When discussing job satisfaction, it’s impossible not to consider past life experiences. Now recalling the memories of a modern person, what would life be like if Estella had gotten engaged and married, having to perform the role of an ordinary housewife? Perhaps that life would have felt incredibly dull and meaningless. Each day would have continued without any sense of fulfillment.

Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses after I passed my tenure test and was assigned to a neighborhood elementary school. It was often difficult and sometimes I wanted to quit.

But the satisfaction I felt when I could buy something delicious with my own money or go on a trip was irreplaceable. There was also a sense of pride when the children I taught learned something they didn’t know and were promoted to the next grade. Being responsible for your livelihood is like a penance, but it’s also what drives you. Despite all this, Estella loved to work. In her past life, and now.

“Does the Duke feels sorry for me working here?”

“No nobleman wants to be reduced to the working class. And in your case, you had a pretty good match.”

A plausible marriage. Estella stopped smiling wryly. With her modern consciousness, she couldn’t understand Diego’s opinion. In her old world, everyone worked for a living. Even the very rich, like tycoons and landlords, had business to attend to. Diego alone spends his days buried in paperwork to manage his estate.

“I take pride in my job. They say nobles don’t value labor, but the investments they make and the paperwork they fill out is labor.”

Estella said in an impatient tone.

“People get lazy when they don’t work. There’s no such thing as a dull job in this world, everyone just does what they can.”

Diego stared at Estella, the corners of his mouth tugging silently.

“You know what?”

“What?”

“Miss Margaret is boring as hell.”

Diego said in a voice that sounded bored as he leaned his head against the backrest. The light from the street lamp was blocked by the window frame, shading his eyes. He looked almost expressionless as the smile on his lips was swallowed by the darkness. He said, turning to look out the window.

“When I’m with you, I can’t help but wonder how someone like you came to be.”

“…….”

“If you have been raised with nothing but love, it would have been easier to understand. But you have a father who was a gambler, and a family that was impoverished.”

Diego smirked as he said it. Certainly, Estella’s upbringing was unfortunate.

It is said that when poverty enters through the front door, love flees through the window. Estella’s mother had been gentle by nature, but as the years went by, she became increasingly nervous. At some point, Estella had to make a decision. Whether to stay in her hometown and accompany her family as they struggled, or leave for the capital and become a new breadwinner.

After all, after growing up in such a difficult environment, there was little respect left for others. After remembering her past life, Estella was most surprised to realize that her personality wasn’t all that different from her current one. She dismissed it as a mere coincidence, but Diego’s words made her feel differently. Looking back on it now, I wonder if she was able to grow up the way she did because she had the old me in her. The love she’d received so many times had already filled her.

But Estella’s realization would be of little comfort to Diego. She had no intention of making light of his misery by referring to her past life. All his suffering had been created and shaped by the interests of others. And Diego, who still hadn’t gotten his happy ending, was still living in pain.

He spoke, his eyes fixed somewhere in the air.

“If it’s not an issue of circumstances, ultimately, I start to think that all of this is my own problem. I wonder if I could have been better off, perhaps living like you… “

With that, Diego lifted the lid of the box he was clutching, and inside was a purple hairpin that matched Cecilia. The jewelry sparkled beautifully, despite Diego’s sinking mood. He stared at it and said.

“You can’t turn back time, but people are foolish enough to want to erase past wrongs.”

“…….”

“Do I look foolish?”

Estella shook her head slowly. She was sincere, but Diego didn’t seem to believe her. Or maybe it didn’t matter to him if it was true or not.

“I need you to give this to her.”

Diego held out the box to Estella. Estella hesitated before answering.

“But it won’t mean anything unless you give it to her yourself.”

No matter what changes occurred inside him, it wouldn’t change anything if no one noticed. When Estella refused to accept the box, Diego finally set it down next to her. He said, smiling bitterly.

“Then let it be meaningless, because even I don’t know what it means.”

* * *

“This pwetty!”

Cecilia exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. Her gaze was fixed on the object in the box. She couldn’t take her eyes off the jewelry, which sparkled brightly.

When she was done, she pulled out a hairpin and pinned it to the top of her head. Cecilia’s hair was already full of the ones she’d received last time. The sight of three barrettes dangling from her tiny head was a bit ridiculous, though no one would criticize the aesthetics of a child wearing them.

Cecilia paced as she finished putting it on with her fern-like hands. She seemed to be trying to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror at the back of the classroom. Estella had to lower it to the bin, which was just out of Cecilia’s reach. Cecilia checked herself out in the mirror, admired her beauty, and screamed again.

“Gah!”

Cecilia said, looking back at Estella with a serious face.

“Look like a pwincess.”

