Chapter 2

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In a place with a view of the beautiful garden within the mansion, a luxurious table and a few seats were placed. A woman sat in one of the seats, sipping tea. My father came up to her and let me down from his arms.

"Mommy!"

"Oh, oh, Mary, you're such a clingy one."

With my newfound freedom, I ran straight to my mother and clung to her knee. She didn’t scold or panic; instead, she smiled gently at me. Her name is "Aries Legaria," my mother. A gentle breeze fluttered, and my mother's beautiful silver hair billowed, leaving me captivated by her beauty. With my big, round golden eyes, I gazed at her, and she gently stroked my snow-white hair.

By the way, my physical features are silver hair (whiter than my mother's), golden eyes inherited from my father, completely sunless white skin, and a frail appearance, at least from my perspective. The simple communication between mother and daughter was comforting. For me, the warmth of my mother, which I could only feel through the curtain of a sterile room, was so pleasant that I could stay like this forever without getting tired.

"Hem, hem... By the way, Aries, I thought I'd introduce this child to her today."

"Then I'll have her brought in."

With my father's cough, my blissful moment came to an end.

(Hmm, a child he wants me to meet?)

As I looked up at my father, my mother said something to the head maid, who then left her seat. I stood next to my father, looking puzzled, and soon a young maid in a small maid uniform approached with the head maid.

(Wow! A little maid. Her black hair and eyes make her seem so familiar.)

The girl, dressed in a frilly maid uniform with black and white as the main colors, was prompted by the head maid to walk nervously in front of me. She aligned her hands in front of her and bowed at a beautiful angle.

"H-hello, Miss Mary. I-I'm Tütte."

(She's so cute, even when she stutters! ♪)

"From today, she will be your personal maid and will take care of your daily needs."

Father added this information, as her introduction alone was not enough.

"My personal maid?"

(What is this, like a princess? Well, I am a princess, but still...)

I looked at the little maid again. She seemed a bit older than me, but not by much. Maybe I'm more mature mentally...

I approached her with my curious golden eyes, and she straightened her posture and looked at me.

"I'm Mary. Nice to meet you, Tütte ♪"

I spoke to her in a friendly way, not using the formal "princess" language. I was excited because this might be the first time I was talking to a child my age.

"Y-Yes! Miss!"

Still tense, Tütte finished her bow, and I immediately decided to take her for a walk in the garden.

"Father, Mother, I'm going to take Tütte for a walk in the garden."

I felt like we were friends already. Still, neither my parents nor the maids said anything, so I led Tütte away from the scene.

"Miss, it's dangerous to run!"

(No, no, you're the one who runs dangerously.)

I slowed down and walked in front of her, turning my head to look back.

"How old are you, Tütte?"

"Eh, ah, yes. I'm eight this year."

She answered after a brief pause, surprised by my sudden question.

(So she's five years older than me. Still, she has such a young face.)

Under my curious gaze, Tütte's cute black eyes darted around, and her slightly tanned face turned pink.

(Fun! ♪)

Having only interacted with calm adults before, I found her youthful reactions very enjoyable. Moreover, knowing that she would always be by my side, no matter where I was, made me even happier, as it alleviated the loneliness I had experienced in my previous life.

"Hehe, keep up, Tütte ♪"

"Miss, please wait!"

I ran again, and I could hear her pitiful words from behind, but it felt like we were playing a game of tag, which was fun. I kept going and found a shed, where I hid inside.

It was hide-and-seek.

In my previous life, I couldn't do this at all, but now it was allowed and normal, which made me even more excited and prone to childish behavior.

"Miss, where are you? This place is dangerous!"

Breathless, Tütte entered the shed. I waited for her to get closer, ready to surprise her.

I was so elated at that moment that I didn't notice the precarious stack of wooden crates around where I was hiding. As she approached, I shouted and jumped out, but I hit one corner of the crates.

Crash!

I flew forward without any obstacles, but the sound of the crates being crushed echoed.

"Danger! Miss!"

"Huh?"

Tütte's pale face seemed to move in slow motion, and I turned to look behind me. My vision darkened as the stack of crates began to fall toward me.

(Danger! I have to stop them!)

Thinking this, I instinctively extended my small right arm toward the crates.

And that's when I made a mistake.

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