Chapter Three

"Pretty."

The maids stared at me proudly, while I looked at myself in the mirror. Despite being a kid, I had the same gorgeous looks from mother. My cherry-blonde hair is now braided as it hang down on both shoulders.

I wore a sleeveless mint green dress, adorn with small shiny gems. The skirt was flowy and when I turned around, it smoothly flowed around as well.

"Our lady is the cutest lady in the world!"

The maids squealed, as they cooed at my cuteness. I wasn't used to getting compliments. I was used to fake flattery, however, their words sounds genuine. I blushed at their simple words, feeling flustered.

"T-thank you."

"Shall we go, young lady?"

I nodded at them, before they escorted me out of my room and into the dining table. I savored the atmosphere and the place as we walked down the hallway. Everything really changed, this place was filled with blood and corpses before.

To think that the brutally killed servants of our family is also alive and breathing, it relieves me.

We soon reached our destination, and there welcomed me my family who's looking forward to my arrival.

"Sister Lettuce! Over here!" Zhel waved a hand as he pointed at the seat between him and Zheff.

I smiled at him, before walking towards the seat. I bowed down to them first. "Pardon me for my tardiness."

"Oh shush, my dear. It is alright." Mother replied reassuringly with a smile. The Count smiled at me as well.

As soon as I sat down, the meals are then placed by the maids. It seems the chef intentionally waited for me to arrive, either they cooked the meal in a hurry or just reheated it.

Nonetheless, I am grateful. Eating together with family for breakfast is a rare thing. Since everyone is busy, and I was too simply focused with my own life, we lost the time to be a loving family.

Returning back to this point of time is a blessing.

I picked up the utensils as I neatly sliced the steak that is served for me. It was meaty and juicy, and I can see the sauce squeezed as I cut through it.

"Sister Lettuce, say ah!" I almost dropped the fork and the knife I held when I saw a spoon filled with chicken cutlet infront of me. My brother cutely blinked his eyes at me, as if to beg.

I instantly opened my mouth and ate it without hesitation. My younger brother seems pleased. "Delicious, right?"

Chewing the savory chicken, I nodded at him as I gulped the meat. Delicious, indeed. I gave him a small smile. "It is. Thank you." Ruffling his baby pink hair, his sapphire eyes lit up in delight as he let me pat his head.

"Ehehe!"

"Lettuce, you should eat vegetables too." Zhell and I blinked our eyes towards our older brother, who gave me a plate of salad. "If you eat only meat, you'll get fat." His golden yellow eyes shone the moment he said that, as if to give emphasis to his words.

I chuckled, before gladly accepting the salad. I never tried a food like this before. It would be for the best if I also change my habits. Starting this day, I also need to be healthy.

The Count and the Countess watched intensely as I ate a spoonful of salad. It was lettuce. I don't know how to react to this. I'm eating my nickname all of a sudden.

"How is it?" The Count decided to ask. He seems to be ready to call for the maids to serve the desserts, since he knew I would need it. Originally, I did.

But not anymore.

I gulped the lettuce without prejudice of its taste. It was my mistake to judge such a delicious vegetable when this is the first time I knew of its taste. "It was good, father."

They all widened their eyes, my younger brother covered his mouth to prevent himself from gaping at my response. They probably did not expect the sudden change of my tastes.

"I-is it possible that she's still not fine?" Mother worriedly glanced at me. "Please tell me if you lost your sense of taste, my lovely girl. I'll do anything to let you taste all the sweets you love once again!"

I awkwardly took a table napkin and calmly cleaned off my lips. "Don't worry, mother. It seems I realized I need to have a healthy lifestyle."

They all glanced at each others as I continued eating, unbeknownst to them that I am fully aware of their confusion.

Nomnom.

I feel like a glutton, but I prevented myself from indulging into my meal like a pig. It seems dying and returning to life made me hungry for life, literally.

Mother seems to understand my answer, the worry turned to relief. "My daughter is growing up, I see~"

"Uh-huh."

I would have been embarassed whenever they say I'm growing up. But since I have memories that they don't know, I can't feel embarassed at all.

Will I continue to grow up and reach past 16?

Will they believe me if I had told them the truth?

It seems my mixed emotions is now stable. I no longer feel the wrath to commit murder, nor try to do something reckless. I still want to seek vengeance, that won't change.

So I shrugged off the problematic thoughts for now. The more I think about it, the more I feel worse. The clawing and gnawing pain in both my head and chest would only worsen.

I might get indigestion as well, and I told myself to think about it later. So for now, eat breakfast, live my first day of reincarnation, then I will start analyzing the situation again.

