The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life
[Side Story: Daisy Saw It! (Daisy's POV)]
Translated by: ME
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Author's note:
I'll be posting two updates today. This is the first one.
***
I'm Daisy Harris.
A flower of seventeen, slightly self-conscious about the freckles on my cheeks and my red hair.
Normally, I act like a proper young lady because I work as a maid for the famous Gilmore Marquisate, but in private, I love trying out sweets and gossiping!
Actually, it's been decided that I'll soon be married into a Baron's family due to certain connections.
People say I'm the daughter of a fairly successful merchant, but I'm still a commoner. So, to learn the ways of a noble house, I became a maid... but this is no time for explanations!!
「Lady Magnolia! That way leads to the kitchens!?」
I hurriedly chase after Lady Magnolia, who is trotting briskly ahead of me.
...Ugh, if the head maid, Gloria, sees me running down the hallway holding up my skirts, I'll definitely get a stern scolding~ (cry).
Lady Magnolia stops dead in her tracks and spins around to face me with a force that seems to make a *swish* sound.
「I wanna see the kitchen.」
Her large, ibis-colored eyes are unwavering.
She looks up at me with an earnest expression.
Seeing her small hands clenched tightly makes me want to give in, which is such a problem...
All I can do is frown, my eyebrows forming a figure eight.
「Rosa will scold us, you know...」
「It's okay if it's a *nyacho*!」
Her grinning smile almost makes me laugh out loud.
「My, what a naughty child?」
When I gently chide her, she replies,
「As long as there's no danger to my life, a little thing like this is fine. Adventure is important sometimes.」
Having said her piece nonchalantly, she starts trotting off again. Her fluffy pink hair, which reaches her shoulders, sways from side to side.
I sigh and follow after Lady Magnolia.
At the very least, I mustn't let her get hurt. I clench my fist tightly.
***
Lately, Lady Magnolia has been a little strange.
Well, if we're talking about strangeness, the way she was before was stranger... but, how should I put it? It's like she's a different person?
She expressed a desire to learn about various noble customs, so I usually work in various places as a 'mansion-attached' maid.
I sometimes help the senior maid, Rosa, with caring for Lady Magnolia, the daughter of the Gilmore family. But the change in her recently is so drastic, it's like she's a completely different person.
...For some reason, Lady Magnolia is kept distant by her family and has almost no interaction with anyone.
Perhaps because she never interacted with anyone, her expressions were few, and she barely moved. Until recently.
She would sit in a chair all day long, staring blankly out the window. Until recently.
When spoken to, she would mostly just nod or shake her head... her occasional replies were very soft. Until recently.
Only when Rosa told her, "You aren't smiling," would she put on a startlingly bright smile.
——She was just like a doll.
With her unbelievably beautiful features and a perfectly practiced, lovely smile.
The first time I saw it, I felt fear before I felt captivated.
But.
One day, she suddenly became talkative and started showing lively expressions, like a different person.
Yes, it was the day Rosa was on her lunch break.
She tilted her head slightly as if thinking about something for a while, then *hop!* she jumped down from her chair (!!),
「Daisy? Thank you shyoo much for always taking care of me. There are a yot of chings I wanna ask.」
Her eyes, usually calm like glass marbles, now gleamed with a fierce light.
「Is that okay?」
She smiled brightly.
——Eeeek! Scary!!
***
「What's the dairy lives of commoners usually like?」「What age do they go to work?」「What kind of jobs do women do?」「Are there any rules, customs, or traditions specific to commoners?」「How do you rent a house?」「Are there dangerous places like slums or poor districts?」「Are there schools?」「What are the absolute common sense things?」「Are there government offices?」「Do you just need an interview to work? Do you need things like resumes or letters of introduction?」「What kind of housework do you do? What are the tools like? Where do you buy them?」「How often are there hospitals or clinics?」「Do women wear trousers too?」「Are there women with short hair?」...etc.
……
………….
