Chapter 3 (1/2)
「AshaMaria。」
Together with high-pitched reprimand’s voice, the back of my hand was beaten with a thin pointy stick.
My tutor, Dorcie-sensei is looking at me with an angry face.
The young me couldn’t quite able to drink soup without making any noise. Until I am able to have a perfect table manners, I were to have meal under Dorcie-sensei’s supervision in the study room.
Dorcie-sensei…as a tutor for Thousand family, she was precisely able to be fair in her role.
Because of that, even if she was facing young children, her guidance was strict. Though I felt she was especially stern towards me.
In summary, dark brown hair, she wore a good quality and simple long skirt, she was older than my mother and Flore-sama, and had difficult to approach atmosphere.
Under her guidance, she only overlooked a mistake up to three times, if it’s more than that, somewhere around the body will be beaten with a pointy rod. However, it is not like after get beaten immediately become able to do it. Not to mention opposing is impossible impossible.
She grew up as a lady attendant, but I have heard the rumour about Dorcie-sensei as a daughter of collapsed baron family. Well, it does not matter to me.
When I am called to the mansion, I am to study「Education as a n.o.ble」in the study room. Without too much things, there was a s.p.a.cious room.
In a territory where there were four simple tables is the place of cla.s.sroom learning. The practice of tea time manners is at nekoas.h.i.+ sofa and table…the point is to memorise how to brew delicious black tea. In one part of vacant s.p.a.ce, on the wooden floor, dance steps could be done there.
(TN: nekoas.h.i.+ (猫足): carved table leg with “ball and claw” foot)
Despite being a place of cla.s.sroom learning, during the time I was in the mansion, I was having meal on the table of the study room until I was around 8 years old. After I turned around 5-year-old, elder brother and sisters were not around in this room.
If I think now, having meal here was the time where I could relax enough without reprimand from Dorcie-sensei. The lady attendant brought the meal by cart to the study room, next we serve by ourselves, sort the cutlery, deepen the knowledge about the ingredients, and taste it. With decent conversation and happy irrelevant gathering (団らんとは無縁であった), we properly tasted and felt the delicious meal.
Sensei is able to properly carry table manners and make a judgement, end up having meal with family and in dining hall, the food can still be enjoyed deliciously.
(Raw: 先生がちゃんと食事のマナーを身に付けたと判断されてからは、家族（？！）と食堂で食事を摂る羽目になってしまい、たいそう食事が美味しくなくなってしまった。)
No matter how high quality and under careful investigation ingredients, even if a first-cla.s.s chef is cooking it, I can almost ignore it.
(Raw: いくら高級食材や吟味された食材で一流のシェフが調理していても、私はほぼ無視されているから。)
The most delicious meal is eating with mum the food that she made. No matter how old I become, it will not change.