ALTHEA
It took two weeks before I finally recovered enough to get out of bed, after going through a lot of confusion and new informations passing through my mind. I finally realised that I am no longer on earth or even going to work as a chef in a restaurant that was recognised as a five star restaurant in five continents on earth.
I sat on the bed in the dilapidated cottage, the home to Althea, well me, Jane, my mother along with Miguel, who is my cousin on my mother's side. Although my father is a rich bastard lord who resides in the fancy manor, he wants to have nothing to do with us.
Jane was a maid that was working under him and was taken advantage of and Althea, a illegitimate daughter. Not only did I wake up to be a daughter of such a bastard,but a girl who was always bullied by her step siblings. One of the beatings was what made me be in bed for three weeks straight.
Of all Reincarnation, I became a bullied illegitimate daughter. I lifted my face heavenward. "Thank you for the second chance but couldn't you have given me an advantage. Something powerful to help myself here." I sighed. Back on earth, having read a lot of reincarnation stories where they are reincarnated with systems, it would be nice to have that.
Silence. But, of course, what did I expect?
I stood, my body still aching somewhat severely, but I gritted my teeth and bore it. Despite the pain, I refused to stay in bed another day. I needed to walk about and get better as soon as possible. Prolonged bed rest led to muscle wasting and a decline in health in general.
I was about to turn on my heel when an unimaginable pain ripped through me from my midsection. I sucked in my breath and could only huff as I collapsed to the ground and curled over in a fetal position. The torture coursed through me like a raging inferno, hot and furious. To me, that insane agony felt like an eternity, but Iknew it only lasted a few seconds. When it was gone, I lay there, breathless.
What the hell was that?
I raised my hand to wipe the sweat from my forehead, and that was when I felt something was different within me. I frowned. There was also something strange about my hand, too. I lifted the other one up and glanced from one to the other. I could see some sort of stream of golden and violet particles exuding from the palms of my hands and floating around it.
I widened my eyes. Was this…
I flicked through Althea's memory, and then there it was. The girl had learned something about magic.
There was magic in this world, which was blessed by the Gods or Goddesses, the deities. Apparently, one was considered very lucky to have been blessed.
IF Althea's memory served me correctly, one was either blessed with the creations, destructions, healings, or foresight ability, and under both creations and destructions, there were sub-classes such as blacksmithing, horticulture, and agriculture for creations, while those blessed with strength, swordsmanship, necromancing, monster taming, and such likes were under the destruction's ability. But, once again, according to Althea's memory, there was no mention of this flow of golden particles I was seeing. Could it be mana?
If this was indeed mana, then how could I possibly see it? Perhaps this was a blessing from the deities? If so, then I'd gladly accept it.
I tilted my head to one side, wondering what other blessings I could have. It would be nice if I had many, like healing magic to get rid of this whole pain and discomfort I was feeling at the moment.
I took a deep breath and decided to give it a try, shaking my hands, I placed it on my chest where my broken ribcages were. "Heal." I was shocked to see my palm glow a bright golden color and soon I began to feel the pain erasing. It worked.
My prayers got answered, I was blessed with abilities. "Thank you." I blew kisses to whoever listened to me from above. Getting up from the floor was not hard not that I was heal. I stepped out of the house ready for some fresh breeze.
As I walked around the house, I kept on thinking. With this magic, can I make drugs, or heal anything, even like broken legs or limbs that are no longer there.
After my first lap, I saw Miguel coming from a distance towards me, I decided to bend a little. I don't want them to know about me being blessed or whatsoever. According to Althea's memory, all the blessed ones are made to work for the royal family. And I am not ready for such.
"What are you doing outside, Ally? You are not well yet, and meant to be laying in bed not walking around." he scolded me. Quietly, I allowed him to lead me back into the house even though I could walk on my own, he helped me onto the bed.
I looked at Miguel, with his pale skin and slim figure. No doubt this was because of lack of nutrients, if I could make supplements. When I am alone.
I also recalled how Miguel always talk about how he wants to become a knight. If we ever leave this place, I will make sure to find a knight academy for him to enrol because my father dearest refused to transfer him to the Knight academy, leaving him to fend to horses.
Later in the evening, Jane was back from working in the manor and began to make dinner. By the time it was ready, I looked at the meal, a runny soup that had chunks of vegetables like carrots, peas and the likes with a bread that can substitute for a hammer with how hard it is.
The soup was bland, what I would do for a loaf of white soft bread. And some better soup, something tasty. We ate, and I could taste the saltiness of blood as I chewed in the bread.
Lack of vitamins, weak teeth. This is so bad and to think this is how almost all commoners are, according to Althea's memory.
We finished eating and sat together in silence until Jane broke it. "There was an argument at the manor today." She said. "Argument? About what?" Miguel asked taking the words right out of my mouth.
"The three ladies have been bawling their eyes out and complaining since they heard the news yesterday." She said.
My eyebrows furrowed. "What news?"
"Well, on King Peter's command, Lord Hawthorn has to give one of his daughters as a bride to the infamous Duke Ravenshade." Jane explained.
"You don't know him because things like this don't interest you but Duke Ravenshade is known as a ruthless leader from the north, he is always going into battle with other kingdoms and even monsters. and returning victorious. The last battle, he conquered Talios, a popular battalion of armys and the king gave him so many rewards. Gold coins, lands and a bride. "Miguel explained to me.
" So they don't want him because he is rumoured to be a tyrant? "I asked. Jane and Miguel nodded.
If his beloved daughters don't want to marry this duke, I have a feeling Lord Hawthorn will want me to get married to him.
"I want to leave this place." I said. Miguel and Jane looked at me. "You can't, your father will not allow you to leave, our family owe him a lot of debt."
"That bastard is not my father." I seethe. Miguel looked at me shocked, I know why. The Althea he knows will never say this.
"I am not the Althea you know." Let me just tell them the truth now.