Episode 92. Olivia's Reverse Scale
Mrs. Betty's heart pounded loudly. When she raised her head without realizing it, the elegant Princess was standing there.
Mrs. Timberline's frosty expression suddenly changed to a very affectionate one.
“Your Highness!”
The servants quietly sighed at the voice that swayed like a spring breeze.
“Welcome. What’s the matter with you?”
“It’s just that, as I looked at it, I noticed that these curtains were very dirty.”
Olivia approached the curtains, flowing as water, and examined them. No matter where she looked, they were spotless.
As Olivia stared silently at Mrs. Timberline, she raised her voice and tapped the curtain with her fingertips as if she were very annoyed.
I must break the Princess's momentum here, or the servants of the Prince's mansion will bow down to me from now on.
"Look. There are stains and fluff, don't you think? You don't even have to look closely to see it. They must have hung up the curtains from last year without even washing them. If there aren't any maids or servants to supervise them, that's usually the case with the servants."
“...”
The faces of the servants standing in the hallway, including Mrs. Betty, hardened coldly.
Mrs. Timberline continued speaking regardless.
"Trust me and replace the curtains, Your Highness. Order them replaced immediately. If possible, I'd rather have an elegant Bordeaux shade than this navy blue. Who wears navy curtains like this these days? No one does."
Then Olivia slowly turned to look at Mrs. Betty. The middle-aged woman, her cheeks flushed and swollen, simply lowered her eyes.
Mrs. Timberline covered her mouth with her finger and smiled with her eyes wide open.
Well then, that's right. If someone of commoner origin tells you to do something, you'll do it.
However, the Princess said something completely different.
“Mrs. Betty, according to the schedule you reported to me, today you were supposed to be working on the garden and replacing all the bedding with the mansion’s servants to prepare for winter. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You must be busy all day.”
“...”
“Go ahead and do what you have to do.”
“Yes? Then these curtains...?”
"There's so much to do, when will we even get around to fixing the curtains? We'll discuss that later. Bring some refreshments for Mrs. Timberline."
Mrs. Betty instinctively glanced at Mrs. Timberline's face behind Olivia. Her expression was utterly crumpled.
But she could only grumble, daring not to dare to obey the Princess's orders. Mrs. Betty quickly lowered her head.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Olivia took a slow, deep breath, then turned with a smile. She glanced at the lady's face, barely able to hold back her expression, and took the first step.
“Let’s go, Countess Timberline.”
Mrs. Timberline followed Olivia, trembling with a sense of humiliation. Finally, arriving at the Princess's study, Mrs. Timberline couldn't hide her raw emotion.
She maintained a very cynical expression and made the atmosphere cold.
But Olivia, regardless, brought the biographical dictionary she had handed her yesterday and placed it on the table before speaking.
“I appreciate your kindness, but if you have any concerns about the mansion, please let me know in the future.”
“There is so much to say that it is difficult to explain everything in detail.”
“Even so, please do so.”
Countess Timberline hesitated for a moment at her rather strong stance. I thought she was so weak-willed that she wouldn't dare say a word... Is this because she's so arrogant?
Mrs. Timberline tried to control her anger and opened her mouth calmly.
"Your Highness, you must first gain the trust of your closest subordinates. For example, Her Majesty the Queen has earned the trust of Lady Folsman, the head maid of honor."
“...”
"Just now, you ignored my proposal in front of everyone. Even if you didn't like my proposal, it wasn't right to act that way right then and there."
At that moment, Mrs. Betty appeared with a knock and served refreshments.
“Thank you, ma’am. Thank you for your hard work.”
"No, Your Highness. Call me anytime."
As Mrs. Betty bowed politely and disappeared, Olivia spoke.
“What do you think? Don’t you think I’ve earned her trust?”
"... Yes?"
When Countess Timberline asked again a little later, the Princess smiled even more deeply.
"Madam. Your role is to educate me on the ins and outs of noble society. I will wholeheartedly follow your teachings. However, matters within the mansion are a separate matter. If there's anything that needs to be fixed within the mansion, please let me know. It's my job to convey it to the servants."
“...”
"Didn't Madam say that yesterday? The most important thing is to know where my decision-making authority lies."
Countess Timberline blinked blankly, then nodded with a small laugh.
“Yes... That’s right.”
"The servants of this mansion are under my authority. You will not interfere, even at a moment's notice."
“...”
“Be careful in the future. Now, let’s begin class.”
Countess Timberline, who had lost the initiative in an instant, trembled her eyebrows and clenched her fist hidden in the hem of her skirt.