After she started talking, she bombarded me with questions about commoner life at a terrifying rate, making my eyes roll... It seems she also grilled Lila, who also helps out, about 'various noble things,' and Lila was utterly shocked too.
I'm still surprised every day...
I nod to my own words.
***
And now. Lady Magnolia is peeking with just half her face from around the kitchen door, staring intently at the scene inside.
「…….」
「…….………….」
The sound of soup boiling. The smell of roasting meat wafts from the oven, and there's the *clack-clack* sound of eggs being whisked in a bowl.
The polished-to-a-shine work counters reflect the sunlight. Stacks of beautiful plates. Polished silverware and glasses.
The kitchen, which should always be lively, is silent except for the sounds of work.
Everyone is silent, but they're aware of us.
An incredibly tense atmosphere hangs in the air.
「...Lady Magnolia? Everyone is busy, and it's dangerous here. Shall we return to your room?」
When I suggest this worriedly to Lady Magnolia, the head chef speaks up after a moment's hesitation, sounding confused.
「Daisy, who's this child you've brought?... There are fires and knives here, it's dangerous for a little one. And above all, you can't just bring people into the mansion without permission.」
Hearing the head chef's words, Lady Magnolia blinks a few times. She looks down at her own clothes, nods, and mutters.
「Can't be helped.」
Then, she takes a step forward, revealing herself fully from behind the door.
「Hello! I'm Magnolia.... I'm Magnolia Gilmore. Thank you shyoo much for the delicious food every day.」
She bows her head *pekori*.
The kitchen staff freeze, overcome with bewilderment and confusion.
...Can't blame them.
「I'm sorry for bothering you during your bucchi time, but I want to see the kitchen. I'll stay out of the way on the side, so could you let me watch for just a while?」
Everyone in the kitchen looks at me at once.
I shake my head rapidly.
*It's not me, I didn't bring her!*
***
「What's that?」
The head chef, who was told to just carry on as usual (but couldn't possibly do that), is now closely accompanying Lady Magnolia and answering her questions.
The others are working, slightly huddled together.
I understand how they feel.
I also make myself small, trying to erase my presence, and follow behind.
「That is a 'Poteto-imo' (Potato-tuber).」
「Poteto-imo...」
Lady Magnolia wrinkles her brow suspiciously and mutters under her breath.
「'Poteto' 'imo'... like 'Chige-nabe'?」
「Pardon?」
「Uun... Then, what's that?」
「That is a 'Ninjin' (Carrot).」
Lady Magnolia screws up her face tightly, making an expression of disbelief.
「...A 'Ninjin', you say...? Shouldn't it be a 'Kyorotto Ninjin' (Carrot Carrot)!?」
「...Lady Magnolia? Are you quite alright??」
The poor head chef is hunched over, making his large body small.
「Uun. It's *nyan demo nyai*. ...The names of things are *mujukachii* (complicated/complex).」
Lady Magnolia sighs. Memorizing the names of unfamiliar things must be tough for a little one.
Especially for a noble young lady like Lady Magnolia, who probably only sees food in its cooked form, it must be even harder.
Suddenly, Lady Magnolia looks up at the head chef with a lovely smile on her cute face.
Seeing that face, the head chef's expression softens involuntarily.
「It's bad of me to ask when you're *oishogashii*, but I'd like five minutes of your time.」
「As you wish.」
Head Chef...! That's probably the wrong answer...!!
***
「Is it possible for women to become chefs?」「How do you find out about job openings?」「How do you get your tools? The oven? The stove? Are there any unusual vegetables?」「What kinds of seasonings are there?」「Are there any seasonings or ingredients where supply is insufficient?」「How many years is the training?」「The nutrients in food... what are their functions and effects like?」「How do you manage hygiene?」「Is there aquaculture?」「Do you know miso and soy sauce?」「Is there rice?」「Where does dashi come from?」...etc.
No, no, you can't possibly answer all that in five minutes!!
And some of the questions are hard to understand...
The head chef, assaulted by a barrage of questions from the delicate-looking Lady Magnolia...
