episode_0033

Eleanor Arène de Beaurne.

The youngest daughter of the Beaurne family, the lord of the western domain, and the forbidden leaf of the Beaurne Changebaek couple.

Replacing the eldest daughter, she was known as the true lady of the Beaurne family.

Considered the most valuable treasure in the western lands and the pride of its people.

Despite the various names she was called, Eleanor herself couldn’t fathom what exactly those titles meant.

It was no wonder since within Eleanor’s body resided a stern man who had no connection to her or her world.

The memories Eleanor currently held were only from the past couple of months since the platinum-haired lady had entered her body.

So, even when her mother sitting beside her spoke these words:

“Elli, I heard that a foreigner from the west is coming as your maid. The daughter of Marquis Loelcerar came on her own accord after hearing you were unwell.”

Even upon hearing that a close friend from her hometown was coming up, and that this dear friend would become her maid and stay with her:

“But… Mother, do we really need a maid? I feel Sophie and Manuella are sufficient companions for me.”

Eleanor simply gazed at her mother calmly.

“Hey! Look here, seriously! Ridiculous talk should be dismissed!”

Etienne looked at her daughter sternly in response to her words.

After their encounter in the capital, it was the first time she had shown any sign of displeasure towards her daughter, albeit very subtly.

Of course, Eleanor had her reasons for speaking as she did.

She had managed just fine without a maid all this time.

She didn’t know how things were in the estate, but considering there was no maid by her side when she first opened her eyes, she probably lived without one even after coming to the capital.

However, this was Eleanor’s perspective, that of a commoner, not the typical noblewoman’s viewpoint in this world.

Etienne, a typical noblewoman, shared the same sentiment.

“Oh! Child, Mother. But… I’ve been doing well all this time…”

With a gentle touch on Eleanor’s back, Etienne’s hand caused Eleanor’s cheeks to puff up slightly in protest.

Seeing her daughter’s reaction, Etienne almost involuntarily smiled at her adorable display, setting aside the fact that she was her own daughter. She had often indulged Eleanor in the past, but this time, even Etienne couldn’t yield.

“Sigh. Elli, that’s a story from before your debut.”

Etienne gently grasped her daughter’s small, white hand, hiding her emotions with a subdued sigh.

“Elli, as you start socializing more, you’ll have to visit places where commoners frequent, just like Sophie and Manuella. Can you go to such places alone?”

“But Mother, we don’t have a maid right now.”

After some back and forth, Eleanor’s words trailed off.

While her actions appeared endearing to her mother, Etienne eventually had to raise her voice to her beloved daughter.

“Elli, are you the same as me? You can’t even fix your makeup by yourself right now!”

Meanwhile, Sophie stood politely behind the mother and daughter, struggling to contain her laughter at the sight of the mistress and her charming daughter.

As Eleanor and Etienne engaged in their heartfelt conversation, they were currently in the parlor of the townhouse, meeting the candidates for Eleanor’s maid position.

The news of seeking a maid for Eleanor Arène de Beauregard, the youngest daughter of the Beauregard family, had become quite a sensation in the noble society of the Lower Class.

He was the famous Count of Beauregard.

Although he was just a viscount among marquises, with two more classes above him.

The power and status of the Beauregard family in the empire, as well as their history, surpassed even most marquisates.

No other family could compare to the Beauregards in the empire, except for the imperial family and the Grand Duchy of Verberitz.

Such a family, and to be the maid of the youngest daughter no less, Eleanor.

She was not a neglected eldest daughter with an indifferent temperament, but a cherished youngest daughter by the Beauregard couple.

Surely, if one became the maid of the youngest daughter, both oneself and one’s family’s reputation would instantly rise.

If by any chance one managed to catch the eye of the young lady, one could easily ascend to the upper class.

Just like how the red-haired Empress raised her family by marrying well.

Numerous applications from women harboring such futile dreams arrived at the townhouse of the Beauregard family.

Among those numerous applications that came before her, Etienne selected the final candidate and invited her to the mansion.

As she entered the reception room.

The young lady who appeared to be around Eleanor’s age was the third daughter of a viscount family near the capital, in a quiet suburb.

Though her household was modest, she was quite intelligent.

Her eloquence was decent, and her thoughts were rather sharp.

In this tightly knit world, she seemed like someone who could comfortably converse with Eleanor and even with Etienne or other ladies.

However, every time Eleanor saw her red hair, unpleasant memories from her time in the palace resurfaced.

So, when her mother subtly checked her reaction, Eleanor naturally lowered her head.

As perceptive as she was intelligent, the young lady sensed the atmosphere and left, questioning whether they discriminated against gingers, given that even the Empress herself had red hair.

Following the red-haired lady, another woman who had just entered had a completely different style.

She was born and raised in the capital for generations, a noblewoman and daughter of a baron, with an extremely calm and feminine demeanor.

Even in her subtle gestures and soft smiles, she exuded the essence of a true lady.

To be honest, Etienne quite liked this woman.

Since losing her memory, she felt that her daughter somehow exuded a masculine aura in her behavior.

