4

“Begin.”

The carriage carrying me and the Duke set off.

This happened just an hour after he brusquely declared I had “passed adequately” in the test and would adopt me.

“Wait, are we leaving just like this?!”

What about the adoption papers?

Every time, after adoption was confirmed, we underwent a month of training!

I glanced out the carriage window at the waving teachers as the carriage started moving.

They looked surprised too, some even appeared disappointed.

“Sad?”

“Oh, no.”

I quickly turned back, flashing a wide smile.

‘No time to run.’

No time to dwell on the death flags! Does this even make sense?

‘Oh right, why did that man die?’

Oh, I remember.

His weak wife passed away, and overwhelmed by grief, he lost control of his Green powers, going berserk in a hunting competition hosted by the palace.

The problem was, he nearly killed a nobleman then. Intentional or not, even an attempted aristocratic murder carries heavy consequences.

In the end, he met his death at the hands of Alp Argo, the esteemed Blue ruler and head of the Argo family, in their residence.

Afterward, his Green powers were sealed, and the family was destined to fade away.

‘But then, a female protagonist with Green powers will appear, and the story will begin anew.’

I paused for a moment, pondering.

Huh? Why suddenly a female protagonist? Even thinking about it sounds odd.

‘Is this some side effect of the experiment?’

I rubbed my forehead with my thumb.

Since becoming an experiment’s victim, all sorts of strange things have happened; this might be one of them.

‘Why can I foresee the future?’

Even though I’ve returned from death and lived again, the experiment’s side effects linger around me.

Ultimately, it’s a matter of time.

“Before we arrive, let me tell you a few rules and warnings.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

I quickly responded.

‘I must be a good child.’

Adoption is a done deal. Now, there’s no turning back.

So, I must be a good, unobtrusive child.

“From the moment we arrive at the mansion, call me Father.”

“Yes.”

“And at home, there’s my wife. She’s frail and unwell. You may call her Mother. If she prefers another title, use that.”

“Yes.”

I know the story.

She’ll pass away in five or six years. And less than two years later, the Duke’s powers begin to wane, and he too passes away.

‘But, five years after this man’s death, a cure for the incurable disease was developed.’

It’s a pity she couldn’t be cured because she was born in the wrong era.

‘The person who developed the cure… She was a wife who lost her husband to the disease.’

A common woman created a widely talked-about remedy in the newspapers.

“As I said, my wife and I lost our child years ago. You’ll be the replacement for our lost daughter. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand. Although it’s unusual, may I ask one thing?”

Duke Aubrey crossed his arms and tilted his head. Not an inch of him seemed humble.

“You said the child was lost. Why didn’t you look for them?”

“Do you think I didn’t look? Of course I did.”

“If you looked, then why…”

“The child is dead. But I couldn’t tell my wife.”

Even this arrogant man showed a soft look in his eyes when talking about his wife.

“Further questions are forbidden.”

“Understood.”

“All you need to do is play the role of our daughter. Since my wife needs peace of mind, we adopted you.”

“Got it.”

In other words, he intends to say that he found the lost child.

If the child went missing when they were young, it’s not surprising if they don’t remember anything.

“We’ve forged the genetic test documents, so fit in and don’t make any mistakes.”

“Understood.”

“You have a brother. He knows you’re an adopted child, so if you need help when I’m not around, just let him know.”

“Okay.”

“You’ll receive separate education, but remember this: you’ll be the Duke’s only daughter for the next five years.”

“Got it.”

“If anyone discovers you’re a fake, consider yourself back in the orphanage.”

“Understood.”

Listening to his words, I replied calmly. But it seemed his arrogant expression started to fade. His eyebrows furrowed after hearing my string of responses.

“Is ‘yes’ the only answer you can give? I said our child was a cheerful, innocent, and kind genius.”

So he knows how the child was when they were young, even though they went missing.

Instead of arguing, I simply smiled gently.

“Since I’m like that, my child must be the same.”

Oh, really.

