‘Daughter’s Fool’ Was the Concept, Wasn’t It, Duke! - Chapter 2

How did I, as an ordinary Korean with a ruined life, fall into such a chaotic situation?

 

There is one fundamental reason.

 

Because I wasn’t cute.

 

…It’s true.

 

What if I possessed the cute little girl in romance fantasy?

 

I wouldn’t have been abandoned on the road and taken to an orphanage, nor would I have been adopted by a villainous duke.

 

It’s not just about the body I possessed.

 

If the original me, ‘Han Se-Yool’ was cuter. If only I had a family to look after me… I wouldn’t have come to this point.

 

My real name is Han Se-Yool. It was made by the nursery school director. It means, ‘live a stable life that never drops as much as the tax rate.’

 

As you can see from the naming sense, though a little weird, the director was a good person.

 

Ordinary nurseries in novels are the axis of evil, right? But life at my orphanage was dull. Rather, it felt more like hell after being discharged.

 

Damn it, why are there so many bastards with 5 million won fortune who prey on kids?

 

Originally, I was planning to get a job right after graduating from high school.

 

However, a person I met at a part-time job persuaded me, saying, “If you don’t go to college in Korea, there is no answer.” He gulped down my settlement subsidy, saying, “I’ll find a good boarding school.”

 

In the end, a few months of time was wasted at a mountain retreat academy, and the money ran out and I was kicked out.

 

That road led me into a dormitory type of factory. The money was well paid, but the bullying from those who had worked for a long time was severe.

 

In order to win their sympathy and spend a little comfortable time, I repeatedly told the story of ‘being scammed while going to college’. It was like a plague. It was a self-introduction of “I’m a pushover.”

 

They whispered sweet words that I could live well without going to college.

 

[Do you want to try stocks? A stock expert I know opened a chat room, and I will invite you specially.]

 

So, my paycheck was decomposed into investment costs.

 

When self-proclaimed ‘Master’s left the factory one by one. When I came to my senses, I didn’t even have a million won left in my hand.

 

The day I failed to inquire about their whereabouts and rushed to find a part-time job.

 

The convenience store manager giggled when he heard my story.

 

[Why do you believe that? Even if you do well, will you be guaranteed?]

 

[…Ey, no.]

 

That day, I learned by sight. GuaranteesㅡI don’t know what that isㅡcan’t be relied on.

 

I always learned from ridicule. Teachings always left scars. It’s not that I haven’t tried to repay the world.

 

The day I was about to receive my night allowance. That convenience store manager said.

 

[It feels like hell wherever you go? Then you’re the devil! Think about it. If you were cute, would your parents have abandoned you? No one adopted you until you turned 20, right?]

 

I grabbed that bastard by his collar.

 

Soon, he called the police.

 

I threw away the salary I had accumulated over the years as a settlement amount.

 

A fact that I realized while rolling the world. The only thing that comes out without conditions is the family.

 

My friends at the nursery school were too busy for me to ask for something, and as time passed, I lost contact one by one.

 

Fortunately, I had an older brother whom I was in touch with, but after talking about the convenience store incident, I lost contact with him. Ha, is it because he didn’t want to be close to a person who almost became a criminal?

 

The day when I was fired for answering the truth at a meat restaurant that I was hired to work part-time at. I read a romance-fantasy, which was famous for its healing properties to escape from reality. I even used cash, which I didn’t usually use.

 

Maybe I knew that day would be my last day.

 

[To Save You]. The abbreviation its fans call was [Rank 99th]. It was the story about the female lead who saved everything. And a world that was on the verge of destruction. Also, a male lead with a twistingly messed up inside.

 

The story of the female lead saving the male lead is good. But maybe because my speed while reading it was doubled, I couldn’t understand the whole process.

 

By any chance, are all the characters in [Rank 99th] cats and the female lead a catnip? It doesn’t make sense for them to be saved and happy just by talking with the female lead!

 

…I should’ve just thought about that.

 

But I left a comment. At that, the content was just like that!

 

At that moment, a voice rang in my head.

 

Are you upset?

 

‘Hm?’

 

If you’re upset, try it.

 

I lost my mind with that strange voice…

 

***

 

This is a common development in romance-fantasy stories.

 

When I opened my eyes, the lady at my bedside would admire me and said, “Oh my, how cute!” wouldn’t she? Families would flock together and say, “I love you, baby!” wouldn’t they?

 

…But no such luck happened.

 

After being fired from the meat restaurant. When I woke up after losing my mind after posting a comment on the romance-fantasy story.

 

The first thing I saw was the mottled ceiling. It smelled like mold. It was cold enough to freeze the tip of my nose. I could hear children screaming next door.

 

…I have a very bad feeling about this, though?

 

When I opened my eyes, I saw a bunch of dirty children next to me.

 

There was nothing to ask. This is an orphanage. At that, the one that does messy management!

 

I trembled and tried to get up. However, I couldn’t keep my balance and fell flat on the blanket.

 

What is this, my limbs are short! It’s not my body? Is this possessing?

 

I grabbed someone who was around and asked. An unknown language came out of my mouth.

 

“Where is this?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“This continent or country’s name, year, and recent incidents!”

 

No one answered my question. Those children whispered among themselves.

 

“She’s the kid that the director picked up yesterday, right?”

 

“Very noisy.”

 

“She’s like a child possessed by the devil.”

 

Fortunately, a boy with dark hair answered.

 

“The name of this country is Geffengrad. If it’s a recent incident…”

 

There was nothing more to hear.

 

Isn’t Geffengrad the stage for the novel [Rank 99th] that I died while reading it? Here is that damn novel. So the next thing to check isㅡ

 

“In here, where’s the mirror?”

