Free Web NovelChapter 455: Chapter 455: Adina 8
Tan You, having the mind of an adult, passed her etiquette lessons on the first try, performing quickly and flawlessly. Lilith, on the other hand, couldn’t keep up. She had been spoiled her whole life and was always the center of attention. It was no surprise she was unhappy now that she was being outshone by Adina—someone she had always looked down on.
Watching Tan You sit primly beside her reading a book, Lilith gritted her teeth. After catching the private tutor’s gaze, however, she had no choice but to mimic her movements and learn the tedious formalities.
When the lesson was over, the etiquette teacher offered Tan You a few more words of praise before departing. Lilith, her little face stiff, glared at Tan You and snorted coldly. All pretense of sisterly affection was gone now. She simply took her personal maid and left.
Laura said cautiously, "Will Lady Lilith complain to the madam? My lady, you performed exceptionally well today, and Lady Lilith was not happy about it."
Tan You’s lips curved. "Teacher Sophia and Mother are dear friends. Lilith wouldn’t dare make false complaints. Her lies would be exposed in an instant."
Just as Tan You predicted, Lilith was furious, but she truly didn’t dare tell Catherine that Tan You had performed poorly. She knew the etiquette teacher wasn’t like the others. Sophia and Catherine were dear friends who told each other almost everything.
It just goes to show you should never underestimate children. They’re often much better at reading people than adults are.
Back in Adina’s room, just as Tan You was about to resume her reading on magic scroll crafting, the Beauty System flew back. "Host, Catherine asked Lilith to stay for a meal. Aren’t you going to join them?"
"Why would I go over there?" Tan You scoffed. "Is Dumont back yet?"
"Not yet. He’ll be back in three days." The Beauty System blinked. "Host, what are you planning to do?"
Tan You set down her book. "If I want to leave the Earl Edmunds family, I can’t just flee in secret. I have to leave in an open and official capacity. But in this entire Marquis’s residence, the only person who can allow me to leave officially is Dumont."
"Without his command, even if I managed to leave the Imperial City temporarily, I’d eventually be captured and dragged back. Because I’m just... too small." Tan You practically gritted her teeth as she said it.
’Who would have ever thought I’d end up as a five-year-old pipsqueak?’ Not only did she have short arms and legs, but her body was also frail, far less robust than Lilith’s. ’Perhaps this is another reason Catherine disliked the original Adina?’
The Beauty System was bewildered. "So, Host, what’s your plan?"
Tan You paused for a moment. "I hear the ancestors of the Earl Edmunds family are in Dapest City, about a ten-day journey from here. The route passes along the outskirts of the Mist Forest. So, what if a young noble lady encountered a Magic Beast on her travels? Wouldn’t that be a perfectly plausible excuse?"
The Beauty System’s voice shot up. "That’s incredibly dangerous! The Magic Beasts in the Mist Forest are extremely powerful..."
Tan You said, "I know it’s dangerous, but if I don’t go to the Mist Forest, what else can I do? Even if I actually made it to Dapest City, as long as ’Adina’ still exists, there’s no way I can avoid the talent assessment."
"It’s better to disappear on my own terms than to be hunted down by everyone later."
"Across the entire continent, is there any place a Dark Element Mage can live openly? Aren’t all of us forced to hide in the shadows?"
The Beauty System was filled with anxiety. "But Host, you’re really too small! You haven’t even begun your training. You’ll never get past the fog in the Mist Forest..."
Tan You smiled. "Sean’s journal mentioned that he has an abandoned Mage Tower in the Mist Forest. Plus, the ring has an invisibility cloak and a potion to ward off the forest’s toxic miasma. With these, all I need to do is find that Mage Tower, and I can hunker down and live in peace."
The Beauty System said, "It’s been so long. Who knows if that Mage Tower is even still standing? Host, are you sure you want to take this risk?"
Tan You closed her book. "What choice do I have but to risk it? Even if I can’t find the Mage Tower, as long as I get away from the Earl Edmunds family, I’ll find a way to make a life for myself."
"Besides, in my current state, I’m really not suited to living among other people. What do you think happens to a little girl with no one to protect her? Couldn’t she be captured and sold to slavers? You know people will do any evil thing for money."
The Beauty System was convinced. "Host, I’ll help you!"
"Of course you will. You’ve been a huge help," Tan You praised the little puppy-like system. "Without you, I’d be completely in the dark here, knowing nothing. What would I ever do without you?"
So flattered by Tan You’s praise that it didn’t know which way was up, the Beauty System zipped away and vanished before her. "Host, I’m off to gather more information for you!"
Tan You’s lips curved. ’This little thing is pretty easy to flatter.’ She picked up the book on scroll crafting and continued to devour its contents.
「The Front Courtyard」
Catherine and Lilith were having a cozy lunch. Lilith took a bite of beef, and her mind drifted to the morning’s scene of Sophia endlessly praising Tan You. Her eyes shifted, and she began to set a trap. "Mother, I had tea and snacks with Anita and the others yesterday. We made plans to go to Karina’s house tomorrow to see her Magic Beast."
"Mother, why don’t we invite Adina along? She hasn’t been to the last few gatherings."
"Karina even asked if we’d had a fight." Lilith pouted. "Mother, let Adina come out with me tomorrow. That way, people won’t suspect that we don’t get along."
Upon hearing Adina’s name, Catherine frowned instinctively. "Fine, let her go with you. You are sisters, after all. If you don’t get along, people will start to question the Earl Edmunds family’s breeding."
Lilith nodded. "That’s why I suggested she join us."
Her plan was simple. Since she had been completely ignored by Teacher Sophia today, she had to get her own back. And what better way than to have her gaggle of friends teach Tan You a lesson? ’Who asked her to steal the show?’
Catherine smiled. "It’s good of you to be so loving toward your sister. How was your lesson with Aunt Sophia this morning? How did you do?"
Lilith’s expression flickered. She said nothing about Tan You’s performance, merely lowering her head slightly. "I didn’t do very well. I think Aunt Sophia was a little disappointed in me."
Catherine paid it no mind. "Nonsense. You’re still young. Etiquette is something you can learn over time."
Catherine never once asked about Tan You, and Lilith breathed a quiet sigh of relief. ’How could I possibly say anything nice about Tan You to Mother?’ Nowadays, the very thought of Tan You made her skin crawl.
To change the subject and curry a bit more favor, Lilith snuggled up to Catherine and whined, "Mother, can I nap with you during the break? I haven’t slept with you in so long."
Catherine couldn’t resist Lilith’s pestering. "Alright. I’ll have a maid prepare some sleepwear for you."
