Cesare took his pocket watch out of his bosom, checked it, closed it with a click, and announced with an attitude as firm as the click.
“Then I’ll see you again tomorrow at eight o’clock.”
...What is this? Eight o'clock? What, eight o'clock? Are you talking about morning?
Looking at Cesare's determined face, my hopes that it might be evening were quickly dashed.
I asked back sullenly.
“...That eight o’clock can’t be eight o’clock in the evening, right?”
“Yes, until eight o’clock in the morning. In the morning, we will have classes on etiquette, and in the afternoon, we will have classes divided into hourly classes on language, art, law, and politics.”
I just gaped at him. Is this even a humanly possible schedule? I would have been much better off peeling potatoes in the kitchen.
I asked him, clutching at his trouser legs.
“Does His Excellency know about this?”
“This was all done under the direct orders of His Excellency the Duke.”
“That’s ridiculous...”
“At the end of each day, there will be a test on what you learned that day.”
“...”
“So please, please concentrate on all your classes so that you don’t have to worry about studying the rest.”
...I have to escape from here by any means necessary. As soon as possible.
The next morning, at dawn, the maids came rushing into the room. I was dragged out of my warm blanket and thrown straight into the bathtub.
I had barely managed to fall asleep after planning an escape all night. It seemed like there was not enough time to prepare because apart from Lisa, there were two other maids I had never seen before.
In an instant, I was soaked from head to toe in rose-scented bubbles, then dried softly.
Lisa tried to dress me up in a dress. A heavy dress with tight underwear, heavy jewelry, and lace.
I felt like I'd get really nauseous before I could even eat breakfast while wearing something like this.
After many refusals, I managed to get hold of a simple white muslin dress.
“You’re late.”
“Oh, my God!”
As soon as I opened the door to the living room and went out, Cesare spoke to me, and I was startled. He said he would get ready as quickly as possible, but I didn't know he would arrive already.
Cesare's lips twisted as if he found my surprised expression amusing. Even if he quickly covered it up, everyone had already seen it.
I grumbled with a sour look on my face.
“You must be talking so suddenly.”
“Hmm... Please be punctual from now on. And this is Countess Modre, who will be in charge of your manners.”
I hadn't noticed her until Cesare introduced her, but there was another woman with her hair up in the reception room.
As I looked towards her, she bowed gracefully.
“It is an honor to have you as your companion, my lady. This is Isabella.”
There's one more person who's shown me such an ugly sight. I bowed sullenly and greeted them.
"Hello, teacher?"
When I looked up, Isabella was smiling. It was definitely a smile, but it sent a chill down my spine.
Am I overreacting if I say I sensed a fierceness in her sensitive brown eyes that I had never seen before?
But unfortunately, my hunch turned out to be mostly correct. Isabella answered gently.
“You may call me Isabella, or you may call me Countess. It is not right to call me a teacher. I am not your personal tutor.”
“Oh, I’m sorry... I didn’t know that wasn’t allowed.”
“It’s not rude, but it’s not commonly called that, so please be careful in the future.”
She took a short breath, then exhaled again and said:
“And, Young Lady, I know it may be presumptuous of me to ask this, but you should not bow your head when greeting others unless it is absolutely necessary. This is especially true in a situation like now, where you are His Excellency the Duke’s guest.”
Isabella continued, repeating the movements as loudly and slowly as possible for me to follow.
“The respect shown by a nobleman to another nobleman is to place one hand in front of the chest, the other hand down, and bend and straighten the knees. The right hand should be two fingers below the collarbone, and the first joint of the index finger should point toward the sky.”
I wondered if she was even breathing properly. Isabella's words continued endlessly.
The remaining fingers are as delicate as a flower bud, and the other hand is placed five centimeters apart along the curve of the skirt. Both hands must not be hidden from the other person's view...
She was so enthusiastic that I couldn't even tell her that I was not a noble.
I even doubted whether that was really the custom of the same country. Is it really this complicated and difficult to just say hello?
I can see why the nobles start wars so often. It seems like it would be a great insult to take the example of the right hand with the left hand.
