Chapter 1:

Mud flicked from the hooves of passing horses onto Eres’s face, causing her to flinch. She looked up, startled, her small frame puffing, indignant. She wiped the muck off with an annoyed flick. Fuck! How had it come to this? Was there no pity for small children in this world? 

It had been bad enough that she’d woken up freezing in an alley in an unfamiliar world and body, but to be a child on top of that? It was an affront to a working adult that had already undergone the horrors of puberty. She clenched her fists, hissing as she tried to extinguish the flames of anger within her.

It had been three days. Three! Days! Since a morsel of food had entered her mouth. As an upright citizen in her previous life, she lacked both the will and the skills to snatch food like the other children that left her with pitying looks as her stomach rumbled. She bit her lip as smells of fresh food wafted over from the bustling market stalls that sat just out of sight. As if sensing the nearby meal, her body shook with a tremor, her stomach howling in fury.

Eres leaned her head against the brick behind her. Her hair stuck to it, the grease and grime dulling the fiery red hue of the strands that flopped past her chin. Was this her hair color? Despite the dirt, the shocking red peaked through in quiet whispers. That was the one thing that pleased her. She’d been stuck with a dull, dirt brown in her previous life. It was a normal color for a working-man, but even that familiarity was gone. 

Was it a good thing she’d had little to leave behind? Other than the comfort of a warm bed, running water, fresh food, money, a decent job…actually, never mind, she’d lost quite a bit. 

She sighed. 

Eres examined her small hands. They were rough, covered in scratches and scars, the history of this body’s life carved into her flesh. How had this kid gotten herself into this situation in the first place?

She’d been chased by strange people from the minute she’d woken up. Whatever their intentions, she had no plans to find out. It would be nice if they just wanted to take her to a safe home but…somehow she doubted that.

This city was far from the modern paradise she’d come from. It was far more like the classic fantasy settings she’d daydreamed of living in. Well, the joke was on her. Instead of the protagonist, how had she ended up as some pauper orphan? Would it have been too much to be born as a prince? Hell, she’d even take a princess. A warm meal felt more important than her old gender by this point.

Eres couldn’t think of a single time in her previous life she’d gone to bed hungry from lack of means. She’d never appreciated that until now. Still, though. How was it that no one was tossing her anything? She’d even gone to the lengths of setting herself up on the busy roadside to collect pity points, yet no one seemed to care.

Was she not cute? Had she been the rare case of ugly reincarnation? That would really be too tragic. Not that she had a good chance to check. It wasn’t like someone had handed her a hand mirror, and it hadn’t been long enough to go near a body of water. Whatever glass she saw, she didn’t dare to linger for a peak at her reflection. Too dangerous for dirty children with no guardians.

She glared at the passerby’s, each of them too much of a coward to look her in the eyes. Eres clicked her tongue. Should she be wasting her time here? Maybe it was time to Olliver Twist her situation around. Sadly, she’d already tried the various things a self-prescribed weeb would. No status screens, windows or systems seemed to react to her. Really quite bullshit, or so she thought. 

Her eyes caught the movement of someone walking down the road. Damn! She almost whistled, but figured it would be inappropriate. She’d already noticed that people tended to look better in this world, but the woman walking towards her direction was in a league of her own. Was this the power of the protagonist? A main character? Some rich lady, ready to whisk her away? Her clothes were immaculate, well trimmed with lace and gold thread, parts of it dyed a dark purple color. The hat she wore on her head bobbed as she walked with a refined pace. 

She couldn’t help but bounce in excitement. This was it! This was her way out! How can I get this lady to do what I want? If she couldn’t secure at least a night’s worth of money from this sucker, could she really be called the top lane’s number one fighter? 

Eres rubbed her hands together. It was time. Operation: Pity Party, begin!

Lana stepped at a quick pace towards her destination. The young master’s birthday was approaching, and she’d been sent to find a suitable present in his mother’s place. Was it an unusual request for the head maid? Perhaps a task like this was lacking in decor—but it was the Lady’s orders, and she’d been close with the family long since before young Leonard had been born. It was only natural for her to be familiar with his preferences, having taken care of him for so long. 

Truthfully, she doted on the boy. He was remarkably well behaved, so much so that Lana often performed tasks beneath her station purely out of affection. 

Leonard was a strange child. He had mature tastes for a child of only five years, and had picked up concepts remarkably quickly. His tutors hailed him as a genius, but for all his greatness, Lana had sensed something within the child that the others did not. 

Loneliness. 

It was subtle, nearly imperceptible, but her careful attention for five long years was not for nothing. His peers avoided him for his oddities, and his parents avoided the house for their duties. It had left him with little time among his peers, isolated from events a child of his station should attend. 

She sighed. Just how could she please that boy? 

Thus, she felt it was her duty to find something to please Leonard. 

Lana walked towards the market, and tried to ignore the various looks and scents of those who watched her. 

She was close to the market when something bumped into her leg, causing her to stumble. She glanced down, surprised, and found a young girl falling into the dirt from the force of her stride. From the hiss and sudden well of blood, she appeared to have been injured in the fall.

Lana’s stomach dropped. While she had no particular inclination to those gripped in the maw of poverty, she couldn’t help but feel guilty at the sight of an injured child. 

“Oh, I’m sorry dear, are you injured?”

She bent down, hesitantly hovering her palms, unsure of whether to reach forward. She had only stopped herself at the sight of the child’s dirty clothes and skin. 

The child pushed herself up, before turning eyes that welled with tears towards Lana. Her small body shivered in pain, her arms weakly supporting her weight. She let out a quiet sob before answering.

“N-no, my Lady, I apologize for h-hitting you.”

Lana’s heart welled with pity at the sight. Should she give the child a silver coin? Perhaps buy her a treat? 

As if on queue, the child’s stomach roared in hunger. Her face tilted down, but the ears glowing red with shame indicated her feelings. 

“Let me buy you lunch, please.”

“N-no I couldn’t possibly impose…”

Lana’s eyes widened. This child…was remarkably well-spoken. “Please, it would bring shame to my name to leave an injured girl hungry and bleeding in the mud. Allow me to treat you, I insist.”

She reached out, and for the first time, grasped the hands of someone covered in filth. Such a small child…her hand felt delicate and fragile in Lana’s grip. She helped the girl to her feet, before bringing her to a nearby food stall. 

The girl pulled back firmly at the sight of their destination. “You don’t have to, ma’am, I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Nonsense.”

Lana quickly ordered a large portion of food, sat the girl on a nearby bench, and watched her eat. The orphan girl, though clearly starving, politely bit into the food with small bites, savoring each morsel before swallowing. 

It was surprising to the head maid. Could such a little girl have received etiquette training before? Was she the lost daughter of a fallen noble? No, there was no one her age that had disappeared recently, as far as she knew. 

While her posture was boyish, perhaps from living in the streets, she held herself with a temperament not unlike the young master Leonard.

That sense of familiarity rushed over her like a whirlwind. 

“Hmm.”

The girl looked at her, head tilted in curiosity. 

“Yes?”

“Do you have anywhere to return to?”

She shook her head. Lana smiled. 

“Would you like to?”