episode_0043

Next to the vast bed, a small oil lamp placed on the bedside table illuminated the darkened bedroom in warm hues. The owner of the room lying on the bed had a contemplative expression.

As she tossed and turned, her movements causing the light fabric of her airy nightdress to flow gently, the room was adorned with cute trinkets scattered here and there, even dolls placed around.

Thanks to these items, the room looked more like a girl’s bedroom rather than a woman’s chamber.

Of course, the dolls and various decorations in the room did not match Eleanor’s taste. Just a month ago, her bedroom was a space devoid of excessive embellishments, nestled among elegant furniture, a place where one could hardly find any unnecessary decorations.

Described positively, it was simple and minimalistic; in other words, it was plain and somewhat barren.

However, Etienne had brought various ornaments and trinkets to fill the empty spaces in Eleanor’s room, transforming it into a space filled with the tastes of Etienne and Ogenie, her maid and childhood friend.

Eleanor, the mistress of the room, didn’t particularly dislike the feminine atmosphere that now enveloped her bedroom, contrasting with the masculine personality within her.

Although it didn’t align with her preferences, the ambiance suited her new self quite well.

Moreover, since cleaning wasn’t her responsibility, she could overlook certain aspects.

Eleanor’s room exuded a girlish atmosphere.

Now, lying alone on the wide mattress of the princess’s bed, Eleanor, who had been tossing and turning, finally turned over and gazed at the walnut headboard of the bed.

Hanging on the headboard, intricately carved from wood, was a shabby dream catcher made of yarn, a piece crafted with the help of her mother Etienne for embroidery practice.

The sensation of her chest pressing against the soft mattress felt oddly uncomfortable and awkward, yet Eleanor found herself staring at the dream catcher made by her and her mother’s hands.

As the saying often used in the world of nobility goes, “Humans are creatures of adaptation,” or something along those lines.

Until yesterday, the bed, which had felt adequate, even somewhat cramped, now seemed excessively spacious.

The warmth of the bed, which had transitioned from cozy to slightly stifling due to the weather, now felt chillingly cold.

Although the lamp remained as bright as yesterday, for some reason, the surroundings seemed darker today.

Over the past month, the absence of her mother Etienne, who always kept her company at night, was weighing heavily on Eleanor.

The loneliness and accompanying worries were as vast as the void left by her absence.

In Eleanor’s sky-blue eyes, as she gazed at the dream catcher they had joyfully made together, was a mixture of that loneliness and concern.

Then, a faint sigh escaped as she lay alone on the large mattress.

“Can I truly become their perfect daughter?”

It was ultimately an extension of the ponderings she had been engaging in.

The dilemma began with the realization that she needed to reclaim the body of their precious daughter.

If only Seojuha could perfectly impersonate Eleanor, truly becoming their daughter.

If he had possessed such confidence, perhaps she wouldn’t have had these doubts.

If, from the start, the body he had possessed had been male instead of female, if he had been a son and not a daughter, she might not have entertained such thoughts.

Now, pretending not to know anything under the excuse of having lost her memory like a mischievous little girl.

In the end, she was a noblewoman, the youngest daughter of the prestigious Beauren Changbaek family.

Therefore, Eleanor was clearly aware that she had her own duties to fulfill.

However, what lay within this gentle and beautiful exterior was not a noblewoman.

It wasn’t even a woman of the same gender.

What resided within her was a common man who had lived a life unrelated to women for the past 21 years, except for her mother and teacher.

So, Eleanor knew what they expected of her.

Whether she became a beloved one.

Or became someone useful to the family.

To form a household with such a man, live happily in her own way, and show the results.

To show the faces of lovely grandchildren and granddaughters to Etienne and Obert.

It was the greatest duty that one born as a noblewoman had to fulfill.

And also the greatest filial piety she could show to her parents as a daughter.

Eleanor wondered if she could indeed do those things herself.

“Sigh… I don’t know, really.”

With the meticulous brushing by Sophie and the expensive perfumes, Eleanor’s golden hair, flowing smoothly, gently swayed from side to side.

Eleanor once again let out a deep sigh and rested her chin on the pillow.

The one fortunate thing about this lonely night was that the warm touch that always protected her was now absent.

If she were here, the time of contemplation would have been even longer.

#.

Etienne entered the daughter’s bedroom as heavy darkness blanketed the corridor of the mansion.

It was late at night, closer to dawn than evening.

The daughter’s bedroom, now as familiar as her own room in the estate of Yeongji.

In the dim room, the yellow flame of the oil lantern placed on the bedside table softly illuminated its surroundings.

Careful not to make any noise in case the daughter woke up, Etienne approached Eleanor lying on the bed.

Although she usually didn’t kneel down due to her pride, today the daughter somehow fell asleep while kneeling.

With her cheek resting softly and fluffily on the pillow, Eleanor breathed gently.

Watching her back rise and fall slightly in sync with her breath over the white night dress, Etienne cautiously sat at the edge of the bed next to Eleanor.

The soft mattress lightly responded to Etienne’s weight. Perhaps tickled by the movement, the daughter slightly furrowed her eyelids.

Even that frowning expression was so adorable. It made Etienne wonder if this child was truly hers.

Raising the corners of her lips, Etienne gently brushed the yellow bangs that tickled her eyes.

Originally, she only intended to glance at her face briefly.

But upon seeing her face, she felt an urge to sit beside her, wanting to keep hearing this sweet breathing.

