episode_0560

Two months have passed since I started taking basic training to become Ethan’s wife, or more precisely, a Duchess.

What is politics? What is economics? Why is it that no matter how much you learn about those damn etiquettes, there is no end to it?

These days, I feel like I’m studying more than when I was attending Luminor Academy. No, maybe even more than when I was a student living in South Korea.

Except for mealtimes, bathtime, and sleeptime, it was mostly education and study. If there was a stress level in 『Luminor Academy』, wouldn’t my level have reached the peak by now?

But the reason I don’t go crazy and overturn things is because I’m only looking at the final result: my marriage to Ethan.

‘It’s too good to give up here.’

Of course, even if I were to tell Melissa and Dietmeyer at some point, “I can’t do this anymore,” and screw it up in real life, the wedding wouldn’t be cancelled or anything.

Eris will soon be two years old, and since we were practically a formal married couple at the Academy, most of the other nobles, except for people like Agnes Nariji, thought of me and Ethan as a married couple.

So now I can’t just undo Ethan and I’s marriage… but I have no intention of failing in my duties.

In the first place, Ethan sacrificed a lot to marry me. She turned a commoner maid into a noble daughter, took a leave of absence from the academy, and even promised me not to take a second wife or concubine.

In noble families, concubines are often used as a means of showing ties with other families, so for Edan, it was like losing a weapon that could have been used as a political element because of his stubbornness.

In that case, it was ultimately my role to fill that void. At the very least, I had to let other people know why they chose ‘Jun Nam-jak Young-ae’ as their wife.

… If I don’t act like a proper Duchess, Ethan will surely hear what I say behind my back.

‘No matter what, I can’t let Ethan be called a lecherous person who married the Baron Youngae because of her breasts.’

… Of course, it is true that the first relationship started from the heart, and it is also true that I played a lewd prank on my wife at the graduation ceremony.

Still, if possible, I hope we can keep that as a secret between the two of us until the end.

⁎⁎⁎

“Long time no see, Lilith!”

“Oh my, who is this? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Miss Lizzy. Didn’t it take you long to come this far?”

“… Yes? Oh, yes. When you run a business, you often have to go back and forth between the East and West of the Empire. And since you’re coming to see Lilith, of course you have to show your face in person. How have you been? ”

“Thanks to you, I’m doing well. Although Ethan is busy every day, Blackwood Estate itself is peaceful. I sincerely thank you for coming to see me in person, Lizzy. ”

“Ah, yes… .”

… I guess there was nothing wrong. I did as much as I could with what Melissa taught me.

Of course I had to be careful with every word I said, and I used words that were as polite as possible. I even added a slightly forced smile, which I don’t usually do.

“By the way, Lilith’s hair style has changed? I think she had short hair the last time I saw her. When did you grow it out so much?”

“It hasn’t been that long since I grew it out. I originally kept it short because it was too much trouble to take care of, but I thought it would look good if I grew it out long at least once to wear a wedding dress. What do you think? Doesn’t it look awkward? ”

“… The hairstyle isn’t particularly awkward, and it suits you well.”

“I’m glad you said that. Actually, it was a little hard at first because I wasn’t used to it? I barely got used to how to comb my hair thanks to the maids. Come to think of it, Miss Lizzy, don’t you think about changing your hairstyle? ”

“… Lee, release?”

“Please speak, Miss Lizzy.”

“… Did I do something wrong to Lilith?”

“… … Yes?”

As I was talking to her, trying my best to use the conversation skills I learned from Melissa, Lizzy suddenly started to look at me.

Seeing her really embarrassed look, I couldn’t help but have many thoughts.

“What’s wrong? I always feel nothing but gratitude towards Ms. Sang-Ji-Yang. Of course, I always receive help from her. And whenever she comes to see me in person like this, I can’t tell you how happy I am.”

“I, I was wrong, Release. If there’s anything you don’t like, I’ll fix it, so, can you stop it…?”

“Yes…? I don’t understand what you mean, Miss Lizzy?”

“That, that’s what I’m talking about! Ah, why have you been trying to distance yourself from me all this time?! You didn’t say anything like that until two months ago! I, I did something to Lilith that you didn’t like, so that’s why you’re talking to me like that… !”

“Oh, no… .I didn’t mean it that way… .”

“Hey, is it because you rejected my offer to climb Baramgol Hill together last time?! Ha, but I really had to leave early back then… .”

