It was only a month ago that Estella Margaret Montiel joined the Duke of Berta. And it was on that same day that she remembered her previous life as a dreamless primary school teacher in South Korea.

There was nothing specific that reminded her of her past life. From the moment she woke up in the inn where she last stayed before arriving in the capital city, a completely different set of values had already permeated her mind.

At first she thought she was dreaming, and she probably was, because the memories she recalled were so outrageous. In the world that unknowingly dominated her mind, the level of development of civilization, the people she was associated with, and even her own appearance were distinctly different.

A country where everyone around her has black hair and black eyes. It’s like a story from the East. In her dreams, she was a teacher, and she was teaching over thirty children.

It was just a delusion, but the details were vast and realistic. As Estella chewed on her bread during breakfast, she pondered the meal in her dream, which was completely different. Recalling the taste of rice, stew, and several side dishes, she finally admitted that it was a memory from her past life. If it was just a dream, she shouldn’t have missed the traditional fermented food she ate in it so much. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Estella put down the bread she was eating.

She had been told for more than 30 years that ‘Koreans should eat rice,’ and yet she had survived 22 years on bread alone. She was dumbfounded. She should have remained oblivious, why did she remember her past life so vividly now, after growing up this much?

People don’t go to hell or heaven after they die, they just get reborn. Even though she had solved a common question of mankind, she was not very happy.

If you woke up one morning and realised the truth about life and death, people would universally have this thought.

‘This is crazy…’

Her memory of the moment she died was fleeting. While on her way to work at school, she suddenly hit the brakes due to a sudden traffic jam, but the truck behind her did not realize it and crashed into her.

When the trunk of the car in front of her came closer, she could sense it. The possibility of her surviving this accident was nil. That intuition turned out to be true. When she opened her eyes, she was in a completely different world, not just a different country. She was in a whole new universe.

Estella was a rural woman who lived in poverty that was not befitting her status. At the same time, she lived in the city where no one talks about their social status.

Estella had never seriously thought about death until now. Moreover, she went through one death and opened her eyes again

Her perspective on life was completely reversed, but the circumstances surrounding her remained the same. Estella had little time for reflection. She was on her way to a job interview for the position of governess to the Duke of Berta. Her family had been impoverished for generations, and she was forced to look for work that was incompatible with her aristocratic status. These were common words of a young lady from a humble local aristocracy.

Recently, the Duke of Berta had dismissed their tutor, leaving a vacancy. Estella had not hesitated to write to the capital as soon as she heard the news. The reply came back with a date for the interview, which was unexpectedly early.

Estella was more concerned about her upcoming interview than about the knowledge of her past life, which was now useless. If she were not careful, she might end up experiencing more near-death experiences after the accident.

“Lady, we have arrived.”

With those words, the carriage rattled to a stop. Trying to calm her nerves, Estella stepped down to the ground, where she was greeted by a mansion of staggering proportions. In the centre of the high wall surrounding the grounds stood the iron gate, its iron bars standing firm, and its imposing presence made Estella feel a little queasy.

She cautiously asked the coachman, who was preparing to leave.

“Now, where should I go?”

“Why would you ask me that?”

The coachman replied bluntly, as if in disbelief, and disappeared. As a paid coachman, he didn’t have to worry about what happens after his passenger got off.

“…”

Estella hesitated for a moment, then turned to the gatekeeper. He looked murderous. She didn’t want to talk to him, but there was no other way to get inside those massive iron gates.

She cleared her throat and spoke.

“I’m here because I heard you were looking for a tutor.”

As she spoke, she eyed the guard’s uniform with admiration. Luckily, the guard went straight to Estella.

“Ah, are you, by any chance, Miss Estella Margaret Montiel?”

“Yes.”

“The butler told me about you. Please come inside.”

The guard’s response was much more gentlemanly than she expected. Despite the imposing nature of the high walls, the entry was unassuming.

She followed the guard as he led her through, looking around. All sorts of unfamiliar decorations caught her eye. The grandeur of the mansion and its manicured flower beds were reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles.

Once inside, Estella was still busy taking in the grandeur of the interior when, as if recognising her behaviour as a country bumpkin’s antics, the guard asked her a question.

“Is this your first time in the capital?”

“Yes, it is.”

