It was warm.

The feeling of comfort enveloped my being. This warmth, when was the last time I felt such a thing?

Everything was so cold. Too cold before. It struck my heart, encased it with the never melting frost, yet it kept beating.

I opened my eyes..?

"..."

I see nothing but white. Is this hell? Perhaps. I'm sure I'm not heading to heaven. Maybe even purgatory..

Do I even believe in such things?

"..."

Why am I here?

I felt no pain in my body, only the dull ache on my chest. My laying form..., I see that I still have a form comparable to a human.

You see, I'm very sure I'm dead. The curse made me sure of it.

("..being..[buzz]>>loading ..>>[buzz]...has awaken..>>[buzz]>>...")

"Child..."

My unfocused gaze turned sharp as a slowly got up from my laying position.

I tried to respond but when I tried to, no sound would come out from my throat.

"..."

"You can just speak to me through your mind. Beings such as yourself, don't have senses but limited to feelings. As you are not quite hearing me right now."

I understand...quite.

I didn't know how to respond. What's there for me to say? Who are you? Where am I? Why am I here?

..is there such a need to know.

I stilled asked.

"As I expected. I was going to tell you either way eventhough you had not asked. You are in the middleground, for spirits or souls such as yourself right now."

I understand, well, as far as my meager mind can. I did die.... Mmm, such an empty feeling. Seeing I did not have anything to say, the voice continued.

"I am an existence close to what you humans call God. I am not your God but a caretaker of this world."

"And for the reason why I called you here. The reason is simple. I am dissatisfied."

It seems like I didn't completely lost my sense feeling because I was dumbfounded and well as conflicted.

I felt my lips turning into a scowl but I let out and relaxed with a sigh.

Why?

"Why? I know you have an idea why I am. That ending.., disappointing. It was so close for what is intended yet, such a thing happen."

Ending..? You mean the ending of my life? Dramatic wasn't it? Disappointed, why I'm thinking, the twisted fates wasn't to your liking?

"Far from it."

I see.

The conversation has gone quiet with me processing all the God had said. Zoning out for a few moments I came back to reality with a simple phrase.

"-so that's how it's gonna be! You'll be given another chance. Goodluck."

...

...

My name is Aiko Kubo. I'm was an ordinary Japanese youth. I was in my late 20's working for a game developing company. I was the chief developer of many different kind of games.

I was an orphaned child with a passion to make recreational things for me to enjoy. Like games that I love to work on.

I worked hard and earned my well earned degree early and working hard to earn and live comfortably.

My life was normal, and I was contented with how everything was.

One day, when I was walking to my workplace after my lunch break. I waited by the traffic light on red when a child run passed me.

Everything happened all so fast, I didn't have time to think,

I ran and push the child out of harm's way with a price.

And that was, my life.

...

They keyword is "was".

A reached out with my little hands. Hands belonging to those of a toddler.

It seems like I was reincarnated with my fragmented memories as a young adult in a different world.

...

It's been five years since I've been reincarnated in this world.

I'm now five and a half years old.

It's a different world. How would I know you asked? Well, for once, I can see spirits, well fairies I guess that's what they were called in my past life.

Oh right, I have a new name. Well, I don't have a proper name, but for my 'mother' to call me way easier. I'm called "Blackie".

Ah yes, I'm well aware, it sounds like a dog's name doesn't it? Well that could spare me to explain my treatment here.

My long hair, the color similar to ink, prompted her to call me by that name.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

My five year old body, improverish beyond what is safe. My pale white skin scattered with bruises, that as you guessed, is from my abusive mother.

I don't really know if she's my mother or not. She surely doesn't act like one.

Apart from my pitiful appearance and tattered rag clothing, the thing I really like the most is the color of my eyes.

I've once sneaked a peek from Mother's mirror in her room, and for the first time I've seen my appearance.

My eyes, they are like beautiful gemstones.

The color of glossy sapphire and the presence of glittering gold.

This color is truly, fantasy like huh.

People here can use magic after all...

Well knights and nobles of course. It's rare for a commonfolk to use magic or have any at all.

Moving on, there's nothing much that happened over these past few years. Though the treatment I experience here is quite harsh, with my mental age being that of an adult, I could bear it.

If I was a child without my past life's memories I doubt I could have survived without being traumatized. Well I do experience trauma but I can cope with it.

I'm calm.

There's nothing much for me to do anyways.

I eat food, once a day if I'm lucky, if not I'm likely be left to starve until my mother finish her 'work' with men she brings to the house.

My mother is something you could tell, similar to a prostitute.

I also sleep inside of a box. A literal box, a chest that a small child can be dumped into. Mother locks me there when she has a client to attend to.

I can't escape. I tried to, well, thought and ought to, but..

When I went outside, there's a risk if I ventured far, I would either get killed or sold off.

It's a fantasy world. Thankfully, like any reincarnator in the stories I've read, I have a cheat. Well, barely even called a cheat!

What the hell is this?? Language from another world?! Don't mistake me, I am grateful I can read and write, and understand people talking but..! Why only that cheat? Wuuuu..!

I let out a bitter sigh,

Even the most crappy isekai characters get some kind of cheat ha.. I guess I'm unlucky.

I'm not even sure if I can even use magic, but currently, no matter how hard I try, no magic would manifest so I just focus on simple survival.

Well anyways, I can get killed by either thieves or monsters in the forests. Or get kidnapped and sold off to be a slave.