Her ashen eyes flashed fiercely.
“Yes. Then... let’s look at your posture again. Please stand up.”
Countess Timberline, as if venting her frustration, pushed Olivia forward. She tightened the corset a little more, preventing her from sitting for even a moment.
“Stand up straight, shoulders back! No, no, no. Try again, try again!”
Olivia took a slow breath and went back to the beginning.
Under the guise of a teacher chosen by the Queen, she acted as if she were going to burn Olivia.
The Princess, who seemed on the verge of tears, never frowned. Even with her face pale and pale, she practiced tenaciously.
Even the biographical dictionary that had been given to her yesterday had been memorized with a ghostly memory, so Countess Timberline was even more irritated.
“No, no!! Try walking again! Your knees are buckling, your knees!!”
The servants who had gone in to change the refreshments in the middle of the meal trembled all over their bodies at the sound of Mrs. Timberline's voice, as sharp as frost.
“Oh my goodness. She’s catching Her Highness, he’s catching her.”
"She keeps acting like that, making it impossible for Her Highness to sit down for even a moment. I'm sure she's acting like that because Her Highness didn't take her side this morning."
"If you pulled the hallway curtains back today, we'd all be sick. Isn't that a bit heavy?"
As the five-hour class passed, Mrs. Betty kept sighing and looking towards the room where the Princess and Mrs. Timberline were.
Even the words of passing servants made her feel uneasy.
After a moment of deliberation, Mrs. Betty carefully entered the room, dragging the tray. She pretended to replace the cold snacks while studying the Princess's face.
“...”
But before she could even look at it any further, the Princess was incredibly pale.
The Princess's share of refreshments was completely untouched, and only Mrs. Timberline's was empty.
As Mrs. Betty entered, Mrs. Timberline's voice became sharper, and she pressed Olivia.
“You have to do it right, Your Highness! Straighten your shoulders and back a little more!”
The sharp, irritated voice, thick with irritation and impatience, made her chest tighten just by hearing it. Mrs. Betty glanced at Olivia as she cleared away the refreshments.
“...?”
But her posture wasn't at all unusual. Although she was a maid, she had served the Prince and seen royalty many times. In her eyes, the Princess's appearance was simply orphaned, with no room for improvement.
Mrs. Betty bowed her head and quickly cleared away the refreshments. Her hands were trembling, so she had to hold her breath.
Olivia didn't even sit down until Mrs. Betty came out with a new set of refreshments.
And a moment later, a cold sweat began to trickle down Olivia's forehead. She felt dizzy, her vision spinning, and she felt out of breath even when still.
The world suddenly went dark, and a ringing in her ears. She felt like she would collapse if she lost her senses, so Olivia froze in place, eyes tightly shut.
Only then did Mrs. Timberline speak to her affectionately.
“Oh, you must be very tired.”
When Olivia slowly opened her eyes, she came over with a bright smile and supported her.
"Still, you've improved a lot. At first, I was at a loss as to where to start teaching you, but now it's not that bad. Now, please sit down and enjoy some refreshments."
Mrs. Timberline acted sweetly, as if she had never counted days.
"You must be hungry, right? But when you're too full, you become sluggish. Please understand, Your Highness."
Olivia didn't have the strength to respond. Her hands shook as she held the teacup, causing it to shake. Mrs. Timberline looked sharply at Olivia's fingertips and immediately pointed out the problem.
“Oh, the teacup and saucer are hitting each other and making a noise.”
“I’m so hungry that my hands are shaking.”
“Excuses are bad.”
Finally, Olivia put down her teacup and stared intently at Mrs. Timberline. Her eyes, as dark as the deep sea, felt distant.
After two days of dealing with Olivia, Mrs. Timberline realized that she was no pushover.
But Mrs. Timberline was determined to subdue the Princess's power and subjugate her. She whispered with a very gentle smile.
“Her Majesty the Queen has endured many hardships before I was appointed as your etiquette teacher.”
Olivia's movements stopped at the word Queen.
"Her Majesty the Queen attempted to arrange for many noble ladies of the capital to serve as Your Highness's etiquette tutor. Among them was my sister-in-law, the Marquis of Letium. However, none of them were successful."
Mrs. Timberline touched Olivia's sore spot.
"When Her Majesty contacted me... I was actually in a very difficult situation myself. The children are at a very demanding age. Nevertheless, I couldn't refuse Her Majesty's earnest request, so I came running. For Her Majesty's honor, I will do my best to teach you."
