No one can choose where he or she will be born to the world. If anyone can choose where they will be born, they surely will choose to born as a king's children or noble's children. Nobody will choose to become a commoner's child.
My name is Eliza Harvard, and this is my story about me being born in a low rank noble, Harvard family. And also about my feeling toward my little brother, Henry.
I don't mind being born in this Harvard family, my parents love me dearly and that's enough for me. I also have a little brother who I love so much and he also loves me. Although my parents are noble, they only a low rank noble in Baron rank. The nobility my father had is a reward from his deed for the kingdom, not a heritance title. Their territory also somewhere in the tip of Erathia Kingdom's land, the most southern part from the kingdom. It almost likes the frontier area which newly developed. No wonder if other nobles called us country bumpkin and look down upon us.
But it doesn't matter, I don't mind those high-rank nobles look down upon us. It makes me don't have to attend any social party that often held by those high-rank nobles. I don't have to make a fake smile just to show my respect to them. I prefer a peaceful life in my father castle with my parents, my brother and people in Harvard castle. For filling my time, I learn how to sewing, it's better than learn to cook since the smoke from the stove make my body smell bad and not good for respiration. My mentor in sewing, my own mother, told me I have good talent in sewing. My monthly allowance mostly goes to buy fabric to make clothes.
But as life goes by, there's always a good time and bad time. I experienced a bad time when my mother passed away. Henry looks so sad during the funeral, which makes me want to comfort him and give him consolation. But Henry is a tough boy, although he's sad, he can overcome his sadness by working hard for my father. He often accompanies my father going out for inspection and sometimes representing him when my father can't go for an occasion. My father also gives him three maids as his personal maid from the orphan kids that grow up in this castle. They are Clara, Claire, and Carina who's Uncle Jake's daughter. Uncle Jake is our former head butler before he resigns from his post. His daughter already becomes our playmate since she's five years old. With those three maids, at least there's someone who can take care of my little brother after our mom passed away.
Another bad time for me is when suddenly there's marriage proposal come in Harvard castle from Easton family who govern Eastern area of Erathia Kingdom. It's a proposal from a high-rank noble which even my father also surprised when receiving the letter contains a marriage proposal from them. They want to make me as Earl Easton's third son wife. It's quite surprised me, I never met him and rarely going out, how did he know me? Since my age already reach a suitable age for marriage, and the proposal comes from high-rank noble, my father can't reject that proposal. He told me that he powerless to refuse the proposal and expecting me to understand his situation. Well, I can't blame my father for that, I just wish this Easton third son would be a good man….which turn out to be the opposite later.
My father territory is having a hard time with the increasing price of salt. That makes him had to reduce salt usage in the castle, resulting in the food had the plain taste and barely palatable for me. I'm already picky eater since a child, I can't put something that not meet my taste into my mouth. That's why when I left many foods uneaten in my plate, my stepmother reminds me to finish it. Well, her intention is good since there're many people out there who struggling to have some food to eat. I know to left many foods uneaten are not good, but I also can't force myself to eat that kind of food. Rather than getting reminded every time I eat together with my family, I choose to eat in my own room. there's nobody remind me if I left food uneaten in my plate. It's better this way than I must swallow barely palatable food because my stepmother told me to do so. Of course, my pickier habit also comes with prices. My weight starts decreasing and makes me look skinny and unattractive. Even my fiancé is calling me an ugly woman which supposed to be grateful to him because he's still willing to marry me, besides my appearance.
My latest bad time is when my little brother Henry, suddenly got an accident during his trip for silver mine inspection. Although looks like an accident, many people suspecting that's not just a common accident. I'm suspecting my fiancé is the mastermind behind that accident. He's not the successor of the Easton family, that's means he must find his own way of living later. By disposing of Henry, I become the heir of Harvard family, that's maybe what he after. I always feel guilty afterward but later this guilty feeling was lifted by Henry when I confess about my fiancé treacherous thing. 'It's alright, I'm just fine and because that accident I gained something valuable' that what Henry said to comfort me. Ugh, my little brother is growing up already, but what he said was true.
After that accident, I feel my little brother going through tremendous changes. He's looking more gentle and spends most his time in the castle. Well, I may be over thinking about that, this could be because he still recuperating that he stays at the castle. Usually, he always trains his swordsmanship in training ground with other soldiers, or going out and do patrolling in our territory and only return after 2-3 days. Right now he kind of has a liking to cooking, and his cooking is very good. Is that what he learns when he going out patrolling and cooking his food in the outdoor? His first visit after he survives from that accident, he brought me a dish which he's personally cooking. It's so tasty which make me surprised to know he can cook like this. And the ingredients turn out to be mushroom, which I never ate before. How did he know that mushroom can be eaten? Did his outdoor experience give him that knowledge? No matter what it is, I'm touched by his caring for me. Or maybe he just pitied me who skinny and not attractive because he told me to gain more weight and promise me there'll be delicious food available for me to eat every day.
Just as Henry said, the food served in the castle becomes tastier and fit my taste. I often ask for the second serving during meal time, and the result is, my weight slowly increased and I'm no longer a skinny girl anymore. Not only cooking, but Henry seems also getting good on creating things. He makes something called shampoo for me. It used to clean up and nourishing the hair and make it look better. After several times using the shampoo he made, my hairs become smoother and shine. He really surprised me with all the things he made for me. It seems beside his muscles, he can use his brains as well and make him a promising young man in the future.