I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 138
#138 The Chatterbox's Teacher Version
Two days after the tailor arrived, the etiquette teacher whom Leonard of the Miller Merchant Guild mentioned having studied under long ago finally arrived.
It seemed they had come straight to the inn after hearing the location from the guild. When someone knocked on the door and Joo-hwan went out, he found two elderly people standing there who looked entirely out of place in the shabby inn.
A man and a woman—perhaps a married couple.
Both had hair and eyebrows so white that it was impossible to guess their age.
Since Leonard said he had been educated by them when he was young, Joo-hwan expected them to be old, but they looked much older than he had imagined. It seemed as if time itself was hanging heavily from every deep wrinkle on their faces.
Their clothing was modest, but the fabric was of high quality. It was something even someone as uninformed as Joo-hwan could recognize.
The elderly couple didn't look intimidated at all upon seeing Joo-hwan.
In the dark hallway of the inn, his appearance looked even more rugged and terrifying. However, the elderly man and woman didn't even flinch. For some reason, it was Joo-hwan who flinched instead.
The old man's gaze slid over Joo-hwan's face, shoulders, arms, and legs as if scanning him, and then he spoke quietly.
"Your legs are crooked. There is a knack for placing your feet as well.
First, put strength into your lower back above the hips and relax your shoulders.
Are you aware that you are unconsciously frowning? It is proof that unnecessary tension is held in your body. I heard you possess mana. If so, it is especially important to learn the knack of relaxing your body. You will be able to let your mana flow outward more naturally."
Ah, this seemed to be the strict noble version. As if noticing Joo-hwan's stiffening posture, the old man continued quietly.
"Your thoughts show plainly on your face. Among commoners, it wouldn't be a problem. They would likely think you are expressionless. However, nobles are people sensitive to observing and guessing an opponent's aura. What you are thinking is revealed in an instant. If you do not fix this, you will find yourself standing naked before the nobility."
Lizi, who was peeking out from behind Joo-hwan, let out a small gasp.
She also seemed intimidated by the old man's inexplicable aura.
The woman standing next to the old man looked at Lizi with a strict gaze.
"The gentleman's movements are not crude. However, your movements are very clumsy. It seems you have learned something on top of a commoner's foundation, but you must forget it all. It is not a method that suits you."
She had likely realized that Lizi was imitating Annette's movements.
"Excuse me."
The old lady stepped a bit closer and reached out to gently lift Lizi's chin.
"A lovely appearance. That is a good thing. Nobles have etiquette ingrained in their bodies from birth. A commoner cannot master that overnight. A certain amount of deception is required. However, with this type of delicate and lovely appearance, it is a bit easier to deceive the eye."
Ah, this was the female version. Lizi seemed to think so too. When her eyes met Joo-hwan's, she nodded even though he hadn't said a word.
Dorothy, who was poking her head out between Joo-hwan and Lizi, said with a dazed expression.
"Are this grandpa and grandma dolls? Their faces don't move."
"...."
It was difficult to answer. Come to think of it, Joo-hwan didn't think he had ever taught her that she shouldn't call people dolls to their faces. He wondered if he should start educating her on that front soon. It was still a bit difficult to gauge how much of a child's honesty should be permitted.
As Joo-hwan and Lizi only made troubled expressions, Dorothy seemed to think they didn't believe her. She looked up at Joo-hwan with a serious face.
"Daddy, it's true! Their eyes and noses don't move, but their mouths open just a little like this, and words come out. It's super amazing."
The old lady looked down at Dorothy with a stern face.
"The child is a problem. I have handled etiquette education for a long time, but even noble children are difficult. Let alone a commoner child; this will not be an easy task."
When the old lady held out her hand, Dorothy took a step forward.
Tilting her head, Dorothy reached out her hand.
"Too rough. This is not the behavior of a girl. However, for something so coarse, it strangely catches the eye."
The old lady looked at the old man beside her. Their gazes met for a moment, and then they simultaneously turned toward Joo-hwan.
"If you have the time, we would like to devise a strategy now."
I heard they were etiquette teachers, but what strategy? Joo-hwan wanted to ask, but he couldn't say anything.
