It's been five years since I've been reincarnated in this world.
I'm now five and a half years old.
It's a different world. How would I know you asked? Well, for once, I can see spirits, well fairies I guess that's what they were called in my past life.
Oh right, I have a new name. Well, I don't have a proper name, but for my 'mother' to call me way easier. I'm called "Blackie".
Ah yes, I'm well aware, it sounds like a dog's name doesn't it? Well that could spare me to explain my treatment here.
My long hair, the color similar to ink, prompted her to call me by that name.
My five year old body, improverish beyond what is safe. My pale white skin scattered with bruises, that as you guessed, is from my abusive mother.
I don't really know if she's my mother or not. She surely doesn't act like one.
Apart from my pitiful appearance and tattered rag clothing, the thing I really like the most is the color of my eyes.
I've once sneaked a peek from Mother's mirror in her room, and for the first time I've seen my appearance.
My eyes, they are like beautiful gemstones.
The color of glossy sapphire and the presence of glittering gold.
This color is truly, fantasy like huh.
People here can use magic after all...
Well knights and nobles of course. It's rare for a commonfolk to use magic or have any at all.
Moving on, there's nothing much that happened over these past few years. Though the treatment I experience here is quite harsh, with my mental age being that of an adult, I could bear it.
If I was a child without my past life's memories I doubt I could have survived without being traumatized. Well I do experience trauma but I can cope with it.
I'm calm.
There's nothing much for me to do anyways.
I eat food, once a day if I'm lucky, if not I'm likely be left to starve until my mother finish her 'work' with men she brings to the house.
My mother is something you could tell, similar to a prostitute.
I also sleep inside of a box. A literal box, a chest that a small child can be dumped into. Mother locks me there when she has a client to attend to.
I can't escape. I tried to, well, thought and ought to, but..
When I went outside, there's a risk if I ventured far, I would either get killed or sold off.
It's a fantasy world. Thankfully, like any reincarnator in the stories I've read, I have a cheat. Well, barely even called a cheat!
What the hell is this?? Language from another world?! Don't mistake me, I am grateful I can read and write, and understand people talking but..! Why only that cheat? Wuuuu..!
I let out a bitter sigh,
Even the most crappy isekai characters get some kind of cheat ha.. I guess I'm unlucky.
I'm not even sure if I can even use magic, but currently, no matter how hard I try, no magic would manifest so I just focus on simple survival.
Well anyways, I can get killed by either thieves or monsters in the forests. Or get kidnapped and sold off to be a slave.
Those kind of fates, awaits children here in the slum without proper housing. So eventhough the beatings and mistreatment are bad here, I have an understanding on what to do to survive.
I even created counter measures!
For my food, hygiene and safety.
For my food, whenever I had the opportunity, or whenever my mother forgets to lock me in the box I'll go out to either pick fruits from the nearby safe zone of the forest or steal some crops from nearby fields. Only a small amount for a child is the only stuff I can get.
I have my mother's behavior to the head memorized so I can predict what she'll be doing next to me so I can prepare ahead of time.
I took care for my wounds, tended them as well as my bruises and wash my body well in the town's well sometimes if I'm lucky.
I studied basic medicine as well as learned how to cook. It's all done in secret.
Sometimes I even steal some of her jewels, the unnoticeable trinkets that I could pawn off for money if I happen to save enough for more food or a safe escape plan if needed.
I've also tempered with the box she locked me in. She always throw the box, with me in it, in the back shed of the house, either that or outside.
Lucky I can escape if I was threw on inside the shed so I can slid off the tempered cap wood so I can slip out.
Unlucky days in the box are the early days I've nearly drown inside of it when dear mother left me outside in the midst of a downpour. Luckily I've manage to create a small breathing hole for me to breath in with.
That same day, she got excessively drunk and put all the violence on my body. I could not even move myself without crawling for a few days.
That was the first time, in this world, that I've ever cried and regretted my birth since.
...