Two

Two thousand eight hundred years after the legend of Lorenzo resonated on the entire Larin Continent, numerous kingdoms rose and fell. Wars broke out, small kingdoms were conquered, and thousands to millions of people were killed.

While the disaster happened, the nobles' lives remain unaffected. However, it was different from the commoners as they were the ones that were affected the most in the recurring crisis.

With the circumstance they were in, the commoners clung to their hope that the legend of Lorenzo was true. That one day, Lorenzo would appear and save them from despair, just like what he did on the fallen Kingdom of Sora.

Unfortunately, the reality was often cruel.

The current king of the Moren Empire, the Larin Continent's most powerful empire, was aware of the commoners' thoughts. But he did not mind; since for him, they were just disposable pieces.

King Benedict IX, the aforementioned current king, was curious if the legend was true. He searched the entire continent if there were possible places that Lorenzo stayed but unfortunately, they found none. Thus, they stopped searching.

Although some did not believe about Lorenzo, there was a fact that was known from everyone–aside from him, no one possessed a jeweled eye.

Not until…

"Report! Report! A jeweled eye possessor was born!" The messenger almost tripped himself while he ran towards the throne room. He did not care about the lack of etiquette as he knew that this news was of extreme importance.

The nobles that were in the throne room were shocked by what they heard. They all peeked at King Benedict IX, who was leisurely seated on the throne.

King Benedict IX remained silent. However, his eyes narrowed on what the messenger said.

The throne room was silent for a few minutes until King Benedict IX spoke.

"Is that news true?"

The messenger, who was on his knees, answered, "Yes, Your Majesty. The child was born from the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Euphelia."

"So that child was this King's child?"

The messenger pursed his lips, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Silence once again enthralled on the throne room. The nobles had countless thoughts on their mind, but they chose to keep them on themselves.

Everyone knew that King Benedict IX was the strongest mage ever existed on the continent. The reason why he was curious about Lorenzo was that he wanted to know who was stronger between them.

King Benedict IX was the strongest among the thirteen sons of the previous king. He was strong to the point that he lived for more than three hundred years. Many attempted to dethrone him, including his sons, but it all went for naught.

For three hundred years that he reigned, nobody made him feel threatened as he had the power to protect himself. However, it would be different now.

A jeweled eye wielder. In the legends, Lorenzo managed to destroy the Kingdom of Sora alone. Would this child be able to do the same thing?

King Benedict IX laughed loudly, "Is that so? Then my beloved subject, go and get this King's child. They said that jeweled eyes were extremely beautiful. This King wonders how beautiful it was."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The messenger accepted the order.

"Alright, go ahead. Don't forget to comfort Lianna. Lest she would miss her child."

On the other side, Lianna hugged her child as she trembled in fear. She already knew the fate of her child if the king learned about the child's jeweled eyes.

Why did it have to be her child?! If only his eyes weren't jeweled eyes, perhaps he could live in peace throughout his life. She would teach him not to overstep his bounds and learn on his other older brothers who managed to live leisurely as they did not enter politics nor set their eyes on the throne.

"Your Highness…" Hazel, Lianna's trusted maid, sobbed. She gazed at the child in her Mistress' arms. The child cried softly, completely unaware of the danger that he would face.

Lianna closed her eyes. Although she just gave birth, due to her huge mana, she could regain her strength in just a few hours.

But time was extremely limited. If she waited a bit longer to regain her full strength, the King's men would arrive and they would either kill or steal her child.

So, Lianna made a decision.

She embraced her child tightly as her eyes showed determination.

Lianna lived miserably after her country was fallen at the hands of King Benedict IX. If it was not for her beauty, she would've died together with her Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, and her siblings.

But so what if she survived? Wasn't it better for her to die together with them? At least, she would not experience the hell she had been when she entered the harem.

After three years of pain and anguish, she finally found the light in the form of her child. How could she easily hand him over to them?

She did not manage to protect her family in the hands of the king, but this time, she would give her everything to protect this child.

"Hazel, would you live or die with me?"

Hazel's eyes widened in shock at her Mistress' words. But soon, her eyes also showed determination and knelt.

"Your Highness, this servant would live and die with you!"

"Very well."

---

Chaos shrouded the palace where Princess Lianna lived. Nobody knew how the quiet and meek princess of a foreign kingdom managed to escape the tightly secured Imperial Palace.

When King Benedict IX found out about Princess Lianna's escape, he was furious and ordered to search the entire continent for Princess Lianna and her child. By now, everyone had learned that the missing princess had a child with jeweled eyes with her.

The king thought it would just be a matter of time and his knights would found Princess Lianna. But contrary to their expectations, months passed by but they could not follow even a single lead.

What also exceeded their expectation was that even the commoners sealed their mouths. At first, some commoners would give a tip for clues in exchange for food or silvers. But when they saw that many were killed even just for tiny speculation that they knew about the whereabouts of the princess, they started to shut their mouths even if they were beaten to death.

And by their actions, the King was filled with wrath.

