The Great Hall of Rose Castle was heavily decorated to celebrate the fifth birthday of the First Princess of Ocrana. The largest room in the castle was brightly lit with enormous chandeliers hanging on the high ceiling and the large Corinthian columns were decorated with hanging bouquets of colorful and exotic flowers, filling the hall with their fragrance.

Hanging on the walls were large banners that contained the coat of arms of the royal family: a single red rose with its stem filled with thorns. As a nation famous for the wide variety of flowers that bloomed in its territory, the Kingdom of Ocrana and its nobles loved to use flowers for their symbolism, with the rose being the most sacred of all, hence its exclusive use by the royal family.

The Great Hall was currently filled with dozens of guests, most of which were powerful nobles and rich businessmen. They stood in groups as they mingled with each other, filling the hall with the noise of chatter. Some of them were at the tables where a plethora of extravagant food was arrayed while the less-social ones were standing at the sides, quietly conversing with others.

The setting in the Great Hall was bright and colorful, but the same couldn't be said for the atmosphere. Most of the guests had impatient frowns on their faces, their glasses of expensive wine long exchanged with fruit juice. After all, they couldn't just keep on drinking alcohol for the entire hour they've been waiting, especially when the party didn't look like it was going to start anytime soon. Already, some were requesting the castle staff for chairs to be brought in so they could rest their tired legs. Nobody could keep standing for an hour and not feel tired.

Everybody in the room had become impatient, some even insulted, as they waited for the party to begin. They had been waiting for the arrival of the royal family, but no matter how many times they asked the castle staff when the hosts would be arriving, they could only give vague answers.

At one end of the hall, behind the table set for the royal family that was placed on an elevated platform, was a door hidden from sight by a large banner. It was cracked open slightly, and through the gap, King Milos Darvan Corvin Ocrana peeked nervously at the impatient crowd of nobles gathered in the Hall before closing the door and turning to the woman behind him.

“Nesta! How much longer do you intend to delay the party?” Milos whispered loudly, the splendor of his attire not able to hide the worry in his body language. “At this rate, the nobles would start leaving before the event could even start!”

The woman, Queen Nesta Hensley Caldwell Ocrana, who was also dressed extravagantly in an eye-catching red dress, smiled warmly at her worried husband. The smile eased some of Milos' worry, but her words dashed his hope. “Why are you asking me, dear? Our daughter is the one we've been waiting for, not me. We prepared this event for her, didn't we? It would defeat the purpose if we started celebrating a birthday party when the celebrant isn't even there.”

“But you know how Christine is,” Milos said tiredly. “You can never force her to do something she doesn't want to!”

“I know, dear. That's why I sent Lorana,” Nesta replied with a smile.

“It's been an hour since you sent Lorana for her. Are you sure she could find her?”

“We're talking about Lorana, dear. When it comes to her, it only becomes a matter of time.”

“Time we don't have,” Milos grumbled. “And why is our spymaster even taking so long to find our daughter in our own home?”

Nesta's smile grew wider. “Because our daughter's power is growing stronger. Lorana might be the best in her field of work, but compared to an Ascendant with an Authority like Christine's, she's at a major disadvantage. And that's considering the fact that our daughter is only five years of age. Already, she had passed the classes of ten tutors in a single year and she had finished two entire curriculum's worth of studies in that same year. And that's her Authority when it's at its weakest, and it will only grow stronger as she grows old.”

By the end, Nesta was grinning widely as she pictured how her daughter might be the key to all the kingdom's problems. Her daughter was now smarter than most people in the kingdom, and that's considering the fact that Nesta hadn't even shown Christine the secret sections of the library yet, hidden away to conceal forbidden knowledge.

Milos suddenly became uncomfortable after listening to Nesta's words, and although he tried to hide it, his wife easily saw through him. “What is it, dear?”

