To Leave or Not to Leave

I stood up from my gloriously sprawled form on the floor and slumped into the soft bed. I might have accepted the situation, but I still need to go through every single memory to properly understand just what situation Toni had been in and how she stepped into the path of spiraling downfall that was shown in the novel. Knowing the backstory would help me make better plans for my future here.

I'm honestly conflicted. It was a good thing that no one really cared much about Toni or, in this new situation, me. At least I could do whatever I wanted without fear of others now that I live as her. No one would also find the sudden shift of attitude strange. Yet, at the same time, I feel bad about it.

For me, I'm merely experiencing this kind of disregard in the flesh this time. But for Toni, then, it has been her whole life. I only hope that she'll have better experiences as she lives my life there in Country Z. As for how Toni handles those rascals and the old geezer on the other side, I'll just light an incense for her and hope she gets through it. She's an intelligent cookie anyway.

"Damn… The old geezer forced me to take a few days off. Now, it has become permanent. Tsk. What joy! I'm all by myself now. And no one will ever comment that I should act more like a girl, talk softer, and dress like a girl. No one would care if I put my feet up or burp loudly." I sighed.

Maybe this is what they call the bliss of solitude.

Solitude, my foot!

Of course, no one would comment about it because if I tried to do otherwise, it still wouldn't work. Even if I try to act manly, it will still appear pretty, enchanting, and attractive. Who asked me to have this sinful beauty? Even with this ruin-inducing face, it wouldn't matter since no one ever sees it in its full glory. My dearest family included. This is pure neglect. Emotionally and morally. Ugh. I should feel relieved, but man, this plain sucks.

Right. Toni did mention that she cast the spell the night of her birthday. So that means today was the morning after that. I remembered those three words again.

[No one came.]

F*ck it. If that damned family doesn't want to come, then good. The more they don't care, the better. If we were in my world, I would've sued this irresponsible family.

A cake would have been lovely, though.

I sifted through the memories in my head again. In truth, despite my non-existent presence in this estate, there were still people who would give the slightest bit of attention to me. Who am I kidding? There was only one. The old butler, Wilhelm, made sure that food got to me on time. I would have died due to starvation otherwise.

Maids would also draw my bath for me, do the laundry, and clean my room once a week. But that's it. As for dressing myself, I learned to do that alone eventually. The maids were almost only forced to do the former things. They couldn't be bothered to do more since there weren't any benefits in serving me. I'm thankful enough that they don't rob me of my things.

Now, though, I don't require them to do anything anymore. With my experiences as Bai Feng Jiu, an independent, modern woman, I could deal with the little things with no effort at all. But still, that doesn't absolve them from the fact that a young lady was left to her own devices for years on end. That isn't parenthood, y'all.

I sat cross-legged on the bed after a while. I finished reviewing all of Toni's memories, which flooded my head.

"What do you know? Toni really was a genius in magic. Wait. Toni is me now. So that means I'm a genius in magic. Nice!"

I threw a fist in the air in jubilation. Toni was a magister at 15. After casting the high-grade spell on the eve of her birthday, she broke through and became a Grand Magister. This was no longer at the level of genius. This was a prodigy!

I put my hands up in the air and was about to make a victory dance, but a knock on the door prevented me from doing so.

"Good morning, Lady Celestine. I have come to deliver your breakfast." A polite, elderly voice sounded out from the door. I straightened up and cleared my throat awkwardly. At the very least, even if I don't act as the paragon of a noble lady, I should still act presentable.

"Come in," I replied lively. Food was my guilty pleasure. As far as I could remember, Celestine's food was always scrumptious. Despite my lowly status, the old butler ensured I was never bullied, and my food wasn't scrimped on. It made me look forward to it now. The door was opened, and a geriatric old man with a benign smile greeted me. I gave him a small smile. It seemed to have caught the old butler off-guard, for he gasped softly.

'I know how you feel, uncle. I know. My smile is lethal, no? Enjoy it. You're the first one I've ever smiled at now that I have this face.' I thought bemusedly.

Wilhelm coughed lightly to cover up his embarrassment and then set the breakfast on the table near the windows. I chuckled at his flustered reaction. Before I faced the food, I turned to Wilhelm. This old man was the only person in this household who spared Toni every bit of kindness and respect despite how I ended up on the estate. No matter how small of an action it was or be it out of his own sense of duty, it was still suitable for me to reciprocate. Let's start with a thank you, shall we?

"Thank you for your hard work, Grandpa Wilhelm. I truly appreciate you caring for me and everyone in the household all these years. Have a wonderful day today." I spoke sweetly with every bit of gratitude in my tone. Once again, the old man was dumbfounded. His benign face even flushed a little.

"I-It is my honor, my lady. No need for thanks. I hope you have a wonderful day, as well." He replied in an unsure voice and bowed before leaving me to my food.

I gazed pensively at the breakfast in front of me. And then looked out the window panes glittering against the morning sun.

"To leave or not to leave. We shall see in a few days."