"That illegitimate daughter must be a transmigrator!"
From the original host's memories, Lin Yan saw the poems she wrote. They were the familiar ones from mandatory high school curriculum; the poems she plagiarized were all widely known.
Lin Yan was a science student and didn't actually understand many poems. After all, China had such a long history with so many excellent poetic works, she couldn't possibly remember them all.
However, she, having attended high school a few times, was still very familiar with those mandatory high school poems.
It seemed this talented lady's reputation was rather exaggerated!
"Yes, host. This is just the unique nature of this world. Rebirth versus transmigration."
"So that's how it is! So their conflict is what made the original host a collateral victim?"
Lin Yan gently tapped her fingers on the table in front of her. From her memories, she knew that the original host's end in both lifetimes was tied to the actions of the female lead and the female supporting character.
Otherwise, what was there about an orphaned girl like the original host that would warrant others to act against her?
She just didn't know what sort of charm her cousin possessed to make both the female lead and the female supporting character so infatuated.
From her memories, she didn't think he valued his cousin that much. Perhaps he simply pitied her as an orphan, or perhaps he treated her a little better because she was his fiancée.
But even this drew the ire of everyone. No one asked her if she was willing to marry the male lead. If anyone had asked her, she would have gladly relinquished her identity.
But they all assumed that the original host, an orphan, would definitely want to climb the social ladder, and her cousin was the best person she could possibly marry.
Since she was already his fiancée, how could she bear to let go!
"So I'm currently on my way to the male lead's house?" Lin Yan searched through her memories for the current situation.
"Yes, host. You will reach the capital in about five days. The old steward of the Lin family is escorting you."
"I understand," Lin Yan mused in her mind.
If not for the interference of the female lead and the female supporting character, she would have likely married her cousin. After all, her aunt placed a lot of importance on the money she brought. However, whether she could be the main wife, or for how long, was uncertain.
After digesting all the memories, Lin Yan stayed in her room for two days before venturing out. During these two days, she primarily focused on changing her habits, speech, and demeanor according to the memories.
She was a modern person. Even when she was in the martial arts world before, she hadn't learned any etiquette.
After all, it wasn't needed in the martial world. Later, she only learned the etiquette for entering the palace. As the wife of the Emperor's younger brother, only the Emperor and Empress required her to perform obeisance.
This was a new world, and all etiquette had to be learned from scratch. Fortunately, she possessed the original host's memories. Although the original host wasn't very old, she had consistently received instruction in etiquette.
The original host's mother placed great importance on her etiquette. Although they were far from the capital, they still hired a governess to teach her.
Her mother had been waiting for her father to return to the capital for an official post, and she also wanted to marry the original host off to the capital. But she hadn't expected that she and her husband would die so soon.
That was why she wanted to entrust the original host to her brother. Thinking of their own relatives, and coupled with her daughter bringing all her dowry, even if her sister-in-law didn't like her, her daughter would live well with such a dowry.
But she hadn't expected that this colossal sum of money would bring disaster to her own daughter; her relatives had become harbingers of death for her daughter.
For these two days, Lin Yan didn't go out. Food and other necessities were brought into her room.
One day, after she finished lunch, the old steward came to find her.
"Eldest Miss, we will reach the capital tomorrow. Uncle will surely send someone to wait at the pier. You don't need to worry." This old steward was an old servant of her grandfather, and had watched her father grow up.
Lin Yan was also very respectful of this three-dynasty elder. After all, in her memories, this old steward had always worked hard for the original host, and was one of the only people in this world who treated the original host well.
"Steward Grandpa, I don't want to stay at Uncle's house," Lin Yan said, her tone full of anxiety about the future. "That's not my home after all, and I'm still in mourning. I really don't want to live in someone else's house."
"Eldest Miss, Madam has already spoken with Uncle. Aunt will take good care of you. Besides, you need an elder to guide you," the old steward also didn't want his young lady to live under someone else's roof.
But how could a girl who hadn't reached her coming-of-age live alone? Moreover, Madam had already arranged a marriage between the Eldest Miss and the eldest young master of the Uncle's family. Living at her fiancé's house and being taught by her mother-in-law would also spare others from questioning the Eldest Miss's upbringing.
The constraints on women in this era were too great. If not for the Lin family's sparse descendants, they wouldn't have entrusted the Eldest Miss to the Uncle's family.
Furthermore, if their Eldest Miss didn't have a female elder to guide her, her upbringing would surely be questioned. An orphaned daughter whose mother had passed away was not to be married, and their poor Eldest Miss had lost both parents at such a young age.
If she wasn't taught by her Aunt at the Uncle's house, and considering her mother had arranged her marriage, then her future marriage would be difficult.
He had seen the eldest young master of the Uncle's family. He was handsome and talented at a young age, and more importantly, he was the legitimate son of a Marquis's family – such an excellent candidate for a husband!
"But we can't live at Uncle's house forever either! I want a home of my own," Lin Yan's eyes welled up with tears, filled with grievance.
Lin Yan knew that moving to her Uncle's house was a done deal and could not be changed at all, but some things could still be managed. At least all the Lin family's businesses could not be directly handed over to them.
She didn't mind giving her Aunt some rent for living there, or even a training fee. After all, she still needed the name of being taught by her Aunt.
But these could not compare to the Lin family's vast fortune. Wealth moves hearts. With such a large sum of money placed before them, how could anyone not be tempted!
Even if her Aunt didn't have any intentions at first, if this money remained in her hands, wanting her to hand it over later would be like cutting off her flesh.
But if she didn't hand it over, the reputation of embezzling an orphan's wealth would be too terrible. She would definitely not want to ruin her own reputation. In the end, she would have to grit her teeth and hand it over.
But wouldn't this offend her Aunt? It would be better to simply give her a sum of money, to use as she pleased. If she didn't see the remaining wealth of the Lin family, she wouldn't harbor any thoughts of possession.
"I'm only staying at Uncle's house temporarily, and you, Steward Grandpa, cannot accompany me. Living under someone else's roof is not a pleasant experience, and I don't want you to suffer with me."
"What are you saying, Eldest Miss? How can it be considered living under someone else's roof! That is your own maternal uncle, he certainly won't mistreat you. You can rest assured." Although the old steward said this, in his heart, he also felt that the Eldest Miss's concerns were not unreasonable.
After all, it wasn't their own home, and the late Madam of the in-laws had passed away. The Aunt was, in any case, a layer removed. If the Eldest Miss truly suffered any grievances, she would have no place to reason with.