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AFTER I finished getting dressed, Mary took my hand and led me down the stairs. Mother was waiting for us in the dining room, and we began eating a modest meal of porridge. When dinner ended, we retired to the living room for tea, where I sat on Mother’s lap atop the long sofa.
“My, my,” Mother said. “Someone’s being quite clingy today.”
The door opened as we shared a laugh. Before long, Father and my older brother Janus entered the living room. Both of them had just come back from work.
“What’s this?” Father asked, heading straight towards me and lifting me up. “Ally’s acting like the perfect little sweetheart today. You fell from a horse, I heard?”
“Sure did,” I replied with an embarrassed giggle.
Father touched the back of my head. “That’s quite the bump, kiddo. Are you hurting anywhere else?”
“Nope,” I answered with a cheeky grin.
When Father smiled back at me, my breath caught in my chest. He was a dashing man with purple eyes and ice-blue hair. Furthermore, he served as a close aide to the king in the royal castle. He was still incredibly popular with women, often receiving amorous glances.
Incidentally, I had inherited Father’s purple eyes and Mother’s golden hair.
“What’s this?” Janus mumbled while cocking his head.
“Something wrong?” Father asked.
“One moment,” my brother said while staring at me. He then muttered under his breath, “Appraisal.” After finishing this incantation, he finally announced, “Ally’s mana supply has increased.”
“What do you mean?” Father asked with a puzzled expression.
“Ally’s mana supply has risen dramatically,” my brother explained. “Wait, what’s this? Divine protection? All elements?”
Father’s expression grew increasingly stern with each word. “Do you feel any changes in yourself, Ally?” he asked, still holding me.
No point lying if they already know about my divine protection.
“Well, you see, I talked to a Goddess,” I said. “She saved me.”
Though I wasn’t telling the whole truth, I wasn’t lying either.
“That’s… incredible,” Father said, sitting down on the sofa and placing me on his lap. “You really spoke with a Goddess?”
“Uh-huh.”
Mother clasped her hands in front of her chest and spoke a prayer. “Thank you for loving our daughter enough to save her, Goddess. We are truly grateful.”
Janus smiled stiffly.
Meanwhile, a complex mix of emotions warred on Father’s face. “I’m beyond delighted that Ally survived, but every element? Can you use magic, Ally?”
“Huh?” I tilted my head.
“She’s only five, Father,” Janus interjected. “She can’t use magic when she has yet to learn it.”
Oh, I see. I need to learn how to actually use magic first.
Father’s expression hardened with resolve. “In that case, I’ll have Ally start practicing magic at once. If we don’t train her to use concealment, her possession of every element will come to light. Furthermore, it could be problematic if the king learns about her divine protection. He could take an interest in her.”
“The king will?” I asked.
Is that such a big deal?
“That’s right,” Janus said while gesturing to me to join him.
After having Father put me down, I sat on my brother’s lap this time.
“In your case, having the king’s interest—or rather, the royal family’s—could mean only one thing,” he said. “You’d be forced to marry into their family.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Almost certainly. Considering your age, you would be betrothed to the second prince.”
That pompous jerk I beat up? Yuck.
“There’s a first prince as well,” Janus continued. “However, he already has several fiancée candidates, so marrying him would prove difficult. He’s also quite a bit older than you.”
Did I ever meet the first prince? Either way, I definitely don’t want to marry the jerk I beat up. Doing so might even lead to the same fate as Alexandra in her previous lives. Well, I can just give him a good thrashing if that happens again. Still, I don’t want anything to do with him. I can’t see myself liking him even a little.
“Don’t wanna get married,” I said in my childish voice.
“Huh?” Janus asked.
“Wanna be mommy and daddy’s little girl forever. And wouldn’t you be lonely if I left, Janus?”
Everyone burst out laughing.
Janus chuckled while kissing me on the cheek. “You want to stay in this house forever, do you? That sounds nice. We’ll always be together, after all.”
In response, I returned my brother’s kiss on the cheek.