“Don't you think you're putting too much pressure on our daughter's shoulders?” Milos asked somberly. “Yes, she's an Ascendant. Yes, she is smarter than most people, and she could even outsmart the spymaster who had been protecting our kingdom from the shadows for many years. But you said it yourself, Nesta. Christine's just five years old. She's a child, and no matter how smart she is, children are supposed to be carefree and play outside with their friends. She's five, Nesta, and instead of dolls and toys, the only thing I saw our daughter hold in her hands were books!”

Nesta pursed her lips. “You know as well as I do that I'm doing this for her, Milos. If she had been born as a normal person, then I would have spoiled her rotten and let her play with dolls as much as she wanted, just like what you said. But she's an Ascendant. You listen to Kethra's stories of her earlier years, don't you? Countless people tried to manipulate her so they could take her power for their own, and when she refused to play by their rules, they tried to take her forcefully. Dozens of kidnapping attempts, blackmail, and even assassinations. That's what our daughter will face when everybody finds out what she is, Milos. And I'm not going to stand by and let it happen when I can start preparing her for the future.”

Milos looked defeated as Nesta finished. As much as he wanted to disagree with his wife, he knew she was right. A part of him wished that Christine was born as a normal person so she wouldn't have to carry the burden of being an Ascendant, but it was pointless to wish for something like that. Even the gods could not decide who got to be an Ascendant or not.

“Fine, you win,” Milos grumbled. “But cut her some slack, okay? Christine already has a troublesome future ahead of her. This is the only time when she gets to be carefree and innocent before life tempers her in its crucible. Give her the happy childhood she deserves.”

Nesta smiled warmly at her husband and pulled him into a hug. “Trust me, dear. I don't want her to grow up like me.”

“I don't want her to grow up to be a paranoid, nagging woman too, so that makes two of us,” Milos said with a grin.

“You're going to regret saying that,” Nesta said as she pulled away from the hug and glared at him.

Before Milos could make another quip and dig his grave deeper, Lorana suddenly emerged from the shadows like a specter and kneeled in front of the monarchs. “Your Majesties, I've come to report that the First Princess will be coming soon.”

Nesta clapped her hands. “Good work, Lorana, although I can't help but notice that it took you much longer this time.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. It has become harder and harder to track the princess. It seems she has been slowly learning my tactics, but I assure you, I will never fail to find her.”

Milos chuckled. “I'm pretty sure nobody can hide from you, Lorana.”

“You flatter me, Your Majesty,” Lorana replied with a smile.

“Your princess-tracking duties are now over for the day, Lorana,” Nesta said as she started walking towards one of the secret passages that would lead to the main entrance of the Grand Hall. “You can go back to your normal duties for now. There are many important people on our guest list today, and it would reassure me if you assisted Morgan in keeping the castle's security air-tight.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Lorana replied before sinking to the ground silently, her body passing smoothly through the stone floor as if it was a portal. When she was gone, the floor was exactly as it was, with no signs indicating that a maid had just phased through it.

“I'll never get used to that,” Milos muttered before following Nesta towards the Grand Hall, where they can finally start the party.

●●●

“Are you ready?” Randal asked Christine as they neared the entrance to the Great Hall. Unlike the quiet hallways near the library, the paths near the Grand Hall were moderately crowded with bustling castle staff and chattering guests. When they spotted the royal siblings, they bowed and congratulated Christine on her fifth birthday. Receiving greetings from people would have been a good thing, but as Christine nodded at those that greeted her one after another, she felt her stomach churn at the smarmy faces of the nobles and their false smiles.

“I'll never get used to this. Seeing their fawning faces makes me want to punch them, ” Christine muttered, soft enough that nobody else besides Randal heard it.

“Oh I understand you well, sister,” Randal replied with a practiced smile that he showed to the guests around them. Christine almost let her disgust show on her face when a group of young women giggled behind their fans as they saw the Crown Prince. “If it makes you feel better, know that whatever they say or do, you're the princess and they're your subjects. You're the one in the position of power, and don't let them push you around just because you're young.”

