Early the next morning, Li Lin, still groggy from his dreams, was abruptly awakened by a series of urgent knocks on his door.
He stumbled out of bed, donned his coat, and with bleary eyes, opened the door to find Caitlyn standing on the other side.
Upon seeing Li Lin with sleepy eyes, she chided, "Didn't we agree to attend etiquette class today? Why are you just waking up?"
"Uh..." Li Lin scratched his head, becoming more alert as he glanced at the clock on the wall.
It was just past seven, only a few minutes past...
"Alright, stop wasting time. Hurry, freshen up and change. I'll be waiting in my room."
With that, Caitlyn left a bewildered Li Lin behind, turning to walk away.
He stood there for a moment, then sighed, "Well, it's only seven. I haven't woken up this early since I started college..."
But Caitlyn was always decisive and disliked dawdling. It was better to move quickly.
Li Lin took a quick shower and changed into a new set of clothes.
Later, he arrived on the second floor of the Kiramman estate and knocked on Caitlyn's door.
"The door's not locked, come in."
Turning the handle, Li Lin pushed open the door, greeted by a subtle and sweet fragrance of violets.
Caitlyn's room was spacious and bright, yet elegantly simple in decor.
Almost mirror-like polished marble floors adorned with light yellow patterned carpets. A large bed with blue-green curtains stood against the central wall opposite the door. Several small tables on the sides of the room held vases with violets she personally nurtured.
The morning sun streamed through the sliding glass door leading to the balcony, dispelling the cold and darkness that had settled in the room overnight.
Combined with the white and delicate golden-edged marble ceiling and taupe warm green walls, the overall ambiance exuded a sense of simplicity and warmth.
This was Li Lin's first time entering Caitlyn's boudoir.
Caitlyn was sitting on the balcony, leisurely sipping coffee, enjoying the unique tranquility of the early morning.
"What are you still standing there for? Come in," she beckoned.
Li Lin entered the room, closed the door, and joined Caitlyn on the chair beside her.
Today, she wore casual clothes: a white lace blouse paired with a knee-length maroon skirt. Her legs were snow-white, slender, with no trace of excess flesh. She wore brown leather sneakers over white lace-trimmed short socks.
"You probably haven't had breakfast yet, right? I had someone prepare it for you."
Caitlyn gestured to the plates on the glass table, displaying bacon and egg sandwiches, along with steaming hot milk.
"Thank you."
Li Lin didn't hesitate either. Feeling hungry, he picked up the plate and utensils, swiftly cutting and devouring his meal.
A few minutes later, he finished his breakfast and began the first lesson of the day: getting to know the families of Piltover.
"Piltover has many families, big and small, but you don't need to know most of them. Just remember a few main ones."
Caitlyn extended her slender index finger, "When we went to the council, you saw representatives from five families: the Medarda, Salo, Hoskel, Bolbok, and Shoola families.
"Among them, the Medarda family has the longest lineage, tracing back to the establishment of Piltover.
"Their head, Jagu Medarda, holds immense power. Controlling the opening and closing of the Sun Gates with his father's piston patent, he possesses wealth comparable to a small nation.
"The dark-skinned young woman you saw sitting in the central position that day, named Mel, is from the Medarda family but was exiled and is not acknowledged by them.
"Yet, even so, she became one of the seven councilors of Piltover. You can imagine the influence of the Medarda family."
Caitlyn paused, then continued:
"During the council meeting, you saw a bald, chubby man and a somewhat effeminate, yellow-haired councilor representing the Salo and Hoskel families, respectively. These two families have conflicts of interest in various aspects, leading to mutual hostility and strained relations.
"The one completely transformed into a machine represents the Bolbok family, while the middle-aged female councilor with a Hextech amplification device on her neck represents the Shoola family."
"They both primarily involve the military sector. Most of the salaries and equipment for the enforcers of the Piltover Enforcers are sponsored by these two families," Caitlyn spoke as she gently sipped her coffee. "The Ferros family, you should be quite familiar with, I won't dwell on it. Next are some wealthy families with not much political power, such as the Cavald and Amara families."
In the following hour, Caitlyn introduced Li Lin to more than a dozen significant families, providing detailed information about their basic backgrounds and important members.
Afterward, for two to three more hours, she painstakingly explained the social etiquette of the upper class in Piltover to him.
Even though Li Lin considered his memory to be quite good, Caitlyn's detailed explanations left him dizzy, as if he had returned to the age of hard work and study from early morning to late at night in high school.
Round after round of coffee was brewed until Li Lin felt a bit overwhelmed. Finally, Caitlyn stopped her rapid-fire explanation, asking, "How is it? Did you remember everything?"
Li Lin, with a head as heavy as two, subconsciously nodded.
"Good, onto the next lesson," Caitlyn said with a satisfied smile, standing up from her chair.
"Ah? There's more?" Li Lin felt that he couldn't handle it anymore.
I didn't even study continuously for three or four hours in high school...
"Can't we take a break?" he weakly asked.
"Next is relaxation time~~" Caitlyn playfully winked at him. "Can you dance?"
Li Lin shook his head in confusion, "I have to learn to dance too?"
"You're the star of Progress Day's banquet, and you're handsome. There will definitely be many young ladies from other families asking you to dance. If you can't dance, it won't be embarrassing just for yourself; it will also affect the face of the Kiramman family."
Caitlyn's lips, tinted with sakura pink, curved into a faint smile. She extended her fair, tender hand and held Li Lin's arm, leading him into the room.
"Piltover's popular ballroom dance is the waltz, with basic steps consisting of advancing, retreating, sidestepping, and closing the feet to form a basic turn..."
She quickly introduced the essential points of the waltz to Li Lin and gave him a simple guide on the key movements for the male partner.
"Let's give it a try first, and if you have any problems, I'll correct you," Caitlyn said as she walked to a corner of the room, opened a Hextech Technologies speaker on a small wooden table, selected a melodious and rhythmic dance song.
Then, she returned to Li Lin, gently placed her hand in his large palm.
Caitlyn lifted her gaze slightly, her azure eyes, resembling precious gems, blinked gently, meeting Li Lin's bright eyes.
With the rhythmic melody of the dance, their steps moved slightly, dancing slowly.
Li Lin stood straight with one hand behind his back, holding Caitlyn's soft hand. He maintained a polite smile at all times.
Caitlyn, guided by Li Lin, occasionally swayed and turned, showcasing elegant beauty.
The distance between the two varied, creating an atmosphere where each breath and movement were palpable. Caitlyn could clearly feel a somewhat mature aura emanating from Li Lin, despite his relatively young age.
Caitlyn and his deep gazes met. Suddenly, she recalled the moments they had spent together and the various encounters they had during their recent trip to the Undercity.
His storytelling, filled with peculiar stories from different regions, quirky and strange legends, his bargaining with the grocery store owner, and when they were attacked, the powerful "magical" weapon he brought out...
For some reason, Caitlyn could feel her heartbeat slightly accelerating, and a subtle warmth appeared on her delicate face.
Unconsciously, her dance steps became a bit disordered.
Carelessly, Caitlyn realized that she seemed to have stepped on something. Instantly, she reacted and her face couldn't help but turn red.
"Sorry, sorry, it's my fault..." she hurriedly apologized. "Maybe I'm a bit tired."
Caitlyn lowered her head, avoiding direct eye contact with Li Lin, randomly found an excuse, and decided not to continue.
"Or, let's... end it here for today."
(End of this chapter)