Mrs. Betty's heart pounded loudly. When she raised her head without realizing it, the elegant Princess was standing there.
Mrs. Timberline's frosty expression suddenly changed to a very affectionate one.
“Your Highness!”
The servants quietly sighed at the voice that swayed like a spring breeze.
“Welcome. What’s the matter with you?”
“It’s just that, as I looked at it, I noticed that these curtains were very dirty.”
Olivia approached the curtains, flowing as water, and examined them. No matter where she looked, they were spotless.
As Olivia stared silently at Mrs. Timberline, she raised her voice and tapped the curtain with her fingertips as if she were very annoyed.
I must break the Princess's momentum here, or the servants of the Prince's mansion will bow down to me from now on.
"Look. There are stains and fluff, don't you think? You don't even have to look closely to see it. They must have hung up the curtains from last year without even washing them. If there aren't any maids or servants to supervise them, that's usually the case with the servants."
“...”
The faces of the servants standing in the hallway, including Mrs. Betty, hardened coldly.
Mrs. Timberline continued speaking regardless.
"Trust me and replace the curtains, Your Highness. Order them replaced immediately. If possible, I'd rather have an elegant Bordeaux shade than this navy blue. Who wears navy curtains like this these days? No one does."
Then Olivia slowly turned to look at Mrs. Betty. The middle-aged woman, her cheeks flushed and swollen, simply lowered her eyes.
Mrs. Timberline covered her mouth with her finger and smiled with her eyes wide open.
Well then, that's right. If someone of commoner origin tells you to do something, you'll do it.
However, the Princess said something completely different.
“Mrs. Betty, according to the schedule you reported to me, today you were supposed to be working on the garden and replacing all the bedding with the mansion’s servants to prepare for winter. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You must be busy all day.”
“...”
“Go ahead and do what you have to do.”
“Yes? Then these curtains...?”
"There's so much to do, when will we even get around to fixing the curtains? We'll discuss that later. Bring some refreshments for Mrs. Timberline."
Mrs. Betty instinctively glanced at Mrs. Timberline's face behind Olivia. Her expression was utterly crumpled.
But she could only grumble, daring not to dare to obey the Princess's orders. Mrs. Betty quickly lowered her head.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Olivia took a slow, deep breath, then turned with a smile. She glanced at the lady's face, barely able to hold back her expression, and took the first step.
“Let’s go, Countess Timberline.”
Mrs. Timberline followed Olivia, trembling with a sense of humiliation. Finally, arriving at the Princess's study, Mrs. Timberline couldn't hide her raw emotion.
She maintained a very cynical expression and made the atmosphere cold.
But Olivia, regardless, brought the biographical dictionary she had handed her yesterday and placed it on the table before speaking.
“I appreciate your kindness, but if you have any concerns about the mansion, please let me know in the future.”
“There is so much to say that it is difficult to explain everything in detail.”
“Even so, please do so.”
Countess Timberline hesitated for a moment at her rather strong stance. I thought she was so weak-willed that she wouldn't dare say a word... Is this because she's so arrogant?
Mrs. Timberline tried to control her anger and opened her mouth calmly.
"Your Highness, you must first gain the trust of your closest subordinates. For example, Her Majesty the Queen has earned the trust of Lady Folsman, the head maid of honor."
“...”
"Just now, you ignored my proposal in front of everyone. Even if you didn't like my proposal, it wasn't right to act that way right then and there."
At that moment, Mrs. Betty appeared with a knock and served refreshments.
“Thank you, ma’am. Thank you for your hard work.”
"No, Your Highness. Call me anytime."
As Mrs. Betty bowed politely and disappeared, Olivia spoke.
“What do you think? Don’t you think I’ve earned her trust?”
"... Yes?"
When Countess Timberline asked again a little later, the Princess smiled even more deeply.
"Madam. Your role is to educate me on the ins and outs of noble society. I will wholeheartedly follow your teachings. However, matters within the mansion are a separate matter. If there's anything that needs to be fixed within the mansion, please let me know. It's my job to convey it to the servants."
“...”
"Didn't Madam say that yesterday? The most important thing is to know where my decision-making authority lies."
Countess Timberline blinked blankly, then nodded with a small laugh.
“Yes... That’s right.”
"The servants of this mansion are under my authority. You will not interfere, even at a moment's notice."
“...”
“Be careful in the future. Now, let’s begin class.”
Countess Timberline, who had lost the initiative in an instant, trembled her eyebrows and clenched her fist hidden in the hem of her skirt.