“Ues, now would you like to give it a try?”
I raised my hand awkwardly. I brought my hand to my chest like Isabella had done.
As soon as I could barely get into position, a barrage of criticism followed.
“No, you’re wrong. Put more strength into your fingers. You’re too straight now. Gently straighten your back a bit. Your shoulders shouldn’t be tense, and they shouldn’t sag too much.”
“...”
“You can’t stick your hips all the way back like that, and your knees should be just a little bit, no, a little bit more than that. Your other hand is completely wrong. Straighten your back a little more. Yes, that’s good. Let’s bend your knees like that.”
Although her speech was gentle, her eyes were fierce, almost like a hungry beast.
I managed to get into the position she told me to, bending and straightening my knees. I almost fell over, but I think I managed somehow.
“Now, would you like to try again from the beginning?”
“...Again?”
“Yes. Please try it, paying special attention to your hand movements.”
“...”
“You’re bending your knees too much. You should be looking straight ahead. Be careful with your hand gestures. That’s good...”
Isabella carefully observed my every move.
She never missed even the smallest mistake. Every time I missed something, she would give me a gentle reprimand.
In the end, the criticism came one after another almost every time I took a breath.
“Your chest was so swollen.”
“You held your breath too long this time.”
“Can you try again without shrugging your shoulders?”
I nodded with a rather serious expression, pretending to listen to what she said. I walked back towards the door with a very steady footstep.
The moment when Cesare yawned slightly was my chance. I opened the door wide and ran quickly down the hallway.
My escape ended in failure before I even got to the stairs. I don't know why every single corner of this house is filled with people.
I was dragged out by the knights with both arms held and thrown back into the reception room, like some kind of criminal.
After that, it was a feast of 'You were wrong' and 'Try again.' The cowardly Cesare made an excuse about work and disappeared somewhere in the middle.
After three whole hours, I was completely exhausted.
Just when I was on the verge of fainting, Lisa came in pushing a trolley.
Since I hadn't eaten anything but a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, the smell of food was so good that it brought tears to my eyes.
“Then, that’s all for today’s class.”
According to Cesare's schedule, Isabella and I were supposed to have lunch together.
I don't know what the hell happened, but I welcomed it with open arms since it was over early. I asked, pretending to be disappointed.
“Aren’t we going to eat together?”
Isabella saw my delighted expression and spoke softly.
“It’s your first day, so you should at least eat comfortably. It’ll get harder from here on out. There’s a lot to learn, from intonation to sentence structure. I’ll have to see you often for at least four months.”
Is it getting harder? Even without seeing my face, I knew I would be completely exhausted.
Isabella covered her mouth and laughed quietly.
“Still, you followed along very well today.”
“Thank you for teaching me well.”
“Even humility.”
She smiled, her lips widening in satisfaction.
She glanced at Lisa, who was putting the dishes on the table, then walked a few steps closer to me. Then, she covered her mouth with her fan and whispered cautiously.
“I heard from the Duke that you may be Her Highness Princess Anastasia.”
I was completely at a loss, not only because I didn't know whether I could trust her but also because I didn't know that the Duke would introduce me to people in that way.
“That’s not it. There’s no evidence yet!”
“I’m not trying to push Young Lady. I was the late Crown Princess’s childhood playmate. When I see you like this... You look exactly like her when she was young.”
“...”
It was a really strange feeling, to know someone who looked like me.
All my life, I've wished that Mama Olga was my real mother, but then again, that meant I knew that Olga wasn't my real mother.
Even if Olga had kept the fact that she had adopted me a secret, everyone in the back alley would have noticed right away.
Because our skin colors were so different.
Mama Olga and I were both trees without roots. I didn't know my real family, and Olga was too far away from her real family.
We've been entangled with each other instead of roots, holding on to each other all our lives. So have I ever been sane since Olga's death?
I was just desperately running away from the impending danger.
And at the end of it all, I met someone who said he knew my real family.
Whether it's true or not, or you just want to believe what that person said.
“...I’m talking nonsense. Use this.”
