Surviving as a Terminally Ill Heiress - Chapter 8

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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 8

Early the next morning, something outside my room was making a commotion.
“What on earth is all this?”
An avalanche of mysterious boxes came pouring in.
The maids carrying them answered with beaming faces, while I stood there in shock.
“Gifts that have arrived for Miss Bebe.”
“Gifts? Who sent them?”
“Let’s see. This one is from the Chamberlain Duchy, that one from the Spencer Marquessate….”
What?
Why would such distinguished houses send gifts to me? Oh, right.
‘I’m from House of Ambrose now, aren’t I?’
I still wasn’t used to it.
In any case, it makes sense to send congratulations for a family reunion.
‘But this is awfully fast.’
We haven’t even made an official announcement yet.
Just one day after my arrival, my relatives came scrambling over, and now, a day later, every powerful figure worth mentioning is sending gifts.
“Please open them right away!”
I wasn’t particularly keen.
Reluctant as I was, I eventually gave in to the maids’ urging and began unwrapping the boxes one by one.
“My goodness, what beautiful Dolls!”
“This Dress would suit you perfectly!”
“And these Ornaments match your hair color so well!”
They were all lovely, certainly, and they would suit me well enough.
But while the maids were delighted, my own mood sank further.
Did information really travel this fast in these circles?
Because House of Ambrose was at the center of attention?
But then again, if I thought about it differently….
‘Doesn’t that mean security is terrible?’
A family matter that happened just a day or two ago was already all over the place.
And these gifts—they showed unmistakable signs that these people knew my personal details precisely.
“Miss Bebe, why not change into the dress from the gifts?”
“No, thank you.”
“Why not? It would suit you so well.”
“It would be… wasteful.”
The truth was, it felt unsettling.
Maybe I was just being oversensitive, but it didn’t sit right with me to accept gifts from people I barely knew and wear them without hesitation.
After all, the ones sending these gifts were probably just making formal gestures to House of Ambrose, not to me.
While the maids were reluctantly putting the gifts away, my siblings darted in and out of the room.
Hui poked at the colorful Dolls and Dresses at first, but quickly lost interest and left; Dido, however, planted himself firmly and began observing with great intensity.
Oh, look at those eyes sparkling.
Usually so slack, but only when it comes to things like this.
I walked over to Dido and let out a soft laugh.
‘Even if they’re siblings, they really are different.’
Hui liked anything that moved.
As long as it was alive and moving—himself, people around him, animals, even insects—he loved it all.
Dido, by contrast, preferred stillness and objects….
‘Or more precisely, his eyes are just too particular.’
Strangely, since infancy he’d been captivated by anything shiny and beautiful.
Even if he was crying, he’d stare fixedly at stars and moons, glass beads, a cat’s eyes, and Mother’s face.
But if something didn’t meet his standards, whether person or animal, he wouldn’t give it a second glance.
Rather than make friends, he’d spend his time alone looking for pretty flowers or stones in the street.
‘He’s certainly not ordinary.’
He’d been different from his peers even in my past life, and I’d worried about him then too.
I’d suspected more than once whether something might be wrong.
And for good reason.
“Dido, is that pretty?”
“Mm.”
“Try repeating after me. Pretty.”
“Don’t… like.”
As expected. His speech was slow.
I sighed quietly where Dido couldn’t see.
He understood well enough, but the words he could speak could be counted on one hand.
Was he just naturally slow to develop?
Or had his mother’s illness around the time he was learning to speak left him neglected?
My chest tightened even as anxiety crept in.
He was three years old now. Other children his age were already stringing sentences together….
Of course, I already knew it was pointless worry.
Every child develops at their own pace, and Dido would eventually speak just fine in a few years.
His nature remained unhurried about everything, but his intelligence showed no problems whatsoever.
And yet.
‘Have I… raised him poorly?’
That guilt as his guardian kept creeping back in.
I gazed worriedly at Dido’s profile as he remained absorbed in his own world.
In my past life, I was too busy surviving to give him anything.
But now it was different. I had resources now, so I could pay him more attention.
I reached over and bopped his plump cheek to redirect his focus.
“Dido, stop playing now. Want to do some word practice with your sister?”
“Don’t like.”
At least “don’t like” was something he’d learned well without any coaching.
