Chapter 27
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: The Princess's Etiquette Lesson
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27.
Thwack!
“Guhk!”
She took a blow to the side.
Smack!
“Kuek.”
Her abdomen was struck.
Thud!
“Aak!”
Her butt got kicked.
Lea flailed about helplessly as she was pummeled by punches and kicks.
The strange thing was that even after all this beating, her clothes weren't torn anywhere.
For Lea, who had never been hit like this in her life, it was impossible to accept this as reality.
But the pain spreading through her entire body with every strike made it all too clear that it was real.
'W-what the hell is this guy?!'
The panicked princess looked up at her new etiquette tutor—who was unleashing violence upon her—with a face full of terror.
The glimpses of ferocity in her eyes were enough to crush her spirit.
“Eek!”
As Lea got battered, she started crawling away desperately to escape Eirana's blows.
“Where do you think you're going?!”
Thwack!
“Kuek!”
Eirana nailed a roundhouse kick right into the side of Lea, who was scrambling to flee.
Lea rolled across the floor like a marionette with its strings cut.
The moment she broke free from the violence, Lea screamed hysterically.
“I-isn't there anyone outside?! Drag this woman out right now!”
She desperately called for the knightesses waiting outside, but there was only silence.
'What's going on? How is any of this happening? Is this a nightmare?!'
Lea's face went deathly pale.
Eirana grabbed her by the collar and hauled her to her feet.
“Drag me out? You haven't been beaten enough yet.”
“Hiiik!”
Lea's feet dangled in the air as she flailed wildly.
The frilly lace dress had a convenient structure for grabbing the collar.
Lea, her face on the verge of tears as she thrashed about, instinctively covered her face with her arms when she saw Eirana clench her fist.
Eirana laughed at the sight.
“Don't worry. I won't hit your face.”
Because it's a woman's pride? Absolutely not.
“If I bruise your face, it'll give me away. And that would be a big problem, right?”
Even though her whole body probably looked black-and-blue already?
With that, Eirana drove her right fist precisely into Lea's abdomen five times in quick uppercuts.
“Guhk!”
Lea exhaled sharply again from the pain exploding in her gut.
She could barely breathe.
Eirana silently watched Lea gasp and wheeze like a dying fish, then gently set her back in her original seat and stepped back two paces.
Despite all the violence, the room wasn't the least bit messy.
The tea set, which had been a wreck moments ago, was now perfectly restored to its place.
It was a terrifying power.
After some time passed, Lea's pain subsided and she mostly calmed down.
With no more violence coming, Lea erupted in rage, her face streaked with tears.
“You! Do you think you'll get away with this?! I won't forgive you! I'll have you executed right now!”
“Oh, really? If you snitch, I'll beat you till you drop dead by my hand.”
Eirana crossed her arms and replied indifferently, making Lea flinch.
Then, she bolted for the door like she was fleeing for her life.
Watching her retreating back, Eirana uncrossed her arms and stood up straight.
Bang!
The door flew open just as Lea reached it.
The one who entered was none other than Winzes.
“Big brother!”
Lea threw herself into Winzes' arms, practically colliding with him.
“How's my little Lea doing with her studies?”
Winzes stroked her head as he asked, and Lea burst into tears.
“Big brother! That woman over there beat me senseless and insulted me! She's committed an unforgivable offense against royalty! Execute her, please!”
Winzes looked troubled as Lea clung to him, sobbing.
Jedmon narrowed his eyes, glancing back and forth between Lea and Eirana.
If it was true, it was an unforgivable treason that couldn't be overlooked.
'But for someone who got beaten that badly, she looks way too fine.'
Feeling a mix of bewilderment and suspicion, Jedmon cautiously asked,
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
“Sir Jedmon! Arrest that wicked woman right now!”
Lea pleaded with eyes brimming with tears.
Jedmon gave Eirana a troubled look, and Eirana sighed as if to say she couldn't be helped.
She acted as if she hadn't laid a hand on her.
Her demeanor was so natural that Lea suddenly seemed like the one putting on an act.
“Lea, where did she hit you?”
Winzes asked seriously, and Lea shouted,
“Everywhere! Especially my stomach—a lot! Look!”
To prove her grievance, Lea lifted her top and exposed her belly.
After that much of a beating, it had to be covered in ugly bruises.
That would be the decisive proof.
The wicked woman before her eyes would be thrown into the dungeons!
Lea was certain of it.
Her exposed belly was white and slender—beautiful.
There wasn't a single bruise.
Jedmon cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away, while Winzes sighed and asked Eirana,
“Eirana, did you hit Lea?”
“No, I didn't. That said, Her Highness the Princess's behavior is rather unbecoming.”
Eirana lied without batting an eye and even pointed out Lea's conduct.
A woman baring her midriff like that in front of others was definitely not a good look.
Hearing the exchange, Lea sensed something was wrong.
She looked down at her own stomach.
Her flawless white skin stared back.
“T-this can't be! It's a lie! Fraud!”
Lea shrieked.
Eirana spoke up at the sight.
“My skills may be lacking, but I'll do my utmost to teach Your Highness proper etiquette.”
