Dazed...
Lisa—or rather, Lysandra now—stared blankly at the ceiling above her. It was a stunning display of Victorian elegance, with ornate plaster moldings swirling in intricate floral patterns. A grand medallion sat at the center, its gilded details glowing under the soft light of a sparkling crystal chandelier.
Her moment of silent awe was rudely interrupted.
BAM!
A tiny, chubby hand smacked her face with surprising force.
"What the f—!" Lysandra's instinctive curse erupted... or at least, it tried to. Instead, her words were cut short, transforming into a garbled, angry whimper. She blinked, momentarily stunned, before realization dawned, she was in a baby's body now. Her mind could conjure the fury, but her infant lips and vocal cords betrayed her entirely. In her past life, cursing was second nature, a release valve for her fiery personality. Now, no matter how hard she tried, the only sounds she could manage were pitiful squeaks and nonsensical gurgles.
She turned sharply to glare at the culprit. Beside her lay her twin—now Luke—who stared back at her with what might've been a serious expression, though in reality, he was just a squinty, adorable baby.
Annoyed, Lysandra retaliated the only way she could, by lifting her tiny hand in what was supposed to be a middle finger. Unfortunately, her undeveloped fingers betrayed her, turning the gesture into an open-palmed wobble that looked suspiciously like she wanted a high five.
A soft chuckle broke the tense exchange.
"Oh, how sweet!" cooed a maid standing nearby, her loose ponytail swaying as she worked on knitting something. She watched the twins with affectionate amusement. "Lysandra must love Luke so much, giving him a high five like that."
"Love? High five? Are you kidding me?! Who the fuck wanna do that cutesy sh*t!" Lysandra fumed internally, glaring at the woman. "If I had the strength, I'd yank that ponytail and show you how much 'love' I have right now!"
Luke, meanwhile, sighed inwardly. 'Yup, she's losing it. Can't blame her though. We've been stuck in this cradle for months, doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and being cooed at. Frustration was bound to build up.'
As he stared at his sister's puffed-up cheeks and clenched fists, a thought crossed his mind. 'Wait... I can't call her Lisa anymore. How about Lysa? Yeah, Lysa works. I'll let her know once we can actually talk.
Luke's satisfaction was short-lived, though. His face scrunched up in frustration. 'But how are we supposed to communicate right now? Shouldn't twins in fantasy worlds get special powers, like telepathy? Where's our twin ESP when we need it?!'
The maid noticed his expression and immediately grew concerned. "Oh dear, are you feeling sick, young master Luke?" She scooped him up with practiced ease, her brows knitting in worry as she carried him over to the changing table.
While the maid was in the middle of checking Luke's butt to see if he was hurt somewhere or trying to figure out if his clout was causing him discomfort, Luke was busy lost in his thoughts, completely ignoring the embarrassment of someone inspecting every nook and cranny of his butt.
'We need to act fast. Every day counts. If we don't start planning soon, we'll grow up with no idea how to handle what's coming. Changing the story will be tricky. I want to fix the parts about the main characters, sure, but if we go too far and even alter the villains' strategies, it'll create chaos.'
He sighed mentally. 'And chaos is the last thing we need in a world where demon-worshipping cults exist'
Luke then glanced toward the frescoes that depicted a happy family. A man and a woman, each lovingly holding a baby in their arms. The scene seemed to symbolize Luke and Lysandra together with their parents, capturing a moment of warmth and unity.
An idea suddenly struck him. "I know how we can communicate!" Without hesitation, he yanked the maid's ponytail to grab her attention.
"Ouch! What's the matter, young master Luke?" the maid asked, rubbing her head.
In response, Luke's face lit up with excitement. He began mimicking the joyful expressions of a baby, cooing, gurgling, and even playing with his saliva to emphasize his enthusiasm.
The maid giggled, amused. "Aww, so you're just excited, young master Luke?" She scooped him up into her arms and started walking him around the nursery. "I didn't realize your face scrunches up like that when you're happy. It seems I still have a lot to learn about both you and young lady Lysandra."
'I don't, but oh well think whatever you want' Luke thought, rolling his eyes internally. 'I just need to find that thing to execute my plan.' His eyes wandered around the nursery as the maid continued pacing the room.
