Chapter 36

Dalia quickly approached and took Elliot's hand.

"Miss, I've been waiting for the day we could reconcile. I'm so grateful you came first."

Elliot couldn't easily find her voice. After several attempts to speak, she finally managed to say,

"Last time, there was a misunderstanding. I don't dislike you—"

"Kyaa!"

Clang!!

A sharp cracking sound filled the party room.

A shockwave from the window had shattered the glass.

Elliot was so startled that she covered her mouth with one hand.

Dalia, also startled by the cracking sound, fell on her bottom and trembled like a leaf.

People rushed to Dalia, who had fallen over.

Dalia's face was deathly pale.

Uncle Grimié, who had walked in from a distance, shouted at the servants outside the door,

"Doctor! Bring a doctor immediately!"

Elliot, at a loss, approached Dalia with her hand still covering her mouth.

"Dalia—"

"It's your doing, Elliot!"

Joffrey blocked Elliot and shouted.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your presence at Dalia's birthday party was suspicious from the start. You deliberately chose a corner and lured Dalia here. Didn't you!"

"What...?"

"Dalia is kind and couldn't bear to see you alone. She knew you would come this way!"

Before Elliot could explain, people who glared at her began to hurl sharp criticisms.

Tears slowly welled up in Dalia's large, deer-like eyes.

Dalia looked at Elliot with tears on the verge of falling from her eyes.

"Sis..."

"I, I, I—"

Just as she was about to defend herself, everyone shouted at Elliot in unison.

"Go away!"

"Go away!"

"Filthy, dirty blood!"

"Evil one who torments kind Dalia!"

"Get lost!"

Elliot, whose hands were trembling, bit her lower lip tightly.

She turned and left the party room.

Cruel words pierced her back like arrows.

Her steps slowed when she could no longer see the people.

Tears fell from her eyes, wetting the carpet.

"What a fool..."

She covered her eyes with one hand and let out a sorrowful sigh.

Then, she threw the letter into a trash can in the corridor.

Thud.

The letter hit the inside of the can and landed on top of the trash.

[Happy birthday. To you, who resemble summer flowers.]

Elliot, crouching in front of the trash can, buried her face in her hands.

Tears fell through the gaps in her fingers.

* * *

"Huh!"

I sat up abruptly.

My hair was damp with cold sweat.

'What was that? Just a bad dream?'

It had to be, because this scene wasn't in the novel.

But the dream was so vivid.

'Did I skip a chapter?'

But that didn't make sense.

This Elliot from *The Black and White Hand* felt completely different...

Then, a knock echoed through the room.

"Come in."

A maid entered, pushing a trolley with wash water.

I widened my eyes when I saw her.

"Oh, Miss..."

It was Greta, the maid who had taken care of me when I stayed in the annex of the main house.

Greta approached the bed with quick steps.

"Just a few months, and you've grown so much!"

Greta sniffled, saying, "I'm so moved!"

However, Greta's attire was strange.

She used to wear a maid's uniform, but now she was dressed like a chambermaid.

"Why are you wearing old clothes, Greta?"

"It's because my duties have changed."

"Hilda too?"

"Hilda too!"

Originally, Hilda and Greta were nursery maids, responsible for taking care of children and assisting the nannies.

They took care of me because they were nursery maids.

But now, they were dressed as chambermaids.

Greta scratched her head, looking embarrassed.

'Demoted, huh.'

So pure, yet so out of place in Astra...

Another maid entered through the open door.

She was wearing the nursery maid's uniform that Hilda and Greta used to wear.

She was the maid who had bathed and put me to bed last night.

"Shall we get you washed up?"

The maid wrapped a towel around my neck and washed my face with the water Greta had brought.

"Ouch!"

The maid's hands were rough, and it hurt.

Greta, startled, opened her mouth.

"Um, excuse me!"

"What is it?"

"Miss's skin is delicate, so you should be gentle, or it will hurt..."

The maid glared at Greta.

The maid frowned and said,

"Do you still think you're a nursery maid? Don't say unnecessary things in front of Miss."

Then, the maid smiled sweetly at me.

"Did it hurt? I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."

Her words were sweet, but her hands were still rough.

In less than five minutes, the maid had changed my clothes and quickly left the room, closing the door with a thud.

Looking in the mirror, my hair was a mess, like it had been hit by a bomb.

I have curly blonde hair, and if not tied properly, it looks messy.

Greta looked around and cautiously approached me.

"Would you like me to retie your hair?"

"Sure!"

Greta quickly fixed my hair.

She seemed very anxious, as if afraid the nursery maid might come back, but her hands were very gentle.

Greta braided my hair neatly on both sides of my ears and put down the brush.

"You look very cute."

"Thanks."

Greta smiled widely.

At that moment, the bell rang.

It was the signal that morning time was over.

Greta quickly left the room, saying,

"Have a good day!"

"Thanks, Greta!"

I waved my hand to Greta.

I put on a small shoulder bag and left the room.

Walking down the corridor, I saw the nursery maid who had tied my hair messily standing in front of a room.

'That's Joffrey's room.'

The maid was talking to a woman in a plain green dress.

"You don't need to come every morning; I can take care of it. Still, Mrs. Sarah's dedication is truly unmatched~"

"You must take good care of the young master. Thank you for always looking after Master Joffrey."

"Oh, it's nothing!"

The maid covered her mouth and laughed.

From the conversation, the woman in the green dress seemed to be Joffrey's nanny.

The maid's voice was dripping with honey.

'Ah.'

I quickly understood the situation.