With such a proud face, he’s completely caught up in his own arrogance. It’s a bit off-putting.

“Yes, I will.”

Upon hearing my answer, he narrowed his eyes slightly, closed his mouth, and huffed away.

I also slowly closed my eyes.

A cheerful and innocent genius.

‘What must it feel like for a child who suddenly has parents after living as an orphan their whole life?’

It must be incredibly happy and delightful. Although excited, they’d likely also be nervous about whether their new parents would welcome them warmly.

I’m confident in my acting.

In the past, I was the eyes and ears of a mad scientist before I was subjected to experiments.

I often pretended to be what he wanted to get the information or items he needed.

Running simulations and acting according to the situation wasn’t difficult.

“We’ve arrived. This is the Duke Aubrey residence where you’ll be living from now on.”

As I ran various simulations in my head, the carriage stopped and the door swung open.

“Remember, from now on, you are not Anisha but Anette Aubrey.”

“Yes.”

I took a deep breath and tried to step down following Duke Aubrey. However, a swift guard intervened.

“Let me help you, Miss.”

“Oh, thank you…”

The guard lifted me down.

“Rosana, why are you here?”

“You said you found our child.”

She had pink hair, black eyes, and skin so pale that her blue veins were visible even in warm weather. She wore a thick shawl over her shoulders.

Her eyes widened when she saw me.

“Oh my goodness, are you… Anette, my child…”

“Ah…”

With such a strong reaction, I tucked my neck and clutched Duke Aubrey’s cloak, hiding behind him.

‘No child would suddenly feel at ease and delighted when meeting aristocratic parents.’

Duke Aubrey’s body tensed, and his face showed a slight surprise as he observed my behavior.

‘Maybe he’s surprised by the detail of my acting?’

I might not be a natural genius like you, but I’m quite the genius through hard work.

Years of struggling to live and to be loved—why would you think it’s easy?

“Ehem, I-I’m mother…?”

I carefully called out, afraid of rejection like a nervous child, gripping Duke Aubrey’s cloak tighter.

Every time I clutched, Duke Aubrey’s body grew stiffer.

“My dear… my precious Anette…”

With my gentle call, Rosana, Duke Aubrey’s wife, finally broke down. She embraced me tightly.

“Is this really… my mother?”

“Yes. Yes, yes… I’m so sorry. I just found you… I’m so sorry… I’ve left you lonely for so long.”

It was a warm embrace.

Yet it would not ever be mine.

Hoping for it would be a luxury.

‘Act the part.’

Be a child full of emotions, happy, and crying due to past sorrows.

“Mother…!”

I reached out my short arms and hugged her.

“Is this really my mother?”

“Yes, it is.”

Finally, I cried in Duke Aubrey’s wife’s embrace, thinking of the saddest things.

Yes, the times I couldn’t escape. The times I wanted to be loved but was repeatedly hurt and shattered. The times I was ultimately betrayed harshly.

Before I could think of everything, tears streamed down my cheeks.

‘Ah, I managed to cry.’

Deliberately lifting my head slightly, I made sure to maintain a faint smile.

‘I need to be useful.’

At least if I have value in this house, I can seek revenge.

Looking ahead, Duke Aubrey seemed surprised to see me.

‘Did he not expect me to cry?’

So this is how much of a genius I am compared to what you expected. Seeing his surprised eyes made me feel a bit proud.

“Rosana, the child will be uncomfortable. Her health isn’t great either, so why don’t we take her inside? We also need to show her to her room.”

“I’m sorry, I got too emotional…”

“It’s okay, Mother.”

I also rubbed my eyes and replied.

“Please go rest, and let’s have dinner together later.”

“Yes, Mother!”

I smiled widely, mimicking the cheerful daughter Duke Aubrey wanted.

“We’ll see each other later.”

Rosana Aubrey waved her hand, turning back several times with a reluctant expression, before heading inside the house.

I smiled brightly and waved back.

“Did you really cry?”

At the same time, a very blunt and arrogant voice approached me, sounding slightly cautious.