How the Useless Me Became the Beloved of the Devilish Duke Knight - Chapter 24
Chapter 24 : Memories and Breakfast
Laughter could be heard—it was “him” and her mother. Elma looked in and saw them talking in the office. When she ran over, they greeted her with a warm smile.
“Hi, Elle, my dear princess.”
“Hey, what is that?”
“This? It’s a little container. Apparently it can’t be opened.”
“Can you open it?”
“Maybe. It seems pretty stubborn, though.”
After winking with one eye, “he” carefully slid his fingers over the old small box. He tried flipping it over, tracing it, and poking it.
“Mom, is that really going to work?”
“It will. Elle, you know it too, right ? That person is a real magician.”
?That’s right. “He” was not good at cooking, cleaning, or doing laundry, and on top of that, he had a weak constitution and always coughed in the winter.
Yet, he wrote the most beautiful letters and transcribed many people’s words. Moreover, he had one more unique skill that no one could imitate.
“Look, Elle. That’s called ‘Blessing Restoration.’”
Her mother puts her arm around Elma’s shoulder and whispers.
She probably does this to avoid disturbing “him” while he is working, but once “he” started to concentrate, speaking to him was pointless. Particularly, when he was humming, it meant he was deeply engrossed in his work.
?Reweaving broken magic. Was that how he explained it?
Another part of his work involves repairing items with a history. And in “his” hands, no matter how damaged an item may be, it can be restored to its original form.
“…But I can’t fix everything. I can only fix things where the shape of the magic has been distorted. If it’s completely destroyed there’s nothing I can do about it. And I can’t repair items that aren’t enchanted. What I do is simply untangle and arrange the threads of magic that have become twisted, cut, or frayed.”
Did he ever give such an explanation while I was on his lap?
Lost in happy memories of her childhood, Elma tilted her head and looked up at her mother.
“You know, I’ve always wondered why mother from the past never called me Elma.”
Elma Tarcoza. That should be her name. Yet, when she recalls happy memories from the past, she sometimes feels as if she was called by a different name.
The sound is often drowned out by background noise, but it seems like her mother didn’t call her Elma.
“You’re saying something strange, Elle.”
Her mother tilted her head.
Nearby, “he” continued working while humming a song. Elma felt a strong sense of discomfort at this scene.
If both she and her mother were here, the remaining adult man should be her father—Zeaden. However, “he” is not Zeaden.
While it’s common for people to change as they age, this was not a case of such differences; she was convinced it was a different person.
“Where’s Carolyn-sama ?”
And her sister, who is only a year younger than her, isn’t at home. Her mother tilts her head. Elma slowly backs away.
“Mother, why aren’t you telling me anything? Where are Father and Carolyn-sama ? Who is that person? Why is he with you? Why is he in our home? Why is he singing my song? Why is he look like me—”
“…Honey.”
At that moment, her mother called out to “him” in a soft, gentle voice. The man suddenly raised his head and gazed at Elma.
His eyes had changed from the ordinary brown they had been to a faintly glowing violet.
‘Honey, Hey, your cough is really bad.’
‘Maybe it’s a cold. You seem tired. How about taking a break today?’
Was that something Father said? Or were those Mother’s words?
Why aren’t Zayden and Carolyn in the scene from the happy days?
The beautiful violet color. That day, spitting out bright red blood—.
Elma snapped her eyes open, jumped up, and looked around.
“Where… is this…!?”
Something was wrong.
This isn’t downstairs, the attic, the basement, or the storage room. She was in the biggest room she had ever seen, and lying on the softest bed she had ever experienced.
What’s more, she was wearing a nightgown with plenty of lace that felt even softer than the one Carolyn had been wearing.
Elma was extremely confused, but gradually she began to remember the situation.
‘Th-that’s right, I… was hired at Eugreek-sama’s mansion…’
She suddenly jumped out of bed and hurriedly reached for the curtains.
Looking outside, she could see the clear blue sky through the shiny windowpane.
