Even in a Gender-Reversed World, Men Must Be Strong
The reason carrying over memories from a past life is such complete bullshit is this.
Hyunwoo!
Stab! Stab!
"Aaaaaaagh!"
Nights like tonight, when the memories of my previous life surface without warning and drag me into nightmares—it's not just once or twice.
"Hah… hah…"
"Young Master, what's wrong?!"
"Ah, it's nothing!"
"B-but…"
"I'm fine! Do not come in!"
"Y-yes…"
I feel terrible for the maid who always waits nearby, worrying over me, but it can't be helped. The moment I wake from one of those fucking nightmares, there is no way I can look at a woman with a clear head.
I'm not a misogynist or anything. But any human—hell, any animal—has the instinct to value its own life above everything else. Anyone who went through what I did would have no choice but to keep women at a distance.
In this gender-reversed world, that is an especially hard thing to do. Fortunately, I was born the second son of the Northern Grand Ducal House. In short, I came into this life with power and wealth already in hand, so aside from family like my mother and older sister, I can easily refuse any woman who tries to approach me.
The women don't seem to look kindly on that behavior of mine, but so what? If they have a problem with it, they can go get stabbed to death by some crazy bitch and then get reborn with a silver spoon in their mouths themselves.
Anyway, because I never easily allow women near me, even the maid outside right now—Emma, who has attended me since I was a child—simply accepts my order not to approach without argument. Strictly speaking, when a master screams, a servant should check on him without asking questions. But because of how I normally act, she never dares open my door on her own. And since the security of the Northern Grand Ducal House is extremely thorough, there is almost no worry of assassins either. So she has no real need to barge into my room just to check on me.
Let me go back to the memories of my past life. The fact that they keep surfacing without fail is a massive downside, but the lessons I gained from them are just as numerous. It isn't only the first rule I mentioned—never smile easily at a woman.
Stab! Stab!
"Hah… hah…"
Even though it was only a nightmare, the vivid sensation kept rising up. It really fucking hurt. Yet the knife that girl had been stabbing me with wasn't fast at all. You could even call it slow. So why the hell did I die like an idiot to a blade like that?
The reason was simple.
I was weak.
In my first life I was decently athletic and healthy, so I had confidently believed my physical ability was above the average Korean man—no, solidly in the upper ranks. That was pure arrogance.
Stab! Stab!
"Agh! Fuck!"
"Young Master!"
"I-I'm fine!"
Ah, this is truly disgusting. After waking from that nightmare I suffer from the hallucination of being stabbed for quite a long time. Even knowing it isn't real, the trauma still grips me. To truly escape it—to make sure nothing like that ever happens again—I have to become stronger than anyone.
Even if this is a gender-reversed world. Even if this is a world that does not demand strength from men. I still have a reason I must become strong.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
"You're doing wonderfully, Young Master!"
"Huff! Huff!"
"One hundred more!"
"Got it, Grace!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Grace, the knight who guarded Edward—the second son cherished more than anyone in the Northern Grand Ducal House of Frigid—was spending another happy day. Because she was spending time with the young master to whom she devoted loyalty greater than loyalty itself.
In truth she did not belong to House Frigid. More precisely, she did not even belong to the Empire. She was a half-dragon, a descendant of the dragons that had long since vanished.
In the distant past the half-dragons had not been ordinary people, so they built their own secluded villages and lived quietly, never harming others. Ages passed; the horns that had once marked them were gone, yet their physical prowess remained exceptional and their crimson hair and eyes were beautiful. That was enough for the Empire to lead countless soldiers against them—to take them as battle slaves, or simply as living ornaments.
No matter how strong each individual was, their numbers were far too few against the Empire's overwhelming tide. After their defeat they lived for long years as humiliating slaves; their numbers dwindled until they nearly disappeared. One of the few remaining half-dragon slaves was her.
The Imperial family, seeking friendship with the powerful Northern Grand Ducal House of Frigid, sent her as a tenth-birthday gift to the family's second son and youngest child. She thought to herself: so this is how the descendant of a race once greater than any other—stories she had heard from her parents—would end. As a plaything for a little boy.
Ah, but his face is so pretty it almost makes up for it… Ugh, what am I even thinking…
The situation was clearly humiliating, yet the face of the boy gazing at her through the iron bars was so beautiful that she found herself making excuses without meaning to. Fine—better to be taken by a clean, beautiful-looking boy than by those filthy bastards…
While she was thinking that, the boy spoke.
