「Cristea-sama… just where did you go?」

Cristea is missing again.
I have looked around the entire mansion, but I didn’t find any signs of her.

「She aims at escaping for the manners studies each and every time… seriously. Because she abruptly disappears even though I stand a watch that much, it must be some kind of a talent」

Fuu… Miria sighed.
Your happiness will escape if you keep sighing, is what Cristea told her, but when will Cristea realize that the reason of Miria’s sighing is mostly Cristea herself… while thinking such things, Miria found Cristea carefreely coming out of the library’s door.

「Cristea-sama!」

Geh! I was found out! Cristea was making such face after being seen by Miria.

「I was searching for you, the time of your manners studies has already pa.s.sed a long ago!」
「Rather, I’d be happy if ended forever though…」

Cristea replied with a weak laugh.

「Cristea-sama?」
「I’m sorry」

Facing Miria’s absolute zero smile, Cristea didn’t have another choice besides apologizing.

「Good grief… Retia-sama returned in anger again」

Retia’s absence gotcha! Cristea was delighted.

「It’s still too early to feel relieved. Retia-sama left you with homework after all」

Cristea made a face as if receiving a death sentence after hearing the grinning Miria.

「Eh… surely not, again…」
「Yes, again」

Cristea hung her head crestfallen.
An example of the homework that Retia gives would be writing down words of grat.i.tude.

n.o.bles are invited to may tea and evening parties. Although writing back a thank you letter each time is good manners of a young lady, there is a fixed form of sentences to a certain extent from which you have to choose those which fit the season and scenery while incorporating yourself in it. Arranging such letter is one of the「proofs of a refined lady」.
If the contents are similar each time, you will get mocked by other people as「Uneducated silly fool」, so everyone racks their brains to write a proper thank you letter every time.
There’s a vast amount of fixed sentences, writing while choosing from that is this time’s homework. It’s Retia’s prided「Earnest series」.
It’s not only earnestly writing though, every word needs to be naturally written with elegance.

People seem to employ those who can do it elegantly to write on their behalf, but a Duke House’s lady can do it naturally just like breathing, is Retia’s cherished opinion.

At such times, Cristea missed the times of searching for the examples on the internet and copying it into the email. Although it was good manners to reply by handwriting in her previous life too…

「It can’t be helped, I will do my best from now on…」

Giving up, Cristea left unsteadily towards her room.

「You wouldn’t have to do this if you obediently attended the manners studies in the first place, you know?」
「Indeed」

Yes, yes, Miria felt a headache coming by seeing Cristea answering her in such way.

「Good grief… where have you been until now?」
「… Eh? … I, I was in the library…?」

I mean, I came out of there, right? Cristea added.

「I searched for you there a little while ago, but you weren’t there. I looked around the whole mansion」
「Erm, then I surely must have been in a restroom at that time?」

Ufufu… Cristea laughed deceivingly.

「Now then! I have to quickly return and start writing!」

That certain smell came from Cristea again when she hastily pa.s.sed Miria.

(That smell again… but, there shouldn’t be anything giving off such scent in the library…?)

Cristea is hiding something, Miria was convinced.