Chapter 03
“Eat slowly.”
“Yes!”
How long had it been since she last ate while sitting across from someone?
Resting her chin on her hand, Aylesia watched the little girl chew with her tiny mouth.
“Is it good?”
“Yes!”
Before long, the bowl of stew was scraped clean.
The girl rubbed her now-round belly with the most satisfied face in the world.
“My name is Aylesia Milenov. What’s the little lady’s name?”
She asked just to confirm. The girl’s eyes widened before she shot her hand into the air.
“Eleanor! My uncle calls me Ellie!”
“Eleanor. That’s a beautiful name.”
“Um, but…”
“Hmm?”
Eleanor fidgeted with her fingers, suddenly shy.
It was so cute Aylesia unconsciously smiled wide.
“What should I call you? Fairy lady?”
“I told you, I’m not a fairy.”
“Then… big sister?”
“…Hmmmmm.”
Why must God test her with such trials?
If she went by looks alone, being called “big sister” was the most reasonable.
‘But I have a conscience…’
When she first transmigrated, her mentor told her she was 703 years old.
and she had lived another 500 years since then.
By this world’s standard, she was over 1,200 years old.
Even by her own timeline, she’d experienced 500+ years.
With an age gap like that, being called “big sister” felt criminal.
‘Something easy for a child to understand…
Something not weird if someone overhears…
Something she won’t reject…’
After agonizing for a moment, an idea struck.
“How about calling me Teacher?”
“Teacher?”
She had volunteered at an orphanage during university.
So the title was familiar and comfortable for her.
Kids understood it easily, and adults wouldn’t find it strange.
“If Eleanor is okay wi—”
“Aylesia Teacher!!”
Eleanor shouted before she could even finish.
Whatever delighted her so much, she pressed her tiny fists to her cheeks and grinned adorably.
“…Um, Eleanor?”
“Yes!”
“C-can… Teacher… hug you just once?”
Unable to resist her cuteness, Aylesia asked with a trembling voice.
Eleanor instantly dashed to her side and spread her arms wide.
“Hug me, Teacher!”
Was this a dream?
The Eleanor—the Eleanor—was hugging her neck and rubbing her face against her.
Even when Aylesia stroked her hair or patted her back, the girl just laughed happily.
‘Waiting 500 years was worth it…’
She sniffled, feeling dangerously close to crying like a fool.
* * *
Today made it three days since Eleanor began living with her.
Her heart fluttered constantly, but Aylesia also felt… confused.
‘Was Eleanor always like this in the original?’
Eleanor followed her everywhere—like a baby chick following its mother hen.
A five-year-old opening up instantly to a stranger was extremely rare.
Back in her Hwirin days, when she volunteered at the orphanage, most kids were too wary to even make eye contact.
Only after consistently showing patience and kindness did they slowly open up.
Holding hands or hugging required even more time.
But Eleanor showed no fear at all.
‘…Maybe she’s starved for affection. Her uncle and grandma are always busy.’
Not that it mattered.
Just seeing Eleanor made her melt.
Just hearing her voice made her feel blissful.
“Aylesia Teacher!”
“You don’t have to say my name every time.”
“Then just Teacher!”
Her heart thudded wildly every time the girl spoke.
Holding her hand tightly, blinking up with sparkling eyes—she was too precious.
She acted like real family, even whining for attention.
So the already-devoted fan Aylesia couldn’t stop smiling.
What had the original witch been thinking?
Imprisonment? Abuse?
How could anyone hurt this cute, adorable kid?
‘Well… she was a disposable villain. You’d have to be insane.’
… Oh, right.
That villain was supposed to be her.
Feeling awkward, she twisted her fingers around her hair.
“But Eleanor—”
“Ellie!”
“…Huh?”
“I like Ellie better!”
Unbelievable.
This tiny creature spoke so clearly and confidently!
“R-right. Ellie.”
“Yes, Teacher!”
Dizzy with joy, Aylesia managed to ask:
“Don’t you want to go home?”
“Home?”
She didn’t need to wait for the duke to show up.
She could take Eleanor home anytime.
She knew the geography well enough to find the route with ease.
“I want to go, but… I want to stay here.”
“Huh? Are you sure?”
“I like being with Teacher. And my uncle will come anyway.”
Eleanor lifted the pendant around her neck.
If she had this, her uncle would come find her, she explained proudly.
‘Ah… the necklace the witch threw into the lake in the original.’
She would have known if it were a special magic tool.
Curious, she examined it closely—and paused.
‘…It’s half broken.’
No wonder Thermion struggled so much in the original.
Clicking her tongue softly, she pulled out a small wooden box.
“You might lose it. Want to keep it in here?”
“Okay!”
She couldn’t mess with it carelessly—it might change the original plot in unpredictable ways.
‘Well… if I’m going to rewrite the story, I’ll have to meet Thermion anyway.’
She placed the box on the shelf.
“While we wait, we can eat lots of yummy things and play with your friends.”
“Friends? The big wolfies and bear from before?”
“You’ll meet other friends soon too. They’re just busy these days.”
Eleanor tilted her head, then asked curiously,
“Teacher, you can talk to animals, and you know where everyone is?”
“Of course, I know everything.”
“How?”
“Hmm, well…”
How should she explain?
No matter what she said, a five-year-old wouldn’t really understand.
After thinking briefly, she lowered the explanation to the simplest kid level.
“Because Teacher is a kind and super-strong witch.”
“A kind… super-strong… witch?”
Eleanor blinked, then gasped loudly.
“Teacher, you’re a witch?! Not a fairy?!”
“W-well… sort of?”
Maybe “super-strong” was unnecessary.
‘Raising a protagonist is hard…’
She sighed quietly, reflecting on her overconfidence.
* * *
Before going out to play, she had to finish the housework.
She’d neglected it the last few days because she was focused on Eleanor.
and the mess bothered her.
‘Cleaning and laundry first.’
The broom swept the yard on its own.
laundry floated from the basket to the clothesline.
and Aylesia weeded the yard with a wave of her hand.
Eleanor, watching this, tugged on her sleeve.
“Teacher.”
“Hm?”
“You make sparkly lights with your hands, you talk to animals, and you’re super pretty like a fairy.”
“Well… yes?”
That last part seemed unnecessary.
Aylesia smiled awkwardly.
“Can Ellie do that too?”
“Do what?”
“Make sparkly lights with my hands!”
Ah.
So she was interested in magic?
Seeing her bright, sparkling eyes, Aylesia hesitated.
‘In the original, she was one of the top three geniuses…’
Eleanor’s talent—especially for magic—was extraordinary.
Even the duchess, the strongest mage in the duchy,
and the Tower Master who appeared in the mid-story—
Both would acknowledge Eleanor’s overwhelming growth.
“Do you want to learn magic?”
“I want to be a super-strong witch like Teacher!”
“…You don’t have to be a witch specifically.”
It’s not something you become just because you want it.
Even Aylesia herself didn’t really understand what she was anymore.
‘I don’t even know how to cast curses in the first place.’
Aylesia crouched down.
Eleanor loved when she bent her knees low to match her height.
“Learning is always good.”
Matching her gaze, Aylesia patted her head gently.
“Once you grow strong, what do you want to do?”
“Um…”
Eleanor fidgeted before answering quietly.
“My uncle…”
“Your uncle?”
“I’m going to help my uncle.”
“…What a sweet child.”
Aylesia smiled warmly, and Eleanor continued in a slightly louder voice:
“My uncle is always busy. He says he has to protect me, protect everyone in the duchy, and protect all the retainers too.”
“He sounds like a wonderful uncle.”
“But… then who protects my uncle?”
