TVRM 03

chapter 03

Adele shut out the chaos around her and focused quietly on her own thoughts.

Ever since she had killed Vincent Rogato, he had lingered in her mind with strange persistence. After reading records about his miserable childhood, she had even felt a flicker of sympathy for him.

Not that it excused his crimes.

The people at the center of everything are someone else anyway. No matter what I do, those two will fall in love on their own. Besides, somehow I’ve ended up inside a past that’s already happened. Maybe it doesn’t matter what I change.

If that was the case, then couldn’t she step in?

Even if nothing changed from the future she knew, she couldn’t simply stand by and watch.

First of all, she desperately wanted to crack that brat on the head. The resentment she’d built up over the years demanded it. Villainous Vincent had tormented her endlessly in life, which only made the scene before her more infuriating.

That’s right. I’ll teach him some manners! Though… I can’t just hit a child out of nowhere.

The boy had already suffered abuse at home. This had to be discipline, not violence.

Adele glanced around before noticing a wall standing behind Vincent.

It wasn’t decorative. It wasn’t part of a shop or a fence.

Why was there a random wall standing there?

What is that? Some weird phenomenon? Like the collapsing ground from when the marble shattered…?

Well, what did it matter?

As a tool for discipline—and a little revenge—that wall seemed perfect.

After all, wasn’t the defining trait of villains that they bullied the weak and feared the strong?

If she showed overwhelming power, perhaps the boy would finally learn fear and change his ways.

Of course, that only worked if she could still influence him.

At that moment, Vincent raised his fist.

According to what Adele had seen through the glass marble, that punch would strike the maid directly in the eye and rob her of her sight.

At first, Vincent would feel guilty.

But as everyone around him continued to hush up the incident and pretend nothing had happened, that guilt would slowly transform into pleasure.

This was the event that marked the beginning of Vincent Rogato’s path into true villainy.

I know what’s going to happen. I have to stop it.

There was no longer any reason to hesitate.

Whether it was revenge or discipline, this was her only chance.

Even if the future remained unchanged, all that mattered was easing her own conscience.

Adele couldn’t simply watch someone get hurt.

She still didn’t understand why she had suddenly been thrown into this situation, but her life had always been filled with things she couldn’t understand.

With her resolve hardened, Adele strode toward Vincent.

Perhaps because of her confident approach, Vincent stopped berating the maid and turned toward her.

His expression clearly said:

What the hell is this?

The arrogant little brat.

Yet when she stood directly before him, she realized something unexpected.

He was bigger than she remembered.

Wait… was he always this tall?

Only then did it occur to her that she hadn’t properly assessed her own situation after waking up in this unfamiliar place.

Everything looked enormous.

Everything seemed far taller than it should.

And Adele wasn’t exactly short.

No.

More importantly, there was no way an adult woman should be shorter than a seven-year-old Vincent.

Swallowing hard, she looked down at her hands.

What… are these tiny things?

Small.

Soft.

Far too small.

Though they looked unfamiliar, the tiny fingers moved exactly as she willed them to.

The sensation was vivid and unmistakable.

They were her hands.

Apparently, to avoid alarming the world’s main character, Adele had been turned into a child as well.

This world truly had no intention of doing her any favors.

Adele clenched her fists in outrage.

With a body like this… I don’t have any strength at all! I can’t even scold him properly!

She was just about to resign herself to walking away like a random passerby—

When she felt something.

A force stirring within her small fist.

An incredibly familiar sensation.

The very power that had carried her to victory on countless battlefields.

Her childlike body lacked the muscle memory she once possessed, but somehow that power remained.

And if she could refine and control it…

Knocking that insolent brat flat on his back would be easy.

No. Violence against children isn’t right. The wall will do.

Clearing her mind again, she focused on the power gathering in her fist.

It was definitely the same force she had wielded countless times before.

I can do this.

Adele steadied her breathing and fixed Vincent with an unwavering stare.

Vincent seemed momentarily unsettled by her gaze before his face twisted in anger.

He thrust out an arm and shouted.

“Who are you?! Get lost!”

The frail boy pushed against her.

Adele’s body didn’t move even a single millimeter.

