Free Web NovelChapter 451: Chapter 451: Adina 4
The moment Tan You came to her senses, she was met with complete silence. A sudden chill ran down her spine. ’Have I arrived right at the point of my exile?’ She scanned Adina’s bedroom before glancing down at the shimmering pajamas she wore. Tan You steadied herself. Thankfully, it wasn’t the worst-case scenario just yet.
After all, in Adina’s memories, she was locked in a small room right after her birthday, and all her fine clothes were taken from her.
As long as she wasn’t exiled right from the start, Tan You’s chances of survival would be much higher, because she would have time to secure resources for herself. After pondering for a good while, Tan You yawned. ’I’ll get a good night’s sleep first. Tomorrow, I can start to fully understand this world.’
"Miss Adina, it’s time to wake up." A voice spoke from beside the bed. Tan You, who had been dozing fitfully, was jolted awake. She shot upright, startling the maid at her bedside. "Miss Adina?"
Tan You’s eyes focused on her face as she asked tentatively, "Laura?"
"Yes," Laura replied, bowing her head slightly. "Miss, you should get up. The Madam is waiting for you for breakfast."
Tan You gave a slight nod. Impersonating Adina wouldn’t be too difficult. The little girl rarely spoke and usually kept her head down. Tan You just needed to keep quiet, and she could easily get by.
For the next half hour, Tan You was like a puppet, letting Laura dress her. As Laura was combing her hair, Tan You suddenly asked, "How long until my birthday?"
Laura didn’t notice anything unusual. "In another two months, it will be your and Miss Lilith’s birthday."
’Two months.’ Tan You’s heart sank. ’That’s still a bit too short.’ But it was better than being thrown into a survival adventure in the forest the moment she arrived.
Laura continued to chatter, "After you and Miss Lilith return from the church, the Family Head and the Madam will hold a grand birthday celebration for you both..."
Tan You’s ears twitched. "The church? What for?"
"You’re still young, Miss, so you wouldn’t know." Laura skillfully braided Tan You’s hair. "Once you turn six, you can undergo a talent assessment. Young Master Dennis has a Water Element talent, and your second older brother, Young Master Danit, tested for a Fighting Spirit talent."
"Both your older brothers have talents, so you’re sure to have one for cultivation as well, Miss."
Tan You now understood what had happened to Adina at the church; she must have been undergoing her talent assessment. ’So what exactly was Adina’s talent? Why did the crystal ball turn a gloomy gray the moment I touched it?’
While she was mulling this over, Laura finished getting her ready. Tan You composed her expression and let Laura take her hand, walking by the maid’s side with a blank face and her head slightly bowed.
"Good morning, Family Head, Madam. Miss Adina is here." Laura led Tan You into the dining hall and curtsied. Mimicking Adina’s usual behavior, Tan You quietly greeted them before sitting on a stool beside a small, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl.
Seeing that everyone was present, Adina’s father, Dumont, cleared his throat. "Let us eat. Adina, be on time in the future."
Tan You tightened her grip on her fork and answered softly, "Yes."
The only ones dining in the hall were Dumont, Catherine, Lilith, and Adina. As for Adina’s two older brothers, both were away studying at the Imperial Academy—one at the Mage Academy and the other at the Fighting Spirit Academy.
Lilith leaned closer to Tan You. "Adina, I’m going over to Anita’s house later. Do you want to come?"
’I’m already scrambling to save my own life,’ Tan You thought. ’Where would I find the time to socialize with little girls?’ She immediately shook her head. "I’m not going. You have fun, sister."
That’s right. Lilith, a girl not yet six years old, was the original Adina’s twin sister. ’I have to call this little kid ’sister’.’ Tan You’s face contorted slightly at the thought.
Lilith wasn’t disappointed; she had only asked out of habit, as Adina rarely attended her friends’ gatherings.
It was Catherine, seated at the head of the table, who smiled. "Lilith, you’re going to see Anita? Have a wonderful time. And Adina, what do you plan on doing today?"
Tan You glanced up at her, then over at Dumont, who was slicing some bread. "I want to go to the library and read, Mother. May I?"
"You just love holing up in the library. I don’t know what’s so interesting about it." Catherine scoffed. "Well, go on then. My dear, you have no objections, do you?"
Dumont remained expressionless. "I have no objections, of course. Adina, you should learn from your sister. Why can’t you be as likable as she is?"
Tan You lowered her head and mumbled an acknowledgment. ’Who wants to be likable, anyway?’
Throughout the meal, Catherine chatted and laughed animatedly with Dumont, her attention frequently drifting to Lilith. Even the usually stern Dumont was gentle when he spoke to Lilith. As for Adina, the concern she received was pathetically scarce.
Tan You ate her breakfast in silence. ’So, this is how it is. Unhappiness is always the same old story. Parents claim not to play favorites, but human hearts are inherently biased. Who can ever be truly impartial?’
It was a good thing she wasn’t a real little girl. Watching this cozy family scene unfold, Tan You felt no heartache or jealousy—only a sense of injustice for the girl named Adina.
After breakfast, the family of four went their separate ways. Lilith naturally went to see her friends, Catherine left for her social engagements, and Dumont had his own official duties to attend to.
Soon, Tan You was the only one left in the dining hall. Unconcerned, she slowly made her way to the library. The original Adina had preferred quiet and solitude, so she had visited the library a few times before.
However, she had only ever looked at picture books, as she recognized very few words. Now that Tan You was in her place, she realized just how difficult things were. First and foremost, she had to learn an entirely new language.
Thankfully, Adina had been a girl of few words, which allowed Tan You to bluff her way through. But when it came to longer sentences, she was completely lost. Therefore, her most pressing task was to master the local language—the continent’s Common Tongue—as quickly as possible.
’Learn a completely new language in less than two months, while also getting to know this world and finding ways to protect myself...’ Just thinking about it made Tan You’s scalp tingle.
Laura led Tan You to the library and then went off to attend to her other duties. She was Adina’s personal maid, but she still had many other tasks, and this was a Marquis’s estate; there was no need for her to shadow Tan You’s every move.
The moment Laura was gone, Tan You finally let herself relax. She took a turn about the library. It was enormous, and its collection was vast. Clearly, the Marquis’s family had a deep and rich heritage. In any world, books were a precious commodity.
The room was also regularly cleaned; from what Tan You could see, all the books were arranged in perfect order. Of course, these weren’t paper books, but tomes bound in parchment.