"You must be bored in the nursery room, young master. That's why you're so excited," says the maid in a cheerful tone.
'It doesn't seem like those things are kept here. Then the only way is to...' Luke starts to laugh and giggle uncontrollably, trying to show that he agrees with what the maid just said.
"Oh, so you are bored!" the maid exclaimed. "In that case, I'll take both you and young lady Lysandra to the garden for some fresh air."
She placed Luke back in the cradle and went to prepare the stroller.
As soon as Luke was lying down, his twin sister yanked at his sleeve, her furrowed eyebrows clearly demanding answers.
'Even if you're asking me now, I don't have the ability to answer, idiot' Luke thought with an inward sigh.
A few minutes later, the maid was pushing the stroller through the mansion's corridors, her steps lively as she looked forward to showing the garden to her young masters.
"Young master, young lady, this is Lady Jenessa's office," the maid said, pausing in front of a large, ornate door.
Luke then looked and saw a large door in front of him. The wooden door was beautifully crafted, with a polished mahogany surface decorated with delicate carvings of vines. Its brass handle gleamed warmly under the sunlight streaming through a nearby window. On one of the double doors was a carved symbol of a swan surrounded by several swords arranged like a fan, resembling its tail. The symbol conveyed both elegance and strength.
'So that's the symbol of our household,' thought both Luke and Lysandra.
'And if this is our mother's office, I can find that "thing" in there!' Luke thought as he tugged on the hem of the maid's dress to get her attention.
"Oh! Do you want to go in there, young master?"
Luke let out an excited laugh, signaling a clear "yes" to her question.
"So you miss your mother, young master?" the maid said, beaming with delight at Luke's adorable reaction. "Do you miss your mother too, young lady?" she asked, turning to Lysandra.
'Why the fuck is she talking to a baby? Well, we understand it, but a normal baby isn't supposed to understand. I bet she's on drugs, probably hallucinogens, that's why she's talking to a fucking baby.' thought Lysandra, sighing as she noticed Luke staring at her intensely. His gaze clearly demanded she answer the maid's question.
'Ugh, this is so embarrassing. It hurts my pride, but fine. Here we go...' Lysandra started laughing and clapping excitedly, just as Luke wanted. The maid's face lit up with delight.
"All right, let's go visit Lady Jenessa!" she said, knocking on the large door.
Knock, knock, knock. Three knocks were all it took for someone inside to respond.
"Yes, who is it?" came a woman's voice, strict and low in tone.
"It's Sophia, my lady."
"Come in."
Sophia, the maid or perhaps their nanny, opened the door. Inside was a spacious room filled with beautifully crafted furniture. Half of the room was lined with tall bookshelves that stretched all the way to the ceiling, while the other half featured a large map covering the wall, likely of the continent where Luke and Lysandra were born. Weapons of all kinds—swords, shields, spears, bows—were mounted neatly on the walls.
Seeing this, it was easy to guess that the woman sitting at the center of the room, busy with paperwork, had a job tied to combat and weaponry.
''I always knew that Mother had a bit of a rough personality, so I figured she must have a tough job based on the way she acts and dresses. But I never thought it would involve carrying weapons,' thought Luke. 'Oh well, learning to fight won't be something to worry about in the future. Sooner or later, I bet we'll be taught how to fight too.'
'Oh hell yeah! This is so freaking cool! Will I get to carry all those weapons one day?' thought Lysandra, her eyes gleaming with excitement. 'Shit! Why can't that notification window also offer a button to skip years? Living as a baby is so fucking boring!'
As they took in the impressive display of weapons, Luke and Lysandra couldn't hold back their excitement and began making loud, cheerful baby noises.
Hearing the sounds, Jenessa, their mother turned toward them.
"It seems like they take after you, my lady," Sophia said with a gentle smile at the twins' excitement over the weapons.
Jenessa's face softened with delight at the maid's comment. She walked over and gently picked up Lysandra, cradling her in her arms.
"Of course! They are my children, the ones I've waited for so long," Jenessa said, her voice filled with joy, though it carried an undertone of the quiet struggles she had endured to become a mother.
Luke and Lysandra stared at her, captivated.
'Handsome~,' they both thought, admiring their new mother.