“I know,” Christine said as they finally arrived at the large double doors that served as the entrance to the Grand Hall. Christine's false smile turned into a pout when she saw who was waiting for them.

“Christine! I'm glad you managed to make it! Let me be the first to greet you with a happy birthday!” Queen Nesta exclaimed with a large smile as she leaned down and hugged Christine.

“Countless others have already greeted me first, Mother,” Christine grumbled as she returned the embrace. “But thanks.”

“Mine is the only one that matters, sweetheart. Now stop pouting, that's unbecoming for a princess,” the Queen whispered in a lower volume.

Before Christine could complain, the Queen broke off and King Milos approached next, a big grin on his bearded face. “Don't listen to your mother, Christine. You're the princess, you can do whatever you want.”

Unlike the pout she greeted the Queen with earlier, Christine met Milos' hug with a happy smile. “Yeah, that's right! Tell Mother her makeup's gonna expire on her face first if she keeps on nagging like an old hag nonstop!”

“H-Haha, don't let her know you said that, alright?” Milos said nervously as he shot surreptitious glances behind him. “Anyway, happy birthday, Christine. It feels just like yesterday when I first saw you crawling around on your little arms and legs, and now you're here dressed in a lovely purple dress attending a formal party! I'm proud of you, little one.”

“Don't be so dramatic, Father. It's just my fifth birthday,” Christine said as Milos kissed her forehead, but despite her words, she had a wide grin on her face. She always liked receiving compliments from her father.

“Let's not delay any further, everyone,” Nesta said as she gestured for the door. “I'm sure everyone inside is already raring to start the party.”

When everyone was ready, Nesta nodded to the two guards stationed at the door. At the signal, they pushed the large doors open, revealing the Grand Hall inside. The King offered his arm to the Queen, who gladly took it, and they went ahead first before stopping at the top of the stairs that led down to the wide-open floor where all the impatient guests had stopped to see who entered through the doors.

“May I present to you! His Majesty, King Milos Darvan Corvin Ocrana, Sovereign of the Kingdom of Ocrana, and his Royal Consort, Queen Nesta Hensley Caldwell Ocrana, Queen of the Kingdom of Ocrana!” shouted the announcer stationed beside the entrance.

At once, the muttered complaints that had been floating around for the past hour immediately ceased and all the guests bowed or curtsied in deference to their sovereign and his wife. Even the band stopped playing to pay their respects, plunging the Grand Hall in silence.

The King nodded to the guests and escorted the Queen down the stairs and towards the table set for the royal family at the other end of the Grand Hall. When the King and Queen were halfway across the hall, Christine and Randal entered the Hall as well.

“His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Randal Darvan Corvin Ocrana, Heir Apparent to the Throne! And Her Royal Highness, Princess Christine Hensley Caldwell Ocrana, the First Princess!”

Christine felt nervous at the sight of countless nobles bowing and curtsying at her, but none of it showed on her face. The first lesson that the Queen had taught her was to never show weakness to the hungry pack of hyenas that was the nobility, and despite Christine's reluctance to follow any of the Queen's lectures about being a member of royalty, this was the one lesson that she followed to the letter.

“You doing okay?” Randal asked beside her while smiling at the guests below.

“No,” Christine replied. Instead of putting on a fake smile like her brother was doing, Christine had a serious expression on her face. It wasn't welcoming, by any means, but at least it was easier to fake than a smile. “I could already see those who genuinely attended for my birthday and those who attended with some hidden agenda in mind.”

In the few seconds that Christine had been in the Grand Hall, her mind had already processed everything she had seen. With her power, she could analyze every microexpression on the nobles' faces and easily tell whether they were faking their smiles or not. That was one of the reasons why Christine didn't want to attend the party. Seeing people who were present only for their own agendas at her birthday party was a frustrating sight. She could turn off her power so she wouldn't have to see the truth, but that was the last thing she wanted to do when in the presence of the power-hungry nobles.

