Chapter 133: Etiquette Has Teeth
Chapter 132: Etiquette Has Teeth
Lyria’s POV
For a moment, I simply looked at her.
Theresa stood very still now, her expression no longer sharp with certainty, but unsettled—like something she had expected to remain fixed had quietly shifted under her feet.
I tilted my head slightly.
"D-do you... perhaps have a hearing ailment?" I asked softly.
The question landed gently.
Almost politely.
But it did not feel gentle in the room.
Theresa blinked once.
"Pardon?" she said quickly.
I nodded to myself. "I-it seems you do have a hearing a-ailment after a-all."
Before she could respond further, Diana stepped in.
Her voice was smoother and more controlled than Theresa’s.
"My lady," she said, placing emphasis on the words as though correcting an inconvenience rather than addressing a situation, "Theresa was merely performing her duties. Ensuring your chambers are suitable."
Her eyes flicked briefly toward me.
"As is appropriate."
I turned slowly toward her.
For a moment, I said nothing.
Then I gave a small, measured smile.
"Diana," I said softly.
She straightened slightly at the sound of her name.
"Were you not t-taught," I continued, my voice still light, "how to a-address your superiors w-when you were appointed as a m-maid?"
I paused just for effect.
"Especially," I added, "when t-that superior is the c-child of the k-king?"
I hated that he was my father, but there was nothing I could do about it. And it was better to resolve this issue immediately than when it escalated.
Diana blinked.
Once.
Twice.
For the first time since she entered the room, her expression faltered. Shock so evident on her face it was almost laughable.
I did not allow silence to linger long enough for her to recover.
Instead, I turned my gaze back to Theresa.
My smile remained.
But it sharpened just slightly at the edges.
"Tell me," I said gently, "is t-this what the Queen s-sent you to d-do when she added you all as my m-maids?"
Theresa stiffened.
"T-to... disrespect me?"
The word me settled softly in the air.
I let it sit.
Then I continued.
"I m-may be," I hesitated, as though selecting the correct phrasing carefully, "i-illegitimate in title."
A faint breath passed through Diana, almost dismissive.
But I did not look at her.
"But I am still," I added, "t-the daughter of the k-king."
I knew what was happening now would likely make its way back to the Queen’s ear, but I did not care.
"This c-chamber," I said, glancing around slowly, "b-belongs to me."
My gaze returned to them.
"And y-yet you inspect it a-as though I am a guest w-within it."
I tilted my head again.
"That is i-incorrect."
Theresa opened her mouth slightly, but no words came.
I continued before she could find them.
"I w-will clean it as I-I wish," I said calmly. "And you will... p-pretend to be m-maids."
Once more, they were in shock. It was almost laughable how shocked they were. Did they think I didn’t know they wanted nothing to do with me?
"Why the f-faces?" I asked them. "I-it is rather obvious you do not w-wish to be my m-maids."
Sally frowned, as if trying to see right through me to understand what was happening. She would not, though.
"B-but that being the case," I said, "y-you will a-address me a-appropriately."
My tone remained even.
Almost courteous.
"A-after all," I said, "p-practice m-makes perfect, does it not?"
"If you do not begin now," I continued, "then p-perhaps, in t-the presence of the court, you will make a-a mistake."
My gaze lingered on each of them in turn.
Diana.
Theresa.
Sally.
"And t-then," I said quietly, "h-how would that reflect upon the royal h-household?"
I let the thought settle before I finished it.
"W-would it not," I asked gently, "bring u-unnecessary trouble to the c-crown?"
I wouldn’t care if it did, but I could use this to get them to behave better.
Their expressions shifted almost imperceptibly.
"And i-if trouble follows," I added softly, "who do you think w-would be h-held responsible?"
I let the thought settle. The Queen would not be to blame, even if she may have ordered them to behave like this. Neither would the King, nor Jacinta, nor even I. It would be them, because the royal family would not want to tarnish their reputation further than it was already... tarnished.
They seemed to understand my point.
"Exactly," I said. "S-so do be c-careful."
The weight of that understanding lingered in the air like dust that refused to settle.
I exhaled lightly.
Then tilted my head toward the door.
"You may l-leave now," I said. "I am d-done with my work. And I am... tired, especially since none of y-you assisted me in c-cleaning up."
Theresa and Sally exchanged a look.
Diana did not move immediately.
Then, finally, she cleared her throat.
"...We apologise," she said.
As though she were testing how the words felt on her tongue.
I looked at her.
Then at the others.
"R-really?" I asked softly.
Diana hesitated.
"Yes," she said again. "We are sorry."
I studied her for a moment.
Then smiled faintly.
"If y-you are truly sorry," I said, "t-then you will each a-apologise properly."
That caused another shift.
A sharper one this time.
Theresa glanced at Diana just as Sally lowered her eyes.
Diana, after a brief pause, exhaled and stepped forward slightly.
She bowed.
"I am sorry," she said.
She said it with obvious disgust, and really, she did not take me for a fool, did she?
I tilted my head again.
"That is n-not sufficient," I replied gently.
Diana straightened slowly, her eyes narrowing just slightly.
"You a-are a-apologising," I said softly, "t-to a p-princess, are y-you not?"
"I just apologised," she said.
"I-inappropriately too. And now you w-will a-apologise appropriately," I told her firmly.
She clenched her fist tightly. And honestly, seeing her like this brought me a sort of sick joy.
Sally was the first to bow.
"I apologise, Your Highness," she said.
Diana gave her a startled look, and then Theresa bowed, mirroring Sally. Finally, after what felt like hours, Diana bowed too.
"We apologise, Your Highness," they said.
