WORDS HAVE already spread throughout the kingdom that the emperor, who they knew was cold-hearted, issued a command to get the ruby emerald for the princess' tiara.
Alesteria, who is the hot topic in the capital right now, was unaware of this rumor and is living peacefully...
No, rather, she is just waiting for the moment to strike.
'That emperor hasn't visited me for a week! Is he that desperate to obtain a ruby emerald for me?!' Alesteria spouted in her mind as she frowned.
She was definitely not happy with the emperor right now, and if possible, she wouldn't be finding him.
But the issue with the ruby emerald was a rock in her path.
'If only I can speak, then I can...'
Alesteria's thoughts trailed as her eyes landed on the drawer where the brooch was kept. The gem was priceless, but she wondered if the emperor has more.
A painite can be conducted with mana and experimented with many types of things, just like the ruby emerald.
It is made to be a storage for excess mana in case of overflowing if ever the body can't handle a big amount.
'Hmm, if the emperor changed the gem for the tiara with a painite, I can place my excess mana on it and use it just in case.' Alesteria deeply thought.
She can use the gem as an emergency fund for mana since Alesteria knew that even though she is powerful enough, she is not invisible.
'That might be a good idea.'
"Your highness! You can't eat that!"
Alesteria's train of thoughts was suddenly broken when the nanny took what she was chewing, making her realize that she was nibbling on the rattle.
'Oops. I covered it with saliva.'
If the rattle is a living thing, it would've glared at Alesteria.
"Why is your highness want to nibble everything she sees? Are her teeth forming?"
"What stupidity is that? The princess is just a month old! She has to be 6 months to have her teeth!"
'Yeah, I have to wait for 5 months to have teeth. Until then, I have to drink milk.' Alesteria agreed as she pouted in her mind.
It is not that she doesn't like milk, it is just that she wants something to chew on.
'I miss my teeth.'
"Hey, by the way, didn't you hear that the first prince is trying to control his mana?"
"Oh! I heard that from a maid I knew by the laundry area! You know that the well is near the training grounds, right? Well, she heard that the first prince doesn't want the princess to be scared of him whenever he uses it so he began his training!"
"Oh my! What a lovely older brother!"
Alesteria, who was thinking about how she missed her teeth, overheard the maids whispering to each other.
When she heard what Aldrich decided to do, she couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows a little.
'What's gotten into him?' She asks herself.
Alesteria didn't even felt the intensity of his aura yet it was suffocating, but she was unbothered by his outburst.
Although, that amount of mana should have been dangerous for her but yet, she was unscathed.
'Well, this body has enormous mana so I guess that plays a factor.'
Being a witch for centuries, Alesteria has mastered all kinds of magic and spells known to mankind.
She also has some surprises up her sleeve and one of them is mana perception, which is different from mana detection.
Mana detection is just something that could identify if someone is using their mana so strongly that it can cause disasters, which Aimilios used to stop Aldrich from destroying the room.
However, mana perception is an ability that not only makes you identify the mana, it can also be seen and felt.
That is why Alesteria can see the color of the aura and how it felt to her.
'Still, why would Aldrich think that I was affected by his outburst of aura?'
Alesteria recalled what happened last time and tried to think of what she did that would make Aldrich think that way but nothing comes to mind.
'Maybe Aimilios told him something? Knowing Aimilios, he probably did… Wait, I shouldn't be thinking about that! I have to get the emperor to change the jewel!'
Then, she added.
'Painite would be ideal, but how am I going to tell him that?'
Alesteria then suddenly shook her head and clenched her fist as she looks at the ceiling, looking determined.
'Still, I have to see the emperor right now! But…'
Alesteria turned her head to the side and saw the nanny arranging the toys for her while the maids are cleaning the room while also talking lowly to each other.
Another dilemma has come to Alesteria.
'How do I make my point across without another misunderstanding?'
Alesteria was unconsciously wriggling at her crib as her feet stretches and her hands going close open, like her subconscious mind is telling her body to act like a baby while she was in deep thought.
She didn't notice that the nanny was watching her, giggling to herself, as she move to where Alesteria is and took her out of her crib.
That was when Alesteria noticed that she was being held in her nanny's embrace.
'Huh! Why did she carry me? Well, I got no time to wonder about that. How do I let her know I want to see the emperor…'
"Oh my! The princess is very active today!" The nanny said with a smile as she stared at Alesteria.
"Bobayowo!" (Go to father!)
The nanny laughed at Alesteria's answer.
"My, you are probably bored. Should we explore your room?"
Alesteria shook her head and babbled even more.
"Bobayowo! Bobayowo!" (Go to father! Go to father!)
