The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life
[A Few Days have Passed]
Translated by: ME
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A week had gone by since I woke up.
Every single day, I kept thinking that maybe it was all just a long, long dream, and I'd wake up in my usual, small, but comfortable room————but there was still no sign of that happening.
The utterly ordinary daily life here continued to flow by, minute by second, as a matter of course.
According to her memories, Magnolia Gilmore was three years old.
Since the first person I met in this world was a maid, I had thought I must be a young lady, but tracing through the memories, the term 'Gilmore Marquisate' surfaced.
A Marquisate... So, a Marquis? Or a Margrave?
It seemed a three-year-old Magnolia couldn't tell the difference, but either way, it appeared to be an incredibly high status.
That is, if I'm judging by Earth's standards.
If it's a Marquisate, then by Earth's standards, it might be akin to a cadet branch of royalty. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
More than a young lady, I'm practically a princess. It's baffling.
There was a saying in Japan about everyone being middle-class, but no, no, even in modern Japan, there were significant disparities in reality.
The wealth gap, of course, and then the class privilege gap that occasionally showed its face in daily life or the news, sometimes visible, sometimes not.
People living in huge mansions in upscale residential areas.
Incredibly rich people hosting unbelievable party nights in penthouse tower apartments, opening bottles of wine costing millions of yen.
Upper-class, luxurious, marvelous lives? (What kind of life is that!?)
On the other hand, there was news about children who could only eat properly at school due to poverty.
People who couldn't go to the hospital even when sick because they had no health insurance.
Articles about families living a hand-to-mouth existence.
A modest, impoverished daily life.
People who, before you knew it, seemed to get caught and fall through the cracks. Why were false charges so often laid on them as a matter of course?
Then there were those with special positions and power, who could make most things disappear if they wished, who went unpunished due to their privileged status, operating in secrecy.
While Japan didn't have overt status differences, the hierarchy was firmly, rigidly in place.
To put it politely, Magnolia's original family was far from wealthy... solidly middle-middle class, a genuine, bona fide middle-class family (?) where a mother who practiced all sorts of savings tips seen on TV and magazines managed the household.
So, I had no idea about noble life.
I recalled a historical manga I'd read long ago, set in Europe.
Balls, duels, plagues. Poison and swords. War and religion. Evolving ideologies.
Feudal society, guilds, the manorial system.
The Crusades, knights, absolute monarchy.
Or vast harems. Teeming conspiracies, light and shadow————.
Yes, those only existed in the worlds of manga, movies, and novels.
It probably varied by era and country, but in reality, I knew nothing.
Only keywords from a long-ago 'fake Europe' came to mind.
...And besides, this place probably isn't Earth.
I could only sigh.
Speaking of things being there or not, I was momentarily startled by the knife and fork that appeared at mealtimes, but my patchwork, hastily assembled manners, dredged up from memories of reading etiquette books in the past, were sufficient, which was a relief on that first day.
I thought it was lucky I was a child and not an adult.
If I didn't know something, I could just learn it from now on————that is, if this life were to continue.
I wondered if it was automatic translation or something, thinking that since I could speak, I could probably read, but there were no 'letters' in Magnolia's memories. It seemed she hadn't learned them yet.
Magnolia's world was small.
Pretty much just her own room, and occasional walks in the garden.
Perhaps because she was still small, there were no lessons or anything like that.
(Even though they're rich, maybe the family isn't keen on children's education?)
Remembering how in Japan some classes could start from age zero, I tilted my head.
You'd think even children from ordinary families could write their own names by around three years old.
Maybe this world doesn't practice early childhood education?
To be honest, I'm so bored that it would be a great help to have something, not to mention TV, but like picture books, drawing pads, or coloring books...
Back in Japan, Magnolia hadn't done any formal early childhood classes, but I had memories of being raised relatively strictly; by around age two, I could write my own name and my family's names in hiragana and katakana, and of course specific words, and should have been able to read simple picture books on my own. I had memories of choosing picture books from a small bookcase and tracing the letters with my finger.
Of course, being a child, it's often the case that children who aren't interested pay no attention at all.
You'd think nobles would receive education befitting a noble (?) from a young age.
It's not that I particularly like studying.
But being in this unsettlingly luxurious room with absolutely nothing to do is quite hard too.
Now, about the family in this world.
The father is Gerald Silas Gilmore. Twenty-nine years old.
Surprisingly younger (than my inner age).
...Feeling vaguely troubled that the name sounded familiar somewhere, I convinced myself, well, he's my father, of course I've heard his name.
