《It seems I reincarnated into that world, time to avoid the death flags!》


 Chapter 1: New Life

    Sunlight streamed from the open windows while a pair of white birds with pink hues in their feathers fluttered inside the room, singing and dancing. The curtains swayed with the wind as a soft breeze passed by. The smell of lilies, roses and peonies wafted inside the room.


    It was the picture of peace and serenity


    In the room, there was only a single bookshelf, a table and a cot.


    Inside the cot, staring at the white and pink unfamiliar birds, is a child with unnerving eyes.


    That child ¨C is me.


    I stared at the pair of birds that were dancing and fluttering around each other. Those birds didn¡¯t exist on my previous life and even if they did I¡¯m pretty sure they would be extinct because of the precious jewel they have embedded in their foreheads.


    And in the first place, for them to have jewels embedded in their forehead is impossible!


    That¡¯s right, this is my second life. In other words I¡¯ve reincarnated into fantasy-like world.


    Which may mean that I¡¯ve already died in my previous life or we can assume that this is a dream and I¡¯m panicking for nothing.


    I don¡¯t think so.


    See, this is too realistic to be a dream. A few days ago, memories of a previous life came flooding in like a dam bursting, during that time it felt as if my head was splitting itself like how Athena was born from Zeus¡¯s head. Literally splitting his skull open.


    I don¡¯t remember much after that except for the unbearable pain. I remember opening my eyes once and I saw several people coming in and out of the room with worried expressions painted in their face.


    I was feverish, hot and my head felt heavy. I can only assume that feeling sick was a side effect of regaining all my memories so suddenly.


    I remembered being prodded at, poked at and being manhandled.


    That hadn¡¯t been a pleasant experience.


    Two days have passed since then.  I¡¯m rolling around in my silk sheets, enjoying the way it smoothly brushed against my baby skin.


    Don''t mind me, I''m just...playing...like the baby I am...


    The room that I¡¯m staying at was¡­overly spacious and extravagant, even though it barely had any furniture. The white ceiling was painted with intricate and fantasy-like designs that I often imagined would look like when reading novels, there was also a miniature chandelier...and expensive looking artifacts and vases...


    Really, the extravagance of this room makes me cringe at how much money they must have spent.


    I snuggled deeper into my silk sheets. Ahh¡­what luxury. I could feel my eyes drooping and my focus is starting to waver. Being an infant again makes me remember that this body is still developing and unlike me in the previous life who could pull an all-nighter for three days straight, this body needs sleep.


    There were voices outside the door but the words they uttered didn¡¯t reach my ears.


    No good! I have to focus! Gain as much information as possible! This was unfamiliar territory. This might be my home but it would cause too much trouble if I didn¡¯t act like a baby would.


    ...How does a baby act anyway?


    I turn my attention back to the voices. They were gradually getting louder, I can hear what they¡¯re saying now.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I really couldn¡¯t find anything wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ any chances of this event occurring again?¡± a firm voice demanded


    ¡°Dulcina, restrain yourself¡± a soft voice reprimanded the previous one.


    The door opened and I panicked on how to look like a normal baby. How am I supposed to act? -  I feigned sleep.


    ¡°I¡­forgive me for acting out of line your majesty¡±


    Your majesty?


    Woah! What''s with the sudden medieval-royalty theme!


    ¡°Do not worry my lady, the young princess is definitely healthy. This fever of hers maybe a fluke.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Okay. So now we¡¯re talking about princesses. Where is the hime-sama?(princess)


    The clacking of heels echoed in the overly spacious room and then I felt warm, soft hands raising me up. On instinct I open my eyes and I saw a very beautiful face. There were crinkles on the corner of her eyes signifying that she wasn¡¯t quite as young, her face certainly matured very well; from a young budding rose to an elegant and matured one.


    That was weird comparison, but it works for me.


    Wahhh¡­what beautiful lady¡­was what I thought.


    Long and lustrous silver curls with a tiara on head (a queen!), light purple eyes framed with long silver lashes, pale and smooth skin and a warm, heartfelt smile¡­an illusionary arrow pierced my heart.


    I¡¯m no matched for this woman!


    My disgruntled expression must have shown on my face, for the queen gently smiles at me and rubs her nose with mine.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong my little princess?¡±


    Really? That¡¯s¡­sort of embarrassing. Is that really what you¡¯ll call me? Also, am I right to assume this woman is my mother?


    Of course she''s my mother!


    I reach out for her cheeks, not knowing how to reply. Babies weren¡¯t supposed to talk at until they¡¯re three years of age right? Or is it four? How old am I anyway? While these thoughts swirl around my head, my pudgy little baby hands pats Okaa-sama¡¯s smooth cheeks.


    (*Okaa-sama=mother)


    Ah¡­how envious


    Despite these feeling, I enjoyed the attention that Okaa-sama bestowed upon me.


    We were disrupted after a while, Dulcina (my mother''s attendant) the young woman who was reprimanded earlier, came up behind mother a stern expression on her face. She had light brown hair tied in a neat bun, her light blue eyes briefly glanced at me and I saw her cheeks light up into soft pink hue.


    I tilted my head to the side.


    Must be my imagination.


    She wore light armor over her attire, it wasn''t unusual but in a medieval setting aren''t women normally forbidden to become knights? Maybe the setting is a bit modernize?


