Chapter 41:Reincarnation

As Bertha cleaned her children, her eyes constantly darted between the clock and her children with worry. Without realizing, she poured hot water on the child.

"Mom, it hurts!"

Bertha snapped out of her thoughts and, realizing what she had done, her eyes widened. She gently poured cold water over the little girl.

"Forgive your mother, Abigail!" Bertha, hugging the girl named Abigail, anxiously rinsed her.

"Mom? What are you thinking about?" Abigail said with a maturity far beyond her years. For a six-year-old girl, she looked and spoke with incredible maturity.

Bertha avoided eye contact in shame and could only apologize. "Forgive your mother, Abigail... It won't happen again, I promise."

Abigail looked into Bertha's nearly tearful eyes and sighed. In reality, she wasn't really from here, at least not her soul. She was an ordinary woman who had come from another world.

When she first regained her vision, she thought she was in Hell, but the reality was different. She had reincarnated into an otome world.

Unfortunately, unlike other reincarnators, she wasn't born into a noble and powerful family. Even being born as Morrigan would've been a better fate.

Although Abigail couldn't remember how she died, it was probably the result of playing non-stop for 72 hours without eating or drinking.

Abigail's only regret was not being able to see Thomas one last time. After all, he was so cool, handsome, smart, and strong...

Abigail shook her head, trying to stop her thoughts from becoming inappropriate. As her mother Bertha finished rinsing her and dressing her, Abigail felt embarrassed to call a woman younger than herself "Mom."

Bertha was 26 years old, while Abigail, before she died, had been a 34-year-old woman who rarely left her home. Calling someone younger "Mom" was a strange and interesting feeling.

Anyway, without delaying further, Abigail quickly freed herself from Bertha's hands and hurried to her room where her sister was. Her sister was a sweet and hardworking girl, someone everyone would love.

Moreover, while Abigail had sharp eyes like Simon, her sister Delilah had inherited their mother Bertha's round eyes and hair.

While Abigail carried an air of maturity and childish arrogance beyond her age, her sister Delilah was so pure and innocent that even the greatest demons would hesitate to harm her.

In short, Abigail loved her sister very much.

"Abigail! Let's play!" Delilah, with an energy that always surprised Abigail, could barely stay still. Abigail sighed and gave her sister a sweet smile. "Not now, Delilah. I have homework to do."

Yes, Abigail had been studying and reading books since the age of five. After begging Simon and Bertha for a year, she had finally convinced her father to buy her some books.

Still, Simon and Bertha were amazed that one of their children was so intelligent. Occasionally, after returning from business trips, Simon would always bring back some books or fun things.

Even though the family struggled financially, at least they were happy...

Abigail passed by Delilah, sat at her desk, and opened her books. Although her eyes were on the pages, her thoughts kept drifting to her mother, Bertha.

No matter how hard Bertha tried to hide it, her tired eyes, increased forgetfulness, the crying sounds coming from her room every night, and her absent-minded staring at the wall...

None of this escaped Abigail's notice.

The pencil she was twirling in her fingers fell to the floor, and Abigail sighed as she bent down to pick it up. When Delilah saw the pencil fall, she laughed and ran off with it.

"Delilah, give me back my pencil. I don't have time for games," Abigail said helplessly. But the hyperactive girl didn't care and stuck out her tongue as she ran away. "If you want the pencil, you have to catch me!"

Abigail sighed, but a faint smile formed on her lips as she quickly began to chase her sister. After a minute of running, Delilah finally left the room and rushed downstairs.

"Wait, don't run!" Abigail laughed as she followed her sister. The giggles of the two little girls echoed.

When they reached downstairs, Abigail didn't see her mother and looked around curiously but couldn't find her. Meanwhile, Delilah had sat down on the floor, tired.

Not just Delilah, but Abigail also felt very tired and dizzy. Delilah laughed as she lay on the floor, looking at Abigail. "That was so much fun..."

Breathing heavily, Abigail felt like she was reliving her youth. Then her eyes widened in surprise at the sound of the doorbell.

Before Abigail could react, Delilah excitedly jumped up and ran to the door. "Dad's home!"

"Wait! Delilah!" Abigail said sharply, but Delilah had already opened the door. Upon opening it, Delilah swallowed in fear and stepped back. "You're not my dad..."

Standing in the doorway was a mysterious figure wearing a cloak that covered their entire body, with long black hair peeking out.

It was Seth himself. After waiting for half an hour, he had contacted Dave the Healer and had already informed him.

