HowDeadTL: Chapter 1 Part 3

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The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life

[A Family (?) With Issues]

Translated by: ME

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

When Rosa is off or on break, two other maids named Daisy and Lila, who usually work in different parts of the mansion on a shift system (?), often take turns looking after me.

Daisy is seventeen, the daughter of a wealthy commoner merchant family.

Lila is eighteen, the daughter of a Viscount's family, I'm told.

It seems daughters of wealthy merchants or lower-ranking nobles become maids in high-status households to learn manners and refine themselves, adding a sort of polish before marriage.

I see. That makes sense.

Both are cheerful, as you'd expect from teenage girls.

Having been raised with much affection, they have no hidden sides.

While their character and high abilities were undoubtedly thoroughly vetted by the Marquisate, in a way, they are kind, lovely, pristine young ladies who have only known the beautiful parts of life.

When I, a woman in her thirties inside, weathered by information and a fair share of reality... disguised in the skin of an innocent, beautiful little girl, ask questions with my diligently crafted sparkling eyes (※ according to our internal comparison), they smile fondly and say, "You're so curious," teaching me various things.

I'm grateful.

Honestly, honest girls are the best! This auntie thinks so!!

This auntie's jaded feelings feel cleansed by these cute girls' smiles!

I happily extract... no, collect information.

From Daisy, I learn about commoners' lives, types of jobs, various aspects of commoner women's lives, the state of the town, customs, and so on.

It seems commoners basically start proper apprenticeships from a young age (around ten years old).

By fifteen or sixteen, they start being entrusted with a certain level of work as artisans, or get married... Well, they seem to be considered adults then.

Legally, both commoners and nobles apparently come of age at eighteen, but there don't seem to be any strict age-based penalties or anything. It doesn't seem to have particularly strong binding power, and neither marriage nor drinking alcohol are particularly tied to age, it seems.

Fifteen, huh...

The age when they're counted as full-fledged, just when they'd be starting to ride stolen motorcycles (or horses?).

My, oh my. Life starts early here. They're in such a hurry to live, I think, my gaze growing distant.

Back when I was over thirty, I had a steady job (probably) but didn't get married (I think), and was relatively free to wander around... I think?

In my previous life in Japan, where people even in their mid-thirties and beyond were often not just unmarried, but their numbers were increasing.

It wasn't that Magnolia was particularly late; it was an era where choosing a common-law marriage without formal registration, or even remaining single for life, wasn't particularly unusual.

An era of diversity in lifestyles and marriage.

Of course, the overwhelming majority *did* get married by a certain age.

So Magnolia wasn't anxious at all and was enjoying her life reasonably well with work and hobbies. I think.

But coming here, it feels like I'm being forced to settle all those past dues at once...

I can only sigh.

From Lila, I dig deep into the lives and common sense of noblewomen.

The scope of necessary education and accomplishments, and so on.

Since she says she likes music, I get her to demonstrate her skilled vocal music and teach me simple things like reading sheet music.

It's a relief that it doesn't seem too different from Earth's, but I wonder if I'll be able to play this world's instruments.

...My most proficient (= practiced) instrument was the recorder. The soprano recorder in elementary school. And later, the slightly larger alto recorder.

The school song I was made to practice over and over in the elementary school drum and fife corps. The nostalgic 'El Cóndor Pasa', the comical 'Little Brown Jug'.

Even 'Amaryllis' and the 'Kokiriko-bushi' folk song – my fingers still remember them.

...I wonder if recorders exist in this world?

And if they do, is it an instrument that a young lady would typically perform as part of her accomplishments...?

On Earth, I think there were many amazing performers, and there were groups that played the opening theme of that educational TV show I loved as a child, and Magnolia loved them too.

But, I have a feeling it doesn't really appear among the instruments young ladies are proficient in.

Something like the flute seems more like a young lady's instrument.

(...If I'd known this, I should have learned an instrument when my mom told me to...)

Back in faraway Japan, Magnolia, who liked moving her body, was given the choice between piano or swimming and unhesitatingly chose swimming.

Ugh... 'A skill is a treasure in life' – they said it well.

Playing instruments... and I'm not good at singing either. It's way too impossible (cry).

And then. While the age of adulthood is eighteen as mentioned before, getting married before that seems completely acceptable, same as for commoners. It seems there are many cases where, due to family circumstances, they marry quite early.

I wish the law had a bit more authority. What's the point of the law otherwise!

Noble daughters rarely work except for learning manners, and it seems the paths are either "marriage immediately after graduating from the Academy," "learning manners after graduation and then marrying (Lila is this)," or "educated at home without attending the Academy and then marrying."

In very rare cases, there's "educated at a convent and then married" = meaning they were either disowned by their family, hidden away, had a reason for being completely alone... in other words, they seem to be perceived as having some flaw.

The exceptions seem to be only if someone achieves excellent grades at the Academy and takes an exam to become a court lady, summoned to the royal palace, or uses connections to become a court lady or maid in the royal palace to find a better marriage partner from a higher status family than their own... or something like that.

...It's a world where marriage follows you *incredibly* closely.

In a world where female independence is quite difficult, I guess it can't be helped. Countries and eras have different ways of thinking and common sense; it's the same on Earth.

If I make a misstep and get married off before I can develop the skills to run away...

