Chapter One: Damn Reincarnation!
『𝕽𝖄𝕺𝕹』
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Astoria Kingdom – Northern Rosémont Duchy.
Tak... tak... tak...
That was the only sound breaking the suffocating silence filling the grand hallway of the duke's mansion.
Tak... tak... tak.
The sound—coming from the heel of a polished military boot tapping against mirror-like marble flooring—belonged to Duke Albert de Rosémont. Lord of the North, the hero known as the "Ice Devil," a man said to be capable of stopping an army with a single glare… was currently pacing in endless circles in front of his wife's bedroom door.
"My lord… Your Grace…"
The soft, silky voice came from the head butler, Sebastian. The old man stood with his back straight like a ruler, gloves perfectly white, but a faint tremble in his carefully trimmed mustache betrayed his tension.
"Your Grace… with all due respect, you are about to carve a trench into the floor. We just polished it this morning."
Albert ignored him and kept pacing.
Beside Sebastian stood a tower of steel and muscle: Sir Valerius, commander of the ducal knights and the strongest swordsman in the kingdom (second only to Albert himself). He was a man who fought magical beasts without flinching, yet right now he was wiping cold sweat from his neck with the back of his gauntlet.
"My lord," Valerius began in his rough voice, "I know this is terrifying for you… like facing the cursed Lake Dragon… but worrying won't fix anything. Please… calm down."
Albert suddenly stopped and turned, his ruby eyes blazing. He was unfairly handsome, with long silver hair tied back, but his face was pale as death.
"Calm down?" Albert repeated, louder than appropriate for a duke. "Valerius, is your wife in that room?"
"No, my lord. Brenda's at home, making a meat pie—"
"Then be quiet!" Albert snapped, resuming his pacing. "Is your wife cursed with a hereditary mana-core poison? Is her body weaker than an autumn leaf? Is she— Is she blind, Valerius?!"
Valerius swallowed. "No, my lord. Brenda… uh… actually beat me in arm wrestling last Tuesday."
"Then do not tell me to calm down!"
Albert's heart was pounding in his throat.
Elara.
His second wife. His first and only love.
Elara was supposed to be the duchess. But her damned illness—Mana Core Poisoning—made it impossible. It drained her body, stole her eyesight since childhood. Because of that, Albert had to make a political move and marry Isabella, a noblewoman of influence, to serve as the official duchess.
He respected Isabella, even held a distant fondness for her, but his heart… his heart always belonged to Elara, the blind woman with the warm smile.
"I should've refused," Albert whispered, hand shaking as he tightened his grip on a sword he didn't need. "I should never have agreed to this."
She had begged him. "I want to carry your child, Albert," she'd said with that smile that never left her face. "I want to feel motherhood… even if it costs me everything."
And it might cost her everything. No cure was ever found. And now… the duke felt dread crawling through his gut. A feeling that after today, he would regret this decision for the rest of his life.
"My lord," Sebastian tried again, "the finest healing witches in the kingdom are inside. And Lady Elara is strong in spirit."
"Spirit doesn't stop mana poisoning, Sebastian!" Albert barked.
Then, quieter, voice trembling: "And what about the baby? What if… what if he inherits the curse? Will I have to watch my own child suffer like she did? How could I bear that?"
Neither man had an answer.
Screech!
A loud, muffled cry came from behind the heavy wooden door.
All three men froze.
"Was… was that a good scream or a bad scream?" Valerius asked, hand instinctively moving toward his sword as if expecting a monster to burst out.
Sebastian adjusted his glasses. "Based on tone and volume, I estimate it was a 'something big just happened' scream. I cannot determine if it was good or bad."
"That's useless!" Albert hissed.
Creak…
The door opened slowly.
All three held their breath.
A young maid—Anya—stepped out. Sweat stuck her bangs to her forehead, her apron stained… but her face carried a tired, wide smile.
And in her arms… a small bundle wrapped in fine linen.
Albert felt a mountain lift off his chest.
She was smiling. The maid was smiling.
This was the best status report he could've asked for. If Elara were in danger, the maid wouldn't be smiling. Simple logic, but effective.
