The Uncrowned King

Purpose

Miracle was somewhere around 1 year old when the House of Delvaux adopted her. It was established that her birthday is the day before the end of February. Coincidentally, it marks the end of winter and the start of spring.

Miracle was somewhere around 1 year old when she killed a man.

No, not just a man. The maid, Paula too.

That single raw fact had her stopping from her walking exercise and plop on the fluffy red carpet. It smelled of spilled milk and dust. Miracle sat there, staring blankly on the red strands of the carpet. The cold inside her hummed alongside her trepidation.

She had shattered two people into nothing, exchanging her life for another.

Oh she knew it was a matter of self-defense. But it didn’t change anything.

She had taken a life.

It was like everything against the disciplinary lessons that she had took in her past life.

She had the strength. The instinct to move when things got shaky. She always does.

The snap and crack of bones was all too familiar for her. But she had control. She’s always careful with the way she use her strength on thugs. Careful not to go too far.

It’s a big leap. She thought, rubbing her hands over her face. From breaking bones to snapping my finger and they’re dead. And maybe her legs were a little shaky from all the reminder but Miracle found out that she could live with it.

Honestly, she’s a bit disappointed of herself but considering the House that adopted her. They’re close to Royalties so, assassins are to be expected.

She’ll have to get used to the killings.

She heaved a sigh unbecoming of a child her age.

The cold inside her rises up, hissing and creating a steam in the air. Pleased with her acceptance. Miracle immediately reigned it in, relieved that Iris was too busy with knitting needles to take notice.

It’s best to keep her powers in check. Better yet, hidden from the eyes of others. The people around her are already afraid. There was no need to drive them crazy from a child manifesting magic as young as she.

After the task of saying her ‘official’ first words to her brothers, she focused on learning how to properly walk.

Miracle ignore the maids’ insistence for her to talk because the Grand Duke seems to be expecting it and some manifestation of magic from her. She only learned how to talk on her own and with the help of her brothers that still sneaks into her room. Viviene never lifted her visiting ban but they never caught the twins.

It made her curious what kind of useless guards she have.

And what on earth the Grand Duke wanted with her power? It’s the only thing that he cares about.

That’s it. I’m so keeping my magic to myself. Miracle viciously thought, mind conjuring some wild thought that Silverberg wanted to dominate the whole world with her powers.

It’s possible. Hearing all the stories of the recent long winter and the suffering the whole kingdom went through. She might be capable of dominating the whole world.

Unless of course if she wanted eternal winter. Miracle face scrunched up in disgust, stomach twisting in the most uncomfortable way at the thought.

She’ll definitely hide her powers from him. She refuse to go through so much hassle just because some old man wanted to dominate the whole word.

It’s a good thing that the usage of her magic left no trace.

*

Miracles is two years old when she saw herself in the mirror. She’s aware that she’s different from her past life but its still shocking to see a pretty girl staring back at her.

Her eyes is what she notice first. It was eye-catching. Round blue eyes framed with white long and thick lashes. The color is deeper than her previous life that Lance once described as turquoise. It’s so deep like the ocean reflecting the blue sky. It kinda sucks you in. Its disturbing.

Not to mention it glows.

Her eyes had this unnatural glow that she can’t explain. And its not disappearing.

Why? Why her eyes are so pretty? It’s unnatural compare to her brothers! It easy to caught someone’s attention with her eyes only!

She felt a sense of panic as she blink a lot of times in front of the mirror. Her thick and long white eyelashes catching her attention. Miracle doesn’t know what to feel losing the twin beauty marks under her right eye. Because that would be too much considering what she had at the present. The eyes are one thing. And the lashes is another but her lips.

Gosh, her lips! How can a two year old lips so glossy and pink?! Pouty she can understand. That was trait from her past life and she had already forgiven her long and straight silver hair! Silver!!

But pink! Like a freshly pick pink roses! The color of pigs in a drawing book. That kind of pink! Its naturally pink! How is that even possible?

A kid can’t be as pretty as her. No wonder the twins are enamored. She look a doll, with her silver hair and bright blue eyes, wearing a cute dress.

A porcelain doll, considering her pale skin.So freaking pretty.

Its impossible for Silverberg to make me. Miracle thought, staring dumbly on a mirror. There was no resemblance from the Grand Duke at all.