“Don't worry, I'll talk to Mother,” Randal said as he started escorting Christine down the stairs. “You can just stay at the table for the duration of the party.”

“You know Mother wouldn't allow that. This is the first time she's presenting me to the nobility, and there's no way she's going to pass the chance to introduce me to them.”

Randal chuckled. “Well, that's how mothers are, Christine. It may not look like it to you, but Mother is proud of who you are, and she's not going to miss the chance to brag you to her friends and enemies.”

Christine scowled. “If Mother was proud of me, she wouldn't be nagging at me all the time.” But despite her scowl, the corner of her lips trembled as she tried to resist a happy smile.

When they arrived at their table, Randal went to seat himself beside the King while Christine went to the chair beside the Queen. When Christine sat down, the Queen leaned over to her and whispered. “I told you to always smile when you're in the presence of the nobility. Why didn't you smile?”

“Why should I smile when I'm not happy to see them?” Christine replied. “And it's not like all of them are happy to see me either.”

“Then smile for those who are happy to see you,” Nesta said with a sigh.

Not even a minute had passed yet since she sat and Christine already wanted to leave.

While Christine and Nesta talked, the King had started giving a speech to the guests, thanking them for their attendance and giving a sincere apology for the long delay. It would have normally been a weird sight for a king to apologize, but King Milos was a compassionate and kind ruler, and where most kings found apologizing damaging to their pride, King Milos saw it as a justification for his pride. For him, accepting one's own mistakes was never a shameful act, as long as one learned from them.

Christine always thought her father's view was too idealistic. The first time she saw Milos act as a compassionate king, she wondered how such a kind man could survive the jungle that was the politics. Then Christine glanced at the Queen beside her, her sweet smile still plastered on her face as she gazed at the gathered guests, a smile that hid the cunning mind underneath, and she knew why nobody took advantage of her father.

“And so, without further ado, let the celebrations begin!” Milos shouted happily, and at once, the band started playing lively music.

The exciting music seemed to infect the guests as their frustration from the past hour seemed to disappear. The gentlemen began inviting the ladies and soon, the dance floor was filled with energetic guests who danced cheerfully in time to the music.

Those with body types not fit for dancing opted instead to approach the table where food and drinks were being served. There was a large array of dishes and refreshments on display, with attendants placing the food on the nobles' plates buffet-style.

Instead of having to go to the buffet table, Christine and the rest of her family were served directly by the staff so they didn't have to stand up. Christine was glad for it because she didn't want to touch shoulders with the nobles if she didn't have to. Not like she could reach their shoulders in the first place.

When the staff served their food, the first thing Christine did was taste the slice of cake served to her. She hummed in delight as she relished the sweet white icing and the bits of what tasted like strawberry in between the layers of the soft cake.

“Desserts are supposed to go last, dear,” Nesta chided beside her, but Christine didn't miss the look of expectation on her mother's face. “Since you tasted it already and all that, how does it taste?”

Christine considered making fun of her mother by telling her the cake sucked, but she didn't want to accidentally hurt her mother's feelings. “It tastes great! This is the best cake I've ever tasted so far.”

“Hehehe, I'm glad you liked it,” Nesta replied with a genuine smile that made Christine feel all fuzzy inside.

“Randal told me you baked the cake yourself for me,” Christine said. “Thanks, Mother.”

“Randal was never really good at keeping secrets,” Nesta said with a chuckle as she pinched Christine's cheek. “Your welcome, dear. I know you hate me for putting you through all those lessons and tutors, so I baked the cake to make it up to you. I guess all those culinary classes I took when I was young finally paid off.”

“I never hated you, Mother,” Christine said shyly. She never really spoke to her mother honestly like this, but she knew instinctively that it would be best if she told Nesta her true feelings. “I like studying, anyway, and I know you're doing it for my own good. But I just wished you listened to me sometimes. I already told you that I didn't want a party like this, but you still went ahead and forced me to come. Shouldn't I make the decision on my own like an adult? It confuses me, Mother. Your expectations of me are that of an adult, but you treat me as a child.”

