“First,” Brennie said, tapping the ground with the large wooden stick in her hand, “we need to understand what etiquette is.”
Lita stood before Brennie, listening intently. Brennie had really scared her just now—combat was combat, but not everything could be solved with fighting. Lita had no idea why Cecilia had found her an etiquette teacher like this. At least on the surface, Brennie didn’t seem to have anything to do with the word “etiquette.”
“So-called etiquette isn’t that distant. Its core is making others feel respected. It shows up everywhere in life—for example, don’t make noise when eating, don’t slouch when standing or walking.”
As she spoke, Brennie swung her big wooden stick and brought it down squarely on Lita’s skull, making her see stars.
“And another example: don’t zone out when someone is talking.”
Lita staggered around in a daze for several circles before barely steadying herself. Then she saw Brennie looking at her with a serious expression.
‘Huh? Did I just get hit? Yes, I did. Because that strike couldn’t hurt me, and I thought that stick was some nifty tool she’d use later, so I didn’t even think about dodging.’
“Teacher, you…” Lita rubbed her head, hesitating.
“Miss Lita, what do you want to ask?” Brennie leaned on the stick. Even though it was just an ordinary wooden rod, in her hands it looked like a knight’s greatsword.
“I might be a bit bold, but…” Lita scratched her head, afraid that she’d get another whack if her wording was off. “Is this really your teaching method?”
“I’m the fastest etiquette teacher in the entire Royal City, and so far no one has given me a bad review.” Brennie stated it flatly, as if it were an obvious fact. “My original teaching method advocates convincing people with reason—that’s the foundation of etiquette.”
‘Strength is one kind of “reason,” and stick techniques are one kind of “method,” right?! Not to mention whether anyone dares to give her a bad review—if you make the slightest mistake, the stick comes down. For anyone with weaker constitution, they’d graduate straight to the afterlife without even getting a chance to complain.’
Brennie seemed to notice Lita’s terrified expression and tried to reassure her. “Please rest assured, Miss Lita. In terms of strength, I’m far inferior to you. In fact, would you bully a weak woman like me over an etiquette lesson?”
‘No way, with this height, these pecs, these thighs—even stronger than Qiangsen from Solus City. And she calls herself a weak woman?’
“Her Royal Highness the Fourth Princess specifically instructed me,” Brennie said with a serious face. “Even if I go all out, I can’t kill you. So she told me to hit you as hard as I can.”
‘Huh?’ Lita could already imagine the expression on Cecilia’s face when she said that.
“Oh, and Her Royal Highness the Fourth Princess also said…”
“Said what?”
“She said that Miss Lita’s Crest ability can heal wounds. If you really are about to die, please use the power of your crest to recover and then continue studying.”
‘Crazy!’
‘Alright, I shouldn’t have cursed Lady Cecilia. I’m guilty. But I probably can’t escape this, so I’d better study seriously.’
“Okay, okay, no time to waste, let’s start now? But all I need to learn is walking gracefully with my arms at my sides and bowing politely, right?”
“Miss Lita, that’s where you’re wrong. Those are a woman’s courtesies.” Brennie shook her head.
‘Huh?! What kind of talk is that? Am I not a woman? Am I really a woman… though I don’t look like one, but you’re a woman too!’
“What we’re going to learn is a knight’s etiquette.” Brennie spoke in a low voice. “A knight must uphold: loyalty, humility, compassion, honesty, justice… You probably know all that, Miss Lita.”
‘I don’t know! Why don’t you explain! Oh well, since you say I know, then I’ll pretend I know.’
“Then the first thing to learn is your standing posture.”
As she spoke, Brennie raised her large wooden stick and, under Lita’s fearful gaze, clamped it between her thumb and forefinger in a sword-holding grip. Being able to clamp a stick as thick as an arm there—even if her hand was a bit big, it was impressive.
But the fluidity of the movement changed Brennie’s aura instantly from rough to refined. Even with a simple motion, if she compared it to the way Twin Moons and Xingxian walked and stood, there were subtle differences. And those subtle differences were exactly what Lita needed to learn.
Brennie made another motion as if drawing a sword, then handed the big stick to Lita. “Did you see that? Here, try it.”
‘Great! As long as I have the big stick in my hand, she can’t hit me on the head anymore.’
Lita took the big stick and copied Brennie’s demonstration, but the result was completely different.
“No, this doesn’t suit you.” Brennie shook her head, walked to the fireplace, picked up a poker, and handed it to Lita. “Here, use this.”
Lita twitched the corner of her mouth and reluctantly returned Brennie’s special weapon. ‘I have to admit, this teacher’s method is really… rough around the edges.’