As I clenched my fists in exasperation, a maid wearing a Yellow Badge approached me eagerly to speak.
“Shall we organize the gifts and move them to your room?”
“Huh? My room…? Do I have one?”
“Of course. It’s being decorated, but surely you can’t stay in the guest room forever.”
I suppose not. So I’d be getting my own room in this house.
For some reason, that made me feel far more nervous than the pile of gifts I’d received earlier.
I nodded and glanced sideways at the maid who had spoken to me.
The short-haired young maid was moving about with unusual quickness, as if to show off.
‘She wants to make a good impression on me.’
From what I recalled, she’d been the most dismissive when she first saw me and my siblings.
Young as she was, she was already quite calculating.
Though I didn’t find that particularly off-putting.
“Your name is…?”
“T-True, miss!”
“I see, True. Thank you for your hard work.”
At my greeting, True’s young face bloomed with joy.
Immediately after, all the other Yellow Badge maids began working with renewed vigor.
A hierarchy born of competition. As long as it didn’t get excessive, it was fine.
Meanwhile, the Blue Badge maids, who’d long since risen above such competition, simply watched with relaxed smiles.
‘Oh…?’
Suddenly I felt the effectiveness of the badge system crystallize in my mind.
With a system like this in place, I’d want a Blue Badge as early as possible too.
To get one, you’d have to stand out among countless colleagues.
‘At the Marquessate where I worked, the maids tried to stay hidden so the master wouldn’t notice them.’
Work assignments there changed day by day depending on the whims of whoever master happened to cross paths with you.
Feeling generous? “You there, come make some tea.” Feeling irritable? “You there, go muck out the stables.”
Even if you did your assigned work well, you’d be met with contempt rather than praise.
With that sort of atmosphere, what reason did the maids have to work hard?
They just quietly pushed work onto each other and spent their time cursing the masters.
There was no chance to feel a sense of purpose or accomplishment.
I watched as True competently organized the items.
‘Now that I think about it, there was a leak in the corner of the second floor of that Marquessate.’
The servants all knew about it but kept quiet, worried it would be a bother.
When did the masters ever find out about it?
Certainly not before I quit.
If they’d been told promptly, they might’ve fixed it quickly, but leaving it for months just meant more damage and more repairs.
It really was an inefficient place to work.
I was shaking my head at this new realization when the door opened.
“Pardon me, Miss.”
The Butler entered through the gap and spoke bluntly.
“A gift has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”
“…What?”
“A gift has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”
No, it wasn’t that I didn’t hear him. But… what?
I blinked stupidly.
The Imperial Palace.
To someone like me, who’d spent my entire life as a commoner, it was infinitely more distant and unreachable than even House of Ambrose.
“You must receive it in person, so please come downstairs.”
“R-Right now?”
“Yes. The Imperial Palace attendant is waiting.”
This must be madness. What on earth is happening?
The Butler regarded my confused and flustered state with composed equanimity.
“Take your time.”
But… can I?
I seemed to be the only one who couldn’t keep my composure now that someone from the Imperial Palace had arrived with a gift.
With the unflappable Butler and maids in tow, I descended the stairs on trembling legs, and the lobby was filled with armored figures.
Knights? The Imperial Knights, no less?
Impressive, certainly. But something felt a bit… off.
As I tilted my head in confusion, an attendant from the very front of the knight contingent approached, his spine held rigidly straight.
“Are you the Duchess of House of Ambrose?”
“…Yes.”
At the unfamiliar title, I hesitated slightly before answering, and a small purple velvet box was suddenly thrust before my face.
“Accept this. It is a gift from Her Imperial Majesty.”
My vision swam.
In my past life, I’d never even seen the hem of this country’s Empress, and now she was sending me a gift? Was this a dream or reality?
I swallowed dryly and accepted the box with both hands.
Oh, oh dear. What should I do? Should I open it right here? I think I heard that was the proper etiquette.
Looking around at the others’ faces, they all seemed to be waiting for my reaction.
Rolling my eyes nervously, I opened the gracious gift from Her Imperial Majesty with great deliberation and gasped in wonder.
“Goodness!”

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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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