Chapter 2.4

A few minutes later, the teacher returned. It took a bit longer this time.

Looking closely at the teacher’s face, she noticed it was slightly damp. His bangs were a little wet, sticking to his forehead. He brushed his bangs back, seemingly bothered by them, causing droplets to fall to the floor.

“I needed to clear my head, so I washed my face.”

He looked somewhat embarrassed. Maybe he felt awkward about having washed in someone else’s house. He had no qualms about showing his bare body, yet he blushed over something else—it was peculiar.

The teacher had even revealed his stomach without hesitation, completely removing his shirt. It seemed she was the only one who felt awkward.

Once again, she diligently described what the teacher’s body was like, as instructed. The teacher said she needed to explain the entire chest, not just the n*pples.

“Do we really have to go this far?”

“We must be thorough.”

His body seemed to be made entirely of muscle. His chest was just that, and his abs were like beautifully arranged chocolate with distinct angles.

What did he eat and what exercises did he do to achieve such a physique?

It made her reflect on the current state of her own body. She didn’t have much flesh and no muscles. 

Was I too frail?

She had always been picky with food due to a weak stomach, but she thought maybe she should have forced herself to eat well. Such pointless thoughts crossed her mind.

The teacher truly filled the entire time. Before she knew it, the clock hands pointed to 10 o’clock. She felt relieved that the lesson was finally over and stood up, but she wondered if she had properly described the teacher’s body.

To be honest, it was almost like praise.

She might kick her blanket in embarrassment before falling asleep tonight, thinking about the words she had said.

“Good job.”

“I’ll walk you to the door.”

She went out to see the teacher off to the first floor. As they descended the stairs together, she was anxious about encountering her family. Fortunately, only the employees were visible on the way.

“See you in three days.”

“See you then.”

The teacher disappeared into the darkness. Once his figure was no longer visible, she closed the door and turned around.

Her legs felt weak for some reason. It seemed to be due to the constant tension. She leaned against the door for a moment before finally moving her legs and slowly heading upstairs.

Unfortunately, she ran into the face she least wanted to see.

“Who was that man earlier?”

It was Diana. Her sister stood on the stairs with a sly expression. She was sure there had been no one when she left the studio. 

When had Diana seen the teacher?

 Her body flinched.

“Weren’t you out earlier?”

“I’ve been back for a while now. Hurry up and tell me, who was that person?”

“…”

She hesitated. Since she had informed her parents, Diana would soon learn about the teacher’s presence, but for some reason, she didn’t want to tell her.

However, knowing Diana’s persistence, she bit her lower lip several times before speaking.

“Etiquette teacher.”

“Oh.”

Diana’s eyes sparkled. It was an ominous sign. Diana always had such eyes when something caught her interest.

I should have been more careful before leaving the studio! 

Of all people, Diana had seen the teacher. Erica bit the inside of her mouth.

“Teacher…”

Did she not hear the word “etiquette” in front? Or did she intentionally filter it out? 

Diana kept muttering “teacher, teacher…”

Coming from her sister’s mouth, the word “teacher” sounded strangely impure.

“But why did the etiquette teacher come out of your studio? Are you taking etiquette lessons at your age?”

“Because of bridal lessons.”

“Bridal lessons?”

Diana stretched out the words.

“You’re taking those from a male teacher?”

“It’s possible. Mind your own business.”

“How can I not be curious? My lovely sister is taking bridal lessons. But why are you suddenly taking bridal lessons when you don’t even have a fiancé? Did Mom make you?”

“No, it wasn’t Mom. Stop asking and go wash your feet and sleep.”

She tried to end the conversation, but Diana suddenly exclaimed, “Oh…” Her voice sent chills down her spine. It felt very ominous.

“What would bridal lessons from such a handsome man be like…”

“Sis, watch your language!”

This sister never held back inappropriate comments in front of her younger sibling. Diana placed a hand on her chin and shook her head, even licking her lips. It was disgusting to watch.

“I want to join those lessons too.”

“No!”

“Why not?”

Why not? Erica didn’t want to show Diana the teacher’s body. It would be disrespectful to the teacher, who was serious about the lessons.

“It’s a one-on-one lesson, so you can’t.”

“Then I can take separate lessons.”

“…The teacher is busy.”

She wasn’t sure, but she hoped that was the case. She had to be. When she spoke softly, Diana squinted her eyes.

“Busy? Sister, you are quite greedy, wanting to keep such a teacher all to yourself.”

“No, he’s really busy. Oh, enough. I’m tired.”

“Oh my, what did you do to be tired?”

“Don’t imagine weird things! And why bridal lessons when you don’t even think about marriage?”

“I can take lessons even without a partner, just like you.”

“You’re different from me. I’m thinking about marriage. You’re not.”

“Why, I’d like to try if I find a good man.”

Lies. Blatant lies. Diana’s face was infuriating as she laughed, ho-ho-ho.

“If you want lessons so badly, find another teacher.”

She spoke irritably and passed Diana, heading to her bedroom to avoid further conversation. Behind her, Diana babbled nonsense about how she wouldn’t find such a man and how they should share.

Erica didn’t want to hear any more, so she blocked her ears completely.

From now on, she would quietly bring the teacher in so Diana wouldn’t see him.

Diana was the type who would do something she wanted, no matter who tried to stop her. The business she was currently running was one such result.

Their mother had tried to stop Diana, saying it was disgraceful for a noble to sell such vulgar items, but Diana had gone to the principality and brought back adult products used during s*x to sell. Now she was even developing products herself.

Honestly, she still wondered why Diana’s business was doing so well. She didn’t know exactly what products were being sold, but she was sure they were all bizarre, thinking of the whip Diana’s ex-boyfriend used.

After talking with Diana, she was always stressed. When stress reached its limit, hobbies were the answer.

* * *

As soon as the next morning came, she had Selly bring the new product catalog from the Oditolium family’s magic shop.

Our Felix is known for being one of the most diligent in the Empire.

While she was distracted by her work and the teacher, he had released many new products.

Felix’s magical items were groundbreaking and made life more enriching. Two years ago, he created a box that could freeze water, surprising the entire territory, and last year, he made a magical communication device allowing anyone to contact anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Some older people and a few others still used postal mail, claiming it had a sentimental value, but the communication device spread rapidly across the nation upon its release, becoming a household essential.

Her family each had their own personal communication device. Diana used three, one for business, one for family, and one for her lover. As for her, besides the publisher, she had no one else to contact, but as a fan, she had three in different colors.

One was a pretty purple for display, another for contacting the publisher, and the last one was a collector’s item, still wrapped.

She gazed contentedly at the mysterious purple communication device before turning her attention back to the catalog.

This season’s new products were themed around spring. There were various items listed, like a magical basket for scattering flowers during a proposal, a necklace for maintaining body temperature during fluctuating weather, and a self-defense gun she had seen before.

Selly stood beside her, exclaiming how nice and convenient each item would be.

Of course, for her, there was no choice to make.

“Order everything from A to Z.”

“…Again today?”

Selly looked at her slowly, seemingly tired of her antics. However, each item was a creation from Felix’s mind. How could she choose only a few?

She earned money for moments like this, so wasn’t she allowed to indulge a little?

As Selly took the catalog back, she tried to sneakily remove one or two items, saying, “No matter how nice, isn’t this sensory plaything unnecessary for a grown adult?”

In response, Erica shrugged and handed Selly a generous tip for her errands. Selly’s expression changed immediately.

“Miss, you’re the best.”

The materialistic maid smirked and gave her a thumbs-up. She chuckled at the sight.