Anna grew up in an catholic orphanage.
During those times she have been scolded multiple times. It was run by the church and while they were not beaten or starved, The nuns were quick to discipline at the slightest offense.
She had anticipated this father to be angry.
Afterall, he has an unmarried daughter who is hiding her pregnancy. She didn't know why, but she expected to be blamed for screwing up. To be slapped or to be called names or to be dragged on the streets.
So the scene before her is something she doesn't understand.
Why is this man not scolding her in the least?
Instead he was hunch down on the floor, crying as one of his hand covers his gritting his teeth. His flamboyant ensembled forgotten, replaced by his obvious distress.
Why, Why is this man crying?
She grew up without her father in the picture. However, she have seen good ones that would drive their children to school every day, unfailingly.
Salarymen who would painstakingly save a few coins, by not getting something off the office vending machine just so they could buy "not-on-the-budget-toys" for their kids.
When she was in high school, her classmate's father, an aging short guy who sells fried chicken off the sidewalk, went to school and punch their teacher.
The reason? well, her female classmate happen to have mentioned that the said teacher made her, and her friends, change to their PE uniform while he was present in the room.
The conversation came up during that family's dinner. The next day her classmate's father was at school. It was a brawl, the small guy was hardly even able to hurt their 6 ft gym teacher, however he did what he can, hurdling insults as he was being forcibly taken away.
Later, that father refused a huge settlement and demanded the teacher be fired from the school.
At the time, Anna was hit with the realization that, if that would have happen to her, she would not have anyone who will fight for her.
So… what the hell is this? She couldn't help but ask herself, as the man continued to cry inconsolably.
"This is all my fault, I knew I shouldn't have allowed you to come here." He said in anguish.
She did not know this man, but somehow this body that she possessed, it remembers, and was saddened seeing its father in such as state.
"What happened? I told you, you shouldn't be out on your own. Who did this to you?"
She did not answer, she couldn't. He thinks she is his daughter, but she is not. How will she answer a man who is clearly grieving his daughter's pregnancy.
"Secilia, Who did this to you?" He ask her sternly, for some reasons her voice breaks. Here she is wondering how she will raise this child and here is someone worried about her situation. This feeling, This tightness in her chest, she is not use to this.
'I-I don't know." She said, telling him the truth.
With this, Her father cried harder, breaking down as he probably is thinking the worst.
"Did he…., were you…., how could I have let this happened, this is all my fault." He then grabbed her hand and kissed it as the tears still continued to fall.
"Oh Secilia, my poor daughter, I am so so sorry..., don't worry about anything, everything will be okay, I will protect you."
To hear someone called her Secilia is as foreign as someone promising to protect her. Sure she had that relationship with Evan and that man also promised to love and protect her but in the end, he didn't.
"Have you spoken about this to anyone?" Her father asked.
"Not that i know of."
"Good, ok, i'm gonna need to go out and i would like you to stay here. I will need to get help and when i get back, all of us will talk. Ok?"
"W-who..? W-what are you gonna do?"
"Papa will fix this, you don't need to do anything, just stay here ok?"
As he tried to go, she held onto him. The determined look in his eyes scared her, how does he plans to take care of it?
Is he thinking what the original owner of this body was previously planning?
"I am keeping this baby." she blurted out.
Her father looked at her. "Of course my love, i would never-, did you think….?"
"I-I don't know what to think." telling him the truth.
"Oh my poor, poor daughter." And he gave her a tight hug. "Don't worry Papa is here now, and Papa got connections. It's gonna be okay, and we will get through this." Then he kissed her cheek and started walking towards the door.
True to his word, Her father did came back after an hour.
Anna confess it was nice having another human being tell her everything will be ok. It gave her a sense of peace she did not know she badly needed.
Transmigrating sure isn't easy, and her overthinking nature is not doing her any good.
Secilia's father was a good man. Her letting her past work against contacting him would have been a big mistake. Not only was the man kind, but he clearly cares for her daughter.
She realized however, that while Mr. Dela Riva might have meant well, he might have overestimated his ability to fix the problem.
Her suspicion began when she saw who were the people he brought with him.
There were two women. The first one looks normal enough, possibly still in her early twenties. This one is wearing a green Victorian dress. Complete with its shawl, wide skirts, and a beautiful but slightly oversized, flower laden wide brimmed hat.
The second one is where she started getting uneasy. The woman is potentially in her forties or fifties. Hard to tell because of the lace veil she is wearing. She is dressed in pure black from head to toe.
Now, Anna wouldn't have been suspicious about the gothic outfit, except the woman brought along a living and breathing, black sheep into the house too.
The animal was dressed impeccably, with matching cravat and a jacket. Its hair is curled into lovely ringlets, artfully framing its tiny skull.
So there they are, all huddled in the nice and airy drawing room, sipping their tea from their tiny rose printed teacups, with the sheep just kind of, hanging out with them.
Is this normal? Did she got transmigrated into a world where it's fashionable for people to go about visiting acquaintances home with their farm animals in tow?