    Dulcina walked up to Okaa-sama and said ¡°Your majesty, It is time to leave. The doctor has also warned you not to exhaust yourself.¡±


    ¡°Of course Dulcina. Just let me say goodbye.¡±


    Giving my both cheeks kisses, Okaa-sama then lays me back on my cot and straightened herself. It seems the man from a while ago had already left. Okaa-sama I¡¯m sorry for making you worry so much especially when you need the rest yourself.


    And it was true. Okaa-sama¡¯s complexion was particularly paler than mine, she didn¡¯t seem to be getting enough sun. Her arms were scarily thinner than I had first thought.


    My mouth tried to form the words I want to say, but all that comes out are unintelligible babble. As I thought, my vocal cords still aren¡¯t fully develop. Is that truly the case or is it because of something else?


    I could do nothing else as they walked away and mother ¨C the queen was followed by Dulcina who close the door with a soft click.


    After making sure that the sound of footsteps are gone, I sprawled out in my cot and raise my hand.


    I have memories of a previous life. Right now I¡¯m a baby, probably a year old, and I have a queen for a mother.


    I don¡¯t know¡­how to feel about the part being a princess but something tells me this is just the beginning of a beautiful string of problems.


    A feeling of dread crept over me.


    The beginning of a beautiful or rather troublesome string of problems, where lots of coffee will be needed. Where headaches will be a daily thing and paranoia will be at an all-time high.


    I didn¡¯t how right I was.

 Chapter 2: Ghost of the past

    A/N: After re-reading the first chapter all I could do was cringe at how awkward it was written¡­and so I¡¯ll be changing the way I write for the second chapter! And for all those who reviewed thank you very much for taking the time to read this first timer¡¯s story.


    As always, constructive criticism is welcome. Suggestions are also welcome as well, if you want me to add something or tell me if something is wrong that¡¯s alright too!


    PS: Please tell me which style of writing you prefer! The first or the second. Thank you~


    PPS: I¡¯m sorry if the pace isn¡¯t too your liking¡­please bear with it until then.


    Chapter 2: Ghost of the past


    It took time but eventually Ivonna regained all the missing pieces of her past and when she sifted through those memories she wish she hadn¡¯t.


    Her past wasn¡¯t as beautiful as she had thought nor was it ugly. Some of the things she discovered, she wanted to keep locked up and never remember. She wanted to forget the ugly feelings that resurfaced in her heart.


    But there was also the special memories she held dear that she never wanted to forget.


    She lived with a family of six, including her.


    A mother, a father, an older brother, her younger sister, her¡­


    And her twin.


    They weren¡¯t poor. They weren¡¯t average if anything they were filthy rich.


    Her father was the next CEO in a company and her mother was lovely person often called a ¡®Yamato Nadeshiko¡¯.


    (Yamayto Nadeshiko: idealized Japanese woman or the epitome of pure, feminine beauty)


    Her brother ¨C Yamato-nii was¡­frail, often sick and weak but he was smart and if he had been healthy he told her he would have liked to pursue baseball.


    She had smiled fondly at him back then.


    She and her twin were two years younger than him.


    Her brother received pitiful glances from their relatives and her parents often whispered the term¡­¡°failure¡±. Ivonna - Yukino was the one that often took care of him while her parents fawned over her twin¡¯s achievements.


    Her twin¡¯s name was Yumiko.


    Yukino would be the first to admit that her twin shined like a star; and because of her brightness she was often hidden in Yumiko¡¯s shadow that had grown too large to overcome.


    Yukino wasn¡¯t a slacker by any means. Her parents wanted perfection and she strived to achieve that so that she would get her parent¡¯s attention.


    After all she was just a child and like any other child she wanted her parents to be proud of her too.


    But over time she just realized¡­it wasn¡¯t enough. No matter how high the marks or no matter how many achievements she had¡­there was just something different about Yumiko.


    She couldn¡¯t hate her sister for that.


    It was fine. It was fine even if her parents didn¡¯t look at her with favor. It was fine if she wasn¡¯t praised. It was fine even if her parents often forgot the fact that their prized child had a twin. It was fine if they didn¡¯t love her as much.


    Her brother needed her and that was enough to keep her going. Her brother¡¯s love was enough. That someone needed her and not her sister was enough.


    Being appreciated for who she was a beautiful feeling.


    But it didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t feel bitter.


    And then there was her other younger sibling ¨C Misaki. Misaki was three years her junior and in Yukino¡¯s eyes she was also a star. Although she wasn¡¯t as intelligent as her or Yumiko or as athletic, she had a smile that put the sun to shame. Misaki was a cheerful girl who didn¡¯t care about status quo and just did things the way she wanted.


    Yukino admired her for that.


    Misaki also joined her during her visits to the hospital where their brother was confined. The two of them were the only ones in their family who ever bothered visiting him. It was likely their parents never remembered their first born.


    Sometimes Yukino couldn¡¯t help but feel angry at her parents who put all of their attention on Yumiko. They didn¡¯t even pay attention to Misaki except during her first few months as a newborn.


    The only ever time their mother paid attention to Misaki was only during the times she needed breastfeeding and when that was over she was handed to the nearest maid available.


    Ivonna ¨C Yukino couldn¡¯t find it in herself to hold a grudge against her twin, surely she was also stressed out from all the expectations that were pushed onto her.


    During one of Misaki¡¯s off days, when she was old enough to understand the situation, they were playing games inside her room when she admitted to feeling jealous of all the attention Yumiko had. She had admitted to her that she (Yukino) had been more of a mother to her than their biological mother had ever been.


    Yukino didn¡¯t know how to respond to that.


