My first lesson with Mediak started the week after his entrance to the residence. In the meantime, I had been regularly attending classes with Lady Anne and dying of boredom. So, it was a breath of fresh air when I walked into that library.
I almost faltered in my steps upon laying eyes on him. Look who took a bath and upgraded his wardrobe.
Standing in the library's bay window was a clean-shaven man dressed in blue and black formal clothing. Not quite a servant's dress but not a noble's either. It fits at least, and there are no suspicious stains, smells, or patches. That is good enough for me.
His beard has been cut close to his face into a stubble, and his hair has been tamed into a ponytail at his neck. However…What's with the high socks? I scrunched my nose.
"Have you observed enough?" His impatient voice came from above me, and I shook my head no still petrified at his fashion sense.
I asked in distaste. "Why are you wearing high socks and those clobbers?" They're almost heels, but not quite.
My father wears leather loafers, and most of the men in the estate wear heels of some kind. But never these short ankle kitten heels with buckles on them.
That's so out of fashion it's making me cringe.
He groans and kicks his own shin. "Yes, what a good question. Why am I wearing these blasted things?!"
I let my eyes wander and settle on the table. That's a mountain of books. I hope he doesn't intend to finish those today. "When shall we start?"
He halted in his complaining and looked back at the stack I was looking towards. "Ah, yes. That. May I be impolite with you?"
I sighed and readjusted my stance. Here we go. "Please. Do tell me whatever is the matter."
He nodded and released a long-winded story. "I am not a teacher. I have no idea what exactly you are seeking tutelage in and whether I am able to teach you. So, I brought these books to help us narrow down what knowledge you deem helpful to your studies. After which, I can attempt to create a lesson plan."
Kissae snorted, and I made a hand movement, signaling to be quiet. He's trying, and I don't want to dampen his enthusiasm.
Hmm. What do I want? Knowledge of the outside world, mythological creatures, and, of course, the gods.
Nanny has a vested interest in teaching me how to manage a household, so I should include that if possible. Oh, and it would be nice if I could learn the laws here. I'm still used to the ones from back then, and something tells me the same rules won't apply here.
"Alright, let's go over it together." He nodded and pulled a chair out for me like a gentleman. Kissae helped me into it and then added a couple of pillows so I could reach the desk. I hate being short. It's so inconvenient.
He sat down across from me and opened the first book from the stack.
"Geography of the Lower Realm?"
"Yes."
He wrote that down on a piece of parchment paper next to him. Then he opened the next book. For the next two hours, we went over a plethora of subjects. After much debate, we agreed on eleven subjects to start.
Geography, language, customs, economic theory and policies, math, world history, military strategies, ledger keeping, laws of the kingdom, the glossary of the fae race, and classical studies. AKA the broader subject that explores religion, history, and art.
Mediak looked tired when he finally finished his list. I understand. It's a lot to teach me, and he doesn't have an option to just say no. But that's his problem, not mine. If he's so useless that he can't put something together by our next session, I'll report it to Nanny, and he'll finally get what he wants.
"Is that all?" He mumbled. I gave a sly smile and nodded. Yup. For now. As soon as we finish a subject, I'll be adding another.
Sorry, not sorry.
"Alright, get out so I can make an attempt at this." He put his hands in his hair and made it disheveled. Hmm. I can make this a little more interesting.
"Mediak?"
"What princess?" We had shed all courtesy during our argument, and I couldn't bother with correcting him anymore. So he settled with calling me princess. He is technically right that I am untitled. Which is a good thing in my case.
"If you complete a full lesson plan for three subjects within five days, I'll give you ten gold upfront." I didn't wait for his response and left with Kissae trailing behind, which reminded me.
As soon as we entered the room, I sent away the maids and invited Kissae to sit. She sat down on the couch opposite me and cut straight to the point. Her golden eyes stared into mine. "You want to know if I know that man."
I made no effort to hide it."Yes."
She clicked her tongue and ate a salted cookie that was resting on a plate on the coffee table. Mei Xue had thoughtfully brought them over beforehand, along with a pitcher of freshly brewed tea. I'll be giving her a very deserved raise by next year.
She started. "I've heard of him, but I've never met him."
"What did you hear?" I took a tiny sandwich and munched on it myself. Mhmm.
She shrugged. "Nothing good. I know he made a lot of money off that game when he sold it to a noble in Nerene. A lesser noble from the Theritius County. That noble sold it to anyone who would buy it. It got popular, and there was public outrage from the other families. Everyone knows he was ultimately assassinated for it, even though his death was deemed an accident. The game became notorious again but for other reasons."
I waved my hand as if to say go on. She continued and grabbed another cookie. "So…Mediak has a bit of a gambling problem. Long story short, he became a pearl diver after he lost a really big bet."
"What's a pearl diver?" I dipped my sandwich in some syrup in a small bowl.
She crossed one leg over another and leaned back on the couch. "It's a person who's trained to look for pearls in the ocean. Most of them are slaves, and they're treated very poorly. It's one of the most dangerous jobs...ever." She paused, and her eyes flickered. She shook herself out of her trance and continued. "After that, he kind of disappeared, and everyone assumed he died fishing for pearls. The County has a bounty on him, though. Dead or alive, last I heard. It's a pretty coin, too."
