Chapter 9

Eleanor began to speak after she turned one. Based on her memories from her previous life, she decided it was about time to start saying something.

"Pie"

When the quiet baby, who had been slightly unsettling due to her doll-like appearance, spoke with a smile, the wet nurses blushed and swooned. It was no wonder, given her incredibly beautiful face and adorable smile. One of the wet nurses couldn't resist picking her up and rubbing cheeks with her.

(Well, I want to eat a pie.)

"Pie, pie!"

Eleanor had intended to say that she wanted to eat a pie.

"Miss Eleanor, there's no more milk. Let's have some dinner soon. How about some delicious milk and bread?"

(No! Not milk! I mean the food called pie!)

"Pie, pie!"

"There's no more milk, Miss."

(Damn, she doesn't understand. ... Thinking about it, since I'm a baby, there's no way I would know about pie. I'm such an idiot!)

Eleanor deeply regretted her hasty action due to her strong desire for food.

---

When she finally learned to walk, she started to speak in slightly longer sentences.

"Stomach empty"

The wet nurses, who couldn't understand what "stomach empty" meant, thought she was just learning to speak and found it endearing.

"Oh, Miss Eleanor, you're so good at talking."

"Yeah!"

The wet nurses, who didn't realize she was speaking with a dialect, doted on the angelic and adorable Eleanor. She was exceptionally well-behaved and never threw tantrums. Some found her behavior unsettling, but since she was so quiet and easy to care for, no one reported anything to the butler or the head maid.

Even her parents, whom she saw occasionally, didn't notice anything unusual.

(My dad and mom are nobles. I shouldn't dirty their beautiful world.)

Eleanor kept a certain distance from her parents, never rushing to them.

---

In early autumn when Eleanor turned two, her mother, Emilia, fell ill. Led by a maid to Emilia's bedroom, Eleanor was surprised by the large bed with a canopy but still called out to her lying mother.

"Mom, are you okay?"

Emilia looked at her daughter with a puzzled expression. Eleanor's face didn't resemble either of her parents but rather her deceased paternal grandmother. Perhaps recalling something, Emilia glared at her.

"I never wanted to marry such a man. I didn't want his child. Oh, I don't want to see a face like that hateful mother-in-law. Take this child out of the room!"

Seeing her hysterical mother, Eleanor felt genuine sympathy.

(My face looks like my mother-in-law. Poor mom. She must have been treated terribly by her mother-in-law. In the village where I was born, there were also mean old ladies.)

"I'm going back. Mom, get some rest."

With that, Eleanor left the room with the maid.

This was the last farewell to her mother in this life.

---

In late autumn of that year, Emilia passed away. At the funeral, her father, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, didn't seem particularly sad, and Eleanor learned that her mother's marriage had not been a happy one.

(Mom, you were so young. Poor you. I hope you find happiness next time.)

Placing the roses her mother loved in the coffin, Eleanor shed a single tear.

(Mom, Mom, my mom. Mom, I'm sorry for looking like my mother-in-law. Mom, be happy in heaven.)

---

Less than a month after the funeral, her stepmother Anna and her daughter Sophia arrived at the estate.

(Dad, isn't that a bit too soon?)

"Eleanor, this is Anna, who will be your new mother, and your sister, Sophia."

Listening silently, Eleanor realized that Sophia, whom she had thought was a step-sibling, was actually her father's child. They ignored her presence and chatted away, inadvertently revealing their relationship.

It seemed that her stepmother had been her father's long-time lover, but they had reluctantly parted due to their different social statuses.

(No, they didn't break up. Sophia is only half a year younger than me.)

"I find it painful to see Eleanor with her hair color like that person."

The "that person" Anna referred to was the deceased Emilia.

"Don't worry. From now on, you will be my only wife. Eleanor will be moved to the annex."

Eleanor was supposed to live in the annex, but before she knew it, she ended up living in a small cottage. As part of the harassment, she was assigned an extremely strict tutor, but being eager to learn, she was deeply grateful for the opportunity.

(I want to be smart like Ham. I'll study a lot!)

However, no matter how much she tried to correct her speech, it didn't change, and the frustrated teacher eventually banned her from speaking freely.