Eight years had passed since Remesis Carter returned to her childhood body.

  The first few years were the hardest. It was extremely burdensome to pretend to be a helpless infant when inside you were already an adult woman. Sometimes Remesis felt like she wanted to die of shame.

  When she had to throw childish tantrums at the maids or eat the disgusting-tasting milk formula, the girl tried to think it wasn't really happening to her.

  "How embarrassing…"

  Fortunately, this torment did not last long. The older Remesis grew, the more she shed her "mask." She didn't care even if those around her began to suspect something or consider her a born genius.

  Remesis knew that no matter how capable she was, the people around her would never accept her because of her ill-fated origin. So she decided to stop pretending to be a naive child.

  At four years old, Remesis's vocabulary was much larger than that of the average child her age. She could independently hold cutlery during meals and even went to sleep on a schedule.

  Such behavior, naturally, shocked the maids who attended her. It seemed their little mistress was too mature for her age.

  Gradually, the rumor spread throughout the estate.

  They said that the Duke's youngest daughter, cursed by an unlucky star, was ahead in development of her older sister and brothers. Michel was eight, Katrina seven, and Livius five years old. But suddenly this little girl turned out to be much more mature than them.

  "What a wonder… Does that really happen?"

  Among the servants on the estate, the "superpowers" of their youngest mistress were hotly discussed. The initially neglected child unexpectedly attracted a lot of attention.

  Undoubtedly, if Remesis were not under a "curse," there would have been much more talk about her.

  At five, Remesis mastered the alphabet and read fluently. The exact sciences and humanities also did not elude her. Although no one taught her etiquette, the girl seemed to know from birth how to behave properly.

  This continued until the Duke found out about it. The Grand Duke of the Nadal Empire already knew that his daughter was somewhat different from ordinary children. But earlier he had not paid much attention to it.

  In any case, a child born under an unlucky star had no future. No matter what abilities she possessed, it wouldn't help clear her name from the ill omen of the star Remesis.

  Until one day…

  "Your Grace, I believe this girl is, without a doubt, the greatest talent born in our empire." "What?"

  One day, a professor from the Imperial Research Center, intrigued by rumors of the Duke's youngest daughter's unusual abilities, arrived at their estate.

  An elegant man in a white suit, every movement polished and deliberate. This was how one of the greatest minds of the Nadal Empire looked.

  "Lady Remesis is only eight years old, but I am genuinely amazed by the level of her intellectual abilities. At such a tender age, she has already mastered the entire primary educational curriculum for noble children."

  When the representative of the esteemed academic institution told him this with all seriousness, Duke Carter was, to say the least, stunned.

  "Is that really so…?"

  Until it was said directly to his face, the man did not consider his daughter something worth discussing. But now…

  "Your Grace, rest assured, Lady Remesis is a true diamond in the rough of our empire!"

  Michael Carter was silent for a while, pondering the professor's words. For some reason, at that very moment, he suddenly felt at a loss.

  "And what do you propose?" the Duke asked in a hoarse voice.

  He couldn't believe such a busy man would come to his house for no reason.

  "You are right… I do have a certain hidden motive," the professor coughed into his fist.

  "Actually, if you give your consent, I would like to personally teach your daughter."

  "What?"

  The man's eyes widened, unable to believe what he had heard.

  "Although Lady Remesis is too young to enroll in our institute, I believe such talent should not be overlooked. Therefore, as an exception, I am willing to give her private lessons."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "…"

  Michael Carter was silent.

  Isocline Hasher, an eminent professor at the Imperial Institute, was a man with a resounding name. Even the Emperor highly valued his merits for his contribution to the country's scientific development. That such a man volunteered to teach Remesis was a complete surprise to him.

  The Duke clasped his hands and stared intently at the professor.

  "Sir Hasher, you are aware that my daughter is…"

  "Bears an 'ill omen'?" the professor interrupted him. "Yes, I am aware. However, if this child can benefit the empire, doesn't that mean her existence is not so useless after all?"

  Duke Carter pressed his lips together.

  "Thank you for visiting us, Sir Hasher. I will consider this matter and inform you of my decision shortly."

  "I look forward to it."

  The professor smiled pleasantly as he bowed to him. The door closed with a muffled creak.

  Left alone, the Duke sighed heavily.

  Despite his advanced age, his facial features were still expressive. Blue eyes furrowed with deep wrinkles. Dark hair slightly touched with gray. Right now, the Grand Duke of the Nadal Empire did not know what to do.

  Leaning back in his chair, he tensely pondered the professor's words.

  "Could this girl… really be so gifted?"

  The man involuntarily frowned, recalling the daughter he barely saw. Except for rare chance encounters in the estate, they never spent time together. Moreover, Remesis seemed not to seek contact with her family at all.

  Duke Carter had not paid attention to it before, but his youngest daughter truly was a strange child.