And in a moment,

“Mom….”

The mattress beneath them immediately trembled.

With a sleepy tone, Eleanor murmured softly. Beneath slowly blinking yellow eyelashes, her sky-blue eyes, resembling her, met Etienne’s gaze.

Upon hearing Eleanor’s words, Etienne couldn’t help but burst into a sudden smile unknowingly.

Though she hadn’t shown it until now,

Just like her husband, Etienne also felt a slight discomfort in the fact that the daughter did not call her “mom” comfortably as she used to, unlike before.

The daughter, who had lost all her memories up to this point, saw herself as simply Eleonore, a woman of similar age to herself.

Thus, contrary to her husband, she kept her feelings tightly hidden. It wasn’t until the day they were parting ways that he called her so affectionately, causing her eyes to itch inexplicably and her nose to tingle.

“Yes, Mom.”

Responding with an affectionate tone, Etienne climbed further onto the bed, drawing closer to Eleonore.

Under the frilly sleeves of her nightdress, Eleonore’s slender arms wrapped around Etienne’s waist.

“I’m sorry….”

Unlike her usual innocent voice, now spoken with a deep, sincere tone.

Like a cat seeking affection, Eleonore playfully brushed her small, ash-blond head against Etienne’s waist.

“What are you apologizing for, Ellie?”

As Etienne gently brushed aside the daughter’s disheveled bangs, she spoke.

“…Sorry…. I’m sorry.”

Repeating apologies even to questioning words, Eleonore’s voice began to tremble slightly.

Soon, Etienne softly embraced Eleonore’s small head nestled against her waist.

Feeling the daughter’s erratic breath against her chest, Etienne wordlessly stroked the girl’s tousled back of the head.

In response to Eleonore’s trembling voice, Etienne continued to comfort her. As tears streamed down Eleonore’s flushed cheeks, Etienne wiped them away with her thumb.

“Eleonore Arena de Beaune.”

Etienne’s usually soft voice was different, grabbing Eleonore’s sky-blue eyes trying to avoid embarrassment.

“No matter who you are. No matter what’s inside you. You will always be my daughter, Ellie.”

Though it might never truly happen.

For the sake of her deeply anxious daughter, Etienne gently placed her lips on the daughter’s rounded forehead.

“So don’t say such uncomfortable things in front of Mom.”

#.

The next day.

In front of the first-class platform at the central station in the capital.

The passenger car standing there seemed to assert its first-class status, adorned more splendidly and grandly than the other connected cars behind it.

The members of the Beaune family stood briefly in front of the grand car.

“Albrice, please take care of your younger sister. If something like this happens again, I won’t let you off the hook.”

Oubert’s stern words were directed at his eldest son.

“Father, you know well how much I care for Ellie.”

However, the young man he was speaking to was not one to be trifled with.

“Just words and attitude, nothing cool about it.”

Continuing their unending conversation, the father and son shared this awkward moment of parting.

“Albrice, I know you care deeply for your sister. But please, pay a little more attention. Your sister is still not physically well. And please, take care of the mansion.”

Eti was delicately dipping her foot into that foolish conversation.

And beside them, Eleanor, dressed in a beige dress, stood hesitantly.

Perhaps due to the faint memory of last night.

Eleanor, her face as white as northern snow, blushing slightly, made her childhood friend and maid, Eugenie, chuckle softly by her side.

Taking a deep breath through lips painted in coral, Eleanor seemed resolute.

With determination in her heart.

Eleanor took confident steps towards Eti, who was nagging Albris to pay more attention to the mansion. She then embraced her tightly with both hands.

“Mom.”

At that single word she managed to utter, the expressions of the couple standing side by side immediately changed.

Of course, Eti had heard it last night as well.

But that was simply a result of her daughter’s delicate state of mind.

“Yes, our daughter.”

Calling her “mom,” Eti looked at her daughter lovingly, sweeping her back over the soft dress.

On the other hand, standing a step away from his wife, Overt looked at the mother and daughter embracing each other with eyes full of jealousy.

“When you go to the estate, take care of yourself. Really. I will come down often, so…”

Embarrassed, he recited the words children usually say to their parents when parting ways, but this time, it wasn’t just a formality from the old days; it was filled with sincerity.

“Um, Elly. What about dad?”

Finally, a voice from the side reached Eleanor, who had turned her head abruptly while being held in her mother’s embrace.

After all, a strained relationship between father and daughter is not unusual. Even during the time of the previous lord, she had a very strained relationship with her father.

“Please take care of yourself too, father. Don’t worry mom too much.”

Smiling broadly, Eleanor looked at her father’s face filled with disappointment.

“Yeah, thank you…”

Seeing Overt’s expression clearly showing disappointment, Eleanor smiled faintly. Then, she said the words he had longed to hear.

“Thank you, Dad.”

This is just a service… If she didn’t call him, it would have been obvious that she would bother her mother all the way down!

Gently releasing her hands wrapped around his soft waist, Eleanor approached her father and wrapped her hands around his firm waist.

“E-Elly. Hah, huff. This father, too! I’ll live until Elly holds her granddaughter!”

“Haa. This human is getting older and still stubborn! Why are you crying again, really!”

Above Eleanor’s hands on his waist, Eti struck her husband’s back hard. The sharp sound emanating from his large back resonated clearly even within the noisy platform of farewells and reunions.

The moment of parting came warmer and gentler than expected.