    Her classmates told her she was blessed. She had everything one could ever want: beauty, money, intelligence, a loving family, a comfortable life¡­


    They didn¡¯t know though.


    The loving family only included her brother and younger sister.


    That she was practically raised by her nanny.


    Who ever said money could buy everything was wrong.


    Money couldn¡¯t buy love.


    Money couldn¡¯t buy her parent¡¯s attention.


    When she was 18, graduating from high school and her only attendee was Misaki, Yukino received the news that her brother had passed away.


    And though the sun was out and shining, the day suddenly felt darker.


    They held the funeral a few weeks later. It was a small funeral, one that her parents didn¡¯t even bother attending.


    Their reasoning was: They were busy.


    They had a huge fight. All the bottled up feelings that Yukino had kept hidden came bursting out.


    She was disowned after that.


    Misaki wanted to follow her but she urged her younger sister to stay. She wouldn¡¯t be able to provide Misaki the education she needed. She wasn¡¯t even sure she could provide a home for them.


    Misaki stayed at that terrible house where there was no warmth.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Yukino apologized a thousand times.


    Somehow, the gods took pity on her and she got a part time job, a scholarship and decent apartment.


    Then two years passed by in a blur and she never once saw or talked to anyone in her family.


    And then one day, while going home from her part time job ¨C she was killed.


    And while she lay dying on the sidewalk she thought to herself ¡®Baka (stupid), why did you decide to work overtime when there are serial murders happening all over the place? Ahh¡­of course¡­I wanted to get Misaki-chan the perfect gift¡­it¡¯s been two years after all¡­¡¯


    And that was her last memory as Takahashi Yukino.


    Now, she was given a second chance.


    And she was going to make the most of it.


    She was going to live with no regrets.


    *              *              *


    Although she said that¡­she didn¡¯t actually know enough of her situation to act¡­


    Dulcina and her mother hadn¡¯t visited again after that. There were the occasional maids but¡­she missed her Okaa-sama already!


    Ivonna sat up in her cot and inspected the room with critical gaze. Whining wasn''t going to do her any good. There was nothing to do here¡­well she was baby after all, nobody could¡¯ve known  that there was an 18-year old girl inside a baby¡¯s body.


    If she didn''t find something to do there was no guarantee she wouldn''t go insane.


    Nooooooo!!  She cried internally.


    Then she stilled.


    There was that though¡­


    Ivonna eyed the book the lay on the table. She was planning to eventually read the books that were provided in the room¡­but she didn¡¯t even know if she could read the words of this world¡­


    The book that she was planning on reading was simply a book of fairy tales. A maid had started coming during the night to read her some stories. Ivonna could only guess that it was simply to let her learn some words so that she could learn speaking.


    That was surely what her parents her were thinking.


    Speaking of which, she hadn¡¯t met her father yet¡­Oh well, she¡¯ll think about that at a later time.


    Ivonna spent the next few hours reading the book. Since it was too big for her to hold it upright, she had just pulled it from the table and let it tumble itself down to her crib.


    Surprisingly the book was in English which was something she was thankful for (Ivona was mostly expecting Greek-like letters) most of her favorite novels were written in English after all.


    Piece of cake then.


    Nobody entered the room and Ivonna was free to read in peace.


    Some of the tales were familiar, tales that came from her world (Sleeping beauty, Snow White etc.) and some were all together strange but one tale did caught her attention. It was something she¡¯d heard of but never read.


    It went like this :


    More than a millennium ago, there was no peace in this lands.


    Destruction and chaos could be found at every corner of the kingdom.


    The five deities, that protected the five kingdoms and its people, was defeated and they disappeared.


    The four heavenly kings, the ones that spread terror through the lands rejoiced at their defeat and went to conquer one of the five kingdoms.


    But there was one odd kingdom out and so they destroyed it.


    (Apparently, one of the kings couldn¡¯t stand it when things weren¡¯t even.s)


    What the four heavenly kings did not know was that five deities had foretold a prophecy that one day a hero from another universe will come and free the remaining four kingdoms from their evil grasps.


    The five deities knew it was going to be dangerous journey to the hero foretold and so they each chose one mortal bloodline that would eventually help the hero.


    And then as was foretold, the prophesied day came and a hero came from another world.


    It was a long and grueling journey but the day finally came that the hero and the five chosen companions of said hero, defeated the four heavenly kings and sealed them.


    At last peace was finally regained after a long time of suffering.


    And if the four heavenly kings were to ever rise to power again a hero will once again be summoned to defeat the evil kings.


    It had a longer version but that was the gist of it.


    And it was bothering Ivonna very much.


    Where, where did she heard that tale? It sounded like an old tale that a mage would be telling the hero from an anime¡­


    An old tale that a mage would be telling the hero from an anime¡­


    Anime¡­


    Otome game¡­


    Hero¡­


    Ivonna¡­


    ¡­Rival villainess¡­


    Four heavenly kings¡­


    Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!


    *              *              *


    That night, a baby¡¯s wail was heard all through out the castle.

 Chapter 3: Lack of Knowledge

    A/N: About the side story¡­I¡¯ll think about doing it when the childhood arc is overJ. Thanks you to those who read my last chapter!


    PS: Constructive criticism is always welcome!


    Chapter 3: Lack of Knowledge


    Frankly, Ivonna just wanted to crawl under a hole and mourn for her lack of luck.


    The second she decided to live this second life to the best of her abilities, she also


    learned this was that world.


    That world, as in Fantajia: Eien no Monogatari.


    In other words, Fantasia: An Everlasting Tale.