In the meantime, he had come to Bertha's house. Seeing the two little girls in front of him, Seth realized they were Simon's children and smiled softly. "Are you Simon's daughter?"

Despite his calm and gentle tone, Delilah seemed even more scared. Seth didn't understand why until the tall blonde-haired little girl stepped forward, pulling her sister behind her to protect her.

"Are you afraid of me?" Seth asked with amusement, his eyes shifting to meet Abigail's blue ones. Abigail paled even further. Unlike her sister, she was seeing something different.

Even though Seth's body was almost invisible under his cloak, the dark, purplish miasma constantly swirling around him in the air terrified Abigail. She thought this world was just a romantic otome world, but apparently, she was wrong.

Because just looking at Seth's figure made her eyes feel strangely tired, almost to the point of pain.

"I'm not here to harm you, there's no need to be afraid. My only purpose is a visit."

Despite all of Seth's attempts to reassure them, they still didn't seem convinced. Abigail put on the coldest expression she could manage, praying to every god she knew that it would work.

"Leave now, or you'll regret it."

"Oh, you must be a very strong girl," Seth said with amusement. Abigail drew on all the acting skills she had from her previous life.

"Mailman? Is that you?"

Hearing Bertha's voice, Abigail's brows furrowed in confusion. Seth laughed and said, "Yes, Lady Bertha. I see that our children are happy today."

Abigail, both relieved and embarrassed, averted her eyes in shame, then pouted and stepped aside from Delilah.

"Mom! I was so scared!" Delilah said sweetly, her eyes welling up with tears. Bertha only smiled sheepishly. "I'd be scared too if I suddenly saw the mailman."

"Still, it's rude to treat a guest like that, Abigail. You know what to do." Hearing Bertha's words, Abigail sighed, realizing what she had to do. She then looked at Seth with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Mr. Mailman. I got scared when I suddenly saw you."

Seth laughed and said it didn't matter. "Don't feel bad, your expression was very amusing."

As Bertha and Seth laughed, Abigail shot warning glances at Seth, hoping he would stop to make fun it out. Seth chuckled and continued. "I came here to bring news."

When Bertha heard Seth's words with hope, she waited. Seth calmly went on. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find the money, but I came here with a proposal."

As Abigail squinted her eyes, Bertha looked at Seth with an expression mixed with sadness and curiosity. Seth paused for a moment, then continued. "Can you manage a restaurant?"

"I've worked in restaurants before," Bertha said in surprise. "Why are you asking?"

"Good," Seth said with a satisfied expression. "I want to hire you as a manager. I hope you understand. The salary will be 15 gold per month."

"15 gold?!" Bertha and Abigail responded simultaneously in pleasant surprise. Seth chuckled and nodded. "As the founder and partner of the Morvos Consortium, I think you're suited for this."

When Abigail heard the name Morvos, she paused for a moment, deep in thought. It was neither a name from the game nor something she'd heard in her previous life.

Bertha hesitated and stepped back slightly, her face showing a hint of disappointment. "I-I don't think I'm fit for it..."

"Wait! Why not, Mom!" Delilah immediately jumped in, shouting excitedly with a smile. "That way, we can be rich!"

"And Dad won't have to leave for work anymore!"

While Delilah was excited for the future, Bertha's expression was complicated; she still hadn't told her daughters about her illness. Abigail frowned as she looked at her mother. "Mom, why aren't we accepting? Isn't this good for us?"

"But, my children, I—"

"They're right, Mrs. Bertha," Seth calmly interjected. "As I mentioned, 15 gold per month, and we'll cover all your medical expenses as well."

Bertha bit her lip, hesitating. On one hand, she was happy to find such an opportunity, but on the other, she lacked confidence. Working as a restaurant manager would be a new experience for her.

"I'm afraid my health is beyond repair." Bertha made her decision and said firmly. Her friends in medicine had already given up hope.

The priests, too, were asking for too much gold. Bertha didn't want to spend the money she earned for her children on herself.

Seth noticed this and said appreciatively, "If your issue is health, there's no problem. The healer has already been called and will be here shortly."

Bertha nodded; at least she would allow them to try. Still, she had little hope. Even the priests said her illness was in its final stages.

If even the earthly emissary of the Goddess struggled with this, what could a healer do?

Then Seth looked at Abigail. The girl was sharper and more mature than she appeared. After all, how many six-year-olds could stand boldly in front of a grown man?

