Chapter 18. How the Abandoned Daughter Was Loved
[Really?]
At Hedia’s words, Cedar replied in Hantsvillean.
[Yes. Uncle told Mother that himself.]
Cedar glanced at Charlotte, and she nodded.
[Even if it’s uncomfortable, just endure it until the marriage. It’s a good thing after all, isn’t it? Everett finally has a chance to be useful to the Fellum family.]
[That’s true, but still…]
Cedar muttered unhappily.
Even if it was for the family’s benefit, he still hated Everett.
“Good things are good things, Brother,” Hedia said sweetly.
She smiled softly and wrapped her arms gently around Cedar’s shoulders.
“Everett is family, after all. I’m sure my kind, generous brother will understand.”
Speaking again in Bastafan, Hedia sounded like a gentle angel—like a true younger sister.
“For my sake, Brother. Uncle will be here soon too,” she added in a clear, birdlike voice.
No one could resist that tone. Cedar sighed deeply, glared once at Everett, then fixed his posture.
Soon after, Frederick Fellum entered the room. Servants came in carrying trays full of dishes. Rex, following behind, drooled at the smell of rich meat.
Starting from the head of the table where Frederick sat, the servants served Hedia, Cedar, and Charlotte in turn. The smallest portion went to Everett at the end.
Even meals were divided by worth and rank.
Even if Everett was allowed to eat with them now, her food would never be good—because she wasn’t considered useful to the family.
Still, today’s menu was different:
fried pork steak in butter and a large helping of potato salad—cheap food meant to make her gain weight quickly.
Hedia almost burst out laughing at the sight but managed to hold it back in front of Frederick.
Everett quietly picked up her utensils.
‘Better to have some meat than just bones,’ she thought.
Compared to the moldy bread she used to eat, this was a luxury.
Of course, her meal was nothing compared to theirs—especially Hedia’s, which had colorful fruits and more than ten kinds of meat. Hedia ate gracefully, as if it were only natural.
“Your coming-of-age ceremony is soon, isn’t it, Hedia?” Frederick asked, completely ignoring Everett.
“Yes. I’ve been busy preparing for it,” Hedia replied.
“What is there for you to prepare? The family will handle everything.”
“Still, it only happens once. I don’t want to make any mistakes. I’ll work hard so I won’t embarrass Uncle’s name.”
Her bright smile made Frederick smile too. Charlotte joined in, and for a moment, they looked like one happy family.
“I wonder when Taran will return. He’ll be back in time for the ceremony, won’t he?” Hedia asked softly.
The only one missing from this perfect family picture was Taran Fellum, the eldest son. He was known as a brilliant strategist and was currently fighting in the empire’s war.
“Would he miss his sister’s ceremony? Tell him to stop what he’s doing and come back right away. Don’t worry, Hedia,” Frederick said.
“Yes. Then I’ll happily wait for him,” Hedia answered cheerfully.
Frederick then glanced toward Everett, who had been silent the whole time.
“By the way, I heard the tutor who came today quit already?”
Charlotte, startled, quickly swallowed her food and composed herself.
“It’s nothing serious. The tutor wasn’t feeling well, so I sent him home. He seemed passionate, but maybe he wasn’t very healthy.”
“You should have chosen a stronger one from the start,” Frederick said coldly.
Charlotte flinched. “I just wanted Everett to adjust quickly and feel like part of the family since she’ll be dining with us now.”
She smiled politely but shot Everett a warning glare—‘Say one wrong word, and you’ll never leave this house again.’
Everett stayed silent. She didn’t want Frederick to scold Charlotte too harshly or cancel her permission to go out.
When Everett calmly continued eating, Charlotte’s face relaxed again.
“I’ve already contacted another teacher. You’ll have lessons again in two days, Everett, so don’t worry,” Charlotte said quickly.
Frederick nodded, seeming satisfied.
Everything could have ended quietly—
but Everett opened her mouth.
“Thank you for taking care of me, Aunt Charlotte. But I don’t need to learn Bastafan anymore.”
“You don’t need to learn it?” Charlotte’s lips trembled.
“You’re being too modest,” she said stiffly. “You should continue studying hard to repay the marquis.”
“No. I’ve already learned all of it. Thank you for finding me such a good teacher, Aunt.”
Everett stood and bowed politely to her. Her posture was perfect, following noble etiquette that no one had taught her.
It immediately drew Frederick’s attention.
“You also learned etiquette?” he asked Charlotte.
She froze. Lying now would be pointless.
“…No,” she admitted.
“Then how does she know it?” Frederick demanded.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Everett’s answer.
Enjoying the tension, Everett slowly said, “I read a book about etiquette before dinner.”
“You just read it? And you’ve already memorized the Bastafan language perfectly?”
“Yes, Father,” Everett replied firmly.
“It’s all thanks to Aunt Charlotte for finding me such a good teacher.”
She turned the compliment toward Charlotte, whose face stiffened completely.
‘A good teacher? You’re the one who told me that tutor was a criminal!’
The tutor had been fired within an hour of starting—because of what Everett herself had told Charlotte.
There was no way she had learned everything in that short time.
Charlotte decided Everett was exaggerating to get attention.
“Everett must have worked hard studying on her own. She probably just wanted some praise,” Charlotte said with a forced smile.
[That’s right. She was reading hard earlier.]
Hedia chimed in—this time speaking in Hantsvillean.
Realizing Frederick’s gaze, she covered her mouth. “Oh my, it slipped out! I’ve been studying Hantsvillean lately, so it came out without thinking.”
Her fluent accent impressed Frederick.
“Hantsvillean pronunciation is difficult, but you speak it quite well.”
“Yes! I don’t even think I need a tutor anymore,” Hedia said proudly.
“Remarkable. You’ve only been learning for half a year,” Frederick said with a pleased smile.
“Maybe I’ll be able to help Uncle soon,” Hedia said, smiling warmly.
Frederick laughed heartily.
Everett, once again, became invisible.
Charlotte sneered inwardly.
‘So that’s it. She wanted to be praised just for memorizing Bastafan.’
That must be why she’d asked to join the dinner.
Charlotte shook her head and ate another bite of her delicious meat—
until a soft voice suddenly spoke beside her.
[You must have studied hard too, Sister.]
Everett spoke—in Hantsvillean.
A language she had never been taught.
A faint smile touched her lips.
‘Did you think I only memorized Bastafan?’ she thought.
How foolish.
In the few days since returning to the past, Everett had spent every moment studying—reading books, learning foreign languages, remembering everything from her previous life.
She dabbed her mouth gently with a napkin and added,
[But your accent’s wrong.]
Her tone was calm and friendly.
“When you’re stating a fact, you need to lift the end of the sentence a bit,” she explained with a bright smile.
“The hard part about Hantsvillean is the accent. Don’t worry, it just takes practice.”
Everyone at the table stared at her.
The invisible girl had suddenly become the center of attention.
“That—that’s…” Hedia stammered. “I just said it by accident…”
Charlotte quickly stepped in to defend her.
But it was too late.
The master of the Fellum family had already made his decision.
“I’ll personally find a new tutor for Everett,” Frederick said.
He was a man who could love even an abandoned daughter—
as long as she proved her worth.