    An extremely popular otome game that later¡­much later gained an anime adaptation.


    It wasn¡¯t simply an otome game though, Fantasia: An Everlasting Tale also had combat features and events. Those events or trials were necessary if you wanted to advance with your chosen route.


    She didn¡¯t know much about the otome game except for the trials and challenges, the only reason she knew it was because Misaki was impatient and she didn¡¯t have the patience to defeat an enemy.


    So that task was handed over to her.


    Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t think those combat events would help her in this¡­delicate situation she was in right now.


    Let¡¯s see¡­


    The heroine from another world, the five capture targets, the love rivals for each route¡­the four heavenly kings that are threatening the peace¡­


    ¡­


    The ¡®Ivonna¡¯ in the game and anime was one of those love rivals and four heavenly kings right?


    ¡­


    Of course, the imminent death flags...


    ¡­


    What is this? Does this mean if this really is that world she¡¯ll have to die two times?


    A string of curses left her lips.


    The maid besides Ivonna¡¯s crib that was preparing the milk for the young princess, cooed at the baby and muttered about the young princess being awfully energetic today.


    Back to the main topic.


    Ivonna thought hard about what she knew about the otome game but besides the names of skills and attacks none came up.


    ¡­She was such a battle maniac then¡­if she knew this would happen she would¡¯ve listen to Misaki¡¯s inane babbling about how cute the capture targets are, how tragic their past was and blah blah blah blah blah blah.


    As far as she knew there are five particular characters the heroine would certainly pursue once she come to this world. If she could just remember their names¡­they were¡­ black, red, blonde, white and blonde?


    ¡­


    It¡¯s no use she can¡¯t remember! How was she supposed to ignore those ikemen if didn¡¯t remember their names!


    ¡­Ikemen! That¡¯s right! She¡¯ll just ignore all the good looking guys!


    ¡­Wasn¡¯t Ivonna¡¯s fianc¨¦ one of those ikemen?


    ¡­


    Of course. Ivonna¡¯s a love rival after all. It makes sense that her fianc¨¦ would be a capture target.


    Now¡­if could only remember his name¡­if she remembered he the blonde with blue eyes right? The princely looking one?


    Something¡­Ferrard? No that¡¯s the last name¡­Lion-something Ferrard?


    She was hopeless at this!


    Well whatever. She¡¯ll deal with the fianc¨¦ thing when it comes. Moving on to the other love interest. Ivonna honestly couldn¡¯t remember their names or backstories except for their faces. Their faces were her only hope in avoiding them.


    In dealing with those characters, she had to be extremely careful since she didn¡¯t know what might make them¡­snapped.


    And she definitely didn¡¯t plan on dying this early.


    From what Misaki told her, Ivonna was an all-around villainess for all the routes since she somewhat knew them but three of the routes was where she could possibly raise a death flag.


    Obviously one was for the fianc¨¦e but who was the other two?


    Honestly? At this point it didn¡¯t matter who she shouldn¡¯t cross. If she was actually going to be the last boss, one of the host for the four heavenly kings¡­then the heroine would certainly kill her at the end.


    After all, that was the only way to regain the peace back.


    Ivonna could always fake her death though...


    It¡¯d be too troublesome too live in hiding though¡­


    Ivonna rolled to her tummy, scrunching up an ivory brow.


    So in the end her immediate goals would be:


    Avoid the capture targets if possible and find out if it¡¯s possible to¡­break the connection with the heavenly king that will attach itself with her in the future.


    Her end goals are:


    Avoid interfering with the heroine¡¯s romance so that she won¡¯t gain the ire of the love interest, if she didn¡¯t interfere no death flags (hopefully) will be raised.


    If impossible to sever the link, then Ivonna would have to learn how to fight. Faking her death was always an option¡­well defeating the heroine was also an option too but really, she didn¡¯t know what to expect so that would be a last resort.


    A really last resort.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.Now this is the part where Ivonna¡¯s headache is coming from.


    Was the ending and all events fixed or could she possibly influenced the future events to her liking?


    And the real headache is the heroine.


    Yes the heroine.


    In both anime and otome game the heroine came from another world. In both cases, the heroine¡¯s age was 15 and she came from modern Japan.


    In the anime, the heroine¡¯s name was Nanami-chan and she primarily had long hazel brown hair and wide topaz eyes.


    In the otome otome game though, the players were given free rein on the name and appearance of their character.


    Going by this, Ivonna could either expect Nanami-chan or some random female who got dragged into this world.


    If Nanami-chan appeared, Ivonna could deal with that. The Nanami in the anime was really kind and sweet.


    On the other hand¡­if a random female did get dragged here¡­she wouldn¡¯t know who she was and¡­


    Whether she was an ally or an enemy.


    If the case was the second option (a random female that got dragged), Ivonna could either expect someone who knew this game or someone who didn¡¯t.


    If the heroine who appeared knew Fantasia: An Everlasting Tale, she was expecting one of the three types to appear:


    First, is the Nanami-type. Confused but excited. Kind and sweet. Eagerly waiting for the romance but! Would be willing to help her avoid her undesirable fate.


    Second, is the neutral type who doesn¡¯t care for the outcome at all and just wants to go home but! Has another ulterior motive.


    And the third which is the worst of them all¡­the ¡®villainess¡¯ type¡­who doesn¡¯t care about her fate at all and would support it at all cause if it meant getting her reverse harem.


    Yes, Ivonna was being pessimistic but it was better to be ready for all outcomes.


