“Sooo… where exactly are we going?”

“You shall find out soon enough, Mister Ikitayashi.”

We walked through the castle’s hallways once again. Sigh. I was starting to sound like a broken record. How many times had I talked about these hallways already? Honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to walking through them.

Anyway, I followed Astress, doing my best not to get distracted by my surroundings. There was something different about her today, though. She kept her distance from me, and she’d barely said a word since we left. Whenever I tried to catch her eye, she turned back to the path ahead. Maybe I was overthinking things, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was deliberately avoiding me. Eventually, I couldn’t help it anymore. Curiosity kind of won.

“Um… Astress?”

“Yes, Mister Ikitayashi?”

“Do you hate me?”

She stopped walking and turned to face me.

“Why the sudden question?”

“Well…” I scratched my cheek, struggling to find the right words. “It’s just… the way you’ve been acting. And, um, you keep looking away whenever I try to catch your eye.”

Astress regarded me silently for a moment.

“I see.”

That was all she said. She just turned around and kept walking. Seriously? That’s it? I hurried after her, but before I could bring myself to ask again, she spoke.

“Hate is a rather strong word. I would prefer to say that I am cautious of you.”

“Cautious?”

“Indeed.”

She glanced at me briefly, then looked ahead again.

“Lady Kia found you under rather unusual circumstances. You claim to have lost your memories, yet you know remarkably little about your own situation. Despite this, you were bold enough to approach His Majesty and request permission to work within the castle.”

She paused, allowing her words to sink in.

“Given the circumstances, I believe it is only reasonable that I should have some reservations about you.”

I had no answer to that. She was right. From her perspective, my presence here probably made very little sense. I had appeared out of nowhere, claimed I’d lost my memories, and somehow convinced the king to let me stay. And that was without even getting into the whole ‘dying and somehow coming back to life’ part. Honestly, if I were in her position, I probably wouldn’t trust me either. Still, it didn’t make things any less awkward. What was I supposed to do to earn her trust? I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth without risking a whole new set of problems. And even if I wanted to, I wasn’t sure how much I could explain. I took a breath. Not that it helped much.

“Listen, Astress—”

“That is Mistress Belluvi to you.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. Oh, come on. Was that really necessary? I let out a quiet sigh.

“Mistress Belluvi, then. Look, you’re not the only one who wishes things had turned out differently. I know my situation is strange, and I understand why you’re suspicious of me. But I’m hoping that, once my memories return—”

I trailed off. If they ever come back. Not that I’m holding my breath. The words were supposed to come naturally, but I found myself struggling to finish the sentence. Pretending to have amnesia was harder than I’d expected. Every time I spoke about my past, I had to think carefully about what I could say and what I needed to keep to myself. I wanted to be honest with her. I really did. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that telling her everything would only make things worse. I swallowed and forced myself to continue.

“I meant… when my memories return, I’ll be able to go back to my previous life.”

Astress shot me a skeptical look.

“If they return.”

Ouch. Guess there was just no way to win with her. We continued down the hallway in silence. I couldn’t help wondering whether I had made things worse by bringing up the subject in the first place.

Before I could dwell on it any longer, we stopped in front of a pair of beautifully carved wooden doors. Astress pushed them open and stepped aside.

“Welcome to the ballroom.”

I peered inside.

“Wow…”

The room was enormous. Its polished marble floor reflected the light pouring in through the tall windows, while an elaborate chandelier hung from the center of the high ceiling. Elegant pillars lined the room, and grand paintings and intricate golden ornaments decorated the walls. Long curtains framed the windows, their fabric falling almost to the floor. Everything about this place just screamed luxury. Or maybe it just whispered it really loudly. I couldn’t tell. For a moment, I forgot why we’d come here in the first place.

“Is this really a ballroom?”

“Indeed. The ballroom serves an important purpose within the household, Mister Ikitayashi. This is where the household hosts formal gatherings and celebrations.”

“Right.”

I had to remind myself I was living in a castle now. I guess having a giant ballroom was just normal here. Astress walked to the opposite side of the room, where a small cart sat. Several items rested on top of it, including a stack of plates and a neatly folded cloth. She picked up a slender wooden stick and turned to face me.

