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Chapter 7: Et-tea-quette
🕑 Added 2024-07-25 06:21:57 +0000 UTCEtiquette: the exhausting set of unwritten rules you’re supposed to magically know to avoid embarrassing yourself. It’s the anxiety of picking the right fork at a fancy dinner and the nerve-wracking challenge of nailing the perfect greeting.
I thought corporate etiquette was bad, but aristocratic etiquette was on another level. From Carine’s memories, I could recall my previous lessons with Lady Maltine and how I easily aced them all.
But hey, that was pre-two-bodied-soul Carine. Could I still pull it off? I couldn’t risk messing up Carine’s spotless etiquette record. They'd suspect something was off.
Sure, I could blame the head injury, but I also remember Carine toughing it out through worse out of respect for Mother. Reading that memory made me worry about my life.
“Today we will mostly retrace our previous lessons, Lady Carine. I hope that doesn’t upset you.”
My eyes lit up.
Bingo! That was my saving grace!
If I could remember how to do the things Carine has done before, perhaps I could rely on muscle memory like the ‘perfect’ greeting I did before.
“Not at all, Lady Maltine. There's nothing wrong with going back to the basics.”
With my standing posture still on point, Lady Maltine guided me to the first lesson: Walking.
Didn’t I just go through this?
Walking alone was a tough thing for me to learn, what’ll I do with this whole elegant walk thing? Walking should just be putting one foot in front of the other, right? Why should we complicate things?!
Sadly, there was an entire manual on how to walk like a noble, and Lady Maltine had no intention of letting me skip any pages.
Lady Maltine instructed me to walk a lap around the room. I stood at the entrance door and closed my eyes to focus.
I tried to remember how Carine would usually walk, recalling how my legs would move with each step, how to keep my chest up, etc. After that mental pep talk, I took my first step.
And then another.
And then another.
And then another.
What the heck, this is easy!!
Surprisingly, It was smooth sailing. Muscle memory for the win, baby!
“Flawless as usual, I see. Well then,” Lady Maltine remarked, her tone filled with approval. She picked up a delicate cup of tea filled to the brim from her table and approached me, balancing it on my perfectly still head.
Wait, what are you doing?
“Another lap would suffice for this part of the lesson. Don’t spill a drop, Lady Carine~!”
Are you kidding me?!
Balancing a cup of tea on my head while walking? This was a disaster waiting to happen.
I couldn't afford to show any hesitation or fear. With a deep breath, I prepared for the next challenge, praying that my newfound confidence wouldn't shatter like the fragile china atop my head.
Summoning every ounce of concentration, I started my lap around the room again, feeling the delicate cup swaying atop my head with each step. One wrong move and I would be drenched.
Miraculously, I completed the lap without incident. The cup remained steadfast on my head and not a drop of tea touched my hair. Relief washed over me as I returned to Lady Maltine's side.
That one took more than just muscle memory, yet I still did it flawlessly. Is this really just muscle memory? I pondered.
“Well done, Lady Carine,” she praised, a hint of surprise in her voice. “You have a remarkable sense of balance. It seems we can move on to the next lesson.”
Next up was sitting. You’d think plopping down on a chair wouldn’t require a tutorial, but you’d be mistaken. It’s all about angles and grace! One wrong move and you’re a peasant.
Again, thanks to Carine’s memories, my body knew what to do. I slid into the seat with the precision of a well-oiled machine.
“Yes, the perfect posture, Lady Carine,” Lady Maltine praised. “Remember that you are not just another aristocrat, you are the sole inheritor of the Sareid name. Carry that honor with you even in the way you sit.”
“Y-yes, Lady Maltine.”
“Now, do you remember how to pick up cups properly, Lady Carine?”
And there it is.
I reluctantly nodded. “Yes, Lady Maltine.”
If I remember correctly, you should be able to pick up cups, plates, or other things from the table in front of you without causing any sounds. No clinks, no thuds, bla bla bla.
As Lady Maltine watched expectantly, I reached for the delicate teacup and saucer placed before me. With careful precision, I lifted the cup from its saucer, ensuring not a single sound escaped.
I took a small, graceful sip from the cup and–
Damn, it’s bitter as hell.
It took a bit of an effort not to scrunch up my face. After successfully taking a sip without incident, I returned the cup to its saucer with practiced ease. Not a drop spilled, not a sound made.
Lady Maltine nodded approvingly. “Well done, Lady Carine. You have demonstrated excellent control and finesse. As expected of the daughter of the duke himself. Let us move on to the next lesson, shall we?”
The third lesson, huh? There better not be tea involved–
“The next lesson is the art of the tea ceremony.”
Goddammit.
Sure, I was pissed that I had to deal with tea again, but there was an even bigger problem than that. This was a lesson Carine had never done before.
I was screwed.
Hoo boy, what am I gonna do?
Without muscle memory to lean on, I was flying blind. I couldn’t mess up; Carine’s reputation was on the line.
“In our typical training, we cover everything from crafting the perfect invitation to mastering the art of brewing tea. However, considering both our busy schedules, let's streamline our focus solely on the presentation of our already brewed tea.”
That was a slight relief, but it was still something Carine had never done before. I seriously couldn’t recall a single moment where I picked up a teapot and poured tea myself. All I could remember was Leila taking away the pot so that she could pour it for me.
Curse you overly reliable maid!!
“Shall we begin?”
I let out a silent sigh. “Yes, Lady Maltine.”
“Very well, then I shall give a demonstration.”
Without any other source of information, I focused heavily on watching Lady Maltine’s demonstration.
Lady Maltine raised from her seat as she reached for the porcelain teapot. With precision, she tilted the pot, allowing a smooth stream of tea to flow into a cup. Her posture remained flawless, back straight, chin up.
Not a single drop spilled as she elegantly placed the teapot back onto the table without a thud. She smoothly slid the filled cup of tea onto my side of the table.
As I watched, a strange confidence washed over me. My arms, my back, every part of my body felt like it was ready to mimic Lady Maltine’s movement.
That’s weird, I was shaking in my boots just seconds ago…
“Now, you try,” she said.
I took a deep breath, channeling the weird confidence I felt. I picked up the teapot and mimicked her actions. To my astonishment, I moved with the same grace. Each step was executed perfectly as if I’d been doing it for years.
W-wha?
Lady Maltine smiled, clearly impressed. “Excellent, Lady Carine. You’ve surpassed my expectations once again! May I ask, have you been practicing with another in secret by any chance?”
“N-no. This is my first time.”
Lady Maltine widened her eyes in surprise. She clasped her hands softly as she said, “Oh, truly wonderful, Lady Carine. Your perfect elegance is something to behold.”
“Y-yes…”
This isn’t even muscle memory anymore, what is going on?!