    Ah¡­all she did was think but she was feeling so tired¡­


    She really, really, really wanted some coffee right now.


    This is a fantasy world. Maybe babies and kids drinking coffee is considered a normal thing?


    She sure hope so because as soon as she learns how to walk she¡¯ll be heading to the kitchens for a cup of coffee.


    Meanwhile¡­


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± the maid screamed as she touched baby Ivonna¡¯s forehead ¡°Princess Ivonna is burning up! Quick! Call the doctor! The doctor!¡±


    *          *          *


    (A/N: This¡­is something I added at the last moment¡­so yeah...)


    When Ivonna woke up it was late in the night.


    She glanced at the clock and saw it was past eleven.


    Moonlight illuminated her room and she saw a woman near the window.


    Ivonna could hear the strange woman humming a lullaby and for some reason a strange shiver went up her spine.


    Danger her instincts warned her.


    Unintentionally she gave a soft cry and the woman¡¯s attention turned to her. Long waves of black hair framed the woman¡¯s aristocratic face and amber eyes that looked eerie under the moonlight. Ivonna froze when those pools of amber turned its attention to her.


    Run. Hide. Scream. Cry.


    The woman seemed familiar but Ivonna couldn¡¯t remember. She probably saw this woman once or twice in the anime but her mind was hazy and all too soon she was falling prey to the sweet lullaby the woman was singing.


    ¡°My, I must have woken you up.¡±


    She heard the heels clacking against the tiled floor.


    Ivonna felt herself being raised. She was being cradled by the strange woman. The woman had a sweet face. Beautiful and sweet. It kind of made Ivonna remember of a maiden in love.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cold night isn¡¯t it?¡±


    *Humming*


    ¡°Would you look at this¡± hands lightly brushed against her head ¡°You already have Queen Eloisa¡¯s beautiful ivory locks¡­¡±


    Ivonna squirmed. This woman¡¯s touch was¡­slippery. She didn¡¯t like it one bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll grow up to be a very beautiful princess¡­¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°I wish¡­¡± amber eyes peered into hers and Ivonna tried to cry, scream or something but her voice wouldn¡¯t work, as if something was blocking her.


    ¡°Hush now little princess¡± the woman tried to soothe her but it just made her more nervous. Why? She didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°One day¡­I want¡­I want to have a beautiful child. I want to have a beautiful daughter just like you¡­but I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll happen for a very long time¡­¡± the woman giggled and it did nothing but creep her out.


    Ivonna mentally cringed, this was one of the worst times to be a baby. An obvious lunatic had shown up, where were the guards outside? This woman couldn¡¯t possibly be a staff of the castle.


    A finger touched her forehead and Ivonna¡¯s eyes began to droop.


    ¡°Sleep little princess, you mustn¡¯t pry too closely.¡±


    Ivonna lost consciousness and the last image she saw was a crazed smile that she would soon forget and wouldn¡¯t remember for a long time to come.


    A/N: Please read this! About the heroine which type should I use? Which would you like to appear? Suggestions are always welcome!

 Chapter 4: A year old – Part 1

    A/N: I think¡­something is honestly wrong with this¡­this was supposed to be something light-hearted but¡­is it getting darker or is it just me?


    Chapter 4: A year old ¨C Part 1


    Ivonna was officially a year old.


    The past few months had been blur. Time had passed so quickly without her noticing it. At first, the days were dull and slow. There wasn¡¯t much to do and even if there was what could a mere baby do? She did nothing but lie around in her crib, stare at the white walls, at the painted ceilings and at the 4 corners of the room that she saw every day.


    Occasionally, a maid would come and bring her out to the balcony to get some fresh air. Freedom was so close! And yet so far. How she yearned to go outside and escape the clutches of her cage (crib).


    Alas, it just wasn¡¯t meant to be.


    To kill some time, when there was no one but her in the room she would practice walking around in her crib but all she could manage were a few steps before her toddler legs couldn¡¯t support her anymore.


    It frustrated her to say the least.


    But she had gotten used to the slow days and soon the days just seemed to blur together.


    A recent event that happened was her accidental first word.


    A few weeks ago, her vocal cords had begun to work properly and there seemed to be nothing wrong but she still planned to keep on babbling like a baby to avoid needless scrutiny. If a baby that had only recently turned a year old started to talk perfectly surely that would guarantee attention that wasn¡¯t appreciated.


    That was her plan.


    Unfortunately, it was all ruined because she couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut.


    For the first time¡­in a long while¡­she was about to be bathe.


    Foreign hands would be washing her body and for her who was an 18 year old girl, being washed by people she wasn¡¯t familiar with was uncomfortable.


    Well even if she was familiar with this people she wasn¡¯t about to let them touch her.


    This was a problem that months ago when she was only a few weeks old but¡­whenever someone touched her¡­as if on autopilot, she would recoil from their touch. The maids and even Dulcina¡¯s touch felt slippery on her skin, like a worm was crawling on her skin.


    Thankfully, Ivonna had more or less managed to stop recoiling when someone touch her.


    But no matter how much control she had, when it came to some things it was impossible not to react.


    That was human nature.


    So when one of the maids¡­touched something that shouldn¡¯t be touched¡­she had thrashed in their hold and yelled ¡®STOP!¡¯


    ¡­She might have accidentally bitten one of the maids¡­


    It seems her impulsive tendencies came along with her rebirth into these new world.


    It was¡­a very traumatizing day for Ivonna.


