Shall We Practice?
Marian's day begins with the Perona and Arona sisters coming to wake her.
"Hey, get up. Change your clothes."
"Ugh…. I'm sleepy…."
Perona taps her shoulder to rouse Marian.
"Change or I'll leave you if you're still sleepy?"
"Okay…. I'll change…."
Arona brings over a hanger with a single dress dangling from it, urging her to put it on. Since Marian's still half-asleep and dragging her feet a bit, Arona tosses out a single word and sweeps right out.
This kind of morning has repeated for years now, and Marian—who knows nothing of how other nobles start their days—simply assumes it's normal.
So today, too, she's changing by herself.
As she's stripping off her sleepwear, all crusted with dust and stray hairs, and struggling into the dress hanging on the hanger Arona brought….
"Arona!"
"Ah, you're Arona?"
"Kh, Ch-Chloe?"
Chloe bursts into the bedroom. Grabbing Arona by the hair.
That must hurt…, Marian thinks, her lips parting as if to say something.
"Sorry for startling you. See you later, okay?"
"Y-Yeah…."
Chloe says it with her usual kind face, promising they'll meet again soon. Marian's so grateful for those words that she can't muster anything beyond her simple agreement.
"Come out."
"Aaaack!"
Right after, Chloe addresses Arona in a voice so cold Marian's never heard it before. Terrified, Arona flicks her eyes toward Marian, but Marian can't read the intent there.
Chloe doesn't seem like she'd do anything bad. Still, Marian's dying to know what's happening outside….
She hurriedly finishes changing and presses her ear to the bedroom door.
"You still haven't gotten your head on straight."
"Y-Yes…?"
"Who should you be apologizing to?"
"Th-that, ah…!"
It took too long to change clothes. Marian misses almost the entire exchange between Chloe and the Perona-Arona sisters.
But she does sense strongly that Arona and Perona are about to barge back into the bedroom. So she heads to the bed and sits, silently watching the door.
"L-Lady!"
"We did wrong!"
Just a few seconds later? The usually nagging sisters kick open the bedroom door, drop to their knees, and bow their heads low.
Marian has no idea why they're acting like this. But she can guess who it's because of.
Chloe did something again.
Thinking it over, it's odd how these maids subtly look down on her despite her being the lady of the house. Marian speaks casually to her teacher Chloe, yet the maids are formal with Chloe.
But maids Perona and Arona? They use casual speech with Marian.
She's always sensed something off in that dynamic—instinctively thought it was weird. She figured it was no big deal since they were so brazen about it….
Chloe knew better. As her teacher, she'd corrected the problem.
So that means I'm higher than them…?
And the moment that realization hits.
The noble blood flowing in Marian's veins stirs.
That innate noble instinct: to toy with those beneath you, intimidate them, and ultimately lord over them.
"I changed alone and the dress is all wrinkled. Bring new clothes."
"Y-Yes! Right away!"
"We'll fetch new ones and dress you properly!"
"Yeah. Go on."
It emerges plainly, and for the first time, Marian's noble demeanor—suppressed for twelve long years—reveals itself to the world.
The next day.
"Good, not late."
Just like yesterday morning, Chloe hangs by Marian's bedroom window, peering inside to monitor the situation.
"L-Lady. Did you cough?"
"W-We will enter."
A moment later, the maids—who were so rude yesterday—begin treating Marian with clumsy but proper etiquette.
"L-Lady, it's time to rise."
"Ugh…."
Perona wakes her with delicate motions, like touching a sandcastle that might crumble at the slightest prod.
"Which dress strikes your fancy?"
"Anything, whatever…."
"Haha…, understoood."
Arona hauls in a hanger stuffed full of clothes and starts dressing Marian in what looks like the priciest one.
"The knot's too tight…."
"We'll adjust it. Right away."
Even the way they dress her has some polish to it now. Meaning they knew how to do it properly but had been neglecting Marian until today.
Infuriating.
"N-Now it's done, Lady."
"Th…."
"Yeah, looks finished."
"Huh, heuk…."
"You…!"
"Would've been nice if you'd done this from the start, huh?"
Chloe throws open the window and climbs inside, locking eyes directly with the sisters.
