Six months have passed since my reincarnation.
"Little Hana! Where are you?"
I hide among the thick bushes in the vast backyard garden, watching as my older brother, just five years old, searches for me desperately.
I can see you, but you can't see me!
Physically, he resembles my father, although he has crimson eyes. Where do people in this world get such extravagant eye colors? Anyway, you'll never find me!
Since I learned to crawl, I've been exploring the enormous mansion where I live. And as I suspected, I was born into a wealthy family.
Thanks to this, I've confirmed that this world shares many similarities with the one from my previous life. A clear example is the style of clothing, which reminds me of what 19th-century royalty used to wear.
I've also noticed that they aren't behind in technology or science.
For instance, they have modern bathrooms instead of latrines, which suggests they're familiar with sanitary drainage systems.
As for hygiene, I get bathed daily with personal care products. Mother always smells of sweet perfume, and my siblings use different fragrances too.
One thing that truly surprised me was discovering the existence of plastic—some objects seem to be made from that material.
Curiously, though, it seems they haven't discovered electricity yet, as I haven't seen any electronic devices, not even light bulbs. However, there are stones embedded in the ceilings and walls that emit a bright light when you wave your hand near them.
From what I've observed, I've concluded that they have a solid grasp of chemistry, but they're lagging behind in electronics and mechanics.
Honestly, I'm relieved I wasn't born into a medieval world—I'd hate to be surrounded by so much ignorance.
"Astrid! Help me find Hana!"
"How did you lose sight of her, Alaric?"
"Sorry, she vanished all of a sudden…"
That's my oldest sister. She looks like a female version of Dad, probably about a year younger than my brother: blonde, with light blue eyes.
"Eleanor! Help us out, please!"
"Fine, Astrid, but I'd prefer if you called me Ely."
And then there's Ely. She looks more like Mom, though with a little more weight on her. She's a light redhead and has those same blue eyes.
"I give up! We're not gonna find her. We should tell Mom before something happens to her." Astrid waves her arms in frustration.
"If we do that, Mom will scold us…" Alaric replies, glancing around nervously in hopes of spotting me.
Astrid steps up to him and points accusingly.
"Why would she scold me? You're the one who lost track of her!"
Yes, yes, keep arguing. It's amusing watching them go at it.
"Alaric, Astrid, I don't see Hanae anywhere."
Well, fun's over. Mom looks a bit on edge, which is understandable—her sweet, innocent six-month-old has disappeared.
"Mom, it's Alaric's fault!" Astrid hides behind Mom's dress.
"What? We were all playing with her!"
"Stop arguing!" Mom separates Astrid and smiles proudly at Ely. "Thank you for letting me know, Ely."
"Mom, I'm worried about Hana…"
Seeing Alaric and Astrid eye Ely with resentment makes me feel a bit guilty… but I'm still not coming out of my hiding spot.
"Don't worry, Ely, I'll find her right away." She gently strokes Ely's reddish hair and raises her right hand. "Quaerere!"
A faint blue wave radiates from her hand, sweeping across the area, and I feel a slight chill.
Huh? What just happened? This weird sensation running down my back is entirely new to me.
"So, this is where you were." Mom approaches my hiding place, pushes the bushes aside, and lifts me up with both hands. "Hanae, don't scare your siblings like that." She gently brushes the dirt off my clothes.
So, she found me. That mildly scolding tone fills me with nostalgia…
Ely, with her eyes a bit teary, says to me, "I'm glad you're okay, Hana."
Alaric and Astrid timidly come closer:
"I promise I'll keep a better eye on you, little sis."
"Stop causing trouble, Hanae."
To my surprise, this display of family affection fills me with happiness. But still, they're not my real family. The only person I can truly consider family is Louis.
———————————
"Rest now, little troublemaker; you've had a busy day."
"She's quite the handful for only being six months old."
As my mother adjusts my crib, I listen to her conversation with my grandmother; it's through talks like these that I've picked up their language. Even in this life, I'm a genius!
When they notice I'm paying attention, they exchange a curious look.
"It's strange—she always listens so intently when I visit, as if she's trying to understand what I'm saying," says my grandmother, gently stroking my cheek.
"She's so curious, always crawling all over the place. She even went missing today because her siblings weren't watching her properly."
Well, if I didn't explore, I'd be bored. And honestly, it was hilarious watching them get scolded! Ha!
I let out a small laugh without realizing it.
"Oh, what a sweet laugh!" they both exclaim in unison, their eyes lighting up.
Drat! It happened again.
For some reason, I can't seem to control this body yet. It does things on its own—like crying when I'm hungry or when I'm left alone.
It's embarrassing for someone my age to act like this, and I really want to understand why these reactions happen without me meaning to. Another odd thing is that when I decide to stop crying, I can still hear the sound of crying echoing in my head.
Waiting for it to stop is torment.
"I see you have no plans to sleep, so let me give you a little help," my mother says softly, tapping my nose with her index finger.
Mother clears her throat and begins to sing a lullaby. Her voice is the result of countless nights of practice; each word is filled with the unmistakable love of a mother. Her harmonious voice, flowing with the melody, wraps me in a sense of peace I thought was gone forever.
Unbelievable! She sings like an angel—she could be a professional.
When she finishes, my grandmother turns to her.
"Listening to you sing to her reminds me of when I used to do the same with you."
"You've said so many times that Hana is just like I was as a baby."
They smile at each other as they continue talking.
I agree with that statement; every time I catch a glimpse of my reflection, I can imagine what Mother looked like back then.
I inherited the same hair color from her, and my left eye is also pink with a small mole beneath it, just like hers. The only difference is my right eye, which is blue.
"Sweet dreams, my beautiful girl. Rest well."
"Deus will watch over you tonight."
They each lean in, giving me a kiss on the cheek, and then silently leave through the main door.
Little by little, I'm starting to understand this world. I'm glad I was born into a wealthy family; it will make starting my search much easier. I only hope that my brother was born somewhere even better than here…