"If none of you would tell about the whereabouts of Princess Lianna and her child, all of you would be given to the devils as an offering!" The Head of Imperial Knights, Melvin, threatened.

The commoners shivered in fear. Eight hundred years ago, the devils started to invade the Larin Continent every hundred years. By now, there would be only ten more years until the next invasion and every kingdom prepared on what they would offer lest a massacre would befall.

"You nobles were all worse than devils! We were not afraid of you! The Princess' child would save us from the devils! And he would be the next king!" One of the commoners yelled in confidence. This was what they believed in. They would just wait for the child to grow up for a bit and by that time, he would protect them from the devils and the selfish nobles.

"Protect the next king!" Some shouted until everyone followed.

"Protect the next king!"

As years passed by, the hardships of the commoners became worse. Some could not take it any longer and chose to tell what they knew. But whenever the King found a clue, Princess Lianna would always be three steps ahead of him. In the end, even after seven years, the King did not even saw the shadow of the princess and her child. They were even unaware of the child's name as the commoners kept labeling him the next king.

King Benedict IX hadn't felt this humiliation in his life. A mere princess from a fallen small kingdom was as slippery as an eel. Even after the king dispatched several knights and mages, and used numerous magical items, they could not trace the princess even for a bit.

In addition, the commoners were keen to slap him on his face by brazenly celebrated the birth of Princess Lianna's child. Even declared that it would be a celebration for the next king.

And worse, the invasion of the devils was just around the corner.

Not only the king but the nobles were also worried about the development. They knew about Lorenzo, who was just seven years old at the time but managed to destroy the Kingdom of Sora.

The Princess' child would be around seven years old now. Did he already awaken his power?

But strangely, after seven years of constant pursuit, King Benedict IX ordered the mages and knights to stop the search. And the reason shook the commoners to the core.

The king had offered Princess Lianna and her child to the devils. And the devils would be the ones to find them.

Despite to knew this, Princess Lianna still hid under the radar of the king and the nobles.

And three years after, the devils once again emerged.

---

On the Imperial Capital of the Moren Empire, King Benedict IX and his subjects stood together with the devils who agreed on the condition. And in front of them were the commoners. Their attention was not on the crowd but on those who were leading them.

Princess Lianna, with her head up high, stared at the king full of hatred. She held the hand of a ten-year-old child who gazed at them without emotion.

King Benedict IX clenched his fist as he eyed the child. Even as a child, everyone could see how beautiful he was. But what stood out the most was his blue jeweled eyes. His eyes were extremely clear like a deep blue sea.

"Wow, what immense mana! Eating this child would be worth it!" The head devil laughed as it stared at the child.

When the devil met the child's eyes, it suddenly stiffened. It could feel an incredible pressure emitted from him.

"Y-you…"

"Shut up." The child said. He stretched his arm towards the devil and closed his fist. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they saw the head devil exploded.

Everyone gaped in shock as they saw a pool of blood. The head devil, the one who terrorized the humans on the Larin Continent, died just like that. The child didn't even cast a spell yet he killed it in just a blink of an eye!

The nobles quivered in fear. How powerful could this child be! Even King Benedict IX could only beat three ordinary devils, yet this child managed to kill the head of the devils? The strongest among them?

"Scram. I don't want to see you anymore. Did you understand?"

The devils woke up from the stupor.

"Brat, what did you say?" One of the devils roared angrily.

The child frowned in displeasure. Then, with a wave of a hand, the devil who shouted earlier was torn into pieces.

"What, you want me to walk you out?" The child said in annoyance at the terrified devils. When they heard what the child said, they hurriedly fled away from the scene.

And just like that, the ones who terrorized the humans for eight hundred years bolted with tails between their legs.

Everyone still hadn't processed what happened. They still could not believe that the devils that humans horrified left just like that. It was unprecedented!

As they were still in shock, they heard—

---

"Shirley! It's time for the Little Miss' lunch! Did you want to be punished by His Grace?"

"Oh my, I almost forgot! Thank you for the reminder, Elise!"

Shirley closed the book that she read and placed it on the side table. She then gently carried the child on her lap.

"Little Miss, don't worry I would continue to read it later okay? For now, it's time for you to eat."

Minerva pursed her lips as she stared at Shirley. Come on, the part where she stopped was thrilling! It was the face-off between father and son! What happened? What happened? What happened?

"Aboo ah!"

Damn this stupid body! Could not even speak properly!

Four months ago, Minerva was just sleeping peacefully after she got home from school. But when she woke up, she was shocked to learn that she was in a body of a baby!

Was she still dreaming? She was still dreaming, right? She had to be dreaming!

No way she would be just like some of the protagonists on an isekai novels, anime, or manhwas!

Minerva thought that one day she would wake up from this dream. But even after four months had passed, she's still living in the body of a baby!

What in the world happened?! How could she suddenly possess the body of this child?! What happened to her previous body?

Minerva was confused. Extremely confused. Even after four months, she would still be in a daze; wondering if one day, she would snap from this dream-like state.

But… what if she would not wake up? What if this was all real?

Then… did it mean she would live on this body from now on?!

No way!