As the day for me to enter the imperial palace approached, Father kept me confined to my room and attached an etiquette teacher who tormented me for a long time.

It was to the extent that he stationed two people from the Masipacius knight order in front of my door to prevent me from meeting Leila or my siblings. 

 Though I thought it was a bit excessive, I felt it showed how serious Father was about this business.

Although it was obvious he would receive the Emperor’s permission this time too, since Father had received it sufficiently without me in my previous life. 

 Anyway, I’ve been spending very very tedious days lately.

Humanely speaking, couldn’t they at least let me go to the garden? 

 As I was spacing out while looking at the clear sky through the window, I heard a knock.

And soon, Mylene’s somewhat flustered voice was heard. 

 “Miss. Lady Plen Meilon has arrived.”

……Plen Meilon? 

 I immediately stood up from my seat upon hearing Mylene’s words.

Plen Meilon is Countess Meilon who runs the bakery that imperial family members frequently visit. 

 “Um…… she says she will be in charge of Miss Rowenloa’s etiquette education from today.” 

 Hearing those words, I frowned. 

 “Could you prepare a dress that I can change into quickly?” 

 Though I felt a bit annoyed, I couldn’t refuse someone who was close to the imperial family standing at my door, so I quickly changed dresses, tied my hair tightly, and ordered Mylene to open the door.

So the door opened, and Countess Meilon who exuded extreme elegance entered the room. 

 “Hmm—.” 

 Though elegance emanated from her, her behavior was extremely rude.

Without even greeting me whom she was meeting for the first time, she seemed to scan the room before beginning to scan me with an unpleasant gaze. 

 I paid no mind to her and greeted her with the imperial palace greeting I had learned. 

 “……Imperial palace greeting?” 

 She spoke to me as if asking why I was greeting her with the imperial palace greeting.

I smiled and answered. 

 “These days, Father doesn’t even let anyone who isn’t sent by him to enter my room. If you say you’re the etiquette teacher Father sent…… I thought you came to teach imperial etiquette.” 

 Hearing those words, Countess Meilon nodded. 

 “You’re smarter than you look.” 

 While saying that, she scanned me up and down again. 

 ……Is she perhaps criticizing my attire?

When she came without any notice? 

 “I apologize, I’m meeting you in such a plain attire as I didn’t expect the Countess’s visit at all.” 

 Hearing those words, the Countess tilted her head. 

 “……I had told the Marquis I would visit the young lady at this time today. It seems it wasn’t conveyed?” 

 At the Countess’s words, I kicked Father’s face in my imagination.

He wants to make sure I learn imperial etiquette perfectly, but doesn’t want me to make a good impression on someone close to the imperial family, is that it? 

 The Countess didn’t hide her displeasure.

I opened my mouth as if to soothe her. 

 “Father has been very busy preparing for business these days. He probably didn’t have time to relay the message to me. Just yesterday, I heard he worked several nights without sleep and almost had to be carried to his bedroom by the butler.” 

 I didn’t want to take Father’s side, but I didn’t want to show ‘Actually, I’m hated by Father~!’ to the Countess I just met, so I managed the crisis appropriately. 

 “Hmm…… well, alright. The Marquis said you seem to have most manners ingrained, so he wanted me to teach you about imperial palace conversation methods, but seeing earlier it seems you’ve properly learned imperial greetings and basic manners.” 

 So the Countess sat in a chair, and I asked Mylene for warm tea and sat in the seat opposite the Countess. 

 “But, you seem to know about me even though you received no word from the Marquis, young lady?” 

 At those words, I nodded. 

 “These days Father is strictly monitoring me so I can’t take even one step outside this room. So I started reading newspapers to know about the outside world. And the bakery run by Countess Meilon is often a topic in the newspapers.” 

 Actually, it was information I already knew from my previous life. 

 “I’m sorry for acting rudely earlier, Miss Masipacius. I think I got upset on my own thinking you hadn’t made any preparations despite being notified of my coming.” 

 I waved my hand as if to say not to mind. 

 “I would have been upset too. Please don’t worry about it too much.” 

 Hearing those words, Countess Meilon smiled lightly.

Then she lightly brought the tea Mylene brought to her lips for a sip. 

 That appearance…… looked very elegant and beautiful. 

 She wasn’t someone who associated with the imperial family for nothing. 

 “From today until you enter the imperial palace with the Marquis, I will be in charge of your education at this time.”

“It’s an honor to be able to learn from Countess Meilon.” 

 So Countess Meilon began telling me about imperial palace speech based on her experiences living until now.

While listening to her lessons, I thought ‘People in the Imperial palace really live tiring lives’ but didn’t voice that thought. 

 So the Countess was very satisfied with my learning attitude and left the room saying she would see me tomorrow. 

 As soon as the Countess left the room, I flung open my door. 

 I’ve been too quiet lately.

