It's Pretty Damn Efficient

I don't really give a damn about the way you touch me, when we're alone

A baby was born in the Ruby Palace, the mother dying during labor.

Said baby was on the ground, and if an onlooker didn't know better? They would have thought the child to be dead.

Athanasia- that was the newborn's name- wasn't making a noise. The brilliant diamond eyes passed down through each generation of the royal family seemed dull, glazed over.

The emperor stared down at the girl, frowning slightly. "What's wrong with it?"

"Y-Your majesty?" Lillian York, the only maid brave enough to protect the child, stared up at Claude.

"Why is it so quiet? My knowledge might be limited, but I know children usually cry."

Lillian frowned. "I.. don't know."

Claude frowned. Sheathing his sword, he sighed. "The child shall live, for now. We shall see if she remains this interesting."

"Of course, your Majesty."

The emperor waved his hand dismissively, turning and departing from the Ruby Palace.

~

Athanasia was.. a baby, at this point of time.

With the mind of a woman around the age of a late 20 year old. Athanasia can't quite remember what age she is, anymore.

That tends to happen, when you die twice.

In her first life, Athanasia had met Claude when she was 9 years old and hammered all the knowledge she could into her bones to impress him.

In her second, Athanasia had done everything she could to simultaneously help people and not bother her father.

In both lives, she had died to family. Claude, and her... uncle.

Athanasia gasped, causing Lillian to look over. "Are you okay, dewdrop? What's going on in that little mind?"

"Pffbbbbt!" Athanasia simply responded, causing the maid to giggle and coo.

She was here, conscious, and her so-called 'father' wasn't around. Either one of them, actually.

In her last life, she had been slaughtered by Anastacius, who declared that he was Athanasia's biological father. But now that she actually had time to process that statement, it didn't take much to deduce that, no, that's not true.

Claude, no matter what, has always been at her birth. Anastacius was wiped from the history books for a reason, after all.

But right now? She, uh, couldn't really do anything at the moment. So all she could do was sit and wait.

~

 Athanasia was now a toddler.

She had 'learned' how to read at an early age, and was declared a genius. It wasn't too far off, as she had books and books memorized.

Still, it pains Athanasia to have to act like a child.

At the moment, both Lillian and Athanasia were in the garden. The maid hummed while sewing something, Athanasia reading through the children's story books next to her. Flipping a page, Athanasia paused before standing up.

"Lily?" Athanasia asked. She had a plan, a brilliant plan.

"Yes, dewdrop?"

"I wanna be a knight!"

In Athanasia's hands was a storybook, pointing at the knight in shining armor rescuing the princess.

"Really?!"