In Magnolia's memories, he had pale blond hair and kind-looking brown eyes, and seemed to manage the territory while also working as a civil official at the castle. He appeared to be quite the hard worker.
The mother is Wisteria Gilmore. Twenty-six years old. Young.
A lady of leisure with brown hair and beautiful sapphire-blue eyes.
I wonder why, but the memories of the mother are fewer than those of the father. I'm not saying childcare is a woman's job, but realistically, the mother's involvement is usually heavier. Especially with an infant.
However, aside from her name and face, I have no knowledge about her.
Is it because they're nobles? Or is Magnolia perhaps a daddy's girl?
And then one more.
Magnolia has one older brother, six years her senior. His name is Brian Chris Gilmore. The eldest son of the Gilmore family.
He's a nine-year-old boy, quite handsome, with blond hair inherited from his father and lapis lazuli eyes resembling his mother's.
Natural blond hair and blue eyes. The prince color scheme.
His spirited expression, with a slightly wilder edge than his elegantly featured parents, might be a characteristic inherited from his grandparents, perhaps the original hallmark of the Gilmore family.
...However.
In this past week, I haven't met any of them.
Are noble family relationships always this distant...?
Having nothing else to do, I tried to recall what my history-nerd classmate used to talk about, 'The Life of Nobility' or something.
...If I remember correctly, during busy social seasons, they might not see each other for weeks? And that goes for *everyone*?
Well, it's good in the sense that it prevents me from slipping up.
But, even with caretakers around, isn't this a bit too neglectful? With my adult memories, I'm worried about the child's emotional education.
As someone with the inner self of a woman past thirty, being in this defenseless state, it's totally fine if these people who are essentially strangers don't pay me any attention. Frankly, it's a relief.
But I think the 'three-year-old Magnolia' must have been lonely.
In 21st century Japan, this would be a case of spending money but being a potential neglect situation.
Curious, I asked Rosa about it about three times, but the answer was always the same:
"Your father is busy with work. Your mother is at a tea party (or a soirée)..."
So I stopped asking.
...Knowing outdated terms like 'corporate warrior' or the more modern (?) 'corporate slave', I can understand being busy with work, granting that a hundred percent. But if she has time to go out to tea parties and soirées (though, maybe as a noble, it's an obligation of the house, or there's a reason she must go?), I think she should at least have a moment to come see how her child is doing, even if just for a glance.
I imagine being the wife, tasked with handling all social interactions with relatives and neighbors (?), must be tough...
But is she busy from morning until late at night? To the point of not having a few minutes of spare time?
That's definitely a lie!
And then, the brother.
I looked out the window and saw a boy practicing swordplay energetically.
From a distance, I couldn't see well, but I could tell his clothes were of good quality.
Magnolia is wearing a light green skirt and a one-piece dress with a white round collar, but it's made of plain cotton or linen.
It's easy to move in, so I have no complaints, but...
If they say it's because she's small and gets dirty... that might be true, but I think it's quite modest for something a 'princess' would wear. It's rather coarse compared to the negligee.
The contrast with the luxurious furniture provided in the room is severe.
Probably, the curtains hanging on the window are made of higher quality fabric.
Probably, the sturdy, standard-issue maid's uniform seems to be of better fabric and tailoring.
There were two frilly, gorgeous dresses that looked like they'd never been worn (probably for spring/summer and autumn/winter, judging by the fabric) – perhaps for outings or because they had to be made – and a few modest one-piece dresses.
They were hanging, sparsely, inside a large walk-in closet.
Looking at them, Magnolia crossed her arms.
...Financial difficulties?
Or perhaps,
「Am I disliked?」
***
————And then.
A month had passed since I woke up.
It seemed the dream still hadn't ended. The rest is omitted.
————I started to feel like I had to consider the possibility that '*if* this is reality'.
No matter how long it lasted, common sense dictated that waking up from the dream was the realistic outcome.
But yes, the world has always been full of wonders.
I've met my brother a few times since then (he was a boisterously energetic boy), but I still haven't met my parents even once.
This is clearly hostile territory.
To handle this situation correctly, I needed to properly sort out my current circumstances.
Seeing Rosa look suspiciously at me as I asked various questions, I panicked, thinking, *This is bad*.
I dispersed my questions among the other caretakers to a degree that wouldn't seem unnatural.
Sometimes I eavesdropped on the servants' gossip, pretended to be lost to explore the mansion, and blended in with the lower servants during my walks in the garden.
I supplemented the memories Magnolia possessed with new knowledge.
To conclude, this world is not Earth.
...At the very least, it's not the Earth of the 21st century.
First, the Kingdom of Ascald.
