Chapter 3

The faint winter sunlight shone onto my face through curtains that were old and thinning. It seemed Patience’s habits had won out; I had been sleeping with my arms out over the thin top quilt, my fingers elegantly interlaced.

“Ugh… so cold.”

I tried to burrow back into the blanket, but my stomach let out a loud growl.

“I can’t get anything done if I don’t eat breakfast.”

In my head, I thought, “I’m starving,” but when I spoke, it was automatically converted into “Patience-speech.” Even “Mom” became “Mother.” I couldn’t tell if this was convenient or a nuisance.

Tracing through her memories, I found that the only maid here was the red-haired Mary. Aside from her, there was Eva the cook, George the manservant, and Wyatt the butler, who managed everything.

“Is this really all there is to being an aristocrat?”

I had an image of many more maids and servants, but that was because the Granger family was in deep trouble.

Patience only knew this life, but apparently, her father, Viscount Granger, was a “Noble of the Robe”—a legal/administrative aristocrat—and did not own land.

Normally, he would work at the Royal Palace and receive a salary, but it seemed he had been dismissed from his post. I thought this was incredibly serious, but Patience’s memories weren’t clear on the details. As a young lady, she apparently didn’t take interest in things like salaries. She only remembered that the number of maids had dwindled starting a few years before their mother passed away.

“In other words, no income! And apparently, it’s been that way for about four years?”

Patience’s younger brother Henry was six. This meant their mother had died leaving behind a son who was at the peak of his cuteness at age four. Well, at that time, Nasius was six and Patience was eight.

“Well, at ten years old, I suppose you wouldn’t understand your father’s unemployment.”

That’s right, I’m ten! I’ve been rejuvenated—or perhaps just turned back into a child. Well, it’s better than becoming an old woman.

Since it was obvious no maid was coming to help me dress, I got out of bed.

“I use this to wash my face, then.”

On the sideboard sat a ceramic washbasin with a pitcher inside; it had a faint, faded pattern that had probably once been a lovely floral design.

“And the toothbrush is… surely not this coarse cloth…”

I had memories of toothbrushes, but for now, it seemed I just scrubbed my teeth with this coarse cloth. This needs urgent improvement!

After finishing my wash with lukewarm water, I opened the wardrobe. There were two dresses, but assuming the lace one was for summer, I chose a thin, light-blue long-sleeved dress.

“Is this… really for winter?”

It had long sleeves, at least, but it was paper-thin. Mary’s maid uniform looked warmer than this. Hers was cotton, while this seemed to be silk. Was this a desperate attempt to maintain the appearance of nobility? Or perhaps it was a gift. I recalled there being relatives.

“Let’s see, the underwear is… drawers and a chemise… and the socks are cotton.”

I fastened my socks with garters and put on the thin, nominally silk dress.

“So cold!”

I searched for something to wrap around me, but the wardrobe held nothing but a coat.

“Am I not allowed to wear a coat?”

Patience’s memory screamed, “No!” causing me to pull back the hand I had reached toward the coat.

“There should be a fireplace in the dining room.”

Staying in a cold room wouldn’t fill my stomach. I tried to head straight for the dining room, but Patience blocked me.

I have to make the bed! And fold the nightgown and put it in the wardrobe!

I wanted to grumble that this was normally a maid’s job, but there was only Mary. Mary was likely busy looking after the Angels.

Being a poor aristocrat, Patience was accustomed to making her own bed. Besides, with a thin quilt, it was a simple task.

Finally granted “permission,” I hurried toward the dining room. Thanks to Patience’s memory, I didn’t get lost. Despite being poor, the manor was quite large; I descended a gentle spiral staircase and reached the dining room on the first floor.

“Good morning.”

My father, William, was reading the newspaper at the table. A small fire was crackling in the hearth, so it was warmer than the bedroom.

“Patience, good morning. Are you feeling better already?”

William had brown hair streaked with a bit of grey and pale grey eyes. When he looked up from his paper, he looked worried.

“Yes, Father. I’m sorry to have concerned you.”

I felt a certain fondness for this refined-looking father, but I didn’t expect a shred of “survival capability” from him. William, while not as bad as Patience, was quite thin, and the sleeves of his jacket were significantly frayed. My chest ached—whether it was my own feeling or Patience’s memory—with a desire to give him a warmer jacket.

“Father, Big Sister, good morning!”

My brothers entered the dining room, led by Mary. Seriously, they are angels!

“Nasius, Henry! Good morning.”

“Sister, are you okay now?”

The older one, Nasius, had brown hair and grey eyes, looking just like Father. I really hoped he didn’t inherit that lack of survival skills.

“Yes, Nasius. Thank you.”

I kissed Nasius on the cheek. Oh man, I’m so happy! Seeing that Patience didn’t stop me, this must be a morning habit.

“Then, Sister, can you play?”

The younger one, Henry, had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as I did. He took after Mother. I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t die young.

“Yes, let’s play.”

I picked Henry up and kissed his cheek. Ah, bliss!!

This feeling of happiness did not last long.

“Disgusting!”

The soup had a few pieces of flavorless vegetables floating in it, and the bread was hard even when sliced thin. And there was only one slice. The emaciated Patience certainly didn’t need a diet.

To think my brothers were being fed nothing but this for breakfast! It’s terrible, especially since they’re at a growing age.

However, using the elegance ingrained in Patience, I sipped the soup slowly. No matter how much I savored it, there was no flavor. I’ll have to investigate whether Eva the cook is just bad at her job, or if the household finances are so tight that this is all she can make.