Chapter 72 : A Proper Lady.

'No, that's the wrong one...Nice, that's the one, Adam.'

Currently, I was watching Adam playing a puzzle game with Howard.

A relaxing breeze danced through the opened windows, with warm rays of the sun finding their way to illuminate the entire room.

And behind us, on the couch, sat Mother, who stoically stared at the other two, who stood awkwardly before her.

"I heard the whispers of the birds, saying that Kareya's Martial magic was making a huge mess out of Count Grey's backyard...Anything you ladies have to say about that?" Started Mother while sipping her tea elegantly.

'What do you mean whispers of the birds...You were watching them, Mother...' I commented inside while keeping my gaze straight to the front. Being the wiser, I knew better than to try confronting Mother regarding such trivial detail...

"Mom? I've done nothing...All I did was watch." Explained Sister, pleading for herself.

"So why did you just watch? If you still think of me as your Master, then who is Helena, Alyson Von Dawson?" Probed Mother calmly, her eyes landed firmly on her daughter.

"...My Junior Sister." Confessed Sister softly.

"Correct. A sister under the same Master. And what do you call her, Helena?"

"Ugh...Senior Sister..." Helena flinched.

"Good. Both of you remember. Now tell me again, Alyson. What would you do if you truly thought of her as your Sister?" Asked Mother leisurely.

My Sister took a deep breath, hanging her head low. I almost thought it was because she was angry from being told off or something, but apparently, that wasn't the case.

"I should've tried to dissuade the fight from happening, and If everything else failed, at the very least, I should have told Sarah to bring in a change of clothes for Helena instead of leaving her fighting in a dress." Answered her in one breath.

'What in the living hell...' Howard and I peeked at each other, confused at her answer.

Mother simply took yet another sip and then relished in the taste of the dessert in front of her, letting the silence sink in.

"Good." Voiced her after a while.

'The fuck? That was the right answer!?' I almost lost it there...

"You should've done something the minute you saw your Sister exhibiting such uncouth manners. You should have known better as the older one, my dear Alyson." Mother's slender hand burrowed gently into Sister's silky hair, caressing it with much tenderness.

Closing her eyes, Sister rubbed her head in a spoiled manner, saying, "I am sorry, Mom. My thoughts were short."

"Remember this. Taking care of your own can be a burden or a blessing. It's a choice, Alyson...I hope you'll always choose the latter, and I know you'll do well from here on out, too." 

Mother then turned to the real troublemaker when she was done with my Sister.

And she had assumed the stoic and impassive visage once again."Now, how about you, Helena? I bet you don't have the slightest clue what you did wrong, right?"

Helena avoided her eyes, peering to the side.

"I used to think like you that power will prevail over everything, and our gender is nothing but a limitation, and what we wear is trivial at best." Started Mother again.

Helena frowned while biting her lips.

"I know what you're feeling right now...There's something that you wanted to have, but you couldn't do it simply with my might alone. I know what it felt like to feel like the dumbest and smallest person alive when I realized how warped and small my world was."

And she finally responded, locking her eyes with Mother. Somehow, the latter had hit the mark...

"And then I met someone who opened my eyes to the real world. And she was the Grandmother of my children...also my Teacher. She taught me how to cherish the chance to act like a true lady and showed me there are many kinds of battles in this world. Do you want to train and claim to be the strongest? Then, by all means, do so. But never slight the way others fight their own battles. The dress? That is their armor. The fancy poise? That is their sword...Fortunately, I was taught to dream to be the best in both worlds, and all it took was my will to learn and preserve...She asked me back then, and now it is my turn to ask you instead, Helena."

Mother cupped Helena's cheeks with her hands, seeing eye to eye.

"It won't be short but a long and arduous road ahead. You won't be putting your life on the line, but oftentimes, you'd find how suffocating it is to breathe, and it can be frustrating to the point of being unfair at some point...Still, would you like me to teach you how to behave like a proper lady? Do you want to be the best in both worlds?"

Helena's gaze faltered, and in that split second, she found me.

And then, as if she had found her answer, Helena nodded shyly twice in silence.

'Hehe, look at her getting embarrassed and all.'

I didn't miss the chance to hint at Howard regarding Helena's state. He was my comrade in things like this, after all.

Albeit, it didn't quite hit the mark, contrary to what I thought.

Howard merely shook his head while sighing helplessly. 

"What...? What is it?" I whispered curiously.

"Nothing...I just think everything the Duchess said was too accurate, is all. It will be hard, suffocating, and frustrating. My poor Sister..." Expressed Howard in distraught.

'The fuck is he smoking?' I smacked the dude's hand away from my shoulder.

"No fair! You never told me any of this and just forced me to do everything, Mom!" Whined my Sister, pouting.

"Because you are my daughter. Until you become an adult to decide things by yourself, you better do it when I'm asking you nicely." Not giving an inch to the grumbling girl, Mother curtly replied.

"Hmph! You're too much, Mother! She gets pampered all the time, but with me-"

"Alyson. That's not the way a lady should behave...Very well, I shall only say this once, so listen to me." She cut off my Sister short before assuming a more somber tone. "Being the lady of this house, who do you think I'd expect to teach Helena how to properly conduct herself when I am not present?"

Slowly and surely, the dissatisfaction on her face had melted, and from her lips, emerged a smile...No, a smirk. "Oho~"

Her eyes turned crescent from how delighted she was by Mother's words.

"Tch! Don't you even dare mess around with me, you basta-"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" And now, it was Helena's turn to be cut off by Mother. "What did I say about clicking your tongue and cussing? First lesson for you, young lady...Control yourself whenever you are in the presence of a proper gentleman or a lady."

'So she can cuss to her heart's content when there's no one around?' I honestly thought the logic was fair enough. A bit odd, but yeah, it worked, I guess...

For someone like Helena, who would cuss and yell as easily as breathing, telling her to absolutely not do it without a breathing room was near impossible, after all.

"Urgh..." Gritting her teeth hard, Helena could only groan quietly and glared at my Sister with fire in her eyes.

"Hehe, this is fun." The latter, who seemed to enjoy the current situation, giggled joyfully.

"Don't take it too far, Alyson." Chided Mother with her eyes closed, enjoying the refreshing breeze that flowed into the room along with her sets of desserts.

"Yes, Mom~" Answered the girl cheerfully.

Thus, time passed by in a quiet manner, and soon before long, Renata had entered the room to inform us that it was time for dinner.

The second our eyes met, she covertly tapped the back of her hand twice. And that can only mean one thing.

'Hm...'