Months quickly went by, and Katherine started training the three kids in proper etiquette.
At first, the three of them were excited, thinking about how fancy they would be after the training. But they soon regretted it.
Most of the stuff served no practical purpose, ranging from eating only after their seniors had started eating to addressing people in a formal setting.
For Alex and Mary, it wasn't too difficult to learn the proper manner within the mouth passed.
However, Sophia found it extremely annoying. This was partially because she was already ten years old. But more importantly, she encountered a problem that would haunt Alex later in life.
---
"Mom... Am I dying?"
Sophia weakly asked as she remained on the bed, her face looking a little pale as if she had just been stabbed or something.
"No, you silly. You're just having your first period. I should have prepared this in advance for you."
Katherine apologized as she lifted her from the bed, and Alex and Mary followed her to the restroom.
"Period? What's that?" Mary curiously asked as the two watched Katherine put Sophia down inside an empty wooden bathtub.
"it's something all girls have. It comes once a month... Ahem, Alex, can you leave the restroom for a second?"
Just as Alex was about to turn around and leave, Sophia's words made him stop right by the door.
"Mom... What if Alex has a period too?"
Sophia's question made Katherine froze for a second, but she quickly shook her head.
"He's a boy. He's not going to have——"
"But we both know he's... a little different." Sophia blushed as she thought back to the last time they took a shower together.
Katherine thought for a second before turning back to bring Alex back inside despite his wish to stay outside.
"Mom, I know what a period is, and I'm sure it won't happen to me. I don't need to watch this."
Alex pleaded as he tried to run away, not wanting to haunt himself at night, but Katherine forcefully dragged him back next to Mary.
"Don't be shy. She's just your sister... Besides, I need you to learn how to care for yourself in case it happens."
As Katherine turned her attention back to Sophia, her face was blushed red in embarrassment.
Both of her siblings were looking at her with curiosity, almost as if they were looking at some exotic animal in a zoo.
"Ahem, so when you are about to have a period, you want to wear a pad attached to your panties here.
Mary, can you bring Sophia a new pair of panties first? And bring a new skirt, too."
With Mary running out of the room, Katherine went into the sink drawer to find a rectangular cloth with mysterious padding inside.
The moment Mary returned with the clean clothes, Katherine began attaching the mysterious clothes to the pair of panties.
The string on the side instantly tightened as the padding suddenly started inflating until it fully fluffed up into soft, small cushions.
"Okay, now you can just wear this with your panties and wash the padding when your period ends. It should be able to absorb all of the blood.
But remember, don't lose it. I spent a lot of time making this, and I don't have the material for extra ones." Katherine warned.
With Sophia nodding in agreement, Katherine began removing her slightly reddish skirt.
"So much blood!" Mary pointed out after noticing Sophia's panties were soaking red.
"It probably built up for a while... Sophia, when did this happen to you?" Katherine asked as she began removing the panties.
"This morning... But I have felt a little leg cramp for a few days now," Sophia shyly whispered.
"Next time, tell Mom right away rather than hiding it yourself, okay? Don't be scared."
Sophia nodded in silence as Katherine continued cleaning Sophia right before the other two.
"There will be less in the future... To avoid having a severe period, you need to start eating more healthy food a few days before, okay?"
Sophia's face blushed red again as she thought back to the last few days of eating meat and cake for her birthday.
"Okay..."
After Katherine finished wiping the blood off Sophia, she quickly helped her wear her new pair of panties.
---
For the rest of the day, Sophia rested on the bed while the other two went back to being taught by Katherine.
When the next day arrived, Sophia was good enough to walk around and rejoin the other two in the class.
A few days after that, she was fully back to her usual self.
Time soon flew by, and the three of them finally finished every manner lesson that Katherine knew of.
Still, the trip that Katherine promised was nowhere in sight, as the time was now just fully dedicated to Katherine's basic math and language sessions.
"Mom, when are we moving back to the capital? I thought we were leaving after we finished learning proper etiquette."