She thought this woman might be a good mentor to help her daughter regain the grace of an elegant noble lady.

Yet, once again, Eleanor simply shook her head.

It was because the look directed at her was all too familiar.

The face of Laura, the Baroness de La Roche, who had clung to her during dance practice, reflected in the eyes of the young lady.

Naturally, she was eliminated.

One troublemaker around was enough. If there were more, she would be the only one suffering.

And now.

With only one candidate left, the last remaining candidate was already the chosen one.

“Madam, the foreign young lady has arrived.”

Manuela, who entered the reception room, politely greeted the mother and daughter.

Behind her, a young lady with ivory-colored hair smiled broadly towards Eleanor and Etienne.

“It’s been a while, Madam. And Eleanor.”

Eventually, Manuela cautiously stepped aside, and the young lady behind her respectfully bowed before the mother and daughter.

Etienne, with a smile on her lips, helped the young lady up and acknowledged her greeting.

Eleanor, who had just seen off two maid candidates with a nonchalant expression, sat on the sofa.

She gazed at her as if entranced by the voice that fluttered in her ears.

Rare as it may be, there were occasionally people around Seojuha like them.

Gathering people with their splendid appearance and universally kind demeanor.

Though she didn’t know their personalities, they at least packaged themselves that way outwardly.

They looked like protagonists from somewhere at first glance.

The girl who had been just an ordinary female student among the mere four freshmen in the Electrical Engineering Department, who had transformed into a goddess of the engineering college and was admired, even though she had never really spoken to her classmate properly.

Her classmate, who used to hunch his shoulders unnecessarily due to the gazes around when they walked together, said so.

Of course, they didn’t have an artificial halo shining behind them like a scene from somewhere, nor did light emanate from their faces with formal expressions.

It was just the atmosphere they exuded.

The aura that flowed from each of their trivial actions.

That made them protagonists.

And made passing extras like Seojuha unconsciously hunch their shoulders.

And the lady in front of her was also that kind of person.

Her ivory-colored hair, gently reflecting the spring sunlight pouring down under the large window of the reception room, gave viewers a psychological sense of calm with its serene color.

Her violet irises, neatly tucked under her bangs like amethysts, sparkled, inadvertently causing the corners of the beholder’s mouth to lift as if by magic.

Her voice was the same.

“Thank you for inviting me, madam. Thanks to your consideration, I could sit in first class for the first time and comfortably come up to the capital.”

It wasn’t too high-pitched or squeaky.

Nor was it too low or husky.

With a pleasant tone, the lady in lilac rushed forward to Etier as if addressing her own mother.

“Oh no, Oejeoni. You have no idea how relieved I was when you agreed to come.”

Etier, too, embraced Oejeoni softly as if she were her precious daughter, who had approached her without her realizing it.

“Oh, I can do something.”

“Thanks to your arrival, I and that person can now descend to the estate with peace of mind.”

Laughing lightly as they exchanged hugs and greetings, the two gradually stepped back from each other.

Now Oejeoni’s purple eyes, like amethysts, shifted towards Eleanor, who was staring at herself as if in a daze.

Startled by the gaze, Eleanor turned her eyes in surprise.

Memories and experiences of Seojuha still lingered strongly in Eleanor’s mind.

In front of this girl, whom she considered her close friend, Eleanor once again found herself controlling her body awkwardly.

Seeing Eleanor’s awkwardness, the lady in lilac wore a somewhat wistful expression and cautiously approached Eleanor.

Hug.

Eleanor, standing somewhat foolishly as if in a daze, felt the warm embrace of Oejeoni enveloping her.

“Elli… Do you know how worried I was when I heard you had fainted? You should have contacted me.”

Her reproachful voice, unlike Etier’s, was slightly trembling.

Though it was the first time she had smelled the scent of the girl beyond her fair neckline.

Unknowingly familiar and comforting, Eleanor found herself.

“Uh, um…. Well, I, uh…”

She was like a whimpering child nestled in Oejeoni’s arms.

Gradually, the pleasant weight she felt on her shoulders began to diminish.

Her head resting on his shoulder gradually moved away, and as the weight lessened, her face filled with Eleonore’s sky-blue eyes.

They were so close that they could hear each other’s breathing. With a trembling voice, Oejeni spoke up.

“I heard… Eli. You’ve lost your memory. You really don’t remember anything?”

In those tearful eyes that couldn’t simply be described as friendship, Eleonore nodded as if possessed by something.

“Yeah… That’s right.”

The voice that reached her again seemed somehow filled with regret.

Oejeni’s warm and fragrant breath, gently brushing against her nose, slowly faded away.

Releasing Eleonore from his embrace, the ivory-skinned lady took a step back and politely clasped her hands in front of Eleonore.

“Lady, starting today, I am Oejeni Roelselar, who will serve you. Please take care of me.”

His voice, slightly stiffer than the sweet whisper that had lingered in her ears earlier, echoed around her.

His smile was still as lovely as ever.

#6. Lady’s Condition – End