"Mommy!" Layla yells as she runs to hug her mother, having had to suffer through kindergarten all day.
"Hey sweetie, how was kindergarten?" Her mother asks scooping her up into her arms despite being heavily pregnant.
"Careful!" Her father says taking Layla from her mother.
Ever since Mrs. Thorn found out she was pregnant her husband has been overly cautious.
This was her first pregnancy after all.
Although they had Layla she wasn't their biological daughter. Her parents were good friends of the Thorns and when they died Mr and Mrs. Thorn decided to adopt the couples infant daughter.
Looking at the family no one would guess that Layla wasn't their child. Even knowing Mrs. Thorn was pregnant they never changes their attitude towards her. As far as they were concerned Layla was their daughter and their eldest child.
"Mommy when can Layla meet the baby?" Layla asks curiously as her father lifts her over his head to place her in piggyback.
"Soon Layla, really soon." Her mother says gently as she lovingly rubs her bulging stomach.
"Will it be a sister or a brother?" Layla asks cutely.
"Mommy doesn't know. It will be a surprise for everyone." Layla's mother says with a gentle smile.
"Layla wants a brother. Jenny doesn't have a brother so Layla will win." Layla says with childish determination.
"Is that so?" Her father asks in amusement.
"Jenny said she would share her snacks with Layla if baby is a brother but Layla has to share her snacks if baby is a sister." Layla says swaying her pigtails innocently.
Internally however she was a little ashamed.
When she was first reborn she struggled to get used to a baby's body but having grown up and nearing her 5th birthday she was long used to being a child but sometimes she would feel embarrassed.
Her mind had slowly regressed over time and she would sometimes act like a child without realizing it.
It was hard to go from being a 23-year-old collage student to being a helpless baby but she adapted much faster than she thought she would.
She didn't know when it happened but she slowly began to accept her new identity. She was actually really excited to have a little sibling.
"Well for the sake of your snacks I hope it's a boy." Her mother says in amusement.
"Layla likes sisters too." Layla says seemingly suddenly realizing her perents might like girls.
"Daddy like girls and boys." Her father says as he playfully pinches her cheeks.
"Princess, can you help Daddy set the table for dinner?" Her mother asks as she slowly moves to check on her soup. Seeing that it's done she turns the stove off and leaves the pot to cool.
"Layla can!" Layla says as she happily hops to the kitchen to grab the spoons. She was still too short to reach the cabinets so her father takes the bowls down while she sets the spoons in each person's spot.
"Thank you baby." Her mother says gently kissing the young girls forehead.
"Where's mine?" Her father asks playfully making his wife roll her eyes before gently kissing her husband on the cheek.
...
After dinner Layla goes to her room to do her homework.
Or at least that's what her parents think.
She had long finished the easy paper while waiting for her dad to pick her up after class.
Really she was busy looking at her system.
[========]
[Host: Layla Thorn]
[Age: 4]
[Titles: Reincarnator (+10 Charm, +5 Intelegence, +50 Luck), Family Treasure (+5 Charm, +3 Strength, +5 Agility)]
[Points: 0]
[Stats:
Strength: 5 (Avarage adult: 10)
Agility: 7 (Avarage adult: 10)
Stamina: 5 (Avarage adult: 10)
Intelegence: 20
Charm: 35
Luck: 120
]
[Tasks:
(Completed tasks will refresh.)]
[========]
She was a little annoyed.
This system was useless until the baby was born.
However there was nothing she could do about it.
She had been waiting for 6 months already and she could wait another 3.
This system had appeared the night the baby was conceived so she had always known she was having a brother. She was a little disappointed at first. She wouldn't get to experience the joy of constantly guessing the gender as she waited for the baby to be born. She wouldn't get to feel the joyful surprise when the nurse announced the gender.
Over time she got over it. Now she was having fun bettibg with Jenny, knowing she would soon get to taste the cookies Jenny was always bragging about at snack time.
It really didn't take a lot to make her happy. Although she sometimes she would think about her previous life she was glad to have the chance to experience a normal childhood, having not gotten to before.
In her last life she was constantly being pushed to work harder, dress nicer, be better, than everyone else. Having come from a noble family she had to be the best in everything.
She didn't know if she was lucky or unlucky to have been born a genius. Lucky because it wasn't difficult to surpass others and unlucky because everyone felt one of three things when they saw her. Fear, admiration, or envy.
Because of this she was isolated. No one dared to get close to her. She had no real friends. Only connections. Peoe who could benefit from her family's buisness and people who could benefit her family's buisness.
She had never received unconditional love from her family. Her older brother was the golden child. He was a boy so he would get the family buisness. He could do no wrong in her parents eyes. She was made to work hard and build connections while he was pampered and spoiled.
She didn't hate him. She hated her parents. Her brother was naĂŻve and innocent. He couldn't see what was right in front of him. He was kind to her. The two were close.
She sometimes worried about how he had reacted to the news of her death. She knew he would be upset. She could imagine his crying face when he found out. It hurt to think about so she tried not to.