Farewells (Part 2)

I curtsied just like how she had taught me in the past. "Greetings, Miss Quisling. I hope this lesson will be a good one as well."

She smiled sweetly. "Good afternoon, Lady Elle. I hope so too."

After that, we walked elegantly towards my study room. We might have looked like quite the lovely pair. Miss Quisling was handsome with her voluminous hair and bosom. I was simply adorable in my angelic blue dress and white stockings.

A worker boy, carrying some boxes of apples for the kitchen, bowed deeply in our direction as we walked past. I observed how that gesture made my tutor's face brighten up significantly.

"You look beautiful today, as well, Miss Quisling," I called to her taller figure, watching as her cheeks reddened. Not from bashfulness, as I had originally thought in my past life, but from well-hidden joy. Did she feel incredibly proud whenever the royal princess made her tutor her own idol in beauty and grace? I felt the need to vomit into her brown dress.

"Thank you, Lady Elle." She smiled with a sweetness that could attract the fire ants that hid under the palace fields. "You look rather dashing yourself."

And there she goes by redirecting the compliment back to me. In the past, I would grow incredibly happy whenever I received her upraising words, but now, I smiled politely while seeing through her mask.

"I don't think my unripe beauty would ever compare with your womanly charm, Miss Quisling." We passed through the study room's door, floating towards our usual table.

"Now, Lady Elle, this woman could hardly hold a candle to royalty." I stared at her as I continuously saw through her veiled words. Why must she always refer to me as royalty? Am I not her student first and then the royal princess the second? That has always been the approach of imperial tutors. After all, how could a commoner teacher tell the prince or princess that she got an item wrong? But, here she was, always being so proud that she was teaching no other than the only royal princess. I bet my father's boxers that she was constantly wondering if she could finally get a chance to teach an actual prince once she has done well with me.

I smiled as sweetly as she could. "Should we get on with the lesson, Miss Quisling?"

Obediently, she taught me how to write a formal letter. I had long known how to write one since long ago. In fact, I had written a pretty long one for my second brother.

The lesson went on with a comfortable pace. I answered all of her questions, but never did I present a question myself. This seemed to worry my teacher.

"Are you feeling alright today, Lady Elle?" she asked with a carefully formed expression on her clean face. "You seem to have been feeling down for the past few weeks."

Oh... So she did finally catch on to my hatred.

I shook my head, then stared at her in the eyes. "Well, I do have a problem right now, Miss Quisling."

She leaned in forward, glad to be of help to the royal princess' little problems. "What is it, Lady Elle? I'll do my best to help you solve it."

I nodded, making my face show a worried and bashful expression. "You see, Miss Quisling, I wonder how I could write a letter intended to be given to a traitor."

Her body froze, and for once I saw her calm facade break down, but only for a short moment. Before long, she was the kind and caring teacher once again. "For a traitor, you say? But, Lady Elle, who would even dare betray your trust?"

I smiled with awkwardness, twisting around my fingers in what seems to be a portrayal of anxiousness. "You have to understand, Miss Quisling... That person acted like my friend and my mother. She was always there for me and she always showered me with praises. Frankly, she made it look like she was the only person who was on my side. She even made sure that I don't seek help from others, even from my siblings, because she said that they simply didn't see me as a friend. After all, I was also a candidate for the crown... I had no choice but to love that person."

I stared as she wiped at her sweating face with the very handkerchief I had worked so hard to make. I opened my mouth to continue, "I trusted her and only her. But she only used me for her own betterment. She wanted power. She wanted fame and gold. She wanted beauty. I mean, what better to gain those than to make connections with royalty? I wouldn't put it past her if she would even kill me to get what she wants."

I could see her body shaking as I went on with my speech. "So tell me, Miss Quisling, what kind of message should I write to her?"

There was a tense silence as our breathing was the only sound that filled the room. The panic only continued to grow on my tutor's face.

She coughed a little. Her face was pale enough to be a corpse's pallor. "... I'm sorry, Lady Elle. I seem to be feeling unwell. Would you mind terribly if we end our lesson prematurely?"

I got up quickly from my seat as well. "Oh, I wouldn't mind, Miss Quisling."

I watched as she started to frenziedly pack up. She didn't even bid me goodbye. She moved without the grace she was known for, and practically ran towards the door.

I called out to her before she could really leave. "Miss Quisling!"

Her body froze, her gloved hand gripping desperately at the door frame. She slightly turned her head back towards me, although I couldn't really see her eyes. Smilingly, I told her sweetly, "You be careful of traitors too, Miss Quisling. These types of people would cling to you like a mutt's ticks, and wouldn't be satisfied until they had bled you dry. I wouldn't want to see you dead."

I almost applauded when she managed a shaky curtsy before walking off in a hurry. When she was finally gone, I finally felt a heavy weight leave my chest. I hadn't been aware about how all of this has dragged me down. It seems like pretending to be nice to her for months had taken its toll on me.

I looked out of the window, staring at how the commoners down on the city busily went about their days. I forced the windows open, and I felt the gentle winds ruffle through my clothes. The sounds of the city seemed to be calling out to me.

"Finally," I muttered into the wind. "I can finally be free."