That seems to be the name of this country, but I've never heard of it before.
It's not like I know every country in the UN, but for a country with a certain level of cultural standards, it's unnatural that it doesn't even ring a bell.
And when is 'now'?
When I asked, I was given an answer in an unfamiliar era name, or maybe it was the Gregorian calendar.
There's no TV, no radio, no internet... far from it, probably no electricity at all.
The light sources in the room are candles and lamps. It's shocking.
And this is in a noble's mansion in the royal capital.
No trains, no buses, no cars.
Horses, or carriages. Or walking on foot.
The list of things missing goes on and on, to the point where it feels like a hit song by that famous singer from Tohoku is about to start playing in my head.
But let's get back on track.
Judging from the impression given by the clothes, names, and the way of life, it's probably a country in some world, in an era resembling early modern or medieval Europe, isn't it?
There's something like English, something like German, something like French... it seems like various languages (from Earth) are mixed together.
Probably, because I could understand everything immediately upon waking up, it must be automatically translated somehow. So, maybe it's actually a completely different language (Ascaldian?), but it's being converted into a language Magnolia can understand, both hearing and speaking... I can't deny that possibility either.
And then, social status.
It seems there are indeed commoners and nobles.
It might not be 'disrespect equals instant beheading', but the status difference seems significant.
From the perspective of a modern Japanese person, it seems like a difficult world to live in.
And the Gilmore family's rank is that of a Marquis.
It seems to be quite an esteemed family lineage, at that.
Apparently, the grandfather performed great military deeds and was rewarded with another title and territory. When the grandfather took up that title, some time ago, the original Gilmore marquisate and all its trappings were passed down to the father, who was the eldest son, and he succeeded to them.
With the dual roles of territorial lord and working at the castle, as per the memories, he truly seems to be quite busy.
Even so, he apparently attends social events with the mother, and publicly, he seems to be known as a devoted husband.
The mother, in turn, is from a prestigious Count's family and is said to be a woman who loves socializing.
She was apparently quite a beauty in her day (and still is, from my hazy memory), and in her youth, she was called one of the social season's top three belles? Or three great famous flowers?
A young lady (a genuine one) who was praised as being like a butterfly among flowers probably finds it more enjoyable to be pampered and admired than to care for home and children.
Any human would prefer being praised. If her desire for self-display is strong, all the more so.
Maybe in this world, it's normal for noblewomen to devote themselves to social life, so I'll keep my mouth shut.
I don't know what the lifespan is like in this world, but they're probably still relatively young.
In any world, there are people who prefer going out and having fun with friends over dealing with household matters where they aren't praised (?).
Surprisingly, it seems the brother and the parents do meet fairly regularly; he was bragging the other day about receiving rare sweets from our mother.
...The fact that he didn't share any with his little sister or show any concern, but instead came to assert superiority, seems very much like a typical child.
So, he's not an ally either...
Who was the one back on Earth who said brothers dote on their sisters!? Show yourself!
Education seems to be left to each household, but apparently, from age thirteen, many noble children enter the Royal Academy in the capital and graduate at eighteen. Three years in the lower division, three years in the upper division. Probably something like middle school and high school on Earth.
Within the Royal Academy, there's something called the 'Specialized Course', a sort of research institute mixed between university and graduate school, where those who become researchers remain in the Academy's Specialized Course, conducting research or teaching there.
In a world without concepts like compulsory education, it seems there are a fair number of people, like those not working at the castle or women, who don't enter the Academy.
For those who don't attend the Academy or during early childhood, families hire private tutors to teach each child the necessary basics.
People from families of a certain standing apparently learn manners, music, dance, and foreign languages from a young age, as these take time to master and are necessary for social life.
Since I haven't met them yet, I don't know my parents' true natures.
But it seems like I'd better start thinking about an exit strategy soon.
There's a strong, suspicious smell wafting around.
It seems like I'm perfectly and utterly being given the cold shoulder.
I've heard that noble girls in the old days (don't know if it's true or not) were mostly treated as pawns for the family.
From a family that doesn't seem very affectionate, they might prioritize only the family's interests, and if I'm unlucky, I could even be married off to some terrible place...
Judging from the stingy upbringing expenses spent on Magnolia, if they *had* spent a lot of money on me, who knows what they'd demand in return, as if trying to recover their investment.
For now, food, clothing, and shelter are provided.
...In this confusing situation, having a solid basic income is honestly something to be grateful for.
Yeah.
I engraved upon my child's heart (?) that time in this world, which seems hundreds of years older than the world I came from, is finite, and that early independence seems likely.
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