“I… I remember.”
But even as she spoke, nothing in this world had changed.
The memories of another life that had been sleeping deep within her soul—
Earth, Japan—an overwhelming surge of information.
Strangely, the memories felt like something she had read in a book.
She could recall facts clearly, but they carried no deep emotional weight.
(I know what a Prime Minister is, but… who was the Prime Minister again?)
Even details about her past family were vague.
The only things she could remember clearly were knowledge-based facts.
She knew about the Kanto region. She could cook nikujaga.
She understood space stations.
But what kind of life had she lived before?
How had she spent her days? Those personal details were shrouded in mist.
And yet, Emilia felt relief.
(…This is fine. I only have one life, and that life is here. Ford is my everything now.)
Perhaps this was a gift from the gods—just fragments of knowledge, nothing more.
Not to make her cling to the past, but to help her move forward.
(…Thank you. I feel a little stronger now.)
Emilia was 21 years old.
Frankly, she wasn’t at an age where she could just be thrown into the world without support.
But if she knew things—if she had knowledge and wisdom—she could survive.
She had no time to wallow in despair.
Springing from the bed, Emilia began to prepare.
(Ford… I need to move him to the bed.)
She gently carried her sleeping son from the sofa to the bed and covered him with a blanket.
Then, she grabbed the largest travel bag she owned and began stuffing it with as much as she could.
“Before they throw me out, I have to take what I can…!”
Her former husband, Bell, would never listen.
No matter what, he would go through with the divorce.
She had no hope for justice in this world—nor did she expect it.
“Let’s see… clothes, undergarments… medicine, travel documents, and…”
She paused, her hands halting mid-motion.
She needed to take anything valuable.
A strong instinct from her past memories told her this.
The jewelry Bell had forced upon her—
all of it was gaudy and ill-fitting for her.
But if she sold it, it would become money.
The extravagant, tasteless dresses he had bought for her without even consulting her—
She never understood why he did that.
But if she sold them, they would become money.
The overpowering perfumes that made her nauseous,
the makeup that made her look like a painted doll—
She had barely used them, but the bottles and cases were still intact.
So if she sold them, they would become money.
(That man… is no longer my husband!)
Even so, her chest tightened painfully.
Don’t cry. Not for a man like that.
And yet, the tears wouldn’t stop.
By the time she had packed up the memories of the past four and a half years into her bag,
morning had arrived.
“…Mom? What’s going on…?”
Ford had woken up, staring in surprise at the chaotic state of the room.
By then, Emilia’s heart had fully settled into the mindset of a mother.
She gave her son a gentle smile, wondering how to explain—
but in the end, she decided not to sugarcoat the truth.
Ford was smart. She would tell him directly.
“We’re leaving this house, Ford.”
“Huh?! Really?! Yay!!”
“…Wait, what?”
His reaction was not what she had expected.
Ford raised both hands in excitement and jumped out of bed.
“Ford, you understand, right? We’re saying goodbye to this house forever.”
“I know! The people in this house never liked you, Mom! I… I don’t like them either!”
“—!”
This was the first time Ford had said something like that.
He was usually clever and knew how to get along with people.
For him to speak so bluntly—
No, maybe… maybe he had been showing signs all along.
She had just been too preoccupied to notice.
But now, with her divorce and the memories of her past life, she finally saw things clearly.
“…I’m sorry, Ford.”
Emilia gently embraced her son.
How pathetic—she was the mother, yet he was the one giving her strength.
Ford wrapped his small arms around her in return.
“Mom, you’re really thin.”
“…Maybe so.”
Thinking back, she had barely been eating properly.
This marriage had truly pushed her to her limits.
“Let’s go somewhere with lots of delicious food! Right, Mom?!”
“Yes… that sounds like a great idea!”
Ah, as long as she had this child…
She could keep going.
And so, Emilia and Ford left the Ordon Duke’s household behind
and set out for the southern neighboring kingdom.