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The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life

Noble Education is Tough

Translated by: ME

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*****

Dean has turned seven. The late August heat remains severe, though the mornings have become somewhat more bearable.

「Dean, happy birthday!」

「Thank you...」

The guest of honor, who should have been celebrating, entered Magnolia’s room looking completely wilted. Magnolia and Lily tilted their heads in confusion.

「...What's the matter? It's finally your day off.」

(Did Plum-san scold him again? I was just thinking they should overlook things on his birthday, but he weakly shook his head) .

(It seems my thoughts are transparent.)

「It's not that. I'm seven today, right? ...It's finally happening. Noble education.」

「Ooh...」

To her surprise, he was depressed because it had been declared that his formal noble education would begin in earnest. Lily tried to comfort him, telling him to cheer up.

「Well, you had to do it sooner or later, right? You already work as a servant, so your bearing is already elegant. Plus, you've improved your reading and writing so much by solving Lady Magnolia's study problems!」

「Language, math, foreign languages, history, natural science... dancing, music... I feel like I'm going to collapse.」

The noble education in this world was no different from Earth's past; etiquette was a given. It spanned a wide range: reading, writing, arithmetic, law, rhetoric, geography, history, politics, economics, and foreign languages for daily life and work, plus liberal arts like philosophy and literature. Since this world was closely tied to combat, a certain level of proficiency in martial arts, swordsmanship, and horsemanship was also required. On top of that, acting officials or lords had to learn estate management. For girls, great importance was placed on domestic affairs, sewing, social skills, music, and art.

Aside from a few essentials, much was left to each family's discretion, though many educated their children in preparation for the Royal Academy.

「Hang in thewe, Dean!」

As she cheered on the dejected servant, Gai suddenly popped his head out from the ceiling. As usual, he wore a smirk that suggested he found the whole thing amusing.

「...This isn't just someone else's problem, you know, Young Miss?」

「Eh—?」

(I always wonder why he can't just walk through the door like a normal person. But I know saying anything would be useless) .

Just as she sighed at her eccentric guard, there was a knock at the door.

「Magnolia, do you have a moment?」

「That's Master Claude, isn't it? How unusual」.

Lily tilted her head at the sound of his voice. When they were home, Servas and Claude usually ate with the family, so most conversations happened during meals or office hours. Otherwise, messages were typically sent via a messenger... Was it an emergency for him to come in person?

「Yesh. Come in~!」

Magnolia replied while tilting her head in curiosity, and Claude peered through the door almost instantly.

「Ah, Dean is here too. Have you heard about his noble education yet?」

The question flew out before a morning greeting.

「Yeth... it’s finally starting becaushe he turned seven, wight?」

「Correct. And as it happens, we've decided to conduct Magnolia's noble education at the same time. At least for the subjects where the gap between you won't be too large.」

「Eh!?」

Magnolia furrowed her brow at Claude’s sudden words. (I wanted to study so badly before, but now that I'm buried with things to do, I don't really want to.)

(It's not that I hate studying—though I don't love it either—but since I've already mastered the essentials, I want to devote my energy and time to what needs to be done.)

「Music with Father, and dancing and painting with me. Come downstairs at once」.

(Whaaaa?! I didn't hear anything about this!)

「No... I'm vewy busy. And to take up the precious time of you two, who are even busyer... well, you know?」

Claude glared at his niece as she tried to make excuses.

「I've already confirmed you have no plans today or tomorrow. If you think you're busy... then come quietly, all right?」

He spoke with a chilling aura that one wouldn't normally direct at a toddler. Gai chuckled from above as he offered his "support" to the girl who had just received her final ultimatum.

「Hang in there, Young Miss!」

「Gwww~~!!」

(Curse that eccentric guard!)

Glaring at the ceiling as her own past eagerness to study backfired on her, Gai vanished back into the rafters with a smirk.

「...Hurry up.」

「「...Yesh... / ...Yes...」」

The four-year-old (turning five in autumn) and the seven-year-old hung their heads in unison as they were led out of the room by their terrifying "tiger mom" uncle, the next lord.

***

In the recreation room, several instruments were kept for whenever the mood struck: a harpsichord (clavecin), a lute, and a harp. Today, even more instruments were lined up.

(The harpsichord has a lovely, melancholic tone. I recall it eventually stopped being played much once the piano appeared. Since there’s no piano in the estate, perhaps they haven't been invented in this world yet.)

(However, when it comes to learning, I have zero interest. There are far too many keys; I have no desire to play it myself.)

(Listening is the only option for me.) She looked at the instruments one by one with those thoughts.

(Are those bagpipes?! So that's what they look like. It's my first time seeing them in person!)

