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Chapter 3
“Eat slowly.”
“Yes!”
It had been so long since she last sat across from someone at a meal.
Resting her chin on her hand, Ailesia watched the child who was busily moving her small mouth.
“Is it good?”
“Yes!”
Before long, the bowl of stew was empty. The child, looking thoroughly relaxed, rubbed her slightly round belly.
“My name is Ailesia Milenov. What is the little lady’s name?”
She asked just to confirm, in case there was any mistake.
The child widened her eyes and raised her hand excitedly.
“Elenora! My uncle calls me Ellie!”
“Elenora. That’s a pretty name.”
“Um, but…”
“Hmm?”
Elenora fidgeted with her fingers and suddenly looked cautious. The sight was so adorable that Ailesia found herself smiling without realizing it.
“What should I call you? Fairy lady?”
“I already told you I’m not a fairy.”
“Then big sister?”
“……Hmmm.”
Oh, heavens. Why must you give me such trials and dilemmas?
Ailesia let out a long, suffering sigh.
If judged only by appearance, “big sister” would indeed be the most natural term.
‘But I still have a conscience…’
When she first possessed this body, her master had told her she was 703 years old. And she had lived a little over 500 more years since then.
By this world’s standards, that made her over 1200 years old. Even by her own lived experience, at least 500.
At that age gap, being called “big sister” already felt inappropriate.
‘What would be easy for a child to understand, not make her uncomfortable, and still sound normal to others?’
While she groaned in thought, an idea suddenly flashed through her mind.
“How about calling me teacher?”
“Teacher?”
Thanks to volunteering at orphanages during her university years, it was the term she was most familiar with.
It would be easy for a child to understand, and also acceptable for others to hear.
“If Elenora is okay with—”
“Teacher Ailesia!”
Before she could finish speaking, Elenora shouted brightly.
Whatever made her so happy, she placed both tiny fists against her cheeks and giggled.
“……Um, Elenora.”
“Yes!”
“C-can I… hug you just once?”
Unable to resist the cuteness, Ailesia asked in a trembling voice.
Without hesitation, Elenora ran to her and spread her arms wide.
“Hug me, Teacher!”
Is this a dream or reality?
That Elenora was clinging tightly around her neck, rubbing her cheek against her.
Even when patted on the head or back, she only smiled happily.
‘I waited 500 years… it was worth it…!’
Feeling like she might burst into ugly tears, Ailesia quietly sniffled.
It had already been three days since Elenora started living with her.
Despite her excitement, Ailesia couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
‘Was Elenora originally like this?’
Like a chick following its mother hen, Elenora constantly trailed behind her.
For a five-year-old child, it was not easy to open her heart so quickly to a stranger.
When she had lived as Wirin, volunteering at orphanages had been similar. Most children couldn’t even make eye contact no matter how kindly she treated them.
Only after consistent patience and stable behavior would they slowly start talking, and even simple contact like holding hands or hugging took much longer.
Yet Elenora showed no hesitation or fear at all.
‘…Maybe she’s lacking affection. With an uncle and grandmother that busy.’
Still, that didn’t matter much. Just watching her brought joy, and hearing her voice felt like bliss.
“Teacher Ailesia!”
“You don’t have to add my name like that.”
“Then just Teacher!”
Every word she spoke made Ailesia’s heart pound so hard it was hard to breathe. The way she held tightly onto her hand as if she would never let go was simply adorable.
Acting like a real family, Elenora had already become Ailesia’s favorite person in the world.
What on earth was the witch in the original story doing? Imprisonment and abuse? How could anyone hurt such a precious child?
‘Well, she was probably just a disposable villain anyway. You’d have to be insane otherwise.’
…Ah. Right. That was me.
Feeling awkward, she twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
“By the way, Elenora.”
“Ellie!”
“……Hm?”
“I like Ellie better!”
Good heavens, she even speaks so clearly with that tiny voice!
“R-right. Ellie.”
