her, a very special bird indeed.

The only drawback was its loud, chatty voice.

‘But no one else can hear it anyway, so it doesn’t matter.’

Cookie’s voice echoed directly in her mind. They could share thoughts whenever they wished, without speaking aloud.

Cookie chirped again:

[I did what you asked! Just like you said, the village square was packed with people!]

“…Really?”

Cookie bobbed its head rapidly.

[And that worthless foster father of yours was there too! Drunk since morning, wobbling around! A useless drunk like that deserves to fall flat on his face and smash his nose!]

Lucillea blinked at the harsh words from such a tiny, cute beak.

‘That’s my Cookie—sweet looks, rough mouth.’

No idea who it learned that language from, but she couldn’t help feeling proud.

Cookie urged again:

[Let’s hurry! That Elite Corps or whatever is coming. If we get chosen, our lives will turn around!]

Flapping excitedly, Cookie tugged at her collar with its beak.

Lucillea scooped up the bird and set it on her shoulder.

“Yes. We’re going.”

She pulled out an old, hidden bag from the bottom of the laundry basket and slung it on her back.

She had packed it long ago, waiting for this moment.

‘Goodbye, wretched village. Goodbye, worthless foster father.’

With resolute eyes, she stepped toward the village square.

“Let’s go! Time for me to change my life, and for Cookie to change his too!”

[Yessss!] Cookie cheered, wings fluttering high.