Those kind of fates, awaits children here in the slum without proper housing. So eventhough the beatings and mistreatment are bad here, I have an understanding on what to do to survive.

I even created counter measures!

For my food, hygiene and safety.

For my food, whenever I had the opportunity, or whenever my mother forgets to lock me in the box I'll go out to either pick fruits from the nearby safe zone of the forest or steal some crops from nearby fields. Only a small amount for a child is the only stuff I can get.

I have my mother's behavior to the head memorized so I can predict what she'll be doing next to me so I can prepare ahead of time.

I took care for my wounds, tended them as well as my bruises and wash my body well in the town's well sometimes if I'm lucky.

I studied medicine as well as learned how to cook. It's all done in secret.

Sometimes I even steal some of her jewels, the unnoticeable trinkets that I could pawn off for money if I happen to save enough for more food or a safe escape plan if needed.

I've also tempered with the box she locked me in. She always throw the box, with me in it, in the back shed of the house, either that or outside.

Lucky I can escape if I was threw on inside the shed so I can slid off the tempered cap wood so I can slip out.

Unlucky days in the box are the early days I've nearly drown inside of it when dear mother left me outside in the midst of a downpour. Luckily I've manage to create a small breathing hole for me to breath in with.

That same day, she got excessively drunk and put all the violence on my body. I could not even move myself without crawling for a few days.

That was the first time, in this world, that I've ever cried and regretted my birth since.

...

It was almost the dreaded time of the year. Winter. In my past life I was born on this season, I very much like it. The festivities and all the celebration and breaks going on.

That changed when it's a medieval setting.

Winter here is as harsh as all the old history documentaries I have watched. For one, crops are unable to grow unless if they are magical crops which are inaccessible to commonfolk so food here, to be preserved are mostly hunted before winter meats, dried, or salted, and crops like common potatoes are easy to rot away.

Nothing grows in this time of the year.

Two, is the climate. It is as horribly cold, if I had not invested in buying cheap rags or stitch some rabbit fur I would have freeze to death.

The only thing good in this time of the year is my mother always go out for weeks without even coming back. Perhaps she's staying with one of her client. I wonder if she believes me to be capable to even survive winter or lucky, if I died.

Ha, what a mother.

Shivering inside the house, we actually have a small fireplace. I've gotten wood beforehand so I've started a fire. I'm glad mother has gone out earlier than I have expected. It made me well prepared for winter.

I've learned how to hunt, by setting traps, and prepare preserved rabbit meat and bought a few other meats and crops that could serve as my food for the duration of winter.

It's been a week into winter and I've been comfortable. My preparation was impeccable! Hahahaha! My tummy is full and I'm more relaxed than I ever.

Releasing a content sigh, I felt contented for a while. Getting close to the fireplace, snuggling up to my blanket, while adding some additional firewood, I dozed off.

..

I dreamt of someone crying over me.

..

Odd. Who would cry over me?

..

Huh..?

But no matter I woke up to the sound of the door being busted open.

"Excuse me, is this the home of Garlinda Mousse?" A stern and icy voice rang out through the darkly lit living room.

The embers of the fireplace cackled while I broke out in a nervous sweat. Frozen from my spot I stared at the man that stood before me.

I made sure to lock the door but why was it easily busted in? I sense danger and observe the man.

He is tall, has a mascular build and wild brown hair and beard, and a stern blue gaze. He wears armour in the likes of a knight as well as he as an insignia.

I relaxed a bit, only a bit, he was a knight from what I could tell, probably a noble, but he isn't a thief nor am I the prime target so I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I kept my guard up though.

"She went out." I answered quietly, my voice devoid of any emotion as I just stated a fact.

I neither denied or confirmed that this is that woman's house. Mother's house.

From my reply, the man drew his gaze to me. His face shows a frown and his eyes grew even more stern.

"Who are you?"

Before I could give him an answer I heard a bunch of armored steps closing in, and I see more knights behind him.

"Captain!" One of the new arrival knights called.

So this stern guy is their captain. This is quite bad. I wonder if my mother offended anyone to cause a captain to go through this poor town just to get her.

Dear mother why..

Bemoaning inside of my head of possibilities and preparing myself for anything I turned my attention again to the knights.

"Captain.. This..?!" The same knight said while looking at me.

"I was about to found out before you guys decided to interrupt!" The captain scolded the other knight with an annoyed tone and returned his gaze to me.

Hey old man, if you stare at a kid that hard you might scare them off alright?

"... I'm her daughter.."

I clenched my fist and stared fiercely at the Captain. Just proclaiming, affirming, that I'm that woman's daughter is apalling. I could call her mother but I do not wish to be called her daughter.

I kept my gaze steady and calmly faced on the Captain.

The sight of a poor child looking at him fiercely seems to amuse him as he let out a loud laugh suddenly.

The sound caused me to even be more confused.

He coughed and looked at me again, a little bit softer now.

"I see that you take after your Father Young Miss."

Young Miss? Also Father? What do you mean? I've never heard such a man.

Hmm. Should I make a run for it? Pfft, like I could manage to outrun the empire's knight with my weak malnourished body.

Young miss in rags? I would have burst into laughter if I wasn't so scared they'll turn me into a kebab if I as much show any disrespect.

Father..such an unfamiliar concept to me. In my past life, and also in this life.

I contemplated, eventhough I know I did not have much of a choice. What should I choose? Controlled abuse, that I'm used to? Or a possible gambling for a sliver of gold?

It's not like I have much too lose. So let's see.