If I get thrown into a noble mother-in-law/daughter-in-law war in my teens (...I don't even want to think about being thrown out before reaching that age (single digits); even if this world allows it, in Magnolia's mind, it's a crime), or become some lolicon old man's bride... it would be nothing but terror.

It's too horrible (eyes welling up).

I told Rosa I wanted to learn manners and etiquette so as not to embarrass my parents, and I'm learning the basics.

...It's just that, if I ask various questions, she seems to find it strange, and has continued to give me suspicious looks. Apparently, the original Magnolia was a quiet, somewhat vague and dreamy child.

It's true, she seems to have been a bit spacey, with hazy, full-of-holes memories, making it hard to handle.

Probably because she's the one who takes care of me the most, I think my Japanese memories surfacing makes me seem different from the original Magnolia. She often looks at me like she wants to say something, hesitates, or asks for the meaning or reason behind my questions, so I've decided to stop asking her questions.

To avoid slipping up, it's better to stay away from things that would likely cause it.

If possible, it's better to replace them with other necessary things and strive for efficiency – avoiding trouble and saving time.

Apparently, more advanced content is usually taught by tutors, but the basics are sometimes taught by nannies or the head maid – those deeply involved with the house or the child being taught.

If I'm ever told to repay the living expenses piling up under the name of upbringing costs, it's better to have as little debt as possible.

Rosa, having served the Marquisate for a long time, should be perfect for that. Probably.

In response to her suspicious looks, I repeat phrases like 'For the family~, for Father~, for Mother~,' presenting reasons she can easily accept.

It seems she was originally a maid for my grandmother (father's mother) who moved to the new territory, but when they moved, several experienced servants familiar with the main house stayed behind. Probably due to personal circumstances or to support the new lord and his wife.

So, if I say I don't want to cause trouble for the lord's family by using their names, she seems reassured and smiles.

--You'd think that educating one's children is important for building up the family, right? Whether it's a boy or even a girl.

...But children, and especially girls. In this world, which seems to be a society where children are like possessions of the father, I think it's better to assume a mindset ready for moral harassment, to keep the wounds to my heart and wallet shallow.

Even though I was reborn into a circumstance fit for a princess, it's such a tough world.

I've been sighing constantly this past month, which I know isn't good... but I think it can't be helped.

(I'm not the one at fault!)

***

And occasionally, I call my brother over to have snacks and play at having a little tea party.

Since it was considered strange for siblings who had no interaction until now to start socializing, I flatter my brother by saying I want to practice my manners and would like him to teach me, which convinces the surrounding maids.

While providing tea and sweets, I let his bragging and one-upmanship go in one ear and out the other.

At the same time, I observe his manners or get him to talk about his studies. It's a way to win over my, well, small-minded... childlike brother and gather information.

It seems he started studying properly about two years ago. He showed me his textbooks, but they were filled with letters similar to the alphabet and something like Greek letters.

The numbers were also mostly Roman numerals. And it's a decimal system.

--------Feeling a strange sense of unease, I nodded slightly, thinking it seemed like I could learn them without much trouble.

My brother doesn't seem to be very good at studying; he says he prefers things involving moving his body, like swordsmanship and dance. I get it. Back in Japan, there were many boys who liked P.E.

Seeing his clumsy handwriting at nine years old, I can't help but worry, "Will the heir be okay!?" ...but it seems the Gilmore family has served the royal family for generations as military men, and my father working as a civil official is unusual.

Even so, thinking "This is..." I recalled the historical literacy rates, the comparison with Japan's Terakoya system I think... the hazy figures from foreign countries briefly mentioned in history class, and forced myself to accept that if they've gone through a similar standard of living and culture as Earth, then maybe this is what a nine-year-old overseas (?) is like?

At the same time, Magnolia thought that commoners who are merchants, or lower-ranking nobles serving as servants in the mansion, might be stronger in the everyday characters and calculations used.

Anyway, I must learn the letters.

I ask Daisy and Lila, "What is this called?" "How do you write this?" and gradually learn the words for things around me.

Since just asking those around me isn't enough to gather all the information I want, I want to get to a point where I can study independently as much as possible.

Given that it's a military family, I don't know how much I'll gain, but it's a noble mansion, so they must have history books of their own country at least.

Even if they are a family of muscleheads, I hope they have a library, not just a training room... If not, most of my plan to learn on my own will be completely derailed.

When I'm with Rosa, I just repeatedly go over the words I've learned in my head to solidify them. I steal moments to trace the letters with my finger over and over.

For math, I think if I can manage the four basic operations and simple shapes – probably what would be called 'arithmetic' on Earth – I should be okay.

Judging from all I've heard so far, it doesn't seem like quadratic functions or calculus are used in everyday life. Well, even in Japan, unless it's job-related, people don't use recurrence relations or calculus in daily life either.

Unless there's some unknown subject specific to here, there's no need to learn it now, and once I learn the numbers, I should manage.

What about swordsmanship? Should I learn enough for self-defense?

While watching my brother practice his swordsmanship from the window, I memorize a few stances, and during the night or early morning when the maids aren't around, I do muscle training or practice swinging a wet towel.

If the thought occurs that a useless child might be disposed of suddenly... when I get to that point, the sheer instability of my mind and position makes me tear up along with my sighs, and I hurriedly bite my lip.

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