7 07 Three Years

Morning shone brightly outside. Chirping birds could be heard, singing a song of a bright new day. The wind blew a gentle breeze, caressing leaves, flowers, grass, and other things that it touched.

Inside a spacious room of the Eastern Palace, a small figure was curled up in a ball under the sheets of a comfy bed. Her silver locks of hair that was scattered all over the bed made a brilliant light whenever hit by the sun's light.

At this moment, a knock was heard from the door that was followed by a voice, calling out to the person inside.

*Knock knock*

"Princess, it's morning." Nanny Josy stood politely outside the door while waiting for a sound of confirmation on the other side of the door; however, not an ounce of sound was heard at all.

Sighing in defeat, she decided to open the door to enter the princess' chambers.

"I'm coming in, princess. Please excuse me."

The door creaked open. Nanny Josy went inside and behind her was the same line of four palace maids walking inside with a basin, clean warm water, towel, and a fresh set of clothes. All of them looked decent and respectful toward the person they were serving.

"Oh my, the princess is still sleeping." Claire said as she went toward the bed.

"Sshhh! Don't disturb the princess." Penny knocked Claire's head.

"Oww."

Nanny Josy's face gradually darkened as a vein on her head threatening to pop.

"Look at that pinkish cheeks. It looked so soft." Seffi stared at the princess' face with almost an unnoticeable drool at the corner of her mouth.

"Seffi, your drool is dripping out. Don't let it get to the princess' sheets." Darlita said, frowning.

Nanny Josy's vein pulsated.

"You said that but you are poking the princess' cheek!" Seffi glared back at Darlita while swatting her hand away.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Darlita smirked, successfully evading Seffi's hand.

*Smack smack smack smack*

A series of groans and cries were heard. It was also at this moment that they noticed the small movement of the person on the bed. All eyes instantly turned toward her.

The little girl that had her eyes still completely shut slowly sat up. Her silver hair, even though it was messy, looked shiny and sparkling smooth as it cascaded down her shoulders and on her back.

"Good morning, Princess Elliana." The five palace maids respectfully greeted with their heads slightly bowed.

Startled, Elliana's drowsiness immediately vanished. Her eyes fluttered open, showing her blue eyes. All who had met her would think that she looked and acted mature, especially her eyes that seemed to scream "bored as fck." It was as if she had already experienced a lot of things in which they could never imagined. But this also made them confused because the princess was just a baby.

Elliana's brows then scrunched up as she scanned the smiling, excited faces of her palace maids before sighing.

'Ugh. Just looking at their faces makes myself so tired already.' Elliana doesn't want to look at them anymore as she pulled her sheets up and dropped back to sleep.

"Wha-! Your highness, please wake up!" Seffi called.

'So early in the morning and yet I'm already having a headache.' Nanny Josy massaged her temple, feeling helpless. But this was only a fleeting moment as she immediately calmed down and returned to her calm self.

She clapped her hands and immediately, the four maids behind her stood in attention and moved about in an orderly manner.

Clair and Penny was the one who pulled the small figure of Princess Elliana while Seffi and Darlita went to start cleaning her body with warm water. After that, they started dressing her up in her pink dress decorated with flowers. On her head was a headband of the same color as her dress with her hair braided to rest on her shoulder.

All these things happened when was still snoring away into her dreamland. She only opened her eyes when she sniffed her food that served on the table. That's right. She was only carried by Nanny Josy to the dining room for her breakfast.

Elliana looked around. It was the same as when she first arrived in the Eastern Palace, that time when she got abandoned by the emperor.

After eating, she wiped her lips with the towel that was offered by Claire to her. Then, she jumped down from her chair and started to walk out of the dining room. Behind her was Nanny Josy.

"Princess, do you want someone to carry you?"

"No."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Garden."

"What would you want to do there?"

"Nanny, you ask a lot of questions." Princess Elliana walked toward the garden with her small feet. She had just walked for a couple of meters and yet she was not at all out of breath, unlike when she was back on earth.

'Having a child's body really is convenient.' She thought to herself.

It's already been three years since she got swindled by that fairy who thinks she's god when in fact, she was just a fraudulent old grandma. And that's how she reincarnated in this world where magic and mythical creatures are present. According from her nanny, she was the seventh princess of Gratiae Empire, daughter of the current ruler, Emperor Ruther Elliot Montebourg.

'Tch. Just thinking about freaking scmbag of a father makes my blood boil in anger. Can there be a father as ruthless as him?' Elliana gritted her teeth as she stomped her way toward the garden.

"Princess, your movements are unbecoming of a lady of nobility." Nanny Josy reminded.

Elliana only shrugged her shoulders while waving her hand, "You're the only one here, Nanny, so it doesn't matter."

"Princess..."

"I know."

"Nanny Josy looked at the small back of Elliana. Such a small thing and yet she already has a strong will. However, there was also a sense of individuality in her, as if she was trying to separate herself from the rest of the people.

It was a lonely back as if she can only rely on herself.

Just this small thought was enough to make Nanny Josy sad, her heart getting pricked with a thousand needles.

'If only the empress...no, that's not important right now. All I can do now is support the princess, the daughter that the empress left behind. I have to protect her, at least, from the cruel world outside.'

As Nanny Josy snapped out of her reverie, her heart dropped and face as white as paper. The one she just swore to protect...was nowhere to be found.

"Princess? Princess!" Nanny Josy's petrified voice instantly attracted the palace servants and soldiers that were near the garden. They instantly went to the pale-faced nanny.

"The princess, have you seen her?" Nanny Josy asked, her calm demeanor was now shattered as she grabbed the first soldier that arrived.

"N-no. I just came running now when I heard your call."

"Oh no." Nanny Josy sweated and was trembling. 'This-this is my fault. Today was even her highness' birthday. I shouldn't have took my eyes off her for even a second.'

It did not take long before other soldiers and servants came to the garden. Nanny Josy was silent and panic grew in the hearts of the people. Although Elliana was an abandoned princess, she was still royalty. If something happened to her, their lives might be forfeited.

This time, Nanny Josy took a deep breath, straightened her back, and raised her head. Though still pale, the firmness in her eyes was strong. After that, she started to have the servants search the who Eastern Palace. The soldiers was to search the forest, Nanny Josy included.

Meanwhile, in a bush, Elliana popped her head out. Her eyes looked at the place she came upon after getting lost in the forest. There, in front of her, was a gazebo.

"Where am I?" She asked herself as she let her small body got out of the bush and walked toward the gazebo with a look of interest in her eyes.

She saw something in the forest that piqued her interest. With that, she unknowingly followed it and the next thing she knew, she was already deep in the forest. The one thing that she followed was nowhere to be found and after walking for who knows how long, she arrived here.

"Hmm...what should I do?" Elliana asked herself as she found herself lost.