*

Miracle is three when she saw Viviene again. Honestly, she had been waiting to see the Grand Duchess after seeing her own face on a mirror. Its true that her hair is silver and her eyes are blue but that’s all there is to resemble the Grand Duke and nothing more.

Of course, that’s a given. She’s adopted after all. But Viviene threw that fact aside and believe in the rumors instead. She hoped that the Lady would think twice now.

Miracle had already lost count of how many assassins lost their lives just by stepping in her room and honestly, the Grand Duchess is her primary suspect.

But the Duchess had just taken one narrowed searching look at her before she begun a lesson about manners and etiquette.

Miracle immediately regretted writing on a piece of paper with a crayon that Iris discovered and reported to the Duchess. It was just a piece of paper with a badly written lines from Romeo and Juliet.; only starting with ‘Give me my Romeo’ before it was snatched from her hands. She had become oddly attached to the lines she still remember from the play when she misses her old friends.

It was hardly eligible but some letters were enough to be recognized.

Thus her education started early with the Duchess on manners and etiquette.

It was hell. The Grand Duchess is strict with her lessons and Miracle would daresay…petty.

Every little mistake she made earned her a smack of stick at the back of her legs. Viviene always found a flaw on whatever movement she do. Berate her on her informal language.

Excuse me?! I’m three!

Her powers surge to protect her from the pain, numbing her skin.

Miracle took the beating with confusion warring inside her head while trying to perfect her tasks.

She doesn’t understand why the Grand Duchess was angrier than before. What is wrong with her?! Can’t she see that there are no resemblance between her and the Grand Duke? That she’s not a product of infidelity?

“Is there a problem?” Miracle bravely asked, hands delicately holding a teacup as per instruction. “Mother?” she added out of family responsibility.

Miracle didn’t expect the hand that slapped her face, making the teacup she’s holding crashed on the table.

Its painful. She wasn’t expecting to be hit on the face that’s why she focused numbing her lower body parts. But it was nothing compared to receiving a roundhouse kick from a 12 year old monk in a Chinese temple where her old parents had shipped her off.

So Miracle merely blink off the tears that gathered and the shock of it all.

Surprisingly enough, it was Viviene who reeled off her seat, huffing and puffing like she had run a marathon when she had just slapped a three year old kid. She was clutching her bare hand that slapped Miracle like she’s the one who got hurt.

Something is seriously wrong with the Grand Duchess.

“Everything! You have done everything wrong! How can you not follow such a simple instruction?!”

Miracle frown, aware of religiously following every step the Grand Duchess had given to her. She was trained to respect and obey elders, after all.

“I apologize, Mother. I will try to do better.” She said, playing the innocent and dutiful daughter to placate the older woman.

She didn’t missed the way the Grand Duchess bristled upon the word ‘Mother’.

Ahh~This Lady is no good. Miracle thought, eyes casting down on the spilled tea from her cup. And I was trying to be civil. Her lips pursed, contemplating matricide.

The temperature dropped as disappointment reared its ugly head inside Miracle’s heart, hardening it further more. The bright and sunny disposition of summer had turned dark in an instance.

A sense of vindictiveness made itself known to Miracle when she saw the fear on the Grand Duchess eyes. The Lady had forgotten out of anger that the child in front of her is once was she called a monster.

“See that you do.” Viviene said, as she tried to regain some sense of composure by squaring her shoulders and standing straight like the Grand Duchess she is. “We are done for the lesson for today. Reflect on your mistakes and rectify them. We shall start over again tomorrow. Since none of my words seems to retain in your feeble mind.”

Miracle twitched in her seat, her 20 year old mind bristling at the insult.

Her reaction didn’t escape the sharp eyes of the Grand Duchess, moving to loomed over her seat. “You must understand this, child. You have to be the perfect lady. It is your only purpose in life.” Viviene said with such seriousness that if only Miracle wasn’t reincarnated and just a normal child she would believe her foolishly. "This lessons are essential to your future. In order to marry the Crown Prince you must be the most graceful Lady in the Kingdom. That is why you must obey my every word."

“Prince?” Miracle asked shell-shocked. Oh right, there are Princes in this world. Wait-What?! Marriage? Aren't they blood related??

“Yes.” Viviene answered smiling gently, but her eyes. Her eyes are burning.

“Why?” Miracle couldn’t help but ask, eyes wide in confusion. Surely there are others qualified for such thing. She’s adopted for Pete’s sake!

No. Wait. It's exactly the reason why!

“Why of course my dear child is for the sake of our kingdom.”