Social Lessons

Daisy and Viola had arrived at Baron Bolus’s estate only the day before.

Now, on the afternoon of their second day there, Daisy had finished discussing the whole Pelinda-secret incident with Viola and had already eaten lunch prepared by the Baron’s family.

At the moment, she was standing beside Pelinda inside a room specially used for tutoring within the mansion.

Standing before them was a middle-aged female tutor hired from a nearby town beyond the farming settlement.

She was thin, with sunken cheeks and sharp features that gave her a rather unpleasant look.

“Miss Pelinda, this is the child you mentioned before… that distant relative’s child who wants to start learning social relations from the beginning?”

“Exactly so, Teacher.”

Beside Daisy, Pelinda had already switched back into her perfectly elegant noble-lady mode.

“Miss Daisy hasn’t had much exposure to these kinds of lessons before, so please don’t worry about matching my pace.”

“Please start from the basics.”

As she spoke respectfully, Pelinda secretly blinked her emerald-like eyes toward Daisy every now and then.

Apparently, she still found Daisy’s dragon identity fascinating.

After all, for a human, getting to attend lessons with a dragon was probably a once-in-several-lifetimes experience.

Pelinda had promised not to reveal anything.

Viola had also said she wouldn’t harm her…

But was everything really okay?

Daisy still felt uneasy.

Viola had only said that as long as trouble wasn’t caused, things would be fine.

If circumstances changed…

“Wuu…”

Daisy looked down nervously.

Meanwhile, the female tutor nodded.

“I understand.”

But when she looked at Daisy, there was a trace of disdain in her eyes.

She had been teaching the Baron family for years and had never heard of some “distant relative.”

She had likely assumed Daisy was just some orphan the kind-hearted Baron family had taken in.

Ironically, that misunderstanding made hiding Daisy’s identity easier.

“Little Daisy…”

Pelinda leaned over and whispered quietly:

“They didn’t prepare an extra textbook in time.”

“Let’s share one.”

“Oh, okay.”

Still distracted by her worries, Daisy sat beside Pelinda at the desk.

“Hehe…”

Pelinda smiled.

“Sharing a textbook together really feels like becoming friends.”

“…Does it?”

“Class is starting!”

The tutor’s voice suddenly rang out like an old-fashioned school bell.

Holding a long pointer stick, she walked to the whiteboard in front of the room.

“To help the new student catch up, today’s lesson in Social Relations will begin from the beginning.”

“Miss Pelinda may treat this as review.”

“And you over there—Daisy or whatever your name was—pay attention!”

“Don’t waste Miss Pelinda’s kindness or a teacher’s valuable time!”

Teacher…

Someone who taught knowledge…

Viola had explained that before too.

Daisy looked at the woman standing proudly in front of the class and tilted her head.

‘Why is she acting so superior?’

‘Isn’t she just a teacher?’

**

“The first principle of social relationships is this!”

The tutor struck the board dramatically.

“Never be different from everyone else!”

People feared those who were different.

People rejected those who were different.

Beastfolk.

Dwarves.

Fishfolk.

Vampires.

Demons.

Criminals.

Madmen.

Anything unlike themselves.

“They’re rejected because they’re different!”

“And if you appear different too, people will eventually reject you as well!”

As Daisy listened quietly, she lowered her head slightly.

Different…

That word felt strange.

Very strange.

Because…

She was different.

Meanwhile the teacher kept talking nonstop.

“Greeting people is extremely important!”

“Morning greetings!”

“Afternoon greetings!”

“Evening greetings!”

“Holiday greetings!”

“If you greet someone incorrectly, especially a superior, they might secretly dislike you!”

“Maybe one day you’ll eat an egg without peeling it properly and angry people will send you to be burned for heresy!”

“Don’t think that’s impossible!”

“If you want to survive in society, you must blend in!”

“Become the same as everyone else!”

“Daisy-whatever-your-name-is! Stop daydreaming and take notes!”

By the end of the afternoon, Daisy felt dizzy.

She had somehow learned many things…

And yet somehow understood even less.

What exactly was social relations?

Was pretending to act like a human really this complicated?

Meanwhile, beside her, Pelinda barely listened at all.

Instead, she spent most of the lesson secretly watching Daisy.

Soon evening arrived.

At dinner, Baron Bolus, his wife, Pelinda, and Daisy sat around the large white-clothed dining table.

As usual, the Baron and his wife folded their hands and offered prayers before eating.

Daisy also copied their posture.

After all, she had just spent an afternoon learning “social relations.”

She needed to blend in.

But while pretending to pray, Daisy glanced sideways.

Toward the empty seat where Viola should have been.

Viola rarely needed food.

Sometimes she could go months without eating.

Still, she usually stayed beside Daisy during meals.

But tonight…

She wasn’t here.

Daisy blinked.

‘Viola… where did she go?’

Night quietly swallowed the land.

Clouds drifted across the sky, dimming the moonlight.

Far from Baron Bolus’s territory, beyond several towns, inside Viscount Clyde’s vast domain—

The soldiers who had previously returned in defeat had just been harshly scolded by their lord.

Now they were discussing new plans.

“Damn it!”

“That black-haired woman really some kind of monster?”

“Should we ask the Church for help?”

“No!”

“We handle this ourselves!”

One soldier grinned darkly.

“Let’s set fires and kill people near Bolus Territory.”

“That idiot Baron won’t ignore suffering civilians.”

“When he comes out to help them…”

“We’ll put an arrow through him.”

The others stared.

Then laughed loudly.

“Hah! That’s brilliant!”

“No need to fight that woman directly!”

“What a talent!”

As the soldiers continued laughing and talking—

None of them noticed the dark figure silently leaping across rooftops overhead.

Like a shadow moving through the night.

Heading straight toward the center of the city.

Toward Viscount Clyde’s mansion.