It wasn't until Isabella handed me the handkerchief that I realized I was crying.
“Then I’ll see you again tomorrow at eight o’clock.”
...What is this? Eight o'clock? What, eight o'clock? Are you talking about morning?
Looking at Cesare's determined face, my hopes that it might be evening were quickly dashed.
I asked back sullenly.
“...That eight o’clock can’t be eight o’clock in the evening, right?”
“Yes, until eight o’clock in the morning. In the morning, we will have classes on etiquette, and in the afternoon, we will have classes divided into hourly classes on language, art, law, and politics.”
I just gaped at him. Is this even a humanly possible schedule? I would have been much better off peeling potatoes in the kitchen.
I asked him, clutching at his trouser legs.
“Does His Excellency know about this?”
“This was all done under the direct orders of His Excellency the Duke.”
“That’s ridiculous...”
“At the end of each day, there will be a test on what you learned that day.”
“...”
“So please, please concentrate on all your classes so that you don’t have to worry about studying the rest.”
...I have to escape from here by any means necessary. As soon as possible.
***
The next morning, at dawn, the maids came rushing into the room. I was dragged out of my warm blanket and thrown straight into the bathtub.
I had barely managed to fall asleep after planning an escape all night. It seemed like there was not enough time to prepare because apart from Lisa, there were two other maids I had never seen before.
In an instant, I was soaked from head to toe in rose-scented bubbles, then dried softly.
Lisa tried to dress me up in a dress. A heavy dress with tight underwear, heavy jewelry, and lace.
I felt like I'd get really nauseous before I could even eat breakfast while wearing something like this.
After many refusals, I managed to get hold of a simple white muslin dress.
“You’re late.”
“Oh, my God!”
As soon as I opened the door to the living room and went out, Cesare spoke to me, and I was startled. He said he would get ready as quickly as possible, but I didn't know he would arrive already.
Cesare's lips twisted as if he found my surprised expression amusing. Even if he quickly covered it up, everyone had already seen it.
I grumbled with a sour look on my face.
“You must be talking so suddenly.”
“Hmm... Please be punctual from now on. And this is Countess Modre, who will be in charge of your manners.”
I hadn't noticed her until Cesare introduced her, but there was another woman with her hair up in the reception room.
As I looked towards her, she bowed gracefully.
“It is an honor to have you as your companion, my lady. This is Isabella.”
There's one more person who's shown me such an ugly sight. I bowed sullenly and greeted them.
"Hello, teacher?"
When I looked up, Isabella was smiling. It was definitely a smile, but it sent a chill down my spine.
Am I overreacting if I say I sensed a fierceness in her sensitive brown eyes that I had never seen before?
But unfortunately, my hunch turned out to be mostly correct. Isabella answered gently.
“You may call me Isabella, or you may call me Countess. It is not right to call me a teacher. I am not your personal tutor.”
“Oh, I’m sorry... I didn’t know that wasn’t allowed.”
“It’s not rude, but it’s not commonly called that, so please be careful in the future.”
She took a short breath, then exhaled again and said:
“And, Young Lady, I know it may be presumptuous of me to ask this, but you should not bow your head when greeting others unless it is absolutely necessary. This is especially true in a situation like now, where you are His Excellency the Duke’s guest.”
Isabella continued, repeating the movements as loudly and slowly as possible for me to follow.
“The respect shown by a nobleman to another nobleman is to place one hand in front of the chest, the other hand down, and bend and straighten the knees. The right hand should be two fingers below the collarbone, and the first joint of the index finger should point toward the sky.”
I wondered if she was even breathing properly. Isabella's words continued endlessly.
The remaining fingers are as delicate as a flower bud, and the other hand is placed five centimeters apart along the curve of the skirt. Both hands must not be hidden from the other person's view...
She was so enthusiastic that I couldn't even tell her that I was not a noble.
I even doubted whether that was really the custom of the same country. Is it really this complicated and difficult to just say hello?
I can see why the nobles start wars so often. It seems like it would be a great insult to take the example of the right hand with the left hand.
“Ues, now would you like to give it a try?”
