Chapter 86 …
Until just a moment ago, I could mispronounce things however I liked and no one cared! Why is everyone suddenly understanding everything perfectly?!
No matter how unfairly I screamed inside, the reality was that I had just met these people for the first time and deliberately mispronounced their family name, thereby humiliating them.
In the young marchioness’s eyes—eyes that had shown no emotion before—there now lingered a wariness akin to hostility.
It’s incredibly difficult to earn someone’s goodwill, yet ridiculously easy to earn their animosity.
There goes any chance of a good relationship.
First impressions are everything. And I had just poured oil on a fire in a place where people already had a bad impression of me.
Of course, the marchioness didn’t show her displeasure outwardly. If anything, she wore a pleasant smile.
“It seems the young lady is still unfamiliar with noble family names. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Cosette Elouise.”
With the marchioness’s introduction as the cue, the noble ladies seated on either side began introducing themselves one by one. It was more orderly than I’d expected.
Maybe they’re not that bad…?
That thought didn’t even last a full minute.
“Let’s sit and talk. Lady Etkar, would you prepare a seat for the young lady?”
At the marchioness’s words, the count’s daughter gave a subtle signal to a servant. The servant quickly placed an extra chair right beside the marchioness.
“This way.”
The count’s daughter lightly pushed my back, guiding me to the seat. The noble girls sitting on either side shifted to make way, which somehow made it feel even more burdensome.
It felt like I’d been desperately searching for a restroom, taken a wrong turn, stepped onto a red carpet, and accidentally entered an awards ceremony.
Still, since I currently held the status of a duke’s daughter, I figured this level of treatment was normal. That illusion shattered the moment I stepped between them.
As I passed, one of the noble girls seated in front subtly stuck out her foot to trip me.
Honestly, how cute.
I lightly stepped down on the small foot poking out and walked past.
“Aaagh…! Wh-what do you think you’re doing?!”
The noble girl whose foot I’d crushed sprang to her feet, face twisted.
“Oh my, how careless of me. I must not have seen what was below.”
With a completely unapologetic face and voice, I offered her my most insincere sympathy. Then I walked past the girl—who was red-faced and teary-eyed from the pain in her instep—and sat down in the seat prepared for me.
Well, today’s gathering is already doomed. I’ll mingle a bit and then make my escape.
If they serve me suspicious tea as a finale, will I have officially experienced every single romance-fantasy noble social cliché in one day?
You’d think they’d innovate their bullying techniques by now, but it’s always the same pattern. It was getting boring.
“I have an audience soon, so I won’t be able to stay long. But I should have time for a cup of tea.”
I casually set the stage for an early exit while confidently requesting the tea I intended to drink. My calm composure seemed to catch the marchioness off guard for a moment before she let out a dry laugh.
“Hah. You are quite unusual, young lady. You there—bring her a cup of tea.”
Soon, a servant placed a teacup before me. On the surface, it looked perfectly ordinary.
“We’ve already heard quite a bit about you, young lady.”
“There are so many rumors about you, after all.”
“Since you’re probably unfamiliar with noble customs, feel free to ask us anything you’re curious about.”
“Of course. If you ask, we’d be delighted to answer.”
With the marchioness leading the conversation, comments came from all sides, and naturally the topic shifted to me. In short, the seasoned veterans were graciously offering to bestow tips upon this newbie.
Their overwhelming interest was suffocating. Wondering how to refuse politely, I smiled sweetly and, somewhat out of character, spoke lightly.
“We all seem about the same age. Even if you learned first, how much further ahead could you really be? We’re all in the same position of learning together. I couldn’t possibly impose on you one-sidedly.”
It was the most cultured refusal I could muster with my near-nonexistent social skills.
But when I replayed what I’d just said, it somehow sounded like I’d subtly insulted them in that classic romance-fantasy noble lady style.
I didn’t want to make things worse, so I quickly added,
“The duchy has already provided me with a certified tutor. Thank you for the kind offer.”
At my words of thanks, the noble girls’ faces twisted strangely. Watching their awkward reactions, I quickly realized—
Ah. That must have been the legendary, authentic romance-fantasy noble lady speech.
Unlike earlier, their tone had been genuinely polite this time, so my brain must have lagged a bit in processing it.
Unintentionally, I was the only one left embarrassed.
Well, in that case, I’ll just brazen it out. I wasn’t thanking them—I was subtly mocking the ones who tried to needle me.
It’s fine. Considering I didn’t know their intentions, I handled that pretty well.
To act natural, I picked up the teacup. I was about to soothe my parched throat when a scent that irritated my nerves wafted into my nose.
I hadn’t noticed while it was warm, but now that the tea had cooled, it emitted a peculiar smell. When I set the cup down with a subtle frown, the marchioness urged everyone to drink, her expression clearly hiding something.
“Let’s drink before it gets cold.”
I remained motionless, rubbing the rim of the teacup with my finger, and asked her,
“Was this tea brewed by that servant?”
“I brewed it myself to commemorate our first meeting. Shouldn’t you at least take a sip to honor my sincerity?”
No matter how many times I sniffed it, the tea carried a faint scent—like water used to rinse a rag. That damp, musty smell.
Did they add coconut water to it or something…?
As someone with the extremely cool food philosophy of not eating anything that tastes bad, I simply could not accept this.
“The fragrance… reminds me of you, Lady Elouise.”
I let the words slip to test whether they had done something to the tea or if this was its natural scent.
“Wh-what did you say?”
The marchioness took the bait beautifully.
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“You just insulted me.”
“How is saying the fragrance resembles the tea you personally brewed an insult?”
I asked with a face of pure innocence. Only then did the marchioness seem to realize she had overreacted. She calmed herself and countered more composedly.
“It is impolite to say a person resembles a specific scent, young lady.”
“Ahh, I see. I still have so much to learn.”
I smoothly pushed the suspicious tea toward her instead of drinking it.
Regardless of my origins, I now bore the title of a duke’s daughter. I’d assumed no one would be foolish enough to harm me. That had been far too naïve.
I absolutely will not tolerate people messing with food.
After receiving what she claimed was an insulting remark, the marchioness fanned her flushed face with her hand. Watching her, I took out a small notebook and pen from my pocket.
Pulling out a notebook and pen in the middle of tea time left everyone looking confused.
Ignoring their stares, I began scribbling.
“What are you doing? And what is that notebook…?”
As I glanced at her face and wrote something down, the marchioness asked in disbelief. I ignored her and turned to another noble lady.
“Hmm… what’s the name of the lady sitting at the very end over there?”
“M-me?”
“Yes.”
The noble girl who had tried to trip me earlier stiffened in surprise at being singled out.
“…Leiot Iris. But why do you need my name…?”
“And the name of the lady who escorted me here?”
Again, I ignored her question and asked another, my hand still busily moving.
“Estelle Adelart….”
They all looked at me suspiciously, wondering what on earth I was doing, but obediently answered anyway.
“I asked what you’re doing. What is that notebook?!”
When I continued writing without responding to any of their questions, the marchioness, thinking I was ignoring her, raised her voice. I skimmed over the notebook and replied casually,
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Unlike my words, it was very much something.
The notebook everyone was so curious about was…
<Death Note>.
That’s right.
I was currently writing a Death Note.
