Episode 11: Education of the Duchess

The path to becoming a duchess was not an easy one for Fiene.

“No, that’s wrong! Your hand should be like this!”

“Yes!”

She learned table manners, refined gestures during idle times, and underwent training to acquire the demeanor and culture befitting a lady.

“Your posture is slouching! Straighten your back more!”

“Yes!”

Elsie’s rigorous guidance sometimes continued late into the night, and Fiene, despite enduring sleepiness, managed to keep up with her instructions.

During Elsie’s absence, Lin took over the manners training.

“No, you can’t hold it like that.”

“Yes!”

Fiene faced daily fatigue, redoing things she couldn’t get right over and over again. Even during non-instructional hours, she practiced using knives and forks or walked in the hallway in heels.

Despite her feet suffering from blisters due to the heels, she continued practicing until midnight, applying gauze to alleviate the friction.

“Lin, how is she doing?”

“Welcome back, Elsie-sama. Apart from our practice time, Fiene-sama is diligently training herself.”

The sound of someone struggling to walk in heels could be heard from a distance in the corridor.

“She’s quite resilient, isn’t she?”

“Yes, to my knowledge, she hasn’t uttered a single complaint.”

“Only five days left… I hope she makes it…”

Fiene woke up at 5 am for training, sometimes practicing until 2 am at night. Lin, watching Fiene sleep peacefully in her bed, observed her sleeping face intently.

Then, sensing the door opening slowly, Lin unconsciously tensed and focused her gaze.

“Lin.”

“Oz-sama.”

“Shh! Is Fiene asleep?”

“Yes.”

Relieved by those words, Oz smiled and approached Fiene’s sleeping bed. He gently stroked her hair and gave her a light kiss on the forehead.

“Goodnight, Fiene.”

“Oz-sama, you haven’t been sleeping much lately, have you?”

Lin had noticed the lights in his office staying on until late at night for several days.

“I can’t hide anything from you, can I? Don’t worry; I’m a vampire, so I’m used to the night.”

“Then at least rest until noon.”

“I’ll consider it. Thank you.”

Saying so, Oz left the room.

“You two are quite similar, aren’t you?”

Lin quietly turned off the lights and left the room.

[One-word Corner]

Author Note:

Manners cover a wide range of aspects. We’ve covered table manners, walking practice, and also studied etiquette. However, we’re prioritizing the manners necessary for the public debut of the duchess.