Chapter 01: Life on Hard Mode

I think I was drifting about in a warm and gentle place. However, an unbelievable sound came from my throat when seeing that I had suddenly appeared in a bright place from a dark, narrow and painful place.

“Ugyaa ugyaa.”

“Congratulations. It’s a girl!”

What’s this? My eyes, which tried to understand the situation despite my surprise, couldn’t see very well, and my limbs felt heavy. But, human-like figures were moving around in the bright space.

Soon, my surroundings became very noisy, and then quiet. Before long, I heard someone sobbing while something wiped my face, scrubbed my body and my body was covered by something like a cloth.

“What should we tell the Master……?”

“We can only tell him the truth……”

Then,

“Please wait! If you enter the delivery room, Claire-sama will-!”

“Shut up! Are you trying to order me!?”

Along with the shouting, the door opened with a bang, and it seemed like someone had entered the room.

“Where’s Claire?!”

“As soon…… as she gave birth……”

“How can this be……? Claire……”

It sounded as if that someone had collapsed on the floor.

“Master, this is the child that Claire-sama gave her life to give birth to. She’s an adorable little girl.”

After those words, someone lifted me up.

“Claire’s…… daughter……”

There was a sign that the man, who had said that, had drawn closer. I tried to open my eyes in order to look around. However, I’ve been incredibly sleepy since a while ago. But still, the shadow of a person was reflected in the eyes which I desperately tried to open.

“Oh, she doesn’t just have blonde hair, but also the violet eyes of the Marquis House……”

Amidst the surprised voices being raised, the man, who I was peeking at, added, “It would have been better if at least the colour was similar to Claire’s.”

“Master! It’s precious to have two people with violet eyes in the same generation! You mustn’t say such things!”

“Enough! Because it’s Claire’s daughter, it’s fine just to find her a wet nurse and raise her enough so that she doesn’t die,” the man declared as if it no longer concerned him.

It seems that I’ve been born as a baby. I thought as I was about to fall asleep.

“If you weren’t born, then Claire wouldn’t have died,” only the man’s mutter remained in my memory as I was dozing off.

After that, the only thing I felt when I woke up was a fierce hunger. As I entrusted myself to my instincts and cried, somebody came and put a warm breast in my mouth. Then, my diapers were changed and they bathed me with warm water while the sun was still out. From the second time onwards, someone would come to feed me milk at fixed times, regardless of whether I was hungry or not and changed my diapers.

When this rhythm settled down, I also got used to having a baby’s body and reached the point where I could think about various things.

This is one of those, the so-called, reincarnated into a baby things. Being a book lover, I often used to read books with such dreamy premises.

When I traced my memories, I had a feeling that I died on a hospital bed, although I wasn’t certain. Tracing back further, I felt a warm feeling swell up from within me. A gentle husband and cute children. The children, who looked as if they would cry in bed, were already at the age to have had grandchildren. That’s right, my life ended a bit too early, but I’m sure that I died happily.

So, why have I turned into a baby? Moreover, in a state where I still had my memories, thought in an adult-like way and understood language?

I was made to drink milk and my diapers were changed again. That person would always hold me and sway me around for a little as she looked into my eyes, which were starting to see a little more clearly, and spoke to me.

“You poor thing. Not only did your mum die, but you’re also being neglected by your dad. Even though he said that he would find a wet nurse to look after you, he didn’t even look. Assigning a commoner like me to you; I really don’t get nobles.”

However, even this cuddling time doesn’t last very long.

“Martha, how long does it take you to breastfeed? We’re already short-handed!” Because someone, who appears to be her colleague, immediately calls her away.

“I really should be holding you and talking to you more. I have no idea what the people in this mansion are thinking.”

Even so, Martha, who had said that and tried to stay with me as long as possible, was a really good person.

During my spare time, I tried recalling and thinking about events that have happened until now.

What I learnt from the commotion that had happened after my birth, was that my mum in this world had passed away when I was born. That’s why I was being neglected by my father. Apparently, I was born into a Marquis House. The room, which I saw when I became able to see clearly, was a very dreary, but spacious room. Although, I still didn’t understand what kind of existence a Marquis was in this world.

Blonde hair and violet eyes. Someone had said that there were two people with violet eyes, so I probably have an older brother or sister, but I still haven’t met them yet. My face, like a baby’s, still couldn’t move well yet, but I still smiled cynically. If someone had seen this, then they would surely think it was eerie.

The people who I have met are, the person who breastfeeds me and the person who bathes me. My father hasn’t come to see me even once.

Ah, there’s one more person. I’ll think about it later.

They must’ve thought that it was fine as long as they fed me and kept me clean, but babies aren’t supposed to be raised that way. Babies needed to be talked to a lot, needed to be hugged a lot, and sometimes soak in the sun instead of the dim light coming from the windows.

Comfort them when they cry and be happy when they laugh. That was how babies grow up to be humans.

Neglecting a child wasn’t normal even for nobles. Everyone is afraid that if they do something for me, they would be reprimanded; probably because father neglects me, so no one tries to do anything.

However, now that I’ve been reborn, I don’t plan on living in misery. If no one is going to raise me, then I have no choice but to raise myself. For now, let’s move the body, which doesn’t listen to me, a lot and cry a lot.

Because that’s what a baby does. I, who had decided that, lost to sleepiness and fell asleep without doing anything. What a blunder.