This made the nanny tilt her head questioningly at Alesteria's babble and didn't get what Alesteria wanted.
"Your highness? What is it that you want to do?"
Alesteria pouted a little as she opens and closes her fists.
"Bobayowo!" (Go to father!)
The nanny slowly understood what she meant and it clicked in her mind what Alesteria is saying.
She smiled at her and Alesteria thought that the nanny finally knew what she was saying, that she won't be misunderstood this time…
"You are hungry? My! Alice, prepare the milk for her highness!"
"Yes!"
'Noooooo! That's not it!!'
Alesteria cried in her heart as the maid prepare her milk, the nanny gently patting her leg while she hummed to her.
'Being a baby is frustrating!'
Alesteria's mourning came to a halt when there was a sudden knock on the door, interrupting her inner crying as they all glanced at the door.
One maid rushed towards it and opened it, revealing the emperor's aide, Tristan.
"Lord Tristan, what brings you here?" The nanny greeted him as the maids bowed their heads.
Alesteria was looking at him with curious eyes, seeing him up close for the first time.
She could see how handsome he is, but he has no chance against the emperor's beauty.
Tristan has soft brown-colored locks of hair that were in a low ponytail, his eyes were in a shade of auburn, and has a distinguishable mole under his right eye.
However, the bags under his eyes are visible like day. He looks like he hadn't sleep in days.
Tristan, who was unaware of Alesteria's evaluation of him, smiled gently at her before turning his head to the maid.
"The emperor wants to see the princess, so I came here to fetch her."
Alesteria's eyes sparkled at his words.
'Yes! Perfect timing, Tristan!'
"Oh my. Then, please wait outside for a moment as we prepare her highness."
Tristan nodded at the nanny's words and immediately went out.
As soon as he did, the nanny and the maids immediately went to work and dressed Alesteria into a new dress.
They chose a pretty blue baby color dress with a white lace adorning the hem and the sleeves, along with a light blue ribbon matching the dress that was wrapped on Alesteria's head like a headband.
Then, they went with blue socks that are up to her chubby ankles which made her feet warm.
All the maids cooed at her cuteness and the nanny had to break them away because Tristan was waiting outside.
"Now, now. We shouldn't make Lord Tristan wait any longer."
Alesteria agreed with the nanny as she stretches her arms and let the nanny carry her.
Tristan greeted them and guided them to where the emperor's office is, all the while Alesteria's resolve to prevent the ruby emerald to be on her tiara played in her mind like a chant.
'He just issued that command yesterday so I doubt that he will already have it. Before he gets to, I have to stop him.'
The door to the office opened and Alesteria was greeted by the emperor seating on his seat as a mountain of documents are piled beside him, on the other side is a box.
"Alesteria." The emperor called to her softly as he stood up and walked towards her.
The nanny gave Alesteria to the emperor as he carried her to where the box is.
Alesteria had an ominous feeling towards it as her heart quickens, she secretly swallowed her saliva as she glared at the box.
'No, impossible! Getting the ruby emerald takes about a year because of how far the source is!'
Alesteria prayed in her mind that this is not the jewel and it was some substitute but the moment the emperor opened it, she became sickly pale.
"My daughter, I want you to be the first witness to the ruby emerald that I sought out for your tiara. I knew it'll look perfect on you."
'…Shit.'
'HOW DID he get that so fast?!'Alesteria was dumbstruck, seeing the ruby emerald in front of her as it glistened from being hit by the sun, as she slowly realizes that the emperor has some strong connections.Very strong connections.'I might've underestimated him a little.'Another reason why Alesteria was so adamant about not having the ruby emerald is not just because it was her past mistake, but it will react to her mana as it is the same.She is the creator, of course it will react to her!Besides, a ruby emerald reacting to a baby? That is unprecedented in the last centuries.Alesteria knew that no one has ever made the jewel glow nor activate it using mana, and it is speculated that if you have the same wavelength as the source of the jewel, then it might react to you.And Alesteria, being the witch of the mountains and the creator of the jewel, will no doubt activate it.
