Please Ignore Me, My Lady
I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling, just like every other time I’d fallen asleep reading a villainess novel. “Hoho, what a fine, sturdy boy! Congratulations, Count.”
The person cradling me as I struggled to open my eyes in this newborn body was a beautiful woman with pink hair. She looked utterly exhausted from the rigors of childbirth, yet she beamed at me with a radiant smile.
I really need to cut back on those novels.
At first I assumed it was just a dream. I even scolded myself for reading so much that I’d started having isekai fantasies about being reborn as a baby. But after a little time passed and I tasted the sweet milk the pink-haired woman offered me, I finally accepted the truth—I had been reincarnated.
The moment I acknowledged that I was now inside a novel, I desperately tried to recall the original story. From the circumstances, it seemed I had reincarnated into the villainess story I’d been reading right before falling asleep. Unfortunately, whether from reincarnation shock or some kind of penalty, I couldn’t remember a single detail of the plot.
In most stories like this, the protagonist usually regains their memories through some lucky trigger. So from a very young age I committed all sorts of bizarre antics trying to create that moment.
“Dada doo dya.”
“Hmm? You want more milk?”
“Da!”
I’d babble in baby talk, attempting actual conversation. When I became steady on my feet, I tried sneaking into the family library and got caught.
“Eek! Young master, you mustn’t go in there!”
“Pah!”
And once, while climbing the windowsill to see the view outside, a cute maid caught me and I spent a blissful few minutes trapped in her arms.
Now, at the age of seven, I had finally mastered basic Imperial speech and been granted formal access to the library. Since my mind was that of an adult, I’d expected to pick up the language quickly, but Imperial turned out to be far more complicated than I anticipated. It took much longer than planned. I’d heard that over ninety-five percent of the empire’s population was illiterate, and now I understood why. How could a language be this inconsistent?
Despite the delay, I had finally gained entry to the long-awaited library. I pulled every single history book from the shelves. Over the past seven years I had seen and heard many things, but unfortunately none of them had jogged my memory. Still, I let myself hope that reading the empire’s complete historical record might spark something.
“Young master, are you really going to read all those books?”
“Yep!”
The librarian approached with a worried expression, clearly thinking the stack was too thick and numerous for a child my age. But reading had been my greatest hobby in my previous life. Even in this frail child’s body, ten or so history books were perfectly manageable.
I shooed the hovering librarian away and began devouring the volumes at top speed.
Five hours later, I closed the cover of the final book.
I’m screwed…
I had read every page with meticulous care, yet not a single memory had surfaced. So in the end I have to face this world completely blind…
I let out a heavy sigh. If you’re going to reincarnate someone, at least leave them with their memories. Whoever was responsible for dropping me here had a seriously petty personality.
With nothing to show for the day, I left the library feeling utterly dejected. It had been bright daylight when I entered, but now the sky outside was dark.
The head maid stood waiting in front of the library with her head bowed.
“Young master, the lord is looking for you.”
“Huh? Father?”
Tyle Edgar, Count of the empire’s most fertile granary region—the Edgar territory—and my father in this life. Even as his son, I could see he didn’t possess any exceptional talents, but in terms of loving his family and caring for his people, he ranked easily in the top ten percent of fantasy nobles. The land itself was so absurdly fertile that crops multiplied on their own after you simply scattered seeds, so the territory ran smoothly even without him doing much.
Still, what could he want all of a sudden?
My parents were so devoted to each other that once evening came they usually disappeared into their bedroom and didn’t come out. They reserved their happy time for the night, so any serious business was always handled during the day… A bad feeling settled in my stomach, but I tried to ignore it as I headed toward his office.
Step, step.
My body was still only seven years old, so even a short walk made my legs ache. Any normal child would have whined about it, but my mental age was pushing thirty. I gritted my teeth and kept walking.
After trudging along with my tiny strides, I finally reached the office and knocked on the door with my small hand.
“Father, it’s Hendel.”
