1. Baby fever

It has been around three months since she has been birthed and all that Valentia's body can really do is whine for milk or do the hourly toilet...necessities.

She never thought that saying two words would result in her being reborn as the evil villainess in a novel that was found randomly laying on the broken and dusty bed of her old world's orphanage bed bunker. However, as much as she wants to say she misses her old life, that just is not the reality of the situation.

She has everything she has ever wanted in a perfect life; new clothes every day, food whenever she wants it, and even maids that walk around her like she is the most fragile being in the world.

Having a name is but of course the best thing, however. She can call herself something other than 'I'.

The only thing that is stopping Valentia from living a blissful life is the dreaded fact that she will die on her 16th birthday by the doings of her emotionless father and manipulative younger cousin.

However, as a literal baby there is not much, she could do in terms of movement.

"Oh! Princess, you have awoken from your nap".

That is where Valentia's personal maid, Lisa, comes into play.

As the caring woman lifted her small body up from the cradle, she held her close to her shoulder, slowly stroking Valentia's back with so much love that it even made Valentia feel embarrassed for being this close to someone.

Lisa was a beautiful nanny. As much as she would have wanted a mother, having the consciousness of a teen in a baby's body helped her to figure out that her mother had died only a few hours after her birth. This was also the reason why her father had not come and see her after their first meeting, but she could understand why.

Losing someone you care for is a hard thing.

"You are so beautiful, our princess Valentia." Looking back at the woman who helps her small body with such delicacy, she attempted a smile while looking into the sad eyes of Lisa. "Her majesty would have loved such a contempt baby like yourself."

Lisa's hair was a deep chestnut brown, almost like sweet dark chocolate as her golden eyes reminded her that of gold. She could tell Lisa was someone of nobility even at first glance. Her hair was always soft to touch and play with, her smile when around others was always enchanting yet once why herself it was as playful as through a trapped child was set loose, and her words to the other maids were always recognized and respected even though she was not head maid.

She could trust her, she hoped. If not, then she would not willingly let a child she hated touch her hair 24/7. If Lisa loved her in the coming years, she would help Valentia run away from her father, maybe perhaps help steer him away, or maybe make sure they will not meet at all!

"Princess?"

As Valentia's eyes grew big with excitement, staring off into the distance, Lisa followed her sight after her curiosity got the better and finally understood why the princess was acting as cute as she was right now.

"urhtee" Although the babbles were slowly starting to sound like real words, she was still only three months. It was a miracle that she was even able to babble at two months nevertheless speaking words at three. However, Valentia needed to be smart.

She needed to outsmart Binitha's mind games.

While Valentia's sight was focusing on how the forest just beside the tea party set up, was so close she could also feel the wind against her cheek and the freedom of death slowly lifting her away from this death trap of a castle. Lisa sight travelled down to the man starring at the window from below, a face full of emotions let none came forth was static in his stance as he sat down at the tea table.

"Ahhh..." Valentia's eyes travelled back to her golden ones, her pure and childish eyes beamed with happiness seemed to only confirm Lisa's thoughts. "Princess Valentia wants to go and see his royal highness, King Darcel."

HUUUUUU?????????

+++

It has been around two weeks since that 'conversation' with Lisa happened however, she still has not met the King yet so maybe her petrified eyes got through to the beautiful golden-eyed nanny.

However, today was not a day to mope around. This was the first day in months she has been allowed outside of her bedroom. Finally, she would be able to plan an escape route and adventure outside the walls just like what Eren from Attack on Titan would have wanted her to do.

Oh, how she missed reading manga. Even though the orphanage did not have enough money for the actual manga books, the library had some so she would constantly go there and read all that she could in the few hours of freedom she gained during her week of choirs.

Raising her hands up to the sky, Lisa placed her arms and head into the dress's holes and swiftly put it on fast, knowing that her arms would grow tiresome fast before lifting her up and placing her against her shoulder again. This seemed to be Lisa's favourite position to hold Valentia in.

Maybe it was because all she could really see of her was the silver-blonde hair she had gained from her mother slowly start to sprout on her small head.

But that did not matter right now. All she could focus on was the layout of this hallway and how long it would take her to run from point A to B. Her bedroom, though large, was still empty and on the farthest side of the Tulip palace to be as distanced from the King's permanent residence in the Winchest Palace. Although it sounded sad, it was better in the long run if her plan of running away was to work out.

The hallway was empty as empty could be which was good however, it was dreadfully long to the point she almost fell asleep on Lisa's shoulder. The yellow sandstone pillars rose high while the white stone path was lumpy and uneven. However, this stopped once Lisa reached the outside doors and the white path was replaced with thick, lush tall grass that towered over the poor small baby body of Valentia.

"wahhhhw" Valentia gasped, her hands covering her gaping mouth however she could not contain her excitement when Lisa placed her down on the ground moments prior.

It smelt so clean outside. It felt like she was already on the path of freedom.

All she needed to do was run straight forward and into the forest. She was small enough to pull it off and not be seen. However, her stupidly small body was not up for the challenge of running, however crawling, was a better option.

As un-lady like as she was, Valentia dropped to her knees, her dress becoming ruined with mud and squashed bugs along her determined path of freedom. She could hear Lisa call out for her desperately but as much as she wanted to be a good character, her soulmate was the evil villainess and she needed her to --

As though she had hit a brick wall, her powerful crawling had been halted.

"Wha fuge?"(What) Although she only babbled the profanity filled sentence, once she peered up at the wall and found her father staring down at her with a surprised expression, she had realised that her babble has been understood.

The man stared down at his foot which is only then Valentia realised she had been sitting on his seemingly new shoes for some time.

Now, in a life-or-death situation, Valentia truthfully speaking only had two options.

A. Crawling off and away or B. Death.

So as much as she hated herself, she chose option C.

"Youbu loaok hawndome, Poapa" (You look handsome, Papa.)

Then, just as a gust of wind whooshed past, ruffling up his perfectly secured long bangs, allowing his eyes to fully be seen. His eyes seemed to sparkle in something other than death as they stared back into hers.

The silence between both the father and the daughter only grew more uncomfortable for Valentia as his eyes had not moved from hers in a good few second. So, she needed to act and act fast. Fast enough that would cause a reaction and have Lisa find her in this maze of a field.

"Vali diod posopie" (Valentia did poopie)

Luckily, after being confined to the same room for almost three months in complete silence, Lisa was able to pick up on the poop word babble even with a great distance between us and rushed over which I could tell by her rapid breathing and small blinking of sweat on her pretty opal skin. She apologized to the king for letting Princess Valentia roam around farther than his Majesty instructed and was ready for his punishment.

Yet, against what Valentia thought he would do, he nearly dismissed her actions and stared at the small body lying on his foot. Noticing this, Lisa promptly picked her and began to head inside of the palace.

Once against Lisa's shoulder, she was able to see the King's face once again however, it was faced to face this time.

'I need to be on his good side now'.

Hating her rash decision and wanting to grow up faster and stronger, as a result, she listed her small hand which was flapping against Lisa's body and directed her open hand at her father. Hoping that her smiling face was beautiful, she made sure to make the cutest baby smile ever while staring at him.

Although her efforts were made, it seemed as though his mind was somewhere else. Somewhere where he longed for. Yet once he realized the woman, he loved was not the one carrying their child, his face grew solemn as he turned back around to the tea-table he was once sitting at.

"Oh, Trini..."

Darcel's deep and heart words seemed to only pile the weight of the unknown onto his shoulders once again. However, although he wished to never meet the child of his lost love.

"It seems you want me to meet her, uh."