The two maids entered the bathroom to prepare Sien’s bath water.

Crack, pop.

As one started cracking her neck joints, the other began loosening her waist and shoulder joints.

“Huh, let’s do some stretching while drawing the bath.”

“Good idea.”

Their exposed arm muscles resembled those of horses.

Sien didn’t know yet, but the two maids of the northern tower were called the Cerberus of the tower.

They had been relegated to a lowly position – Matthias’ northern tower – for resisting the injustice of oppressing maids within the mansion, but their strength was formidable.

Splash-

At last, the warm bath water Sien would enter was being drawn.

As they went about their tasks quite professionally, one maid spoke up.

“Hey, don’t my muscles look bigger?”

“Ah, I’m drooling.”

“Be careful with tears, snot, and drool. You’ll lose muscle.”

Though their mistress had appeared, their only interest was muscles. A mistress so weak she seemed she’d break if touched lightly couldn’t be of much interest to them. Rather, becoming strong and powerful was their life’s greatest goal.

“Hmm, you need to do about 500 lifts to be called a maid.”

“Did you see the magazine ‘Health Beauty’? There was a special on pine resin powder.”

“Oh, really?”

The maids simultaneously let out sighs as if the ground was caving in.

And as the bath finished filling, one maid listlessly whispered.

“I wish we could get some protein.”

Protein – the magical powder that makes muscles bulge.

It felt like they could sell their souls for it. Of course, for tower maids, obtaining protein would be extremely far-fetched.

They sighed again in unison and stood up.

Enough muscle talk, it was time to attend to their baby mistress.

***

The maids quickly prepared the bath.

I was already prepared to win them over, so I smiled with my small rabbit-like teeth exposed.

“Is something the matter?”

“No, nothing.”

Hearing their gruff voices, I inwardly grinned.

The pine resin powder they had was rumored to be able to substitute for protein, the magical muscle supplement.

‘Plus, I overheard their bathroom talk about wanting protein!’

They wanted protein.

Protein was essentially a steroid without side effects. It was said to be a cheat item for building muscle.

However, unfortunately, protein was quite expensive, and the fruit used as its raw material was hard to obtain. The maids of the northern tower with insufficient wages certainly wouldn’t have been able to try protein powder.

‘I don’t have protein either, but I do have palm fruit!’

Palm fruit, the raw material for protein powder.

Eating ground palm fruit had similar effects to protein. So the price of palm fruit must be sky-high by now –

‘But Dad planted a lot for me to eat!’

Fortunately, Dad had planted palm trees in the front yard before their price went up. Because of sickly, whiny me, he bought all sorts of health supplements and then displayed his farmer’s talent after learning about the effects of palm trees.

I rolled my eyes around and smiled brightly.

‘I was worried about how to entice the muscle-loving maids, but there was an answer!’

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Muscle for muscle!

I was convinced that protein was perfect for winning over the maids.

“We’ll help you change right away.”

“…Wait!”

I looked up at the maid trying to change my clothes with my arms spread out.

The maid flinched upon receiving my gaze, twinkling like a little star.

“Yes?”

“Are muscles cool?”

“…Ah, thank you.”

A smile flashed across her lips for a second, then disappeared.

“By the way, did my village have something for building muscle?”

“Is that so? Exercise builds muscle. It seems there were exercise tools.”

The tone was still indifferent and dry.

Watching them bring over a clothes hanger, I lowered my arms to my sides and said lightly:

“No. It’s like medicine. Powder!”

“Powder…?”

“Yeah. Palm fruit powder, have you heard of it?”

I smiled brightly while looking at the maid.

The two maids looked at each other, then blinked their eyes rapidly.

One maid’s hand holding the clothes hanger started to move slightly.

‘Maybe they’ve fallen for it?’

My tiny heart began to pound.

***

It was when Matthias, Sien’s father and the duke’s first legitimate son, returned to the northern tower after receiving a hint about successor education.

From afar, the tower resembled a crown of thorns.

Thinking that Sien would be in that tower, a smile like a blue moon appeared on his otherwise expressionless face.

‘It’s not good for Sien to live in. It would be better to handle things quickly and move.’

As he passed through the tower’s gate and entered the large room where Sien would be staying, he saw a strange sight.

‘Wait, what’s going on?’

Matthias paused as he was about to enter the large room in the tower where Sien and the maids were.

‘What are those maids doing to Sien?’

Inside the room. The maids were holding Sien’s bun-like hands like talismans.

They had excited expressions. Thinking it was odd, Matthias clenched and unclenched his fist.

‘They’re not assassins. The probability of assassins infiltrating already is zero. They’ll all be observing.’

