First a Reincarnation, Now a Time Travel II

"Sera, what are you doing there? The Headmistress is already calling for us."

Then came Clement out of nowhere.

He appears right behind her, making her jolt in surprise for a second. Only then does she realize that she has been outside for a while now.

Earlier, she just felt like escaping for the meantime and processing everything without anyone interrupting her. That's why she's now all on her own, sitting on top of that boulder.

"O-Oh, hello again… C-Clement…" Seraphine greeted with a strained smile, a little hesitant to start a conversation.

"Say, you really like talking with me, huh?" she then asked, trying to know what exactly was her relationship with him in a roundabout way.

"Hasn't it always been that way? Why ask? Don't you want me around?" Clement replied as he went around the boulder and stood right in front of her.

"Wait, we're like… really friends?"

"Of course! Well, in the first place, you're friends with everyone here. Everybody likes you, Sera – or maybe, almost everybody."

"Oh…"

Unlike before, Seraphine is not a bit least happy of that.

She used to hear similar compliments and words of good favor in her second life. That time, it never failed to please and flatter her. But now, knowing that people don't truly feel that way toward her, she doesn't find it anywhere near gladdening.

Gaining fake love all the time is probably the true curse of being a half-human and half-succubus.

"Anyway, we should go in. Count Esmeralde is going to arrive at any moment now," Clement continued, making her eyes bulge in flummox.

"Huh? What did you say?" Seraphine blurted out with a dumbstruck look.

"I said that the Count is going to come-"

"The Count?!"

Then, she springs right up.

Talk about perfect timing – in a bad way, that is.

Seraphine is still not even finished wrapping this whole third life around her head, but a red flag is already on the rise.

She realized that this must be the time she was going to be adopted, which meant that she's seven-years-old. It made sense that both Clement and the Headmistress had been bugging her about wearing her best clothes and staying in her best behavior, which she didn't really follow in the end.

It turns out that Ferdinand is indeed going to come today to adopt a child.

"Sera! What do you think you're doing?! Now, you're all dirty!" Clement exclaimed out of nowhere, making her snap out of her thoughts.

That's when Seraphine realized that she landed on a puddle of mud right below her after she bolted out of her seat.

Now, the hem of her long skirt as well as her boots are covered with mud. She wasn't sure why she didn't notice how it practically splashed all over them.

Even then, she isn't really that bothered. She may have been a noble lady for some time, but deep within, she is still an ordinary girl who doesn't mind some dirt.

"You're so going to get in trouble for this! The Headmistress will be furious if she sees you like that! The Count might not even choose you if you continue being this-"

"Why do you sound like the Count is gonna choose me in the first place?" Seraphine cut Clemet off in confusion, getting the impression that the Count already knew about her.

"Didn't the Headmistress tell you? He's a nobleman, and you're the only one around here who fits his standards. You have a pretty face and you are well-behaved. You are this orphanage's best choice!"

"So, you think he will like me because of my face and attitude, huh?"

"As I already said, everybody likes you, Sera. He can't possibly not like you too."

"Did he already try to know about me before, though?"

"What are you saying? He is of high status. Of course, we don't have the privilege of being in his presence whenever we want, much less get to know each other. At any rate, this is a very good opportunity for you. Nobles rarely adopt, you know. If you're adopted, you will have a fancy life!"

A fancy life – but not a good one.

Indeed, Seraphine is already getting tired of everything.

She knows that she can't blame Clement for being excited about it, but she still can't help but be irked about every single thing he has said. It's just all about appearances and conduct in the end – all of which can be easily used to deceive others. No one ever tried to get to know her better. They're only interested in her because of what they saw from the outside.

Though she also can't blame them for falling for her charms because of her power, she really still can't help but be irked. She can't blame anyone that she's a succubus. But even then, she didn't do anything bad. She was good to everyone up until the very end.

All she did was possess this power – one that she did not even ask to have.

The same idea goes with Ferdinand. If he truly did love her, he wouldn't have let her burn to death. He would have at least defended her from the temple. Yet what happened was that he only stayed silent the whole time. He did not do a thing to help her.

In the end, he was only after her good traits, her beauty and demeanor – not who she truly was.

"Sera, what the heck are you doing?!"

Caught up in her rage, Seraphine did not realize that she was already jumping up and down and all around, splashing the mud everywhere.

She does it as if she is stomping on her weak and powerless self. She does it like she wants to just bury everything under. She does it as a way to release all of her pent-up emotions.

Clement looks like his soul has just left his body right then.

He never saw her acting this unladylike and boisterous before. It's as if a different person has possessed her out of nowhere. Otherwise, she might just be in her rebellious phase.

"No, no! You can't be in a rebellious phase now! You're just freakin' ten-years-old!"

In reality, though, Seraphine is making herself look filthy on purpose – so filthy that she hopes no one will ever take a look at her again or get close to her. With this, she might even be able to repel the person who used to love her the most.

'Let's see if you fall for me now, Father.'