"How much?" I took a sip of my tea and sighed in satisfaction. The tea leaves were made by Nanny herself and had a faint smell of chocolate to them. My favorite.
"Fifty thousand gold."
I spit out my drink through my mouth and nose. What the fuck?! Holy shit, I should turn him in!
No. No. Well…No! I can't turn him in. No matter how much I want to. Fifty thousand gold…No. Don't be greedy.
Kelly and Men Xue rushed into the room and helped me clean up. My poor nose still burned from the tea.
Kissae, however, complained that her chest hurt from laughing too much. At me.
I took away her cookies and sent her to stand guard at the door. She took her punishment with ease and giggled every five minutes as if she couldn't contain herself. Kelly smacked her on the shoulder, but a tiny grin appeared at the corner of her lips, too.
I pouted and reviewed my homework before I had to see the wicked Lady Anne. Woe is me.
Do you need any help, Host?
Nope. Stay out of my mind.
Half an hour later, Kelly reminded me that it was time to meet with Lady Anne. I sighed and dragged myself to the door. This time, Mei Xue came with us to the dreaded lesson.
Which was held in a study room exclusive to the lady.
Upon arriving, I found that she was absorbed in a book. Good. Maybe it'll distract her enough that she'll waste both of our time today. Mei Xue helped me set up my writing materials, and Kissae leaned against the wall behind me.
I could practically feel her rolling her eyes. I know. Me too.
Lady Anne closed her book, and I flinched. No luck today, either.
"Have you finished your homework?"She set her book down on her desk.
"Yes, Lady Anne." I held a hand holding the stack of paper out, and Mei Xue took it from me. Then she handed it to the lady's outstretched hand. She gave it a cursory glance and then set it on her desk.
"We shall begin with female virtues today. What are the fundamental virtues for a woman to possess?"
I tried to keep the boredom and twenty-first-century-induced mockery out of my tone as I recited in order to her. "Modesty, Piety, Chastity, Benevolence, Obedience, Prudence, Elegance, and Domesticity."
The feminist in me is literally shrieking at me to prove her wrong, but unfortunately, there's no arguing with the brainwashed.
She hums in agreement and requests immediately."Very well. Turn to page forty-one of the countess's diary. Read up until page ninety-three."
Men Xue chose the book from the stack, set it in front of me, and opened it to the correct page. Starting at the top, I started to read the diary. It's the account of a noblewoman from Nerene three centuries ago. Her diary is now being used as a textbook example for the noble ladies of today's society.
In her diary, she talks about her inability to give birth and how it affected her marriage with her husband. He constantly berated her and threatened divorce on account of her being 'sabotaged goods'. Fucking asshole. To supplement this deficit she felt was caused by herself, she indulged him and allowed him to fool around outside with actresses.
Aka mistresses. They have such polite ways of describing...questionable behavior.
My nose twitched, and I continued. Did it never occur to either of them that it was perhaps his fault?
Anyway. Instead of working, he would spend his time outside, and she took up the mantle of the household. Working tirelessly to pinch every coin and maintain the estate while he cheated on her outside. However, with almost no income and terrible rumors blooming everywhere. She fell into a deep depression and eventually returned to her maternal home in shame. There are a couple of other pages, but I stopped at ninety-one like she asked.
She came to stand in front of my desk and asked calmly."Tell me. Do you believe she possesses the feminine virtues we just discussed?"
There's no right or wrong answer to that question, in my opinion. Femininity has nothing to do with virtues, and it's something everyone has to choose for themselves. Instead of an instruction manual that one has to follow to the letter. I don't believe in something as ancient and backward as that, but I have a feeling she means—
I kept a blank face and fought the disgust collecting in my chest. "No. Although her infertility is a cause of strain on her marriage. She completely compromised her and her husband's dignity by allowing him to indulge himself outside. Which shows she is lacking in modesty, chastity, and prudence. Taking up the duty of the household affairs and not effectively managing the estate suggests a lack of domesticity. Finally, she failed to be pious, obedient, and elegant by returning to her natal home without her husband's permission. Abandoning her marriage, duties, and estate. Although, her husband should be reprimanded. She should not have left her marital home as a result of that. I feel that she has betrayed not only her marriage but herself. Trampling her dignity as a woman..."
She has a habit of expecting an answer that places all of the blame on women. After a couple of hits with the teaching stick, I've learned to shut up and just go along with her madness. That should be enough, right?
I peeked through the fringe of my hair to see her staring down at me with mild surprise and a hint of success in her eyes.
She claps slowly with a smug smirk resting on her face. "Well done. Now, I would like you to write an essay on this subject and provide a solution to this problem."
The next hour is spent writing about all the ways this woman disgraced herself and her family. While also providing an alternative solution to her plight. As is a wife's duty. Lady Anne reviewed and corrected until she was certain I had grasped the fundamentals I had come to loathe silently instead of publicly.
Lady Anne finally let me go once she had leafed through it all. With homework, of course. There's no way she'd just let me go that easily. It was easy work, though. Explaining each virtue in a paragraph. I massaged and rotated my poor wrist on my way out of her chambers. Finally.
