Lizzie of the North (Yrsoreth Chronicles 2)

14 ◦✿◦ Torture Continued

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"...We apologize if we could not entertain you," one girl had said as quietly as possible, glancing to a table with a woman glaring back at her. The same goes with three of the girls, Lizzie assumed were their mothers.

"I can ride a Belcan horse," Graciebelle blurted to break the awkward atmosphere.

"...Good for you?" Lizzie rode her attempt.

"Mother said I'm the fastest... more than the boys."

"According to research, female Belcan horses are the fastest after giving birth," Luppe on her left added to salvage the atmosphere.

"...That's fascinating."

However, the atmosphere is still dead.

With that simple exchange, the weight of hierarchy haunted not just Lizzie, but the young girls whom their parents had great expectations of befriending a Norvillon.

And somehow, Lizzie felt more isolated. She glanced at the Duke quiet with his food. Garth and Erdan were listening to older nobles. But when Erdan talked, few paused, nodded, and forced a laugh.

It's the same for them too.

So Lizzie smiled at the girls just to ease their burdens. Pretension goes both ways. "Can I call you Ebigail?" She asked the palest girl on the verge of crying, and the same question for the others. "You can call me Lizzie."

Their faces brightened and the conversation flowed as smoothly as the whipped cream in her mouth. Tea parties came up and promises of invitation were exchanged.

"By the way, Lady Rosalia isn't here. She's usually present..." one girl could not finish her sentence and clamped her mouth.

Based on a few who would look away and the subject of her previous tutor was quickly changed. The rumors of Lady Davitt's temporary withdrawal from the noble society already spread and by now different speculations have been made.

In an attempt to change the topic, they talked about their favorite lessons. "Imperial History of the Alexander Calendar," was Lizzie's answer.

Aside from her seatmates "Oh..." there was a short gap of silence, then concealed with praises. "As expected of Lizzie," they said. "You also excel in academics."

She understood their hesitation. Aristocratic women were only taught how to read, write and basic arithmetic to manage the household. Other than that, their education was focused on etiquette, dances, and art.

Lizzie, although a liar for necessity, does not wish to color herself to blend in. She's interested in history, especially with the current emperor's achievements as to understand and hopefully grasp the hows and whys in the change of events that affected her own life.

"Surely His Grace is glad to have a brilliant daughter like you."

Glad, my foot. "The Duke said I draw well too." Well, he called it 'tolerable' and kept it on his desk. "The Duke also said I can read well." Well, this is true, after I read how he called the emperor an idiot.

"The... Duke?" Ebigail was the one to voice the other girl's confusion. "Don't you call him 'Father'?"

They wouldn't get her anyway. Calling him 'father' or Erdan and Garth by endearment was a hurdle for her, who was probably just a fleeting existence. In the first place, she was meant to die. "But the Duke is the Duke, right? It's the same."