After my failed attempt to escape, I return to the ballroom with Sophie, the dance instructor who also serves as a maid in the mansion. At the end of each lesson, I get a five-minute break.
While I wait for Fayna to return, I sit on one of the benches in the room.
{I'm already bored.}
[You need to wait. We still have singing and etiquette classes left.]
{I don't like etiquette class, only singing!}
[Relax, I'll take care of it for you.]
{Thanks, HanaJ!}
Although I'm not thrilled about etiquette, I understand that, as part of a noble family, I need to master the proper communication skills.
When the five minutes are up, Fayna returns and leads me to the learning hall, where I take etiquette lessons. The hall is divided into two distinct areas:
In the back, there are four shelves lined with books, maps, and various types of stories.
At the front, there are four small desks with chairs, each separated by about a meter. Directly opposite, attached to the wall, is a massive blackboard that dominates the room.
Upon entering, I see an unfamiliar teacher waiting by one of the desks. As soon as he notices me, he comes over.
He's dressed in an elegant black suit, with a silver emblem on his chest depicting a tree laden with fruit. His dark hair frames a young, confident face. His amber eyes shine with assurance as he smiles,
confident face, and his amber eyes shine with assurance as he smiles.
Judging by his appearance, I'd guess he's around twenty-three years old.
"Hana, over the past two weeks, you've had three lessons, but given your remarkable progress, I've decided to add an additional one."
[Tch, I wanted to finish quickly and get back to exploring.]
{I want to play.}
[You always want to play!]
"So, let me introduce you to Mr. Antony Richelieu. He'll be your new instructor and will teach you basic arithmetic."
"I greatly appreciate this introduction, Mrs. Fayna. So, this is Miss Hanae. It's a pleasure to meet you." He places a hand on his chest and gives a slight bow.
They both look at me, waiting for my response.
[It's your turn, Hana.]
Since Hana doesn't respond, I take over. I grip the skirt of my dress and give a small curtsy.
"Delighted to meet you, Professor Richelieu. I'm eager to learn from you."
"Well done, my dear."
Fayna remains by the door while I take the desk closest to the teacher. Clearing his throat, he begins an introduction to numbers.
As I suspected, the numerical system in this world is identical to that of my previous life. It seems that, no matter the universe, the laws of numbers remain the same. Excellent! Anything involving numbers is a piece of cake for me.
To avoid getting assigned any more classes, I leave the responsibility of learning to Hana.
The teacher displays the numbers from one to ten, along with their pronunciations. Hana repeats them without hesitation.
"Well done, Miss Hanae! Let's try something a bit more challenging."
The professor writes the numbers from eleven to one hundred on the board. Once again, Hana answers correctly.
"All right… Let's see if you understand basic operations," he says, sounding a bit surprised. Then, he writes an addition, a subtraction, a multiplication, and a division on the board.
"All done!" Hana announces enthusiastically, handing in her work.
Mr. Antony takes the sheet and falls silent for a moment. Then, his eyes widen in disbelief.
[How did you know the answers?!]
{I don't know; they just popped into my head.}
"Excuse me, Mrs. Fayna," he says, scratching his chin. "What exactly do you want me to teach her?"
"To be honest, I have no idea…"
Both of them look confused as they stare at the answer sheet.
I'm impressed. I didn't think of anything, so this was all her doing. She's a genius—or else, it would mean she has access to my memories. I need to be careful; she must stay dependent on me, no matter what.
"Mom, I'm bored. I want to go see Grandma." Hana tugs at the skirt of Fayna's dress.
"All right, go ahead, but be careful," Fayna says kindly before resuming her conversation with the teacher.
{Where's Grandma?}
[Most of the time, she's in the back garden, so she's probably there.]
When I don't have anything else to do, I let her do as she likes, as long as she asks for permission.
We reach the garden entrance, but it's empty.
[That's strange; Stella is always here.]
{Hmm, let's go look for her.}
[Fine.]
Just before we leave, we hear a noise coming from the first section of the garden. When we investigate, we find Leonard and Alaric.
Now, Leonard is home in the mornings. This is the first time I've seen what he does. I don't interact with him much since my classes take up so much time.
Right in front of me, barely two meters away, Leonard and Alaric stand in defensive positions, each holding a wooden sword in their right hand.
{What's Dad doing?}
[I have no idea.]
How pathetic. I never would've guessed they liked playing sword-fighting. Just watching them makes me feel embarrassed. I'm so glad my real father never did anything like this with me.
Everything goes silent until Leonard yells:
"Let's begin!"
As soon as he says those words, Alaric moves with impressive speed, striking relentlessly at Leonard's sides, while Leonard focuses on dodging the attacks.
What the heck?! How can a kid move like that?!
Their movements are surreal; there's no way a human could have such agility. I know magic exists, but it doesn't look like they're using it—there's no glow or anything.
Noticing my presence, Leonard shifts his gaze away from Alaric.
"Hello, princess." He smiles at me. "Shouldn't you be in class?"
"I finished early, and Mom let me out."
"I see. Which class did you have?"
"Basic arithmetic."
"Huh? What did they make you do?"
Hana looks up, then answers excitedly, "First, I learned the numbers, then basic operations."
"You… you got them right?"
"Yes!" Hana responds proudly, flashing a smile.
Leonard focuses all his attention on me. Seizing his distraction, Alaric strikes his father on the head.
Ouch! That's going to hurt tomorrow.
"I did it, Dad!"
"I shouldn't have let my guard down, son." Leonard crouches down, smiling at Alaric.
"Dad!" Hana runs up to Leonard. She gently rubs the part of his head where he got hit. "There, there, all better now."
"What are you doing, Hana?"
"Whenever I get hurt, Mom does this. But my hand isn't glowing." Hana squints her eyes in concentration.
"You're a little charmer." Leonard sets his wooden sword aside, picks me up, and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Hana kisses him back.
[You should be happy; they really care about you.]
{They care about both of us.}
I hear her laughter in my mind and decide not to reply. The truth is, I don't mind the affection anymore; over time, I've gotten used to it, and now it only feels a little awkward.
"Dad, can I play with my sister?" Alaric asks energetically.
"Of course, play until Hana's next class starts."
"Thanks, Dad!"
Leonard sets Hana down, and Alaric takes her hand, ready to run off together.
Feeling how they play amuses me, just like it does with their two sisters. This feeling reminds me of when I used to play with my real brother. I'd give anything for him to be here…