Vincent stared at his stinging hand in confusion.

The surrounding spectators watched the confrontation with growing interest.

Only the maid looked horrified, frantically shaking her head and silently pleading for Adele to run away.

But Adele had no intention of backing down.

I need to teach this spoiled little menace a proper lesson before I can finally rest in peace.

Though, come to think of it, could someone who hadn’t truly been alive even achieve peace in the afterlife?

Well, whatever.

Adele glared at Vincent and spoke firmly.

“That’s not okay.”

“What?”

How much power can this body actually produce?

She raised her fist and gauged it.

Something still felt lacking.

As expected, a child’s body couldn’t compare to the strength she’d possessed before her death.

Then… I’ll use everything I’ve got!

She concentrated every ounce of energy into her hand.

As she clenched her tiny fist—smaller even than Vincent’s—he looked her up and down before curling one corner of his mouth into a mocking grin.

Ignoring everyone’s reactions, Adele continued gathering power.

Controlling it in this small body felt awkward, but she could still sense the perfect moment to strike.

The instant arrived.

Adele threw her punch.

The fist moved so quickly it was nearly invisible.

It skimmed past Vincent’s cheek by a hair’s breadth and slammed directly into the wall behind him.

KRAAAAAASH—!!

A deafening explosion erupted.

Dust filled the air.

The wall shattered completely.

Everyone who had expected another victim to be added to Vincent’s list stared in utter shock.

Adele lowered her fist and declared:

“If you do bad things…”

She looked directly at him.

“…I’ll punish you.”

Vincent, who had been trembling uncontrollably, slowly closed his eyes.

Then he collapsed on the spot.

Unconscious.

Adele didn’t even spare him a glance.

Instead, she inspected her fist.

Not even a scratch.

I’ve definitely gotten much weaker than before.

Yet the corners of her lips curved upward.

For the first time in a long while, she felt refreshed.

After all, she had finally taken a little revenge on the Vincent who had made her life miserable.

“Still…”

A satisfied smile spread across her face.

“…being reborn isn’t so bad.”

* * *

The Rogato family had several strict taboos.

The most important one was simple:

Never upset the Duke.

To ensure that rule was never broken, every servant adjusted their schedules and movements around his daily routine.

If servants happened to pass by while talking loudly during the Duke’s active hours, being quietly dismissed would be considered the best possible outcome.

There were other rules as well, but none were particularly difficult to follow.

Some had even been created for the servants’ own comfort and peace of mind.

One of those rules concerned Vincent.

The servants had reached an unspoken agreement among themselves:

Do everything possible to keep the young master happy.

Everyone in the mansion knew that the master of the house despised his own son.

Under the guise of education, the Duke subjected Vincent to horrific punishments.

And after those punishments ended, dealing with the aftermath became the servants’ responsibility.

The young master tormented them until his anger subsided.

Many people initially thought,

He’s just a child throwing tantrums.

But after experiencing it firsthand, they quickly changed their minds.

Vincent set traps in hallways.

He poured ink into buckets of mop water.

He slipped laxatives into the servants’ food.

As though he could only find relief by inflicting on others the same suffering his father inflicted upon him.

Yet none of the servants dared reprimand the young master.

All they could do was patiently endure his behavior until he calmed down.

At least, until recently, his actions had only been pranks.

But not long ago, rumors spread that he had nearly resorted to physical violence, just like the Duke himself.

Fortunately, it hadn’t gone that far.

Violence was like a drug.

Once someone became addicted, escaping it was nearly impossible.

“Speaking of Young Master Vincent…”

“Hm?”

“Hasn’t he been awfully quiet lately? He hasn’t even been shouting.”

That was true.

Recently, Vincent had been so well-behaved that the servants found it unsettling.

Becky, who was scrubbing the floor with a rag, let out a snort.

“How long do you think that’ll last? He’s probably just plotting another ridiculous prank.”

“Oh, don’t be so harsh. It’s sad, isn’t it? He’s only seven years old, and his body’s covered in scars. Every time I see him, I feel sorry for him.”

“Sorry for him? Give me a break.”

The sharp, emotional response echoed through the dining room.