For some reason, standing before the two of them made him feel like an elementary school student. It felt like he had been dragged before the principal after breaking a window while playing soccer.
Joo-hwan took a step back and opened the door wide.
"My apologies. Please, come in."
The old man stared at Joo-hwan's face for a moment and then smirked.
"Your way of speaking is unique. At first listen, it sounds like a noble's, but it is subtly different."
That was to be expected. Since he was someone from Earth who had learned and was imitating noble speech.
"This might become a strength. It will allow you to escape the disparaging gaze of being 'a commoner imitating a noble.'"
He had been saying nothing but very difficult things since a moment ago. Joo-hwan sighed inwardly. What was supposed to be a simple matter of attending a party to get permission to scout the forest was becoming increasingly complicated.
Once the two elderly people entered the room, there was almost no empty space left.
Joo-hwan's family and the elderly couple sat on the two beds facing each other.
The old man spoke.
"Nobility is a matter of bloodline. You belong to it from birth. Because of that, there is a tendency to exclude those who enter noble society from the outside. Even if it doesn't appear so on the surface, a wall exists. Therefore, before you set foot into noble society, there is something you must absolutely consider."
Keeping his back perfectly straight, the old man shifted his gaze slightly to look at Lizi and Dorothy.
"I heard from Mr. Leonard of the Miller Merchant Guild that there is a possibility you may become a noble in the future. Either as a one-generation Baron or by entering another noble family through marriage."
The old man turned his head away from Lizi and stared intently into Joo-hwan's eyes. It was as if he were trying to discern if there was any falsehood in his pupils.
"Do you intend to become a noble or live in noble society in the future?
Depending on that, the things we must teach you will change. Please think carefully before you answer."
The answer to that was already decided.
Lizi looked up at Joo-hwan with large, anxious eyes. Gently taking her hand, Joo-hwan spoke.
"I have no intention of becoming a noble. I don't want to live in a complicated and noisy society, worrying about miscellaneous things. I want to spend my time solely with my family. However, I do have the desire to obtain power that neither nobles nor anyone else can coerce. I don't want to live my life being tossed about as the nobility dictates."
The old man nodded.
"I see. Understood. In that case, it would be better to put your efforts into the period after the first day of the party rather than the first day itself."
"The Margrave's party held at this time of year is for the hunting season. It is held the day before the hunt begins."
The old man smiled, his well-shaped lips curling slightly.
"It seems the Margrave has been quite considerate of you in his own way."
According to the old man, the country's hunting season usually starts after September, typically around October.
However, the Margraviate was a region where many magic beasts appeared. Because of that, they held another hunting season when spring arrived.
The Margrave's current party signaled its beginning. Starting from the party, the nobles' hunt for magic beasts would begin around the major cities of the Margraviate.
"At an ordinary noble party, you and your family would have no chance to recover if you were ridiculed. But a magic beast hunt is different. You can flaunt a powerful strength that no one can ignore."
"Then it is something to be grateful for."
When Joo-hwan spoke, the old man continued quietly.
"That is what is called a noble's 'bestowing of favor.'"
"Bestowing of favor?"
"Yes. Aside from visible contracts or power hierarchies, it's about subtly providing help or kindness. Half of noble society is formed through the bestowing of favors."
The basic principle of bestowing favor was to repay one received with something similar. Some were related to life or honor, but there were also minor considerations.
It wasn't like a debt or a contract. The old man said there was no compulsion.
"What happens if one receives such consideration and does not repay it?"
"What would you do if someone borrowed money from you and didn't pay it back?"
The old man asked.
"Well, I wouldn't lend them money again."
"Exactly. And the people around you would do the same. No one wants to lose their money. The bestowing of favor is the same. The moment you are evaluated as someone who does not repay, you will no longer be able to receive help or consideration from any noble. You will become someone avoided in both contracts and personal relationships."
At the old man's following words, Joo-hwan's head already began to throb.
Repaying something received was the same in normal society, but according to the old man's explanation, the noble's bestowing of favor was not such a cute thing.
If one left many small favors unpaid and let them accumulate, there were cases where one would have to repay with something unexpectedly heavy.
"It is almost impossible to avoid the bestowing of favors. It can occur by chance in any relationship. So, once you think you've received one, it's best to repay it quickly before the other party makes an unusual demand.
