It was a morning like any other. The early morning breeze rushed through the curtains, letting the soft sunlight slip into a certain room. Though the atmosphere was ordinary, the room itself was anything but.
Lavishly decorated with vibrant colors and elegant furniture, it was clearly a room belonging to someone of status. Dolls were scattered across every corner, and in the center stood a large bed with a canopy — aquamarine sheets and a light peach canopy that danced slightly with the morning air.
One glance was enough to tell this was a young girl's room.
In front of a tall mirror stood a small girl, no older than four or five, striking pose after pose with great seriousness. Her hair flowed like spun silver, soft and silky. Her large, watery eyes were the color of the purest light sapphire, as if a master jeweler had carved them by hand. With her small nose and cherry-pink lips, she was beauty incarnate — a little fairy in human form.
And she was none other than our protagonist, Miss Sapphire Rosabelle Astley.
"Yes, I am cute beyond words! How can someone like me even exist? If I go outside looking like this, I'll start wars between kingdoms! What a sinful witch I am!"
She struck another pose. Then another.
"…What am I even doing?"
She crouched down, holding her head. She still hadn't quite adjusted to being a young lady.
It had been five years since she came to this world. She still couldn't believe she'd become a girl — but she had to admit, she was very pretty.
"Keep yourself together, Saphy! You are a macho man! In the future, you'll have a harem of beautiful girls — cat-girls, elves, fox-girls, blonde tsunderes, and many more that this world has to offer!"
…Except our dear "macho man" had already started referring to herself as Sapphire instead of Satoru. Slowly but surely, she was accepting that she was no longer a man.
These five years had flown by quickly — thank the gods for that. The first few months had been pure hell. She could barely see, and every day consisted of nothing but eating, sleeping, and… well, the rest of the baby routine.
Her vision returned after six months. Finally able to see clearly, she began testing out her skill, Appraisal, which turned out to be ridiculously useful. And from what she'd learned so far… she was completely overpowered.
StatusName: Sapphire Rosabelle AstleyAge: 4 yearsHP: 100%Mana: 2,000,000Strength: 2Agility: 3
Affinity:Light Magic Lv.10 (Max)Dark Magic Lv.10 (Max)Ice Magic Lv.10 (Max)Lightning Magic Lv.10 (Max)Fire Magic Lv.10 (Max)Water Magic Lv.10 (Max)Earth Magic Lv.10 (Max)Wind Magic Lv.10 (Max)Void Law: 4%
Skills:Perfect Language, Appraisal, Inventory, Void Cultivation, Mana Manipulation
"My mana is off the charts!"
She grinned smugly.
She'd also been secretly practicing magic, and apparently, she could use every type of elemental spell with ease. But Void-related abilities… were still a mystery. While she could instinctively understand how to use other magic, Void magic remained completely blank. Still, over the years, its proficiency had risen bit by bit.
She'd also unlocked a new skill, Mana Manipulation. She didn't even know how it happened — one day during her secret training, she simply heard a "ding," and there it was.
But this skill was a game changer.
It was like having invisible arms made of pure mana that could move anything she wanted. With her tiny physical strength, lifting anything heavier than a pillow was impossible — but with mana, she could probably lift an elephant.
The skill's power scaled with the user's mana. The more mana you had, the greater your lifting capacity. And Sapphire's mana? Let's just say it was one of her many strong points — right next to being irresistibly cute. (⌐■_■)
The skill also worked wonderfully with Inventory. Normally, she had to physically touch objects to store them, but now, she could use her mana strands to "touch" things remotely. A simple trick, but insanely convenient.
Knock, knock, knock.
A sudden knock pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Come in."
"Excuse me."
The door opened, revealing a tall young woman — her personal maid, Maya. She'd been by Sapphire's side since infancy. Standing around 170 cm, with soft brunette hair and a warm smile, Maya was the picture of grace and kindness. She was twenty-one now — meaning she'd started caring for Sapphire in her teens.
Sapphire was very fond of her.
"Good morning, my dear young lady! May your day be bright and full of joy, just like the sunshine you bring to my mornings!"
"Clap, clap, clap."
"Wow, Maya! Your conning skills are getting better each day. I'm impressed."
Maya froze, looking genuinely wounded. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
"My lady! What I said was from the bottom of my heart! It truly pains me that you think of me as a con artist."
This had become their morning ritual — their comedic routine. It never failed to brighten the day.
"So, Maya, what's the occasion?"
"Sigh… Miss, Lord Astley has requested your presence for breakfast. If you've freshened up, please make your way to the dining hall."
"Alright, I'm coming."
