This Reincarnation Requires a Subscription Fee

This was undoubtedly *my* thought. The thought of who I was before I remembered my past life.

The feelings of a four-year-old child, Reshia, who truly knew nothing, suddenly surged within me. Strangely, my eyes began to sting with tears.

“Duke… I don’t want to do this… I don’t want to be forced… I’m useless, unnecessary, so…”

In an instant, my body took control over my mind. Overwhelmed by grief and injustice, tears started streaming down my face.

I was simply born, and yet I was called a saintess. It wasn’t something I wanted. I didn’t choose to become the duke’s daughter, nor did I choose to have no divine power. 

There was nothing I had chosen in any of this. And yet, people criticized and mocked me for all those things.

“So I tried not to stand out… to avoid being hated… I kept trying… hngh!”

My speech, already unclear from crying, became even more muddled as my sobs burst out. I knew the duke couldn’t possibly understand my jumbled words, but I just kept talking.

“Please tell me I’m needed! Please say you don’t hate me! Waaah!”

I was heartbroken. Truly heartbroken. Adults don’t like crying children. Crying children are annoying. That’s why I mustn’t cry, no matter what. 

But all the tears I had swallowed down, along with the sorrow, suddenly came pouring out. In the midst of my uncontrollable crying, I felt my body being lifted.

Even as I was lifted into the air, my tears didn’t stop. My vision blurred from the tears, clearing and blurring again as I blinked. Through the hazy view, I saw the duke’s face. 

His slightly furrowed expression didn’t seem to be one of annoyance or irritation at a crying child.

“I don’t need you.”

“!”

The calm words shocked me so much that my tears abruptly stopped. The shock was enough to bring my wandering mind back in an instant. I stared at the duke with wide eyes.

This… this cruel man! 

After all the crying and pleading, that’s all he had to say?

Reshia’s sense of resentment, mixed with the disbelief of my past-life self, made me look at the duke with complex emotions.

Then the duke wiped the remaining tears from my face with his hand and spoke.

“I don’t need a saintess or a dignified noble lady. But even so, I chose to take you as my daughter.”

“…”

“Reshia Elpinard.”

The sound of my name, spoken by the duke, struck deep in my chest.

“The world may demand that everyone prove their worth, but at home, there’s no need for that.”

As the duke placed me back on the bed, he knelt down on one knee beside it.

I had always looked up at the Duke, but now our eyes were on the same level. The blue eyes that met mine shone vividly even in the darkness.

“This is your home. I am your father. Don’t try to find your worth here. Elpinard is the only place where you belong.”

Do you understand?

The Duke’s eyes seemed to ask that, so I hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. I didn’t fully understand everything he said, but the Duke told me to think of this place as home and of him as my father.

Home and father—things I had never truly had, neither in my past life nor in this one.

The Duke patted my head as if in praise. The affectionate touch made my eyes widen, and the Duke let out a small laugh.

“And I don’t hate you.”

* * *

The next day.

“Oh my goodness, miss! What happened to your face?”

Lily was shocked when she saw my swollen face. I had expected my face to be a mess after crying so much yesterday, but I didn’t think it would be swollen to the point where I could barely open my eyes.

‘Does this mean I cried that much?’

Feeling embarrassed, I scratched my cheek with my finger. I may look like a child on the outside, but inside, I’m a grown adult. 

It was incredibly embarrassing to think that I had cried so hard in front of the Duke.

‘But at that moment, I just couldn’t control my emotions.’

It felt like all the suppressed emotions of ‘Reshia’ had burst out, completely taking over my body.

“I’m not sure if you’ll be able to have breakfast like this.”

Lily spoke worriedly as she placed a cold towel over my eyes.

“Breakfast?”

What does being swollen have to do with breakfast?

I tilted my head in confusion, and Lily explained further.

“The Duke has requested that we all have dinner together today. The entire family.”

“The entire family…?”

“Yes, including the young Duke, Master Axel, Master Noah, and you, miss.”

Duke Elpinard was an incredibly busy man, constantly managing the vast territories of the family estate. It was rare for him to gather the entire family for a meal since he often skipped meals to work.

‘Of course, Reshia was never included in such gatherings.’

She was never invited. But this time, it seemed the Duke had personally arranged the meal and even invited me.

“I can go!”

I raised my hand energetically. From behind me, I heard Rose and Daisy chuckling, “Oh my, how adorable!” 

Lily’s reaction was similar to theirs.

“That’s right. It’s not often you get to have a meal with the Duke, so it would be good to attend.”

Lily spoke with a hint of amusement in her voice.  

“We still have plenty of time before the dinner, so I’ll make sure to treat the swelling properly. I’ll also give you a massage.”

“Okay.”

I responded obediently, letting Lily take care of me. The three of them seemed to think I was eager to not miss the dinner with the Duke, but I had another goal in mind.

Axel Elpinard!

My true objective was Axel, who had been avoiding me at every turn.

This time, you won’t be able to escape me, you little rascal!

* * *

“Alright, this should be enough for you to see properly.”

I stood in front of the mirror, examining the reflection of my face. My eyes were still swollen, making me look a bit ridiculous, but since I was a child, even that looked somewhat cute.

“Shall we go now?”

Following Lily’s guidance, I walked down the hallway. The dinner, even though it was a family affair, was being held in the banquet hall since the Duke was hosting. This meant I would be going to a place I had never been before.

As I thought about it, my nervous heart started pounding again.

And since it’s a formal dinner, there will probably be lots of utensils, right?

I realized I’d need to pay close attention to etiquette to avoid making any mistakes. While I hurriedly reviewed table manners in my head, we arrived at the banquet hall. The servant standing at the entrance greeted me with a polite bow and opened the door.

Taking a deep, nervous breath, I stepped inside and immediately recognized a familiar face.

“Over here! Come sit next to me!”

Noah was waving at me enthusiastically. Since my tearful outburst in the sapphire room, Noah had been acting quite friendly toward me. Bringing me a pocketful of chocolates was likely his way of signaling a truce.

Considering how prideful he was, it must have taken a lot of courage… But Reshia’s body, which still clearly remembered how he had tormented her, instinctively wanted to keep some distance.

“I’ll sit over here!”

I swiftly stepped back, creating some space between us, and then hopped onto the seat opposite him. 

Even though Noah had offered me the seat next to him, considering the attendees and the seating arrangement, that spot was never meant for me.

It’s obviously reserved for the young duke.

Despite this being clear, Noah pouted, displeased that I had rejected his offer.