"Hmm?!"
I was dreaming—back in my old room from my previous life. I sat on a couch, and in front of me, countless screens flickered with moments from my old life. Huh... yup, just as I thought—nothing but terrible memories.
I jolted awake, drenched in sweat. This had been happening a lot recently, and... yeah, pretty sure that's not normal for a one-year-old baby.
It felt like this body was trying to remember more about my past life. But I really didn't want that. With some effort, I got up from the little bed made of pillows they had arranged for me on the floor for my afternoon naps. Wobbling on my feet, I took a few unsteady steps.
Wait—can babies walk at this age? Are they going to think it's weird if I start walking now? Well, the maids clapped when they saw me try, so... I guess I'm good.
I took a small victory lap around the room. It was unfamiliar—seemed like they had brought me to my parents' room this time. Judging by the fancy furniture, it was obvious that my family was loaded. Yeah, this stuff isn't from any regular furniture store...
As I waddled along, something caught my eye: a gigantic mirror, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. Probably for my parents to admire themselves while trying on clothes. I stopped in front of it, curious, and stared at my reflection.
Black hair and red eyes stared back at me. Well, I definitely don't look like my mother... But nobody would question if I had my father's blood running through my veins.
Then again... I guess it technically doesn't.
Unless... what if I was some love child from an affair? Nah... Who in their right mind would cheat on my mother? You'd have to be absolutely insane. And besides, even if my father is a bit strict with me, it's obvious how much he adores her.
But these eyes... this face... Why do they make me so angry?
And just like that, the headache hit me again, pounding behind my skull. I clutched my head. Ugh... stop thinking. Just stop.
"Young master Alexio, are you awake already?"
A young maid entered the room, walking toward me with a warm smile. She knelt down so she could look into my eyes.
What was her name again...?
"Ri...ta?"
"Hmm?!"
The next thing I knew, she was hugging and kissing me, practically squealing with joy.
"You remembered my name, Young Master!"
She squeezed me tighter. Not that I was complaining—her affection wasn't as overwhelming as my mother's, but it was still nice.
Rita leaned back, smiling brightly. "Were you looking at yourself, Young Master? This is a mirror. Mirror. Do you know how it works? It shows you how you are!"
Oh please, of course I know what a mirror is! What do you think I am, some kind of idiot—oh wait... right. Baby. Fair enough.
Rita kept going. "Look at your reflection! You're beautiful, aren't you? Well, of course you are! Miss Mylene and Mr. Serene are both beautiful, after all!"
Okay, okay, I get it—I'm beautiful. Sheesh. I mean, she's not wrong. My mother really is stunning, even if she isn't my real mother. And honestly... I am pretty cute. My features are surprisingly delicate, even for a baby.
...Wait. What did she just say?
I replayed her words in my head. Rita had called my father "Serene." But his name... his name is Rubens.
She must have used his last name. Yeah, that makes sense—servants usually refer to their masters by the family name.
Serene... Serene...
Alexio Serene.
Suddenly, everything inside me froze. A crushing, unbearable pain surged through my head, like my brain was trying to tear itself apart.
I staggered, clutching my head, and Rita's eyes widened in panic.
"Help! Someone help!" she shouted as I collapsed, the room spinning around me. And then everything went dark.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
How did I not notice this before? This really sucks... Out of all the possible worlds, from countless multiverses, I had to reincarnate in this one—the game that ruined my life.
Okay, fine, technically I ruined my own life obsessing over every route in that cursed game. But still! Did I really have to reincarnate into the twisted story of that sadistic author? And not just that—oh no—I got reborn as the most detestable villain of them all.
Alexio Serene.
Adopted son of the Serene family. His father? Karios Serene, a man admired for his unmatched skill on the battlefield and his exceptional physical prowess. Everyone thought Karios had a brilliant future ahead of him—until he threw it all away for love.
And who did he fall for? My biological mother, an adventurer and mercenary he met on some mission. I don't remember many details about her from the game—she wasn't the protagonist, after all—but I know she was powerful. So powerful that Karios could never defeat her in combat. Naturally, for a fantasy history, this idiot fell head over heels, abandoned his prestigious title to his younger brother, Rubens Serene, and ran off with her.
What a romantic love story, huh? Too bad this world is just as rotten as my previous one. There are no lasting happy endings here.
The Serene family is one of the four main families of the empire, and in this world, they're not just influential—they hold the strongest military power in the empire. And they're corrupt to the core, with internal factions constantly scheming to take control. When Karios abandoned his position to run off with my mother, they couldn't let that slide. They must've sent assassins to hunt him down, ensuring that neither he nor his children—me—could ever reclaim the title.
They probably waited until my mother gave birth. It's much easier to kill a woman who just went through childbirth than to face both parents at full strength. Not much was said about her in the game, but from what I remember, she was described as a monster on the battlefield.
For all I know, my adoptive father, Rubens, could've been the one sent to kill them. But if that were the case, I doubt he would've spared me. I'm just as much of a threat to the Serene family's power as Karios was. No, if anything, Rubens must have arrived just in time to save me. How heroic.
Too bad he rescued the child who's destined to bring ruin to his family.
Alexio Serene—the human garbage of this story. He's a selfish, sadistic scumbag who drags the family name through the mud. Not that it wasn't already covered in filth, but still. Some of the older Serene nobles even liked his twisted personality. Yeah, this family really sucks. Except for my mother. She's great.
But the worst part? In multiple routes, Alexio is responsible for the death of Clarisse Serene, one of the five heroines in the game. Clarisse, the beloved daughter of Rubens and Mylene Serene.
It hit me—that's who my mother reminded me of. Clarisse. The silver hair, the delicate features... just with different eyes.
This is really, really bad.
Clarisse always described her mother as a kind, fairy-like beauty who never got to raise her. Why? Because Mylene dies in childbirth. She never even meets her daughter. All we know from the game is that Clarisse grows up watching her father fall apart, his grief driving him to neglect her because she reminds him too much of his lost wife.
This tragedy is one of the key reasons Alexio spirals into darkness. Eventually, he finds out the harsh truth—that he isn't Rubens and Mylene's legitimate son. And when Mylene—the only person who ever treated him with kindness and love—dies giving birth to Clarisse, he blames the newborn girl. What kind of messed-up writing is that, anyway? His hatred for Clarisse grows as he convinces himself that she took away the only person who ever truly cared for him. That resentment drives a wedge between him and Rubens, who slowly drifts away, consumed by grief.
With both parents emotionally or physically gone, Alexio ends up being raised by a butler who once served his late adoptive mother, along with sleazy nobles from the Serene family. Yeah, perfect parenting material right there. No wonder he turns out the way he does. Surrounded by corruption and manipulation, Alexio's personality just keeps getting worse until he becomes the scumbag everyone despises.
But none of that matters right now! I don't care how the story is supposed to go—I won't let Mylene die!
Can I even change the future? Who cares! She's the only mother I've had in both lives. I'll do whatever it takes to save her.
I shot up from my pillow bed, drenched in sweat. My mother and Rita were sitting beside me, startled by my sudden movement.
"Alexio!"
"Young Master!"
I looked at my mother, my heart racing. Memories of every moment she cared for me rushed back—how she'd fed me with a bottle and apologized over and over for not being able to nurse me herself. How she'd stayed by my side, desperate with worry when I didn't speak for my entire first year of life.
I will save her.
"Ma...ma..."
Damn it, body! Work with me here!
"Mama... me... learn... to read."
The two women stared at each other, stunned.