Chapter 5 My Terrible Manners

Elena Romano's POV:

Isabella's silence was making me squirm.

I figured she might be a bit let down by me.

A daughter who didn't get into college? Not exactly a win for a rich family.

We walked into this castle-like mansion and sat down at the dining table, and she still didn't say a word to me.

Dinner was awkward. She just ate quietly, and I felt like I was walking on eggshells.

When I pushed my chair back, it made a noise, and I saw her frown. Then, I reached for a small knife to cut my steak, and she stopped me. "Elena, that's a dessert knife."

My face went red. "Sorry, I didn't know."

Seriously, why are there so many utensils?

I grabbed the bigger knife next.

Isabella tapped her champagne glass with her fork—at least, I think it was a champagne glass.

She corrected me again. "The knife without serrations is for fish, Elena. If you want some smoked salmon, ask the maid to cut it for you."

"Okay. I love fish." I mumbled, staring at my plate.

She sighed and took a deep breath, like she was trying to keep her cool.

I was so nervous eating the smoked salmon that I couldn't even taste it.

I chewed, trying to figure out how it was different from the fried fish fillets I used to eat.

Back when Rosa could still move, she made me fried fish fillets from cheap fish.

Now, I was eating salmon with gold leaf on it. Fancy, but I missed the fried stuff.

For the rest of the meal, I stuck to drinking water and avoided the complicated food to avoid more screw-ups.

Thank God there was only one water glass, or I'd have messed that up too.

Halfway through, a voice rang out. "Mommy, where are you?" It was sweet and lively, like a little bird. "Your sweetheart is back."

A girl burst into the dining room, all energy and smiles.

She had a handmade hat, a white dress, and long blonde hair.

She ran to Isabella, who stood up to hug her, ignoring the clatter of her knife and fork hitting the plate.

Isabella smiled and kissed her cheek. "Sofia, my little princess, why are you back?"

"I took leave from my professor. I heard I have a sister now, so I came back." She winked. "I've always wanted a sister."

I realized this was Sofia, the sister my mom had mentioned.

She turned to me with a bright smile. "Nice to meet you, Elena."

"I'm Elena, nice to meet you too, Sofia."

I didn't expect her to be so friendly.

I sat there awkwardly, holding my water glass and fork.

Isabella, standing behind Sofia, frowned, her smile gone.

I realized I shouldn't be sitting so casually when an elder was standing.

I stood up, and my chair screeched.

"Oh, that's quite noisy," Sofia said softly.

She seemed like she wanted to chat more, but Isabella told her to go upstairs and freshen up.

After Sofia left, Isabella looked at me.

Her dissatisfaction, which I thought was just in my head, was now clear.

"I'll hire an etiquette teacher to teach you how to be a proper lady, Elena," Isabella said, trying to be polite.

I couldn't argue.

Even now, I was still holding a water glass in one hand and a fork in the other, looking ridiculous.

Isabella told me my room was ready upstairs.

The maid would show me the way, and I could go rest.

I figured that meant she didn't want to see me for a while.

Back when Andrew, that jerk, didn't want to see me, he'd have Rosa take me back to my room to "rest."

At least Isabella wasn't threatening me with a beer bottle like Andrew used to, right?

I tried to stay optimistic about my current situation.

When you've escaped hell, regular hardships can't break you unless you go back to hell.

I followed the maid to my bedroom.

The room was huge, way bigger than the place I shared with Rosa. It was clean, tidy, and even had its own washroom and bathroom.

There was a clean beige nightgown on the bed, and I quickly changed into it.

I had been wearing the clothes those gangsters gave me, which made me feel like I had zero privacy.

After changing, I lay down on the bed.

This bed was super soft.

I had never slept on such a comfy bed. In my old place, there was only one bed, and it was Andrew's.

Rosa and I had to squeeze onto the couch or sleep in a pile of clothes.

Later, I found a mattress on the street and made a simple bed in the storage room, but that became Rosa's spot after she got sick.

Andrew, that bastard, wouldn't even let his wife sleep in his bed unless he needed some "relief," and he'd drag Rosa onto the bed for a bit.

I turned my head and saw a window, through which I could vaguely see the estate's scenery.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but I couldn't.

Even though there was nothing unsafe in this bedroom, my body was still on high alert in this unfamiliar place.

I tricked my brain into thinking I was in Rosa's embrace to relax.

Rosa's embrace was this soft, right?

The trick worked. Although I still didn't fall asleep, my body relaxed a bit.

I thought about Rosa. I hadn't asked where her family would bury her.

But I was still alive, and I could find a chance to visit her grave, which gave me some comfort.

Would Rosa be happy for me if she knew my biological family had found me?

As I pondered, I felt hungry.

During dinner, the food was so beautifully presented that I was mesmerized by it, and when I picked up the knife and fork, those complicated table manners troubled me, so I didn't eat much.

After Sofia came back, Isabella had the maid take me back to my room.

Now I needed to go downstairs to find something to fill my stomach.

After leaving the bedroom, I stood at the top of the stairs and looked down. There were no maids in sight; they probably went to rest.

During the meal, I noticed the refrigerator's location in the open kitchen. And when the maid opened it, I saw some fruit inside.

Would the maid put the leftover food back in the refrigerator?

I just needed a little, enough to stop my stomach from growling.

Wandering through this castle-like house made me a bit nervous. I was worried Isabella might appear from somewhere and scold me for leaving my room during sleeping hours.

To get to the kitchen, I had to pass through the living room. When I saw the dim light in the living room, I stopped.

There were voices coming from there, one of which sounded like Isabella, and the other was a man.

Was it my father?

Isabella had said he would come back tonight to meet me.

But why didn't she wake me up?

I knew in my gut that Isabella's reason for not waking me was more than just protecting my sleep.

Curiosity led me closer to the living room, and I leaned against the wall to eavesdrop.

"Alright, dear. I know you don't want to believe all this, but you brought her back, didn't you?" The man's voice sounded like he was trying to persuade her.

"You really should see her; she looks nothing like Sofia. Her terrible clothes, and the look in her eyes when I first saw her, not gentle at all. Is she really our child?" Isabella's voice showed she was confused. "That DNA test, James, the one you received, is it really accurate?"

This woman, who was so elegant during the day, was now somewhat flustered with anxiety.