Surviving as a Terminally Ill Heiress - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 11

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“I’d like to send a letter.”
One word from her, and a beautiful sheet of stationery appeared as if by magic.
Normally, it would have been my job to fetch it at her request.
I thanked the maids with an awkward smile.
Right. Adapt. Keep adapting.
I swallowed a small sound of discomfort and sat at the desk to write, only to notice the maids eyeing me with peculiar expressions.
“……Young Lady, you’re already becoming so ladylike.”
“Pardon?”
What are they talking about?
The maids began elaborating as if they’d been waiting for this moment.
“Your expression and voice are always so serene.”
“Your posture, the way you walk, and your table manners too.”
“You’re so graceful. Your comportment is impeccable, really.”
“And to think you write so beautifully…….”
Well, that part is rather surprising.
I tilted my head at the last comment, having puzzled over the others.
Illiteracy was common among commoners, after all.
Even most nobles preferred their servants unable to read.
That’s why I’d deliberately hidden my literacy when I first took the job as a maid…….
Ah.
“So what you’re saying is, I don’t look like a commoner.”
The maids looked flustered.
Catching on to the potential misunderstanding, I waved my hand.
“No, I’m not upset. I just want to understand clearly. In any case, it’s a compliment, isn’t it? Thank you.”
This was the first time in my life such words had felt like genuine praise.
I’d heard comments about behaving like a noble before, but most were meant as jibes.
My employers had always wanted me to smile more freely, walk with vigor, and move with energy.
I never understood their desire for me to project the image of laboring with visible sweat despite my competence, but I had to oblige to survive.
As a result, I’d grown increasingly brash—though my current demeanor seems to be exactly as I was in childhood.
And everything about my childhood self came from my mother.
‘This time, don’t fade away. Stay.’
I absently rubbed my ink-stained fingertips.
Then I offered the still-tense maids a gentle smile.
“But my speech isn’t like a snobbish noble at all, is it?”
Those people round and round things endlessly. Mother never taught me such affectation.
At my joke, the maids’ faces finally brightened.
“Still, you’re very much like Ambrose!”
I wasn’t sure if that “Ambrose-like” comment was praise or not.
Until now, Ambrose had meant nothing but a damnable old fool to me—an image of a spendthrift who knew neither the value of money nor respect for the Imperial Court.
With a slight unease, I handed the finished letter to the maids.
After reciting the address, they carefully sealed it and rushed off to mail it at once.
How convenient.
The thought crossed my mind unbidden, and I shook my head.
No—I’m grateful, that’s all. They’re working for me, after all.
I’ll have to be careful not to forget the character education Mother gave me.
Noble, Heiress, Ambrose—none of it mattered if I wasn’t human first.
“Bebe, are you done?”
Especially since I had to set the example for these two.
While I sat at the desk, Hui and Dido, who had been glued to my side, had their heads gently stroked.
“Yes. You two waited so well. Sister’s all done.”
“So can we go now?”
“Where to?”
“Home.”
My hand stilled.
Hui clutched at my unmoving fingers.
“Did Mother come? Can we stop playing and go home now?”
“……No. This is home now.”
“Why?”
My innocent siblings tilted their heads in confusion.
I took a deep breath and answered carefully.
“Because the snacks are delicious here. Let’s have chocolate cake.”
“Yay!”
The quick-witted maids promptly brought refreshments.
Behind Hui and Dido, whose attention had been completely captured, I exhaled slowly.
So they thought they were simply visiting an interesting place, adapting so easily as they did?
They’d only been three and five when they witnessed the funeral and heard she’d passed.
Without my constantly explaining things, what would they understand? In my last life, they probably thought Mother had simply gone to work and stayed away longer than usual.
By the time they began sensing something was wrong, I was already fleeing from it.
‘I was young then too.’
I hadn’t wanted to reopen old wounds.
I’d hoped the word “mother” would never be spoken inside our home, and so my siblings had quietly learned the truth through silence and suppression.
‘……That wasn’t a good choice.’
Yes. This time had to be different.
This time, I had to tell my siblings the truth slowly, carefully…….
“It’s delicious! Sister, eat with us!”
Hui and Dido, their faces now streaked with chocolate, waved at me brightly.
I hesitated for a moment, then smiled helplessly and joined them.
Later.
They’re still too young. When they’re a bit older, I’ll tell them for sure.
The coward in me simply hoped my little siblings would grow slowly.
“Um, Miss Bebe!”
As I wiped Hui and Dido’s hands, someone quickly set down a cup before me.
It was Tru, the short-haired maid.
“Yes?”
“It seems you don’t care for desserts, and you don’t seem to like black tea with milk or cream either, so I prepared something special for you…….”
How did she know?
True, I didn’t prefer heavy, rich flavors. Still, I’d never complained about food or left anything on my plate.
“Would you try this tea?”
Tru, who seemed more perceptive than I’d given her credit for, poured a clear crimson liquid into the cup.
On the surface it looked like ordinary black tea, but the aroma was distinctive.
‘The floral notes are quite strong.’
I didn’t usually care for heavily scented food either.
I drank a sip without showing my reservation.
“Is it to your taste?”
“……Yes, it’s lovely.”
Remarkable. More to my liking than I’d expected.
The floral scent I’d worried about merely grazed the tip of my nose, while the herbal flavor lingered more strongly on my palate.
Even that faded freshly and quickly, which pleased me perfectly.
Observing my reaction, Tru shrugged with satisfaction.
Well, well. I’d taken her for merely shrewd, but she’s quite capable.
Perhaps sensing competition, the other maids chimed in one by one.
“That’s Hilden Herbal Tea. The delicate, light flavor is its charm.”
“Your palate is so refined, Young Lady!”
“This tea is favored at the Dowager’s Tea Parties.”
Good to know. I’d found a pleasant refreshment.
I nodded, then suddenly asked aloud.
“Then what might the old gentleman prefer?”
At that, the maids suddenly cried out in unison.
“The master likes simple things! Just like you, Young Lady!”
“……I meant Scott, not that damned—I mean, not the Duke.”
How irritating.
I corrected myself coldly, and the maids’ shoulders sagged.
They were always trying to pair me with the Duke whenever possible.
I flicked my tongue and showed them my unblemished palms and knees.
“As you can see, thanks to Scott’s Ointment, my wounds healed quickly. I wanted to thank him properly. Perhaps with a favorite snack.”
A show of respect disguised as gratitude. To put it plainly: a bribe.
That prickly genius doctor would pay more attention to me if I gave him something worthwhile.
I gazed affectionately at Scott’s Ointment, which I’d carefully placed on the nightstand.
The maids looked skeptical, as if to say, ‘That thing?’
Yes, yes—the tin was so worn it looked like I’d picked it up off the street, and the ointment’s color and smell were admittedly dreadful, but its effectiveness really was remarkable.
At my earnest expression, the maids reluctantly opened their mouths.
“Scott doesn’t have strong preferences in food…….”
“His meals are heavy on fatty meats, and he has a real sweet tooth for snacks.”
“If it’s tasty, he’ll, well, really love it!”
Goodness. For his age, he certainly has a hearty appetite. How admirable.
I smiled warmly.
Honestly, in my current mood, Scott could be eating mud and still look adorable to me.
Anyway, I’ve decided.
“Then would you send Scott a hearty sandwich loaded with meat and some sweet fruit juice?”
That ought to please him.
When I asked, the maids answered as kindly as always.
“Of course. How shall we settle payment?”
“……What?”
“Oh, we’ve already deducted the stationery from your personal account!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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