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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Stepping on Toes
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✵ ✵ ✵
Three days passed—
I was following the butler’s grueling schedule, studying dining etiquette, various social skills, and the history of art movements.
Dining etiquette was manageable since I already knew the basics, but the social skills—like how to hold a fan or place down a teacup—were on par with a secret spy language. More than once, I wanted to give up.
‘I used to go to plenty of social gatherings with my mother…’
And I had even endured getting my thighs pinched by a private tutor during my etiquette lessons.
But the butler’s lessons were on a completely different level than my mother’s haphazard teachings or the tutor’s subtle abuse.
‘Young Madam! How can you possibly not know what I just taught you!’
‘It was three seconds ago. Three seconds ago, I explained that opening a fan like that is rude…’
‘…You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Please, tell me you’re doing this on purpose!’
He tried to cram more information into my head even more relentlessly than when he taught me cursive, and when I couldn’t keep up, he would hound me with a look that was a mixture of sorrow, frustration, and agony.
‘…I’d rather be hit…’
The worst of these lessons was art.
The butler brought out paintings from the ‘Neo-Corporealism’ school, which Margaret Beaufort was currently obsessed with, and had me identify them. And they were truly…
“They’re all just paintings of naked people! For crying out loud!”
…It was just a festival of flesh tones.
At least, that’s how I saw it.
He’d go on about the delicate brushstrokes and what have you, but all I saw was a naked body here, a naked body there, and then over here, a naked body in a weird pose.
“A painting of a naked person, you say! This piece is worth a hundred and twenty thousand gold!”
“…?!”
Damn nobles.
If they were so desperate to see a naked body, why not just look at themselves in the mirror after a shower?
To think they’d pay 120,000 gold for that.
“Now, now… Let’s try again. We’ll start with the first painting. This artist, characterized by weighty expressions and dark colors, is…”
Why wouldn’t the butler give up on me? Why couldn’t he give up on the me that I’d already given up on?
“…The answer is?!”
“…Oh, oh, I know. Alex.”
“Anthony. Anthony! The style of late Anthony’s work changed significantly, so…!”
I quickly corrected myself before the butler’s nagging could continue.
“…Right. Anthony! That’s exactly what I was about to say. If you’d just given me three more seconds, I would have said it!”
“You’re lying!”
“Ahem! How insolent! To your Young Madam…!”
I put my hands on my hips with a disapproving *tsk*. But the butler just scoffed.
“And where did you learn to speak like that? Be quiet and let’s move on to the next painting!”
It wasn’t working.
Isn’t this how it’s done? You say, ‘Insolence! Do as I command!’ and your subordinates freeze in place. I thought that was the life of a high-and-mighty noble.
I had no idea it involved suffering like this, having to learn all these things… *Sob*.
As I was listening to the butler’s long, grandiloquent explanation, I spotted Nina walking outside the window and my eyes widened.
I quickly opened the window and called out.
“Oh, Nina! Goodness, my Rose says she’s hungry. What do you think about egg tarts for dessert today?”
I gave her a wink. Nina nodded. Ever since I told Nina she could sneak food away as long as she said it was for me, she had become very sincere about preparing my meals.
Behind me, I heard the butler sigh in despair.
“Young Madam! It hasn’t even been an hour since the art lesson began.”
“Eek! It’s already been an hour? No wonder my body feels so stiff. Oof…”
I stood up and pretended to stretch my arms and legs. Then, looking at the butler, I started imitating Rose’s voice.
“My Wose is hungwy!”
“…Young Madam!”
“Yes… my dear Rose, you’re hungry, aren’t you? I’m hungry too…”
Just as I muttered that nonsense and stepped into the hallway, Eric, having finished his training, was coming inside but stopped and flinched back when he saw me.
What’s your problem? See a monster or something?
Just then, the butler shouted from behind me.
“Young Madam! Just one more painting before you go… Please…!”
No! I don’t want to!
I grabbed the hand of the retreating Eric. Then, I shot a mischievous look at the butler and started walking toward the garden with Eric.
Eric’s face twisted as he asked.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“Ditching the butler. He has a bit of a soft spot for you, Young Lord, doesn’t he?”
It was a strange thing.
Back when I lived with the Wedgwoods, we had a similar steward—though calling him a butler would be a stretch—and that man couldn’t even be bothered to move unless the head of the family ordered him to.
But this butler, if I were to exaggerate a little, was like a nagging grandmother-in-law.
I saw the butler through the hallway window, a sad expression on his face.
Eric sighed.
“Stop tormenting the butler. I think he’s aged ten years since we got married.”
Seeing the look on the butler’s face as he watched Eric, I corrected my ‘grandmother-in-law’ thought. He wasn’t like a grandmother-in-law, but more like a pathetic ex-lover, full of lingering feelings long after a breakup.
