Evolaine remembers her past lives.

On her fifth birthday at the orphanage, after the director beat her harshly, she quietly sobbed in her room and awakened her memories.

The reason was somewhat absurd, but either way, she’d remembered something important, so it wasn’t all bad.

‘In both lives, the Marchioness of La Voletta killed me.’

Why had the Marchioness killed Evolaine, who stayed at the orphanage, twice?

The reason lay in Evolaine’s birth.

Her name was Evolaine La Voletta. She was the illegitimate child of the Marquessate of La Voletta. Born between the Marquis and his mistress, Evolaine couldn’t help but be a thorn in the Marchioness’s side.

The Marchioness abandoned newborn Evolaine at an orphanage. When the mistress learned of this belatedly and begged for her child back, the Marchioness instead secretly disposed of the mistress and buried her in a back-alley sewer in the slums.

Until then, the Marchioness had completely erased Evolaine from her memory.

Until that incident.

The Marquis, bedridden after losing his beloved mistress, dropped a bombshell one day.

“Kelic has chosen its successor.”

Hearing this, the Marchioness examined her children’s bodies to confirm the mark of Kelic.

But there was nothing.

Nowhere on her two beloved children’s bodies could the mark of Kelic be found.

Yet the Marquis stubbornly insisted his true successor had appeared.

Then there was only one person who could bear the mark of Kelic.

‘Evolaine La Voletta.’

If only that b*tch hadn’t left a child behind! The Marchioness regretted abandoning Evolaine at the orphanage and scoured every orphanage in the country.

And she finally found her. Evolaine, living as an orphan girl.

When the Marchioness discovered the mark of Kelic on Evolaine’s wrist, she felt like her heart was being carved up. Once for her husband, once for his mistress. And finally, once for Evolaine standing before her.

“Ha, ha… Even in death, you mock me.”

“What…?”

“Your birth began in sin, so I’ll give you a chance to repent.”

Under the guise of ‘repentance,’ the Marchioness succeeded in k*lling Evolaine and transferring the mark of Kelic to her son.

That’s how Evolaine ended her short and futile life twice.

‘I can’t let it end that way this time.’

“It would’ve been nice if I’d remembered in the second life…”

Strangely, this was the first time she remembered her past lives. After dying in her first life, she hadn’t remembered her past in her second life.

“Though I’m grateful I remember now.”

This was her third life, earned with difficulty. Perhaps God had taken pity on her and saved her.

Evolaine clenched both fists tightly.

Since she’d earned it with such difficulty, she would survive conspicuously enough to give the Marchioness a stomachache.

* * *

“Director.”

When the childcare teacher gestured for a moment of his ear, the director, understanding, leaned in.

“A guest has arrived?”

“Yes, apparently someone quite high-ranking.”

At the teacher’s words, the director’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Nobles visiting this rundown orphanage were rare.

“…What’s their name?”

“…They said Duke Radelica.”

“What?! Why are you only telling me now!”

At the director’s shout, the childcare teacher made excuses that he’d only just been told.

‘Liar.’

The teacher already knew. That the Duke of Radelica would be visiting this place.

‘He plans to drive out the director and swallow up the orphanage.’

His public reputation was decent, and he’d never laid hands on the children currently in his care, so it was perfect.

For unfolding his hidden desires.

Eavesdropping on their conversation, Evolaine let out a small sigh and descended the stairs. When she reached the first floor, the cold winter wind blew fiercely.

“Ugh, cold.”

This orphanage didn’t even have proper heating facilities, so young children dying was commonplace.

The northern cold was truly brutal for children to endure. Moreover, the diverse origins of children entering the orphanage played a part.

Just then, a knock came from the front door.

Knock knock—

‘Who at this hour…’

This wasn’t a place anyone would visit while braving this cold. Though Evolaine tilted her head in confusion, she grabbed the handle to open the door.

When the door opened, a fierce cold and bone-chilling wind rushed in. The startling thing was that a stranger stood at the door.

“…”

“…Wow.”

He’s really tall. Evolaine could confidently say that though her three lives were short, this was the first time she’d seen such a tall man.

Not just tall—he was large in build. But looking at his clothes and accessories, they were all luxurious.

A noble. Then this man must be the Duke of Radelica the teacher mentioned.

The man looked down at Evolaine standing before him. Though his staring gaze felt cold, Evolaine met it firmly.

Then another man standing behind him muttered quietly.

“…Interesting.”

Hearing that, Evolaine finally realized what she was doing.

‘If he came to the orphanage, he’s a guest, so what am I doing leaving him standing at the door!’

Far from making a good impression, she’d left the Duke standing there. Evolaine hurriedly moved aside from standing in front of the Duke.

“I’m sorry, you must be cold. Please come in.”

After confirming the Duke’s party had all entered and the door was closed, Evolaine ran to her room.

‘The Duke visited at the same time as in my past life.’

She had to seize this opportunity. She had to make the Duke take her with him.