(They’re the same instrument played by the "Prince on the Hill" from that famous old manga. Though, obviously, there’s no prince on a hill around here.) As she grinned with private excitement, Claude and Dean looked at her suspiciously.

Despite his appearance, Servas was apparently a master of music. The estate held a wide variety of instruments, and it wasn't rare to see him playing to clear his mind. To her amateur ears, the sounds he produced were indeed skilled. (Since seeing his massive body hunched over an instrument is distracting, I make it a rule to close my eyes while listening.)

Servas seemed happy to have an excuse to openly skip his paperwork, likely because he was engaging with something he loved. He explained each instrument with good cheer.

There was a portable clavichord (which looked almost like an electronic keyboard), a violin-like instrument called a fiddle, and a guitar-like cittern. There were drums, a xylophone, a fife, and...

「A recowder?」

「Oh, you know it well!」

Magnolia had muttered the name involuntarily at the familiar vertical flute. Servas seemed surprised and nodded happily.

「Dean, have you played anything before?」

「A little clavecin with my mother. I've also touched the lute since my brother plays it」.

(So it's called a clavecin here. I wonder if it’s a common choice for women? While I agree it looks lovely, I have no intention of choosing a stringed instrument that looks so difficult to play.)

(Between my distant memories of the metallophone from school performances—or its relative, the xylophone—and the recorder, the recorder is the only choice.)

「Magnolia, you...」

「The recowder!!」

She answered instantly. Dean blinked in surprise.

「...Are you sure you don't want the clavecin or the lute?」

Claude pressed her, either because those were the basics or his personal recommendations. (Piano-likes and guitar-likes are impossible for me!) Magnolia screamed in her heart.

(I once briefly considered learning the harp... but as an "adult" busy with life, I’d rather have Servas play the harp for me.)

「The recowder!」

She answered with such intensity that she practically snorted, and though they looked at her doubtfully, they eventually gave their consent.

「Can either of you play anything?」

Servas asked Magnolia and Dean. They glanced at each other, and Dean, crumbling under the pressure, was the one who had to answer.

「...Um, a few piece of music.」

Urged on, he sat down and began to play a practice piece haltingly. His small fingers moved hesitantly across the many keys, stuttering here and there. When he finished, he let out a long breath.

「I see. So you know the basic scales... What about Magnolia?」

Servas asked playfully. (It’s great that he’s having fun....)

(However, I can't show off by playing a difficult song. Claude would undoubtedly pile on more assignments. I can already see him saying, "Perhaps the clavecin as well..."! I won't be fooled!!)

*Peep! Poop!* She tested the sound. (Yeah, it seems fine. It makes a sound.)

(I'll just blow the 'do-re-mi' scale and then shortly and slowly play a song every elementary school kid loves: the 'Charumera' noodle vendor's song!)

*♪ Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do / Do-Ti-La-So-Fa-Mi-Re-Do / So-La-Ti~ La-So / So-La-Ti-La-So-La~*

「「............」」

「...So you can play the scale, and there's a short song you can play... Anything else?」

「I don't know any (of this world's) music!」

The three of them directed suspicious looks at her, as if they knew she could actually play more. She stared straight ahead, boldly feigning ignorance.

(I'll think about it when I have more free time!)

***

After the meal, she helped with some light paperwork, and then it was time for dancing. Since the "demon coach" was in charge, she expected ruthless training.

...And her prediction wasn't off by a hair. Magnolia and Dean moved their legs until they were gasping for breath.

「Right, next. Let's step through the whole thing.」

「Next!」

「Next...」

「Once more!」

「Next!」

An endless cycle of "Next"!!!!

(Heee~~!)

(It's still just basic dancing. Exactly how many types of dances are there...?)

The steps weren't that complex... but there were constant instructions: straighten your back, keep your fingers like this, look up. And this was only the first time.

Claude was a perfectionist and a hardworking man to a fault, so the standards he demanded were often far too high. (Not everyone is that much of a hard worker... I know it’s for our sake. I know, but still.)

(He understands that intellectually and apparently thinks he’s holding back. Unfortunately, most people's "holding back" point is much earlier. It’s also a problem that he has far too much stamina.)

Do it properly, correctly, and surely—that was his motto.

They were trained intensely for a full hour. They were drenched in sweat, gasping, and completely exhausted.

「It's so tough...」

「It's exth-hausting...」

The two of them slumped with their hands on the floor, panting for air.

(If this was a dance with more complex steps... I might become Patient Number One: the person hospitalized from too much dancing.)

The demon drill sergeant announced with a cool face:

「Once you've changed, it's time for painting. Don't worry, you'll be sitting down to draw, so you'll be fine, right?」

( ( Heeeeee!!!! ) )

*****

Charumera Tune

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