I’ll Save This Damned Family!

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When the gold latch was opened, a document made out of obsolete cypress papyrus lay inside, the words having faded from exposure to light.
This paper, full of ancient words, must have been very expensive.

 

[Who…?]

 

His voice trembled as he struggled to contain his anger.

 

[For Lady Tara, the fifth oldest…]

 

Indeed.
His precious eldest son had gone into a forbidden area on the whims of a foolish 11-year-old child, and wandered around for hours where he contracted an animal-borne contagious disease that eventually paralyzed and killed him.

 

Because of the epidemic, he couldn't even be properly buried, he had to be cremated.

 

The death of his eldest son, who had already been appointed as the next head of the household, had been an unbearable reality to contend with.
And Lloyd's anger over Brandon's pointless death had turned towards 11-year-old Tara.

 

But his daughter never even gave him the chance to express that anger.
She completely hid herself away in her room.

 

Lloyd rubbed his aching temples after having to recall the death of his eldest child, the memories having resurfaced for the first time in many years.

 

“……whew.
Seven years ago, that kid was pretty clever.
Yes, I had forgotten.”

 

After listening to the head of the family speak, Dylan carefully asked.

 

“What should I do?”

 

“What?”

 

“……..”

 

In the face of that fierce response, the Viscount closed his mouth.

 

The Count's cold expression was a sign that he would not tolerate any further discussion.

 

“……I was ill, but it was of her own volition? Arrogant thing.
I will keep an eye on her.
I have no expectations for the child.
She has just returned to how she was before she became ill, nothing more, nothing less.
She requested to select a teacher.
Well, alright.
Let's see who she decides to bring.”

 

At the Count's gesture, the Viscount quietly escaped the office.

 

That was what he said, but Lloyd couldn't help but feel dazed and filled with a strange sense of astonishment.

 

[…] Regardless of status, if you have the ability, you should be respected.
How can we expect people to try their best at their jobs if children take higher positions based on their father's status with little effort of their own? The head of House Elias is different from other House leaders…….]

 

Was it a coincidence that her bright eyes and enthusiastic manner of speech had reminded him of his eldest child? Whom he had thought he had long forgotten about…

 

“I suppose I have gotten old as well.”

 

The Count shook his head, trying to shake off his useless thoughts, and picked up his land use and taxation documents.

 

***

 

The next day.

 

I lost two kilograms in one day.
Yesterday evening I used superhuman willpower to avoid eating dinner, and I worked out on an empty stomach for the first time this morning.
I thought I was going to die.

 

And today was a particularly tense day.

 

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“I am certainly looked down on here.”

 

With my heavy chin propped on my hands, I became deeply immersed in a variety of thoughts.

 

“Did you die because of me……”

 

There were only three lines of explanation about the eldest son who died in the book.
He was a handsome, intelligent, clever, benevolent and kind young man.
He was the kind of person who was too good to be true.

 

And Tara? She was an unusual young girl who chased after her brother and acted childishly.
No.
I was Tara, that was me.

 

When I was young, I used to read every manner of book I came across because I was addicted to the written word.

 

In addition, her memory was extraordinary, and all that knowledge had accumulated in her memory.

 

My leg, or rather, my thigh, cramped and I moved with immense difficulty.

 

“Hmm….
According to the novel, I shut myself in because the only brother I cared for was dead, and I believed it was my fault.
Yes…
Yes…
Hmmm…!”

 

Then I stopped dead, a cookie in hand.
There was a plate in front of me with more than half of the chocolate cookies missing.
They were coated in chocolate syrup and the bottom of the plate was visible.

 

“Oh, my.
This is terrible.
Beth.
Beth!”

 

At my call, Beth rushed in.

 

“Oh, yes, my lady!”

 

“What is this? I never asked for this?”

 

“It’s just the daily snack we bring to the young masters and young ladies.”

 

My expression was one of deep resentment.

 

“Oh… God.
This is driving me crazy.”

 

“What?”

 

“No.
From now on, don't give any of this to me until I ask for it.
You take it.
No way.
Say no even if I ask.
Especially if it's these delicious cookies that melt in your mouth with this moist chocolate stuck in them!”

 

“What?”

 

“Why do you just keep saying 'what'? Hey, I mean it.
Just do it.
Okay? This will be prohibited from my room in the future.
Instead, bring me plenty of water.
1 litre a day.
No, actually bring me 2 litres or more.”

 

“Yes, ma'am.”

 

Beth turned around, her lips pouting slightly.

 

I realized I had gone too far.

 

Why was I harshly taking my anger out on her? Why was I abusing my power here, when I had always been bullied by TV production staff in my old life?

 

I sighed and called out to Beth again.

 

“I've been very sensitive lately.
I'm sorry.”

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“What?”

 

A bewildered expression.

 

“Since you are my only dedicated maid, I keep calling you and asking to do so many things.”

 

“I’m not your dedicated maid.”

 

“What?”

 

“That’s… The young miss has been confined to her room for a long time, and since the incident, you were unconscious.
I was tending the lady's room on the orders of the Countess.”

 

“Really? Then I don't have a dedicated maid?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then why do you attend to me so often?”

 

“Because the lady calls me often.”

 

“Ah…
of course, because you happened to be there when I woke up…….”

 

“……..”

 

“……..”

 

What a load of bullshit.

 

“How many dedicated maids does Chloe have?”

 

“She has three.”

 

“What about Aria?”

 

“Three.”

 

“What about Jason?”

 

“Four.”

 

“What about Logan?”

 

“Two of them, at his school.”

 

“And I have none?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Why did she look embarrassed? I was the one who should be embarrassed here.

 

Hmm.
I needed to deal with this issue first.