10: DISCOVERY

I’m surprised that the maid had delivered something that wasn’t hand-me-downs. It’s the first time I’ve received a new dress even if it was ready-made. I could only smile wryly because there were no decorations… I guess it was hard to find. I’ve never seen such a simple dress before. They might even have taken the decorations off themselves.

The dress was light brown. Or should I say the colour was like milk tea? I didn’t see this colour much.

As a member of the Thousand House I couldn’t dress shabby, but on the other hand I hated dressing up. The result was this dress, huh?

This was probably the Furore-sama’s greatest compromise. I laughed when I thought that in my mind.

I’ve never demanded clothes to dress up in.

Even if I was at a marriageable age, I believed that it was fine to wear clothes that are clean.

I also know the difference between luxury goods and generic goods and the latest embroidery trends because I went to the western clothing store. But that was just knowledge that I had, it had nothing to do with me.

“The fabric isn’t stiff. It’s soft.”

Even I was happy to receive a brand new dress with good quality. I hug the dress tightly.

My treatment at the estate is getting better now since I’ve started helping my father and brother with their work. They acknowledged me because I can do paperwork.

And I’ve been living here for more than 10 years, so the harsh treatment and neglect from the servants have decreased. It was better for me to not have any connections with them. Once again, as a noble I couldn’t talk in a stern manner.

I thought a lot in my room last night.

The maids won’t relit the lamp, even if I use it till late until it runs out of fuel. So I’m early to bed and early to rise.

If I thought in bed then it wouldn’t be a problem even if the room was dark. I would usually fall asleep when I thought about a lot of things… But that didn’t happen last night.

There was a sentence that I wanted in the noble law book I found at the library.

―An illegitimate child born from a noble and commoner and their name exists in both registers and when the person reaches adulthood, they’ll have to apply for removal from one of the registers. ―

―However, it’ll only be accepted in case the person themselves apply for removal from one of the family registers. ―

… I remembered the two sentences that concerned me. It was written in smaller text than the other laws, so I felt like they did that on purpose. I wonder if they didn’t want people to know.

No one has ever taught me that I could choose to be a noble or a commoner. Was it less likely to be accepted?

Illegitimate children born between nobles had backing and they probably wouldn’t want to be commoners since they were strongly thought as nobles. Even if it was an illegitimate child from a commoner, they would be treated as nobles, and would also think like nobles.

Did they do their best to create this law because an illegitimate child was born from a commoner a long time ago?

I wasn’t treated as a noble and I was blessed as a commoner. I was a half-way existence.

What did my mother want me to do?

Did she want me to live as a noble?

Did you believe that I was living as a noble just because the only thing you were told was that I was living well at the estate? Did you want to believe that?

I was proud to do the same things as my mother when I lived with her in the gardener’s work cabin.

I didn’t hate being smeared in dirt or getting my hands dirty.

She might have wanted me to become a noble who understood the feelings of commoners.

But… Why didn’t I call her mother ¹⁾? I called her mum (ka-san), didn’t I?

It’s not like I’ve always wanted to be a noble. I would say that I didn’t want to get involved with them.

I listened to my father in order to protect my mother and tried to be a noble. I learnt how to impersonate them. I believed that it would protect her.

The result was that…

“I’ll remove myself from the noble register!”

I’ve got a goal!

Now, I have to makes reasons for why they should accept my removal from the register!

Could not being treated well at the estate be used as a reason?

Come to think of it, alright, let’s get my family and the servants to treat me harshly again! Welcome!

I have to keep my father’s work a secret or else… I won’t be able to leave this House. I have to make them think I’m not useful.

It’ll be good if I can show them that I could live independently even as a commoner.

I will improve my embroidery skills more!

It’s better if I know how to cook and do housework, right? Should I help out in the kitchen as well? I should be able to do more things for myself.

There were more and more things that I wanted to do… This was the first time I’ve felt like this.

I have thought about living outside of the estate before, but I didn’t have any definite goals. That’s why I was always sensitive to other’s moods and thought that I had to listen to what they told me to do.

In any case, I have to negotiate with father who’s also the head of the Thousand House.

My mother’s words suddenly floated into my mind. 『You can’t push your opinions. If you want the other person to listen to you, you have to listen to their request as well.』

『You have to look at the person in their eyes and talk if you want to covey how you feel.』

First, let’s have a proper look at my surroundings.

The only thing that I was worried about was that if I quit being a noble as soon as I become an adult then it would be impossible to fulfil my duty to follow the royal familyas a noble… Would they demand something from me instead? Would something be done before that?

If I could move freely then I would go to the noble register department and ask them myself.

The other thing I was worried about was being married off while I’m waiting to become an adult.

Fortunately, my father worked as a curator at the Royal Palace. He would regularly air out paintings and antiques that have been handed down in the Royal family as well as maintain them. His department wasn’t receive much budget. It was a simple but necessary department.

My father was excellent as a connoisseur but he didn’t handle large amounts of money in his department nor did he have to frequent the Royal Palace a lot. So there weren’t any nobles or merchants who were proactively trying to make connections with my father. That was also one of the reasons why my older brother, Guerlain and my older sisters still haven’t got fiancé/fiancées. Well, I think it’s also because they’re looking for someone better than them.

I don’t think there would be any House that would want me as a bride just because they want the Thousand blood. They couldn’t expect a dowry, my looks were average, and I couldn’t behave like a noble in high society. I don’t think the Thousand House would present me as a bride. But it’s not like there’s no possibility of me being a bride.

Another possibility was that they would make me work as a tutor or as a maid in a high ranking House… I don’t think I have the capacity for that and it was probably hard to handle illegitimate children of nobles and commoners.

Yup, as I thought, becoming a commoner is the best choice. Most of all, I want to become one myself so there weren’t any problems.

Translator: Blushy

Editors: Readers