In her past life, a month after the Duke’s visit, someone sent by the Marchioness came looking for Evolaine.

That person brought Evolaine before the Marchioness, and Evolaine met her end at the Marchioness’s hands.

Tracing the memory of death, Evolaine trembled.

‘It’s in the past. It’s okay.’

It wasn’t too late to trace past life memories later.

Evolaine climbed the stairs again toward her room.

But the director was waiting at the top of the stairs.

“Did you enjoy eavesdropping like a little rat?”

“D-Director…”

This is bad. I need to make contact with the Duke!

Like trampling Evolaine’s hopes, the director slapped her cheek. As tears trickled out, the impact sent Evolaine tumbling down the stairs.

“Ugh…”

“Serves you right. Looks like you went outside. Why don’t you warm up in the director’s office?”

The director dragged Evolaine, who was struggling to regain her senses after hitting her head on the floor, to the director’s office.

After whipping her wounded back several times, when Evolaine had lost even the strength to make sounds, he locked the door and left.

“Ah…”

I feel like I’m dying. My head is spinning. I have to endure… I have to make a good impression on the Duke…

* * *

The director, realizing the Duke had arrived, belatedly came down to the first floor.

“Oh my, Your Grace, if you’d sent word, we would have prepared!”

At the director’s fawning excuse, Heron, the aide standing behind the Duke, tried to speak, but the Duke stopped him.

The Duke smiled languidly and surveyed the first floor. The heating wasn’t properly installed, and not a single child was visible.

The Duke withdrew his smile and got to the point with the director.

“I’d like to adopt a child.”

At the Duke’s words, the director’s face stiffened instantly. Adopt a child? Here of all places?

The director understood less than anyone, since the building had become dilapidated under his management.

Though the children went hungry due to his gambling and embezzlement, that wasn’t an important fact to him.

The director was busy satisfying his own greed.

More mouths to feed meant more money needed, so common sense dictated sending children out for adoption to reduce mouths to feed.

However, he chose to let them go hungry and shiver in the cold rather than send them for adoption.

Because not sending the children meant slightly more money from the state.

Since no nobles visited this place anyway, when they came of age, he’d make up excuses and send them out.

He’d been planning to prepare for retirement and keep visiting the casino.

“There aren’t really any children who would catch Your Grace’s eye. Perhaps looking at another orphanage would be…”

“Heron.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Gather all the children.”

At the Duke’s words, the director barely swallowed his gasp and pretended to be calm.

“As you command.”

But as the children began appearing one by one, his expression gradually began to waver.

The children all wore thin, worn clothes, and their skin was reddened from the cold.

Heron’s expression as he gathered the children was dark, and the Duke watching this went without saying.

“I’ve found reason to investigate why this orphanage has fallen into such ruin.”

At the Duke’s words, the director tried to add excuses, but the Duke ignored him.

“Is this everyone?”

The Duke checked the children’s faces. Fear was written all over their expressions. But one was missing.

That child who had opened the door earlier. That child wasn’t visible.

“One seems to be missing.”

“…So it seems.”

Heron, who had personally gathered the children, only now noticed and looked at the director.

The director broke into a cold sweat and racked his rigid brain for how to get past this hurdle.

‘That b*tch Evolaine, how dare she!’

She must have met the Duke before encountering him. Before coming down to the first floor, the director had noticed Evolaine eavesdropping on the conversation and punished her.

She’d been so defiant that he’d taught her a lesson and locked her away nicely in the director’s office. And she’d been on her way back from meeting the Duke!

“Well… the child is quite ill, you see. I’m sorry, but if we could proceed without that child…”

“Is that so?”

The Duke cut off the director’s words with a snicker. It was clearly a sneer. The director clenched his fists invisibly and smiled brightly, but his lips trembled, making him look pitiful.

“Then let’s go to the director’s office and talk. I’ll need to fill out paperwork to adopt a child.”

“I’ll bring the documents. The director’s office is a mess right now…”

At those words, the Duke’s eyebrow twitched.

“Isn’t the director’s office where you deal with people coming to adopt? To receive me on this freezing first floor…”

The Duke spoke slowly, casting his gaze toward the director. At his sharp voice, the director’s complexion paled.

“Aren’t you afraid of consequences?”

Under the Duke’s piercing gaze, the director swallowed. A mere orphanage director couldn’t stop this great noble.

In the end, he reluctantly led the Duke to the director’s office.

‘Please… please…!’

The director desperately hoped that sneaky cat Evolaine had secretly returned to her room like before.

“…Cough, Director…?”

But in the director’s office, whose locked door he opened and entered, only Evolaine lying on the floor with a nosebleed greeted him.

“E-Evolaine. Why are you so covered in wounds…?”

At the director suddenly stammering and worrying, Evolaine grimaced. Just moments ago he’d been beating her, and when he left in a hurry—now he was pretending to be concerned?

Then a sharp voice came from behind the director.