When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a grand palace that shimmered like gold... inside the body of a small child. Or more precisely, inside the body of a pair of infant twins.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and two maids stepped inside, approaching the bed where we lay.
I turned my head slightly to glance at the little girl beside me. She had awakened too.
One of the maids cupped her cheek gently and said with a sweet smile,
"You're both awake, my little princesses. So quiet... Even during the past month, we barely heard a sound from you."
The other maid, whom I later learned was the nanny, nodded and replied,
"That's right. So quiet... Just look at those beautiful blue eyes. Could it be they've inherited His Majesty's cold nature?"
(Wait, what?! I'm a princess? In the body of a one-month-old baby?!)
They began changing our clothes shortly after.
Well... thinking about it, I'm calm because I'm actually an adult on the inside. But what about this new sister of mine? Is that normal?
Of course not. A cold temperament isn't something you're born with. It comes from experience, not blood.
Then, slowly, memories of the past month began returning.
Yes... I recognized these faces—this maid, that nanny. I had seen them before. It had taken me some time to adjust.
Apparently, I'm a beautiful princess. I learned what I looked like by looking at my sister: blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a glowing fair complexion.
I also noticed that we kept staring at each other. I considered trying to talk... but the maid suddenly placed a baby bottle in my mouth.
(Mmm... it tastes good. Is it because I'm a baby now?)
After a few minutes, I was full. I turned my head to push the bottle away, but the maid tried to make me finish.
Oh—my sister did the exact same thing!
Was she copying me? Or is it because we're twins?
That reminded me of my sister in my previous life. We weren't twins, but we always did everything together.
(Just thinking about how our lives ended before... it still hurts.)
Wait a second... could we have been reborn as twins this time?
How can I be sure?
They tucked us back into the crib, and the nanny spoke softly,
"My princesses, your father, His Majesty the Emperor, is coming to see you."
(I don't want to meet him...)
The maid added with a nervous smile,
"His personality may seem sharp, but he won't hurt you. He's the hero of the Six Great Wars, the strongest emperor in the world. He expanded our empire until he ruled the entire continent."
(WHAT?! My father is a warmonger?!)
The nanny sighed,
"Why are you saying this in front of two infants? Honestly... we shouldn't let His Majesty visit the princesses so often. I'm worried. He may... blame them for Her Majesty's death."
(What...? The Empress is dead?)
(Looks like family problems will haunt me in this life too...)
A few minutes later, the door opened. Everyone in the room bowed deeply as the emperor entered.
I glanced at my sister, hoping to hide behind her somehow. But she looked back at me with the exact same expression.
The emperor walked toward our crib, his sharp eyes scanning us. He picked up my sister first.
She was stiff, clearly on the verge of crying. And honestly... so was I.
He looked at her, then at me, then back at her again. Our faces were both flushed and trembling.
He turned to the maids and asked in a low voice,
"What's wrong with them? Are they okay?"
The maid stammered,
"Y-yes, Your Majesty. They're just... not used to your presence yet."
He placed my sister back beside me and muttered,
"That's enough."
Then he left the room abruptly.
The tension in the room finally broke. The nanny rushed to comfort my sister.
(What a rough start... being born again only to fall straight into royal tension.)
After that day, life went on normally. We didn't see the emperor again.
"Mwah... mwah..."
(A kiss?)
Turned out we had an older brother—seven years older. Incredibly handsome, with snow-white hair and the same piercing blue eyes. He looked like the emperor but acted like a gentle angel.
He adored us.
As for my twin sister—she was just like me. Not only in appearance but also in personality.
Now I'm five months old. I can sit up, move around more freely, and see more of the world.
Our brother, Rafael, takes us on walks often.
"Valencia, Valsina! Let's go!" he calls out happily.
Yes, my name is Valencia, and my sister is Valsina.
Every day in the palace garden is a dream—flowers of every kind, hundreds... no, thousands. It almost feels wasteful that this whole garden is just for the two of us.
In my past life, my sister and I lived in a single cramped room with a tiny bathroom and a kitchen barely big enough for two people.
(Sigh...)
Back to my current life.
Luxury. Peace. Endless food. A kind brother. A calm sister.
Everything is perfect... except for the emperor.
(He looks like he's about to start a sword fight every time he sees us. Just imagining it makes me want to laugh!)
I hope this peaceful life continues... for as long as possible.
(Wait... I haven't tried speaking yet!)
Now that I'm outside, let's give it a try...
"Da da da da..."
(Ugh... it's embarrassing to talk like a baby.)
My sister responded,
"Da da da da!"
(Is she copying me?)
Let's try something else... a language from my previous world. If she understands this... she must be her.
I mumbled slowly,
"Is that you, Ro...? I... this is me
..."
Then, to my shock, my sister opened her mouth again and said...
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