“Translated by RJR”
Chase changed his clothes and came out to the living room. Even though he had a lot of work to do, he couldn’t go back to the study right away. It was because his head was complicated.
-It’s a little back and forth, Dad!
Chase sat alone at a large table that could seat eight people and sipped tea brewed with ‘driful’, which is said to calm the mind and body. What on earth happened? He saw Roella waking up after a year and smiling brightly at him. The child’s sudden change in attitude confused Chase.
-Are you really my father? Then why haven’t you come to see me?
-Everyone is pointing fingers that I don’t have Aurora and that I don’t fit in with this family!
-Could it be that you lied to me out of pity?
Roella was raised in an orphanage until she was five, and when she was six she was adopted into the Clemend family. Chase treated Roella like his own daughter, but Roella only resented Chase for that. He believed that she would get better once she reached puberty, but Roella only became more vicious until she turned fifteen. Not only was she not friendly to the employees, she did not have any social friends. It wasn’t that she didn’t make her social debut. However, Roella only once had joined the social circle. What happened to her there? After her debut, she did not participate in any gatherings. The longer she was alone, the more rebellious Roella became. She, Roella, especially treated Evan and Louise as if they were rivals. Only Chase understood Roella like that. Growing up around her outstanding siblings certainly wasn’t easy.
‘I thought she was going to have to carry it for the rest of her life… but…’
Looking at Roella’s bright smile and seeing the expressions on the faces of her two brothers who were just as embarrassed as he was, he began to hope that this would not necessarily be the case.
“The lady has woken up and seems to be in a very good mood.”
Chase’s secretary, Angel, came in just in time and said. Angel, with brown hair and black eyes, had a neat and tidy appearance. Wearing a black suit, he stood neatly with a napkin in one hand.
“Of course I’m happy, but…”
Chase hesitated for his next words, then smiled faintly at Angel.
“…It seems like something has changed in Roella.”
Angel nodded his head in agreement with Chase’s words as he cautiously opened his mouth.
“Yes. I can definitely feel the maids and other servants getting excited. The lady has become kinder. Also, I think you are one of the few people who has seen her smile.”
“Yes?”
As Chase put down his teacup with an expectant look on his face, a few strands of his blonde hair fell down. Angel, who didn’t want to ruin Chase’s mood, looked hesitant and barely opened his mouth.
“Should I contact the temple?”
“No. Keep it a secret for now.”
“If Luganet reacts…”
“I’ll go and think about it then.”
“…all right.”
Angel answered, looking at Chase, who had suddenly become more determined, with his worried eyes. Chase clenched his empty fists with a stern and solemn face.
* * *
I declared that I did not remember anyone except my father. This was because I decided that it would be difficult to pretend to know something when I didn’t know anything. The one who was most embarrassed by the bombshell remarks was the doctor. The doctor explained that my condition may be temporary, as he was worried that the red aura from before would turn to him again. But his expression still didn’t improve, so I took it upon myself to comfort Chase.
-Dad. I’m fine. If you have a problem, you can call the doctor again, huh?
-But…
-But you still remember?
The reason I was able to confidently stand in front of the intimidating Chase was because of the system. With an immeasurably high likeability index and knowing who he was, I wasn’t afraid to stand in front of Chase.
‘Favorability cannot be measured! He’s my father!’
As expected, Chase nodded his head and walked away with a very embarrassed expression on his face.
“I am so happy to see you smiling like this.”
Alan said as he gave me bath water in my bathrobe.
“Me too! You don’t know how surprised I was when the young lady said ‘dad’ earlier!”
“It seemed like the Duke was happy, right?”
“Seup, you guys, don’t be nervous.”
In order, they were Fanny, Sophia, and Jane. The maids standing behind the three blond men started to move when I told them I wanted to take a bath. The three men naturally left the room. The maids moved around as if they were happy to have work for the first time in a while, but at first it was very burdensome. So, I grabbed Fanny, who seemed easy-going, and told her that I wanted to bathe by myself…
-Are you, by any chance, planning to cut us off?
-Please tell us what we did wrong…
-Whatever it is, as the head maid, I will take responsibility.
-…no! Let’s do it together!
Although we only talked for a moment, I felt like I could get a glimpse of their personalities through that brief conversation. Fanny, with red hair and freckles, had a face reminiscent of the tomboy Pippi, and Sophia, with her long light brown hair pulled back into a tight bun, had a gentle and innocent image, even her skin was fair. The maid, Jane, who was a little older than them, looked a little stiff, but she seemed to be a good person who kept the maids centered.
“How is the water temperature?”
“Great. No, okay.”
For a year since my parents passed away, I haven’t had an opportunity to use informal language with anyone. I had no friends and no family, so it was only natural. Before I knew it, I had become more comfortable using polite language, but due to the maids’ misfortune, I couldn’t use it at all.
-Oh my, girl! How can you show us respect…! Please speak less formal!