“Now, then. Let us begin.”

I looked at the stick, then at her. Before I could say anything, she picked up a plate from the cart and handed it to me.

“First, we shall correct your posture.”

I barely had time to wonder what she meant before she tapped me several times with her stick.

“Ow! Hey, what was that for?!”

“To indicate where you are holding yourself incorrectly.”

She tapped my back.

“Straighten your back.”

Another tap landed against my shoulder.

“Relax your shoulders.”

Then she pointed the stick toward my legs.

“Keep your legs firm, and raise your chin slightly.”

I hurriedly adjusted myself, trying to follow her instructions as best I could. Astress examined me for a moment before giving a small nod.

“Better. A servant should always appear confident and composed. Slouching, fidgeting, or carrying yourself carelessly gives the impression that you are inattentive.”

I glanced down at the plate in my hands.

“I’m starting to think this is going to be harder than I thought.”

“It will be, if you continue to complain.”

“…Right.”

I quickly straightened my back.

“Next, walk to the other side of the room and return while holding this plate. Maintain your posture throughout the exercise, and take care not to tilt the plate.”

That sounded easy enough. Probably. I mean, how hard could it be to just walk across a room? I carefully balanced the plate in my hands and set off toward the opposite side of the ballroom. I kept my back straight, my shoulders relaxed, and my chin raised, just as she’d instructed.

By the time I got back, I was almost kind of proud of myself. Then Astress stared at me. Silently. For several uncomfortable seconds.

...What? Did I mess up that badly?

“Awful. Simply awful.”

Before I could react, she tapped me with her stick.

“Your shoulders are too stiff. Your steps are uneven, and you are holding the plate as though you expect it to attack you.”

“Hey, I did what you—”

She gave me a look that could have frozen an entire lake. I immediately shut my mouth.

“Frankly, your posture is lamentable. When I accepted Lady Kia’s request to instruct you, I did not anticipate such a lack of competence.”

“You don’t have to be so harsh about it.”

“On the contrary, Mister Ikitayashi. I most certainly do.”

She rested the stick against her shoulder.

“As members of this household’s staff, we are expected to uphold the highest standards. Allowing someone in your present condition to work here without proper instruction would undermine the standards maintained by the other servants.”

“Okay, I get that, but I’m still learning. Can’t you be a little more… supportive?”

Astress stared at me as though I’d just asked her to do something utterly unreasonable.

Then she stepped closer.

And closer.

Until I could feel her breath against my skin.

I instinctively leaned backward, but her stern gaze kept me rooted in place.

“Kind words only help the helpless, Mister Ikitayashi.”

I stared at her, unsure whether I should feel insulted or intimidated.

“…You know, most people would just tell me to stand up straight.”

“Then perhaps you should consider yourself fortunate that I am taking the time to teach you properly.”

Fortunate? If you say so. I straightened my back at once.

“Good,” she said, stepping away. “It seems you are capable of learning after all.”

I had a bad feeling this was going to be a long day. And, unfortunately, I was right. What came next made me question every decision I’d made since I got here. First, I had to walk across the ballroom while balancing a plate. Then I had to do it again, this time carrying a folded cloth in my other hand. After that, Astress decided I needed to learn how to serve refreshments without spilling anything. Apparently, my technique was so bad she thought it was a miracle I hadn’t spilled water all over myself yet.

And that was only the beginning. She taught me how to greet people of different ranks, how to address members of the royal family, and how to respond when spoken to by someone of higher standing. Every time I made a mistake, she was quick to point it out. Usually with her stick.

“Keep your back straight.”

Tap.

“Do not shuffle your feet.”

Tap.

“Raise your head, Mister Ikitayashi.”

Tap.

“Stop fidgeting.”

Tap.

“Could you at least give me a warning before you do that?!”

“Would you prefer that I allow your mistakes to go uncorrected?”

“…No, ma’am.”

“Then I suggest you concentrate.”

By the time she moved on to teaching me to speak formally, I was starting to wonder if I’d bitten off more than I could chew. Even the way I answered simple questions seemed to be a problem.