“Yes, Teacher!”
For a moment, Ailesia felt dizzy and took a deep breath before asking carefully.
“Don’t you want to go home?”
“Home?”
Even without waiting for the Grand Duke to come, Ailesia was fully capable of taking Elenora back home. She was already familiar with the geography of this world and knew exactly where to go.
“I do, but I want to stay here.”
“Hm? Are you sure that’s okay?”
“I like being with Teacher. Uncle will come anyway.”
Elenora showed a pendant hanging around her neck.
She explained that as long as she had it, her uncle would eventually find her.
‘So this is the necklace from the original story—the one the witch threw into the lake.’
If it were a magical artifact, she would have known about it.
Curious, Ailesia examined it closely and paused.
‘…It’s half broken.’
No wonder Thermion suffered so much in the original story.
Clicking her tongue lightly, she took out a small wooden box.
“Just in case you lose it, how about keeping it in here?”
“Okay!”
She didn’t want to interfere too much and cause the story to deviate from the original path.
‘Still, if I want to change things properly, I’ll have to meet Thermion eventually.’
She placed the box containing the necklace neatly on a shelf.
“Until then, you can eat delicious food with Teacher and go play with friends.”
“Friends? Like the wolves and the bear from before?”
“You’ll meet other friends too. They’ve just been busy lately.”
Elenora tilted her head.
“Teacher, can you really talk to animals and know everything they’re doing?”
“Of course I can. I know everything.”
“How?”
“Hmm, well…”
How should she explain this?
No matter how she put it, a five-year-old wouldn’t understand.
After thinking for a moment, she gave a simple answer.
“Because Teacher is a kind and super strong witch.”
“A kind and super strong… witch?”
Elenora blinked, then suddenly shouted.
“Teacher, you’re a witch? Not a fairy?”
“W-well, for now?”
She had immediately regretted using the word “super strong,” but it didn’t seem to be a big issue.
‘This is hard… the protagonist is difficult.’
Maybe she had underestimated the world of a five-year-old child.
Ailesia quietly sighed to herself.
To go out and play, they first needed to finish chores.
She had neglected them while focusing on Elenora the past few days, and the mess was becoming noticeable.
‘I should clean and do laundry first.’
The broom swept the yard on its own, clothes rose one by one from the basket and hung neatly on the line.
In the meantime, Ailesia waved her hand and pulled out all the weeds in the yard.
While Elenora watched quietly, she tugged at Ailesia’s sleeve.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“You glow from your hands, talk to animals, and you’re as pretty as a fairy.”
“…I am?”
Something unnecessary had definitely been added at the end.
Ailesia smiled awkwardly and met Elenora’s eyes.
“Can Ellie do that too?”
“That?”
“I want to make my hands glow too.”
Was she interested in magic?
Seeing Elenora’s sparkling eyes, Ailesia thought for a moment.
‘She’s definitely a top-tier genius in the original story.’
As a protagonist, Elenora possessed extraordinary talent, especially in magic and swordsmanship.
Her growth rate surpassed even the strongest mage in the Grand Duchy and even the Tower Master who appears later in the story.
“Do you want to learn magic?”
“I want to become a super strong witch like Teacher!”
“…You don’t have to specifically become a witch.”
It wasn’t something you just decided to become.
Even Ailesia herself had long questioned what she was.
‘I don’t even know how to cast curses.’
She crouched down to match Elenora’s eye level. The child clearly liked this position, almost sitting down fully on the ground.
“Learning anything is a good thing.”
Ailesia gently stroked her head.
“What do you want to do after becoming strong?”
“Mm.”
Elenora fidgeted with her fingers and hesitated.
“Uncle…”
“Your uncle?”
“I want to help him.”
“How kind of you.”
Ailesia smiled softly, and Elenora continued a little louder.
“Uncle is always busy. He protects Ellie, the people in the Grand Duchy, and even the vassals.”
“What a wonderful uncle.”
“But then… who protects Uncle?”