"What are you staring at?" Abigail asked, annoyed. She didn't like this man at all. Something about him sent shivers down her spine, as if he were walking danger.

"What's wrong with you today, Abigail? Why are you acting so rudely?" Delilah said sweetly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Seth. "The postman seems like a really nice person."

Bertha chuckled and ruffled Delilah's hair, who purred like a cat. Abigail only rolled her eyes, thinking they were too trusting.

Seth sighed and looked at Abigail with a faint smile. "By the way, your father will be away on his business trip for at least another month."

Delilah brightened up immediately, wanting Seth to tell her more. Seth chuckled and continued, "If you want, I can deliver a letter to him for you."

Bertha's eyes showed her gratitude. "If you do that, I can only offer you my deepest thanks."

Seth nodded kindly, then pulled out another letter. Seth seemed to always carry letters with him.

Just in case, Seth had developed a strange habit—perhaps he should've been a postman.

Chuckling at his own poor joke, Seth handed over the letter and, not wanting to intrude on the family's happy moment, took a step back.

After receiving the letter, Bertha passed it to Abigail. Seeing Abigail take the letter, Seth wondered why Bertha hadn't written it herself. "You don't know how to read or write?"

Bertha scratched her head in embarrassment. "Yes, unfortunately."

"Don't worry, I can't read or write either," Seth said. Technically, since coming here, he hadn't known the language at all. But somehow, he could now understand and write every language. Except for rune scripts.

Seth also praised Abigail. "You're a talented young girl. How long have you known how to read and write?"

Abigail didn't want to answer, but seeing her mother's gaze, she sighed and responded. "I learned to read at 2. I've been studying since I was 5."

Seth was genuinely impressed. For someone in Aure to be literate at 2 years old was miraculous. And to have studied for a year on top of that!

"Are you good at math?" Hearing Seth's question, Abigail scoffed. No matter how advanced magic was in this world, math was terribly lacking.

Naturally, since the rules of physics didn't apply here, math was only important in accounting, warehousing, and trading. Everything else was solved with magic.

"My math is fine."

"Wait, how long have you known math?" Bertha asked with concern, making Abigail scramble to come up with an excuse.

Of course, she couldn't say she'd learned math in her previous life, so Abigail quickly lied. "I asked a random man to teach me."

Though Bertha and Seth were skeptical, Bertha didn't question it further and was just happy for her daughter. "My girl will really become a doctor!"

Bertha squealed like a young girl, but remembering Seth's presence, she coughed and composed herself. "Sorry, let's continue."

Abigail sighed, then noticed Seth looking at her again. He was watching her with a sly grin. His Karma Eye had easily detected the lie.

Still, unlike other MCs, Seth wasn't about to pry into everyone's personal business just because he could. But he was curious to see Abigail's anxious expression.

"Really? Who is this 'man'?"

Hearing Seth, Abigail made a strange face, then quickly replied. "I didn't ask for his name! Why would I want to know?"

Seth grinned even more and continued. "That still doesn't make sense. Why would some random man teach you math?"

Getting frustrated, Abigail replied again. "Well, he just said I was smart!"

"Really? Interesting. How did he know you were smart at first glance?"

As Abigail struggled to find another excuse, Delilah laughed. Just as Seth was about to continue, a knock at the door grabbed everyone's attention.

"I'll get it." Bertha went to the door and opened it. What she saw was a living mountain—Dave. Dave looked at Bertha with a tired expression. "Is this Simon's house?"

Though Bertha didn't understand why he was asking, she nodded. "Yes, why?"

Dave looked at her seriously. "I've brought the healer. May we come in?"

Realizing the healer Seth mentioned had arrived, Bertha's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly invited them in. "Please, come in."

Dave sighed in relief and turned to the elderly man behind him. "Come on, healer."

The old man had scruffy facial hair and was almost bald. With tired eyes, he looked at Bertha. "Please, can we rest a bit? I'm very tired..."

Bertha quickly led them inside. Once inside, the first person Dave noticed was Seth. Angrily, he wanted to shout but was too tired.

"Because of you, we had to search the entire northern region! Why didn't you give us the address?" Hearing this, Seth remembered that he hadn't provided one and could only feel embarrassed.

"So big! Can you carry me?" Delilah clung to Dave's leg, begging to be lifted. Bertha quickly apologized.

"No problem, no problem." Dave smiled widely and lifted Delilah, placing her on his shoulder. Delilah smiled excitedly and looked at Abigail. "Look, Abigail! I'm up here!"