“Good morning,” she’d say.

“Morning.”

Tap.

“Good morning, Mistress Belluvi,” I’d correct myself.

“Much better.”

It was exhausting. I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired from just standing up straight. And believe me, I made plenty of mistakes.

By the time the sun began to set, my entire body ached. My arms felt heavy, my legs ached, and I was so tired I could barely stand up straight. Which was kind of ironic, since I’d just spent the whole afternoon being told to do exactly that. Naturally, every mistake had earned me another sharp tap from her little wooden stick. I could practically feel it striking my back just thinking about it. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I started having nightmares about that stick. Who knew being a servant could be this scary?

“That concludes our training for the day.”

I was still catching my breath.

“That’s… it?” I managed to ask.

Astress raised an eyebrow.

“Were you hoping for more?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

I straightened my back out of reflex, only to wince as my aching muscles protested.

“I mean, not that I’m complaining or anything. Today’s been great. Really. I’ve learned so much.”

Pretty sure my smile looked more like a grimace. Astress studied me for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

“You have much to learn, Mister Ikitayashi. However, I suppose it would be unreasonable to expect you to master everything in a single day.”

Oh, thank goodness. She actually understands.

“Tomorrow, we shall continue with your lessons. I expect you to remember what I have taught you today.”

So much for feeling relieved.

“Of course,” I replied, trying my best to sound confident. “I’ll do my best.”

“You would be wise to do so.”

She turned toward the cart and began putting away the items we’d used during our lesson. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to stretch my arms, only to discover that even that hurt. Seriously, what did I get myself into? I glanced at Astress, who was tidying everything away as though she hadn’t spent the entire afternoon putting me through the wringer.

“Hey, Mistress Belluvi?”

“Yes, Mister Ikitayashi?”

“Do you ever get tired?”

She stopped for a moment and looked at me.

“Of course. Why do you ask?”

“Because you look like you could do this all over again without breaking a sweat.”

“I assure you, I am quite capable of becoming tired.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Nothing!”

I quickly looked away. Great. I survived dying, just to get taken out by a maid with a wooden stick. At this rate, I wasn’t even sure which was scarier. I heard the sound of something being placed on the cart.

“Mister Ikitayashi.”

I stiffened.

“Yes?”

“Come here for a moment.”

Oh, no. What did I do now? I reluctantly approached her, half expecting another lecture about my posture. Instead, she held out a small glass of Ignis.

“Drink this. You have been neglecting your needs throughout the lesson.”

I blinked at her.

“…Oh. Thanks.”

I took the glass and drank almost all of it in one go. Only after setting it down did I realize just how thirsty I’d been.

“Better?” she asked.

“Much better.”

“Good. You will find it difficult to learn anything if you exhaust yourself to the point of collapse.”

I looked at her, surprised by the concern hidden beneath her usual stern tone. For a second, I wondered if maybe I’d misjudged her. Then she continued.

“Of course, that does not excuse your performance today. I expect considerable improvement tomorrow.”

There it was.

“Right. Of course.”

She grabbed the cart’s handle and pushed it toward the door. I hurried to follow her, doing my best to keep my aching legs moving. After a few steps, I looked at her again.

“Um… Mistress Belluvi?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks. For today, I mean. Even if you were a little… strict.”

She stopped. For one horrible second, I thought I’d made a mistake. Then she turned her head toward me.

“Discipline is an important part of learning, Mister Ikitayashi. I would be failing in my duties if I allowed you to develop bad habits.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

“Besides, Lady Kia entrusted me with your education. I intend to fulfill that responsibility to the best of my ability.”

Something about the way she said it made me pause. She wasn’t teaching me because she liked me. She wasn’t doing it because she trusted me, either. She was doing it because she’d been asked to—and because she took her responsibilities seriously. Weirdly, that actually made me feel a bit better.

“I’ll try harder tomorrow,” I said.

“I should hope so.”

She resumed walking. I followed close behind, a little more carefully this time. Maybe earning her trust wasn’t going to be easy. Judging by how much my body hurt, it was probably going to be painful, too. But at least I had some idea where I stood with her now. And that was a start.