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Chapter 3 A Kind Family and a Ray of Light
When I opened the heavy wooden door, a woman stood there.
She had chestnut hair tied in a ponytail and was around 20 years old, dressed in an old maid’s uniform.
She was Mireille, the maid.
“Good morning, Eris-sama.”
She bowed deeply, a look of exhaustion on her face that couldn’t be hidden.
From Eris’s memory, at its peak, there were dozens of servants, but now it was just Mireille and the head chef in charge of the kitchen.
Mireille was the only one doing the cleaning, laundry, and almost all the personal care for our family in this large mansion.
It was doubtful whether she was even being paid properly.
“Good morning, Mireille. Thank you as always.”
When I said this, she looked up in surprise.
Her brown eyes wavered, seemingly confused.
It seems the previous Eris had barely spoken to anyone since she’d closed her heart.
It was probably unthinkable that she would even express her gratitude to a maid.
“You’re a pity for the kind words… Come on, everyone’s waiting.”
Mireille blushed slightly and hurriedly opened the door to the dining room.
Beyond the door was a bright space with a high ceiling and morning sunlight streaming in through the windows.
But that very spaciousness only accentuated the loneliness.
A small, round table stood alone in the center of the room.
There were three people, a man and a woman, sitting there.
My family in this life.
“Good morning, Eris.”
It was Father who greeted me in a gentle voice.
Reid Von Avent.
The shining blonde hair that earned him the nickname “Golden Lion” in his youth has now faded a little, and deep fatigue is etched across his virile face.
But the dignity of a former commander of the Knights and the light in his blue eyes, reflecting his honest personality, have not diminished in the slightest.
If it weren’t for the incident five years ago, he would still be celebrated as a hero of the kingdom.
“Good morning, Father.”
When I returned the greeting, Father widened his eyes slightly, then smiled gently.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.”
Next to him, Mother gazed at me with a worried yet happy expression.
Isabella Von Avent.
She was a beautiful woman with a fragile impression, her soft silver hair elegantly tied up.
Her gentle green eyes had likely been watching over Eris, even before I regained my memories, when she had closed her heart.
“Come on, Eris. Take a seat. Your soup will get cold.”
Then my eyes fell on the girl rocking her small body across the table.
“Good morning, big sister Eris!”
She looked about five years old.
She had shiny silver hair in a pigtail, and her green eyes, inherited from her mother, sparkled.
This was my younger sister, Rihanna Von Avent. Her nickname was Ria.
“Good morning, Ria.”
“Big sister, I’m hungry!”
As Ria innocently said this, a stale-looking loaf of brown bread and a watery soup with a few floating vegetable scraps were placed in front of her.
And a glass of water.
This was the Count’s breakfast.
Rather than a noble’s meal, it was closer to my diet in my previous life.
No, maybe even less so.
I sat down at my seat and began to eat the simple meal in front of me.
The bread was hard, and my jaw was tiring.
The soup was almost tasteless.
Why did I have to go through this…?
Father, Mother, and Ria.
In Eris’s memory, these people were infinitely kind and good.
They were not the kind of people who would be used as tools in a political struggle and have everything taken away from them.
Ria muttered softly.
“Hey, big sister. Ria, I want a doggie. A fluffy one.”
“… You mean a pet?”
“Yes! My friend Marie-chan has a fluffy cat at home. I think it’s so nice.”
Marie-chan must be the daughter of a merchant who lives nearby.
The Avent family couldn’t possibly afford a pet right now.
Mother admonished Ria with an apologetic look on her face.
“Ria, keeping a living creature is very difficult. For us right now…”
“… Yeah. I know.”
Seeing Ria’s head drop, my heart ached.
Even my little sister was being made to endure this.
Then, Father spoke up, as if to change the mood.
“By the way, Eris. How are you feeling lately? You’ve been staying in your room a lot, so Dad was worried.”
“I’m fine now. I’m sorry to have worried you.”
“I see. That’s good to hear.”
Father smiled with genuine relief.
That smile renewed my resolve.
–I must protect these people.
–I don’t want to see such a kind family suffer anymore.
–I want my sister to be able to ask for what she wants.
–I want Mom and Dad to be able to smile wholeheartedly once again.
To do that, we need money.
Lots of money.
And one day, I’ll make the Duke of Alba, who framed this family, pay for what he’s done to us.
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