Her ashen eyes flashed fiercely.
“Yes. Then... let’s look at your posture again. Please stand up.”
Countess Timberline, as if venting her frustration, pushed Olivia forward. She tightened the corset a little more, preventing her from sitting for even a moment.
“Stand up straight, shoulders back! No, no, no. Try again, try again!”
Olivia took a slow breath and went back to the beginning.
Under the guise of a teacher chosen by the Queen, she acted as if she were going to burn Olivia.
The Princess, who seemed on the verge of tears, never frowned. Even with her face pale and pale, she practiced tenaciously.
Even the biographical dictionary that had been given to her yesterday had been memorized with a ghostly memory, so Countess Timberline was even more irritated.
“No, no!! Try walking again! Your knees are buckling, your knees!!”
The servants who had gone in to change the refreshments in the middle of the meal trembled all over their bodies at the sound of Mrs. Timberline's voice, as sharp as frost.
“Oh my goodness. She’s catching Her Highness, he’s catching her.”
"She keeps acting like that, making it impossible for Her Highness to sit down for even a moment. I'm sure she's acting like that because Her Highness didn't take her side this morning."
"If you pulled the hallway curtains back today, we'd all be sick. Isn't that a bit heavy?"
As the five-hour class passed, Mrs. Betty kept sighing and looking towards the room where the Princess and Mrs. Timberline were.
Even the words of passing servants made her feel uneasy.
After a moment of deliberation, Mrs. Betty carefully entered the room, dragging the tray. She pretended to replace the cold snacks while studying the Princess's face.
“...”
But before she could even look at it any further, the Princess was incredibly pale.
The Princess's share of refreshments was completely untouched, and only Mrs. Timberline's was empty.
As Mrs. Betty entered, Mrs. Timberline's voice became sharper, and she pressed Olivia.
“You have to do it right, Your Highness! Straighten your shoulders and back a little more!”
The sharp, irritated voice, thick with irritation and impatience, made her chest tighten just by hearing it. Mrs. Betty glanced at Olivia as she cleared away the refreshments.
“...?”
But her posture wasn't at all unusual. Although she was a maid, she had served the Prince and seen royalty many times. In her eyes, the Princess's appearance was simply orphaned, with no room for improvement.
Mrs. Betty bowed her head and quickly cleared away the refreshments. Her hands were trembling, so she had to hold her breath.
Olivia didn't even sit down until Mrs. Betty came out with a new set of refreshments.
And a moment later, a cold sweat began to trickle down Olivia's forehead. She felt dizzy, her vision spinning, and she felt out of breath even when still.
The world suddenly went dark, and a ringing in her ears. She felt like she would collapse if she lost her senses, so Olivia froze in place, eyes tightly shut.
Only then did Mrs. Timberline speak to her affectionately.
“Oh, you must be very tired.”
When Olivia slowly opened her eyes, she came over with a bright smile and supported her.
"Still, you've improved a lot. At first, I was at a loss as to where to start teaching you, but now it's not that bad. Now, please sit down and enjoy some refreshments."
Mrs. Timberline acted sweetly, as if she had never counted days.
"You must be hungry, right? But when you're too full, you become sluggish. Please understand, Your Highness."
Olivia didn't have the strength to respond. Her hands shook as she held the teacup, causing it to shake. Mrs. Timberline looked sharply at Olivia's fingertips and immediately pointed out the problem.
“Oh, the teacup and saucer are hitting each other and making a noise.”
“I’m so hungry that my hands are shaking.”
“Excuses are bad.”
Finally, Olivia put down her teacup and stared intently at Mrs. Timberline. Her eyes, as dark as the deep sea, felt distant.
After two days of dealing with Olivia, Mrs. Timberline realized that she was no pushover.
But Mrs. Timberline was determined to subdue the Princess's power and subjugate her. She whispered with a very gentle smile.
“Her Majesty the Queen has endured many hardships before I was appointed as your etiquette teacher.”
Olivia's movements stopped at the word Queen.
"Her Majesty the Queen attempted to arrange for many noble ladies of the capital to serve as Your Highness's etiquette tutor. Among them was my sister-in-law, the Marquis of Letium. However, none of them were successful."
Mrs. Timberline touched Olivia's sore spot.
"When Her Majesty contacted me... I was actually in a very difficult situation myself. The children are at a very demanding age. Nevertheless, I couldn't refuse Her Majesty's earnest request, so I came running. For Her Majesty's honor, I will do my best to teach you."
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