"Let her out."
"W-what are you saying, Young Master?!"
"!?"
She thought she had misheard. The servant beside him looked just as shocked.
"Why? You said she was my gift. Freeing her is my choice too."
"But this is a gift from the Imperial family!"
"Does House Frigid have to watch the Imperial family's mood?"
"N-no, of course not! Forgive me!"
"Hurry and unlock it."
"Yes, at once!"
The boy rebuked the protesting servant and did not withdraw the order. Then he stepped up to the iron cage that held her.
"You've suffered a long time."
"W-what…!?"
"This won't make up for it, but…"
What was this boy saying?
"I'll apologize in their place. I'm sorry."
"Young Master!!"
A boy far younger than herself bowed his head as he spoke. He easily said words that not a single one of the Empire's people she had hated had ever uttered. It was no light remark. Genuine sincerity filled the boy's apology.
Clack.
He opened the cage door next.
"From now on, live free."
He smiled brightly as he said it. That moment was so beautiful that Grace, to this day, has never been able to forget it.
Moved beyond words, the instant she stepped out of the cage she dropped to one knee and swore her loyalty. She wanted to remain not as a slave, but as his knight. The boy was startled at first, then thought for a moment.
"Hmm… even if I tell you to live free all of a sudden, you don't have money or anything, do you…"
She tried to say that wasn't why she wanted to become his knight at all, but he waved it off.
"No, it's fine. I understand. I'll speak to Mother."
He accepted her freely, without much concern.
"My name is Edward. What's yours?"
Even now, ten years later, Grace lives by replaying that day's memory over and over. The first meeting with the master to whom she wished to devote more than mere loyalty. She never wanted to forget even the smallest fragment of that moment.
Yet whenever she occasionally brings up the story of that day to the young master, he answers as if he has no idea what she is talking about.
"What are you talking about? Me, smiling?"
"You saw me smile? Don't be ridiculous."
Has he forgotten? Or is he pretending not to remember out of embarrassment?
"I'm not the kind of man who smiles freely."
It didn't matter. Because Grace herself had never forgotten.
"Grace! I'm done! What's next?"
While she was lost in the past, Edward seemed to have finished the hundred wooden-sword swings she had ordered.
"Excellent work, Young Master!"
Edward was truly diligent. With a man's body it must have been exhausting, yet he never complained; he simply followed her instructions in silence. At first she had wanted to stop him somehow—a man taking up the sword—but the word of the master she served was absolute. She only did as he commanded.
"Enough. What do I do next?"
Even after her praise, Edward showed not the slightest sign of pleasure. Come to think of it, she had never seen him smile at her again since that first day. How wonderful it would be to see that smile once more. Of course, since he never smiled at any woman—including herself—she felt neither jealousy nor disappointment.
Still… he sometimes smiled at the Grand Duke's consort or the male knights, didn't he…?
Could his preferences be…?
No. Even if they were, it was fine. Probably… fine.
"Grace. What are you doing?"
"Ah—nothing, Young Master! Next is…"
Snapping out of her daze at Edward's urging, she gave the next training instructions. In truth she was only giving him moderate guidance. For a man he had good sense and persistence, but—
Sadly, with a man's body the Young Master probably couldn't even beat a Trainee, let alone a junior female knight…
So what? When danger came, she—who was always at his side—would protect him. As long as the Young Master was satisfied, that was enough.
"You've worked hard, Young Master!"
"Hoo… hoo…"
Today, too, I finished training. Ever since the year I turned fifteen I had begun sword practice, overriding my family's objections. Grace, the half-dragon knight I had luckily taken in as a child, was someone I could proudly call stronger than anyone. Every time we trained she always praised me—said I had persistence, said I had talent, said my efforts were bearing fruit.
And those were facts I agreed with. This body possessed talent so abundant I never would have felt it in my past life. I could sense myself growing. That was why, whenever Grace praised me and I felt that growth at the same time, the corners of my mouth would try to loosen—but I never smiled.
Sometimes Grace would bring up that first day and ask whether I hadn't smiled then, and whether I couldn't smile for her again. What nonsense. I have absolutely no such memory!
"Same time tomorrow. I'm counting on you."
"Yes, Young Master!"
I asked Grace for tomorrow's training and left the practice grounds.
Yeah. I can definitely feel myself getting stronger.
Today's training had been truly rewarding as well. After all—even in a gender-reversed world, a man must be strong.