Alex questioned as the four of them sat at the dining table, eating the food that Katherine just cooked a few minutes ago.
"Soon... Just be patient, sweetie." Katherine calmly replied as she picked up the lettuce-like vegetable with her fork.
"But it has been a year——" Before Sophia could finish speaking, Katherine interrupted her.
"I don't want to go this early, okay? Is that the answer you wanted?"
Katherine's outburst made all three of them flinch for a second, but it soon fell into an awkward silence.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you guys. I just don't want to go back to the capital..."
Seeing Katherine apologizing and looking down at the table filled with sadness, Sophia and Alex both felt a little guilty.
Especially after seeing how Katherine continued to remain silent, not picking up any of the food as if the word capital was triggering some memories inside her mind.
"If you guys really want, I can have someone bring you guys there to be with your grandparents instead," Katherine suddenly suggested.
After a short silence, Alex spoke up first.
"It's fine, Mom. I'd rather be here with you. I don't want to go to the capital without you."
"Yeah... There's no point if we can't experience it with you."
Hearing Alex and Sophia both choosing to be with her, Katherine felt a little touched.
"Me too! I-I never wanted to go to the capital!" Mary chimed in.
"Thank you..." Katherine murmured as she held in the urge to cry, resuming to eat the food on the table.
---
Ever since that day, all three of them stopped asking Katherine about going to the capital.
Soon, another year flew past.
Sophia was now twelve years old, and Alex's ten-year-old birthday had just finished recently.
Meanwhile, Mary's eight-year-old birthday was only one month away.
Just as the three thought they were going to continue living in the town together until they were adults, a surprise announcement came.
---
"We're going to the capital after Mary's birthday," Katherine announced as the four of them ate lunch at the table.
All three of the kids rubbed their ears and shook their heads in unison as if they couldn't believe what Katherine had just announced.
"Mom, you aren't joking?" Sophia asked with uncertainty.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Katherine questioned, looking back at her with a fully serious face.
Within seconds, all three of the kids yelled out in excitement as they realized they were finally going on the trip.
"Mom, you're the best!"
All three of the kid ran up and kissed her on the cheek before running back to their seats.
"Yeah, yeah, anyway, you guys better say goodbye to all your friends in the town. We aren't coming back once we move there."
"Okay!"
---
A month quickly went by.
Mary's birthday was like every other birthday in the family. The four celebrated by eating cakes and singing a happy birthday song that Alex 'created' himself.
The day after, the four of them had already packed everything the night before as they entered the horse wagon standing by the door.
"I kind of miss home already," Sophia murmured, sitting alongside Alex and Mary with their luggage in the back of the wagon.
"Well, too bad now!" Katherine excitedly yelled as she signaled the horse to go.
"Geez... Why does Mom look so excited? Wasn't she the one who didn't want to go?" Mary quietly asked.
"I have no clue. Maybe she just likes being in the wagon driver," Alex replied as he opened the side flaps of the wagon.
Right outside were a bunch of farm fields, as they still hadn't driven out of the town's proximity.
"Mom, how long is this trip going to take?" Sophia asked out loud as the wagon wheel was starting to get louder and louder.
"About a week. I hope you all are prepared." Katherine suddenly laughed as she replied to the three.
The three kids didn't understand why she was laughing until the horse wagon left the town road.
It quickly became a nightmare session for all three of the kids in the back as the roads were filled with rocks that made the entire wagon jump upward.
There was zero suspension on the wagon. Even the smallest uphill and downhill made the bench that the three kids sit on swing up and down.
"I'm going to get sick from this..." Sophia complained as she started to think the entire wagon was going to fall apart.
"There's no way in hell that someone didn't think of inventing suspension on the wheel," Alex murmured as he held in the urge to throw up.
Meanwhile, Mary was somehow completely fine. To her, it was almost like a rollercoaster—extremely fun without the scary part.
There was nothing of fear in her mind, zero thoughts that the wagon would break apart after all the jumps.