If I hadn’t properly explained to the Countess today, I would surely have become known as someone without manners among the imperial family even before making my social debut.

Though I tried to stay quiet, if something like this happens again it would be troublesome….. 

 I felt it was time to properly cause some chaos after a long while. 

 When I opened the door, the knights standing outside blocked me. 

 ……Unfamiliar faces.

Father seems to have pulled some strings after learning I’m friendly with the members of the First Knight Order who usually guard my true nature….. 

 “I need to see Father, so move aside.” 

 Hearing those words, the knights just shook their heads expressionlessly. 

 “The Marquis ordered us to prevent Miss from leaving the room.”

“Do you realize who you’re blocking?” 

 At my suddenly lowered voice, not only the knights but also Mylene standing beside me looked at me with surprised expressions. 

 “If you don’t move right now, I’ll make you regret it.” 

 Though they seemed to flinch at my words, they soon maintained expressionless faces again while looking at me. 

 “The Marquis’s orders……” 

 Before they could finish speaking, I grabbed one of the knights blocking my path and threw him down.

At the sudden incident, Mylene screamed “Kyaa!” in surprise, and the other knight seemed startled before grabbing my shoulder firmly. 

 “How dare you lay hands on the young lady of your master’s family.”

At my chilling voice, the knight flinched his shoulder as if struck.

“Keep holding on if you want to die.”

With that, the knight removed his hand from my shoulder, and I brushed off where the knight had placed his hand.

Even with Father’s orders, laying hands on my body is unacceptable.

Ah, by the way the armor was heavier than expected.

Almost threw out my back. 

 I showed a cold smile toward the knight who was looking at me with a hardened expression. 

 “Still planning to stop me?” 

 After finishing my words, I stared intently at the other knight rolling at my feet. 

 “You’ll need to decide quickly.” 

 Hearing those words, the knight’s body flinched.

And behind that knight, servants who had come running after hearing the commotion appeared. 

 The knight looked back and forth between them and me before stepping back as if giving up.

I got up and brushed past that knight. 

 And headed straight for the study where Father would be working. 

 ***

 I flung open Father’s study door without knocking.

Then, Father who had been buried in piles of documents with a tired face raised his head. 

 “Why are you here……” 

 Father showed a surprised expression upon seeing me. 

 “What are the knights even doing……!” 

 I let out a scoff at Father’s words.

Then Father stood up from his seat with an angry expression and approached me. 

 “What is this behavior.” 

 I just looked at Father without answering his question. 

 “I asked what this behavior is, Rowenloa Masipacius!” 

 Ignoring such Father, I sat down on the sofa in the study with a thump.

Father scanned me with angry eyes before opening the study door and dismissed all the servants around. 

 “Rowenloa! I told you to be careful with your behavior until entering the imperial palace……!”

“Huh—” 

 I let out a scoff hearing Father’s words.

Then Father’s face turned so red that no flesh color could be found anymore. 

 “You……!” 

 I searched through the documents placed on the side table and found Countess Meilon’s profile to hand to Father.

Then Father seemed flustered as he looked at the document in my hand before snatching it from me. 

 “So what about this.” 

 Still sitting on the sofa, I looked up at Father and opened my mouth. 

 “Father.” 

 At my unusually low voice that he had never heard before, Father’s eyebrows twitched in surprise. 

 “Pick one. Just one.” 

 Hearing those words, Father approached me frowning as if displeased. 

 “Just how did you interpret my words to act so rudely……!”

“Countess Meilon came to my room without notice.” 

 Father made an expression asking so what. 

 “How disappointed must Countess Meilon have been. When the Countess visited, I wasn’t even properly prepared.”

“……You just need to prepare well for entering the imperial palace. There’s no need to make a good impression on the Countess too.”

“There’s no way you didn’t know Countess Meilon is usually close with the imperial family, are you perhaps afraid rumors might spread among the imperial family about me being smart when I enter the imperial palace?” 

 Hearing those words, Father kept his mouth shut without answering my question and just looked down at me with a scary expression. 

 “Pick one. Either ask for help if you want help, or just hate me if you’re going to hate me. Taking Brother Bershua to the imperial palace instead of me would be an option too. You even stopped my horse riding lessons for brother’s sake.”

So I picked up another paper from Father’s desk and handed it to him.

“It’s a contract saying they won’t reveal anything that happened in this marquis mansion until the business plan is confirmed…… The Meilon family seal is stamped.”

Hearing those words, Father snatched the contract from my hand again.

“It’s just a contract commonly used when hiring visiting teachers.”

“If it was a common contract, it would have said they won’t reveal anything that happens in the marquis mansion no matter what, right?”

Seeing Father’s flustered expression, she plopped back down on the sofa.

“There’s no way Father didn’t know this is practically equivalent to a contract asking them to spread rumors about my behavior to other nobles.”

Her gaze met Father’s in mid-air.

“Just pick one.”