Chapter 23

I enter the study feeling as though my precious time with my “Angels” has been rudely interrupted by my father.

“Patience, skipping a whole grade… you’ve worked so hard. I am truly proud of you.”

I’m happy to be praised, but my brothers are waiting for me.

“Thank you, Father. I will continue to do my best.”

I promptly stood up from the chair, intending to flee the study and hurry back to the nursery.

“Now, wait. Our conversation is not over yet.”

I noticed two envelopes sitting on my father’s magnificent desk. One bore a seal identical to the Royal Academy’s emblem—likely the notification about skipping a grade. But the other one… that crest! Did Prince Keith lodge some sort of complaint against me? Perhaps that it was insolent of me to have more passing marks than him? I turned pale.

“Patience, are you alright?”

I feared I had brought fresh calamity upon the already unfortunate House of Granger. Yet, my father looked positively jubilant.

“Yes… forgive me for my lack of composure. What is that letter?”

“Ah, this is a letter from Her Majesty, Queen Victoria.”

I knew it. Prince Keith must have told on me to the Queen. I wanted to faint, but unfortunately, I’ve never been the fainting type.

“She says she wishes for you to serve as a Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Margaret. What an incredible honor! It seems Princess Margaret is also living in the dormitory. With Prince Richard and Prince Keith also in the dorms, King Alfred certainly believes in a strict upbringing.”

Father speaks in a tone of deep respect, despite the fact that King Alfred is the very person who supposedly fired him. More importantly, what exactly is a “Lady-in-Waiting”? It’s different from a court official, right?

“Father, what exactly does a Lady-in-Waiting entail?”

Since Patience doesn’t seem to know much about it either, I ask my father, who used to work at the palace. Given his track record of getting dismissed, I’m a little uneasy, though.

“A Lady-in-Waiting is someone who serves personally at the side of the Queen or a Princess.”

No wonder he got fired. His explanation tells me absolutely nothing.

“How does it differ from a court lady or a maid?”

I demand a proper explanation from my father, who is currently busy celebrating the “honor” of it all. If I don’t get the specifics now, I’m the one who’s going to suffer later.

“A court lady is a civil servant employed by the Palace. A maid is a servant. A Lady-in-Waiting is a noble who serves a member of the Royal Family personally. To think you would be chosen for Princess Margaret!”

Unlike my father, who is floating on cloud nine, I feel nothing but apprehension.

“Princess Margaret is a third-year, isn’t she? I skipped a grade, but I am only in the second year…”

I have no desire to be like Ralph or Hugo, stuck like glue to Prince Keith. And if we’re in different years, our classes will be separate, so wouldn’t serving her be impossible? I phrased it as a wish, hoping he’d decline the offer on my behalf. I feel Patience getting excited too, but I ignore her!

“No, it seems she is fine during class because she has her schoolmates. While the Prince’s friends entered the dorms with them, the Princess’s companions are noble ladies, and it seems they declined to enter the dormitory starting from the third year.”

I’d like to decline too, please. But Father clearly has zero intention of saying no.

“May I have some time to think about it?”

Father looked shocked. Is this the kind of honor one simply cannot refuse? It seems useless to ask him, so I’ll ask Wyatt the butler if there’s any actual salary involved. Even in Hell, money talks.

I spent some time looking over my brothers’ studies and took them to the greenhouse to pull up some turnips together, recharging my energy to face Wyatt.

During the gap before changing for dinner, Mary is busy tending to the boys. I use that opening to head to the butler’s office in the semi-basement. If Mary finds out about the Princess Margaret situation, I’ll never be able to back out. I simply couldn’t bear to disappoint her.

“Wyatt, do you have a moment?”

Wyatt seemed to have deduced everything just by the crest on the letter. Yet, he still asks, “My Lady, do you require something?” with that perfectly neutral face. What a sly fox.

“The matter of Princess Margaret. Is there truly no way to decline? I don’t believe I am suited for it.”

Exactly. I want to look after my brothers and continue improving the life of the Granger family.

“To refuse a request from Queen Victoria would be considered a most… inconsiderate act.”

In other words, I can’t say no. Patience is also fuming in my head: Refuse?! How could you!

“Then, are there any merits to serving her? I am quite sheltered, so I know nothing of these things.”

I know nothing of this world, and I leave the noble etiquette to Patience.

“My Lady, to be chosen as a Lady-in-Waiting is a great honor. They will likely provide clothing and belongings befitting the role.”

If it were a grand lady, the dresses would be expensive, and maybe I’d even get some jewelry, but my current uniform is perfectly fine.

More importantly, is there no pay? Even a part-time wage would be nice. I don’t know how much time I’ll have to spend with the Princess, but I’m sacrificing my comfortable dorm life. It’s only natural to expect compensation. This is where I differ from Patience, who is a noble to her core. She’s making a racket in my head, but I ignore her!

“Wyatt, I want a horse and a Hanon for my brothers, and I want to hire tutors to teach them horsemanship, swordsmanship, dance, and music.”

I indirectly pushed the point that I need money. But Wyatt didn’t budge.

“My Lady, you truly do not know the world. If you genuinely care for the futures of Master Nasius and Master Henry, you should accept Queen Victoria’s request. It is my humble opinion that performing your duties for Princess Margaret excellently will be what brightens your brothers’ future.”

In other words, he was telling me that as long as our father remains a dismissed official, Nasius and Henry have a dark future ahead. He’s right; the children of a disgraced Viscount start at a disadvantage. I can’t let that happen!

I don’t know how much being the sister of the Princess’s Lady-in-Waiting will help, but Wyatt was advising me to put Queen Victoria in my debt.

“I understand. However, the horse and the Hanon are necessary. Please make the arrangements so we can afford them.”

I’ll have George, the manservant, teach them swords and horses. That means he won’t have time to be washing chamber pots. I need to get magic stones, too.

“And magic stones as well.”

Wyatt bowed his head with a “By your command.” He probably knows exactly what I’m thinking. I really am no match for him.