Ellendise gazed at the expectant faces of both the Count and the Countess. In her heart, she already knew what those looks meant.
'My daughter is strange,' is what they must be thinking.
Ellendise inwardly smiled to herself, hiding the amusement she was feeling. It was about time they notice something strange. Ellendise was pretty much aware that she had been impulsive and reckless.
She did not do her best to cover her tracks, afterall, in her mind, they were 'family,' so what was the need to be cautious?
But that was exactly her biggest mistake.
'I have been too naïve and complacent.' Ellendise thought as she thought of what to do or say in this kind of situation to avoid being labeled as suspicious. She couldn't possibly tell them that she was a person that died and came to this world, reincarnating as their daughter? In the first place, it was an absurd idea. Would they even believe her?
Even if they did, with her crazy condition, she might end up being handed to the Mage Tower.
A reincarnated person. Many mages would want to meet such a person. She would be a guinea pig to an experiment if people were to find out about her status.
'Should I bring them to the pocket space and suppress their memories?' Ellendise immediately shot down the idea. With how weak her body was right now, she would be unable to sustain the pocket space for even a minute.
And bringing two outsiders inside was beyond her limits. She had trapped the Archduke for only five minutes, suppressed his memories and controlled his actions after prying information from him. In those five minutes of bringing an outsider, she had drained her mana and it landed her on a coma that should have lasted for months if it weren't for Cestine and Braham's help.
Doing the same foolish thing after waking up from a coma would not bode well for her. Who knows if she really dies this time? Or be put in a decade long coma due to her rash decisions?
Ellendise calmed herself and tried for a more logical train of thought. There has got to be a solution to this.
Even if she did succeed, it would be tricky to suppress the memories of the Count and Countess. We are talking about ten years' worth of memories related to Ellendise's actions. Covering up her tracks would be hard unlike the Archduke who has only been bothering her for about two months or so.
Ellendise would still have to know who on earth tattled and revealed her...
'Ah.' She was quick to pinpoint the people.
The only people who were close to her and had been there with her were her personal maids. It's always been Rachel and Jill who were around her since she preferred to have less maids around her.
Rachel didn't seem like the type to be bribed or to reveal secrets about her master's personal information but she was also a bit of a pushover. As for Jill...
Ellendise smiled.
She didn't need to guess to know that Jill must have told the Count or Countess. The girl has always been talkative and gossipy. With her easily swayed personality, Ellendise wasn't the least bit surprised if most of the information that the Count and Countess found out came from her.
'They probably know about Aunt Ellie by now...' Ellendise thought as she bit the inside of her cheek.
"Ellen?" The Countess asked as she placed a hand on Ellendise's hand. Ellendise stared at that hand as if it came from a stranger.
Her expression must have been unsettling because the Countess had flinched.
Ellendise hurriedly fixed her face. "I'm sorry, Mother. I was thinking about something else... Can you repeat your question?"
The Count and Countess shared a look together. This must be what you call telepathy between couples because they needn't talk just to understand each other. One gaze was enough to deliver the meaning behind their gazes.
The Count cleared his throat.
"Ellen, your Mother and I... We would like to know the whole truth about the incident... Why were you outside of the county...? And what lead to your severe mana drain? Did you encounter a hostile individual which is why you used your magic to protect yourself?" The Count asked in a patient tone but Ellendise felt he was being unkind.
Furthermore, why do they have to ask her these questions all so suddenly when she had only woken up after her coma?
Ellendise was frozen as she realized this.
She smiled and glanced at the Countess. "Mother, is it alright if I talk alone with Father?" Ellendise flashed a sweet smile towards her.
"You want to talk to your father alone?" The Countess was in a dazed.
"I hope Mother would allow it..." Ellendise repeated.
"I see... Then I will leave you to it..." The Countess said as soon as she saw the Count giving her a meaningful glance as if telling her to get along with it.
"Then, I shall leave you and your Father to talk about this matter. Ellen, you will tell me your reasons, right? You will tell your Mother about it, right?" Ellendise wasn't stupid enough to miss the meaning behind her mother's words.
'As your mother, I also deserve to know the truth, right?' is what she probably meant.
"Yes, Mother." Ellendise replied with a harmless smile.
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