Some time later, Sapphire arrived at the grand dining hall. Four people were already seated.
At the head of the table sat her father, Charles Gürsel Astley, Count of the Lionheart Kingdom. Tall — about 190 cm — with wheat-gold hair, sharp ice-blue eyes, and a strong jawline, he looked every bit the noble. Despite his intimidating appearance, he was a softie at heart.
To his left sat Sapphire's mother, Lisa Rosabelle Astley, a woman of ethereal beauty. She was petite, barely 152 cm tall, with silver hair that shimmered like starlight and deep red eyes like polished garnets. Her gentle expression radiated warmth and love.
On her father's right was Sapphire's second brother, William Bennett Astley, a near carbon copy of their father but even taller — around 193 cm.
As for the eldest brother… she'd never met him.
Sapphire walked closer and greeted everyone politely.
"Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother. And I guess… good morning to you too, Second Brother."
Her parents smiled warmly.
"Good morning, Saphy.""Good morning, my dear."
Her brother, however, scowled.
"Yeah, yeah, good morning. And what's with the 'I guess'? You little squirt, getting cheekier every day! Want me to teach you how to respect your elders?"
Sapphire glared back.
The two bickered often — mostly because of her short height. As a former macho man (a fact she repeated often), she took great offense to any height-related insults.
She was just about to argue back when her father's stern voice cut through the air.
"Stop arguing at the table and eat."
And thus, their usual breakfast skirmish came to an end.
Sapphire took her seat beside her mother. Maya soon placed her utensils before her. The dining table itself was extravagant — rectangular, with twelve seats. Made of dark mahogany with golden edges and a crystal layer on top, it radiated wealth. The silver utensils gleamed under the chandelier, and the chairs — padded with enchanted leather — stayed cool in summer and warm in winter.
Everything screamed luxury… except the food.
Fruits, white bread slices, fruit jam, and hard-boiled eggs. The only drink was fruit juice — not even tea.
The saddest breakfast in the aristocratic world. ರ╭╮ರ
For protein, there were boiled sausages and eggs. The only seasoning? A pinch of salt and pepper.
She once thought this was just "baby food," but apparently, this was normal for noble families.
"What happened to all the legendary isekai cuisine?" she thought bitterly. "Where's the meat feast?!"
Still, she dutifully began eating. A macho man — or girl — needed protein.
While Sapphire was focused on her "muscle-building" breakfast, another maid, Zelen, entered with a kitchen trolley carrying a steaming bowl of soup.
This soup was the redeeming grace of the meal — a rich, fragrant blend of vegetables and meat that filled the air with savory warmth.
Zelen, a green-haired maid, didn't stop near her father as usual but came directly toward Sapphire. This was because her father had instructed it. He'd noticed she rarely ate much during breakfast, assuming her small stature was due to malnutrition.
When he realized she seemed to enjoy the soup, he made it a rule: Sapphire gets served first. Even William didn't complain.
Zelen carefully lifted a small bowl, pouring soup into it from the large pot. The aroma made Sapphire's mouth water. But as Zelen turned to serve her—
A single drop of soup slipped from the small bowl into the large one.
It splashed — and some hot soup spilled onto Zelen's feet. With a cry of pain, she lost her grip on the smaller bowl.
It fell — straight toward Sapphire.
She was just about to raise a mana barrier when—
Maya moved faster.
The hot soup splashed all over her arms and face.
"MAYA!"
Her scream pierced the air as she fell, rolling on the floor in agony. Her skin blistered instantly, one eye clouding over. The sight froze everyone.
Before anyone could react, Sapphire leapt from her chair and ran to her.
The only thought in her mind — I have to help her!
She conjured water and gently manipulated it with mana, washing away the scalding soup. Her eyes glowed faintly as she scanned for any residue, making sure none was left.
Then she took a deep breath.
This was the tricky part.
She began gathering light-element mana — converting the neutral flow of energy into pure light particles. The air shimmered faintly as golden warmth filled the room.
Slowly, carefully, she directed it toward Maya's burns.
The magic responded beautifully.
Within moments, the angry red welts smoothed out. The blisters vanished. Her damaged eye regained its luster. Even old scars from kitchen accidents faded away — her skin now smooth and radiant, glowing with life.
"Maya, are you okay? Did I miss any spots? Are you hurting anywhere? Can you see with your left eye?"
But Maya didn't answer.
She was staring — eyes wide, mouth agape.
So was everyone else.
The hall had gone dead silent.
You could hear the sound of breathing — nothing else.
Sapphire blinked, confused.
"…What's going on?"