.

.

.

It seems I lost motivation to enjoy my first day of reincarnation.

After eating breakfast, I simply tried to walk around the mansion. Since my parents are busy and only had the chance to spare time with me, they soon left for a business trade.

Zhel wanted to stay with me as well, but the leader of the Lamperouge knights have a schedule to train my younger brother with swordmanship. While Zheff is being nagged to no end by his tutors to go back to his classes.

In the end, I assured them I am fine and can go alone. Everything was still the same, from the ground floor up to the third floor. When I chose to walk outside where the garden is, I felt tired all of a sudden.

So here I am, re-entering the mansion and now walking my way towards my bedroom. I can't shake off the problem in mind. I have this pressure in my chest, a feeling I get whenever I feel nervous.

The maids are oblivious of my emotional state as I entered my bedroom, and I'm fine with it. Since I always go to any events and banquets, I had to practice myself in maintaining a fake facade.

I glanced at the maid who is currently cleaning the cabinets where my collection of notebooks is stored. Narrowing my cyan eyes, I called out to her.

"You."

She respectfully glanced and responded to me. "Yes, young lady?"

I feel bad for having to call her as you, since I don't remember any of their names. "May I ask what is your name again?"

The maid bowed down. "It is Rashna, young lady."

Rashna, I see. A peculiar name.

I smiled at her. "Rashna, can you get me a notebook from my collection?"

It seems she is obedient of my request and didn't question why. She soon grabbed one notebook, and even took the initiative to get a fountain pen for me. Smiling, I thanked her before she continued cleaning.

A dedicated maid, I see.

I should probably look after my servants this time.

Opening the notebook, I saw no contents to its pages. I can probably use this to write what I know of the future events, and the things I need to be wary of.

I laid down the bed in my stomach as I wrote everything. But to avoid suspicion or people from taking a peek to read it, I used the language that was only introduced to our Empire in the year 435.

They won't know the details of what I wrote here, unless they learn the language by that year.

It took me quite a while to write all the details I needed to remember. Since I am afraid I might forget it one day, I wrote them with detailed explanations and descriptions.

I want to read this someday with the same feeling I feel today whenever I think of it. It shall serve as my turning key and driving force to move forward and change my fate—our fate.

News of treason accused on Lamperouge (had suspicions since they all look suspicious when I asked)

436th year, month of September, 7th day

Imperial knights barged into our estate, killed the servants, and took us to the Imperial palace

436th year, month of October, 13th day

Emperor gave us punishment for false treason through death in the guillotine

Same year, same month, same day

The aristocrats and the nobles are suspicious (they did not investigate and wholly accepted the situation)

They probably want to end our family lineage. The aristocrat who disrespected me is suspicious too (I do not know who he is)

Got reincarnated back in the past of my childhood after death. Also saw a suspicious hooded person before dying (I do not know who he is as well)

Now that I read my written thoughts and ideas, I sensed something wrong. Why did they officially accused us of false treason, with nobles and aristocrats watching without doing anything, and then sentenced to death in the same day?

I thought hard for a moment. Any crimes commited or accused of is naturally given chances to have a trial and investigation. However, we are denied any of that.

We were quickly sentenced a punishment, whereas instead of light sentence in consideration of our family's rank, we had the death penalty through the guillotine.

Not only that, those who are to die as punishment still have days left in preparation of their deaths. But at that time, everything is already prepared. Even the crowd was already there to watch.

"Those vile scums..." I clenched the fountain pen so hard that I thought it would break. I had the urge to stab them all with the pen I am holding, gouge their eyes out, cut their skin and flesh open, torture them until they bleed to death, and feed their corpse to the dogs.

It seems they indeed planned our family's death and downfall.

But whose idea it is, that is the real question.

They could have needed the Emperor's power for their plan to succeed. It could be anyone who dislikes our family, from both nobles and aristocrats. But if it was the Emperor who planned it, he needs the brains and favor of both.

Whoever it is, it would be hard to know. It is the same to finding needle in a haystack. So long as I have a long list of suspects in mind, I won't be able to cross them off one by one easily.

I sighed, before scribbling nonsense words a 10 year old noble lady like me would write in a diary. This is only to avoid suspicion in case they see that I wrote unknown symbols in here.

I have no one to trust yet. My own family never told me about the problem in the first place. It seems they want to solve the problem on their own. If that is how it is, then I'll comply.

This is not because I feel betrayed, but because I know they only wanted me to not feel burdened of the problem. And I am the same. Since I am the one who not only experienced the future events, but also returned in time, I have to keep this to myself first.

When the time comes, I will tell them the truth as well.

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