Estella replied sharply. The guard responded with a pleasant tone.

“The capital is certainly out of this world, though you’d be hard pressed to find anything quite like it outside of the imperial palace. I’m also from another region, so when I first got a job here, I was in awe… Ah, here we are.”

The guard took a half-step back with a grunt, then gestured for Estella to stand in front of him. She followed his lead and stood in front of the large doors. The man saluted briefly and wished her luck.

“I wish you well in your interview.”

Once she was sure the guard had left, Estella took a deep breath and left a knock on the door. The word interview had a way of sending shivers down her spine just by announcing it, but the person in the room didn’t even give her a chance to catch her breath.

“Come in.”

Estella cautiously opened the door and stepped inside. Inside the room sat an elderly man. With his neatly swept back grey hair, one-eyed glasses, and neatly trimmed beard, his appearance was reminiscent of one particular profession.

‘Is he the butler?’

“Welcome, Miss Montiel. I’m Javier, in charge of managing the Duke of Berta’s estate,”

After speaking, the butler offered his hand to shake. Taking the outstretched hand, Estella introduced herself.

“Hello, I’m Estella Margaret Montiel. Please call me Miss Margaret.”

The butler’s eyes lit up at that. But it was only for a moment, and Javier understood Estella’s intentions and nodded.

Nobles do not work. Even if she had grown up far from power, it was embarrassing for a noblewoman like Estella to have to look for a job. Although Montiel was not a famous name, she didn’t want to be called by the family name.

As if that weren’t bad enough, she added with an awkward laugh.

“I’m embarrassed to go around revealing my last name.”

“I understand, Miss Margaret.”

Javier nodded, placing a hand on his chest. It was a sign of respect. With that brief example, he picked up the resume that was laid out on the table. It was the one Estella had sent to the mansion a week ago.

Javier took a moment to read Estella’s writings carefully. The neat penmanship suggested a decent education.

“As you’ve seen from the advert, there are two children to teach. Lord Cedric and Lady Cecilia.”

The names sounded strangely familiar. Estella nodded dutifully, puzzled, but not surprised. Javier glanced at her over the paper.

“You look healthy.”

“I can handle two children.”

“You say you’re twenty-two?”

“Yes.”

“Very well, follow me. Since you’re a live-in tutor, I’ll give you a room in the mansion, and I’ll tell you where the dining room is and what you need to do as we go.”

The butler rose from his seat, and Estella’s eyes widened. It must have been five minutes since she’d sat down on the couch, and she was terribly embarrassed by the hasty hiring decision. Estella followed the butler to his feet and stammered,

“Was that all?”

“Yes, is there a problem?”

“Uh… I mean, you don’t even bother to check to see if I have what it takes to teach children.”

‘Ah.’ Javier said. He turned from his position by the door to face Estella. In a soft voice, he asked.

“Are there any lies on your resume?”

“No.”

Estella quickly shook her head, her mind racing at the incomprehensible situation. Javier’s tone was nonchalant.

“Then let me ask you a simple question: if there are six bins containing twenty-three apples, what is the total number of apples?”

Suddenly in the mood for multiplication…?

She felt a twinge of embarrassment, but answered dutifully nonetheless.

“One hundred and thirty-eight?”

“That’s right.”

“…That’s it?”

“Master Cedric is eight years old and Lady Cecilia is five. Do we need anything more than that?”

The butler gave a soft laugh as he said that.

It had already been two weeks since the previous teacher had been dismissed by the Duke. That meant that Cedric and Cecilia had been without a tutor for two weeks. Rumours of the Duke’s prickly nature had been so widespread that they could no longer find anyone from the capital for the job. Into the picture had come a saviour, Estella. Javier had no intention of letting her go.

In fact, even by the butler’s standards, this question was quite a challenge. The level of education in the kingdom of Mesquida wasn’t exactly high, and Estella’s quick answer more than met his qualifications. It couldn’t have been easier for her to pass.

She wasn’t always good at multiplication, but her calculations were much faster after she remembered her past life. In the previous life, she was just in kindergarten when her mother stuck multiplication posters on the wall. It’s hard not to get used to it.

‘I can’t believe you can be a teacher without taking a test.’

Estella smiled sheepishly. She realised one more good thing about the world she lives in now.