"Off, my whole body aches. But somehow, I feel much better than before," I thought to myself.
It seems that I fainted at the last moment and somehow made it out of that situation alive. Thankfully, my father's affinity for light was incredibly strong, and he was able to heal me; otherwise, I'm certain I would have died.
After yesterday's incident, the party was canceled, and everyone returned home. Of course, sending that many guests away empty-handed wasn't exactly polite, but no one dared to complain because the expressions on the Emperor and Empress's faces made it clear that they were in no mood to argue. So, they gave in, left their gifts, and returned to where they had come from.
Now, I'm having a picnic in the garden with my mom, older brother, and two older sisters. Mom was clearly terrified and wouldn't even let my sisters hold me. She just hugged me tightly and enjoyed the fresh air. Honestly, I was really happy too. I was so scared of dying yesterday… This feeling was so strange to me. In my previous life, when I was dying, I didn't feel fear at all—just a bit of regret and a lot of anger.
The reason for this difference is probably my family. In my previous life, I didn't really have a family. My mother left my father shortly after I was born, and my father was a gambler. One day, he lost all his money and, without hesitation, sold me as a slave. Since I had been growing up on the streets by myself until that point, I managed to find a way to escape and eventually became a Marquise.
That kind of life was sometimes exciting but mostly exhausting. You had to fend for yourself, not knowing when trouble might strike and without anyone to protect you.
But in this life, I have a strong family. Most importantly, this family is tightly bound together by love. What I feared was being separated from such a bond. Thankfully, that bond somehow kept me alive, and now I can lie in my mother's arms.
Of course, at the same time, I'm also staring at the thing that nearly cost me my life.
[Name: Lillian Angelica Leveith
Age: 6 Months
Race: Half-Dragon, Half-Human
Occupation: Baby
Blessings: Goddess of Light, @&#₺&@&#
Evolution Level: Unevolved
Level: 5
XP: 125/3000
Affinities: [Light (Emperor)], [Ice (Knight)], [Wind (Very High)], [Nature (Very High)]
Golden Blood Ratio: 0.001% > 0.050%
Attributes:
Vitality: 145/145 > 80/160
Physical Strength: 22 > 30
Endurance: 48 > 60Agility: 15 > 50
Magic Power: 260 > 360
Mana: 10,864/10,864 > 7,089/15,678
Intelligence: 333 > 350
Attribute Points: 50
Skills: [Strong Healing], [Wind Blade], [Wind Step], [Light Bow], [Light Armor], [Light Shield], [Light Seal]]
"This is undoubtedly much more than I expected. Not only has my Light affinity increased significantly, but my attributes have also risen greatly! Even though I anticipated becoming stronger due to the major blessing I received, this far exceeds my expectations. The growth in my potential is especially remarkable. If I continue to develop my bones and muscles, which were regenerated through Light, I could become unbeatable even in close combat, where I'm currently weak."
While Angelica was pondering her new family and future plans, she fell asleep. Her baby body continued to betray her.
***10 Years Later
"Ah! What a beautiful day! I wonder what Mom is doing. I'd like to have breakfast with her today."
Ten years had passed since the ceremony, and Angelica was about to turn 11. While her personality hadn't changed much, her appearance certainly had—just as expected.
Her baby body had grown, making her even taller than most children her age. Her hair now reached her waist, and her eyes sparkled with true intelligence. Despite her youthful appearance, her training gave her the aura of a warrior.
The physical training she had started as soon as her body allowed, combined with her lifelong mana exercises, had placed her far ahead of her peers. Yet, she seemed unaware of her advantage and behaved with carefree childishness.
"If you wish, my lady, I could ask Her Majesty for you," her maid offered.
Angelica looked at her maid with a charming smile and spoke cheerfully, "That would be great, Ophelia. When you see my mother, please ask her to send that person to me if possible."
"Of course, my lady."
Like a good servant, Ophelia didn't question her mistress and bowed before leaving to carry out her orders. She didn't even ask who that person was, despite her curiosity.
"Well, now that's taken care of, there's nothing else to do. After I have breakfast with Mom, I'll have to leave right away. I need to explain my plan to her. Even though she wouldn't interrogate me, I can't hide anything from her. Keeping secrets would only make her suspicious."
With a pensive expression, Angelica gazed out over the capital from the balcony. Today, she would execute one of her most important plans: finding herself a reliable right hand.
Although the castle was full of servants and aides, they were all loyal either to the Emperor or the Empress. She didn't have anyone who solely answered to her and whom she could control.
If she were a typical princess, she could simply request a personal servant from the Emperor. But Angelica's criteria were far stricter.
She wanted someone intelligent, strong, full of potential, trustworthy, incapable of betrayal, and willing to follow orders without question.
The first three traits were relatively easy to find, but the last three were far more difficult. After all, anyone with intelligence would inevitably have their own thoughts and opinions. But there was a way to eliminate those flaws: slaves.
While slavery wasn't highly regarded in the Empire, it wasn't forbidden either. In fact, slaves were often entrusted with sensitive tasks because the slave seals placed on them made betrayal nearly impossible.
Even the mere thought of betrayal would activate the seal, causing excruciating pain. This made slaves the most reliable individuals for such purposes.
"I may not like slavery, but I have no choice. Besides, it's not like I'm going to harm them. I'll train them and possibly save them from a worse fate.
Sure, their life might become more dangerous, but I think that's still better than living in misery."
In her previous life, Angelica had been a slave herself. While she despised slavery, she knew it was the only way to find a trustworthy assistant.
"No… maybe it's not. System, explain [Light Seal]."
{[Light Seal] can be applied to a single individual. If the system user gives a command to the sealed person, they will feel a compelling urge to obey. This urge depends on the power difference between the system user and the sealed individual. If the difference is small or the sealed individual is stronger, the seal only works on trivial commands. However, if the system user is significantly stronger, they can make the sealed individual do almost anything.
The second feature allows the user to sense the emotions of the sealed individual. If they harbor negative thoughts toward the user, the system will notify the user, even if the sealed individual is on the other side of the world.
The third feature enhances any buffs or effects shared between the system user and the sealed individual. For example, if the user heals a minor cut on the sealed individual's finger, the entire hand might heal instead.
It is recommended that the user refrain from overusing this ability. The [Light Seal] places a heavy burden on the soul, and since the user can sense the sealed individual's emotions, they may risk being overwhelmed by those feelings.}
"Hmm, this sounds great, but it carries a lot of risks. I suppose this is better than feeling guilty over taking a slave.
I'll likely only use this ability on one person. As the system suggests, sensing the emotions of too many people could break me."
As Angelica refined her plan, a knock echoed at her door.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Come in."
When the door opened, a woman dressed entirely in black entered. Her attire concealed every inch of her body.
"You summoned me, Your Majesty?"
"Welcome, K-1. I have a small task for you."
'At last, it's time to harness a portion of my mother's power…'
***
If there is an error in the translation, please let me know :)