“Please do.”
Winzes, who knew his sister was growing more arrogant by the day, couldn't help but sigh.
He gave Lea a gentle smile and patted her head.
“Your big brother has to go—he's busy. Study hard, okay?”
“B-big brother? D-don't go! Save me! Please!”
Lea begged with a face about to burst into tears, but Winzes ignored her.
He didn't know why she was acting this way, but many tutors had already suffered because of Lea's theatrics.
This might be more of the same.
It was a seed he'd planted from the start, after all.
“Your Highness. Class isn't over yet. I'll give it my all for the remaining time.”
Eirana flashed an unusually kind smile as she grabbed Lea.
Lea's face drained of color.
Creeeak. Thud.
The sound of the door closing rang out like massive castle gates slamming shut to Lea.
Lea shook off Eirana's hand and dashed for the door.
“S-save me! Let me out! I don't want to die!”
Bang bang bang! Rattle! Rattle! Bang bang!
She pounded on the door and twisted the knob frantically, but it wouldn't budge.
Even though knightesses had to be standing guard outside.
Crack!
Suddenly, something snapped behind her.
Lea's frantic pounding stopped dead at the ominous sound.
Turning around with her body trembling in fear, she finally saw it.
Eirana, swinging a broken-off chair leg through the air!
Their eyes met as Eirana swung silently at empty space.
Eirana smiled brightly.
“Hiiiik!”
Lea plastered herself against the door in horror.
Eirana approached her.
“D-don't come closer! Stay back!”
Click! Click! Crunch! Click!
Lea twisted the knob madly with trembling hands gripped by terror.
The door stayed shut.
“L-let me out! Save me! Isn't anyone there?! Open this door! S-someone! H-help! Save me!”
“Who's gonna kill you?”
Eirana seized Lea's shoulder.
Whoosh—
Lea felt the blood drain from her entire body.
She turned slowly, shaking uncontrollably, to face Eirana.
There, silver eyes stared back, brimming with unmasked savagery. Lea's legs gave out.
Slide! Thud!
She slid down the door and collapsed, trembling.
Eirana beamed at her.
“Don't worry. You'll just get beaten half to death by me. Can't beat you if you're dead, right?”
With that, all expression vanished from Eirana's face.
“You little shit, I told you you'd get beaten if you snitched, didn't I? Did I or didn't I?!”
Smack!
The chair leg-turned-club smashed into Lea's shoulder.
Lea screamed in agony from the pain radiating from her shoulder.
Eirana grabbed the falling Lea's collar, yanked her up, and hurled her across the room.
Thud!
Lea tumbled across the center of the room again.
“Snitch on me?! Snitch?! Huh?!”
Splat!
“Kuek!”
Eirana jumped and flattened the downed Lea butt-first.
“I told you not to snitch, didn't I? Did I or didn't I?! Huh?! Block it? Block and it'll hurt even more!”
Eirana's barrage of curses and violence began.
“One! I will never snitch!”
Lea knelt on the floor, tears choking her voice, as she spread out a sheet of paper with both hands and declared loudly.
Her face was a mess of sobs. Her whole body ached with pain.
Oddly, despite all the punches and kicks, nothing was broken anywhere.
Not even a bruise had formed.
For Lea, it was a horrific tragedy.
“Two! I will never rebel!”
Right now, Lea was reading a declaration.
After being thoroughly thrashed by Eirana, she had written this pledge promising not to defy her anymore and was now reciting it aloud.
This was the second time. The first had been in informal speech...
“You playing games right now? Informal speech? You think we're equals? Same level? Huh?! Glared at me? What're you glaring at?! Eyes down. Down! You haven't been beaten enough? Need more to wise up?”
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Eirana snatched the declaration and beat her with the rolled-up paper.
It was just a scrap of paper rolled tight, but it hurt as much as the chair leg earlier.
For the record, that chair was now perfectly mended, with Eirana sitting on it.
“Three! I will not use informal speech.”
Eirana sat cross-legged before the princess, chin in hand, watching her with a bored expression.
“Four! I will study diligently! That is all! Princess Lea Willa Yel Ru Adea hereby declares!”
“Hey, come here.”
“Y-yes? W-why?”
Lea shrank back.
In this short time, she'd figured out Eirana's patterns to some extent.
Very simple.
Start sweet, end violent.
She was surely calling her over to beat her.
“......”
Terrified, Lea refused to approach, but the moment she saw Eirana ball her fist, she scrambled forward on all fours.
She figured it'd be worse if she didn't.
“If you study hard but don't get results, that'd be weird, right? Add that you'll achieve excellent grades.”
“B-but studying doesn't guarantee results!”
Her lingering defiance slipped out reflexively.
Lea flinched, but mercifully, no blow came.
Eirana gently stroked her head and gave her a warm smile.
“It's okay. You can do it.”
“......”
“If you don't get results, I'll beat you to death.”
With that, the stroking hand gripped Lea's hair.
“......”
Pain shot through her scalp, paling Lea's face again.
In the end, she added a fifth clause.
Thus, Princess Lea's misfortune began.