"YOUR HIGHNESS! You can flip now!""Uwa!"Alesteria ignored Bella's praises and compliments as she tightly gripped the blanket under her, huffing and resting her hundred attempts at flipping herself.It is a small step but she's getting there, and boy does she feel a little good to achieve something while being a baby.It has been 4 months since she came to this body, and time flies so fast she barely noticed it.After the whole crying tantrums about the ruby emerald, it was then decided that they would change the jewel from a ruby emerald to an alexandrite, another rare gem.'Honestly, I'm not mad that it's not a painite but I guess I could work with alexandrite. I'll just make some changes in the future.' Alesteria said to herself as she shrugged.'It's not that I miss them or anything…' She strongly denied it as she found herself pouting at this thought.Aldrich is annoying but warm-
"A PICNIC?"Aimilios asked, his eyebrows furrowed at this suggestion as he think deeply, while Aldrich nodded happily and agreed with it."That might not be a bad idea."Alesteria's eyes brightened even more at Bella's suggestion, waving her chubby arms up and down as her face displayed excitement.'Picnic! Picnic!' She chanted, her lips forming into a smile.She was unaware of the action she was doing because she was so into the idea of finally seeing the outside world, feeling the wind breeze directly and the sun's soft glow.'Finally! I can see the trees and skies again!'She has been cooped up in the room for 4 months and the only time that she saw the sky was when she arrived in her body, but even then, she wasn't able to fully take in her environment.'I was weak then because of exhaustion.'Nonetheless, she can finally have that chance now.Whilst she was getting
'SINCE WHEN did I start liking them?'Alesteria was in a little dilemma with herself when she realized that she liked Aldrich and Aimilios.She knew that she doesn't have any feelings or thoughts about liking them, she buried that years ago before she was the witch of the mountains in her past life.'This…' She trailed, speechless at her realization.In the past, the only beings that she liked were the fairies and her dear friend, and they even had to work hard to gain her trust. It wasn't easy trusting people again, but she did it for the sake of company.Truly, she believes that she won't trust anyone again.Yet… Aldrich and Aimilios seemed to gain it easily.'What can I do? No matter how hard I deny it, I like them. They don't have any hidden motives and are truly sincere.'The princes were attentive towards her and are by her side whenever they could. Even if their s
A SILVER light envelops Alesteria's hands as she projected it and although it is small, it was still impossible for a baby to control that much. Alesteria smiled. 'With this, this body is no longer weak.' Alesteria's body took its sweet time to adjust to her soul's mana in order to avoid clashing against it since her soul's mana has a different wavelength than the one residing in the body. The soul's mana, her original mana, was in a higher wavelength since she has been living around for thousands of years and it has accumulated all the experiences when using it, evolving even more. On the other hand, the mana that was in the body is pure and clear with an almost transparent appearance to it. The body is created new so its powers are also new. The power in the body was trying to merge with her soul's mana, and since the old and new met each other, there may be side effects. If worse comes to wo
'I KNEW I should've locked the door before doing anything else… This is truly bothersome.’ Alesteria was staring at Bella and the other knights, as well as a few bureaucrats, as if she were some sort of national treasure. "Is that true? The princess used her mana?" "Maybe you are seeing it wrong? Do you need glasses?" "Aren't you delusional?" The poor maid, who screamed at the top of her lungs earlier, is being drilled with numerous questions and insults by the officials that were abruptly summoned. Bella was concerned at this news, more so with the maid who looks like she is about to cry. 'It's not her fault that she was shocked but, how am I supposed to fix this?' Alesteria wanted to keep quiet about her power manifesting, at least by the age of 5. Nobles and commoners, in rare cases, manifest their power at 5 years old when their consciousness is stable and their re
THE SUN is shining brightly and the wind was so fresh that every deep breath feels anew, along with it is the morning dew that made the leaves look like glistening gems. Along with the peacefulness, there is also an unrest feeling covering the mountains. The mountains that were once a joyful place is now filled with grief and sorrow as the one and only resident and protector of the said place are gone. The atmosphere was so intense that the locals tend to stay away from it. They can't even go close since the fabled dragon will chase them away the moment they step into the mountains. They don't know what changed, but they were wise enough not to look into it. The said dragon, who guarded the entrance for nearly a year, is not far from the foot of the mountains, where most adventurers and lumberjacks alike approach the steep and dark mountains. The dragon was terrifying even at his size which is no larger than a regular adult cow, with glistening white scales and golden eyes that
THE MOMENT the emperor announced the forgoing of the youngest princess, Alesteria's receivance of her second name along with her formal introduction, the castle was immediately bustling with maids and knights alike.They were all busy, especially Bella and Tristan, since they want the best of the best for the princess.They arranged and adorned the whole grand hall into something that came out of a fairytale while the brothers, both Aldrich and Aimilios, are busy buying gifts for their little sister."What do you think Ales would like? This one or this one?"Aldrich is with Aimilios as he showed him two flower brooches that he had chosen.The first one is in a combination of the color purple and pink as the center has a jewel, the linings were in a color of gold. The second one is a white three-headed flower in a daffodil form with silver linings.Aimilios's eyes went back and forth on the brooches, then he eventually shrugg