 

“…Bathroom. Go out and to the left.”

 

“Thanks!”

 

I patted the boy on the shoulder and ran down the hallway. The room was cold, but the hallway was even worse. I could feel my breath. The wind seeped in from the wall, which looked like it hadn’t been repaired for a long time.

 

The bathroom was also dirty. There were only a few basins placed on the dirt floor. If this was a bathroom, then the river in our neighborhood was the Nile River.

 

When I reflected my face in the mirror that was attached to the wall. I realized.

 

“I’m screwed…”

 

The female lead of [Rank 99th] had blonde hair and green eyes. But what was reflected in the mirror was an ordinary black-haired girl. Those eyes were golden brown.

 

What’s this!

 

If I possessed this body by the words, ‘Are you upset? Try it’, wouldn’t I possess the female lead?

 

Or at least ask me to do a supporting character! It’d be good if I were the daughter of a count who gets executed for arguing with the female lead! Why am I such an unheard of orphanage girl?

 

Damn, there’s only one development that would make me survive this kind of situation. Getting adopted by an aristocrat somewhere and becoming the main character of the so-called [childcare] genre…

 

In the mirror, I’m a dirty, skinny girl around the age of ten. I’m past the age to look cute no matter what!

 

Even if I was only two years old, I would have been loved no matter what I did, being said, “Oh my, the Miss is finally running around!” or, “This is the first picture she drew!”

 

If I grow up like this, it’s hard to be adopted, let alone be cute!

 

Ugh, I’m getting traumatized again.

 

Children in daycare centers are less likely to be adopted when they are four or five years old. It’s not just because ‘they’re not cute’. Adoption seekers, for the most part, want to take a small child who doesn’t even know their adoptive parents.

 

My brain understands it.

 

But you know what? The fact that children under the age of ten realize that ‘I’m too old to be adopted’. Watching those younger children right next to me… It’s truly a gem. Really, really, like a geeeeeem.

 

I returned to the room with a wrinkled expression. Looking at it again, it’s bullshit.

 

What the hell is this facility? Don’t they clean? Do they ventilate? Do they wash the kids? If you can’t take care of them, at least cut their hair!

 

The moment I, who was upset in many ways, took a deep breath in. The black haired boy who responded to my question approached me.

 

I wonder if he’s two years older than this body. Even though his eyes were dark and dead, he was strangely elegant.

 

“Hey, did you ask about a ‘recent incident’ earlier?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“There was one incident.”

 

The little boy pointed at me and said, “A very strange girl came to the facility.”

 

What?

 

“If you want to ask anything from now on, ask politely and listen to the answer until the end.”

 

The boy turned his head quickly.

 

Aww, his bad attitude is flapping like a living fish.

 

I grabbed the boy’s shoulder and asked.

 

“Hey, what’s your name?”

 

If he left his name in the original story, I would spoil the future. So that he could grow up to be a good adult!

 

At that question, the boy widened his eyes. Between his black hair, his blue eyes were as pretty as a small fountain.

 

But it took a moment for me to appreciate it, and the guy opened his eyes and said.

 

“Isn’t it polite to say your name first?”

 

That’s right. How would I know the name of the body I possessed?

 

After thinking for a while, I called out my own name.

 

“Se-Yool. My name is Se-Yool.”

 

The children around, including the dark-haired boy, couldn’t understand what I was saying.

 

“Se…il?”

 

“Se-Yool.”

 

“Soul?”

 

I compromised with reality before being called a car brand name.

 

“Sol. The ‘Sol’ from when you say Do-Mi-Sol. What’s your name?”

 

“I’m, Eh… Bell.”

 

“Ebel?”

 

“Ah, no. Bell!”

 

Bell’s name isn’t in my memory of the characters. Is he a minor role? After all, I thought that I and the children in the orphanage are extras, so my anger slowly subsided. Let’s not be mad at those kids for nothing.

 

I changed my stance and held out my right hand.

 

“Alright, Bell. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Huh…?”

 

The boy named Bell looked a little embarrassed, but he didn’t refuse my hand. He’s surprisingly polite.

 

But the moment he touched me, a kid from the side shouted.

 

“Wow—you two look nice together, though? Are you dating?”

 

I think he’s the orphanage alley manager. He has broad shoulders and is taller than his peers. Around there, the children who looked like the underlings were also whistling and went crazy. Ha, they’re real kids. Are they here only because of the handshake?

 

Bell, on the other hand, blushed and tried to shake my hand away. I didn’t let go.

 

“S-Sol! Let go of me!”

 

“Don’t wanna.”

 

His face grew even redder.

 

Even the alley manager seemed to be embarrassed at first, but then he smiled.

 

What are you laughing at? Now it’s your turn.

 

“What is your name?”

 

“H-Huh? It’s Jackson!”

 

“Come here, Jackson.”

 

I immediately reached out and grabbed Jackson’s hand. He tried to run away, but he failed. Because I was stepping on his foot. That brat was bewildered.

 

“Why, why are you like this!? Let go of me!”

 

“Jackson, did you hold hands with me too? Are you dating me too?”

 

“Ah, ah, nooooooo!”

 

“Ooooh lala, Jackson and Sol are dating. It’s a messy love triangle.”

 

When I sang a tune, the underlings around me were also trying to sing along… When Jackson glared at them, they shut their mouths.

 

Soon his gaze turned to me. It’s pretty sharp, but he’s still a child. If he shot me a wink, I’d be terrified.

 

I’m sick of dealing with kids, babies.

 

Shall we finish now?

 

I said, raising my hands.

 

“From today onwards, this is the first day for the three of us…”