The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life
[Speculations and Reasons for Being Disliked]
Translated by: ME
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「Why am I so disliked?」
Asked with clear eyes, the three maids before me remained frozen, unable to answer.
Disliked.
The words spoken so casually, as if it were nothing, yet with conviction, by a three-year-old young lady.
Of course, it's a clear fact that she's in an environment where such a statement is unavoidable.
「If I am disliked, should I just be obedient and do as I'm told? But I have feelings too.... If there's something wrong with me that I can fix and improve, I want to do so. And even if I can't fix it, is it so strange to want to know the reason?」
In reality, I don't particularly want to improve the relationship. But I thought that if a child says that, it might help draw out information a little easier.
Unless I confirm why this situation is happening, any countermeasures will have gaps.
I want to extract as much information as possible.
「To say you are disliked...!」
Rosa in a fluster tried to refute. The other two maids looked worriedly between Rosa and Magnolia and shook their heads slightly.
「...... You think I'm imagining it? Then, Rosa, are you saying I am loved by my family and living in circumstances befitting a Marquis's daughter? I haven't had a meal with my family in months, let alone properly talked to or seen them. My brother wears silk clothes while his sister wears cotton and linen. My older brother uses child-sized furniture, while his little sister continues to use hand-me-down adult furniture, albeit high-quality, that doesn't fit her size. Is this the typical lifestyle of a high-ranking noble's daughter?」
There's no way that's true.
Since all three were stuck without a response, I continued calmly, reluctantly stating my speculations.
「Specifically, I'm not criticizing or angry about my current living conditions. I know all the maids are working hard to care for me in my parents' stead, and following the wishes of the Marquis and his wife, who are the masters, regarding their child's food, clothing, shelter, and upbringing is natural for a maid. I just want to know.」
It should be composure and conversation content unbecoming of a three-year-old, but due to the chaotic situation—her appearance, her childish speech, and the atmosphere like a stressful interview—the three maids watched Magnolia speak dispassionately without even questioning it, holding their breath.
「...I've thought of a few reasons. Was it too difficult during childbirth? Did Mother almost die?」
「No, it was a very easy birth...」
「Did another sibling or someone die because of me?」
「No, there have been no other births besides you two.」
Rosa recovered and answered quietly.
Well, I thought so. I didn't think it was for such reasons.
Then.
「Do I resemble someone she dislikes... or, perhaps, I'm actually a child of an affair?」
A child of an affair. That seemed to fit the most.
If Mother definitely gave birth to me, then I'm a child conceived from an illicit affair.
If not, then I'm a child from Father's mistress or lover, taken in for some reason.
...Even if it's a common story, they're just pretending Mother gave birth to me for appearances' sake.
In that case, I'd be a landmine for both parents.
Daisy, though she didn't say it out loud, seemed to have thought the same from observing the family, as she kept looking quietly at Rosa and Lily. Rosa was pale, shaking her head.
Lily glanced at Rosa, but sensing she wasn't going to speak, she furrowed her brow tightly and let out a large breath through her nose.
「That's not it. The young lady is the genuine child of her parents! I came here about a month and a half after Lady Magnolia was born, and judging from Her Ladyship's physical condition, there is no doubt she herself gave birth!」
Childbirth is tough. Postpartum recovery... the body returning to normal (both condition and appearance), emotional ups and downs. Breast milk production, heavy lochia. There are various things that simply can't be hidden.
...I haven't experienced childbirth in my previous life. But at thirty-three years old, I have some knowledge.
For someone being cared for by maids, hiding those things continuously would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Especially since I imagine medicine isn't that advanced compared to Earth standards, so recovery would take time, making it even harder.
And with her personality, if there were any inconveniences, she would surely have complained, saying things like, "It's because I gave birth to *that one*."
「Moreover, Lady Magnolia's coloring is undoubtedly from the Gilmore bloodline. In fact, in the Ascald Kingdom, that coloring can only belong to the Gilmore family!」
You don't say. This pink, almost Harajuku-like, maidenly, milky color is the Gilmore family's color!?
