After leaving the doorway to Xueli’s room, Flora did not linger in the corridor any longer.
She walked very slowly, her footsteps instinctively light, as if the tension from that prolonged period of stress had not yet fully dissipated.
The hem of her skirt made a faint rustling sound against the carpet, and every step felt heavier than usual.
It was only when she returned to her own room and the familiar silence finally settled around her that she let out a clear sigh of relief. It was not just a sigh, but the feeling of a heavy burden slowly being set down.
Flora leaned against the door for a moment. After confirming she did not need to face anyone else immediately, she walked slowly toward the bed and sat down with absolutely no regard for her posture.
The soft mattress supported her at once. She instinctively leaned back, her shoulders relaxing, and the strength seemed to drain out of her entire body.
“I’m… so tired.”
Her voice was very small, as if she were simply confirming that this exhaustion was not an illusion. She looked down at her hands, her fingertips still feeling a bit stiff.
It was a lingering sensation from maintaining her etiquette for so long. Her wrists were slightly sore, and her back ached faintly.
She had actually managed to stand perfectly straight and walk properly throughout the entire duration, even though her movements were not perfect and she had made a few small mistakes.
Thinking about it now, she found it a bit incredible.
Flora shuffled backward to sit in the center of the bed, smoothed out her skirt, pressed her legs together, and leaned against the bedpost like someone who had finally been granted permission to relax.
She did not lie down. She simply sat there.
After a while, the thoughts in her head began to surface. She remembered the calm, almost cold gaze Xueli had given her.
It was not hostile, but it certainly was not friendly either. It was as if Xueli were evaluating her or confirming something.
‘Etiquette really does need practice.’
The thought drifted through her mind. Flora could not help but give a soft huff.
“I wasn’t born knowing those things.”
But immediately after, she thought of Xueli’s words in the garden.
“A little better than I imagined.”
Flora’s fingertip lightly traced a line on the bedsheet. Those words had not been gentle or warm, but coming from the Vampire Princess in that tone, they were a rare form of acknowledgement.
She did not hate Xueli. At the very least, she did not find her as condescending or unapproachable as she had initially imagined.
As for Lia…
Flora’s thoughts paused for a moment. The Vampire Queen gave her a more complicated feeling. The Queen’s gaze was too steady, as if she could see through any facade at a glance but chose not to expose it then and there.
She spoke gently, yet she always maintained a perfectly measured distance. That sense of ‘I know everything, but I won’t say it yet’ made Flora a little uneasy.
She stared down at her knees for a while, a vague, indescribable premonition rising in her heart. However, the feeling was not sharp. It was more like a small stone gently placed in her heart, not yet causing any ripples.
Flora grumbled under her breath. It was useless to think about these things now. She was just… truly tired.
She had to watch her posture, her gait, the curve of her mouth when she spoke, when to lower her head, and when to respond.
Even while sitting, she had to remember not to lean too heavily and not to place her legs carelessly. These things took a great toll on her.
She had not done it well. She knew that, of course. But she had truly done her best.
“If only I could just fall asleep right now,” she whispered to herself, then immediately closed her mouth. Now was not the time for her to be so careless.
She lowered her head and unfastened one small button on her cuff to let her arm relax slightly. The room was very quiet, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a soft beam of light onto the carpet.
Flora sat there, slowly adjusting her breathing. She did not immediately think about what to do next. She simply sat, letting her exhaustion settle bit by bit.
Once she caught her breath, she would deal with the rest. For now, at least, she allowed herself this moment of rest.
An unknown amount of time passed, and just as she was spacing out, a knock came from the door. It did not have the clear, standard rhythm of the maids.
It was very light and restrained, as if the person were checking to see if she was awake while being afraid of disturbing her.
Flora blinked and instinctively sat up a bit straighter, though her voice lacked energy.
“Please… come in.”
The door was pushed open. It was Ilya.
She was not wearing formal attire, but simple, dark casual clothes. Her movements were slow, and she did not enter immediately.
Instead, she looked at Flora first to check her condition. That single look made Flora feel inexplicably guilty.
“Did I… do something wrong again?” she asked almost instinctively.
Ilya paused for a moment, then shook her head.
“No,” she said firmly.
Then she walked in and gently closed the door. She was carrying a tray with a warm cup on it.
Faint steam rose from the rim, and the air was quickly filled with a light, fruity fragrance. Flora’s attention was almost entirely drawn away by the scent.
Ilya placed the tray on the small table in the room and spoke softly. “Based on how you were when we had tea today, I thought you seemed to enjoy it. I think you might like this flavor too.”
Flora was stunned. “…You even noticed that?”
Ilya did not answer immediately. Instead, she picked up the cup and walked over to her.
“You drank very slowly,” she said. “And you enjoyed it.”
She handed the cup over. “I thought you would probably like it.”
Flora’s fingertips stiffened slightly as she took the cup. She stared at the light-colored liquid for several seconds before murmuring, “You observe people too closely…”
Still, she took a sip. The warm liquid slid down her throat. The tea scent was not strong, and the texture was delicate, as if it had been intentionally brewed to be mellow.
Her physical exhaustion was unknowingly washed away a little by the tea.
Ilya stood before her. She did not rush her or say anything else, waiting until Flora finished her first sip before speaking slowly.
“You are very tired right now.”
Flora instinctively wanted to argue. “I-I’m okay…”
“You are tired,” Ilya repeated. Her tone remained calm, yet it left no room for denial. “You haven’t truly relaxed since they arrived.”
Flora’s words caught in her throat. She lowered her head and stared at the rim of the cup. After a long while, she managed to squeeze out, “…Because I didn’t want to make a mistake.”
Ilya let out a soft sigh. It was not a sigh of reproach, but rather as if she had finally reached the point she needed to make.
“You have done well enough,” she said.
Flora snapped her head up. “Enough?” She clearly had not expected that evaluation, and her voice spiked. “But Xueli — “
“She will be nitpicky — ” Ilya intercepted naturally. “She has always been that way.”
Those words left Flora dazed.
“But that doesn’t mean you failed,” Ilya continued. “You were not rude, you did not run away, and you did not shrink back.”
She reached out and placed a hand gently on Flora’s shoulder.
“You stood there. Even though you were nervous, you did not shy away from a single gaze.”
Flora’s throat felt tight. She suddenly realized that Ilya had truly seen it. She hadn’t just looked at the result; she had seen the process.
“But… I obviously did so many things poorly,” Flora said in a low voice.
Ilya nodded. “I know.”
This time, she did not avoid the truth.
“Your pace was a bit too fast when you walked, you didn’t handle your skirt with enough ease when you sat down, and there was one moment of hesitation when you responded to Xueli.”
Flora felt her scalp tingle as she listened. “And you still say I did well?!”
Ilya smiled instead. It was a very faint, steady smile.
“Because you have only been learning for three days,” she said. “And yet you stood there today without giving anyone reason to doubt whether you are qualified to stand by my side.”
The moment those words fell, Flora’s heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth but did not know what to say. Ilya gently raised her hand and ruffled her hair. Her movements were slow and careful.
“There is no need to be afraid or worried about anything,” she said. “You are already my daughter.”