The Adopted Princess Hopes to Escape the Genre - Chapter 28
Guided by a maid, I entered a room where someone seemed to be waiting for me. The woman, who had been gazing out the window, turned around at the sound of the door opening.
She was a noblewoman with light brown hair neatly tied in a low bun. Though she didn’t look particularly old, every movement she made carried an air of experience.
Having received no clue about what kind of lesson this would be, I stood still by the door, gripping the doorknob with uncertainty.
The noblewoman, for her part, simply looked at me in silence, creating a tense stillness between us.
As I awkwardly rolled my eyes, trying to gauge the situation, a line from a romance fantasy novel I had read before suddenly crossed my mind:
I guess you didn’t realize that the lower ranking person can’t speak until the higher ranking person speaks first.
‘Even if I’m young, I’m the duke’s daughter now, so I have to be the one to start the conversation.’
Stepping away from the door, I hesitantly addressed the noblewoman.
“Hello, my name is Lassetia.”
No matter where I was or whose body I had inhabited, the soul within was still Korean. Having spent 24 years in the Republic of Korea, Confucian ideals were deeply ingrained in me, so I instinctively bowed my head and bent slightly at the waist as I greeted her.
“I am the Countess Heinés. Starting today, I will be teaching you the basics of etiquette, Lady Lassetia.”
Countess Heinés offered a brief introduction, bowing her head slightly.
“May I call you teacher?”
“You may call me whatever feels most comfortable for you, Lady Lassetia. Teacher, Countess, or Madam Countess—all are perfectly fine.”
She answered with a warm smile. Then, after silently observing me for a moment, she brought her hand to her chin and asked,
“Have you ever learned etiquette before?”
“No, this is my first time.”
At my response, Countess Heinés clapped her hands lightly and spoke with an expectant tone.
“Then we’ll start with the basics of etiquette.”
Her bright voice carried a mix of bittersweetness and delight. Perhaps it was my imagination, or perhaps not.
“As the daughter of a duke, you mustn’t bow your head or waist to just anyone.”
Recalling my earlier actions, I nodded with a sheepish expression.
“It seems you already know that those of higher status should be the ones to initiate conversation with those of lower status….”
And so, the lesson continued for quite some time. The casual chats we exchanged throughout made it feel less like a formal lecture and more like a friendly conversation. By the end, we had grown quite close.
Countess Heinés was a kind and witty woman. Despite knowing that I was a commoner-turned-adopted daughter, she showed no signs of prejudice and treated me with genuine warmth.
Thrown into an unfamiliar world all alone, this was the first time I had encountered such easygoing kindness, and it felt nice. Her demeanor even reminded me of my real mother from the world I left behind.
Knock-, knock-.
Lost in the pleasant conversation with Countess Heinés, I flinched at the sudden knock and turned toward the door. A familiar voice soon came from the other side.
“This is Emma, the head maid. I’ve come to escort the young lady, as we’re running behind the scheduled time.”
Countess Haines lightly covered her mouth with her hand and spoke.
“Oh my, how time flies.”
Her gaze settled on a cream-colored wall clock with gold trim running along its frame, pointing firmly to 3 p.m.
“Young Lady, I must take my leave now. I had a wonderful time today.”
“Goodbye, Madam. I, too, found it both enriching and enjoyable.”
By the end of the session, the Korean girl bowing at a 90-degree angle had vanished, replaced by a noble young lady with perfect manners.
After Countess Heinés stepped out of the room, I sat on the sofa and sipped the remaining tea.
A lesson in manners I thought would be unbearably tedious turned out to be surprisingly pleasant.
If anything, I used to believe that to survive in a romance fantasy world, I should learn things like dodging when someone threw wine at me at a banquet, removing wine stains quickly if I failed to dodge, or avoiding a slap from an enraged young lady. But this class had entirely shifted my perspective.
As I sipped the tea with a faint smile, a tongue-clicking sound came from behind me.
“Tsk.”
It was clearly a sound meant for me to hear, but I knew better than to give it any attention.
After several instances of sneers and silence, it seemed the head maid grew tired of the standoff and finally spoke.
“Such a fake.”