Once we had gotten out of earshot, Kissae started acting up. She bent down and whispered in my ear."You've got to get rid of her. Now."
The hair on my neck raised, and I gave her a stern look. I didn't dare to look around to see how many soldiers heard that. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that, and if I hear anything similar to that again, I will dock your pay."
Kissae sighed, and internally, I agreed with her. However, you can't just say that out loud in plain view and in earshot of anyone. Especially father's minions.
I'll deal with her later. For now. It's my favorite time of day. Lunchtime!
Technically, it's supposed to be my daily review time. But I usually just have that in the morning, along with my breakfast.
Once we were in my room, Kelly pushed a cart to the living room, and I skipped after her. I wonder what it's going to be today? Nanny's busy, so she won't be cooking for quite some time, so it must be one of my maid's handicrafts.
Nowadays, I get my snacks and lunch from the small kitchen Nanny had created next door. It's so convenient and cost-effective. Instead of giving most of my allowance from father to the kitchen, I give them half and pocket the rest. Whatever I don't spend on my kitchen, I can save for a rainy day or give it out as a reward to others. Since I can control what we buy and the quantity, it's pretty easy. So if I want more red rice, all I have to do is front the cost and say the word. Nanny thinks it's a great way for me to learn management skills.
I think it's a stable source of income. Potato. Potato.
Now let's see. I sat down on my blue couch again and waited impatiently for the food to be served.
Oh yes!
It's one of my favorites. Mozzarella sticks, a medium rare steak, and a large bowl of steaming hot red rice. Accompanied by a small goblet of juice. It looks amazing. Whoever cooked this time outdid themselves.
I grinned and asked eagerly. "To which chef do I owe this pleasure?"
Kelly smiled mysteriously. "You'll see. Now please enjoy, little miss."
I didn't need to be told twice. I dug in with my knife and fork into the steaming steak that was deliberately cut into small squares for my convenience.
Oh my god. That's amazing. It's just right and ridiculously soft. If only I had some ketchup.
However, we do have marinara sauce. Nah. I don't want to ruin the steak with that. One day, I'll have ketchup again. I dropped my knife and used a fork to eat a mozzarella stick dipped in the red dip. Mhmm. God, I live so well. Truly. This is all compensation for my last life.
I stopped to take a break from devouring all of the food and took a sip of juice. So good. Sweet but not sour. It's quite similar to fruit punch with a tangy kick for an aftertaste.
This is leagues ahead of yesterday's lunch. The only one that comes close is Freesia, and she's a professional. Who cooked this time?
I polished my plate and left my utensils slightly crossed over one another to signal I was done. "Kelly? It's through no fault of your own, but I don't think you or anyone besides Nanny could have made this dish. So…" Did Freesia come back early?
She snickers and looked behind her towards the kitchen. "You heard her. The jig is up."
Mei Xue left the kitchen with an additional person. A young woman with strawberry blond hair and wolfish features. Judging by her clothes, she should be someone's second-grade personal maid. So why is she here?
Her tail twitched, and I looked between my two maids with uncertainty. What's going on?
"Hello. May I ask what your name is so I may reward you?" And send you away so I can ask my maids what they're thinking, bringing an unrelated party into my quarters and having her handle my food. Where is Nanny when you need her?
Kelly smiles impishly, and I glare at her. This isn't funny. She could have poisoned me, especially if she's from Druvis or Father's side.
Mei Xue decides to have mercy on my confused little head and explains concisely. "This is Naomi. Lady Freesia assigned her to your care to handle the kitchen from now on. You may give her another name at your discretion."
Naomi smiles beautifully and bows towards me. Her manners are impeccable, and she cooks pretty well...Nanny approved her anyway. We'll have a talk when she comes back from the Palace about randomly assigning people to me. But until then…
I greeted her as politely as possible."Hello Naomi. I'll be in your care from now on. Please take care of me, and feel free to come to me with any of your concerns."
She raised herself from her previous curtsy and responded cordially. "Naturally. If there is anything I require, I will shamelessly seek your help. Please take care of me in the future."
That's pretty forward. Good. I don't like to beat around the bush these days. I offered some compliments to try to shake off the invisible blanket of awkwardness that had settled over me. "Thank you for the meal. It matched my preferences perfectly."
She smiled gratefully, and we continued to talk about food. Apparently, there is food similar to Western food from my world in this one. It's mostly concentrated in Eammon, though, which is coincidentally where Naomi is from. It's the main border city to the Adronic Empire, and it's located pretty far south.
After that light chit-chat, I had a heavier conversation with Kissae about the eyes and ears in the walls. She didn't take it seriously until I mentioned dismissal from my service. After that, she promised to become more self-conscious about how she spoke outside. Only time will tell.
Nanny came back late that night from the Palace. Despite her constant reassurance that nothing was wrong and her flawless care of me. She still didn't say so much as a word about as to why she had left. I could tell something had gone awry every time she closed her eyes to shut it all out.
Something was brewing in the palace walls. Something...that made it hard for her to sleep at night without being in the same as room as me.