Nesta pursed her lips in consternation. This was the first time Christine talked to her this way and she didn't know how to respond. If Christine had said all those words in her usual pouty and complaining manner, she would have chided and lectured her that a mother knew what was best for her child. But Nesta had never seen Christine talk to her so seriously like this. Her daughter talked calmly about what she wanted and was now waiting for her response. Just like how a proper adult would.

“Why don't we talk about this later?” Nesta said and caressed Christine's head with longing.

“Fine,” Christine replied as she picked up her fork to take a bite of her cake again, but Nesta stopped her hand and made her drop it.

“Ah ah, didn't you hear me earlier? Desserts are for later,” Nesta chided as she picked up a tablecloth and started wiping the smudge of icing on Christine's mouth.

“I can do it myself, you know” Christine grumbled, but she didn't make any attempt to wave off Nesta's hand. When she looked up, she saw her mother's thoughtful face as the Queen wiped her face gently.

“I think I'm starting to understand what your father was trying to tell me,” Nesta said softly, ignoring Christine's confusion as she continued speaking. “You told me you were confused because I expect you to act like an adult but treat you as a child. Well, as of today, you no longer have to be confused, my daughter.”

Christine's confusion only grew as she listened to her mother, but when Nesta pulled her in for a hug, her confusion turned to fluster. “W-What's wrong with you all of a sudden, mother?”

“Nothing. I was just reminded that you are my child. An impossibly smart one, but a child nonetheless, and I want you to be one,” Nesta said softly as she caressed Christine's hair. “I'm sorry for pushing you so much, Christine. Witnessing your intelligence every day made me forget that you are just a child.”

“It's fine if you treated me as an adult, though,” Christine muttered. As an adult reborn in a child's body, she had no qualms about being treated like a grown woman. In fact, it would make her life easier.

“Just because you're smarter than most adults doesn't mean you have to act like one, Christine. For one as smart as you, you missed such an obvious point,” Nesta said with a chuckle. “Remember, nobody would find anything wrong if a child tried to act like an adult. But an adult would never be able to act like a child again, whether they want to or not. Life just does not allow it. That is why I suggest you cherish your youth, Christine. It won't last forever. I already took much of it away from you, and I'm starting to regret it.”

When the Queen broke off from their embrace, her face was back with its usual smile as she faced forward again and began eating her food. Christine did the same, but her mind was now focused on her mother's words. It won't last forever, Christine thought.

Her brain analyzed the advantages and ramifications of acting like a child and quickly concluded that acting like an adult would be more productive for her. If she acted like an adult, she'd be spending her time on important things like studying and gathering skills and knowledge, which would open up a lot of opportunities when she grew up to be a real adult, just like in her previous life when she studied hard and managed to land a decent job despite having lived as a street urchin.

But despite the clear benefits of acting like an adult, a corner of Christine's mind gnawed at her. She acted like an adult in her previous life and graduated at the top of her class, yet did it even accomplish anything? She had the skills and knowledge that would have made her a valued worker wherever she decided to work, but they didn't make her previous life any less miserable when Brogen died, did they?

The only thing that made her previous life enjoyable were the times she spent together with Brogen and his mother. Even if she had to spend the rest of her life working at her old job in the market carrying crates of smelly fish until she grew old, she would have been fine with it as long as she got to be with Brogen and his mother.

It wasn't rational thought and maturity that made her previous life worth living, but the feelings that she felt when she lived with the people she loved. And now, Christine was feeling sick of having to act like an adult. She was given another chance to live life again as a child, and nobody had the right to tell her how she should live it. The circumstances of her previous life had already deprived her of the childhood she deserved, and she wasn't going to let it happen again in this life. Acting like an adult would make life more manageable, but acting like a child would make it more fun.

