MTLNOVEL Chapter 13
Chapter 13
"I'm Ellie Golden, the fourth daughter of the Golden family. Please excuse me for being in pajamas."
I almost laughed at saying that myself, but held it in and lifted the hem of my pajamas.
Somehow, these girlish gestures come automatically. And my choice of words gets corrected when I speak, which is strange. Maybe Ellie's will still lingers somewhere. I should study this carefully.
"What brings you here today?"
"Well, I can't wear my casual clothes—they're just too ugly."
"I see. That's why you're in pajamas. Then allow us to find something suitable for you."
"That's fine too, I suppose..."
I deliberately looked around the shop meaningfully.
I didn't miss the way Misa the shop owner's eyebrows twitched upward.
"Then pick something that fits my body."
"Of course."
What Misa brought was a white one-piece dress and a puffy leather dress over a white shirt, a fashion trend in the Kingdom of Greifner.
"Thanks."
Well, the combo of white shirt and leather dress is impossible for Ellie. Her bulging belly, those thick upper arms. Her lower stomach would push out the leather dress, and the tight shirt would clearly show the size of her arms. It would just scream "Trying hard to wear trendy clothes."
The fabric of the white one-piece was cotton. The hem flared down to below the knees, the sleeves were unfinished, and there were no buttons or drawstrings. It's what you'd call "organic style" in Japan. The kind of relaxed, natural fashion you'd see on housewives who love vegetable gardens and pesticide-free produce.
Honestly, I wanted one in black, but this one was decent enough, so I asked Clarice to pay for it. Ellie has some savings, and if she runs out, someone in the family will give her money, so it's not a problem. Ellie really is admirable, saving money and studying. I just spend whatever I have.
"I'll take the one-piece."
"Thank you very much."
Shop owner Misa personally handled the payment, and Clarice took care of it.
"Um, my lady. About what you were discussing earlier—if you wouldn't mind, could you tell me more?"
"Oh? What do you mean?"
I feigned ignorance and asked back.
"About not needing frills, and the shoes. I found it all very interesting—if it wouldn't be a bother."
"Clarice, do we have time?"
"It's nearly dinner time. Today we're celebrating your discharge from the hospital, my lady..."
"Oh, I see."
"I see. That's unfortunate."
"I'll come by again when I have time."
"Yes, please do!"
Just as I thought, this shop owner Misa has quite the sense for fashion.
I plan to have something custom-made eventually, so I should stay on good terms with her.
○
Something I almost confirmed today while visiting clothing stores: the people of this country aren't very interested in fashion. Most prioritize durability. Even the men passing by—and the young women—seemed more concerned with how sturdy their clothes were.
One reason might be that there are no revolutionary clothing designs here.
"I didn't know my lady had such passion for fashion."
Clarice opened the carriage door and gestured for me to step down.
"I've actually been interested for a long time."
"As one of the shop staff, I feel honored that they recognized your noble ideas, my lady."
"Don't, Clarice. It's really not that big a deal."
"No, my lady. I've decided that from today, I will be your personal maid. You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not."
Barry left the carriage to the Golden family's servants and followed after Clarice.
"Is that really okay?"
I wasn't sure what kind of position a personal maid held.
"Yes, I've spoken with my husband about it many times."
"But aren't you the Head Maid?"
The lady from 'Cupid of Love' had called Clarice the Head Maid.
"That's just a title I can hand off to someone else. I simply love Lady Ellie, who is both kind-hearted and hardworking."
"Clarice..."
"If I weren't the head chef, I'd be by your side as your bodyguard."
"You can't. You're the head of the Damian family."
At Clarice's words, Barry clenched his fist in frustration.
Ellie really is loved.
The Golden family mansion was, as expected, enormous.
A sturdy gate fitting of a samurai clan, a grim gatekeeper, and a garden big enough to host a decent party. Past that, we reached the front door. The garden extended into the back of the estate, probably where Ellie had jumped into the pond.
As the door opened, I heard the sound of running footsteps—and then a legendary beauty leapt at me. A soft, feminine scent filled my nose.
"Ellie! Congrats on getting discharged!"
Amy, the legendary beauty I hadn't seen in a day, was just as stunning as ever.
"Thank you, big sister!"
"You must be hungry."
"Yeah."
"You're late—what happened?"
"Just went into town for a bit."
"The hospital must've been boring."
Even as she said that, she kept patting my face and body.
"Did you lose a little weight?"
"Really?"
"You did! I'm glad your polite speech is finally back too."
Amy laughed with a soft "ufufu." Man, she's cute.
"Welcome back, Ellie."
Next came a strong-willed beauty with sharp eyes, the opposite of Amy's droopy eyes. Her face, nose, and mouth were just like Amy's, only the eyes were reversed. That alone changed the impression a lot.
"I've returned."
"Why are you in pajamas?"
"I couldn't stand my own clothes."
"Oh? I thought the clothes from that shop weren't bad."