For a long time afterward, Lita studied seriously. Even though the results seemed poor, for Lady Cecilia’s sake, she had to focus.
bang
“Walk more freely! Don’t look like a goblin raiding a village!”
whoosh
“Tighten your body when drawing the sword! Combat is combat! Bowing is bowing!”
thump
“After kneeling on one knee, use your waist to stand up! Don’t crawl around on the ground!”
‘Disaster, a complete disaster!’ Lita was almost scared out of her wits. Getting hit didn’t actually hurt, but getting whacked solidly on the skull with a wooden stick still stung. She already wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed—what if she got hit stupid?
Brennie had explained to Lita too. First, they were both adults, and as a Crest Knight herself, the coaxing methods used on children or the polite treatment used on ladies wouldn’t work. Cecilia had also said Lita was thick-skinned, so hitting anywhere else was like tickling—just aim for the head.
‘Fine, fine. What a wonderful master. I’m a Crest Knight—if Cecilia hadn’t agreed, she wouldn’t dare hit me! She wouldn’t dare, right? But no! If Cecilia hadn’t found me this etiquette teacher, I wouldn’t have to suffer this beating. I originally thought the etiquette teacher would be a plump, graceful noblewoman, or an elegant old gentleman!’
Finally, noon arrived. The long-haired maid knocked on the door again, pushing a cart full of steaming food.
“Teacher, you go ahead… I’m not very hungry.” Lita rolled her eyes and declined shakily using the etiquette she had just learned.
Brennie narrowed her eyes, looking pleased after a morning of beating. “Miss Lita, what are you saying? Dining etiquette is also an essential part of the lesson.”
So Lita’s hell continued.
“Use the inside of your folded napkin to wipe your mouth! Leaving sauce on the napkin for others to see is rude!”
“Don’t stir your tea clockwise! Move it up and down! Creating a whirlpool in the cup might spill, and it’s very rude!”
“Hold the stem of the goblet so the wine doesn’t warm up from your palm. And don’t tilt the cup too much—control it with your arm, not your wrist!”
“But His Majesty drinks without such formality.” Lita pouted.
As soon as she said that, she got another solid whack on the head.
“That’s His Majesty! How can you compare!”
‘I clearly don’t even need to eat human food, and the chances of me dining with nobles are rare. But I still have to learn all this—how annoying. Tasting delicious food should be a joy, but I’ve never eaten so tiringly in my life. Even the steak on the plate doesn’t smell good anymore.’
By the time the sunset dyed the room red, Brennie finally stopped before they needed to light candles.
“Miss Lita, you’ve improved very quickly. You really do have great talent.” Brennie didn’t spare her praise, but Lita’s eyes were still fixed on that big wooden stick.
‘Did I improve because of talent? No, I was forced into it!’
Lita was bitter inside, but she still responded with the noble etiquette she’d learned today. “Teacher, when will our etiquette lessons end?”
“Until you are formally knighted. Tonight, go back and digest what you’ve learned. Tomorrow morning, I will check today’s progress.” Even though Brennie’s tone became respectful after class, it was only barely so.
‘Digest again. I have to digest my Dream Demon abilities, and now etiquette too. Oh well, whatever.’
After seeing off Brennie, Lita dragged her exhausted body and a head full of bumps back to the Royal Palace. The first thing she did was go see Cecilia.
“Mm, I can tell you studied well today.” Cecilia’s first words were a satisfied appraisal. Lita felt that Cecilia’s praise was more directed at the bumps on her head.
“Lady Cecilia, don’t make fun of me!” Lita complained loudly. She wanted to throw herself somewhere and roll around like she did when she was acting spoiled with Cecilia, but she could neither jump into Cecilia’s arms nor roll on the floor here, so she had to swallow her frustration.
“I’m not making fun of you. The method was rough, but didn’t you improve quickly?” Cecilia narrowed her eyes.
“Where did you find this etiquette teacher? Did you also…”
Cecilia shook her head. “Of course not. My etiquette was taught personally by a minister. This teacher… I selected her carefully for you.”
‘Fine, thank you, Lady Cecilia.’
“Besides, isn’t going to etiquette class quite relaxing?” Cecilia asked with a faint smile.
“Relaxing? It’s not relaxing at all!”
“I think it’s not a bad thing for you. Father has already announced that you will become a Crest Knight, and so far, no one has opposed it.”
“No opposition… I suppose that’s a good thing…”
“And while you were in class today, you received at least five invitations from different people, asking you to visit their estates.”