The butler was making a face that said, ‘Our Young Master… you’ve gotten so thin…’
I glanced at Eric. His profile did indeed look a bit gaunt. He’d always had a large frame, but his face was lean with hardly any fat on it, and he seemed to have gotten even thinner these past few days.
‘Is the training that harsh?’
It made sense. Since the wedding, he was hardly ever home. Not to go out drinking and having fun, of course, but to go to the royal palace to assist with the Royal Knights’ training or to practice in the ducal estate’s training grounds.
He would leave at dawn before I was even awake, come home for dinner, and then lock himself in his study.
‘It’s nice that it solves our bedroom problem, but…’
He looked a little haggard.
I wondered, where on earth was Eric sleeping? He didn’t seem to be in a guest room, and there was no proper bed in the study…
No way.
I saw the deep shadows under Eric’s eyes.
The shadows under his eyes, unlike the kind that just made most men look shabby, added a layer of decadent beauty to his features. But decadent or not, he definitely didn’t look healthy.
I asked cautiously.
“…You haven’t been skipping sleep lately, have you?”
Eric flinched.
“What?”
“No reason. It’s just that you don’t seem to be sleeping anywhere. How is that possible? It’s not like you’re some legendary hero who can go days without sleep…”
“…Of course I can’t.”
Eric answered firmly.
“I’ve been sleeping in the study when I can. I’ve been a bit busy, so it’s hard to get a long night’s sleep…”
He looked genuinely tired. I felt a little sorry for him and said.
“Really? Then you should try that thing my mother gave me. She’s always been an expert when it comes to strange folk remedies…”
Eric shook his head.
“It’s not that bad.”
Fine, have it your way.
Once we were far enough that the butler was out of sight, I let go of Eric’s hand and climbed onto a large rock in a corner of the garden.
“Aah! The fresh air feels amazing!”
Eric stared at me for a moment before frowning.
“Do you hate studying that much?”
“Is there anyone who actually likes studying?”
When I asked, Eric subtly avoided my gaze.
Agh… that nerd… There’s one right here. Someone who likes studying.
I pouted and said.
“I especially hate the things the butler teaches.”
“Too bad. You’ll have to start practicing dancing with me soon.”
Dancing practice?
On top of all this other stuff I have to learn, now there’s dancing too? I shook my head vehemently.
“Why?!”
“We’ve been tasked with the first dance at the princess’s birthday party. Didn’t I tell you?”
…Did he?
The shock of having to go to the princess’s birthday party in the first place must have made me forget.
I waved my hands dismissively.
“Let’s just wing the dance. Who knows? I might have a natural talent for it. I’m the type who really feels the melody, you know.”
Right. Philip said dancing is all about letting your body go with the melody.
Eric retorted as if I’d said something utterly ridiculous.
“You don’t dance with talent, you dance with steps.”
I scoffed and crossed my arms. Then, I sent Eric a subtle look and asked.
“You know how to dance?”
“…?”
Eric looked at me as if he couldn’t believe my condescending gaze.
But I couldn’t imagine that proud, jaguar-like man sweeping across the dance floors of high society.
Eric sounded offended.
“I’m a swordsman who uses his body. Dancing is also about using your body.”
“Yes, yes… I’m sure you are.”
But as expected, Eric was an honest man. He had practically memorized all sorts of dance steps, and…
“Young Madam!”
The problem, as always, was me, the Young Madam.
Eric and I were in the ducal ballroom for our dance practice. The dance instructor was, of course, the butler, wearing a fearsome expression.
I could feel sweat beading on my palm where it was clasped in Eric’s. I quickly wiped it on my skirt, and just as I did, the butler began to count the beat.
“Alright, let’s try again. One…”
“…Aargh!”
I had stepped on Eric’s foot with my heel again. I grimaced and looked up at him.
How many times had it been now…?
But Eric simply said, his expression unchanged.
“Start with your right foot.”
“My head knew that, but what am I supposed to do if my right foot won’t move…”
“That’s what’s called having no coordination.”
Eric said with an arrogant look.
Should I pretend it’s a mistake and stomp on it a few more times? I considered it, but the thought was rather useless. I ended up stepping on his foot several more times during the rest of the practice.
By accident, of course, not on purpose.
“…Young Madam!”
The butler’s roar echoed through the room.
“Damn it…”
I sighed and once again wiped the sweat from my palm. Seeing this, Eric told the butler they should take a short break.
Then he checked my hand and asked.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling suffocated or something, like that time?”
Suffocated…?
Ah, that time.
I looked up at Eric’s concerned face.
It seemed he was talking about the day I was trapped in the princess’s strange room. Come to think of it, I did wonder why he never asked about me fainting that day…
