Alice POV
At the age of five, I began to understand the structure of this palace, the Kingdom of Thijam, which was said by the people of the nobility.
After troubling my mother constantly while I was still crawling, I mapped out the location. Starting from; kitchen, dining hall, lodging room, garden, training camp, flower garden, storage shed, greenhouse, gallery; public or special baths; the throne; the main hall; all I did to remember everything well in my brain.
Well, even though some maids call me "trouble girl" at my age who still can't walk but crawl overwhelms them because I'm always out of their sight once they let their guard down.
Even my new mother, Luna, she was also overwhelmed to take care of me because I was always whining when she put me in the baby's place without being able to move freely.
Despite my mother's troubles, she remained patient in caring for me, her daughter when I was still crawling.
Well, if I may say Luna's character is similar to mine that others see, namely; humble, helpful, patient, sociable, generous smile, more important to others and their family than to her.
Ah, except for the latter nature I don't have it because I haven't felt love in my family.
Maybe I'm more dedicated to the job to the last point of my mother's nature.
Whether this is a coincidence or not, I think it's a second chance I can't just walk through so I can live a better life than I used to.
•••••
At the age of 6, Alice sneaks out while her mother is busy sewing letting her daughter be taken care of by maidens. The maids, however, were busy because their many jobs kept their eyes off Alice from making it easier for Alice to sneak into the library.
In the library, Alice happens to pick up tools similar to wooden trolley.
She took a chair while taking a thick book from the shelf to the wooden trolley to collect and put it on the table for reading.
Since no one in the library has a basement and a second floor with some decorative plants in a long horizontal window that shines on the ornamental plant, silence allows Alice to focus on reading and learning about the world.
"Alright. Let's start with understanding the royal family first."
Taken in the philosophical books of the royal family in the Kingdom of Thijam, Alice read them with great focus. Her white little fingers swiped through page after page as time passed for several hours.
The weather that had previously shown morning changed to the evening because of too much focus on reading, Alice did not realize that her time was spent on her knowledge.
While it's outside the library...
"Where's my daughter? Why isn't she anywhere?"
"Madam, please be patient!"
"How can I be patient! I'm afraid my daughter left this place without your knowledge!"
Luna, Alice's mother, looks panicked because her daughter did not attend the luncheon at the dining hall, making her confused where her daughter went.
The maid who participated in the search for Alice's whereabouts, they searched the whole place except for the library without finding her wherever they looked for her, overwhelming them in frustration filled with regret and fear.
They were all afraid that Lord Arga would punish them for not being able to take care of her beloved grandson, Alice.
"Why did she disappear?"
"How should I know? You're the one who can't take good care of her."
"Huh? What do you mean by blaming me?"
"Of course, you can't take good care of it."
"Let's roll!"
"Come, who's afraid!"
There are even maid who blame each other among the surrounding maid in panic and fear, making their leader, Annastasia, a blunt bob-haired young blond woman who breathes long can only be patient even though her expression looks flat without emotion.
"You guys, stop fighting! Find somewhere else! If there isn't, we can ask the knights for help!"
"Fine!"
Following orders from Annastasia, the previously quarreling maid stops arguing in anger but searches for Alice's whereabouts once again.
"Wonder where Alice-sama is?"
In contemplating for a moment, the only thing Annastasia remembers is that they haven't searched for a place they haven't investigated, which is a library, making her go there without the other maid knowing where she's going.
Once inside the library, a quiet atmosphere enveloped the room.
The silver eyes of Annastasia encircled the entire library without seeing Alice in the library.
"That's strange. I thought he was here.
Unbeknownst to Annastasia, Alice, who hides under the table that serves as a place for the librarian, hopes Annastasia does not come here.
"Where did Alice-sama go?"
There was a concern behind her tone, making Alice realize that she had caused trouble to her entire family, including the maid who was in the neighborhood looking for her.
Although Alice did not want to trouble them, she also could not just walk out of hiding for fear of being lectured by Annastasia, who she thought was like a BP Teacher when Alice was Nia in her old school days.
Footsteps were heard echoing in the quiet library room which slowly approached the table where Alice was hiding, making her heart flutter for fear of being caught by Annastasia as soon as she checked under this table.
"Alice-sama, get out! I will neither scold you nor lecture you."
There is no answer but only silence as if from the beginning Alice was not in this library, making Annastasia increasingly doubt that she was here.
"Alice-sama, if you don't come out, your mother will be more worried about you."
Staying silent while she hears Annastasia's words, Alice agrees with her.
Her mother, Luna, must have been worried about her condition because she was not seen at all from noon to evening which could have made her think that her daughter just disappeared.
Especially after Alice found out that she was the heir to the throne of the next royal blood, the Nishimura family, most likely thought her mother, Luna, and her grandfather, Arga would think the same if she had been kidnapped by someone.
But even though Alice did not want them to worry about her, she still did not want to come out of hiding to see Annastasia because she wanted to spend a day in this library reading instead of being locked up in her room without being able to do anything.
"....."
At first glance, an idea came to Alice's mind.
Smiling smiles were involved in her face as if she were really thinking of an idea that had just come up, making it easier for her to spend time in his room when locked up later.
