GROWING UP

CHAPTER 2- GROWING UP

[So it's been 3 years since the initial shock of being reborn I'm still struggling to walk which is a bit of an issue but we should be able to figure this out.

The maids in this tower are completely useless and barely doing their only job of raising me, isn't this child neglect?!

Well I mean other than to eat and play I haven't left this one room so I could try to go exploring and see how that works out for me. BUT I CAN'T GO ANYWHERE WITH THESE LEGS! If only I could move around more! Not being able to walk is starting to piss me off.

But despite being reborn and keeping my memories as a child it feels as if 3 years passed in no time, In the years I've been here I've managed to separate the good/decent maids from the bad ones]

As I reached down to pick up the golden rattle I realized that a lot of the stuff I had yesterday including tapestries on the walls had just disappeared. This had been happening recently, which I'm not very surprised about. It seems to be customary for these maids to steal from me. But in all honesty, maybe the script did exaggerate a little bit. Some of these maids are very nice, ill have to remember that.

Ah, looks speak of the devil; it's one of the maids who treats me very badly, constantly saying horrible stuff to my face because she assumes a 3-year-old cant understand. Little does she know I 100% do and I shall take my revenge!

A slight grin appeared on my baby face, resembling that of a mule trying to smile.

"How disgusting, are you sure this girl is his majesties daughter? She looks more like that witch downstairs." The maid cackled to her friend who had just entered.

[wait. What does she mean by "witch downstairs"?

...

Oh right! The emperor's mistress(If you can even call her that) was also kept the tower but just further away from the daughter, so they wouldn't meet until she turned around 5! Interesting... maybe I could use that to my advantage?]

"I know right! her darker skin, unruly hair! Nothing resembling the emperor!"

"Except for her eyes, they resemble him directly. That piercing blue stare haunts my dreams constantly, seeing it from this mistake makes me sick" The boisterous maid cackled

It was true though Sovvia looked nothing like her father, I guarantee if you saw just her father alone you would believe the child was adopted. But to give good graces her mother was a nymph. Which from my recollection was a mythological spirit of nature imagined as a beautiful maiden inhabiting rivers, woods, or other locations. [So I guess those exist in this world as well?]

Nymphs are supposed to have great magical power along with the ability to communicate with spirits, specifically most with water and light spirits. People born of nymph origin are extremely rare. Generally, nymphs are well sought out creatures for not only their entrancing beauty but overwhelming power.

Despite all this, nymphs are generally cursed at or insulted. Terms like 'witch' and 'enchantress' are typically used on them.

In all honesty, I'm not generally sure how the emperor found my mother... If I can remember correctly it was on an exhibition when the emperor stumbled across a beautiful voice along with a ripple of giggling spirits. Looking around the corner he locked eyes with the most beautiful woman he's ever seen.

That's the most I can remember at least, Again! curse this useless baby brain and body!!!

I was suddenly snapped out of my trance of thought when I felt the maid handing me over to someone else. Looking up my mouth dropped open in surprise, she was beautiful.

I tried to open my mouth but all that came out were pathetic baby sounds (Shouldn't a 3-year-old learn to talk by now? Those damn useless maids!)

The woman smiled down at me holding out her finger

"You are beautiful Sovvia, don't let anyone tell you any different" Her voice was soft but sore"

That's right... Sovvia's mother suffers from fairy fever, it's an incurable disease that you get at birth. Your mana slowly drains away as time goes on to the point where you can barely have enough energy to move...

All creatures have mana, including humans but only a certain few can use them. For nymphs and a few other creatures, mana is their life source and without it, they wither away and die...

I began to tear up a bit [what's this? why am I crying, I already knew this so why am I sad...]

The woman just smiled down at me before turning me to face the room, maids at the corner of my eye snickering at how pathetic my mother seemed to be to them.

"Look my sweet child, can you see them?"

I tried squinting but I just couldn't see what she was talking about-

All of a sudden a burst of color hit me and I felt blind, looking around I saw quick flashes of blue and gold circling us. The sound of childlike giggles echoed in the room. Followed by a laugh from my mother.

"Aren't they beautiful?" She whispered lovingly in my ear. "If you ever feel lonely, just remember the spirits watch over you, just because you can't see them doesn't mean they are not there."

"We nymphs are blessed by the goddess irene with her beauty and voice, And the god Atlas for his control of the spirit realm"

Her words barely penetrated my ears as I watched in dazzlement as the swarm of spiritual energy left the room as if they were never there, to begin with.

I turned my head to the maids who just stood there snickering once again [Can humans not see them?]