I opened my eyes gently to see myself surrounded by a beautiful town that looked mystic. There were clouds so close to the town that made this place look enchanting. I was in a white kimono and my hair was packed in the traditional style. I got up and walked slowly through the town. It was really enchanting all the people going with their day happily. I figured that I was in the after world, the heavenly clouds above that people back on Akarui would speak about.
A blinding light suddenly struck my way as a beautiful lady in a red kimono and long black hair stepped down to me. She looked really friendly and gave me a warm smile.
"Suzuha, that's your name, isn't it?" She said in a enchanting powerful voice.
"Yes, my name is Suzuha. " I replied her.
"I am Hikari, the ruler of this heavenly place. You are most welcome."
"Thank you."
"You must come with me, I need to speak with you urgently. "
I followed Hikari to her palace and she told me to listen to her carefully.
"Now, one of the scrolls of this place is on earth. It was stolen by the royal family of Okinawa through a ritual and I couldn't possibly get it back with my form." She said.
"What are you saying?" I asked curiously.
"I will need you to get the scroll for me."
"But how!?"
"No worries. I will simply reincarnate you into another family so that you would have better chances at retrieving the stolen scroll from the Okinawa family."
"You, mean... I get an Isekai?"
"Yes, and once you get the scroll I'll sense you're with it and you'll come back to me."
"I understand the assignment. "
"Good, now let me begin. Shall I?"
"But one more thing."
"Yes?"
"I wish to not be born as someone labelled perfect. Because of what happened before I descended her."
"That won't be a problem."
Hikari waved her hands over me and light started to flow around me as she did so. I closed my eyes and I felt like I was being lifted up. Then I was no longer in Hikari's presence, but somewhere else.
I woke up in a room that looked all royal with a canopy bed and a Stellar bedroom. I ran to the nearest mirror to check out my appearance. I gasped as I saw my reflection. Bubbly pink hair, soft blue eyes and a peach Skintone. I let out an ear shattering scream as some maids barged into my room to check on me.
"Katsumi, are you okay?" One of the maids asked.
Oh my God. I was reborn as the dukes second illegitimate daughter of Akarui, Katsumi Hayato! I squealed in my realisation and asked the maids for my age.
"You're ten, Katsumi. Why do you ask?" She said.
"Ten? I have gotten seven years reversed in age!" I panicked.
"You have always been ten since your last birthday, Katsumi." She said.
"Hmm, in that case. The rest of you maids should leave." (The rest of the maids left) "What's your name?" I asked the maid i was speaking to.
"Dena." She said.
"You'll be my personal maid from now on!"
"What about your former personal maid?"
"Forget about her, I want you now."
Dena nodded and I told her to leave. I was still freaking out about the fact that I was born as the dukes illegitimate daughter. Back when I was Suzuha, Katsumi used to come to visit sometimes and we would play together. She also has an evil sister named Emika Hayato who would hang out with my sister and plan pranks on us.
But she stopped visiting soon after because her father wanted to isolate her for some reason. She is a hated child. But at least she still has her mother that lives in the palace to talk to, but she is always busy. And Emika and her mother hated Katsumi so much. Her father didn't even care about her that much.
Now that I fully understand my situation, my mother doesn't care about my existence, my step mother and step sister hate me, and my father won't do anything about it, I was in for a hard life again.
I know I told Hikari to not make me perfect, but this is just too much. And to execute my plan, I had to wait for some years before I could finally start working on it because I was way to young. At least, let me reach a marriageable age first.
I was going to need some strong connection with anyone in the royal family of Okinawa. Like I did know that Prince Ayoshi Ren had an elder step brother. But I have never had an encounter with him before.
Dena called me for breakfast, my first breakfast with my first family.
I got dressed as she escorted me downstairs to the dining room.
"Hey, family." I said gingerly.
They all gave me this weird look and Emika said, "Ew where did you get you manners from, a dumpster?" She snickered and whipped her long blonde hair back.
She was a carbon copy of her mother with the exact same blue eyes and blonde hair.
I remembered her as duchess Hayato and she looked at my mother who was sitting across her and said, "Inori, you should teach your daughter some class. My Emika here is skilled in all elegance at such a young age. While your daughter is so slow at all of this elegance and manners!'
I wanted to pounce at her, but surprisingly, my mother spoke back.
"Don't you dare, speak of my daughter that way! She may not be graceful, yes, but she is capable of being delicate. Just look at Emika, as vulgar as her mother..."
Duchess Hina rose from her seat and yelled back at my mother saying, "Vulgar you say? Just look at your child, dirty, unsophisticated and hideous as ever! Yet you have to audacity to call me and my daughter, vulgar?"
Did duchess Hina just call me hideous? That little witchy woman. I will make sure to retaliate at her in some evil way.
They continued arguing until my father couldn't take it anymore.
"Enough! I am exhausted with all the nonsense I tolerate in this house because of the both of you. I have lost my appetite."
Dukes Souta left the dining room gravely. While duchess Hina and Inori kept on arguing.
I went back into my bedroom. I had caused a disaster at breakfast because of my bad manners. It had to change. It was like I had lost some of my sophisticated skills due to the reincarnation and I needed to earn them back.
My step sister barged into my bedroom rudely without knocking and teased me.
"Haha! You're a hideous child!" She yelled.
"Said the person that came into my bedroom without knocking. How ill-mannered of you, Emika." I said to her.
Emika glared at me with her blue eyes and left my bedroom furiously.
What was up with this family? But I had a mission to complete and it was retrieving the stolen scroll and I couldn't afford to disappoint Hikari.