    Right now, a maid ¨C Elle-san was carrying her to her mother¡¯s chambers. Behind the maid were two imperial knights that were ordered to guard her for the time being. It was the same two knights that stood outside her door.


    Ivonna would occasionally see them when the doors were wide open and sometimes one of them would sneak into her room and make funny faces at her.


    Knight-san had orange-ish hair and hazel eyes. The faces he made were ridiculous and hilarious, Ivonna couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    The other knight was older than funny-face. He was a stoic man and Ivonna often saw him rubbing his temples at the antics of the younger knight.


    Now though, their faces were solemn and it made Ivonna¡¯s stomach twist uncomfortably.


    But it wasn¡¯t only the knights, as of late the whole castle seemed recently darker and a lot more silent.


    It wasn¡¯t a good sign in Ivonna¡¯s eyes.


    The maids would whisper when tending to her but their words were never clear and they would immediately become silent when their eyes met with hers.


    ¡­..There had been weird sounding rumors that princess was a prodigy and that she could understand the words being spoken...¡­as much as Ivonna would like to deny it, the part where she could understand them was true¡­and if she replied to their claims then the rumors would only get weirder.


    Probably.


    The people in the palace are very strange. How could they assume she was a prodigy just by speaking that one word?


    She¡¯d like to avoid triggering anymore weird flags, thank you very much.


    So that was that.


    They arrived in front of two dark brown doors. The maid adjusted her hold her and rapped her knuckles three times sharply against the door.


    After a few moments of silence, Ivonna heard Dulcina¡¯s voice through the door.


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    ¡°Come in!¡±


    ¡°Pardon the intrusion¡± the maid replied.


    The double doors swung open and the first thought that appeared in her mind was:


    Something smells weird.


    Ivonna wrinkled her nose and resisted the urge to gag. When she looked around the room, there was a total of nine people including her, her maid and the two knights behind them.


    The others were her mother who was sitting upright in her bed, Dulcina, an old man wearing a white coat and the two ladies besides her mother¡¯s bedside.


    The man was the royal physician that was assigned to her mother.


    As for the two ladies in the back they were her mother¡¯s ladies-in-waiting.


    Ivonna didn¡¯t know much about how the royal hierarchy worked and whose social standing was higher than who or what the conditions are to be a queen¡¯s lady-in-waiting but Ivonna always saw them beside her mother no matter where she went; in the gardens, hallways, on the rare occasions she visited her room and well¡­during these check-ups.


    Mother smiled at her as she was brought closer. Dulcina first received her before she was handed over to her mother.


    Warm. Her mother was very warm and soft¡­..


    But the air still smelled weird and stale.


    It smelled like something burning, roses, citrus and¡­a sweet spicy scent?


    Ivonna looked around, much like a child would when seeing new surroundings but in reality she was looking at the faces of the people in the room to see their reactions.


    No one seemed to notice the strange smell though.


    Or maybe she was overthinking things and the strange smell was actually normal, some sort of medicine maybe?


    Maybe she should start reading the medicinal books of this world¡­


    A shiver went up her spine and Ivonna clung to her mother. There it was again, the slimy feeling that was just above her skin.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Ivonna?¡±


    Mother¡¯s voice was soft and melodic. Light blue eyes stared at her with concern but Ivonna just shook her head and buried herself into her mother¡¯s bosom.


    She couldn¡¯t make her mother worried, anymore stress might worsen her mother¡¯s health.


    Her mother was sickly, Ivonna realized that the first time she was allowed into this room. Her mother''s skin was paler than hers (and that was saying something since Ivonna was almost as pale as snow), black bags under her eyes that looked permanent as of late and Ivonna could see some of he bones protruding from her skin.


    This was one of the rare times she was allowed in her mother¡¯s chambers. The first time that she was brought here, there had been a huge discussion right in front of her mother''s chambers about whether it was safe or not. They were afraid that she might be infected with the same disease as her mother.


    Ivonna missed the way her mother¡¯s eyes widened ever so slightly when she replied to her mother¡¯s ''unanswered'' question.


    ¡°Your majesty, please avoid any strenuous activity. Also, drink this concoction after your meals. It might taste a bit bitter but please bear with it for the sake of your health.¡±


    Ivonna confusedly watched as the fog in her mother¡¯s eyes disappeared. Just now, it seemed her mother was thinking about something very deeply.


    Her mother cleared her throat ¡°Ah¡­yes¡­of course doctor. Thank you for your help as always. You¡¯ve been very patient with me for this long¡­really¡­I¡¯m grateful¡­¡±


    Her mother¡¯s eyes glistened a bit.


    The doctor shook his head ¡°My lady, I still have very large debt to repay you. This is nothing, compared to your generosity.¡± The old man smiled gently and lightly patted mother¡¯s head.


    A warm smile appeared on her mother¡¯s face.


    The next events happened so quickly, Ivonna didn''t have time to think what happened for things to quickly go downhill.


    Mother¡¯s eyes widened and her body shook. Without hesitation, Dulcina scooped up her tiny form from her mother¡¯s arm and handed her over to her maid. The two ladies went into action, carrying basins and towels.


    And the doctor took out several vials.


    Ivonna could only watched helplessly as her mother¡¯s body shook. Her mother coughed violently and she saw red drops of liquid fall into the white surface of her sheets.


    The last thing Ivonna saw before the doors closed on her face was the doctor¡¯s hands hovering above her mother¡¯s chest, his hands emitting a pale green light.


    And when Ivonna was brought back to her room, the image of her frail brother from her previous life popped up in her mind; looking frail, pale, tired, weak and coughing out blood.


