Chapter 1

Contract

Melony becomes the daughter of Duke Contie Panteyebe.

Duke Contie Panteyebe pretends to be Melony’s father.

As long as the contract remains in effect,

both parties shall faithfully fulfill their respective roles.

– She shall not cast Melony out until Melony reaches adulthood (20 years old). (Or at the very least, until she turns 16.)

– Melony vows to do her utmost to play the part of a daughter. (Not an adopted daughter, but a daughter of shared blood!)

(If the Duke receives a marriage proposal, she will stand by his side and help obstruct it!)

– Melony will make a fool out of the Duke.

– Melony shall not dare covet the position of successor.

She shall not interfere or act in a bothersome manner.

– If Melony is to be cast out, she must be given a six-month notice.

Contractor: Contie Panteyebe

Contractor: Melony

***

Contract — Now this time it’s for real!

Melony becomes the daughter of Contie Panteyebe.

Contie Panteyebe pretends to be Melony’s father.

As long as the contract remains in effect,

both parties shall faithfully fulfill their respective roles.

– She shall not cast Melony out until Melony reaches adulthood.

– Melony vows to do her utmost to play the part of a daughter.

Contractor: Contie Panteyebe

Contractor: Melony (Soon to be Panteyebe)

***

Contract — Now this is the real, real, real final version!

Melony becomes the daughter of Contie Panteyebe.

Contie Panteyebe becomes Melony’s dad.

As long as the contract remains in effect,

both parties shall faithfully fulfill their respective roles.

– The contract shall be renewed for as long as Melony wishes.

– Melony shall address Contie as ‘Daddy’ or ‘Father’.

(‘A-pang’, ‘A-bap’, ‘A-pa-pa’, and the like are all acceptable.)

– Melony shall make at least three requests of Contie per month.

– Unless there are special circumstances, they shall dine together at least seven times a week.

– Unless there are special circumstances, they shall eat dessert together at least five times a week.

– If anyone suspects their blood relation, she shall tell them, ‘Go ask my daddy.’

Contractor: Contie Panteyebe

Contractor: Melony Panteyebe

***

A pitch-black blaze erupted.

“P-Please save me!”

“Fire! Everyone run!”

The out-of-nowhere magical flames began to ravenously devour everything in their surroundings.

People screamed and scrambled to flee.

And I…

“Take me with youuuu!”

I was crying out pitifully all by myself, gripping the tightly locked iron bars.

‘Seriously, if you’re going to lock someone up, you should take responsibility for them until the end!’

It had been about half a year since I was dragged to this mysterious place and locked up.

I was a beggar and an orphan.

I was born inside a prison, so I spent my childhood there without even knowing who my parents were.

After the prison shut down, I was sent to an orphanage…

‘It was hell.’

Because I had to endure abuse and violence every single day.

Then, in the year I turned 18.

I was practically kicked out of the orphanage with nothing, and unable to find a proper job, I had to survive by begging on the streets.

To become a beggar at 18.

‘Back then, I thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse.’

Not a chance.

Life wasn’t about to go easy on me.

One day, while wandering the streets with an empty stomach as usual.

“Melony?”

“Who… Mmph!”

I was kidnapped by mysterious thugs and locked up in this prison-like place.

What a wretched life this is.

Ah, it’s so unfair I could cry.

I roughly wiped away the tears streaming down my face with the back of my hand.

“…It’s all because of this useless ability.”

I stopped crying and glared down at my hands with resentment.

I grabbed the frayed hem of my dress and focused, and a mysterious light glimmered as the garment turned as good as new.

This was my ability.

The ability to repair broken objects.

A.k.a., the ‘Ability of Restoration.’

It was a power that had suddenly manifested just a few days before I was dragged here…

“An orphan with an ability. I never thought I’d get my hands on such an excellent test subject.”

“And not only that, it’s not one of the abilities held by the Three Great Families, but a completely new type!”

That was the reason I had been brought here.

After locking me up here, they began testing my power every single day.