What an unfitting color for a family of swords and muscle.
I want to interject, "Shouldn't it be something cooler, like silver or black hair?!"
Daisy and Magnolia, who still didn't understand the reason for being disliked, went "Uh-huh, uh-huh," mentally organizing the successively revealed (?) facts as they nodded along.
「Her Ladyship dislikes Lady Magnolia *because* she is the daughter of the Gilmore Marquisate, because she is very beautiful, and because she is extremely cute!!」
At Lily's words, spoken in short, emphatic phrases, and her final near-shout, Daisy and Magnolia's mouths fell open.
Time stopped. For about ten seconds.
...Rosa's gaze was painful, so I closed my mouth with a *gulp*.
「…………. ……Umm? So, in short, it's because my mother's family has a lower rank, and she doesn't like my appearance (?) Is that correct?」
You're telling me she dislikes her *own daughter* for being the daughter of a Marquisate (effectively a Dukedom) and for being a reasonably beautiful little girl (probably with the potential to be more beautiful than Wisteria??)?
What is that?
*Is that even possible?* I looked at Rosa, who lowered her gaze with an indescribable expression.
...Wow. It seems to be true.
Wisteria was just an (absurdly petty) domestic one-upmanship kind of woman...!
What a reason!!
How stu-pid~~!!!
However. Throughout history, there's nothing scarier than a woman's jealousy. Sometimes, unforeseen things happen when emotions take over...
And when there's power involved, it gets worse. Countless instances in Earth's history prove that. Caution, caution.
***
After soothing the apologetic Daisy and Lily and thanking them, the room fell quiet, leaving just Rosa and me.
It was honestly awkward.
「...Would you like to see the portraits of the previous heads of the family?」
Rosa probably had intended to do this even without confirmation. She quietly opened the oak door and urged Magnolia out into the hallway.
We walked down a long, long corridor, descended stairs, turned several corners, and arrived at a large gallery.
On the beautiful white walls hung numerous portraits in a row. They were of previous heads of the family and their families.
For the current Magnolia, where her Japanese sensibilities dominate, the concept of ancestors in this world doesn't quite resonate.
Looking at them, who are just distant foreigners to me, brings no sense of connection or understanding.
It feels like viewing paintings in a museum.
It feels detached, like looking at the 'historical greats' printed in world history textbooks back on Earth.
Looking at them in order in their golden, luxurious frames, I came across a large frame containing a family of four.
A large-built, red-haired middle-aged man wore a deep blue justaucorps with style, his demeanor calm.
His hair was neatly slicked back, and he stood protectively, his hand on the waist of the woman beside him.
Although the colors were different, something about his strong-willed eyes and firm mouth vaguely resembled Brian.
However, his light brown eyes were narrowed more gently than my brother's lapis lazuli ones.
And the woman standing as if protected. A petite, beautiful woman with the same coloring as Magnolia was depicted.
(Indeed, pink hair and ibis-colored eyes...)
She looked ethereal, as if she might dissolve and disappear into the surrounding air.
Slightly drooping, large, round eyes. Small, tinted lips. A small, well-shaped nose.
She looked like a fairy-tale princess brought to life, very becoming in her pale blue dress.
The depicted features closely resembled those of Magnolia looking at the painting, and one could indeed see a blood relationship between the woman in the painting and 'Magnolia Gilmore.'
Her ageless appearance made it hard to tell if she was a young girl or an adult. Leaning her slender, delicate body completely against the man as if utterly at ease, she smiled happily.
To her right stood a similarly red-haired man, even larger than the first, looking like a character from a shonen manga—a brawny giant.
The young giant, wearing simple armor and a cloak, stood grinning, holding a sword in one hand.
Young, but probably around thirty.
His hair was tossed carelessly, and while he smiled, his sharp gaze was a deep brown. He had a majestic appearance, yet somehow also seemed like a mischievous child. He also gave an impression of being free-spirited.
