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Chapter 13: Skipping Out
🕑 Added 2024-07-25 09:36:33 +0000 UTCLeila escorted me to the dining room. There, both of my parents were already seated.
I had a good recollection of their appearance, personality, how they treated me. But this was technically my first time meeting them.
Father—known by many as Duke Kyrat Sareid—was a man of dignity. He has black, graying hair and a short yet glorious beard. He wore a distinguished dark blue suit which looked meticulously tidy.
Mother—Duchess Reina Sareid—was a woman of strictness. Her dark blue hair was tied in an elegant braid. She wore a simple yet elegant dress coated in black with blue accents all over, it was something you would wear for a party, not a family lunch.
Blue hair, huh? I guess that sort of thing is natural for a fantasy world, but it was still jarring—yet surprisingly natural—seeing it firsthand.
Chefs started pouring in from the doors, each holding a tray of their own. They presented a large assortment of food, the main dish being steak.
My mouth could almost drool just from the mere sight of it. The fact that Feyt was exhausted doesn’t help either. I couldn’t wait to just chow down on the meat, but of course, I am Carine, the daughter of a Duke, can’t just dig in willy-nilly.
We started our meal with a warm soup as an appetizer. It was good, but I felt that the soup Mom made was much better.
After that, it was a small plate of salad, which tasted surprisingly meh. Mayonnaise has not yet been invented it seemed.
The three of us ate silently. The atmosphere wasn’t tense or anything, it was just how things usually go during our family lunch.
It was still a surreal experience. The two people in front of me were my parents.
But the fact that I had three memories made it feel… strange.
“Carine dear?” Mother asked, turning her head towards me. “Are you alright? You haven’t finished your salad.”
“Huh?”
I looked down to see my salad still half-full. On the other hand, both Father's and Mother’s plates were clean.
Dammit, I spaced out again.
“Sorry, I’ll continue.”
I began eating the salad at a slightly faster pace, trying my best to keep up the elegant facade.
“Carine’s clearly not well, Reina,” Father said, shaking his head. “Why don’t we cancel the dance lesson and let her rest her head for today?”
Ooooh!! Father! You’re making some good points there!
“That is simply impossible.” Mother took a sip from her wine glass, holding onto it as she spoke. “The instructor just arrived at this hour, and we cannot afford to disrupt the schedule. Moreover, Carine must prepare thoroughly for her Debutante.”
“But that’s not for another two years! What about her head injury? Surely she couldn’t dance with that!”
“I already had a chat with the doctors. It was only a bump, she’s been far through worse.”
“It’s hopeless to talk to you. I know you love to be harsh with your students, but Carine is our one and only daughter.”
“Which is precisely why I want the best for her!”
Somehow, I feel like I’m not even here.
I silently ate my salad as the two continued to argue over my well-being.
“Oh, and speaking of harsh, when is Jonas’s next appointment?”
“Jonas? Ah, the one who hit Carine. Don’t worry, I plan on suspending him for a month and sending the medical bill to his house.”
Mother’s wine glass cracked under her nails. The air turned cold. “Haha, darling, surely you jest. Don’t you dare suspend him, make sure he attends class tomorrow.”
Father looked on worryingly. “W-why?”
“Personal training,” Mother said, a smile creeping onto her face, one that sent a shiver down my spine.
When I was done with my salad, I could finally eat the steak. But the air in the room was so thick, I could barely enjoy it.
I finished the steak faster than I expected, and I was actually thankful for it.
Father and Mother had finished their argument, with Mother coming out on top. Which means I still had to attend a dance lesson.
“Carine dear?” Mother called out.
“Y-yes?!” I almost yelped.
She leaned in towards me with a handkerchief, wiping the sides of my mouth gently. “You should eat with more care, my dear. Think about your dignity.”
“T-thanks, Mother.”
Almost instantly, the tense atmosphere softened and warmed around me.
The power of maternal love is scary.
“Tell me, dear. Do you need truly need rest?” Mother said, caressing my bandage softly.
Mother’s question was unexpected, it wasn’t like her at all to ask that. But I wasn’t going to let the opportunity slide.
The faster the dance lesson was canceled, the longer I could stay in the library and research all I wanted.