Joffrey's nanny was known for her sharp tongue.

She was from the capital and had worked as a nanny in many noble families, recommending nursery positions to others.

'Well, it doesn't matter to me.'

If the maid's hands were rough, I could ask the butler to change her.

I was a young child starting in the 7th rank this semester.

A single word to the butler, and he would change the maid immediately.

While thinking this, I was walking when,

Thud!

"Ah!"

Something hit my back and fell to the ground.

Turning around, I saw Joffrey grinning at me.

He had thrown his shoe at me.

'That brat...'

"Achoo."

Joffrey shrugged.

"It's your fault for not dodging."

I picked up the shoe from the ground.

Then, thud!

"Ouch!"

The shoe hit Joffrey's face.

"My goodness, young master!"

"Kyaa!"

The shoe slid off Joffrey's face.

"You, you, what are you doing!"

"It's your fault for not dodging, Joffrey."

"That...!"

Joffrey stomped his feet and walked towards me, fuming.

Then,

Arms were draped over Joffrey's neck from both sides.

"What... Huh!"

It was Joshua and Balzac.

"Can you come with us for a moment?"

"Smile, smile."

Joffrey's face turned pale as he was dragged by the shoulders.

The twins turned Joffrey around and said to me,

"Go ahead, little one."

"Okay!"

Joffrey was dragged away, calling out, "Nanny..." as he went.

Joffrey's nanny, Mrs. Sarah, hurried after the children, shouting,

"Quick, get the teacher!"

The maid ran towards the teacher's office.

I watched Joffrey being dragged away and then turned to walk towards the classroom.

I was scheduled to receive primary education.

'Hmm, where is the primary classroom...?'

Was it in the east corridor or the west corridor?

The new building was so large that I wandered for a while to find the classroom.

It felt like I was walking in circles.

Yesterday, I just followed the children, but now, I had no idea where anything was.

'The structure is definitely complex because it was converted from a laboratory.'

It had to be complex to prevent experimental subjects from escaping.

'I should get familiar with the layout on the weekend.'

While thinking this, I was walking and looking around when,

"Ah!"

A surprised voice caught my attention.

Turning around, I saw a girl with dark, curly hair. She looked about 8 years old.

'It's Dione.'

My shy cousin.

"Ah, sorry. The primary classroom is not this way, it's that way..."

She fidgeted and looked at me nervously, worried that she might have given me the wrong directions.

"Thanks."

Dione's face brightened when I said this.

"Y-Yes."

"Are you going to the primary classroom too?"

"Yes..."

"Let's go together."

I walked up to Dione and grabbed her hand.

'I'm lucky to have someone to guide me.'

Dione was startled and looked down at me.

She looked back and forth between my hand and me, then bowed her head.

Her ears were red.

"Okay..."

I walked down the corridor with Dione.

When we reached the end of the west corridor, we saw a large door.

Two guards were standing by the door.

The guards opened the door for me when they saw me.

Inside, the children who had arrived earlier were sitting in their seats.

'They're all young kids.'

Of course, the primary classroom was designed for young children.

"Um, the seat..."

Dione looked around quickly.

I shook her hand.

"Let's sit here. Come on."

"O-Okay..."

Dione's cheeks were flushed, and she looked shy.

'She's so cute.'

As I was about to sit in an empty seat, I saw a familiar person with her head bowed in front of me.

A girl with curly blonde hair.

"It's Aunt Liangtin."

The Liangtin who had stolen my fake body regeneration potion and ruined her grandfather's birthday gift.

She flinched when she saw me.

She must have known I was coming and was trying to avoid me.

'Liangtin shouldn't be in the primary classroom.'

Then, I remembered something Liangtin had said before.

"It's because I lack dedication. They're ignoring me because I'm the lowest-ranked among the direct descendants!"

It was clear that her poor grades had landed her in the primary classroom.

In *The Black and White Hand*, Liangtin's grades were always poor.

'She was good at studying but always did poorly in practical tests.'

But it was strange.

I expected her to say something sharp if we met, but she was quiet.

After a moment of thought, I realized why.

'It's because I'm in the 7th rank.'

Liangtin was obsessed with rank.

She wanted to impress her grandfather and improve her rank.

Liangtin quickly gathered her books and stood up.

She tried to move to another seat, but someone entered with a thud and a huff.

It was Joffrey.

Liangtin, startled by Joffrey, sat back down and bowed her head.

'So, Joffrey is in the same classroom.'

Joffrey glared at me fiercely.

However, he didn't approach me easily.

Joshua and Balzac were waving at me from outside the window.

Joffrey gritted his teeth and sat in the remaining seat.

It was next to Liangtin.

Soon, the classroom door opened, and the teacher entered.

The class started, and the twins, who had been waving at me from the window, left for their own classroom.

The teacher distributed a sheet of paper to each of us.

"The primary classroom is different from the intermediate and advanced classrooms. We will conduct individual lessons based on each student's level. First, we will assess your academic level."

It was essentially a pop quiz.

I wrote my name at the top in a wobbly hand and looked at the questions.

'These are definitely difficult for the kids.'

There were questions asking to translate difficult ancient language sentences and division problems with three decimal places.

Considering the oldest child here was 10, the questions were quite challenging.

'If I get them all right, it might be a bit much.'

I decided to get a few of the easier ones right.

While focusing on the test, I found it more difficult to write small letters with the writing tools than to solve the problems.

My hand muscles weren't well developed.

After finishing the test, I looked at Joffrey and Liangtin in front of me...

'Huh?'