Having read countless villainess stories, I had learned early on that appearing too mature for my age was dangerous. That’s why I always mixed in some childish cuteness when others were around.
“Come in, son.”
The office door handle was too high for me, so the head maid helped me open it. The moment I stepped inside, several pairs of eyes turned toward me. Inside my father’s office sat a handsome blond man I had never seen before and a girl with platinum-blonde hair.
Noticing that Father was seated across from the blond man instead of at the head of the table, I immediately realized the stranger held a title of at least count or higher.
“Hello!”
In a society built on noble ranks, titles were everything. I snapped into a perfect ninety-degree bow.
“Oh? You don’t know who I am?”
The blond man looked at me with interest. Forgetting the name of a high-ranking noble was normally a serious offense, but I had the perfect shield—I was a seven-year-old child. I smiled brightly.
“Nope!”
Whoosh.
The blond man instantly appeared right in front of me. My heart nearly stopped.
“What a sharp child. My name is Calis Deriposer. Even a seven-year-old should know that name, yes?”
He’s one of the big shots!
Calis Deriposer—one of only four grand dukes in the empire and the ruler of the northern lands bordering monster territory. The infamous Northern Grand Duke who appeared in so many romance-fantasy stories. That was him.
I swallowed hard and lowered my head.
“It is an honor to meet the Ruler of Winter.”
“Haha… I like this one.”
Satisfied that I had recognized him, the Northern Grand Duke laughed heartily and patted my shoulder. He had clearly held back because I was a child, yet the impact still made my insides churn.
“His body is rather frail, which worries me a bit, but our daughter isn’t the type to get pushed around anywhere, so it should be fine.”
“…?”
What the hell is he talking about?
The grand duke’s sudden mutter sent a chill down my spine. He sat back down and dropped the bomb.
“I’d like you to take care of Marine here in the Edgar territory from now on.”
At the grand duke’s explosive declaration, sweat poured down my father’s forehead. Mine did too. I glanced at the platinum-haired girl who I assumed was Marine. She was indifferently fiddling with a teddy bear, looking completely uninterested.
I shot my father a desperate look. Father! You have to refuse right now!
She was the daughter of the Northern Grand Duke and already possessed the looks of someone with a promising future. I was certain this girl was the villainess.
When you encounter a villainess in these stories, there are generally two options: reform her or run away. I had read plenty of villainess novels, but I had zero confidence in my ability to reform one in real life. Reformation was the protagonist’s job. I would choose the wiser option—escape.
Are you really going to refuse, son?
Yes. Absolutely.
After our silent eye conversation, my father’s hands trembled as he spoke.
“Your Grace…? Our family is far too humble to properly serve the young lady…”
“Hah… is that so?”
Vrrrr.
Golden energy began rising from the Northern Grand Duke’s body.
“You’re refusing to take in my daughter?”
“Though we may be lacking, we will do our utmost!”
“Hm. Thank you. I knew I could count on you.”
Thanks to my father’s quick surrender, the grand duke’s mana did not end up destroying our territory.
“Boy, please get along well with my daughter as her friend from now on.”
Having achieved his goal, the Northern Grand Duke gave me a refreshing smile and offered a handshake.
“I-I will do my best.”
Having just witnessed a Sword Master’s power display up close, I had no choice but to accept the handshake. The grand duke seemed pleased with my attitude and smiled contentedly.
“Then shall we give the friends some time alone? Count, let’s step out for a moment.”
“Y-yes… understood.”
Father was half-dragged out of the office by the grand duke. Once the adults left, only Marine and I remained.
Marine didn’t seem interested in the friend who had been forced on her; she continued playing with her teddy bear. I took a deep breath. Stay calm, Hendel Edgar. Even if you’re bitten by a tiger, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.
Luckily, Marine still showed no interest in me. As long as I avoided doing anything that caught her eye, I would be fine. I quietly moved to a spot where she wouldn’t notice me, holding my breath.
I had finally been born into a wealthy noble family and wanted to enjoy my life. So please, just ignore me, my lady.