"From now on, serve the miss thinking I'm watching you everywhere. Guard that tongue and those cheeks of yours."
"Th…."
"Uh…."
"Answer me."
At first, the sisters vow bloody revenge against Chloe.
But their impulsive dreams of vengeance crumble overnight.
Last evening, they rushed straight to Rosetta, fawned over her, and gathered intel on Chloe—learning she's an irreplaceable tutor to the grand ducal house.
Two mere maids have no way to take her down.
"Y…, yes."
"May we withdraw?"
"Does it seem like I'm the highest rank here?"
"Ah…, L-Lady!"
"C-Can we withdraw now?"
"Y-Yeah, go ahead."
"Th-Thank you."
"We'll bring tea snacks right away."
"Have a peaceful time, you two."
Chloe forces their loyalty to Marian once more, etching the gap between them deep into their minds.
"Ch-Chloe. Are you mad?"
"Pardon?"
Seeing Chloe like this for the first time, Marian clutches her hand and pleads.
"Y-Your voice was scary…."
Children can read emotions from the subtlest shifts in tone. Marian's no exception.
Of course I'm mad…. If those bitches messed up the miss, Rosetta might overlook it, but Haksen would leap from his sickbed to kill me first….
Chloe really was furious to her core at one point, and she still doesn't like these fallen noble sisters one bit.
But….
No reason to show those feelings in front of Marian. She slips right back into her usual kindly home tutor persona.
"No. Why would I be? Not with the miss here."
"You weren't mad?"
"Just a light scolding. Those two treated you well today, right?"
"Yeah, they apologized yesterday, brought snacks a lot, dressed me nicely today. Didn't shake me awake rough either."
"I told them to. No way they're rude to the lady of the Evergreen Grand Duchy."
"A-Am I a big deal?"
"Well…."
How to answer that? Chloe ponders briefly.
Suddenly, it hits her: maybe Marian has no real sense of her own position.
No, she actually doesn't?
Ignored by her own father Haksen. Bullied by Rosetta and her five younger half-siblings. Tormented by Perona and Arona, who have them as backers.
Even now as the official lady, their mistreatment hasn't stopped….
Never had a moment to realize her status?
Her place in the succession keeps rising, but the harsh treatment stays the same. Aside from a few shifts in maid attitudes and Chloe's appointment as tutor, nothing's really changed.
No wonder she can't grasp her elevated status.
"I'll make it clear to you right now."
Best to spell it out plainly while she has the chance.
"…!"
Marian gulps dryly.
"The lady is an irreplaceable existence."
"Irreplaceable…?"
"If one Marian Evergreen vanished, the Evergreen Grand Duchy would lose its future. The Haksen Evergreen line would end."
"Gasp…."
The line ends.
Even young Marian grasps that it's far from a good thing.
"Without me, this place falls apart?"
"Yes. All the maids, knights, and vassals who serve only the Evergreens? Flat broke."
"That's… heavy…."
Marian makes a rare face of genuine dismay.
The girl who gets terrified just from stares when out in town.
Me, their hope…?
But someday, everyone in this vast grand ducal castle will live for her alone.
Honestly? She kind of hates it.
"Yes, it is heavy. But it's fine. They're not doing it for free."
"Not free?"
"Right. They'll offer you their loyalty. In fact, Grand Duke Haksen has managed the territory all this time on the loyalty of many vassals."
"Fa-Fath…, the Grand Duke's okay with it?"
"Who knows. He must feel the burden too, but that's the Evergreen duty—so he holds the seat."
Which means.
"If anyone acts rude to you like those maids earlier, tell them without hesitation."
"Say what…?"
"I'm Marian Evergreen, lady of the Evergreen Grand Duchy! Know your place, you scum—crawl on the floor! Like that."
"C-Caaan't!"
Instant refusal.
Marian's had so little experience mixing words with others her whole life. No way she can spit out harsh words. Malicious words. Words that crush others under authority.
"N-No way I can alone…."
Marian hangs her head.
Hmm. She needs to learn this to truly stand on her own—and only then can I finish my job and hide away carefree at some resort….
After a moment's thought, Chloe.
"Then shall we practice on me?"
"Huh…?"
Commits an act she might regret someday.