Chapter 3

As Eleana was writing today's events in her diary, Liam returned.

He was holding a bowl of corn soup and a chicken sandwich. Eleana's stomach growled.

Since she had eaten a pound cake in the morning, it was a bit early for dinner, but she decided to enjoy the meal while watching the sunset, which was tinged with a crimson hue through the window.

"Hey, Liam. I think I'm going to leave this house."

After finishing her tea, Eleana declared her resolve, and Liam's eyes widened.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden! You won't be inconvenienced as long as I'm here, right?"

"That's true. But, I don't think it's right to continue living without meeting anyone from now on."

Eleana flipped through her diary. The same content had been written ever since she moved to this annex.

She would wake up in the morning, clean the room, eat the food that Liam sneaked from the main house, study, or read books, and at night, she would take a bath using Liam's water magic before going to bed.

The last time she spoke to anyone was half a year ago when she said goodbye to Sophia.

Eleana's existence had been forgotten in this house. Her stepmother hated her so much that she didn't care if she died. When Liam told her that not getting food meant she was being neglected, Eleana understood.

If that was the case, she didn't think she had a place here.

Besides, there were only a few pages left in her diary. There was no news of the end of the war, and she didn't think her father would return before she finished writing. As long as her father, who was acting as the head of the household, didn't return, this life would continue indefinitely.

"I want to write about different things in my new diary. Exciting and wonderful things."

"You're still just a thirteen-year-old child, you know?"

"I'll be fine. There are many children of my age who work among the commoners. I can do it too."

"You're so optimistic. Alright, if you're that determined. How many days are left in your diary?"

Eleana, asked by Liam, quickly counted the pages.

"Um, seven days."

"Then let's leave in seven days."

"I need to prepare by then."

Eleana suddenly felt motivated.

She had a feeling that something fun was waiting for her somewhere else.

As she was getting excited, Liam suddenly remembered and pulled out a few books.

"Right, these."

"What are they?"

"You need to finish studying before you leave. If you read these, you'll have the knowledge equivalent to a graduate of the Royal Academy."

"......"

Eleana's enthusiasm deflated instantly.

Sophia, her kind maid and teacher, had been gentle, but her successor, Liam, was extremely strict.

Thinking that Eleana wouldn't go out anyway, he had crammed all sorts of lessons after Sophia left.

Whenever Eleana struggled to keep up, Liam would always say, "Knowledge and culture can't be taken away by anyone."

Thanks to this, she was ahead in her studies compared to other noble children of the same age.

"Eleana?"

Liam looked worriedly at Eleana, who had fallen silent.

Eleana picked up the books, unsure if she could finish them, but there was only one answer in front of her teacher.

"Yes! I'll do my best......"

Liam smiled at her positive response.

After that, Eleana, instead of preparing to leave, entrusted her daily cleaning to Liam and became a bookworm, sitting at her desk and reading non-stop.

On the day she left, Eleana carefully checked her belongings.

In her small bag, she had a handkerchief, a little money, a note with Sophia's address, and a gold pocket watch that was a memento from her mother.

Liam had brought a trunk from the back of Eleana's closet in the main house, and she packed some clothes in it. She also took her favorite book.

"Did you forget anything?"

Eleana held a white parasol under her arm.

Liam was perched on her shoulder, fidgeting.

"Aren't you taking that diary?"

Liam pointed to the diary left on the desk. Eleana nodded and put it away in a drawer.

"I'm leaving the memories here. First, I need to buy a new diary."

"You're really carefree, aren't you? Well, let's go."

Prompted by Liam, Eleana stepped out of the servants' entrance of the earl's mansion.

Holding her parasol, she walked along, and before she knew it, Liam had grown to his adult form and was carrying her trunk.

"Didn't you say I shouldn't be pampered?"

When Eleana tried to carry the trunk herself, Liam refused, saying, "I can't let a child carry luggage when there's an adult around."

"So, what are you going to do?"

Asked by Liam, Eleana thought for a moment.

"I think I'll visit Sophia's house first. I haven't properly thanked her, and I want to tell her that I'm leaving the annex. I'll buy some sweets as a gift, so I'll go to the town first."

"Do you have money to buy sweets?"

"......No, I don't."

There were no gold or silver coins in her purse. It was understandable since Eleana had never been given an allowance, but without money, she wouldn't even have a place to stay for the night.

Would Sophia let her stay at her house? Such a presumptuous thought crossed her mind, and she took out the note with the address.

"Hmm, this is an address in the capital."

Eleana's shoulders slumped at Liam's voice from behind.

"Money is essential in life. You need it for a place to sleep, food, and to get to the capital."

"Really, you always forget the important things."

"I guess I did. I was careless."

"But you're a child, so it's understandable. This is when adults step in."

Liam took out a jewelry box from his suit pocket and showed it to Eleana. Inside was a ruby necklace.

"What's that?"

"It's one of your stepmother's treasures. She buys new jewels every month, so some of them are forgotten and buried in the back of the closet. I took a few. We can sell them in town for money."

"Oh, but stealing is wrong, isn't it?"

"It's fine since it's for your budget. Taking one or two isn't really stealing."

"That's true. If she forgot about them, she probably won't notice. Let's sell them all at once!"

"I wish I could have taken your sapphire too......"

"It wasn't forgotten, was it? It's okay, thank you, Liam."

Among the jewels he took were an emerald ring and a topaz hair ornament.

He said he could get more if needed. As a spirit beast, Liam could teleport.

"I'm excellent, you know."

The adult Liam proudly puffed out his chest.