When the Biting Wind Blows — Chapter 5

MY LORD!

PARDON MY ABRUPT ENTRY,

I FEAR A GRAVE MISTAKE HAS OCCURRED--

ANA...

SHE HAD STOPPED SHOWING SUCH FEAR RECENTLY.

SHOULD THIS MATTER INVOLVE ANA,

I ASK THAT YOU DIRECT YOUR QUESTIONS TO ME, MY LORD.

SPLENDID. YOU ARRIVED AT THE RIGHT MOMENT.

ANSWER ME NOW, ANA.

WHAT KNOWLEDGE DID YOUR INSTRUCTOR IMPART DURING MY ABSENCE?

HE CONTINUES TO PRESSURE THE TERRIFIED GIRL...

DOES THIS MAN TRULY LACK THE SLIGHTEST GRASP OF GENTLE CONVERSATION?

ANA...

THERE IS NO NEED TO PUSH YOURSELF IF SPEAKING FEELS OVERWHELMING.

DO YOU RECALL THE VOW WE SHARED PRIOR TO STARTING OUR STUDIES?

THAT YOU MAY VOICE YOUR FEELINGS THE MOMENT ANYTHING TROUBLES YOUR HEART.

W-WELL...

I PRACTICED... RECOGNIZING THE ALPHABET.

A-ALONG WITH FORMING WORDS ON PAPER...

PLUS COMBINING AND TAKING AWAY FIGURES...

I HAVE GRASPED A TINY PORTION OF THAT, TOO...

AND I MEMORIZED THE TITLES OF THE BLOSSOMS OUTSIDE...

MY INSTRUCTOR...

STAYS PATIENT UNTIL THE LESSON CLICKS.

EVEN WHEN I AM SLOW, SHE NEVER RAISES HER VOICE...

ANA...!

HOLD ON.

YOU ABSORBED ALL THOSE SUBJECTS WITHIN TWO MERE WEEKS?

HAD THE TASK BEEN SO EFFORTLESS...

THE GIRL SUFFERS FROM A CRIPPLED MIND FOR READING.

SHE IS DEVOID OF THE GRACE EXPECTED OF HIGHBORN BLOOD.

HER WITS ARE HOPELESSLY LACKING.

WHY IN HEAVEN'S NAME DID THE FORMER INSTRUCTORS SPOUT SUCH LIES...?

TAKE THIS.

READ THE PASSAGE ALOUD.

MY LORD!

GIVEN HOW VIOLENTLY SHE IS TREMBLING, HOW COULD YOU DEMAND—

ONE'S TITLE... REPRESENTS...

THE EARLIEST BLESSING GRANTED UPON EN-NO, UPON ENTERING THIS REALM...

WITHIN... THOSE LETTERS...

RESTS A M-MOTHER AND FATHER'S DEVOTION, ALONGSIDE...

A LINEAGE'S... HON...

HON...

HON...

...YOU MAY STOP.

N-NO, PLEASE...!

F-FORGIVE ME!

PLEASE DO NOT SEND MY INSTRUCTOR AWAY, UNCLE!

YOU HAVE MY COMMAND, ANA.

RETURN TO YOUR CHAMBERS ALONGSIDE PAULINE.

WHAT TRICK DID YOU USE?

EXCUSE ME?

I WISH TO KNOW THE METHOD YOU USED TO INSTRUCT MY WARD.

SHOULD YOU FIND MY APPROACH LACKING, I AM WILLING TO ADJUST IT.

YET, FROM WHERE I STAND–

YOU HAVE MISJUDGED MY INTENTIONS ENTIRELY.

MY BELIEF WAS THAT YOU WERE SIMPLY ECHOING THE FAILURES OF THOSE BEFORE YOU.

JUST LIKE THOSE CHARLATANS WHO ABANDONED THEIR DUTY FOR EASY COIN.

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THUS, I SUSPECTED THAT ONCE AGAIN,

YOU WERE MERELY FLATTERING THE CHILD WITH EMPTY PRAISE.

NEGLECTING HER ACTUAL EDUCATION,

BRAIDING GARLANDS OF WEEDS LIKE A VILLAGE GIRL,

WHILE LETTING THE DAYS SLIP AWAY IN IDLENESS.

INSTEAD, YOU HAVE ACHIEVED PROGRESS FAR BEYOND ANYTHING I ANTICIPATED.

GIVEN THAT YOU INSTRUCTED A ROYAL PRINCE DESPITE YOUR YOUTH,

DO YOU HOLD SOME HIDDEN TECHNIQUE?

LADY ANA POSSESSES A REMARKABLY SHARP MIND.

FEAR WAS THE ONLY THING HOLDING HER BACK.

THOSE WHO TAUGHT HER PREVIOUSLY

UNDOUBTEDLY BERATED HER WHENEVER SHE HESITATED.

PARDON MY BOLDNESS FOR SPEAKING OUT OF TURN AS A NEWCOMER,

YET INSIDE THESE WALLS,

IT APPEARS NOT A SINGLE SOUL TRULY WATCHES OVER THE YOUNG MISTRESS.

AND THAT INCLUDES YOUR- SELF, MY LORD.

CONSEQUENTLY, ALL I DID

WAS BIDE MY TIME UNTIL SHE FELT SAFE ENOUGH TO TRUST ME,

WHILE OFFERING HER GENUINE COMPANIONSHIP.

I UNDERSTAND... IT APPEARS THE FAULT WAS MINE.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME.

YOUR WORDS OF REGRET BELONG TO THE YOUNG MISTRESS, RATHER THAN ME.

SINCERE ONES, AT THAT.

I WILL SEE IT DONE.

REMIND ME OF YOUR FULL NAME?

JEANNE... DE TOULOUSE.

LISTEN WELL...

I INTEND TO APPOINT YOU AS THE PERMANENT INSTRUCTOR TO MY WARD.

DID I NOT ALREADY HOLD THAT POSITION...?

MERELY ON A TRIAL BASIS.

EVEN SO, YOU MUST FULFILL A SINGLE REQUIREMENT.

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BEGINNING THIS VERY DAY, WITHOUT FAIL,

YOU ARE TO COMPLETE THREE FULL CIRCUITS AROUND THE MARTIAL YARD.