It was a refreshing morning – no, it was already noon. She could feel the blood drain from her face.
‘I… overslept! On the very first day!!’
She was so determined to get up earlier than anyone else to repay his kindness, but this is the result.
Perhaps it was her own fault for getting so excited when Eugreek showed her the Pegasus that she fell asleep late.
After all, the pegasus is omnivorous and Fortura’s favorite food is boiled eggs, and it’s one that Eugreek himself had raised since he was a foal.
It’s also a precious companion because it’s rare for such animals to be so accepting of being touched—each piece of information was fascinating and new, and she could never get tired of hearing about it.
The two of them were so engrossed in their conversation that the stableman who came to check on them was astonished.
Given how different the new bedroom was from what she was used to, Elma thought she’d be so nervous that she wouldn’t sleep all night and would wake up early. But it seems her body was more honest than her intentions.
‘Ahh, such carelessness…What should I do…!’
Even though he had overslept, it was out of the question to dash out in a nightgown.
She hurried to get dressed, but it seemed impossible to find yesterday’s outfit in the room.
Reluctantly, Elma gave up on finding something on her own and rang the bell. Soon after, the plump middle-aged maid, Niisa, appeared.
“Good morning, Elma-sama. Did you have a good rest?”
“I’m sorry, I’ve been terribly rude—I’ll start working right away!!”
“Oh, no, no. It’s fine, there’s no need to be in such a hurry. Young Master instructed me to let you rest until you’re satisfied, so please take your time.”
The maid waved her hand lightly, but Elma only shrank further.
“Has Eugreek-sama already left…?”
“Yes. It seems he was disappointed not to have breakfast together, but it’s not a final farewell, he’ll be back by evening. Now, are you hungry? I’ll prepare something for you, so please wait a moment.”
Perhaps it’s because Elma overslept. It seems that today, meals are being served in the bedroom.
Eating in bed felt strange, but now that she thinks about it, Carolyn and Zayden sometimes had breakfast brought to their bedroom when they woke up late.
In any case, since she was surely causing quite a bit of trouble, Elma resolved to finish quickly and at least wash the dishes.
However, as one plate, two plates, three plates—and more—were lined up on the table, the light seemed to fade from her eyes.
“Um…”
“Yes, Lady Elma. Is there anything you don’t like? If there’s something you prefer, I can have the kitchen prepare it for you. Don’t hesitate to ask for more if you’d like.”
“No, it’s not that… It’s just that this clearly isn’t a single serving… Is breakfast and lunch being served together…?”
“All of this is for you, Elma-sama. Please feel free to take only what you like and leave the rest.”
“Leave it…!”
Elma let out a cry of despair.
There were several types of bread available, and a choice of jam and butter. In addition to omelets, sausages, and bacon, there was also a generous selection of salads, and desserts included fruit and sweet and sour dairy products…maybe even some pastries.
Additionally, the drink options included juice, milk, and tea, with even what appeared to be soup.
“Yes, please leave anything you don’t want. Since I didn’t know your preferences yet, I just bought a variety of the standard menu items this time—”
“Um, one piece of bread is enough for me…!”
“Well, Elma-sama, that won’t do! Getting proper nutrition is also one of your important duties. Think of it as a way to repay the young master’s kindness!”
“Is eating part of my job…!?”
“If Lady Elma wants to make the young master even a little happier…”
With nothing to say in response, Elma looked at the row of plates and then cast a sidelong glance at Niisa.
“If I leave any, will it be thrown away…?”
“Huh? …Ah! So that’s what you were worried about. I don’t want to say this out loud to the people upstairs, but sometimes we eat leftovers downstairs. Sometimes it also becomes snacks for Fortra.”
“Fortra’s….”
That made her feel a little less guilty. She had been prepared to push herself even if it meant suffering, if she had been told that all leftovers would be thrown away.
Elma let out a sigh of relief, composed herself, and reached for the most familiar bread.
“?Now, Elma-sama! Next up is tailoring your clothes!”
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Translated by : Cutae30