"I can see you, Delilah." Abigail rolled her eyes, but seeing Dave's towering height left her a little in awe. She had to crane her neck just to look at his face.

Seth chuckled. "Since you found me, I don't see the fault as mine."

Dave sighed, then looked at the old man, who was still out of breath. "Healer, the woman who needs treatment is Mrs. Bertha."

"But isn't my mom fine already? Why do we need a healer?"

Dave gave the girl on his shoulder a complex look, and then he understood what was happening when he saw his mother Bertha's embarrassed and pained expression. A thin smile settled on his lips.

"Your mother is fine; the healer will just do a health check on her." Delilah, hearing Dave, easily believed him and nodded. Then Seth looked first at Delilah and then at Abigail. "Do you girls want to play with Uncle Dave?"

Delilah nodded excitedly. "I want to show him my room!"

"Alright," Seth said gently. Hearing Seth, Dave nodded and then looked at Abigail. "Little girl, do you want to come too?"

Abigail shook her head firmly. "I don't want to play! I will stay with my mom!"

Bertha sighed. "Abigail, don't give Uncle Dave a hard time. It will only last 5 minutes anyway."

Abigail looked seriously at Bertha. "I already know what's going on with you. Why should I go?"

Bertha was surprised and wondered how Abigail knew, then sighed. "Well, still, Delilah can play upstairs with Uncle Dave."

Delilah pouted. "Why does everyone talk like they know a secret? I want to know too!"

Seth looked at pouting Delilah and laughed. "Well, that's good. Because the secret information is hidden somewhere up there. I think you should hurry, or the information will be lost."

"What!" Delilah exclaimed sweetly in shock. "Come on, Uncle Dave! We'll find the secret information! Let's go!"

Dave laughed and carried Delilah on his shoulder up the stairs.

After Dave and Delilah left, Bertha questioned Abigail. "How did you find out?"

Abigail rolled her eyes. "You don't need to be a genius to figure this out. There were sounds coming from your room every night. Crying sounds…"

Bertha knelt down and held Abigail's shoulders. "I'm really a stupid mother. I've known for a long time, haven't I? You're a smart girl."

Abigail shook her head and looked into her mother's gentle eyes. Bertha continued. "Yes, I'm sick. Everyone says I won't live for another year."

Abigail swallowed hard. She couldn't even imagine a scenario where her mother was dead. After all, she had such a kind mother; she didn't want to lose her.

"It's not too late yet, Ma'am," the healer interjected. Everyone's eyes turned to him. "You haven't even gone through the health check yet. Jumping to conclusions is a bad action."

"But the Priests—"

"Please don't take the Priests seriously, Mrs. Bertha," the healer said with an angry voice. "Those men are just using the Divine power given to them. They're not healers; they're a group of scammers!"

The healer calmed himself. Meanwhile, Seth didn't want to wait any longer. "So, Mrs. Bertha, shall we begin?"

Bertha looked at her daughter one last time, then nodded and went to the healer. At that moment, the healer took out his notebook and then looked at Bertha.

"First of all, do you have headaches?"

Bertha nodded as she remembered the sudden headaches that sometimes came. "It doesn't happen often, but I do get sudden headaches."

The healer took notes and continued. Then, upon seeing a familiar-looking tool he took out from his toolbox, Seth and Abigail were immediately surprised and recognized the tool.

It was a medical thermometer. It was strange, but it also existed in this world. They just watched curiously.

"Now place your index finger here." Seeing the red dot on the thermometer, Bertha put her index finger on it. Then the thermometer suddenly displayed a number.

"38 degrees (102 F)," the healer said as he noted it down. "You have a high fever, Mrs. Bertha."

Bertha confirmed this. Even though she placed a cloth soaked in vinegar water on her head every night, her fever could only drop to this level.

The healer continued. "Is there any part of you that hurts or is difficult to move?"

Bertha shook her head and pointed to her neck. "My neck is stiff when I move it; I usually try not to move my neck."

The healer continued to take notes with a furrowed brow. "Do you spend a lot of time in the sun?"

Bertha shook her head, denying it. "I usually go out while hanging laundry, but I feel uncomfortable every time I go out."

"Why?"

"My eyes hurt." The healer, hearing Bertha, took new notes and continued asking. "Do you have any feelings of weakness or fatigue constantly?"

"I usually get tired very quickly when I clean the house; sometimes, I'm tired for three days straight."

"I see," the healer then looked at Abigail. "Have you ever seen your mother faint or in a semi-conscious state?"

