Chapter 2: Trouble With the Newborn

Lucas tried looking here and there by moving from the bed he could not because of his physical immaturity. He felt small in the room. In all of a sudden he felt as if someone was lifting him up. He noticed that the woman in white dress lifted him up and took him in her arms and then smiled at him.

The woman's smile was bright. Her hair was black and glimmering. Her lips were baby pink and her face was oval. It was obvious from her looks that she has recently given birth. Lucas has already realized that he has turned into a baby. He got startled. His mind was empty. He let out a small scream as he was feeling clueless.

The woman found it adorable and gave Lucas a small kiss on his forehead. Lucas's face turned red. The woman spoke in a different language which Lucas has never heard before. The woman kept talking to him. Lucas just stared at her like an innocent baby.

In a while, a man in brown vest with gray pants and shirt came in the room. His hair was like caramel and his skin was pale. He looked as if he has worked so hard that he forgot to comb his hair. The man went towards the woman and held both Lucas and the woman in his arms.

Lucas was left confused. He let out small screams pretty often. The man and the woman realized that Lucas was upset because of something. After a short while, Lucas started to understand their words a little bit. When he started to understand their words, he calmed himself. Seeing him calm, the man tried to give a kiss to Lucas which startled him again. Thus, he began to cry. Lucas's vision was still not that well yet.

"He will be a big boy, won't he Erik?" said the woman.

"Of course he will. So, he did anything?" said the man.

"Anything what?"

"Anything...ah...you know...surprising?"

"He is only a day old. How can he do 'surprising' things now?"

"Ah...Yes."

"Well he did do something though. When I kissed him he blushed."

"Aww...See, I told you that there is no way he will be like me, Gun."

"(Wait what? Her name is GUN?!?)" thought Lucas with a surprised face.

"Oh look honey, he is surprised." said the woman named 'Gun'.

Suddenly two girls came. The young one's lips were red and she had a round face. She was wearing a hairband and green dress. The other girl was a bit older than the first one who was about ten years old. She was wearing a pink dress with curly black hair. Her cheeks were red as if she has put on makeup. Her skin was pale and her lips were rose pink. The older one said,

"Miss Gunhild, Grandma Ase is calling you."

"I can't go down you know that." said the woman named 'Gun', who's real name was actually Gunhild. Lucas took a small breath realizing that her name is not 'Gun'.

"Yeah, but she didn't tell you to go downstairs. She just asked you to peek out of the window."

Gunhild looked out of the window and saw an old woman holding a basket of fruits. The woman was a little bit fat. Her hair was short and mildly curly. Her lips were thin and chapped. The woman was short in height yet her voice was so high pitched that it annoyed Lucas a little.

"Gunhild, my dear. How are you doing now?" said the old woman.

"I'm fine Aunt Ase. What about you?" said Gunhild.

"Oh, you can see how I am. I'm fit as a fiddle. How is the new boy?"

"He is totally fine! You should come see him."

"Ha ha. I'll come over once I'm finished visiting Frida's house. She will give birth soon!" said the old woman and left the place.

The younger girl called out Gunhild saying "Mommy."

"Yes dear? Come here." said Gunhild and handed Lucas to her.

"I assume that it's my big sister." thought Lucas while staring at the girl.

"Mommy he's so cute. His eyes are sort of green like mine! Hilda will take care of him." said the girl with a bright smile.

"No dear, I told you not to talk with third person." said Gunhild.

"What is that?"

"When you talk by saying your name instead of saying 'I', that's third person."

"Okay mommy, Hilda won't-"

"Ahem."

"I won't."

"Gunhild, you wanna send something to Frida?" said Erik.

"Oh come on, you know what granny Ase does. If someone will give birth nine months later, she will say the woman is giving birth tomorrow." said Gunhild.

"Ha ha."

"Aunt Gunhild, have you fed the baby?" said the older girl.

"Oh my, I haven't yet. Can you all leave the room please? Girls are allowed though, but don't peek." said Gunhild.

"Ah...alright." said Erik and left the room.

"Wait...SHE WILL FEED ME!?!? Like...FEED ME HOW A MOTHER FEEDS A BABY!?!?" thought Lucas and started making noises to let them know that he feels uncomfortable.

"Oh...baby, it's foody time. Momma's gonna feed you."

Lucas did his best to say 'no' which didn't really work out. Gunhild was about to feed Lucas which startled him even more. He threw a tantrum which caused her mother to feel bad as a mother. She tried for several times to feed him. She handed him to the girls and tried yet nothing worked. In the end, she wept because she could not feed her child. She began to think that there is something wrong with her child. She called Erik upstairs. Erik came and Hilda filled him in about what happened.