“Today, try using your power on this object.”

“To think you can repair an object of this size.”

“Then, could you restore something that’s completely destroyed?”

Even if I got a nosebleed or passed out from overusing my ability, they would drag me right back to the lab the very next day.

Doing that for over half a year was enough to drive me insane.

‘I’d be better off begging on the streets.’

At least I was free, even if I was a beggar.

In contrast, being trapped here felt utterly miserable and suffocating. It was like being a wild animal in a circus.

Even so, I was holding on to a sliver of hope that I might escape someday.

But then.

‘And look where that hope got me.’

Destined to burn to death miserably all alone.

Cough, cough.

It was then, as I coughed from the acrid smoke.

Step.

That I heard heavy footsteps echoing in the silent prison.

‘A person?!’

I stopped coughing and snapped my head up.

I didn’t need to look around to find the source of the sound.

A pale white face, and vacant golden eyes.

A handsome man with a somewhat sinister aura was looking down at me.

‘That man…’

I knew that face.

A few days ago, this mysterious group (I call them the . Because there’s a painting of a snake with sharp fangs on the wall.) had brought this man in to test whether my ability worked on humans as well.

‘…He was in pretty bad shape.’

The man’s entire body was covered in wounds and scars.

Seeing him look like he was on the verge of death, I used my ability to the best of my ability.

However, it was a failure.

No matter how hard I strained, there was no change in the man’s body.

In the end, I was the one who collapsed first, bleeding from the nose.

I hadn’t seen the man since then.

‘I felt bad for not being able to heal him, but I’m glad he survived.’

In fact, he seemed to have recovered quite vigorously.

Enough to…

‘Set a fire.’

At a glance, it was obvious the man in front of me was the arsonist.

I could tell right away.

Because dark blue flames were swirling around him.

Gulp.

I swallowed hard.

It was my first time seeing an arsonist, so my heart was racing a bit.

Then, the next moment.

The man who had been staring blankly at me slowly placed his hand on the iron bars. And then.

Crash!

“What the hell!”

He ripped the iron bars right off with his bare hands.

The iron bars flew with a deafening roar, and the solid wall crumbled with a thunderous crash.

Clutching my racing heart, I stared at the crumbled wall.

And then I was horrified.

‘…Huh? What’s that?’

Surprisingly, there was a hidden staircase in the gaping hole.

The man pointed toward it with trembling fingertips.

“G-Go. Run, away.”

It was an eerie voice.

As if two different voices were overlapping.

‘More importantly…’

Is he talking to me?

“Hurry up, run, away.”

It seemed he was definitely talking to me.

I subtly rose to my feet, and the man nodded as if cheering me on.

Questions instantly surged to the tip of my tongue.

‘…Why?’

Why is he saving me?

Because he pities me as a fellow test subject?

Because I tried to heal him?

No. I failed to heal him.

“U-Um…”

Just as I was about to ask a question.

“Get the test subject!”

“Somehow… put out the flames…!”

I heard the sound of people rushing over from beyond the flames.

They had no problem leaving me behind before!

‘…I need to escape first.’

Whatever happens, getting out of here takes priority.

I can’t miss this heaven-sent chance to escape.

If I get caught this time, there’s no telling how long I’ll be locked up again.

As I staggered forward, the flames parted to either side, opening a path for me.

‘As expected, it’s no ordinary fire.’

Is it a magical fire?

Then, is that man a mage?

I ran without stopping along the path the flames had created.

Without resting my legs, I climbed the stairs and placed my hand on the firmly shut door handle.

Huff, huff.

I gasped for breath and looked back.

The man was still standing quietly in the same spot, looking at me.

His expressionless face somehow felt incredibly lonely.

“Hey!”

“…….”

“…Thank you!”

At my belated thanks, the corners of the man’s lips curved into a smile.

“Because I promised… to protect you.”

The man muttered something, but it was too quiet to hear.

“Well then, I’ll see you again if we get the chance!”

With that shout, I turned back toward the door.

I didn’t know who that man was, but one thing was certain.