Do not forget. A noble's bestowing of favor is sometimes used very cunningly."
Ah, really, he didn't want to go to the Margrave's party anymore.
The elderly couple listened to Lizi's pronunciation a few more times and then smiled broadly.
"We were a bit worried before coming here, but it seems it will be fine. Lizi, your pronunciation is more broken than your husband's, but you've mastered something more high-class than expected. If you hadn't mastered noble pronunciation at all, we were going to have you spend most of the party just smiling. But it seems that won't be necessary."
It seemed what she learned from Annette had been of some help.
"However, there are too many awkward parts in your movements. They don't suit you either. From now on, watch my actions carefully and follow them."
At the old lady's subsequent actions, both Joo-hwan and Lizi's mouths fell open.
The old lady, who had been like a block of wood until a moment ago, shrugged her shoulders slightly and smiled like a butterfly fluttering its wings before landing on a flower.
She was so elegant and beautiful that it seemed as if the wrinkles covering her face had vanished for an instant.
"This is a woman's smile. Lizi, you will be practicing this from now on."
With her face returning to its wood-like state, the old lady spoke. Lizi nodded, her eyes sparkling.
"Yes, Madame."
"Crude. Lower your head a bit more slowly, and only once."
Unlike Joo-hwan, who only thought things had become a headache, Lizi seemed to have been moved. She was following the old lady's words obediently with a bright smile.
"As for the child, there is too little time to begin education now. If we try to force a stiff education, there's a possibility we'll only strip away her current vitality and make her look pitiful."
The old lady looked down at Dorothy and gave an elegant smile.
"I heard this child is registered as a Magic Beast Tamer. Rather than packaging her as a young lady she isn't, it's better to go in that direction."
Looking at Oz on top of Dorothy's head, the old man smiled this time.
"Let's dress this child in boy's clothing. Now, shall we decide on the direction for the two of you? Once the image is decided, we will handle the consultation with the tailor."
At the words the elderly couple spoke with smiles, this time Joo-hwan and Lizi's faces stiffened.
They thought they were just getting one set of clothes made, but they were told they would be getting at least ten sets or more.
Basically, the clothes worn during the day and night were different, and the clothes for the hunting grounds and the indoor party had to be distinguished. Since the hunt would last for several days, they had to prepare different clothes to wear every day during that period.
Only after deciding which clothes would be worn where and when, and what kind of image they wanted to project, would the tailor design and produce them accordingly.
It wasn't just about the clothes, either. The accompanying underwear, shoes, and accessories were all prepared differently according to the shape and color of the outfit.
When Joo-hwan mentioned that the tailor had already started working, the old man shook his head with a smile.
"That tailor is likely selecting fabrics that match your image right about now. The design hasn't even started yet. That only begins after it's decided what kind of image Mr. Joo-hwan will carry. He is probably waiting for us to arrive and consult with him."
Apparently, that was how the work was originally done.
"Jewelry is also necessary. We've decided to borrow that from the Miller Merchant Guild once the clothes are decided."
Joo-hwan let out a sigh without realizing it.
"Receiving help from the two of you, borrowing jewelry.... That would also be a 'bestowing of favor,' wouldn't it?"
The old man laughed.
"You are a quick learner. Indeed."
"I received clothes and items embroidered with the family crest from the Margrave of Berne. Is that also a bestowing of favor?"
"No. I heard the Margrave said he was providing them without any compensation. That is an expression of intent that he is not 'bestowing favor.' It means he truly expects nothing in return."
The old man smirked.
"Of course, how the person receiving it thinks is another matter entirely."
"Sigh."
A sigh escaped him.
From that day on, the elderly couple stayed by the side of Joo-hwan, Lizi, and Dorothy for most of the day. Who could know the feeling of being monitored and criticized 24 hours a day? A single movement of reaching out to eat would take an hour. It was much harder than he had imagined. He thought catching magic beasts would actually be easier.
*
After about a month had passed, and the hunting season was about to begin, the carriage sent by the Margrave arrived.
Finally—at the thought that the tedious etiquette education was finally over, he felt so glad he could almost cry.
