I Reincarnated. Yes, I've reincarnated!
For many, a dream come true; for others, an unattainable fantasy. But for me, it's an experience I now live in the flesh. How did it happen? Well, like in all those cliché stories I've read. I was peacefully reading my favorite novel when sleep overcame me... and bam! I woke up in the body of a baby.
Yes, I'm a baby. And while it may sound funny, you have no idea how difficult it is to have the mind of an adult trapped in a body that can barely hold up its head. Everything is a challenge: controlling my movements, dealing with constant fatigue, and let's not even talk about the embarrassment of having someone change your diaper. Yes, it's as uncomfortable as it sounds.
But well, I had to pull myself together because I had no other choice. From the first day I opened my eyes, I knew exactly where I was and who I was. I had been reborn in the world of my favorite novel. And not as just any character, no... I'm the king's daughter. A key piece in the plot, no less. Cliché, I know, but I don't complain too much. Now I'm an important character, with wealth, beauty, and status. Who wouldn't want that, right? Well, in theory...
The world of this novel isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It's dangerous, full of powerful enemies and conspiracies. If I make the wrong move, I could ruin the entire original plot, and that, in this context, could mean disaster. Because, you see, the protagonist of the novel is the only one with the power to defeat the final villain. She's the chosen one — yes, typical — and the fate of the world rests in her hands. So until that happens, my plan is to stay in my role, just like in the novel.
Of course, being me, I'm not going to just sit around. In the original story, my character was pretty strong. But now that I have the chance to train from an early age, I'm determined to be even more powerful. I'm not going to interfere with the plot, but I'm not going to stay weak either. I don't know how many variables can change in this world because of my presence, so being strong is a necessity!
In the meantime, I've learned to enjoy the little perks of being a princess. From the banquets they offer every day to the silk dresses and jewelry, although for now, I can only enjoy looking at them — after all, I'm trapped in a tiny body. My goals are clear: live as peacefully as possible, avoid altering the plot, and, if I'm lucky, enjoy this life that was given to me.
Time passed quickly, and with it, I grew, becoming stronger, much more than the Aveline in the novel. Oh, didn't I tell you my name? I'm Aveline da Montclair, daughter of the king. Yes, it sounds imposing, right? It's a great name, even though I didn't choose it, of course. But well, my life is amazing! I have everything I want, whenever I want, thanks to the perks of being the king's daughter, a man as powerful as he is overprotective.
And when I say overprotective, I mean it. In the novel, the king took care of his daughter, Adeline, so much that she ended up single and without any romantic opportunities because, according to her father, no one was worthy of her. Poor Adeline. Of course, there weren't many dream candidates in the kingdom anyway. The few "blue princes" were too busy sighing over the protagonist of the story, so I decided not to get involved in those troubles. After all, in my past life, I wasn't a fan of relationships. I tried to have a partner a few times, but in the end, I realized it just wasn't for me. I guess some of us are born to enjoy the freedom of being single.
So far, my life has been wonderful. I'm 19 years old, and a year ago, I entered the academy. From day one, I was the best of my year, just like in the novel, so I'm not altering the plot. But now that I have a year's advantage, I know that the protagonist will enter this year, and with her, a bunch of problems will come. It's typical, right? Protagonists always attract chaos like magnets.
I thought everything was going according to the book, that nothing would go out of control... until today. It turns out I heard a rumor about someone who snuck into the castle. Yes, someone dared to enter without permission! And not only that, but they appeared right in front of the king. I mean, in the very heart of the castle. You've got to be pretty bold — or pretty dumb — to do something like that, considering my father is not exactly someone weak. Seriously, what a bad idea.
So, with the intrigue gnawing at me, I decided to go look for my father. Who was this intruder? What were they up to? This definitely went off script, and if there's anything I dislike more than not having control, it's being left without answers.
When I arrived at the room where my father was, I was in for a monumental surprise. There, talking to him, was a blonde guy with a familiar appearance: Zephyr Blackthorne. Yes, the very brother of Alistair Blackthorne! Alistair, that arrogant noble who would eventually become an obstacle for the protagonist, of course I knew him. Zephyr, on the other hand, was someone I barely remembered from the diplomatic meetings and parties my father held annually. The Blackthornes were regular guests, so I had seen these brothers my whole life.
But wait! Zephyr's presence here, in front of the king... that never happened in the novel.
In the original story, Zephyr was a secondary character who ended up dying during a diplomatic trip when kidnappers abandoned him in a monster-infested forest. Poor guy, he had no talent for magic or combat, so his end was inevitable. But here he was, alive, well, and talking as if nothing was wrong.
My surprise didn't end there. What I heard next almost made me lose my balance.
My father, the king, was talking about the blessing of Fenneris. Fenneris?! Even the Queen of the Elves herself had asked the king to let Zephyr enter the academy! What the hell…? How did this happen? In my head, I was trying to process this peculiar situation. In the novel, Zephyr never received any blessing, much less from Fenneris. In fact, that blessing was incredibly rare; only a few people possessed it.
I looked at Zephyr more closely, evaluating him. He didn't seem as despicable as I remembered, though maybe the blessing gave him a certain air of dignity... No, no, no. This didn't make sense. In the story, he should already be on his way to his tragic end. How had he ended up here, alive and well, ready to enter the academy?
—What if he's a reincarnated person like me? —I thought, trying not to let my eyes pop out in public.
No, that didn't add up. I had interacted with him before at social gatherings, and Zephyr had never shown anything unusual. A transmigrator, perhaps? That made a little more sense. But if Zephyr had read the novel and knew what would happen, we were in trouble! With his presence, the plot could derail, dragging us all into who knows what kind of disaster. Even my peace could be in danger!
I took a deep breath. One thing was clear: if Zephyr knew something about the story, he could put everyone at risk. And if he didn't know, it was still a problem. Either way, I would have to face him when he entered the academy.
I returned to my room with my head spinning and my mood at an all-time low. My life so far had been fairly easy; I was used to being in control. But apparently, that calm was over. The problems were just beginning.
I closed the door to my room and flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.
—Well done, Aveline, —I muttered to myself, sarcastically—. You thought you were so smart, so prepared, and now you have a "novel brother" with a guardian's blessing and a penchant for chaos.
I sighed, resigned. There was only one thing I was sure of at that moment: I would do whatever it took to protect this world... and my peace.