Chapter 114: You’re unexpectedly Stubborn

The memories after my mother’s suicide in prison are hazy.

Should I say it’s a mess, like a canvas smeared with pitch-black paint?

It might sound strange, but even my life before possessing this body is so blurry that I can’t recall it properly.

Besides, every time I tried to recall those faint memories, my head throbbed painfully, so I just vaguely assumed that I had lived an unremarkable life.

However, the memories before my mother was imprisoned are, to my curse, crystal clear.

The world of my childhood was always the same. A cramped one-room space where my mother locked me up—that was all there was.

Sometimes, when my mother left the house, the world grew a bit bigger. At those times, I could wander freely, whether to the kitchen or the living room with the television.

Oh, by the way, my favorite program was a cooking show. Watching dishes I could never taste in my life brought me happiness, even just through the screen.

Anyway.

Apart from my mother, who came home every night clutching something in her hands, the only person I could talk to was the imaginary friend who appeared in the mirror.

My meals were always expired packaged food, and the only thing to quench my thirst was tap water.

Perhaps because of that, I rarely used tableware at home. Instead of dishes, our home was filled with piles of garbage.

So, I had never done the dishes before.

And after being brought into this world as a noble, I had no reason to dirty my hands with such chores.

It’s not unreasonable that someone like me might not know how to wash dishes.

“If you’re going to do it so sloppily, don’t bother! Look at those grease stains! Do you call that washing?”

I shouldn’t have to endure nearly ten minutes of ear-splitting scolding over this.

“I-It’s my first time doing it! And is it necessary to yell like this just because I didn’t rinse one plate properly?”

“Even a ten-year-old could do better than you, no matter how inexperienced. But then again, pampered nobles like you wouldn’t know a thing about this kind of work.”

Pampered?

What do you even know about me…!

“Someone who can’t even handle such a simple task—what will you ever do later in life… Tsk, these days’ youngsters…”

“Stop trying to give me life lessons over washing dishes!”

Unable to contain my rising anger, I unintentionally raised my voice.

Miranda, the old woman, stared straight into my face. Her gaze seemed to hold not just anger but also a mix of disappointment and pity.

“If that’s how you think… Fine, it’s just dishwashing.”

She slowly approached, pushed me aside, and took the dishes I had placed on the drying rack, dipping them back into the sink.

“Just leave. Stop wasting your time here.”

“What?”

I blinked in confusion, startled.

How could someone who was just scolding and yelling suddenly dismiss me so casually?

“Whatever Lady Viviana is thinking, tell her she’s wrong. You’re not meant for this kind of work.”

“What…”

“Instead, go and make use of that pretty face to empty people’s wallets. That’d suit you better.”

Her words pricked my heart.

I doubt she said it intentionally, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was unnecessarily sharp.

“Are you telling me to leave?”

“Yes. It was brief, but it was nice meeting you, kid.”

Without any trace of regret, Miranda turned her broad back on me and resumed scrubbing the dishes.

The only sound that filled the silence afterward was the clattering of dishware.

I wanted to walk away right then and there.

There was absolutely no reason to force myself to do the dishes in this freezing cold water that felt like it would freeze my hands solid.

Vivianna sent me here, claiming it would help me atone for my sins, but honestly, I still don’t understand how this has anything to do with redemption for what I’ve done.

If the purpose was to earn money and repay the noble ladies, there are countless ways to earn much more money than this.

If the purpose was physical suffering, there are countless methods far more effective than washing dishes.

Just like Miranda had said, no matter how much I thought about it, Vivianna’s judgment seemed flawed.

“If you mention my name, you might at least get a ride on a wagon. It won’t be much, but I’ll ensure your wages are sent directly to the young lady.”

There was no real reason for me to stay here.

And yet, for some strange reason, I didn’t want to leave.

I don’t know what this feeling is, but ever since I saw Miranda’s disappointed gaze, my chest has been aching.

‘No.’

A voice resonated from deep within.

Biting my lip hard, I approached Miranda.

“What are you doing, still standing there?”

Miranda looked at me curiously as I reached out to snatch the dishware from her hands.

