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Let me tell you my story for a moment.
The story of an emperor named Dante Renatus who lived the most turbulent life in history.
***
I was abandoned.
My father, who was the crown prince, had no intention of playing with fire. Apart from my father, my mother, who was a musician, eventually abandoned me in a remote city and left alone.
In the end, it was the city beggars, prostitutes, and vagrant sons who raised me.
When I was young, I lived by picking up discarded food, and when I was a little older, I lived by stealing things from the market.
Still, I persistently lived. No, I survived.
***
The year I turned 12.
Beneath the walls of the swordsmanship school that I occasionally stumbled upon, I reached a turning point in my life.
“You come every day. If you’re so interested, why don’t you try holding a sword too?”
One day, an old professor suggested to me.
He was someone who recently came back to his hometown after finishing his teaching career at a famous school in the capital.
“I have no money.”
“Just in case, if you try and end up doing well, I’ll take you as a disciple and teach you for free.”
The old professor said with a smile. I felt the relaxation of a person who only had time left within that smile. He was probably half-joking, I thought.
But that relaxation soon disappeared.
I quickly swung it skillfully even though it was my first time holding a sword, as if everything I had learned by looking over the wall was as helpful as practicing myself.
The old professor, who was curious at first, asked me to do this and that, and the smile gradually disappeared from his face.
He said he was a reputable professor, so he must have recognized my dazzling talent that only comes out once in a hundred years in that short time.
“Hey, kid… You really want to learn swordsmanship from me, don’t you?”
Then I had a strong realization.
Ah, this damn life is finally coming to an end.
“What’s your name?”
“I don’t have any.”
“Alright. Then I’ll call you ‘Dante’ from now on. If anyone in the future asks you who your master is, give them my name.”
On that day, I became the adopted daughter of the old professor.
He taught me to the best of my ability, and I learned hard. It seems like a very moving story when I say it like this, but in reality, it was tantamount to abuse.
The education I received was harsh and difficult.
‘Shit. Do I have to suffer like this to make a living?’
Those were really terrible days. But I didn’t run away.
Enduring that terrible training was better than enduring the cold or hunger in the streets.
***
The year I turned 19, Master died.
Naturally, the inheritance went back to all his biological children and not a single penny drop to me. Damn geezer.
After everything I’ve done for him in his later years.
After that, ‘money’ became my goal. I couldn’t go back to my begging life, could I? Life and money were the best.
I participated in gladiator competitions to receive prizes, obtained bounties by hunting beasts, and joined the mercenary corps to participate in wars.
Especially after sealing the evil dragon Krusech, I became famous enough to be treated as a hero wherever I went.
“The greatest swordsman on the continent, Lord Dante! Please sign! Shake hands, please! Please marry me!”
“Please work for our organization! No matter how much the other organizations offer, we’ll pay you three times more!”
“Will you marry my son and inherit my estate! What? You won’t like him if he’s not handsome?”
… I had become too famous.
I was just trying to make a living.
‘If I’m this popular, I can establish a country.’
I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought so.
The year I turned 23.
The imperial emperor called me in. That was, my father.
The father, who could not even be responsible for a single woman, gave birth to about ten children among his three wives. Such a large number of children but it suffered from poor quality.
It was an open secret that I was of the emperor’s blood, so it wouldn’t have been difficult to find out. Moreover, it was also because I kept the imperial family’s token without knowing it. Crap, I should’ve thrown it out.
As soon as my father found out that I was his child, he would have danced saying he was right. Isn’t it the best cost-effectiveness since the abandoned child grew up well on her own?
“Daughter, I will grant you the castle of Renatus. Enter the imperial house.”
“What about the reward?”
“What?”
“It’s not just one or two places that want me, so having me do free labor is a bit… ”
“D-Don’t you know what a great honor it is to be a member of the imperial family?”
“I don’t know about that. So, are you going to pay compensation or not?”
“Keu…ghk. W-What do you want! Should I make you the crown princess?!”
“Oh, I’m not really interested in becoming an emperor. Let’s see… My independent fief and mansion. 10 million gold coins. Also, please give me permission to have 10 horses and private soldiers.”
“Are you being serious?!”
“I can only think of this at the moment…”
“What? What else is there?!”
“I put up a cheap price because Your Majesty said you were my father. I’ll lend my name to the imperial family only when I have a good offer.”
I still couldn’t forget the expression on my father’s face at that time, trembling and swallowing swear words. Yeah, I should’ve done better then.
I expected nothing from my father since the moment he abandoned me. But my father, who was losing his generosity, must have been quite disappointed with me.
No one could’ve abandoned this dramatic story that the best swordsman on the continent who was at the peak of popularity turned out to be the blood of Renatus.
“F-Fine! I accept that offer!”
“Alright. I will lend my fame to the imperial family, then.”
A deal that will go down in history was established that way.
Of course, it was glorified and recorded in the history books for the sake of Renatus’ face.
***
I was not interested in becoming an emperor.
For the rest of my life, I just wanted to live comfortably without worrying about eating.
But my stupid half-brothers wouldn’t let me go. I even refused the heir position, but it seems that my existence was still a thorn in their eyes.
Well, I understand.
The first child of the emperor, who was talented and popular, popped up out of nowhere. Anyone can think of it as a spark.
But to understand is to understand.
They dared to try to get rid of me, so I could only give them the taste of their own medicine.
Therefore, umm… I’m a little embarrassed about the topic of not being interested in becoming an emperor.
Suddenly, I just became an emperor.
Thus, a fairy tale-like story was completed, in which the vagrant girl overcame numerous adversity, became the emperor of the empire, and lived happily with all kinds of luxuries.
It was a life with a clear conclusion that it could become a bestseller if it was made into a biography.
I died young at the age of 33, but I don’t think it was a bad life.
Every moment was intense and I did my best. I had a lot of experience and got what I wanted.
Even if I were to live again, I couldn’t live more earnestly than this.
I lived very well.
There was no rest.
My life literally burned white.
It really did.
***
500 years later.
I was born again.
The youngest daughter of Duke Peresca, loved by all. A pretty princess with silver hair and blue eyes, Helena Peresca, with the memories of my previous life intact.
Oh, man.
This is driving me nuts.