He quietly hid his body in the shadows, concealing his presence.

The two maids and Sien were unaware of Matthias’s arrival. So they were talking excitedly.

Sien was the most excited. Through the slightly open door, Sien shouted solemnly:

“Now, repeat after me!”

“What, what should we repeat?”

Hearing the innocently flowing voices, Matthias lowered his eyes.

Most of the maids in the northern tower were former knights.

They were in a position to focus only on physical labor. Meaning they were quite pure.

And their pure gazes… were eyes Matthias knew very well.

‘Yes, eyes enchanted by Sien.’

But he didn’t know the maids had already been wrapped around Sien’s finger.

Was there a secret he didn’t know?

Matthias quietly observed the two maids and Sien, holding his breath. Sien puffed out her chest and led the chant:

“Sien-nim is meaty!”

“M-meaty?”

The maid blinked a few times and tilted her head. Sien let out a deep sigh.

“Meat, no, no, noble!”

The other maid next to her clapped once and shouted.

“Sien-nim is noble!”

The other maid also blinked and shouted.

“Sien-nim is noble!”

Sien smiled brightly like a little devil and did a flower pose. The maids sitting on either side of Sien could be seen grinning.

‘Even the maids are already all on Sien’s side. They seem to know she’s cute since they have eyes.’

It was when Matthias was calculating when to enter the room while watching them.

“Good. Then I’ll tell you where palm fruit grows.”

Palm fruit? Hearing the strange words, he paused his steps. That fruit was what Matthias fed Sien every day for her health. And-

“You’re clever, Sien.”

Having realized the full story of the incident, he decided to enter the room.

He was about to enter the room right away, until he paused upon seeing Sien’s round eyes twinkling.

“Is that true?”

“Thank you, Sien-nim!”

“Yeah. But you have to play with me.”

“O-of course!”

The maids were nodding towards Sien as if enchanted.

Perhaps she had found friends to play with first.

Sien seemed to be adapting to this mansion in an ordinary and cute way.

His daughter was unbearably lovable as always. Matthias chuckled lowly and finally entered the room.

“Sien.”

He strode over and stroked Sien’s round forehead.

Sien’s round forehead that no one else could stroke.

None of the maids praising Sien as noble could touch Sien.

Feeling a bit of pride in his heart, he bent down to Sien and asked.

“Sien. You’ve become friends with the maid unnies?”

“Uh-huh.”

He said emphatically.

“But will you sleep with Daddy today?”

“Yeah! I want to sleep together every day.”

Matthias smiled with satisfaction.

The small body that plopped into his arms smelled of the warm flesh of a five-year-old baby.

She was his lovable daughter, whom he would lead to the most beautiful place and protect forever.

And the muscle maids were watching the father-daughter scene with their jaws dropped.

To think such a side existed in Young Master Matthias!

They must have surely died and come to hell.

Matthias cast a cold gaze towards the maids.

It meant to keep quiet about his identity.

***

Meanwhile, I giggled in my father’s arms.

‘The maids are really innocent!’

The maid conquest was a great success.

I was lucky.

The small village where my father and I lived was full of palm fruit, the raw material for protein powder.

Our yard was full of palm fruit, so that says it all.

‘When I explained what palm fruit looks like, their eyes all sparkled.’

When I said I’d give them a little bit, they grabbed my hands and hugged me tightly.

In human relationships, it’s important to push and pull.

‘I need to think more about what kind of plots these villainous family members are scheming, and what the young masters are like, but being in Dad’s arms is making me sleepy.’

The penalty I received from God for being born with memories of my past life flickered in the gaps of my drowsy mind.

‘Humans with special past memories are a threat to the world, so receiving a penalty was unavoidable.’

I had a smaller build than other babies, an underdeveloped body, and mental issues where I would truly become a baby at times.

There’s nothing that can be done about it.

I curled up my body like a tiny golden hamster and mumbled softly.

“Dad, do you have palm fruit?”

“Yes. You need it?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’ll bring it right away when Sien falls asleep.”

Dad said innocently. I smiled broadly and whispered to Dad.

“Yeah! Put it in my pocket. Then Sien will sleep, Daddy.”

I yawned softly and buried my face in Dad’s chest. It smelled sweet. It was the scent Dad always had.

My kind Dad, like an innocent country farmer.

My wonderful Dad who whispers lullabies in my ear every day.

To think such a kind and pure person was actually the young master of the devilish Mirmode. Thinking about how difficult it must have been for Dad while he was in Mirmode, I almost teared up.

“Okay. Sleep well.”