The two men had similar coloring and faces, so they were probably father and son or brothers.
And seated in the central chair was a young woman.
Soft golden hair and hazel eyes. A sharp, intelligent woman who seemed to possess both intellect and refinement. She had a calm demeanor, probably in her late twenties.
(...This person. If you just change the eye color, she looks a lot like the Marquis overall...)
Gerald, Magnolia's father, has a appearance that seems to mix the soft atmosphere and drooping eye shape of the pink-haired woman with everything else from the intelligent woman seated in the center. His eye color is the same light brown as the middle-aged man.
(I see. Compared to the other paintings, this one seems relatively new, so it must be from a closer generation. Whether it's his mother or sister... I don't know the family structure of the relatives, but it's surely Father's family.)
「The previous head and the head before that... The two on the left are your great-grandparents, and the man on the right and the lady seated in the center are your grandparents.」
Rosa explained in a firm tone, as if to say, "Are you reassured now?"
...Reassured?
Father resembles his grandmother and mother. Brian resembles his great-grandfather and grandfather. Magnolia seems to resemble her great-grandmother.
I can indeed feel the blood connection, yet all I have is the fact of the resemblance. No particular emotion wells up. It's just a strange feeling.
Great-grandparents... beings that feel both near and far. I looked at the two in the portrait again.
...Reassured? About what?
That I'm actually my parents' biological child?
At this point, I couldn't care less whether I'm a biological child or an adopted one.
(Right now, the fact that they're mistreating a small child is more important!)
An indescribable, surging emotion rose within me, but taking it out on Rosa would just be misdirected anger.
I lowered my eyes and took a deep breath, as if sealing my emotions.
「.... They look like a close family.」
「Whether you're disliked despite having no blood connection, or disliked even though you *are* their real child... isn't it six of one, half a dozen of the other?」
Rosa drew in a sharp, small breath. This probably wasn't the response she expected.
—Did she think I'd smile and say, "It's true"?
—Did she think I'd shed tears and say, "I'm glad"?
Unfortunately, I don't know the correct answer for a typical three-year-old.
Even more unfortunately, I'm neither honest enough to give a cute response, nor mature enough to swallow it and be philosophical.
A silent moment passed.
The empty gallery was terribly quiet.
「...Young lady...」
She called out softly to Magnolia, then clenched her hands tightly in front of her chest.
It was a habit she often had when enduring or swallowing something.
Magnolia looked up at her quietly.
「You've changed lately, young lady... What in the world happened? What are you thinking?」
I could see her unwavering determination. Her painfully hurt eyes and tightly drawn lips waited for Magnolia's answer.
Why is *she* the one hurting?
(In this case, shouldn't the injured party be me?)
—Who is Rosa?
A manager? A watcher?
On whose orders, under what instructions, and for what purpose?
Is it elimination? Am I a pawn? The family scapegoat?
I understand that, given the status and positional differences, she probably can't defy her masters.
Raised to be obedient always—to parents, to a spouse, to a son in old age. To superiors, to those in power.
I'm sure the majority of people in this world are like that. I understand that too.
Therefore.
Expecting help from them, who are essentially outsiders, is misguided.
Don't misjudge the situation, Magnolia! Stay calm.
What happened, you ask? 'My consciousness was replaced by a person from another world; I was originally Japanese from a planet called Earth'—do you think saying that would be understood? Wouldn't they just think I've gone mad?
For now, the things a three-year-old can do are limited.
Both economically and physically.
Magnolia swallowed a sigh and spoke quietly.
「.... People grow, you know.」
Rosa looked at Magnolia doubtfully, staring intently. Magnolia also stared straight back into Rosa's eyes.
The many portraits watched the two with dry eyes.
***
Me's note:
F BABY SPEECH
I just notice that the title font color is unreadable. Didn't notice it cuz I was using dark mode on my browser. Sorry.
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