MCPTD 02

Chapter – 02

“I’m sorry to say this, but it seems the young lady doesn’t have much time left.”

At age fifteen, I was given a terminal diagnosis.

It happened a month after my entire family, including my father, died from a deadly fever.

I stared at my physician with an empty expression.

“Right. At best, I’ll live about ten more years. And the last six months I probably won’t even be able to move.”

“Even so, if you keep taking the medicine, there’s still a chance you could improve—”

“That’s enough. It’s pointless.”

Regardless of the doctor’s troubled expression, I let out a small laugh.

I already knew I was destined to die in ten years.

Because I had what people call a regression.

In my previous life, I didn’t know I would die in ten years. So I wasted my precious time.

I struggled desperately to be loved while surrounded by those damn relatives who only exploited me.

I was starving for affection, trying to fill the emptiness left by my family with fake love.

“Siena, you may have inherited the ducal title, but you’re young and don’t know anything, right? So this great Uncle Marshal will handle everything— I mean, embezzle— ahem, I mean take care of everything!”

…Even when they embezzled so openly, I couldn’t say anything.

Because I was too desperate for love.

Then, five years later, at age twenty—

“L-Lady Siena is a Stabilizer Mage.”

I was officially recognized as a Stabilizer Mage.

A Stabilizer Mage is someone who helps those with special powers—called Authorities—avoid going berserk.

Most stabilizers could only calm those whose powers were compatible with them, and only through physical contact.

But I was different.

“My goodness! You can stabilize all Authority users? Lady Siena, you’re the savior of this world!”

Instead of a few, I had the unique ability to stabilize all Authority users.

But it brought me no satisfaction.

Authority users were all arrogant and self-absorbed. Not a single one of them was grateful to me.

I was used by everyone until I died.

And when I opened my eyes, I had returned to this time again.

Why did time rewind?

If I had returned to before my family died, I would have thrown myself into researching a cure for the fever.

But…

I don’t have a family anymore.

This time, things would be different.

I don’t want to struggle like before. I want to live differently this time.

I smiled faintly at my physician.

“I’ll enjoy life like crazy… and die in the coolest way possible at twenty-five.”

There was no need to extend my life. And no way to do it anyway.

So I decided to live fast and fully, then die.

There was just one problem.

What am I supposed to do for fun for the next ten years?

“Oh, the weather’s nice.”

The first thing I did after accepting my fate…

…was open the window and feel the wind.

In my previous life, whenever I stood by the window looking at the sky, my older brother would shout up to me from the garden.

“Siena! Want me to fly a kite for you?”

“What kind of kite?”

“Come on, it’s popular among commoners!”

“I’m already thirteen. That’s childish!”

If only I had known I would never see that face again.

I should have told him I loved him more.

I closed my eyes and felt the wind brushing my eyelashes.

Because the window was open, I could hear the maids laughing outside.

Without thinking, I looked down at them. Perhaps they felt my gaze, because they quickly bowed.

“Oh! Young Lady… h-hello.”

“Yeah. Hello.”

As soon as I greeted them, their faces filled with surprise.

At this time in my previous life, I hadn’t recovered from my family’s deaths. I stayed locked in my room with a gloomy expression for months.

But now that I had accepted death, everything felt strangely refreshing.

“What’s so funny? I want to try something fun too.”

Strangely, their eyes filled with tears at my simple words.

“We’ll help you!”

After that day, with the maids’ help, I traveled, learned painting and writing, and studied foreign languages.

I hosted tea parties, invited musicians for performances, even arranged circus shows.

But after about a month—

“Wow… everything is so boring.”

Tea parties were predictable. Dressing up became tedious. Travel felt repetitive. Studying didn’t suit me.

“I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.”

The only remaining option seemed to be…

…becoming a delinquent?

But drinking alcohol, smoking water pipes, or gambling didn’t appeal to me.

What can I do that’s still legal?

Maybe I should go somewhere I’ve never been before.

I had lived like a greenhouse flower, never once leaving the capital.

I spread out a map and looked around casually.

“Found it.”

The place was…

I walked slowly through a light drizzle soaking the earth.

Getting rained on isn’t so bad.

After some time, as my gray robe darkened from the rain, I stopped walking.

“I finally made it.”

Shadow Street.

The Vuitry Ducal residence was located in the southern part of the capital, in the luxurious Prosperity District.

Shadow Street was over an hour away by carriage.

I had read that it was a commercial district because of its large population.

But there’s not much to do here either.

I stood under the eaves of what looked like either a closed or abandoned shop.

Maybe coming here was pointless.

Just as I started thinking about going back—

“Ah… achoo!”

Under the eaves nearby, I noticed a very small boy coughing.

I looked down at him and muttered:

“What’s this dirty little mouse doing here?”

His yellow raincoat hood hid most of his face, but judging by his size he looked about seven or eight years old.

When he looked up and saw me, he panicked.

“A g-g-g-ghost suddenly—!”

Ah. He meant me.

Well, I was covered head to toe in a gray robe.

I was about to tell him I wasn’t a ghost when—

“H-huh… p-please spare—”

The tiny boy stepped backward in fear and suddenly fell flat.

Unfortunately, he fell straight into a puddle.

Splash!

Water sprayed everywhere—right onto me.

The boy froze in terror, but I spoke first.

“It’s okay. You don’t need to apologize.”

“H-h-how did you know what I was going to say…?”

He pulled his hood lower. I smiled lightly.

“Hey kid… you’re not just sitting in that puddle because you don’t know how to stand up, right?”

His small hands tightened around his raincoat.

Hmm. Maybe I teased him too much.

I held out my hand.

“I’m not a ghost. I’m human. I’ll help you up. Take my hand.”

Honestly, I sounded like a scammer trying to sell something. But I didn’t know how to sound gentler.

“I… I’m not s-s-supposed to h-hold strangers’ hands…”

“So you’re just going to stay there like a drowned rat?”

“I can get up myself—”

“Hmm.”

But the puddle was deep, and he didn’t look strong enough.

“I’m not trash enough to leave a fallen kid behind. Take my hand.”

It was just a small act of kindness.

Something forgettable.

“Aren’t you going to take it?”

“……”

“I’m really leaving.”

His small shoulders trembled.

“I’ll count to three and go. Three… two… one.”

Even after I counted, he didn’t take my hand.

And I didn’t leave either.

Hmm. This kid is stubborn.

“…one and a half.”

“……”

“One and a quarter.”

Though it was dark and rainy, I could feel his defiant gaze.

I pretended to give up and withdrew my hand.

“I’m really going now.”

As I turned halfway—

Maybe ten at most, the little runt suddenly lifted his hand.

He tried to grab my sleeve, then froze mid-air like a broken doll.

“D-don’t… go…”

“Don’t go?”

Without asking permission, I grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

“I won’t go. Where do you live?”

“I… y-you held my h-hand…”

“Yeah. I did. Since I already grabbed it, I’ll take you home too.”

“H-how can this be…”

What is wrong with this kid?