    Ivonna couldn''t sleep that night.

 Chapter 5: A year old – Part 2

    A/N: This was supposed to be updated a week ago but due to some issues in RL, I didn¡¯t have time. Also, I¡¯m sorry if the writing style might seem inconsistent¡­in my eyes anyway.


    PS: I¡¯m practicing on writing fluff so I¡¯d appreciate dome tips!


    Thank you for reading~


    Italicized words are thoughts¡­


    Chapter 5: A year old ¨C Part 2


    Winter had come and soon another year was coming to an end¡­


    Ivonna played with the light white mist that surrounded her tiny form. It sparkled and shined as she manipulated it to her liking.


    Magic was something that existed in this world. Ivonna knew that the moment she gained the memories from her previous life.


    But knowing and doing it are two different things.


    The first time Ivonna tried to do magic, nothing happened.


    She called out the names of the spells she knew from the game but nothing still happened.


    There was no kaboom! Or swoosh! Or bajum!


    And then it came to her and Ivonna thought ¡®Why don¡¯t I try visualizing it?¡¯


    That was what the characters in an anime would do right? Imagine that your power is like an egg, the white shell is your body and the egg and the yolk are your powers...or something along those lines.


    And so, Ivonna¡¯s first successful attempt at magic was her freezing the entire room.


    Which was a bit overkill seeing as she was just trying to form a snowball.


    Due to her lack of restraint, her current body couldn¡¯t handle the large amount of mana she had just released and Ivonna was out the entire day.


    Ivonna grabbed hold of the white mist and crumpled it into a ball like it was clay. It looked like a solid white sparkling ball except with stray tendrils of mist.


    Ivonna stood up in her crib and pulled her arm back¡­.


    And threw the ball at the sleeping knight.


    The misty white ball hit its target, which was the forehead. There wasn¡¯t much force behind the ball but as it made contact with its target, the sleeping knight toppled over along with the chair.


    A pained groan could be heard by the windowsill.


    Ivonna stared blankly at the sight and slowly laid down, crawling under her sheets.


    She didn¡¯t see anything.


    She wondered what happened to Mr. Knight~?


    Ivonna heard Mr. Knight cursing quite loudly to himself. It looks like the ball wasn¡¯t quite as soft as it seemed¡­oops?


    There was a knock on the door and Ivonna heard a child-like voice,


    ¡°Pardon the intrusion.¡± (???)


    Mr. Knight scrambled up frantically, he fixed the chair and straightened his white uniform.


    Ivonna knew what to expect based on the voice she heard but despite that she couldn¡¯t hide her surprise and curiosity when a young child ¨C boy came in.


    ¡°Alphonse-sama!!¡± (Mr.Knight)


    Mr. Knight screamed loudly and Ivonna cringed at the loud voice of the knight.


    The boy looked no older than five years old. He had crimson colored hair and quite the fair skin. Upon inspection, he had orange colored eyes almost like the setting sun but as he came closer Ivonna could see a tint of red to his eyes.


    He was so adorable that if Ivonna was back in her original body, she would glomp him and ask his parents to give him to her.


    Except that Ivonna had enough of children and it¡¯s better to just gaze at them from afar.


    The times when she was baby-sitter was over but it still gave her the shivers¡­the horror of kids that are high on sugar¡­*shudder*


    The boy looked surprised but quickly schooled his features to hide his shock.


    ¡°Kai-san? What are you doing here?¡± (???-Alphonse)


    Hoh? Looks like they¡¯re acquaintances, also it looks like the boy was from a high social standing family¡­in other it was possible he was a son of a noble.


    Ivonna watched their interaction curiously


    ¡°E-eh? I¡¯m g-guarding the pr-princess of course!¡± Mr. Knight or rather Kai-san said as he lightly stuttered,


    The bo ¨CAlphonse raised a red brow at the sweating knight, a look of doubt clearly painted on his face,


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be standing guard outside?¡± (Alphonse)


    ¡°Aha ha ha ha ha! Th-that¡¯s right! I-I was just checking how things were inside!¡±(Mr.Knight-Kai)


    That¡¯s a lie. You were sleeping quite comfortably Kai-san.


    Is what Ivonna wanted to say.


    ¡°U-huh¡± Alphonse didn¡¯t look like he believed him.


    ¡°B-by the way A-Alphonse-sama! What are you doing here?¡± Kai asked the young noble trying to redirect the flow of the conversation.


    Ivonna was quite curious about that too. She was pretty sure kids weren¡¯t allowed to run freely in the castle grounds.


    Alphonse shrugged. noticing the subject change  ¡°Father had some business to attend, he brought me on a whim.¡±


    A whim, he says¡­how careless is that father of his? Ivonna thought, sweat dropping.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kai scratched the back of his head, a bead of sweat rolled down his own temple.


    ¡°So? Where is she? The princess?¡± Alphonse asked looking around the room.


    I¡¯m right here you know. (Ivonna)


    ¡°Er¡­I think Ivonna-sama was sleeping?¡± (Kai)


    ¡°Really? She looks quite awake to me.¡± (Alphonse)


    Why ask when you can see me in the first place? (Ivonna)


    Ivonna looked up at the orange eyes that were looking down on her.


    As expected of a noble, he has the qualities of a future bishounen. (Ivonna)


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    Alphonse stared a bit more and Ivonna could feel herself feeling itchy under his gaze. She never did do well with people staring at her, it made her feel like an animal on display.


