I opened my eyes to find myself as a crying little baby. I couldn't stop crying, and it was really annoying.

"Awwwwn, the princess is crying," the nearby maids rushed to attend to me, trying to stop me from crying.

It was true. This was the dream I had to play, and I was Princess Aria. I stared at my tiny arms and legs in awe.

I was in a cot in a small room, dressed in children's attire. The shock of everything happening around me made me cry even more.

I looked to my side and saw a child my age in another cot. She was fast asleep, her loud snoring disturbing my ears. I was wondering who she was when I heard a familiar ping.

[You're probably wondering who that is. That's Princess Mira Seraphine, and she is your twin sister.]

"You never told me I was going to have a twin sister." What I said sounded like babbles to everyone around me, but the system understood me.

[You should expect anything.]

They were right. The baby beside me—Mira, as the system said—was awoken by my constant cries and babbles.

She cried even louder and more annoyingly than I did. The maids rushed to attend to her. The whole situation was embarrassing.

Stupid baby.

I planned to enjoy the dream world to the fullest and expected nothing to hinder me. My twin sister looked like she was going to ruin that.

"Why do I have to have a stupid twin?" I voiced aloud, but no one understood me. Well, except for the other baby, who had stopped crying now.

She looked at me with pleading eyes, then communicated without opening her mouth.

<Do you hate me?> I heard her voice in my mind.

<Wait, you can talk? Well, not talking, but you're talking...>

This was telepathy. I could do it too. I didn’t remember anything from reality, but I still had knowledge beyond that of a baby.

[You and Mira can communicate using telepathy. This happens because you are twins.]

That explained something. But how was she smart enough to form sentences?

I asked myself but overlooked it.

"Queen Isolde is coming to see her children. Arrange them well," a senior servant ordered, and the others rushed to us. We were cleaned and cared for meticulously.

<Queen Isolde? Probably our mother.>

A few minutes later, the queen entered. She moved with elegance. Her shoulder-length brown hair and blue dress complemented her beautifully adorned jewelry. Servants followed behind her.

^^Queen Isolde

"Is this Mira?" she asked one of the servants by her side.

"I am Aria, not Mira," I said, though she didn’t understand me.

"This is Aria, and the other is Mira," the servant corrected politely.

Mira looked excited and sought attention. Queen Isolde, who had been holding my hand, became amused by Mira’s constant laughter and smiles. She spent time with us, and we laughed and played together. I was happy to have a twin and a mother like them.

"Bring me my purse. I want to give these children a snack," Queen Isolde instructed a maid.

The maid’s right hand glowed bright red as she reached for the queen's purse, amazing both Mira and me. The system had mentioned magical powers, but this was my first time seeing it. Mira’s eyes gleamed with joy.

<Amazing.> She always spoke through my mind, which was a little unsettling.

The queen noticed our surprised looks.

"Don’t worry, I’ll explain it when you're older. You probably won't understand now—your minds are still young."

"No, tell me now. I can understand... though I’m not sure about Mira." I didn’t realize I was already crying.

I hate this baby body.

Mira started crying louder than ever. I covered my tiny ears, trying to block out the piercing sound.

"Are you hungry?" Queen Isolde asked, unaware of why we were crying.

I shook my head, and she seemed to understand.

"Aren’t you two a little smart for your age?" she asked. Mira stopped crying.

I could understand why I was smart, but Mira?

Just as Queen Isolde was about to say something, a servant interrupted.

"Your Highness, you’ve exceeded the time allotted to spend with your children. You have other duties, and we have guests arriving soon."

Great. Just when we were enjoying time with the queen—our mother.

<Isn’t time with us more important than these 'other duties'?> Mira looked as disappointed as I felt, her usually cheerful mood dampened.

"When are the guests arriving?" Queen Isolde asked, standing.

"In about thirty minutes. They’ll dine with us. The King and Queen of a neighboring kingdom. The notice came late, so we know little about their visit," the servant explained.

"They must be important to gain the king's approval," Queen Isolde muttered.

"Goodbye, my adorable children. I’ll visit again. Aria, Mira."

Mira waved sadly before slumping into bed.

<Don't worry. We'll meet the guests and see our mother and father.>

Mira cheered up, shaking her rattle. She finally acted like a normal child.

Thirty minutes later, we were cleaned and prepped by the maids. Mira had made a mess with snacks, so cleaning her took longer.

We were taken to the dining room and placed in small chairs with tiny tables.

The guests arrived shortly. They were clearly royalty.

[They are here for something more than a visit.]