“… That’s not it, Miss Lizzy. I didn’t mean to change my tone, but I apologize if you felt that way. ”

“… … Yes?”

I was planning to test my etiquette against the young lady of a noble family, but it ended up having the opposite effect.

I guess it can’t be helped since we were close friends during our academy days. If I think about it, I think I’d be a little embarrassed if Na Do-ri’s speech suddenly changed like this.

Before any misunderstandings arise, I told her about the education I have been receiving from the Blackwood family recently. I am learning as much as I can about the etiquette befitting a duchess in preparation for the wedding, which is about half a year away, and I have been using what I have learned on Jeonriji.

“Then, why did you suddenly start talking so distantly? ”

“I was just following the general etiquette of a nobleman. To begin with, how much would I have learned as a young lady of a baronet? I am learning it in a hurry, but to be honest, I feel so awkward I could die. ”

“Oh, I see… . Hahaha… .”

Lizzy sighed as if relieved to see my speech returning to normal.

I should also be careful when talking to Agnes or other acquaintances. If I make a mistake, I might end up practicing noble etiquette and lose a precious friend.

“So, how was it?”

“Now that I hear it like that, I guess it wasn’t so bad. I’m also in the lead-up to the release, so I speak comfortably like this, but I intentionally use a stiff tone in other places so as not to be nitpicked. It did seem like I learned manners a bit hurriedly in some words… but I don’t think it’s to the point where you can really find fault with them. ”

“To what extent do you mean by “to the extent of forcibly finding fault”?”

“Hmm… It would be faster if you learned it yourself rather than explaining it in words. Now, I’m going to say something random, so you can find something that’s strange about the release?”

“Yes, Miss Lizzy”

“I bought and used the bath soap sold at Triana Store a few days ago. It smelled so good, didn’t you? If you don’t mind, would you like to share some with Release?”

Even if I’ve only recently learned aristocratic etiquette, I can at least know this much. I overtly heard from Melissa that there were several ‘words a Duchess should never use’.

“It should be ‘body soap’ instead of ‘bath soap’, ‘fragrance’ instead of ‘smell’, ‘I bought it and tried it’ instead of ‘I bought it and tried it’, right? ”

“Well, you can just change the basic words to that extent, but if you say it like that, you’ll just give ladies a good excuse to gossip behind your back.”

“… … Yes?”

Unlike me, who confidently blurted out the answer, Lizzy shook her head as if she still didn’t like it.

I was flustered, not knowing what part was wrong, so she immediately started explaining to me the mistakes in the sentences I had just said, one by one.

“First of all, it’s better not to use the expression ‘a few days ago’. If you say it like that, it makes it sound like you remember the exact date you started using Sechi Shin Yong Soap. It’s perfect for gossiping that you’re a country bumpkin who remembers the date because you felt good just because you changed the soap a little.”

“… Is that how it is?”

“Rather than ‘a few days ago’, it’s better to say ‘a while ago’, and if you don’t want to get caught, it’s better to just say ‘recently’.”

“Oh, I see… . I learned another one… .”

“And the problem isn’t changing the word ‘I bought it and tried it’, but the fact that you say it like that is the problem. In the first place, if you’re a duchess, it’s not your role to buy the soap, it’s your servant’s role. Even if you did buy it yourself, you should tell other people something like ‘I heard the maid started using a new soap a while ago’. ”

“Oh, is that so… .”

“Asking “Should I share it with you?” at the end is also a stupid question. It’s as if you said you don’t need it and they wouldn’t give it to you. It seems like you’re asking for their opinion because you feel it’s a waste to give them just a little soap, and if you openly ask them to share it here, the other person will feel uncomfortable because it feels like they’re receiving a favor.

When giving a gift like this, you don’t ask the other person what they want, you just give it. In this case, the more expensive the gift, the more you can indirectly appeal to them by saying, ‘I have this much financial freedom.’ ”

“… … .”

“And this is a side note, but if possible, it would be best not to mention small and medium-sized stores like ‘Triana Trading Company’. Among noblewomen and young ladies, if you don’t buy something from a verified store, it’s not very trustworthy.

For example, if you are going to mention a lesser-known company such as the Rothschild Company for clothing or jewelry, or the Elte Company in the southern region, be sure to add the adjective “a company that supplies even the palace.” If you can’t think of anything else, you can mention our Auguste Company. After all, we handle almost all kinds of items. ”

…Why do the noble women of this world live such tiring lives? I want to hit each and every one of their heads.