By the end, his eyes had taken on the glazed look of a dead fish.
The other kitchen staff wore expressions of trepidation and gently averted their eyes from Lady Magnolia.
Can't blame them.
「...Lady Magnolia? The head chef has work to do too, shall we go back?」
Please, let him go... for pity's sake!!
「Ah... *Gomen nyasai*?」
She smiles apologetically and looks around, bowing her head.
「I don't get many chances to talk to *nyakanyakanya*, so I got carried away...」
When she returns to her senses (?), she's a young lady who can read the mood.
As we are seen off by the kitchen staff, Lady Magnolia turns her body fully towards everyone once more.
「Really, thank you *isho* much for always working so hard to make food. I look forward to your meals from now on.」
Despite being the young lady, she bowed her head politely to all the servants.
The kitchen staff also all removed their hats and bowed deeply.
「It is a great honor, Lady Magnolia.」
Just as we were about to leave, as if she had forgotten to say something, Lady Magnolia said quickly,
「Um...! Everything is delicious *nyo*, but... the one with the julienned 'Poteto-imo', mixed with minced onions and cheese, and baked until firm. The crispy one, crunchy on the outside, meltingly soft and fluffy inside. That one is *arye* super delicious...! That one is my *shuki*!」
With a beaming smile and an enraptured expression, Lady Magnolia conveyed her favorite dish.
Everyone was taken aback, but soon laughter echoed through the kitchen.
***
That evening's dinner included Lady Magnolia's favorite 'Cheesy Baked Poteto-imo'.
The Poteto-imo, baked a golden brown, was garnished with parsley for color.
The rising steam, the cheese, and the faint scent of spices...
Kuu~~!! I can almost feel myself drooling.
「Oh my,」 Lady Magnolia let out an exclamation in a voice that sounded somehow different from usual, as if surprised it was made, placing both hands on her cheeks...
「Nyaaーーーn」
「A cat?」
Somehow, the cat that should be in Lady Wisteria's room was sitting neatly in the corner of the room, its front paws together, its tail swaying.
「That's Lady Wisteria's cat. I wonder how it got in... Primavera-chan, come here~」
It's dangerous if it runs around the room during the meal, so I try to catch it, making *chichi-chichi* sounds with my tongue.
But the cat lets out a small meow and starts running.
「Ah! Wait, Primavera-chan...!」
The next moment.
「Kyaah!」
My foot gets caught on a nearby chair, and I fall spectacularly.
「Waah! Daisy, are you okay!?」
A shoe flying through the air. A chair making a clattering noise. The upside-down, panicked face of Lady Magnolia.
My tumbling self.
「Itai (Ouch)ーーーーー!!」
I slam my body hard against the floor.
The cat, by the window, aligns its paws, lets out another meow, and heartlessly steps out through the open window...
***
The next day.
Led by Rosa, who was back from her day off, Lady Magnolia came to see me in the hallway where I was cleaning.
Seeing me with bandages on my foot and hand, Lady Magnolia looked worried.
「Are you okay? It hurts, right? You should rest.」
「I'm f-fine...」
Ah, how embarrassing.
Yesterday, I fell while letting out a very un-ladylike scream.
The head maid, who happened to be walking nearby (on her rounds), was shocked and rushed into the room.
She gave me first aid right away... she said nothing was broken, but it hurt terribly.
Rosa, who must have heard the story, has a exasperated look on her face.
But Lady Magnolia looks concerned,
「Daisy, you won't quit *nyai*, right? You won't go work at another house, right??」
「I won't go.」
I could hear her muttering softly, "Akiko-san... Ichihara-san, Harumi-chan..."
(??????)
For some reason, she was incredibly worried about me changing jobs.
I don't get it.
***
And so, the quiet Lady Magnolia was gone before we knew it, replaced by the start of lively days.
***
This was the story from Daisy's perspective.
It seems this is how Magnolia usually spends her time.
ME's Note: It's kinda hard maintaining her cute baby speech pattern
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