“What are you doing tomorrow, Dad?”

“Just-”

Listening to Dad’s soft voice as a lullaby, I closed my eyes tightly.

“Sweet dreams, Sien.”

That night, I really had a good dream.

In my dream was Dad’s birthday from a few months ago.

When I picked small wildflowers and gave them to Dad, he smiled brightly and carried those flowers with him.

‘Because it’s a gift from our Sien, I want to cherish it preciously.’

Dad carried those flowers until they withered and dried up, even long after his birthday had passed. I remember him proudly showing them off to the villagers, saying his daughter gave them to him.

It was a lovely and warm family I couldn’t have imagined in my past life.

Even in my dream, I thought:

I could do anything to protect Dad, my one and only family who is the most precious in the world to me.

***

The next day. The effects of the palm fruit Dad brought were amazing.

“After eating the palm fruit powder, I woke up at 4 AM and did laundry for five hours, but my body still feels refreshed.”

“I did about 100 pull-ups this morning. I’m just starting to feel the power flowing through me.”

I didn’t know what to say and gaped like a fish.

‘Aren’t these unnies monsters?’

Scary, I absolutely shouldn’t underestimate them. Such thoughts quickly flashed through my mind.

I quickly mumbled, opening my mouth.

Now it was time to gather information.

“Hey, what are the kids I’m getting educated with like? Are they, um, nice?”

If they’re bad, I’ll have to kindly reform them. I looked at the maid unnies, inwardly smirking wickedly.

The maids who had already received bribes – palm fruit – in their pockets hesitated at my probing question.

“N-nice, you ask?”

“Yeah!”

As if they’d heard a question they shouldn’t have.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

I urgently pressed them.

The maids, already prisoners of the palm fruit, rolled their eyes around before eventually mumbling in a rather sincere tone.

“Umm… who should we say… Since they wear masks and don’t talk much, it might be a bit difficult to become friends with them.”

The maid unnies seemed reluctant to say names. I tilted my head.

‘Was there a story about a young master who covers his face in the original “Melodia’s Life”?’

“Why? They’ll talk if I talk to them!”

“They’re not easy to approach…”

“Why?”

“…Um.”

“Well…”

Seeing the two maids start to eye each other, I blinked and tilted my head.

Is there some problem with the child I’m getting educated with?

***

They said I have to go into the mansion and start receiving education from today.

I put on my colorful traditional outfit and came outside, calming my slightly nervous heart.

So I wouldn’t get lost, I tightly held the maids’ hands in my honey bun-like hands as we set out!

“The duchess receives reports on all the education of the bloodline, so you must do well!”

“You’ll do great, Sien-nim!”

The maid unnies started trusting me in a strange direction.

As expected of palm fruit! I nodded my head, smiling proudly.

Instead of riding in a carriage, we walked hard while breathing in the morning air, and finally the garden near the mansion came into view.

“Once we pass this garden, we’ll arrive right at the room where you’ll be educated.”

“Ah, is that so? The garden is pretty!”

“Would you like to take a walk? We have some time left anyway.”

“Yeah! Let’s go to the garden!”

The weather is nice, so there’s no need to go straight in for education.

A nice day with warm sunshine and pleasantly cool wind.

A pleasant afternoon with green leaves swaying before my eyes.

Holding both maids’ hands, I entered the mansion’s garden and witnessed a slightly strange situation.

‘Why are there so many children in the garden? They look about 5-6 years older than me, around 10 years old.’

They were all young masters and ladies dressed in splendid clothes. About five of them in total.

The maids and servants of the duke’s residence were only observing them from a distance.

I looked at them with curious eyes. However, the muscle maids seemed too busy admiring their own arms and taking care of me to explain my doubts.

So I took the initiative and asked:

“Who are those children?”

“Ah, they seem to be the young ladies and young masters of the family’s vassals. They often come to the mansion for tours.”

“I see.”

I originally loved cute babies with that fresh baby scent. It was because there weren’t many opportunities to see such babies in our countryside. However…!

‘Getting involved with children like that could be bad for Dad.’

These young nobles of the Mirmode family were surely unmatched in their wickedness.

So I decided to ignore my curiosity and just pass by.

The muscle maid sisters were proudly watching me as I walked diligently, step by step. I happily began strolling on the grass, holding onto my beautifully dressed clothes.

The path of walking slowly on the grass, bit by bit.

Before I knew it, I suddenly stopped upon hearing strange rumors buzzing in my ears.

“I heard that child is the famous -, did you hear?”

“Not as pretty as Uriel.”

“Well, she’s the bloodline of that famous villainess, so of course.”