As Christine made her decision, her feet, which had been hanging several inches from the floor because of her small height, began swinging back and forth playfully. She pushed away the plate of steaming steak away from her and pulled the cake closer to her. There was supposed to be a small fork used exclusively for eating the cake, but Christine didn't care one whit and used the large fork instead that should have been meant for the steak. She stabbed the cake and took one large portion before stuffing it into her mouth with a satisfied hum, icing all over her lips.

“Christine!” Nesta cried in horror as she saw what her daughter was doing beside her. “What are you doing? Didn't I tell you desserts are for later? And where has your table manners gone? You're eating like a pig!”

Milos and Randal must have heard Nesta's cries since they leaned over to look at Christine. The girl in question simply turned to them and smiled wide, her mouth still full of cake, which elicited a chuckle from the King and the Crown Prince.

Nesta's sharp mind quickly realized what must have been running through Christine's head, and a hesitant expression briefly passed through her face. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? For her daughter to act as she truly wanted because she was a child.

But what about her goal of showing off her smart daughter to the nobility so Christine could start making connections for the future? What about the business negotiations she arranged with some of the nobles with the intention of having Christine represent the royal family to showcase her expertise and knowledge? Nesta even intended to put Christine on the Council of Lords to show the old bastards there that a prodigy had been born in the royal family, one that would help lead the nation to a brighter future.

Nesta took one more look at her daughter's cake-riddled smile, the happiest smile she had ever seen on Christine's face since she was born, and her reservations melted away all at once. Her lips quirked into a mischievous smile as she returned to her own food. “Fine then. If you don't want to heed my instructions, then I'll be taking back your birthday gift. Naughty girls must be punished, after all.”

The smile on Christine's face froze as she stared at Nesta. “What gift?”

“Oh, nothing much. I contacted the Gardener, our kingdom's Ascendant, and asked her if she could maybe teach you a thing or two about how to use your power. But since you've been a naughty girl, I'll guess I'll just call it off, then,” Nesta said nonchalantly as she ate a slice of her medium-rare steak. “Oh, that's delicious.”

As Nesta relished her steak, she spotted Christine in the corner of her eye rushing to push away the cake and cleaning her mouth aggressively with a tablecloth. In less than a minute, Christine was back to her usual prim and proper self, smiling at Nesta sweetly.

The Queen chuckled as she pinched Christine's cheek fondly. “Fine, you're in the clear. Just in time, too.”

Before Christine could ask why, there was a hubbub by the entrance of the Grand Hall. The muttering ceased when the large doors opened to let a tall woman enter. She was dressed in a long flowing dress that reached all the way to her ankles with a slit at the side that showed an ample amount of her leg, but what made her dress different from the rest was the material it was made of. The woman was wearing a dress made of vibrant green leaves and vines that intertwined with each other elegantly with exotic-looking flowers blossoming here and there.

But the dress wasn't the one that caught everybody's attention, but rather the woman herself. Her hair was made of leaves whose green color was as vibrant as her dress, tied into a single french braid that reached the small of her back. Her irises were emerald gems that stood out from the black sclera of her eyes, which looked as if they glowed.

But the most eye-catching of all was her skin. It was light brown in color, with a few dark spots here and there, but it was made of tree bark. Not the rough type like the bark of an oak tree, but smooth, like a birch's. Wherever her dress did not cover, the skin that should have been exposed was made of tree bark. But despite the composition of her skin, she was far from ugly. Her face was well-defined and beautiful, possessing a natural beauty that it would have been fitting to call the ‘face of Mother Nature.’

The Grand Hall was silent as everybody stared at the newcomer, who simply waited. When the silence stretched on for too long, she turned her head to the announcer by the door, who seemed to snap out of his reverie.

“M-May I present to you, the Guardian of the Blooming Woods and the Gardener of Ocrana! The Venerated Lady Kethra Palmer!”

The woman nodded at the announcer and shifted her gaze to the table where the royal family was seated. And looked directly at Christine.