Chapter 4

Several days had passed, and her health had recovered, but Sara still remained confined to her room. She had no intention of giving up on her revenge against her cousins, but it was clear that stepping outside without a plan would make her a target for bullying once again. She needed to take some action.

This was not a simple problem that could be solved by telling an adult.

Her uncle and aunt also looked down on Sara as a child of inferior blood, and their attitude towards her was the root cause of the bullying by her cousins. She didn’t think that reporting it would solve anything.

Even the Marquess of Granchester, who had taken her in, had only done so out of a sense of duty. He had not officially adopted her as his foster daughter, and had merely informed the servants, "This is Arthur’s daughter. I will take care of her from today. Give her the room Arthur used to have," and left it at that. It was unlikely that her grandfather would go out of his way to help her. It would probably be better to avoid bringing up any troublesome matters.

The servants were also unsure of how to treat Sara. Many of the servants working in the mansion were from lower noble families, such as viscount or baron households, and they had mixed feelings about treating Sara, a commoner, as a young lady. However, to avoid the risk of displeasing the Marquess later, they decided to treat her as a young lady of the Marquess’s household. As a result, Maria was assigned as her personal maid. If Sara had been born and raised in the Marquess’s household, even with a low-ranking mother, she would have had a nurse and a lady-in-waiting. Having only a personal maid was a rather ambiguous treatment.

If her unstable position led to a conflict with her legitimate cousins, it would likely be to her disadvantage.

"Even if I stay in the Marquess’s household, I won’t feel comfortable, but if I run away, I’ll end up in a difficult situation."

Sara, who had grown up in the lower city, knew what happened to children without parents in this world. At best, they would end up in an orphanage, and at worst, they would become pickpockets or beggars in the slums. There were no social systems like in her previous life, and even the orphanages were in such poor conditions that they lacked proper clothing and food. The slums, which she had been told to avoid by her parents, were probably even worse.

As long as she stayed in the Marquess’s household, she wouldn’t have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter. She had clothes befitting her status, three meals a day, tea and snacks, and a large bedroom with a comfortable bed. Even the luxurious bath, which was a luxury for commoners, was available to her in her own bathroom every day. However, Sara knew that she couldn’t stay like this forever.

"Once my uncle becomes the next Marquess, I’ll probably be kicked out of the house. I might even be married off to some old man as a second wife."

Her grandfather, the current Marquess of Granchester, was in his early fifties. It was a bit early for him to retire, but he would likely consider it in about ten years. By then, Sara would be of marriageable age.

Most noble marriages were arranged for political reasons. Noble children were obligated to marry someone who would benefit their family and produce heirs. Given that they lived a luxurious life supported by the taxes of their vassals, it was only natural that they should marry someone who would bring good results to their territory.

Arthur had run away with Adelia, abandoning his status and family. From the perspective of the Granchester family, Arthur was an irresponsible man who had fled his duties, and they had no obligation to raise his child, Sara. In other words, being raised as a noble in the Granchester household meant that she had to contribute to the Granchester family and the people of the territory in some way.

Noble young ladies contributed to their families through marriage. They were presented in society and put on the marriage market, where they were dressed up and smiled to attract the best possible match.

Sara, with only half noble blood, was of low value in terms of lineage. However, the Granchester family had a long history of producing people with excellent appearances. Arthur had been a handsome young man, and Adelia, despite being a commoner, had been so beautiful that she had many suitors.

In short, Sara was "very" beautiful. Her silver hair had a slight bluish tint, her eyes were like gemstones, her skin was pale and translucent, and her small lips were naturally pink without any makeup. She would likely become even more beautiful by the time she reached marriageable age. Considering that she had also manifested magic, she might become a valuable commodity.

"Thinking about it, noble young ladies are pitiful creatures. The emphasis on lineage reminds me of the thoroughbred auctions I saw in my previous life."

Not only could she not decide on her own marriage, but she couldn’t even decide on her own life. The only benefit of being a noble young lady seemed to be the luxurious lifestyle. After regaining her memories from her previous life, Sara wanted to live as she pleased, like Kasa.

"I want to maintain a decent standard of living while living freely. It seems best to live in the Granchester household for a while, save up money for independence, and then leave. I should probably repay the cost of my upbringing, but before that, I need to find a way to distance myself from my cousins. Maybe I should move to the estate in the territory and leave the capital?"

Robert, her father’s second elder brother, lived in the Granchester territory and served as the steward. Since he was still unmarried, he likely had no children who would be her cousins.

"Even if my second uncle is a bit unpleasant, he probably won’t engage in childish bullying. If I can avoid him, I can live in peace."

Her cousins despised the territory, considering it a rural area, and refused to leave the capital mansion. The Granchester territory was a rich land with fertile fields along a river that boasted abundant water from the mountains.

While the eldest son, Adam, might stay in the capital, the second son, Christopher, was likely to live in the territory as the steward in the future. However, he showed no interest in interacting with the local leaders or their children. The eldest daughter, Chloe, even referred to the territory as a place where she couldn’t invite friends for a summer retreat.

She wouldn’t have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter, and she wouldn’t have to see her cousins. The more she thought about it, the more moving to the territory seemed like a good idea until she could become independent.

"I need to strengthen myself while my grandfather is still healthy. For that, I need knowledge."

Sara decided to ask the Marquess for permission to move to the Granchester territory and to arrange for a tutor. In this world, even family members couldn’t visit the lord’s office without permission. She first informed the steward of her desire to meet the Marquess and had him check the Marquess’s schedule.

After a while, she received a response that the Marquess could meet her after dinner. In the meantime, Sara listed the things she needed to improve her current situation.

"First, I need to be able to earn money on my own. As long as I’m in the noble society, I need to know manners and social trends. If I consider the possibility of moving to another country, I need to learn foreign languages and gather information on international affairs. The problem is magic, but I’m keeping it a secret for now. I’ll think about it step by step."

Kasa had been a studious child. She had graduated from a national university with a degree in economics and worked for a major trading company. After entering the workforce, she obtained an MBA in the United States and mastered multiple foreign languages, showing a strong desire to learn. She had also been highly skilled in her job, holding a position that was a head above her peers. (She had missed her chance at marriage due to her workaholic tendencies...)

"First, I’ll ask for permission to move to the territory and arrange for a tutor. I can think about the rest once I’m in the territory. But this is a strategic retreat. I won’t give up on my revenge!"

... It was a stable sense of unease.