Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Reincarnation Awakening
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"Family Head. The young lady has been born!"
The mansion was bustling with excitement today.
It was the day my father, the Leonhart Duke, welcomed his second child.
All the retainers and servants were smiling as one, showering blessings on the future.
"Let's go."
I leisurely followed behind my father.
Having a sibling might mean a rival for the dukedom's succession as the firstborn son.
But the Empire strictly adhered to the principle of primogeniture.
Unless my sibling was extraordinarily talented, my position was secure.
I headed to the delivery room alongside my father.
Yet I could see the servants' faces growing increasingly grim.
-Hey, did you see?
-Yeah. She didn't cry at all.
-How can a newborn not cry?
The atmosphere felt utterly ominous.
Tilting my head, I stepped into the delivery room.
There lay a silver-haired baby girl wrapped in swaddling clothes.
'What.'
Silver hair?
Our Leonhart family had golden hair.
Moreover, my sister's expression was utterly blank.
It was a perfect mask of indifference, impossible for a newborn.
Chilling, even.
"This is..."
My father let out a low groan.
He furrowed his brow before muttering a single phrase.
"A monster has been born."
Thud!
In that instant, a powerful shock ripped through my mind.
"Ugh!"
"Young Master!"
The servants rushed toward me.
Through my slowly closing eyelids, a scene I'd never seen before unfolded.
The name of the game on the monitor.
I closed my eyes for the last time after [Shardia Academy].
**
I became aware of my past life.
Saying it like that makes it sound dramatic, but it wasn't really.
My past self and current self merged as naturally as flowing water.
Me now, the eldest son of the Leonhart Ducal Family, Kline Leonhart.
Plus the personality of my past self, a man from modern Korea.
My past life had been utterly ordinary.
The type who only remembered popular games from top community posts.
And among them, one post stood out vividly.
[Shardia Academy].
This game featured a brother and sister.
But they weren't the protagonists.
The game delved into stories of characters from generations before the main cast.
And the Leonhart siblings became a massive meme from that.
The brother, Kline Leonhart, was originally set to inherit the dukedom.
Born with a talent for the sword and blessed with character, everyone saw him as the next duke.
His future seemed bright as day.
Until his sister, Ariel Leonhart, was born.
'A monster has been born.'
The Leonhart Duke said that upon seeing his daughter.
And it was the unvarnished truth.
Ariel surpassed her brother Kline.
No, surpass wasn't the word.
It was strength beyond human limits.
If slicing a boulder with a sword makes one strong, does cleaving the sky qualify too? That level.
Conflict over Kline's succession was inevitable.
-They say the young master might not inherit the dukedom?
-What? No way. He's still the firstborn.
-But if his sister Lady Ariel is that outstanding, what can you do?
-True. Still, doesn't Lady Ariel scare you sometimes? No idea what she's thinking.
Kline, who once doted on his sister as her big brother,
Eventually couldn't contain his rising jealousy and inferiority complex, and began pushing her away.
-Big brother. Play the ocarina for me again.
-Get lost. I regret ever playing it for trash like you.
He even ignored the ocarina he'd given her as a child.
Kline's hostility toward Ariel only grew, until both left the mansion to walk their separate paths.
Time passed.
Kline became a subordinate to the final boss, and Ariel appeared to defeat him.
Bonded by a lifetime of love and hate.
Ariel severed Kline's head, and he vanished into the annals of history.
The final image: a single tear on the cheek of Ariel, who had lived expressionless all her life.
...That was the backstory from the popular community post I remembered.
A summary that captured their relationship perfectly.
The siblings' tale was so compelling it racked up tons of recommendations.
I never played the game, but the post stuck with me.
'Wow.'
So that's my future?
Driven mad by jealousy and inferiority toward my superhuman sister's talent.
Cursing her, and ultimately getting my head chopped off?
'Horrifying.'
Truly nightmarish.
So I have to avoid that future.
Our stage with Ariel is a prequel to [Shardia Academy].
Whatever I do now likely won't impact the main story much.
"Young Master. You're awake?"
"Are you alright?"
The servants fussed over me, checking my consciousness.
I brushed them off with a wave and stood.
"Where's my sister?"
"Ah. The Family Head said to leave her alone in isolation."
"Seriously? For a newborn?"
"Y-Yes. But he said it felt ominous..."
Figured as much.
The community post didn't cover this, but the Family Head didn't take to Ariel either.
Something about her touching the dark side of the world, destined to bring calamity to humanity.
Who knows. I never played the game.
Having to piece it together from memes alone was a pain.
"I'm going."
"W-Wait! Young Master! The Family Head said no one enters!"
"It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Just keep quiet, you lot. Got it?"
"Young Masteeer...!"
I ignored their protests and vaulted the door.
I was six years old now.
Time to visit my sister, born five years later.
Sure enough, she was locked alone in isolation.
A forbidden room without even sunlight.
Where the family confined grave sinners.
Our father could be too much.
"Hey, little sis. Big bro's here."
I opened the door and stepped in.
There was a lock, but it didn't matter.
Only direct blood kin could open it.
"..."
My sister still wasn't crying.
Silver eyes in swaddling peered at me.
Weird, right?
How could a newborn see so clearly on her own?
"You've got it rough too, huh."
I dragged a chair over and sat in front.
Ariel stared blankly at me.
Hm.
Now that I was here, I had no clue what to say.
She probably couldn't understand words yet anyway.
Would she even get it if I talked?
Ah, right.
Maybe preview how her big bro will act from now on.
"Don't worry too much first off. Even if Father hates you, I won't."
"..."
"I actually like you quite a bit. You're my sister, after all."
"...Buu."
Some babble, but no clue what.
"The dukedom succession... Eh, we'll figure it later. If it's too much trouble, I can hand it to you."
"Bue."
"What? That's fine? Whatever. I prefer carefree fun anyway. Being a duke sounds like a hassle—if I can enjoy the perks without it, that's honey."
"Buh."
Ariel's eyes sparkled transparently.
Her gaze seemed to ask: 'Are you sane? I could take everything from you.'
I chuckled.
Yeah, no way I wouldn't think that.
A future where my sister takes it all.
Not just the succession, but every privilege as firstborn, stolen by overwhelming talent.
Or crumbling under it, clashing, and losing my head to her.
But I'm certain it won't go that way.
"It's fine."
Call it what you will, but my past self was ordinary except for one trait.
Being a bit more positive than others.
I awakened my past personality but didn't dwell on it.
Recalled the original ending with my sister but shrugged it off.
Right now, no jealousy or inferiority toward Ariel stirred in me.
-Is that okay? She'll take everything from me.
My current life's ego might say.
"Doesn't matter."
I don't care for gloomy tales.
Since I'm born, live enjoyably, fun, happily.
Positively—that's my motto.
So.
"Let's get along, little sis."
I reached out and grasped her tiny finger.
An inhumanly cool, refreshing temperature.
But I ignored it.
Just thought it'd be nice and cool to hug in summer.
And her skin was incredibly soft—hugging would feel great.
"...Bue."
Ariel glanced at our intertwined fingers, then babbled once more.
Still no idea what it meant, though.