Is this some kind of a an animal familiar/contract/compact situation? What then would she do, if her next visitor decided to bring a cow?
Her tea have been hovering in her mouth and she keeps looking at her father, but the man seems to be unaffected, and so does everyone in the room.
Realizing she will not get answers, and not wanting to risk offending the guest by asking… 'Why the hell did she bring a sheep into her home?' , She sighed, and drink from her tea.
That was when the animal decided to scream and quite loudly too.
"BAAAA!!!!!!!! BAAAAAAA!!!!!" Startled, she immediately drop her teacup. Meanwhile the Gothic lady quickly stood up and fuss over the sheep.
"What's wrong with it?" She ask.
"Oh, I forgot to offer him tea." Then the woman grab an unused teacup from the afternoon tray, pour a hot tea then started putting bunch of square sugar on it.
"He likes them extra sweet. "The lady said before placing the teacup on its matching saucer then placed it on the floor. As if she was offering it to an errant toddler, not a four legged animal who should be in the barn.
The sheep quickly attack the drink, enthusiastically making a mess of the floor. She made a mental note to ask Hannah to have those cup thrown out later.
"Oh you like that Lady Caroline?, I'm so sorry i forgot to offer you a drink." The women said in a baby hushing voice as she continues scratching its thick black fur.
Lady Caroline? if its a female, why is it wearing a cravat?
"Y-you call the sheep Lady Caroline?"
"Oh yes, Oh.... you never met her before, this is my new pet, her name is Lady Caroline, she grew up in a Duke's manor and unfortunately had developed some 'airs through the years, she only ever answers if you call her a 'lady' otherwise she will give you the cut direct."
The stranger's casual way of speaking to her suggest she probably have met her before, but she doesn't care about that right now. She was more concern about about the sheeps gender rather than its ..uhmm, 'Title'.
However, somewhere along this messed up exchange, she got sidetracked.
"The cut direct?"
The woman smiled excitedly "Yes, she will ignore you the whole time, will not even acknowledge you at all, she could be a bit of a snob. but i have always believe it is a part of her charm hahahahaha."
'The cut direct.' is said to be the greatest form of humiliation anyone can experience. it happens when you tried to talk to someone and that someone humiliates you by totally ignoring you as if you never existed.
It could be used by anyone but it is mostly use by the someone of a higher station. Like a duke for example, refusing to acknowledge a person's greeting and would leave him/her hanging as if he/she is talking to the wind.
The Idea of a sheep ignoring anyone is downright comical.
Anna stared at the sheep eyes. Noting its rectangular shaped pupil. The longer she look the more weirded out she became.
Of all the shape a living being eyes could take why is it rectangle?, its unnatural.
"Its staring at me."
"Oh Secillia you are so silly, " The older woman laugh.
Anna close her eyes. She focused on calming herself before opening them back again.
This is going nowhere. Opening her mouth, she was gonna refocus the conversation when the younger girl suddenly said.
"Your stomach is really big, how far along are you?"
Anna look at the girl. Finally a sensible one. "I am almost due to give birth." With her response, excitement glowed on the younger girls eyes.
"Oh, a baby born under the year of the dragon, this is so exciting." Then the lady grab her hat and flip it over, then she took out a crystal ball.
Yes. a crystal ball.
It was about the size of the kettle where she just poured out some tea from.
Anna was shock by the display, It reminded her of those magic shows when some magician in black tuxedo just pulled out a rabit from his black top hat.
As if pulling out some random object from one's hat is totally normal, the girl then started chanting some inaudible language.
In the middle of her chanting, the ball started to roll over. The girl noticed, and with lighting fast reflexes caught it, then placed one of the throw pillow underneath it. Then, as if nothing has happened, she continue with her chanting.
Anna stared at the crystal ball who is now sitting unremarkably still, She then look at gothic lady and her father but found that both were looking intently at the younger girl.
Is there something she is missing?
Still asking herself of what the hell is happening, she was force to look at the girl again, As she stared, the younger girl eyes suddenly widen.
"Its a boy!!!" The younger girl announced.
The older lady exclaimed and her father stood up immediately.
"At last i shall have a male heir!!" Her father declared.
"Oh this is exciting news, I will tell my other pet."
Then the older lady grab her purse and took out a small, struggling mice.
"Look Frostbite, She is having a baby boy." She told the mice happily as the old lady used both her hands grabbing the frantic thing and extended both her arms in her direction so that the mice can see her.
As she made eye contact with the poor thing, it does look as if its crying for help.
'Help me' She imagined it would have said the phrase if only it could talk.
Meanwhile it appears that everyone was buzzing with excitement, Anna is speechless. It was taking her awhile trying to process everything wrong with this gathering.
Who are this weirdos? Why did her father bring them here?
Her questions finally got answered when the crystal ball lady turned the older lady and excitedly said.... "Oh Mother, I am so excited. I'm gonna be an aunt."