“That’s right, you look really good in it.”

“The color like my eyes!”

“Oh, yeah, I don’t know who gave it to you, but it’s very pretty, isn’t it?”

Cecilia nodded excitedly in agreement with Estella. Estella stared at her with a smile on her face.

What Cecilia was wearing was something that Diego had bought himself yesterday evening. Diego was objectively discerning, and the gift he’d chosen had suited her quite well. Cecilia was practically on the ground, staring into the mirror. She’s glad she waited until after class to give it to her, because she knew she wouldn’t be able to concentrate if she gave it to her before class started.

Estella knelt down in front of Cecilia and brought her to eye level. Estella sneaked a glance at Cecilia and said.

“Actually, this is from Diego, and when you see him later, you must thank him, okay?”

“Tiego?”

Cecilia repeated, her eyes widening. She was as surprised by the gift as Estella was. Her hand slipped down to the pin. Cecilia looked at her with a hint of anxiety.

“Why……?”

It was so cute, Estella couldn’t help but giggle. Estella smoothed out Cecilia’s spiky hair and said.

“You’re asking why? He just wanted to give a gift to his cute younger sister. It’s something that can happen, right?”

“Tiego……?”

There was disbelief in Cecilia’s voice as she repeated the question. She still had doubts. It was certainly not the behavior of Diego. Even Estella was surprised when she first realized that he had prepared a gift for Cecilia.

She imagined him looking at the children’s jewelry while she was gone. It was kind of cute to think that he’d had something like that ready to go and hadn’t even bothered to leave the store. Although she was given the role of delivering the present.

Estella lowered her voice, drawing Cecilia’s attention.

“Yes, but you have to keep it a secret from the young master, okay?”

“What secret?”

Estella’s heart sank. Eerie violet eyes peered at Cecilia and Estella through the crack in the door. Estella froze in her tracks and dropped to the floor. Cedric asked again in a sullen voice.

“What’s the secret……?”

“Young…… y, y, young master?”

Cedric opened the door and walked inside. The look on her face as he moved closer and closer to Estella was one of terror.

Estella scrambled to her feet, but there was nothing to say. Cedric’s gaze was already on Cecilia’s head. Cedric frowned as he spotted an unfamiliar object.

“What is that?”

Estella stared at Cecilia with eager eyes, but Cecilia was too young for that. Cecilia smiled brightly and answered.

“Tiego give me!”

“What?”

Cedric’s eyes widened. He tore his gaze away from Cecilia and looked back at Estella. It was as if he wanted her to tell him if it was true or not.

Estella stood up from her seat, avoiding Cedric’s gaze. There was only one problem with Diego’s gift, there were two children and only one recipient. That’s right. All Diego had bought was Cecilia’s share.

He was worried that Cedric would be upset, so he tried to sneak it to her, but she never expected to be found out. It was an unexpected turn of events when the child, who used to rush to the practice field in excitement as soon as the class ended, came back for some unknown reason.

“Are you sure brother gave it to you?”

However, Cedric discovered even more in front of his eyes. Cedric narrowed his brow and said,

“I’ve never seen that before.”

Cedric’s gaze was fixed on Estella’s necklace, his eyes like a hawk’s.

Estella stopped in her tracks and covered her hand near her neck. She could feel the cold metal beneath her palm. She’d been wearing it the whole time because she couldn’t be bothered to take it off. She had seen it in the mirror this morning, but she hadn’t thought much of it, and she hadn’t expected to find herself in this predicament.

Estella said, looking away coyly.

“I bought it with my paycheck.”

Cedric was not fooled by Estella’s insincere lie. Cedric stomped his foot and shouted.

“You’re lying, you’re poor!”

You’re a rich man who doesn’t know how to care about the less fortunate…….

The corners of Estella’s mouth twitched as she forced a smile. It was definitely something she couldn’t buy with her own money. But she couldn’t confess its connection to Diego anytime soon. Estella decided to just blurt it out.

“It’s fake.”

“Don’t lie! It looks very expensive!”

The rich man had a good eye after all. Perhaps she shouldn’t give him a chance to examine it more closely. Estella shoved the necklace beneath her clothes.

“It’s really fake, you know. Why would I buy something like this if I had money?”

“My brother must have given it to you.”

“…But he didn’t?”

Estella paused at the near-correct answer. Cedric snorted at her denial.

“Then show me in detail.”

With that, Cedric stepped closer to Estella. Estella quickly pushed his head away as he lunged for her. Although he was much shorter than her, he wasn’t weak enough to stop her easily. Estella shouted in frustration.

“No, why do you care what I’m wearing? At the Berta’s manor, the tutors have their own dress code!”

“If it doesn’t bother you, then just show it to me!”