My instincts were telling me it was a bad idea to ask for rest from Mother. However, I was desperate for free time, so I ignored it.
“Yes, I do need a little bit of rest, if that is alright with you, Mother.”
“I see.” Mother leaned away and tucked her handkerchief away, she then clapped her hand twice. “Leila.”
“Yes, My Lady?” The maid who appeared out of nowhere said.
When did she even enter the room? I thought she was outside.
“After Carine’s dance lesson, please send her to her room and ensure no one goes in or out of the room.”
…W-wait.
“You may bring her to dinner tonight. But other than that, keep her inside so she could rest properly.”
Leila bowed. “Understood.”
Ah, my entire free time was murdered by Mother, right in front of my eyes.
I shouldn’t have said anything, should’ve trusted my instinct, and said no. I just had to get impatient and get things quick huh?
Damn you teenage hormones!!
Wait a minute… getting things quick?
I got an idea.
—
After lunch, I was given a short rest and then I was pulled into my next lesson. The dance lesson.
It was… anti-climactic, to say the least.
I danced with a “kingdom-renowned” dance instructor but I didn’t quite catch her name. Did she ever even introduce herself?
Thanks to my abnormally sharp eyes, I could copy the instructor’s movements perfectly. Even without her demonstration, muscle memory from years of training kept me going well enough to for me to keep up.
I wanted to end things quickly, so I made sure to do well in this lesson.
Not an hour passed and I had already mastered all the dance routines she wanted to teach me. I was on my way to becoming a master ballroom dancer, but that wasn’t really my goal.
“Are we done here, instructor?”
“W-well, yes. I didn’t expect you to learn all that in an hour but…”
Good, her confirmation was all I needed.
“If that is all, I shall take my leave.”
I bowed gracefully and turned towards the door.
“Wait! We’re supposed to train for another hour, aren’t we?”
That’s right, that means an hour of free time! Woohoo!
I turned my heel and faced the instructor. “Instructor, I have learned what I needed. If there’s nothing else, I suggest that you unwind. It must’ve been a long way here, right? I’m sure Father and Mother wouldn’t mind letting your esteemed self use our entertainment facilities on the second floor.”
Without waiting for a response, I gave a bow and walked out. Not wasting a single heartbeat, I immediately headed down the hallway to the library.
It was a short walk since the dance room was on the ground floor, the same as the library.
None of the staff seemed to mind my presence as I approached the library door.
This was it, I could finally read about my Talents and learn my strengths!
I pulled on the door.
It shuddered.
I pushed it instead.
Still, no budge.
I stared at it for a moment, my hand still on the two handles, and tried pushing again with a bit more force.
Nothing.
No, it couldn’t be.
I tried turning the handles one last time, then reality struck me.
The door was locked.
All my life left my eyes as I muttered, “You gotta be kidding me.”
“Is something the matter, Lady Carine?”
“Gyagh?!” I whirled around so fast that I nearly snapped my neck. Standing behind me, with her usual blank expression, was none other than Leila.
“L-Leila, is it? You scared me…”
Who is this woman?! Even with my sharp eyes, she could sneak behind me like she was one with the wind!
Leila straightened her posture. “Are you visiting the library, Lady Carine? I thought you were attending your dance lesson.”
“Yes, I have learned all the instructor could teach. I have given her permission to use the second floor’s various entertainment, could you pass that along to the other staff?”
“Do not worry, I already did.”
You already—what?! But I just left the—
“Putting her aside, I must apologize, but the library is currently closed. The staff is inside conducting the weekly cleaning."
“Oh, is that so? Could I still enter? I'll do my best not to disturb their work."
Leila hesitated, then shook her head gently. "It's not just about the disturbance, my lady. The dust from the cleaning can be quite bothersome. Surely, you wouldn't want to read in such an environment."
Oh yeah, that does sound annoying. But I can’t wait anymore! I want to know what kind of powers I have in this world!
“I won’t be bothered by such a minor thing, Leila. Could you open the door please?”
Leila remained silent for a few seconds before bowing. “Understood.”
Taking out a jumble of keys from her maid uniform’s pocket, Leila opened the library door for me.
“Thank you, Leila!”
I could almost hug you! Almost…
With a gleeful yet elegant pace, I stepped into the library.
