Chapter 25
However, the wind no longer blew, and even the fragrance gradually faded.
Feeling a sense of regret, I took a deep breath. Then, as if to trap that scent inside my body, I held my breath for just a short moment.
“Reina.”
“Huh?”
At that moment, I heard someone call my name.
I snapped back to my senses.
Turning my head toward the voice, I saw Estelle.
At some point, Estelle had already sat down, looking at me with puzzled eyes.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you sitting down?”
“Oh, uh, right. I should sit.”
What on earth was I just doing?
Standing there blankly, sniffing like some kind of pervert. In a place like this, no less.
Embarrassment and self-reproach rushed over me all at once.
‘Ughhh…’
Bowing my head low to hide what was surely a flushed face, I hurried over and sat awkwardly next to Estelle.
The shame wouldn’t go away easily, so it felt like sitting on a bed of nails.
I kept fidgeting, shifting my hips and adjusting my posture.
Then, forcing a smile and pretending nothing was wrong, I asked Claude,
“Did we keep you waiting long?”
“Not really.”
“Ah… I see… haha…”
I had asked in hopes of lightening the mood.
But I failed. If anything, things had only gotten more awkward.
Letting out an awkward chuckle, I avoided Claude’s steady gaze, letting my eyes roll around restlessly.
‘Huh? Now that I think about it, why are there only three of us here?’
Something felt strange.
Claude had clearly said he would help with etiquette lessons.
But the teacher was nowhere to be seen.
‘Did I just not notice because I was so distracted?’
That was possible. After all, I had embarrassed myself the moment I came in.
Stretching my neck, I looked around the room for the teacher.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Huh? Oh, the teacher. I was looking for the teacher.”
“Why are you looking for a teacher?”
Why, he says?
Obviously because I don’t see them.
I looked at Claude with a face that asked why he was questioning something so obvious.
“Seems there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Claude furrowed his brows slightly and rose from his seat.
Then he walked over to stand in front of me and Estelle.
“I said I would help. I never said I would bring in a teacher.”
What was that supposed to mean?
True, he hadn’t said he’d bring one.
But in this kind of situation, doesn’t ‘helping’ usually mean finding an expert to give professional instruction?
‘Unless…’
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
The aide who had subtly kept his distance from me, clearly unimpressed.
Claude, who had arrived first and was already seated, waiting for us.
And his words about helping.
‘Could it be…’
Was Claude going to teach us himself?
My breath nearly stopped.
‘It’s already uncomfortable enough just seeing his face…!’
I had just made a fool of myself earlier, bewitched by a passing breeze, so I was already feeling awkward around him.
The thought of looking him in the eye—let alone having a conversation—was unbearable.
And now he was going to personally instruct us?
‘No way. No, that can’t be.’
Avoiding his gaze, I lowered my head and shut my eyes tight.
Clinging to the hope that it wasn’t true.
At that moment, Estelle’s sharp voice rang out beside me.
“Don’t tell me you’re the one teaching us, Claude?”
She had voiced the very question I wanted to ask.
It seemed Estelle had been thinking the same thing as me.
But Claude had yet to confirm.
That meant there was still hope.
Perhaps the teacher was simply late, or maybe they hadn’t been found yet.
Together, Estelle and I looked at Claude, awaiting his answer.
While I desperately tried to smother the sprouting unease inside me with hope.
But the words that came next nearly made my heart drop.
“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to learn from me than from some stranger?”
Ah, no. I think a stranger would actually be just fine.
In fact, that would be far less stressful!
I wanted so badly to deny it. His words almost forced the denial out of my throat.
But I couldn’t.
How could I possibly refuse in this situation?
So instead, I forced the corners of my lips up into a smile and nodded silently.
“Then, shall we begin the lesson?”
And just like that, Claude’s lessons began.
“…Thus, dignity begins with posture.”
Contrary to my fears, Claude’s lesson went smoothly.
Since it was the first day, he focused more on theory than practice. His explanations were simple, and his choice of words easy to understand.
How should I put it? It felt like he was deliberately tailoring the lesson for beginners like me and Estelle.
Everything went straight into my head, making it surprisingly easy to follow.
‘I thought someone used to physical work would be bad at explaining.’
But that was just my prejudice.
Claude turned out to be an excellent teacher.
He didn’t just explain what etiquette was—he taught when and how it should be used, and more importantly, why it was necessary in the first place, reminding us of its value.
‘And honestly, even aside from his teaching, the subject itself is fascinating.’
Maybe it’s because this world is a class-based society?
Etiquette here had many similarities to 21st-century manners, but also many differences.
I was so intrigued that I even took notes—something I hadn’t done since graduating.
But Estelle was different.
“What exactly are you doing, Estelle?”
Dignity: 4
Estelle wasn’t listening at all.
Not only that, she had been fidgeting with her hands, bouncing her legs, and sitting sloppily from the very start of the lesson.
Claude clearly disliked her attitude.
He had been pointing it out again and again since the beginning.
‘I’ve lost count of how many times already…’
I stopped keeping track after ten.
But one thing was certain—Estelle was getting annoyed by his constant scolding.
“Perhaps we should take a short break?”
The atmosphere was growing heavier and more unpleasant by the minute, and even I was starting to feel on edge.
Sighing inwardly, I gathered my courage to break the tension and raised my hand.
“That might be a good idea.”
Claude frowned slightly in thought, then nodded.
He must have decided it would be better to cool things down before continuing.
“Let’s resume in ten minutes.”
He closed the book he had been holding and set it down on the desk.
At the same time, Estelle shot to her feet.
Clatter—thud!
Her sudden movement sent the chair skidding back, crashing to the ground with a loud noise.
Both Claude and I instinctively turned toward it.
But Estelle didn’t even glance at the fallen chair, let alone pick it up.
Instead, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
“Estelle…?”
I called her name softly in surprise.
Her expression had been sour, but I hadn’t thought she’d actually act out like that.
Apparently, she was far more upset than I had realized.
But whether she was hurt or not, that behavior was unacceptable.
How could she act so disrespectfully in front of someone who was helping us?
Worry and anger mixed inside me as I hurried to my feet, ready to follow her—whether to comfort or scold.
“You should stay here.”
But Claude stopped me.
“But…”
“I think it’s better if I go.”
He gently pushed me back into my seat, then left the room to follow Estelle.
Left alone, my mind was in turmoil.
‘Will it be okay if I don’t go after them?’
What if the two of them end up arguing?
But if I follow, what if I make things worse?
The longer I stared at the tightly closed door, the more my worries multiplied.
But at this point, even if I went after them, there was nothing I could really do.
In the end, all I could do was fidget anxiously, unable to act either way.
