Chapter 81. Francis, Part VII

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

After learning fan etiquette and how to use it at the debut party for several days, she was learning about tea party etiquette today. Julietta was following the instructions of Simone, who was seated across the table, but was unable to bear it any more.

"It's already been three drinks today. It's still before lunch, and I'm afraid of how many drinks you'll have until you fall asleep if you keep drinking like that."

Julietta ignored Simone's scolding and loosened the knotted muscles of her shoulders and back with a massage. At first, Simone tried to avoid Julietta's hands, but soon stopped.

"How is it? Are you feeling better? If you relax the knotted muscles of your neck and shoulders every day, your headache will improve a lot."

Simone was already feeling her body relax as soon as Julietta gave her a massage. Strangely, her heavy head seemed to clear up, and the stabbing pain subsided.

"Why don't you reduce your tea drinking to as little as possible and get a massage like this?"

When Simone, who would normally say something in a shrill voice, had nothing to say, Julietta became even more excited. "It's not that hot today, so why don't we practice tea drinking in the garden? And we also take a walk. Can't you announce that I am slowly recovering and can move?"

Simone, contrary to her usual neurotic attitude, gently said at Julietta's question, "You must be frustrated."

"Yes. Actually, I've been in the room for almost a month, except the time I went to the annex. And while it's frustrating, it's also true that having a light walk and fresh air is good for your headache."

"Aunt! You should take care to call me aunt even unconsciously."

"Ah! Yes, aunt."

Simone got up from her seat. "Yes, let's have tea in the garden, as you say. Vera, get the Dureng tea out."

Since she had started drinking tea that relieved her headaches, it had been a long time since she had drunk another tea. Simone smiled slightly, feeling a little excited with her lightened head.

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Two months had already passed since Julietta came to the Tilia Territory.

There was no further encounter with the princess Iris... no, Regina, except for the day she had visited with Simone. The meeting with her that day was so poor that Julietta did not want to see her at all.

Julietta had been enduring the harsh training of Simone for a month in the room without moving around, and was able to slowly get out of the room and start working freely after teatime training in the garden. Over the course of two months, Julietta worked hard at playing the role of Princess Kiellini who had recovered her health and was preparing for her social debut.

Although she now had such an elegant posture that the strict Simone could not nag much, Julietta was still learning dance and etiquette, in order to emulate the natural air of nobility who had learned them since childhood. Even though she was now a perfect Iris Regina Kiellini on the outside, Simone was still repeating the same education, unable to hide her anxiety.

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"My lady, I've brought the tea."

The maid came in with the tea as Julietta finished her afternoon education. She sighed for a moment before dinner, looking at the scenery outside the terrace. "Dian, did you come out here with permission?"

The small maid smiled shyly and nodded at the question. "Yes, my lady."

Dian was a maid brought to Tilia Castle a month ago by a newly deployed knight, Sir Caden. It was rare for a knight to have a maid instead of a servant, so everyone was flustered, but Sir Caden said that he had just saved the girl, who had no place to go, and asked them to hire her if they needed a maid in Tilia.

The request of the heir of the family of Count Caden, was not that of a regular knight, and Simone could not refuse to accept Dian as a maid. Dian was doing chores at the mansion like that, and she saw Julietta dozing off in the garden a few weeks ago while she was playing the role of a substitute for Iris.

Though it was late summer, the heat had yet to fully dissipate, so she thought she had to wake her up, and approached hesitantly. The open book had come into her eyes. Dian, who could only tell that the white part was a piece of paper and black parts were letters, looked down at the book she could not read, and had then inquired of Julietta after she opened her eyes.

"Do you know how to read?"

Dian stepped back in spite of herself, frightened by the question of the noble lady. "I'm sorry, my lady. I came to wake you up because I thought you'd get sick if you went to sleep outside…"

Dian's frightened apology made Julietta feel a pain in her heart. She knew the maid's feelings better than anyone else, because she had lived the life of a maid, whose days changed at the whims of high-ranking officials. She smiled softly at the nervous maid.

"I'm just asking. It's kind of you to come to wake me up on purpose. If I were you, I would rather run away than deliberately wake someone up, since I might have scolded."

Dian was dazed for a moment, seeing Julietta smiling brightly. The 'Under The Wings of Angels' she grew up in was a place where there were many dazzling beauties. Dian, who had a normal appearance, was not chosen because of her poor figure. Even to Dian, who had seen all the beauties in such a place, the lady before her eyes was so beautiful.

The combination of the brilliant blonde hair with pinkish tones, the clear green eyes like jewels, the bluish transparent skin that was so fair, was so dazzling that it was sinful for a low-class person like her to look at it.

At the same time as her guilty thoughts, Dian recalled her past. The blonde hair and green eyes of Phoebe, who had gotten out of the brothel together with her...

'Is it a coincidence that the hair and eyes of the two are the same color?'

Dian recalled her orders: if she worked in the Tilia Territory, she had to report to Raphael everything she saw and heard, and she hoped without realizing that what he was doing was not harmful to the lady in front of her.

"Why are you just looking at me like that? Oh, it's because I'm so pretty, isn't it? Thank you, but I know it well, so you don't have to compliment me." Julietta said in a light voice edged with laughter, then asked, "You looked at it earlier because you wanted to read a book, right? It's not mine, but it'll be okay if I lend it to you. If you return it after reading, who will know? Here, take it. When you give it back, you have to give it to me without anyone knowing. All right?"

Dian was staring blankly at the book Julietta was handing her, but she shook her head in surprise."Oh, no. I can't read. I just looked at it casually. I am sorry, my lady."

When Dian bowed down and apologized, Julietta stopped her up and said, "You wanted to learn how to write, didn't you?"

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't have been interested in the book if you hadn't thought about it."

At the words of Julietta, Dian dropped her head as her conscience was pricked.

'Writing? I had got out of Hell, but it seems that my greed has grown bigger and bigger.'

"You think you are too greedy, don't you?"

Dian raised her head in surprise at the lady who seemed to have read her mind, and Julietta waved her finger and scolded her, "Even if there is a difference in status, everyone needs to cherish and care for themselves. You should never hurt or hurt others, but greed to improve yourself is not a bad thing."

Dian was staring at her as Julietta continued, "If you like, come see me when you have time. I'll teach you how to write."

Julietta's words gave Dian great hope. Dian had been born in the brothel and lived a hopeless life there; the outside world of Rotesam was truly amazing. Just getting out of that hell gave her a lifetime of gratitude, and she had vowed to be thankful for all her life. The lady in front of her said was that it was not a bad thing to care for herself unless she hurt others. The words made her heart throb.