I looked around and found out some people had stopped walking and were staring at me.
My head is hurting right now from trying to remember everything that happened in the book and trying to think what to do next, but then all these freaking buzzing noises are making it worse, Gosh.
"What are you all staring at?" I couldn't help but raise my voice and asked them.
Some people who I think were just commoners and uninterested in the commotion turned their backs and left.
"Oh, so living in the streets makes one belligerent, isn't that right?" One of the lady who was wearing a yellow puffy dress said, and then followed by some laughter of her minions.
"You are right Lady Catherine." Followed by another minion.
To think that those who stayed to mock me were wannabe nobles, makes this ironic, isn't it?
"... My Lady, we have to leave." I shrugged off the woman's hand in my arm and stared straight to the eyes of the woman who had just talked.
"And living on the streets also drives one insane—" I grabbed my skirt and ran after them as if I was a gorilla.
"Oh my—"
"She has truly gone insane!" They couldn't even finished what they were muttering and they already picked up their skirts to run inside the establishment not far away from them.
"My Lady! Please! Don't further ruin your reputation!" I stopped when I felt her hand grabbed me again.
"Do you think I would still care about my reputation at this point?"
"Of course My Lady!"
"Have you heard what they just said huh? I am now a commoner. I'm not a daughter of a Marquess anymore so stop calling me your lady! It's getting on my nerves!" I furiously stated and brushed my hand through my now long black tangled hair.
She stared at me, as her bottom lips quivered and her eyes started to glisten with tears.
"But... for me... you're still someone who is worth serving as My Lady." She softy said.
I felt a pang in my heart when I saw the pain in her eyes.
I avoided the eye contact and looked straight ahead.
Gosh, what the hell is happening to me? I was never the type of person to raise my voice whenever I'm upset. But everything is just too much right now.
It's overwhelming me.
I closed my eyes and calmed myself.
Nothing will happen if I let these emotions control me.
Both of us were silent for a few minutes,
"I'm sorry," I apologized, "I didn't mean that." I softly said and she stared at me with wide eyes.
"What the hell did I do now?" I grunted as I saw how surprised she was.
"... You never apologized to me before, Lady Eli." She said as she wiped her eyes with existing tears this time.
"Really?" She nodded.
"How long have the two of you— I mean, how long have you taken care of me?" I asked. From what I remember, her name is Penny, the only maid who followed Elivette when she was abandoned.
"I was already taking care of you when you were 7, My Lady. Have you forgotten already?"
How narcissistic is this Elivette never to express regret to her maid, who has looked after her for more than ten years?
"Maybe. I think I'm just too hungry to forget about it." I simply brushed off her question.
"Then I guess, you're starving because you forgot a lot of things today." I quickly nodded at what she said.
"Yes, yes you're right."
"Then let's go back My Lady, I'll serve you good food." She happily stated, with a smile on her face now, as if she didn't cry minutes ago.
I followed her back to the cottage.
What I need to do now is take care of myself, and think of ways to get back to my world.
Sulking and crying won't do me anything.
I have to plan out my actions.
"This is the good food you're talking about?" I asked as I stared at the bowl of beans and a piece of bread.
"Are there no porridge at all?" Although I am aware of our current poverty, do we really need to eat beans everyday?
"I'm sorry, My Lady, but we don't have any money right now. The lady that we've been working for the past week refuses to pay us and grains are in short supply right now so they're expensive, we can't afford them as of the moment."
I closed my eyes and breathed in and out.
Relax Eli.
This is just one of the challenges of a transmigrated character in a book.
Who doesn't love challenges, right?
"Do we have enough food to last us for days?"
"...Yes..."
"How many days?"
"....One, My Lady." I stared at her and she guiltily avoided my eyes.
"I'm sorry, My Lady, I couldn't work yesterday and the other day because I was busy taking care of you. I was afraid—"
"No, it's fine, it's not your fault." I shook my head and stared at the bowl of beans and a piece of bread in my hand.
"Have you eaten?" I asked and she once again avoided my eyes.
"...Yes, My Lady."
I grabbed the piece of bread and gave her the bowl of beans.
"You eat that. This is enough for me."
"But My—"
"I said, eat that." I stated with a voice full of authority and she hesitatingly accepted the bowl.
"Thank you, My Lady." I nodded and started to eat the bread.
Not only are they dry and tasteless but they are also tough.
Oh God, If I continue to eat this for days I doubt I'll even live.
I have to find ways on how to go back to my world, but first, I have to survive.
And to do that, I have to find ways to earn money.