-That is…I’m more comfortable using formal language.
-Sip, what else did we do wrong?
-Miss, please don’t cut us!
-No, that’s not it…!
-If you are displeased, I take responsibility as the head maid…
-All right! No, okay!
I had been looked after by nurses while receiving glares, but this was the first time I had received care like this in my life. Although it was very awkward to be served, the women seemed to be used to it and seemed proud of it.
‘If they’re happy, it’s better not to take their work away!’
I gently soaked my feet first in the water of the appropriate temperature that Jane gave me. As I sat fully in the bathtub, my entire body gradually became drowsy.
‘When I was sick, I could never even dream of taking a bath like this.’
Because of my weak body, I couldn’t stay in hot water for long, but the hospital room wasn’t even equipped with a shower room, let alone a bathtub. I hated bathing days because I had to shower in a small bathroom that resembled a bathroom stall. On days when I took a bath, my mom had to get drenched in sweat while washing me. My mood sank as I remembered my mother, who died after struggling. I shook my head trying to forget my dark memories.
“Miss. Are you uncomfortable?”
“Oh, no.”
Sophia, who was quick-witted, asked me subtly, so I stretched. Two lively hands stretched out above the water.
‘It’s all in the past. I’m so healthy now!’
My arms weren’t so dry that the bones were exposed, and my heart didn’t feel uncomfortable even when I soak my whole body in warm water. I completely erased the depressing thoughts and smiled faintly.
“Do you like it?”
“Huh. It’s refreshing.”
I didn’t know what it was mixed with, but the light pink bath water felt like it filled my skin with moisture as soon as it touched it. In addition, a strong lilac scent emanated from the lotus flowers floating on the water, and it felt as if my entire body was covered in a delicate scent.
“It’s a bathing agent extracted from the petals of the palm tree. It is a flower that blooms briefly in spring and then fades, so it is very precious.”
“Can you give me such a precious bath salt?”
“Oh my, who else would use that precious thing but you!”
“Sure. Not long ago, the master even obtained exclusive rights to the octopus tree.”
“Yes yes! Our master is an honorary knight and has excellent commercial skills… really!
“What is an octopus tree?”
“Fanny, stop. Are you going to recite all about the Clemend family history today?”
‘Ugh, I lived.’
Fanny pursed her lips at the words of the maid Jean. I was curious about this and that, but I didn’t have the confidence to memorize everything about this world today. Right now, I wanted to enjoy this feeling of comfort for the first time with my whole body as much as possible.
“It’s really good.”
The words I muttered without realizing it brought smiles to the lips of the maids who were watching me. When I saw that, I suddenly spoke to them.
“Thank you.”
Then the maids who were moving for me stopped at the same time.
“…?”
‘What mistake did I make again?’
“You said that…”
Jane cleared her throat deliberately to interrupt Fanny. With Jane clearing her throat, the maids finished what they were doing. I was a little surprised, but I didn’t bother to question her because she seemed to be avoiding talking.
When the surroundings became quiet, I closed my eyes and tilted my neck back. Roella Clemend of the Clemend family, Ruman Empire. Two handsome blonde twin brothers, and even a message from the system.
“Ah…”
Even if I wanted to deny it, I couldn’t. Now, as soon as I died last night, I entered the world of the web novel I saw in the advertisement. And to find the ‘real male lead’ here!
“They said it was free… What kind of free thing is this…?”
I didn’t have to pay, but to give up my life as collateral!
I tried whining quietly out of frustration, but the system never reappeared. I had no choice but to accept reality. So, I was Roella Clemend, and I had to find the main character in the book within a year, right?
“If I had known it would be like this, I would have read to the end…”
I blamed myself for my judgment in leaving the show midway, saying it was a trivial love story. While I was lost in my own thoughts, the maids came closer.
“Miss. What’s wrong with you, yes?”
“Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
The eyes that had been wandering in the air slid towards the maids. It’s a ridiculous story, but in fact, this scene is even more ridiculous. I looked around at the maids who were looking at me with worried eyes.
“…Nothing. Something came to mind.”
“Oh! Have you regained some of your memory?”
“…only until adoption.”
I looked around because I had nothing to say, but the maids lowered their heads with heartbroken expressions at my words.
“Yes. If you need anything, please let me know anytime.”
Instead of the other maids, Jane, the calm head maid, took the lead. I nodded quietly. It’s a shame that I didn’t read the web novel until the end, but I at least vaguely remembered the main character’s family, the background, and some of the big events that occurred. The only parts I couldn’t remember were things about the male lead.
‘There isn’t a single clue to finding the real male lead.’
I had no choice but to get used to it. Not only did I not know how to go out into the real world, but my sick body was probably dead, so I had no place to retreat to. In that case, it would have been wiser to fulfill the goals dictated by the system as soon as possible and find a way to live here. To do that, I needed to find the male lead first…
While I was taking a bath, I tried to remember everything I had read.
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
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