TLEDH | 03

Chapter 3

Heir Qualification Review

On the surface, it was a day for the family’s tutors to gather and assess the heir potential of the Eshior family’s third generation.
But in my previous life, this day was practically the “Leticia Condemnation Assembly.”

And this time around—things weren’t all that different.

“Lady Leticia has no qualifications to become an heir.”

‘Not just similar—identical.’

I sighed quietly to myself.

“She possesses neither divine power nor magical aptitude. Intellectually, too, one must question whether she’s truly of Eshior blood—her intelligence is far below standard. In all my years of teaching, I’ve never met a noble child who learns this poorly. Lord Eshior.”

Ouch.

‘That stings.’

I lifted my head to look at Sylvia.

Her black hair was neatly twisted into a bun, her posture perfectly upright.
Not once did her gaze meet mine.

“Arithmetic, history, Imperial language, ancient script, art, and music—she lacks in every single field.”

Sylvia ticked off her fingers as she listed my shortcomings, then shook her head in disappointment.

“Her etiquette is also far below expectations.”

“……”

“But the biggest issue is that despite all this, she makes no effort. Never once has she completed the assignments I’ve given her.”

‘Ha. Now that’s unfair.’

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do the assignments—Sylvia had simply been giving me work far beyond my age level.

How could a six-year-old possibly solve advanced mathematics or write in ancient language?

But Sylvia conveniently left that part out and only spoke of my “laziness.”

Exactly like in my past life.

‘For those reasons, Lady Leticia has no right to be considered an heir, my lord.’

“That’s not true! You said it was okay if I couldn’t do it! You said it was fine because it was hard! You said it was just extra practice!”

‘My, now she even lies.’

She had comforted me so kindly before—telling me it was fine if I couldn’t finish—but in front of Grandfather, she accused me of lying and declared me unfit to inherit.

And no one stood up for me.

They only looked at me with cold eyes—like I was some spoiled, deceitful child.
No one listened.

All I could do back then was cry and plead desperately for someone—anyone—to believe me.

‘I wasn’t lazy! I tried my best in class!’

‘Then how about holding an evaluation right now?’

And right at that moment, Sylvia’s eyes gleamed—like she had been waiting for me to say that.

Yes, “snatched” would be the right word for it.

She seized my words and used them to corner me.

With a false air of fairness, she suggested that since I felt wronged, it would only be right to assess my qualifications right there and then.

‘And she only asked questions she knew I couldn’t answer.’

Of course, the questions themselves weren’t particularly hard.

Since it was before Grandfather, Sylvia made sure to use material that was supposedly appropriate for my age.

The problem was—I had never been taught any of it.

To make it look fair, she even brought in a few of my cousins from the branch family to take the same test.

And the result was predictable.

Even the branch cousins could answer easily, while I couldn’t say a single word.

When tears welled up and I looked up at my grandfather—Marquis Margo Eshior’s piercing blue eyes—

‘Leticia doesn’t need to go to Oné.’

I was cast out.

I lost my right to be heir, without even a chance to redeem myself.

“Phew.”

Just remembering it made my blood boil.

Why had they been so desperate to throw me out?
I thought about it for a moment, then shook my head.

It didn’t matter anymore.

This time, things would be different.

I’ll make sure they are.

As I took a long, steady breath, Sylvia glanced at me.

“……”

Her look seemed to say, ‘Why aren’t you crying or throwing a tantrum like usual? What’s with you?’

But I had already lived through all this once. And I still had my memories as a Korean adult.

‘No way I’m letting this slide easily.’

So instead, I lowered my head, eyes glistening faintly, pretending to be hurt by her words.

My twin braids of wheat-colored hair swayed softly as I moved.
My small hands clenched the hem of my dress tightly, knuckles turning white.

A small, trembling child—pitiful, defenseless.

“How pitiful.”

Yes, I was only six, after all.

Alone in a room full of harsh adults, enduring their cold words.

Even the same people who had been criticizing me moments ago began to feel a faint pang of sympathy.

The judgmental eyes that once condemned me softened, replaced by something like guilt.

But oblivious to that subtle shift in mood, Sylvia cleared her throat briskly, eager to wrap things up.

“There’s no need to discuss Lady Leticia’s qualifications for succession.”

“Then what should we discuss?”

Caught off guard by Grandfather’s low voice, Sylvia looked up, startled.

“If not that, then what should we be discussing about Leticia?”

Margo Eshior’s deep voice resonated through the room as his sharp blue gaze pinned Sylvia in place.

“That is…”

Her face stiffened for a moment under the weight of his stare—like looking into a deep ocean—before she steadied herself with a breath.

Grandfather leaned his chin on his hand, elbow propped on the armrest. Then, switching sides, he tilted his head slightly.

“My question isn’t that difficult, teacher.”

“N-no, my lord. It is not.”

Pressed by his calm insistence, Sylvia straightened her back and spoke.

“We should first determine whether Lady Leticia is capable of keeping up with the direct-line heirs’ lessons. Her current level is so poor that she might hinder the other children’s progress…”

“How?”

At Grandfather’s interruption, Sylvia lifted her chin proudly—as if she had been waiting for that question.

“By giving her a test right here, my lord.”

The other tutors nodded in agreement.

Grandfather’s gaze drifted toward the small figure standing in the corner—head bowed, golden braids hanging still.

And then—

‘One, two, three—’

“Prepare a test. Leticia.”

He spoke before I even finished counting to three in my head.

“Yes, Grandfather.”

And immediately—

“But I have a condition!”

My small but firm voice followed.

I demanded that my cousins take the test with me.

Sylvia looked down at me, her lips curling into a mocking smile.

“Are you sure about that? The other direct heirs are far ahead of you in their studies. Wouldn’t it be better to bring in some of the branch children instead?”

Her expression said: “You’ll only embarrass yourself more. Still want to?”

I smiled back sweetly.

“It’s fine.”

“If Lady Leticia insists… then so be it, my lord.”

The moment she nodded eagerly toward Grandfather, I turned to him as well.

“I think I’ll do better if I take it with my smart older brothers! I’ve been sad lately because I haven’t had the chance to study with them.”

“……”

At my innocent words, Grandfather’s gaze shifted to me again.

Those piercing blue eyes—cold, assessing, never once gentle.
I swallowed dryly.

‘Don’t be nervous.’

There was no reason to be.

Grandfather respected ability above all else. In my past life, I simply had none—that’s why he had turned away from me.

But this time, I would show him that ability.
Just like Father, just like Sharie.

That one thing—that single talent—was all I needed.

And once I go to Oné, everything begins there.

To fix what went wrong in my past life, to build my foundation anew.

So I smiled brightly, eyes curving like crescents, gazing up at him with feigned innocence—

“Bennet.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Without looking away from me, Grandfather spoke to his aide.

“Call in all the third-generation heirs who have studied with Leticia.”

“Yes, my lord.”

And just like that—
the test began.