"You... think so?"
"You..."
The strong-willed beauty with sharp eyes stepped closer and peered into my face. She was probably around 170 cm tall.
"You've changed a bit."
"Don't glare at Ellie like that, Sister Elizabeth. She just got out of the hospital."
"Oh, right. Still... you really are always making everyone worry..."
At Amy's prompting, the one called Sister Elizabeth stepped back.
She's probably the second daughter Elizabeth mentioned in the diary. It said they weren't very close, but maybe she was just worried about Ellie.
"You two, don't just stand there—come to the dining room."
The last to appear was a slender woman with a gentle smile.
"Sorry, Sister Edwina. Come on, Ellie!"
Amy had a face that stirred protective instincts. The third daughter.
Elizabeth was the strong-willed beauty type. The second daughter.
Sister Edwina. The eldest daughter.
Sister Edwina was, how should I put it, a fully grown woman. She radiated warmth and... yes, sensuality. I could feel the eros. She seemed like the kind of woman who'd be in a whisky commercial, whispering, "Do you like whiskey?" Normally, I'd be totally turned on, but maybe because of Ellie's body, I didn't feel that way at all.
Ba-bam.
And then there's me—Ellie. Fat, ugly, acne-ridden, with the mind of a super genius handsome elite salesman. The fourth daughter.
This is rough.
Walking beside these three stunning sisters is a total joke. No wonder people laugh or stare—I wouldn't know what to do. The fact that Ellie made it to fourteen without becoming a delinquent is a miracle. Ellie, you're amazing. You're a strong kid.
At the dining table waited a dandy father with neat droopy mustache and a beautiful mother with a slightly stern face.
After celebrating Ellie's discharge, the meal began, and later a birthday cake was brought out. Apparently, Ellie turned fourteen during her hospital stay, and they hadn't done a birthday celebration yet. Her father gave a kind-looking smile just once, then fell silent with a sullen face. He wasn't very talkative.
In his place, the mother scolded me on various things.
Things like poor crisis management, lack of study, making everyone worry, and so on. Pretending to feel remorseful, I picked my favorite foods carefully so as not to overeat. Maybe this is how it always is—the three sisters, excluding me, happily chatted about everyday matters. Their father watched his close-knit daughters and drooped his eyes even more while sipping wine.
Realizing that my mother was worried about me made me feel relieved. It's not that everyone hates Ellie. They just think of her as the chubby, underachieving youngest.
I told Amy, who was worried about my smaller appetite, that I wasn't hungry, and asked my father for permission to use the secret training ground until the school entrance ceremony. I also mentioned the hot spring that had appeared, and when I did, he flashed a white smile and laughed, saying Ellie sure knows how to joke. No, seriously, the hot spring really did appear.
After the meal, my parents and eldest sister stayed in the dining room to enjoy some post-meal tea. I secretly called Clarice and smoothly got her to tell me where Ellie's room was, then went inside. For some reason, Amy followed me and sat on the bed.
"Ellie's changed a little, hasn't she?"
Amy opened with that. Her expression was as gentle as always.
"You think so?"
While thinking I really need to change the girly-girly interior of this room, I tilted my head.
"You're barely eating, and you were saying weird things in your sleep at the hospital. Of course I'm worried."
"Thanks to Sister, I'm already this lively again."
Normally I'd flex my biceps like crazy, but let's be real—nobody wants to see my flab.
Watching me being meek, Amy fidgeted and nervously clutched the hem of her skirt.
"Hey, Ellie......"
I held back the urge to hug her from her overwhelming cuteness and waited for her words.
"Are you... okay with school?"
"School?"
"Yeah. You... don't have many good friends in your class, right?"
"It's fine."
"Liar! Whenever we pass each other at school, you always look so uncomfortable."
Normally, I'd say "I'll beat them all down" and flash my rock-hard six-pack, but there's no way I can do that now.
"I'll be fine, Sister. I'm going to school properly."
If I skip school, I won't be able to get revenge on Bob from the Ricky family.
"I see..."
Hearing my words, Amy slowly hugged me with a face full of worry and admiration, thinking what a brave girl I was.
Feeling her warmth for a while, I started imagining what kind of guy Bob was. First, I'd check things out with my own eyes. Then, I'd make the proper judgment and decide what to do. Seeing everything yourself is the best way to avoid mistakes.
After chatting with Amy for a bit, I stepped on the scale and slipped into bed.
I'd lost one kilo.
Still in the triple digits, so not even a millimeter of excitement.
Until the school entrance ceremony, I spent two days repeating a cycle with Clarice—now permitted to be my personal maid—and Barry, going to the secret training ground for workouts, circling Greifner Street for intel, then returning home. Pretty fulfilling time.
Then came the day of the entrance ceremony.
With a slightly excited heart, my mission to thoroughly investigate what kind of guy Bob from the Ricky family was, and my resolve to carry out my objective without forgetting, I slipped my thick body into the school uniform and headed off to school.