How I Ended Up Becoming the Imperial Princess While Trying to Pay Off an Illegal Loan - Chapter 19

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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019.
Against Tamia’s overwhelming strength, the teacup’s handle was frailer than a leaf on the verge of crumbling.
“I’m so sorry.”
Only after a total of twenty-five teacups had met their end could the two of them finally move on to the next phase.
But there was scarcely any improvement.
“Crown Princess, I told you not to pour the tea like that. Look—all the hot water spilled everywhere.”
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry!”
“You’ve been apologizing constantly, but words mean nothing. Pay attention. Do you intend to pour tea all over your guests like that at the ceremony?”
“No! Just a bit more practice and I’ll have it down perfectly.”
“Crown Princess, how old are you now?”
Malisia asked the question without preamble.
“I’m twenty-two this year, but why do you ask?”
“Other young ladies complete their Debutante at twenty, by which point their Etiquette is already perfected. But you? You haven’t even mastered something as fundamental as the Tea Ceremony.”
“Your Majesty, I never intended to make my Debutante in the Capital. That’s why I saw no need to learn these things.”
Tamia tilted her head, as if she couldn’t comprehend Malisia’s logic.
At that, Malisia’s voice grew louder still.
“A Debutante and basic Etiquette are entirely separate matters. Your parents never taught you proper manners at all! This is exactly why those from the Frontier are—”
The last words were spoken softly, almost to herself, yet unmistakably meant for Tamia to hear.
At that, Tamia’s eyes widened with delight.
“That’s right—isn’t Your Majesty also descended from a dancer who wandered the Frontier?”
“W-w-who on earth told you such a thing—!”
Caught off guard by this unexpected assault, Malisia cried out and stammered uncontrollably.
Within the Imperial Palace, any mention of Malisia’s origins was tacitly forbidden, so she had never before been so brazenly called one of Frontier stock.
“Leon told me!”
Tamia beamed and seized Malisia’s hand eagerly.
“I’m from the Western Frontier, and Your Majesty is from the Eastern Frontier, aren’t you? I’m so delighted to discover we have something in common.”
“I-I never said anything about the Frontier—”
While Malisia struggled to recover her composure, Tamia added one more thrust.
“But there’s something you’ve misunderstood. I learned quite a lot from my parents. For instance, this.”
Tamia smiled sweetly, then suddenly grabbed the saucer before her and hurled it behind Malisia.
Instead of a crystalline shatter, there came a dull thwack—and someone stumbled out from behind the curtain, clutching her forehead.
“Ah—ow!”
Blood trickled from the forehead struck by the saucer.
“Even though Your Majesty and I are among the highest-ranked people in the Imperial Palace, I was taught that secretly hiding to eavesdrop on conversations is the height of rudeness!”
The saucer Tamia had thrown was an expensive piece that Malisia particularly treasured.
The woman lurking behind the curtain was one of Malisia’s own attendants, stationed there to secretly record Tamia’s every word and gesture, watching for any misstep she might exploit.
“W-we’ll end the lesson here for today!”
Flustered, Malisia moved to rise, but Tamia grabbed her arm firmly.
“You can’t leave! The wedding is only two weeks away. I need to learn intensively!”
“But I’m rather exhausted today—”
“Please, just this one more thing. All right?”
“……Very well. Let’s begin again with pouring the tea properly.”
Malisia took a deep breath to still her racing heart and resumed the lesson.
Five hours later.
“P-please, no more.”
Malisia began to beg Tamia for mercy.
Tamia had capsized the Teapot seven times over, thoroughly soaking the hem of Malisia’s Dress.
When an irate Malisia began to lecture her, Tamia pleaded with her to demonstrate the proper technique in person instead.
‘If only Your Majesty would show me how you pour tea, I could copy it exactly!’
Worn down by Tamia’s relentless pressure, Malisia found herself pouring tea some forty-two times before her arm began to tremble violently.
“I believe you’ve learned quite enough now.”
“What? Already? But I want to learn more!”
Tamia clung to her with stubborn insistence, but all Malisia wanted was to abandon this instruction and rest.
Moreover, far too much time had passed—it was her usual hour for an afternoon nap.
“If we continue such lengthy instruction all at once, it may strain the Crown Princess—”
“I’m not strained at all! No, Your Majesty, please review my finger position again. Are they graceful enough that the guests won’t find anything amiss?!”
Tamia lifted the teacup. Though she raised her little finger delicately, it trembled awkwardly in the air.
“……That’s graceful enough.”
“No, you’re lying. Just now you scolded me for the hand position! Please look more carefully.”
Malisia, on the verge of tears, carefully adjusted Tamia’s finger position once more, reshaping it into elegant form.
“That should be sufficient. Let’s move on from the finger work now…….”
“Oh! Before we do, could you watch me pour the tea again? I was doing it perfectly before, so let me try once more!”
Tamia seized the Teapot with spirited determination.
She set down the Teacup she’d been holding onto its Saucer and poured the tea slowly, but in a blink the liquid had spilled over the rim.
“Oh no, why did that happen? I’ll try again.”
“…….”
Malisia, now too drained even to respond, nodded vacantly.
After five more attempts, Tamia finally managed to pour the tea to the proper level.
“Wonderful! Now I can serve tea to the guests at the Wedding Reception!”
Serving tea was not properly the Crown Princess’s duty, but rather than point this out, Malisia nodded frantically.
“If I don’t do well, Your Majesty will face criticism, so I’m thrilled my skills are improving.”
She couldn’t fathom why Malisia would be blamed for something she herself failed to do, yet again Malisia nodded as though accepting every word as gospel truth.
“Very well, let’s wrap up the Tea Ceremony lesson and take a rest——”
“Your Majesty, you said next comes dance instruction, didn’t you? Shall we move to the hall right away?”
The color drained from Malisia’s face, which had only just begun to brighten as the lesson ended.
“W-Wait, Your Highness. Dancing should start tomorrow——!”
“That won’t do. We only have two weeks left. I don’t even know how to step properly, so you must teach me yourself.”
“In that case, I could hire an excellent dance instructor——”
“Your Majesty, I’ll be disappointed.”
Tamia suddenly dropped her gaze and pouted prettily.
“You promised to see me through from beginning to end as a way of celebrating my wedding.”
Malisia wished she could have sewn shut the lips of her past self for having made such a reckless promise.
“W-Would we move to the hall then?”
“Yes! Truly? Let’s go right now!”
Tamia’s face lit up as she leapt to her feet and scurried away without another word.
Malisia could only follow, weeping all the while.
The next day.
Empress Malisia Valentia had taken ill.
* * *
“Taken ill?”
“So we’re told. She requests that all instruction for today be cancelled.”
Leon, hearing the news from the handmaiden of the Empress Palace, let out a soft laugh.
“Tamia, just how much did you torment Her Majesty?”
“I didn’t torment her! I only had a light lesson. I’m not sure why she’s taken ill. What should I do? Should I visit her?”
“If you go, she’ll probably only get worse.”
“Oh no, what do I do? I still have so much to learn, and the wedding is bearing down on me! Wait, but wasn’t she a dancer before? How can someone with that background have such poor stamina? Is it because she’s been away from dancing for so long?”
The moment the word “dancer” left Tamia’s lips so casually, the handmaiden who had brought the message flinched.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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