"I need to find out how my memories are back..." I mumble to myself. "But before that, I should finish this schedule then I'll go back to thinking..."
Reluctantly, I write down the estimated time for my new schedule on the paper I got. Quickly finishing my breakfast, I stretched my body and rested for a while to digest the food.
"Hmm, so this is all I'm going to do until the Knight's Exam?" I rubbed my temples. "I think romance novels will have to wait if I want to understand my situation..."
Shivers went up my spine, tingling every single nerve in my body. Alerting myself for a possibly burdensome future...
Burdensome future of being stuck in the library!
No!
No! I will not accept that fate! I crossed my arms at my own thoughts, anger rising through my body.
Exceptions will be given for my addiction to reading romance novels, that's it. I'm already so excited to read what treasure this world has to offer. I'll only look for clues of my mysterious predicament when something happens... I don't care!
Then after a few minutes of ranting to myself, I remember to go out of my room to start my morning workout. Better to get my frustrations out using my sword than being stuck in my head.
"Where do you think you're going, young lady?"
I turn my head to where the voice came from. It's my mother.
"Uh, my morning training?"
"It's Monday! You're supposed to be having etiquette lessons today."
Oh, shoot.
I accidentally click my tongue in front of her, which made my mother lightly scold me.
"This is exactly why you need your lessons. Change your clothes into something proper and meet me in my study room." She waves her closed fan to my face and then points it to my training clothes.
"Yes, mother."
For a moment there, I completely forgot that I'm a noble.
A noble lady, at that.
Learning from my mistake earlier, I quietly groan and go back inside my room.
Change of plans then!
I'll only be able to do my new schedule every Saturday and Sunday since etiquette lessons with my mother are every weekday morning. I used to have tutors but after I turned 16, I got to focus on my knight training and etiquette lessons, in courtesy of my mother. Thankfully, I could still do my four hours in the afternoon.
So, my schedule for the weekdays is lessons, read, exercise, sleep, then repeat.
I still have it under control!
I say happily in my head, but remember how bothersome those lessons are.
I haven't done them in a year, but it certainly is fresh in my mind how tiresome they are.
How to sit, how to eat, how to talk, how to greet, how to smile, how to everything!
Sure, knights do have a strict discipline and are bound by rules, but I find it much more appealing than etiquette. There's nothing fun with learning this!
At least with knight lessons, you can learn how to defend yourself but with this, you can learn to, what, embroider a piece of clothing? What's that supposed to do for me?!
I crash my body on my bed and hid myself under my pillow.
Sigh. Not that there's anything wrong with enjoying those, but I just would rather run around in circles than sit down and do something quiet, that's boring.
I lived as Jessica who was considered a commoner by this world's standards, but I loved that life. Even as Nera, I only cared about swords and fighting.
I do this monologue every single time I have lessons with my mother. That's how stressful it is for me to do this.
But I have no choice anyways so I still have to follow through. I call the maids in by ringing my bell and they helped me wear my corset and a simple blue indoor dress.
"Isn't that a little tight...?"
"Oh no, my lady. This is just right!"
She isn't wrong but it's so suffocating! I've been too used to not having a corset for the past year, I'll have to get used to it again, it will be fine...
I stiffly walk outside my room with my back straight. Going inside my mother's study room, I give her a stiff bow.
"You've been long out without your lessons. You're forgetting how to simply bow." She speaks sternly, then gives the most elegant but simplest curtsy.
When it comes to high societal laws, I've always admired my mother for being an outstanding woman. She understands it well and is very influential even back when she was just the daughter of Count Ountry. She has stunning looks, impressive intellect, and a kind heart. How could she not take over high society among her peers? I may be a stupid and all-for-knight-things person but I still understand how difficult it is in high society, which is why I avoided it as much as I could.
That's also the reason why the previous Marquess Ponterise, my grandfather, arranged the marriage between my parents as early as when they were 16 years old.
I sigh and repeat my bow, much better than my previous one but still not good enough.
"You can practice it every day, so come here, sit." She pats the seat next to her with her fan. I sit down, trying to look as elegant as possible.
Acknowledging my awkward attempt, she lightly claps and smiles at me.
I follow through with these lessons because even with a stubborn head like mine, I understand my responsibilities as a noble lady. My mother doesn't make it too hard for me and explains it simply so that I can understand easily. She also takes into consideration that I will be a knight, so she doesn't take time in the afternoon for these lessons.
Besides, these lessons that she gives me are for my own benefit. So that I won't embarrass myself and my family name when we're out.
Although, I have a bad feeling in my gut that I've already done that.
Oh, well. If I don't remember it then it must be insignificant.
"Alright, let's start."
Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.
Ding...!
Finally, four hours of boring lessons were done. I tried my best not to fall asleep and kept all the things she told me in my head. When it comes to posture, it's quite easy to follow since I have strict discipline with my body, but sometimes it falls through when I relax. The hard parts are when she teaches me what to talk about in gatherings, and how to keep conversations.
I'd rather stay quiet and drink tea whilst they gossip. Although gossips are interesting, I don't like to take part in them because my opinions most of the time are opposite to what the others have.
"That is all."
I didn't fall asleep but my head was on cloud nine.
I see my mother furrow her eyebrows after staring at mg blank eyes. "You didn't listen again, did you?"
"...A little." I look away.
My mother sighs. "Well, anyways, your body remembers well so just keep practicing your posture in different situations. Here's a book in case you forget." She hands me a thick book which I look horrified at.
Begging to not give me this horrible torture, I look at her with pleading eyes, but unfortunately, it didn't work this time.
"One year is a long time, my dear. You haven't even hosted your own tea party yet."
Oh, shoot.
My eyes widen at the realization.
A tea party after the age of 16 is a need. Hosting at least once is the bare minimum for a noble lady, which is okay for me, but I've been procrastinating at it for so long. At this point, it is a law in high society which I can't ignore.
While sighing and covering my face, I ask with my voice muffled, "Do I have to?"
"Yes, of course."
"...Can you help me?"
She smiles and kisses my forehead.
"Of course, my dear."
As they say, mothers know best, but this is why my mother is the best of the best.