‘That man must be my lucky star.’

A rare stroke of luck in a life full of misfortune.

I threw the door open with all my might.

The cold night air rushed into my lungs.

Ah, the outside air is so refreshing!

Tears well up in my eyes for no reason.

‘Let’s try my best to live again.’

Now that I know luck can exist even in a life I thought was endlessly miserable.

I’ll try my best to live again…!

“Oh my. I almost lost an important test subject.”

Squelch.

Along with a chilling voice, something sharp pierced through my chest.

“To think the test subject brought from the temple would go berserk. I thought it was a finished product, but it turns out it was just scrap.”

“Keuk.”

The low voice buzzed in my ear.

“Still, it’s a relief that I managed to secure the most important test subject.”

…No.

‘I have to escape…’

He told me to run away.

It was a stroke of luck that finally came my way.

So I decided to treat it as a precious opportunity and live my life to the fullest…

“P-Please save me…”

“Now, let’s go.”

The man smiled faintly and pulled me into his arms.

At the same time.

‘…A ring?’

In the moonlight peeking through the dark clouds, the ring on the man’s finger glinted.

The ring’s design was unique.

It was shaped like a snake with a sword pierced through its head.

Somehow, it felt like that snake was glaring at me. Or perhaps, mocking me.

And that was the last thing I remembered.

‘I don’t… want to die.’

As my vision gradually blurred, I closed my eyes.

* * *

…Yeah, that’s definitely what happened.

‘How am I alive?’

The moment I was stabbed by the sword is still so vivid in my mind.

But that wasn’t the only strange thing.

“…My hands are so small.”

My hands were small, my feet were small, and my whole body was short.

On top of that.

“My pronunciation sounds weird too.”

It was as if a toddler was speaking, with every word coming out lispy and clumsy.

‘Wait a minute. A child?’

A sudden doubt crossed my mind, and I ran toward the nearest mirror.

And the moment I saw my reflection in the mirror.

“…Oh my god.”

I couldn’t hide my shock.

White hair and violet eyes.

A short, four-head-tall body with tiny hands and feet.

‘No matter how I look at it, this is what I looked like as a child.’

What on earth happened?

Ah, could this be a dream?

After being stabbed by the sword, am I just unconscious and dreaming?

I took a deep breath and pinched my soft cheek.

“…Ouch, it hurts.”

Which means it’s not a dream.

1. After being kidnapped, I died while trying to escape.

2. I thought I was absolutely dead, but I survived.

3. But I’m a child.

Somehow, there’s absolutely no logical link between these events.

I was standing there blankly, my brain completely frozen, when…

Creak…

The door opened with a groan, and a woman stepped into view.

“What’s wrong, Melony?”

“…Uh, huh?”

“I thought I heard a scream. Did you have a nightmare?”

She walked over to me, her eyes filled with worry.

‘Huh? Wait a minute.’

This face is definitely…

“J-Jeanne, Sister…?”

“Yes, Sister is right here.”

What? The real Sister Jeanne?

Hearing her natural reply, my jaw dropped.

Sister Jeanne was the sister figure I had lived with back when I was in the illegal prison, ‘Bramchois’.

Which means…

‘No way, did I regress?’

To before I died. And to my childhood, no less?

“Melony, what’s wrong? You look pale.”

Ha, haha.

“Here, Sister…”

“Yes, Melony.”

I reached out my tiny hand and patted her shoulder.

“Remember this, Sister.”

“What?”

“…The world is a crazy place.”

The world really is a bizarre place, Sister.

With those final words, I blacked out.

“Melony? Melony! Wake up, Melony!”

As my consciousness faded away, I could hear Sister Jeanne’s desperate cries.

the contracts :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XrygGULLPTaQBw3JqYa_dU5WgTl7L5uD/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15P4mX9x7uyWDtZwRPy2Rgbn_CTUVqQ2E/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hBikZASZaAJCrdXCB_FdDE-p0CJZ6Ahf/view?usp=drivesdk