Jenessa was striking, with light blue, short, straight hair neatly styled and side strands tucked behind her ears. Her confident yet graceful appearance made her seem approachable and composed. Her smile was warm, and her eyes radiated affection and love as she gazed at her children.
'Jenessa Elsher, our new mother. Military, huh? Makes sense. And with her being a noble, she wouldn't be some officer. Our house must be a knight family,' Luke mused, his eyes tracing the sharp lines of her military uniform.
The military uniform was striking in its simplicity and authority. Made from crisp white fabric, the jacket featured a high collar that added to its commanding presence. Small black buttons, neatly aligned, ran down the front, enhancing the sharp, clean look. Black epaulets rested on both shoulders, one attached to a black aiguillette that draped elegantly down, while the other bore a distinctive medal... an emblem of a swan with swords arranged like a tail, proudly displayed on the chest.
The uniform was cinched at the waist with a black belt, pulling the jacket tight to create a neat and straight silhouette. Black lines outlined the edges of the collar, sleeves, and the hem of the jacket, providing a sleek contrast to the otherwise white attire. The ensemble exuded both discipline and prestige, with every detail speaking to the wearer's rank and the refined authority of the military.
Luke snapped out of his trance, shifting his gaze from his mother's uniform to his current predicament. Letting out a pitiful, almost calculated whimper, he began to signal his displeasure, clearly threatening to cry if the adults didn't meet his demands.
Jenessa and Sophia, the nanny, turned toward him simultaneously.
"Aww, he wants his mother to hold him too," cooed Sophia with a warm smile.
Jenessa sighed, not in frustration, but in quiet satisfaction. Despite her frequent absences due to work, only seeing her children at night or during rare moments of free time, it seemed they still recognized her and longed for her presence. That thought alone brought her a sense of relief.
Handing Lysandra to Sophia, Jenessa reached down to lift Luke from his stroller. Cradling him in her arms, she smiled softly.
"Do you miss me, my dear~?" she asked, her voice tinged with longing.
Luke's small body relaxed almost immediately, melting into the warmth of her embrace. For a moment, he felt the overwhelming comfort of his mother's arms pulling him into a drowsy haze.
But no! He couldn't give in now. There was work to be done! A mission to accomplish. Forcing himself to stay alert, Luke steeled his resolve and turned his eyes toward his mother's desk.
Perched upon the long wooden surface were three towering stacks of papers, each one reaching up to Jenessa's shoulder. Luke's face paled at the sight.
'Yup, I don't want to be the next patriarch,' Luke thought with a grim resolve. 'I need to start planning early to set Lysa up as the ideal candidate instead.'
Luke knew full well that the son of the family had the highest chance of becoming the next patriarch, but he was determined to avoid it at all costs. His mind raced with plans to shift the responsibility to Lysa.
Luke glanced at the towering stack of papers beside him. Since they were within reach, his short, chubby hands easily grabbed one. Worried that it might slip through his tiny fingers, he gripped it tightly. However, his undeveloped motor skills caused him to accidentally snatch a few more, sending several papers fluttering to the floor.
Jenessa and Sophia were startled by Luke's sudden movement, their expressions turning to shock as they watched the mess unfold.
"Oh no! Young master, that's Lady Jenessa's work! You can't touch that!" Sophia exclaimed in a panic, her voice carrying a hint of apology for the disturbance he had caused. Quickly, she tried to swap the work papers in Luke's hand with baby toys.
Jenessa, however, simply chuckled. "Oh, it's fine. I should have known that babies grab anything within reach," she said, amused by Luke's antics. She gently took hold of his tiny hands, which were clenched tightly around the papers, scrunching them in his grip.
"Luke, how about I give you some colorful paper instead, hmm?" she coaxed in a warm tone, while carefully prying his fingers open. To further distract him, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead. Thankfully, Luke's grip loosened, and he slowly let go of the documents.
Sophia let out a relieved sigh. "It seems like the young master is already eager to prove himself as a future patriarch, grabbing work at such a young age," she mused with a soft smile.
Luke froze at her words.
'NO! Why the fuck did your thoughts go in that direction?!' he inwardly screamed, his tiny face twisting into a grimace.