Path of Surprises [part 2]

"Wow~," I gasp in surprise as Marilyn's face comes into view for the first time since she became my nanny. Despite being a skilled midwife and healer, my mom hired her as my nanny when I was just one year old. Ever since then, Marilyn has been taking care of me.

But now, I'm finally seeing her face, the face I've never seen before. All the women around me always wear veils, except for my sisters and mother. The reason behind this remains a mystery, as my family refuses to share it no matter how much I ask. To make things more puzzling, I've never been allowed to explore the palace fully since my birth. My movements are confined to my mom's vast and spacious chambers.

"You're beautiful…and younger than I expected," I remark, gazing into her captivating green eyes with unwavering focus. Her long, jet-black hair cascades down her waist, perfectly complementing her smooth, oval-shaped face, arched eyebrows, and luscious red lips. Adorning her elongated ears are numerous earrings, adding to her alluring charm.

Marilyn blushes momentarily at my words but quickly regains her composure. "Don't flatter me…hehehe. You always speak beyond your years. You're a smart kid," she says, playfully pinching my nose.

"I'm serious. I never realized you were such a beautiful young woman," I reply, folding my small hands behind my back as I stand before her.

Silence hangs in the air as Marilyn sighs and bends down, bringing her face to my eye level. "I am indeed a young woman, barely a hundred years old. My talent and skill as a healer and midwife earned me this position. But as a woman, I also have desires and emotions. I-I..." She trails off, sighing wearily.

"You're just a kid, after all. You wouldn't understand," Marilyn says, shaking her head with weariness.

I gaze at her, remaining silent. Little does she know, Marilyn, I know more than you think, I think to myself.

"Prince Alex, before I take you to her majesty, how about we take a look in the mirror? Your mother will explain everything," Marilyn suggests, taking hold of my small hand and leading me toward the exit at the end of the hallway—a path I've never traversed since birth.

Now that I remember, since my rebirth, I haven't caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror. In my previous life, vampires couldn't see their reflections, necessitating the use of special mirrors. However, in my current life, I haven't come across any mirrors in my mom's chambers. But being a clueless child, I couldn't complain or ask questions. If I did, it would raise my mom's suspicions or point fingers at the guards. Initially, I assumed it was an elvish cultural tradition, but that doesn't seem to be the case. There's definitely a connection between the veiled faces and the absence of mirrors.

"Wow, this is your room? It's so beautiful," I exclaim, pretending to be a wide-eyed child, marveling at the breathtaking sight.

I find myself inside Marilyn's room, which, to my disappointment, is still located within my mother's chambers. However, it's a part of the palace that I've never explored before.

Come to think of it, my mom's chambers are quite vast. How massive is the palace, and what lies beyond its boundaries? Through conversations with Marilyn, I've gathered information about this planet—a world teeming with diverse races. And beyond that, there are countless other planets housing a multitude of life forms and races.

However, this planet, Manov, stands out as one of the most prominent and populous among them. But being the biggest doesn't necessarily make it the best.

In my quest for knowledge, I often visit my mother's study, immersing myself in books that offer insights into this world and its diverse races. Although I've never set foot outside, I possess tangible knowledge about the world around me.

Interestingly, this planet is home to two types of elves—regular elves and dark elves. Surprisingly, we share borders with the dark elves, despite having distinct monarchies and hierarchies. But our relations with them are surprisingly amicable, with little to no discrimination, as Marilyn has told me.

"Prince Jake, are you okay?" Marilyn's voice breaks my train of thought, bringing me back to reality.

"Hehehe. I'm just fascinated by your room," I reply cheekily. Truth be told, Marilyn's room is impressive, adorned with well-crafted wooden furniture and shelves filled with various potions. The lingering scent in the air matches Marilyn's own unique fragrance.

"Are you ready to see yourself in the mirror, little Alex?" Marilyn asks with a smile. "Or do you prefer if I call you little Alex?" she adds.

"Of course not. I prefer that over being called a prince," I respond with a smile.

Marilyn doesn't say anything, but her smile conveys her understanding. She walks to the corner of the room and retrieves a peculiar, flat object wrapped in a brown cloth.

"Are you ready?" Marilyn asks.

I nod, my gaze fixed on the object in her hand.

In the next moment, Marilyn unveils the cloth, revealing a mirror. And as I gaze upon my reflection for the first time, astonishment takes hold.

"D-Do I really look like this?" I ask, bewildered, as I touch my face while studying my own image. The sight before me leaves me utterly dumbfounded.

"Yes, my prince," Marilyn confirms.

"Wow~" I exclaim in awe, caressing my face in amazement.

It feels strange to see myself as a child, barely reaching Marilyn's waist. I had known about my height compared to Marilyn's, but seeing it in the mirror adds a surreal quality to the experience. Nonetheless, I don't feel regretful, as elves are known for their tall stature. In fact, I believe I'm even more handsome now than I was at this age in my past life. However, it's not just my attractive features that surprise me; it's my eyes. My left eye is a striking blood red, reminiscent of a vampire's gaze, while my right eye mirrors my mother's amethyst hue.

"What in the world...?" I mutter in shock, fixated on my left eye.

I quickly realize that my vision doesn't possess any vampiric characteristics. It appears that some of my vampire powers must have been sealed within me. However, since I wasn't reincarnated as a vampire or a blood elf, accessing these powers requires a complete transformation, a challenging process that demands rare resources.

An idea begins to form in my mind. In my previous life, one of my three elven wives gave birth to a blood elf named Mael. He possessed the ability to wield vampire aura and blood attacks, just like vampires themselves. The only difference was that he could sustain himself on regular food, depleting his vampire aura and reverting to a normal elf. He was versatile and nearly unstoppable.

However, Mael fell into a deep slumber after sustaining injuries while battling the malevolent gods who sought to end his life, fearing his potential as a godslayer.

Fortunately, I arrived at the scene in time to save Mael from certain death. However, his fate took a different turn as he fell into an eternal slumber, his awakening unknown to anyone.

Those accursed gods... particularly the square-faced one. When I have the chance, I will ensure he pays for his actions and prevent his reincarnation.

Yet, the dilemma remains—I cannot access my sealed powers as I wasn't born as a vampire or a blood elf. Unlocking this power would require a comprehensive transformation of my entire being, a daunting task that necessitates rare resources.

Suddenly, a tap on my shoulder snaps me out of my thoughts, and I find Marilyn looking at me with concern. In front of her, a hologram appears, projecting an image of my mother. They are conversing through a magical ring, a technology I am yet to understand.

"Your Majesty, little Alex seems startled by his appearance, but he is not panicking," Marilyn reports to my mother.

Sighing, my mother responds, "I should have been there with him, but I couldn't bear it. I must fulfill my responsibility and explain everything to him."

Turning her attention to me, my mother's voice reaches my ears. "Little Alex, Mommy loves you. Don't be frightened—I will tell you everything. You're my sweet little angel."

I simply nod like a child and refrain from saying anything. The call ends, and Marilyn gazes at me with a mixture of concern and determination.

"We are going outside the palace for the first time. A carriage is waiting for us, and your Majesty is inside," Marilyn informs me as she asks for permission to hold my hand, leading me out of her room.

Meanwhile, inside a box-shaped carriage powered by energy crystals, a beautiful woman taps her foot impatiently on the floor.

"How should I tell little Alex that he'll need to wear an eyepatch? He's so innocent... How can I explain it to him? This will be difficult," Tiriana, the elf queen, ponders, biting her lower lip until it bleeds. Beads of sweat form on her forehead, reflecting her internal struggle.