I raised my hand awkwardly. I brought my hand to my chest like Isabella had done.
As soon as I could barely get into position, a barrage of criticism followed.
“No, you’re wrong. Put more strength into your fingers. You’re too straight now. Gently straighten your back a bit. Your shoulders shouldn’t be tense, and they shouldn’t sag too much.”
“...”
“You can’t stick your hips all the way back like that, and your knees should be just a little bit, no, a little bit more than that. Your other hand is completely wrong. Straighten your back a little more. Yes, that’s good. Let’s bend your knees like that.”
Although her speech was gentle, her eyes were fierce, almost like a hungry beast.
I managed to get into the position she told me to, bending and straightening my knees. I almost fell over, but I think I managed somehow.
“Now, would you like to try again from the beginning?”
“...Again?”
“Yes. Please try it, paying special attention to your hand movements.”
“...”
“You’re bending your knees too much. You should be looking straight ahead. Be careful with your hand gestures. That’s good...”
Isabella carefully observed my every move.
She never missed even the smallest mistake. Every time I missed something, she would give me a gentle reprimand.
In the end, the criticism came one after another almost every time I took a breath.
“Your chest was so swollen.”
“You held your breath too long this time.”
“Can you try again without shrugging your shoulders?”
I nodded with a rather serious expression, pretending to listen to what she said. I walked back towards the door with a very steady footstep.
The moment when Cesare yawned slightly was my chance. I opened the door wide and ran quickly down the hallway.
***
My escape ended in failure before I even got to the stairs. I don't know why every single corner of this house is filled with people.
I was dragged out by the knights with both arms held and thrown back into the reception room, like some kind of criminal.
After that, it was a feast of 'You were wrong' and 'Try again.' The cowardly Cesare made an excuse about work and disappeared somewhere in the middle.
After three whole hours, I was completely exhausted.
Just when I was on the verge of fainting, Lisa came in pushing a trolley.
Since I hadn't eaten anything but a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, the smell of food was so good that it brought tears to my eyes.
“Then, that’s all for today’s class.”
According to Cesare's schedule, Isabella and I were supposed to have lunch together.
I don't know what the hell happened, but I welcomed it with open arms since it was over early. I asked, pretending to be disappointed.
“Aren’t we going to eat together?”
Isabella saw my delighted expression and spoke softly.
“It’s your first day, so you should at least eat comfortably. It’ll get harder from here on out. There’s a lot to learn, from intonation to sentence structure. I’ll have to see you often for at least four months.”
Is it getting harder? Even without seeing my face, I knew I would be completely exhausted.
Isabella covered her mouth and laughed quietly.
“Still, you followed along very well today.”
“Thank you for teaching me well.”
“Even humility.”
She smiled, her lips widening in satisfaction.
She glanced at Lisa, who was putting the dishes on the table, then walked a few steps closer to me. Then, she covered her mouth with her fan and whispered cautiously.
“I heard from the Duke that you may be Her Highness Princess Anastasia.”
I was completely at a loss, not only because I didn't know whether I could trust her but also because I didn't know that the Duke would introduce me to people in that way.
“That’s not it. There’s no evidence yet!”
“I’m not trying to push Young Lady. I was the late Crown Princess’s childhood playmate. When I see you like this... You look exactly like her when she was young.”
“...”
It was a really strange feeling, to know someone who looked like me.
All my life, I've wished that Mama Olga was my real mother, but then again, that meant I knew that Olga wasn't my real mother.
Even if Olga had kept the fact that she had adopted me a secret, everyone in the back alley would have noticed right away.
Because our skin colors were so different.
Mama Olga and I were both trees without roots. I didn't know my real family, and Olga was too far away from her real family.
We've been entangled with each other instead of roots, holding on to each other all our lives. So have I ever been sane since Olga's death?
I was just desperately running away from the impending danger.
And at the end of it all, I met someone who said he knew my real family.
Whether it's true or not, or you just want to believe what that person said.
“...I’m talking nonsense. Use this.”
It wasn't until Isabella handed me the handkerchief that I realized I was crying.
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