But with her overwhelming strength, I couldn’t even manage to take the dishes from her. Instead, I ended up struggling, merely clutching her fingers for a while.

“G-Give it to me…!”

“What on earth are you doing?”

Her dark eyes looked down at me with disdain.

I glared back at her fiercely, meeting her gaze.

“I haven’t even tried properly yet! If I just set my mind to it, I can do it in no time, so give it back!”

“Heh.”

No matter how hard I tried, Miranda’s arm didn’t budge, like a solid pillar.

When she raised her arm, my body naturally dangled from her wrist.

“Give… it… back…!”

Miranda, who had been gazing at me with an inscrutable look, finally sighed and lowered her arm.

“If you waste my time one more time, I’ll kick you out immediately.”

“Fine, just give me the dishes…!”

When Miranda finally set the dishware down, I snatched it up and plunged it into the cold water.

But as the chill wrapped around my hands, I realized I’d forgotten to put on gloves.

“Hah…!”

“Good grief. I’ll take a look around the store, so finish everything before I return.”

Miranda threw the gloves next to me and turned to leave.

As soon as she left the kitchen, I shivered from my frozen hands and quickly put on the gloves.

I stared at the dishes in my hands. Greasy, grimy plates. Stubborn stains that Miranda had pointed out were not properly cleaned.

Grinding my teeth, I glared at the stains as if preparing to eliminate them with all my might.

***

“Spotless, right?”

“Huff, huff…”

My lips trembled, and I could barely form words.

My clothes were soaked with cold water that splashed during the dishwashing, and the kitchen, lacking proper heating, felt like it would give me a cold at any moment.

Yet, I felt relieved. Seeing Miranda’s speechless expression filled me with a sense of satisfaction that warmed me from within.

Look at those gleaming plates. These are results you don’t get from an ordinary dishwashing effort.

You wouldn’t find a speck of dust. Not a trace of grease or a tiny stain—I’d spotted them all with eagle eyes and scrubbed them away thoroughly.

“Making such a face over mere dishwashing is ridiculous, don’t you think?”

I flashed a triumphant smile at Miranda, who stared at me with an incredulous expression.

She must be seething, unable to find a flaw to nitpick.

It’s obvious she’s desperate to find something to scold me for.

“Good job.”

“What?”

“I thought you’d give up out of pride, but you’re unexpectedly stubborn. I take back what I said about you being worse than a newborn.”

“…”

“Did you lose your hearing, kid? Why are you just staring like that?”

“Ah, no… It’s nothing, really.”

For some reason, it was hard to meet Miranda’s eyes.

I turned my gaze away, trying to hide the embarrassment creeping onto my face.

I fidgeted with my fingers, not knowing what to do, feeling unbearably awkward even to myself.

‘What’s this? Why is she suddenly complimenting me?’

Just a moment ago, she was scolding me to no end. Now it’s making me embarrassed for no reason.

After hesitating for a while, I cleared my throat a few times to suppress the warm feeling rising in my chest.

Come to think of it, I had also unconsciously yelled at Miranda earlier.

I shouldn’t have done that—it was definitely wrong of me to speak that way to someone so much older than I was.

“Um, I… I’m sorry for getting mad earlier—”

“Then I’ll leave these to you.”

Before I could even finish my sentence, Miranda’s hand moved first.

I don’t know where she got them, but she stacked plates covered in food scraps and grease right beside me again.

The mountain of dishes I had just managed to clean up was suddenly back in front of me.

“Uh…?”

“Did you think the dishwashing would be over after one round? Dinner service is about to start, so you better pick up the pace.”

“Wait, I have to do more…?”

“Of course! Now hurry up! Move it!”

“What?!”

Her familiar scolding rang in my ears like a sharp echo.

The warm, pleasant atmosphere from a moment ago vanished without a trace, and Miranda’s face once again wore the deep wrinkles of a grumpy old witch.

“Move faster! Do you think you’re here to play?!”

“Alright, alright…!”

I had underestimated the task, thinking it would be nothing.

Honestly, it was a bit tough.