"Sip. I'll do!"
Two books that were not thick were inserted into Alice's body in front and back, she came out of hiding to meet Annastasia.
"Alice-sama, you're really here."
"Yeah, that's it."
Turning their eyes away from Annastasia who looks relieved as she approaches her, there is guilt on Alice's face who is afraid to stare at Annastasia at this time.
Instead of being angry and lecturing Alice, Annastasia hugs her, and Alice is shocked to learn that she hugs her unexpectedly.
"Thank God you're all right, Alice-sama."
From Annastasia's words, Alice could tell that there was a feeling of gratitude and relief from her even though she did not show emotion on her face.
"I'm sorry, I've been a pain in the ass for you and the others."
"No problem. As long as you're okay, I don't have a problem at all."
Smiling at Annastasia's words, Alice feels that if the maid leader in front of her begins to understand herself even though she sometimes lecture herself and scold her, she still cares and cares for her as if Annastasia is her second mother in the world apart from her mother, Luna.
"Let's go back to your room, Alice-sama. Madam is very worried about you."
"Yes."
Allowing her to be taken by Annastasia by holding her arm, Alice simply followed her with no resistance or objection at all as if she had given up the rebellion.
In fact, she had kept both books hidden in her books so that she could spend time in her room which her mother would lock up to read books from both books she took; magic books and physical exercise books.
•••••
Upon meeting her mother, Luna, Luna hugged Alice tightly as if she was relieved and grateful that her daughter was okay, not kidnapped or lost from the kingdom.
Little smiling Alice reciprocates her mother's arms, letting her warmth feel after a long time without feeling the warmth of her mother when she was Nia.
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry I didn't notice you."
"No, I'm not. I'm the one who should be sorry, Mom. I just walked away that made you and the others so overwhelmed to find me.
Her chuckling mother, wiping Alice's hair gently did not expect her daughter to understand the mistake she had made to discourage her from punishing her for being locked in her room.
Soon after, Arga approaches Luna and Alice, her gaze leads to Alice who looks sharp.
"It's not good! Looks like I'm going to get scolded by Grandpa."
After staring intently for quite a long time, a smile appeared on Arga's lips which made him squat while holding out his hand to Alice to please approach her.
"Grandpa!"
"Oh my goodness, my beloved granddaughter. Why are you causing us so much trouble? If you need anything, you can come to your grandfather."
Alice only giggles pretending to be a girl at the age of six, hugging her grandfather's body while Arga picks her up.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa. But I don't want to bother you."
"No problem. It's my duty to my beloved granddaughter which is you."
The maid who gathered to witness the warm love of their King towards their granddaughter, Alice, caused the touching moment to relieve stress from frustration, panic and fear of punishment they received from Arga.
In the distance, a dark green mohawk-haired man, an azure-colored pair of eyes, has a handsome face with an ideal posture ranging from; a height of about 174 cm, a medium body with a firm posture behind his uniform in black, and a golden yellow line between the ends of the arms, buttons, and the clothing. The tip of his pants and the top of his pants, watching His Majesty Arga pampering his grandson make him realize how much Arga cares about Alice.
"Well, I guess I'd better let His Majesty be at this moment."
"....."
As he was about to leave his place, in the distance was seen a boy staring at Alice, a blonde little butterfly-haired haircut girl who couldn't take his eyes off her, making the counselor, Gerald, the headliner. Just a little smile as if to realize that the boy fell in love at first sight with the young lady, Alice.
A little later, Alice is in the room with her mother, Luna.
Her mother patted Alice on the shoulder while squatting, smiling at her.
"Remember, this isn't what I'm punishing you for. It's just anticipating if you leave again without Mom or the others knowing."
Luna's words to her daughter were emphasized, her daughter only looked at her in silence while Luna was standing, understanding that her mother was doing this so as not to trouble the others.
"Mom, can I ask you a favor?"
Before her mother, Luna comes out of Alice's room which has opened the door, Luna looks back at her daughter who wants to know if she can be asked for help or not.
"Yes. What do you want from me, my dear?"
"Please bring me some books from the library here. Ah, if you could just don't tell Dad about this because I don't want to get mad at him."
Hearing her daughter's simple request, Luna could only laugh because it was funny to hear Alice's fear of her father and husband, Ren.
"All right. I'll bring the book you want here, but promise me that you won't be naughty and just walk away without my permission, okay?"
"Yeah, I promise I won't do it again."
Delighted to see her daughter do as she says, Luna chuckles as she stays at the door opened from Alice's bedroom door, she comes out of the room as she looks at her daughter with an affectionate look.
"Then I'll do as you say, my love."
As soon as the door closes, Luna leaves Alice's room, which is now guarded by the two maids outside, making her relieved that her daughter has not committed any more mischief this time.
•••••
Alice POV
Looks like it's safe.
Getting the books out of my clothes, I chose first which book I want to read at this time.
If I'm not mistaken, I can see at a glance what others have in their bodies.
Whether it's a coincidence or not, I think it's better if I read a book about which one first before I read a book about magic and the physical exercise I brought.
"There's no other choice."
I had to wait patiently for my mother to bring me dinner to ask her for help to bring me a book of common knowledge in this world.