Abigail immediately shook her head and denied it. "Sometimes she seems dazed, but I've never seen her lose consciousness."

"Hmmm." The healer continued taking notes. Then he asked the final question. "Have you had any bruises on your skin?"

Bertha shook her head and denied it. "No, I haven't, but there were some small red spots."

The healer's eyes narrowed, then he said to Bertha, "Please show me your ankles."

Although Bertha didn't understand why she had to do this, she nodded. Then she lifted her skirt slightly to show her ankles.

Although the red spots weren't very widespread, they were still present. Understanding the situation, the healer realized what the illness was. "This must be meningitis."

"Meningitis?"

Hearing this, Abigail immediately understood what it was. Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Although it's not as dangerous as cancer, it's still a disease that can lead to death over time.

"How long have you had this illness?"

Bertha answered immediately. "It's been almost 1.5 years."

The healer nodded, then took a metal jar out of her toolkit. After placing the metal container on the ground, she opened the lid.

To everyone's surprise, there was a green liquid inside, with some tiny creatures the size of a pinhead swimming in it.

These creatures were called swamp slimes. Despite their small size, they could detect and eliminate even the tiniest infections in the body.

The slimes, which spread throughout the body via the bloodstream, could only survive in swampy waters, so they clung to the veins and self-destructed.

These small explosions spread throughout the body, including the brain, healing every part infected, including all types of bacteria.

However, because swamp slimes were rare, this treatment method was not commonly encountered. Nevertheless, the healer seemed very meticulous and confident about it.

"When injecting this liquid into your blood, try not to get excited, just stay calm."

Bertha nodded and allowed the healer to proceed with her work.

After a short while, the healer filled the syringe with the green liquid and slimes, then slowly inserted it into Bertha's arm. As the green liquid flowed through the vein, Bertha held her breath.

Her body trembled for a moment. The healer immediately calmed her down. "Don't worry; it's just your body's natural reaction."

Bertha managed to calm herself. When the green liquid ran out of the syringe, the healer placed a piece of cotton on Bertha's vein and gently pulled out the needle.

"Hold your arm like this for a while and lie down." Bertha nodded, then walked to the couch and lay down. As her body trembled, Abigail watched her mother anxiously.

"Is Mom okay?" The healer shook her head as she heard Abigail. "It's just a simple side effect. It will pass in five minutes."

Seth touched his chin and looked at the healer with admiration. "You're an experienced healer."

The healer smiled proudly. Then, they monitored Bertha's condition for the next five minutes.

"I'm—" Bertha said with a groan. She then held onto the couch and got up. Abigail watched her mother with concern and rushed to her side. "Mom, are you okay?"

Bertha stared blankly at her daughter for a moment, then raised her hands.

"Wow! I feel better than I've ever felt!!" she exclaimed like a young girl, then Bertha laughed sweetly.

As the healer packed her tools, Seth smiled when he saw Delilah returning. "Did you find the secret information?"

"No, but I haven't given up yet! It will come to light sooner or later!" Delilah said firmly but sweetly. Seth chuckled. "Well, keep searching, then."

As Delilah nodded determinedly, Abigail and Dave merely rolled their eyes at Seth's words.

"If that's it, let's go." Dave gently lowered Delilah from his shoulders and began to gather himself while looking at the healer.

At that moment, Seth suddenly remembered the letter given to Abigail and asked, "Did you write the letter?"

"I did." Abigail handed over the letter. Seth raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You were right in front of me the whole time; how did you write the letter?"

A faint smile formed on Abigail's lips. Then she touched her lip with her index finger. "It's a secret."

Seth chuckled at the little girl's mischievous expression and didn't press further. He then looked at Bertha and Delilah. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Delilah. And you've got quite the little genius here."

Abigail ignored the nickname and nodded calmly. As Seth, Dave, and the healer prepared to leave, Bertha slightly bowed and looked at Seth. "Mr. Jack, thank you for everything. If it weren't for you—"

Before Bertha could continue, Seth interrupted her with a gentle expression on his face. "It's just a small gesture, Lady Bertha. Please don't feel embarrassed."

Bertha felt her eyes welling up involuntarily but held back her tears. "Still, thank you. If you ever find yourself here again, we would be happy to host you."

Seth accepted. "I hope you'll consider my offer. I'll come back tomorrow and ask you again. Until then, take care of yourself."

Bertha smiled and, after seeing Seth leave, returned to her home. This time, she moved more freely, skipping and energetically heading home.