    Alphonse wrinkled his nose as if smelling something unpleasant.


    ¡°She¡­doesn¡¯t look like a princess.¡± (Alphonse)


    Hoh? (Ivonna)


    ¡°Alphonse-sama!¡± Ivonna saw Kai-san staring at her worriedly ¡°You shouldn¡¯t speak so rudely to Ivonna-sama! Even if it¡¯s Alphonse-sama, Ivonna-sama is a candidate for the throne you know!¡±


    Alphonse ignores the rambling knight and looked closer,


    ¡°Rather¡­than a princess, she looks like a really white mallow¡± (Alphonse)


    ¡°Alphonse-sama!!!¡± Kai wailed


    ¡°¡­all pudgy and soft¡­¡± (Alphonse)


    A finger poke Ivonna¡¯s cheek and she batted his hand away instinctively.


    ¡°Un, really pudgy.¡± (Alphonse)


    This child¡­no, this brat¡­did he really call me fat two times? (Ivonna)


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look tasty though.¡± (Alphonse)


    I¡¯m not some food you can eat!¡­ (Ivonna)


    Ivonna glowered at the red haired child


    First you called me fat and now you¡¯re calling me ugly? (Ivonna)


    Ok, maybe I¡¯m over-reacting but still! ¡­Just you wait! I¡¯ll burn off my baby fats! (Ivonna)


    Alphonse ruffled his hair and suddenly yelped.


    Kai had pinched the boy¡¯s ear while frowning.


    ¡°O-oi! Put me down! It hurts! K-kai-san!¡± Alphonse got a little bit teary eyed at the pain that Kai was inflicting on his ear.


    ¡°Apologize to Ivonna-sama, Alphonse.¡± Kai said firmly, loosing the honorific.


    Ivonna saw Alphonse turned red, maybe it was because of anger or maybe it was embarrassment or maybe a little bit of both.


    ¡°Why should I! It¡¯s the truth any ¨C Ow! Ow! Ow! Alright, alright! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Alphonse yelled, all the while glaring at the knight through teary eyes ¡°There, you happy!¡±


    Kai released Alphonse and the red haired child landed on his butt ungracefully.


    ¡°Fufufufufu¡­.¡± Ivonaa laughed quietly.


    Orange eyes that were tinted red burned with rage as Alphonse glared in Ivonna¡¯s direction.


    Ooops~ looks like he heard her¡­


    ¡­It was really funny though~ he he he he he¡­ (Ivonna)


    ¡°Y-You! ¨C Ar-Are you laughing a-at me!¡± (Alphonse)


    ¡°Alphonse-sama, you¡¯re too loud! Please calm down!¡± (Kai)


    ¡°Pft¡­he he he he he¡­¡± (Ivonna)


    ¡°Why you - !¡± (Alphonse)


    This is going to be a long day~


    * * *


    When everyone settled down, Ivonna wanted to learn more about what business did Alphonse¡¯s father had in the castle. Unfortunately, Kai-san didn¡¯t pry any further and Ivonna was left to her imagination.


    ¡°Alphonse-sama, you shouldn¡¯t really speak like that¡± Kai glanced at Ivonna discretely ¡°the princess could understand you, you know.¡±


    I¡¯m right here you know~ don¡¯t talk like so loudly if you don¡¯t want to be caught. (Ivonna)


    Alphonse scrunched up his brow ¡°The mallow can understand me? Impossible! Father said she just turned one!¡±


    ¡®Mallow? Who are you calling a mallow! You really need to respect your elders you - !¡¯


    Is what Ivonna wanted to say but since she¡¯s supposed to be an innocent and normal baby she¡¯ll keep her mouth shut even if it pained her to do so.


    ¡°Alphonse!¡± Kai hissed, glancing at the Ivonna¡¯s direction with a worried look.


    A tick mark appeared.


    Don¡¯t worry Kai-san, I won¡¯t blame you if you decide to kick the kid out (Ivonna)


    ¡°The mallow¡¯s just a mallow. What prodigy are they talking about?¡± (Alphonse)


    The tick mark grew larger.


    Really, this kid was trying her patience.


    ¡°I bet when she grows up she¡¯s going to be one of those annoying, cry baby, girly-girls like my older cousin!  All girls are like that!¡± (Alphonse)


    ¡°YOU JERK!¡± (Ivonna)


    *Silence*


    .   .   .   .   .


    Ivonna shrank back from the wide eyes that turned in her direction.


    Why? How? How did this happen? She was ¨C and still am is reasonable person, she was patient and could tolerate the most annoying kids¡­where was the control Ivonna had exercised back in her previous life? Where was it?!


    Was this a side effect of being turned into a kid ¨C baby again? Did this mean that even though her mind is mature, her personality is-was childish? Or is it because the personality of the ¡®Ivonna¡¯ in the game was immature?


    Ivonna hid under her sheets.


    I¡¯ve done it now! Now more strange rumors are going to circulate around the castle! (Ivonna)


    All my careful planning gone to waste! (Ivonna)


    .   .   .   .   .   .


    A dark aura emitted from the crib, Kai and Alphonse shivered as the room suddenly got colder.


    They had awoken a monster.


    A/N: I saw the reviews and I just wanted to clear this up...Ivonna is an 18 year old girl who''s inside a baby''s body. So yes, she can understand what they''re talking about and can speak properly if she wants too...I think I mentioned it in the previous chapter that her vocals cords developed?  Also, her accidental first word was also mentioned in chapter 4. Sorry for any of the misunderstandings!