  Unlike other children who craved parental love, Remesis's behavior was much more aloof.

  From a very early age, this child was completely independent and needed no one's support.

  The only reason the Duke kept his daughter, born to be a harbinger of woes and misfortunes, in his house was her blood. He simply could not give away a blood child of noble ducal lineage to an orphanage.

  Whoever she was, Michael Carter thought he could tolerate her existence. Until he unexpectedly faced this dilemma.

  With a heavy hand, the Duke pulled a letter from the Emperor out of his desk drawer. A formal marriage proposal.

  The man's lips curved into a thin line.

  The ruler of the Nadal Empire wanted to marry his eldest daughter, the former Crown Princess, to his daughter Remesis. Not that this proposal was particularly unexpected.

  No one in the empire would agree to be bound in marriage to the cursed princess, except for an equally cursed child. For the Emperor and Duke Carter, this was the best way to remove a burden from their shoulders.

  Initially, the birth of Asil Nara Ashelot was eagerly anticipated not only in the palace but throughout the empire. She was the first child of the recently enthroned Emperor.

  According to tradition, the girl inherited the right to the throne while still in her mother's womb. Nothing foretold trouble. However…

  The day the newborn princess was born horrified everyone. The astrologer traced the position of her star on the chart and announced a dismal conclusion — the princess's birth entailed a terrible curse.

  The most sinister was the so-called "black" star Asdal. It was also called the "star of death." A child born under it was nothing less than an incarnation of the devil himself.

  When the terrible truth came to light, naturally, such a person could not remain at the head of the state.

  Asil was stripped of her title of Crown Princess on the day of her birth. And her mother was demoted to a concubine and exiled to the Western Palace for daring to give birth to such a child and disgracing the imperial family.

  For several years now, the heir to the empire had been another princess, Evelyn Nevita Ashelot. Her mother was once an ordinary concubine in the Emperor's harem, but everything changed when her daughter was born. Evelyn was born under the star Orkenina.

  This star heralded the birth of a benefactor of the empire. Few royal descendants were granted such a blessing. Therefore, the fate of the concubine's daughter was, obviously, sealed.

  This woman became the new Empress, and Evelyn in turn took her elder sister's place.

  Thanks to her fortunate birth, Evelyn lived carefree. While the deposed princess…

  As far as the Duke himself had heard, she did not even have her own palace. The princess born under the star of death lived in an outbuilding for servants and was deprived of all privileges of her status. This year she was supposed to turn twelve.

  And now, for the first time in all these years, the Emperor was going to give her a "gift." It was an engagement. To an equally cursed child from another powerful family.

  The Emperor had sent this formal marriage agreement a few days ago, and if all went well, the ceremony would take place in less than a month. After that, instead of a wedding trip, the two of them would be sent North.

  As "compensation" for her lost place as Crown Princess, the Emperor decided to grant his daughter the title of Princess of the North. However, in reality, it was more like mockery.

  For decades, the North had been a barren land inhabited only by monsters and barbarians. The once great Northern power had long since turned into an abandoned wasteland.

  In fact, this merely meant leaving two children to die.

  Running his eyes over the Emperor's letter, the Duke hesitated. Essentially, he had nothing to lose on his part. Or perhaps, he might even gain. After all, it was a legitimate opportunity to become related to the imperial family and reap dividends from it.

  Until yesterday, the thought of sending his own daughter to certain death had not troubled him. After all, this child was originally doomed to an unhappy fate.

  The Carter family still had three children who, unlike Remesis, were "normal." The death of this child actually meant nothing to him. However…

  The professor's words made him hesitate. Perhaps the decision about the engagement was too hasty? Maybe this child could bring more benefit to her family in another way.

  Thinking about this, the Duke rang a bell, and within a few minutes, his daughter's personal maid appeared before him. "What is Remesis doing now?"

  "My lady… She… is reading books."

  A flicker of surprise crossed the Duke's face, but immediately dissipated. It seemed those rumors were true. This child really did spend all her time in the library.

  "What kind of books?" he clarified.

  "Mostly on land management."

  When Duke Carter heard this, his brows furrowed. She reads such complex books at eight years old? Why?

  Even Michel did not begin studying his duties as heir until he was ten. But, unlike him, Remesis wouldn't even be able to lay claim to owning those same lands in the future.

  "Why?"

  The man genuinely could not understand why she wasted her time on this.

  "I… I don't know…"

  At first, the maid gazed entranced into his topaz eyes, then guiltily lowered her head.

  "Actually, the young lady is not very talkative and never confides her plans to us." "I see."

  The Duke nodded slowly.

  "Then tell her to come here. I intend to discuss something with her personally."

  "Very well, milord!"

  The maid could not believe her ears — this was the first time since her birth that the master had decided to grant a private audience to the young lady.

  "I wonder what they are going to discuss?"

  Tormented by genuine curiosity, the maid soon left the Duke's study.