"Your Grace," Anya said, voice trembling with joy, "it's… it's a boy! A healthy, strong baby boy!"
"And Elara?" Albert asked hoarsely, stepping forward.
"Lady Elara is stable, sir! Exhausted, but stable, and she's asking for you… but first, she insisted you see him."
Albert rushed forward, ignoring Valerius's booming congratulations and Sebastian's relieved hum. With shaking hands, he took the bundle.
So small. So light.
He looked at his son's face. Peacefully asleep, angelic, with tiny strands of silver hair like his own. Even fresh out of the womb, he was beautiful… just like his mother.
"He's… perfect," Albert whispered, gently touching the baby's cheek.
And then, as if hearing the compliment, the baby slowly opened his eyes.
Albert froze.
Valerius froze.
Sebastian froze.
"B… by the Seven Lords…" Valerius stammered. "My lord… his eyes."
(lord = god)
They were not the eyes Albert expected. Not ruby like his, nor sky-blue like Elara's.
The right eye was pure, glowing gold—light swirling inside like liquid sunlight.
The left eye was deep crimson—bright, sharp, eerily similar to the Blood Moon described in ancient demonic myths.
Albert felt fear for a moment. Strange eyes. Ominous eyes.
But the baby didn't cry. He only stared… with oddly calm curiosity for a newborn.
Fear faded. Overwhelming love replaced it. It didn't matter what his eyes looked like. This was his son. Elara's son.
Albert smiled—truly smiled—for the first time in months.
"Welcome to the world, Ethan. Ethan de Rosémont."
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(Ethan's POV)
…Ethan de Rosémont?
…
…
…Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!
If I could scream, every window in this fancy mansion would've shattered into dust.
Wait. Wait. Calm down. Let's analyze.
One minute ago (or what felt like one), I was Kenta Tanaka, a 28-year-old Japanese data analyst living a decent life (despite being an orphan), earning good money, on my way home after buying the limited edition of the final volume of "Path of the Hero."
I'd just finished arguing on a forum. A group of fangirls was gushing over a side character named "Ethan de Rosémont."
ForumUser12 (sweet girl): "Ethan is so cute! He deserves better!"
Me (DataDevil88): "Are you kidding? He's a useless extra! A doormat! Trash writing! You only like him because he's handsome! Plus he's that blind, girly-looking brat!"
Yeah… I got a little heated and stepped off the curb… then bright lights. A horn. Pain.
Truck-chan.
She did it. The classic isekai delivery service that never fails.
But… usually Truck-chan picks losers! NEETs! Shut-ins! My life was good! High salary, new games! Where are the standards?! Terrible customer service!
And now I'm… a baby. Everything's blurry. Everyone's huge. And this man… this silver-haired, stupidly handsome man staring down at me…
I focus my newborn vision.
Wait. That face. That hair. Those ruby eyes. I've seen him. In the manga. In the anime.
That's… Duke Albert de Rosémont. Father of the side character.
And the man beside him… Valerius. The other… Sebastian.
And the name he just called me—
"Ethan de Rosémont."
…
No.
No. No. No. No. No.
Not him. Anyone but him.
I've reincarnated as the most pathetic character in the entire series. The useless extra I used to roast.
God really has jokes.
While my adult mind had a full breakdown, Albert (my father? oh god) gently handed my baby body to the maid.
"He's… very quiet," Albert said, worried again. "He hasn't cried at all. Is that normal?"
"Oh absolutely, sir," Anya said as she rocked me. "He's just a brave, calm boy. Look at him."
I am NOT calm! I'm internally screaming! Do you realize who I am?!
Albert hurried inside to see Elara, leaving me with the others.
Anya placed me in a crib that probably cost more than my old apartment. Carved white wood, silk padding.
I looked around (as much as newborn eyes can).
Alright. Calm down, Kenta—no, Ethan.
Let's review. I'm Ethan de Rosémont.
Memories of the story surged.
Ethan. The character I hated. Why did I hate him? Right…
My brain began retrieving events.
Because he was…
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(End of Chapter One)
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Release schedule: one chapter per day—it's an authored web novel.