"What have I done wrong..." said Gunhild.

"Come on...maybe he is shy?" said Erik.

"What? He's a baby...How can he be shy with his mother? How will I change his pants then? There must be something else wrong with him."

"Uh...I'll call Svend. There are other people to take care of Frida. I think he will be able to spare some time."

Gunhild stared at her baby and kept wondering what might be wrong.

"Mommy, there will be a festival right? I mean two babies were born yesterday." said Hilda.

"The other baby is a prince sweetie. We aren't the same as them." said Gunhild.

"Why not?"

"It's because it has been like this since the old times. It was fixed by the gods and it will be like this." said the older girl.

"But Randi, this isn't fair. My brother is a baby too." said Hilda.

"He is the baby of a blacksmith."

"What is wrong with being a blacksmith?"

"Nothing is...it's just that he gotta keep ourselves lower than them, okay?"

"I don't get it...but anyway. Mommy, can we go to the festival of the prince?"

"It's called the Returnert dear." said Gunhild.

"What does that mean?"

"The newborn princes are believed to be the ancestors of the past who later returns to rule their kingdom with peace. That is why it's called Returnert."

"So...can we go?"

"We'll see. If my body keeps up then I will gladly follow you to wherever you go sweetie."

"Okay mommy!" said Hilda and kissed on Gunhild's cheeks. Then she left the room saying that she will make dolls for her brother.

"Everyone is so nice here..." thought Lucas and smiled at Gunhild.

Someone knocked on the door downstairs. Randi went down to open the door. Then a man in a grey coat came. His eyes were hooded and gray. He was wearing a hat which covered his black hair. He was holding a suitcase and an umbrella. His eyebrows were thick and his skin was brown.

"Gunhild, how have you been doing?" said the man.

"I'm doing fine, Svend . It's just that...my baby..." said Gunhild as her face as filled with an upsetting expression.

"Yeah I heard about it all. Gimmie the baby will you?"

Gunhild handed him the baby. As soon as he got the baby, he started taking off the towel. Lucas got startled and threw a tantrum once again. His mother tried assuring him that Svend will check him up for his own good. Lucas calmed himself up.

"The baby seems fine to me...physically. Can I spend some time with him?" said Svend.

"What are you gonna do with him?" said Hilda.

"Oh, nothing. I will just play with him."

Lucas went downstairs with Erik and Svend. Erik kept him in his arms whilst Svend tickled him. He didn't show much of a respond to that. Then Svend said that he kills babies and that he will do the same to Lucas. Lucas knew that it is a test to understand him so he made a crying noise. Svend then took some time to calm him down and be friends with him. After five minutes they went upstairs to Gunhild.

"What is it? What is wrong with him?" said Gunhild.

"Nothing is wrong. He understands human emotions even as such a small baby. You should go to the shrine and pray Gun. Not now, after you recover of course. He was feeling shy when you were going to feed him."

"WHAT?" said everyone in the room except Svend.

"Then how can I feed him?" said Gunhild.

"Use a spoon. I have no other thing to say. I have an appointment now, I will be going now. I wish you all a happy day." said Svend and went downstairs.

"At least have a cup of tea-" said Hilda.

"I gotta get back to work now. I can see customers waiting. Goodbye darling." said Erik and left as well.

"Hilda, Randi, you two go get something to eat. There are some veggies in the cupboard. Make anything out of it. Don't get too close to the fire Hilda, okay? Oh and by the way, give me a bowl and a spoon." said Gunhild.

"Okay." said both Hilda and Randi and rushed downstairs to get a spoon and a bowl. In the end, Lucas had to be fed by a spoon.

"Having a smart baby is hard...I don't want you to grow up so fast..." said Gunhild.

Lucas looked at her and let out small noise assuring her about something.

"By the way, what will your name be?" said Gunhild as he was feeding Lucas.

Gunhild was in deep thoughts while feeding him. Whilst Lucas was wondering about what happened.

"So...after observing many things...I think that I have firstly, turned into a baby. Secondly, it's my new family and thirdly...oh my god, I can't believe that this is real. I died right? Wait...if I died then it means that I am not alive...in that world...SO I GOT ISEKAIED!?!"

Seeing Lucas's surprised face, Gunhild laughed. Lucas tried organizing his thoughts.

"Okay so. I got reincarnated because I asked God for one more chance to live a happy life and stuffs with..."

Lucas could not remember who he was looking for anymore. He panicked. Then he came to a conclusion that he will get his memories back little by little since he could not remember what he was when he first laid his eyes upon this world. Out of the blue, Gunhild said,

"Your name will be-"