Serendia Academy has several unique curriculums for nobles that were not found in general schools.
One such class was the "tea ceremony" course, which was only attended by girls.
For ladies belonging to the nobility, a tea party was not just a time for pleasant conversation. It's also a social occasion where one's dignity was tested by how well one entertains or is entertained by guests.
In the tea ceremony course, the students were thoroughly drilled on the etiquette there before performing the practical lessons.
The practical lessons were held in the courtyard in the form of a tea party.
Four or five girls of the same grade would form a group and sit at one table. Each student would bring a cup of tea to share with the other students, who would then evaluate the tea.
However, since the teacher would set specific sweets in advance, students were demanded to serve the tea to match it, in other words, the course was starting from when they begin to prepare it.
In the tea ceremony course, they had been assigned to prepare their own tea leaves, but they usually have their servants buy it for them in most cases.
However, Monica had no idea where to even buy one, so after much worrying, she decided to turn to the self-proclaimed villainess, Miss Isabelle Norton.
Once Monica went to Isabelle's room, Isabelle happily offered Monica a seat and prepared tea and sweets for her.
When Monica explained the situation while munching on a cookie with plenty of sugar sprinkled around it, Isabelle nodded her head and patted her chest confidently. Her gesture was quite vigorous which unbefitting that of a young lady.
"If that's the case, please leave it to me, Big Sister Monica! I'll do my best to help you get through the class safely!"
"T-Thank you very much…"
As Monica bowing her head, Isabelle's maidservant, Agatha, interrupted her as she poured tea into her cup.
"If that's the case, please allow me to teach you how to make tea. Actually, it would be better if I could go to your place and teach you directly, but… that would contradict the setting where Lady Monica is being tormented by the Kerbeck family."
Students were allowed to brew their own tea or have a servant brew it for them in the course. However, it's common practice to have a servant prepare the tea for them in most cases. Those who make their own tea were looked down upon as third-rate nobles who can't bring their own servants.
But in Monica's case, she was supposed to be tormented by the daughter of Count Kerbeck, so it would be unnatural if Isabelle's maidservant went directly to help her.
"P-Please give me some guidance…"
Monica bowed deeply to Agatha, which then she said, "It's okay, just lift your head!" to stop her bow with a laugh.
Isabelle, as well as Agatha, was a very thoughtful young lady and maidservant. Though they were a bit hard to get close to when they were acting like the villainess.
"In that case, what kind of tea would you like to serve, Big Sister Monica? Do they set any specific type of confections?"
"Y-Yes… I-It's butter cake."
Isabelle nodded her head and put her fingers on her chin, thinking about something.
Choosing the right tea to match with the confections was also part of the lessons. However, Monica was not used to eating tea or confections. She was more used to drinking coffee because of her father's influence.
"Um… do you have any suggestion about tea that would match the butter cake?"
"If it just a simple cake with butter, most basic teas will work well. It may be better to enjoy the cake with a slightly astringent or savory flavor rather than a light one. Milk tea is also not a bad idea, but… let me tell you, Big Sister Monica…"
Isabel trailed off and looked at Monica with a serious face then said firmly.
"The combination of tea and confections is a matter of personal preference, and there is no definite right answer. However… some combinations will definitely end up with the wrong answer!"
What does it mean that there is no right answer but some will end up with the wrong answer?
As Monica was confused, Isabelle spoke up.
"That… was to serve the same thing on the same table…"
"Ah…"
The practice lesson was held in groups of several people, and each person brought their own tea. It's certainly not a good idea to have the same kind of tea served at the same table.
"It is especially bad if you served the same thing as someone who is in a higher position than you. Strictly speaking, the dress, hairstyle, and accessories that you wear to the tea party should be trendy but different, so you should put some thought into it… But since you will wear uniform in the lesson, let's just think about the tea leaves for now!"
I had to think even that…? thought Monica in a shudder.
As a Seven Sages, the only gathering Monica attended was the Conference of the Seven Sages, which was held only for the Seven Sages, and the dress code was basically robed, so she only had to wear the robes provided by the kingdom. Granted, Monica had never worried about her attire at social gatherings.
This tea party for aristocratic ladies was likely more nerve-wracking than Monica had imagined.
"The best way to do it was to investigate the people in your group before thinking about the tea you will serve at the lessons… So, how many people are in your group, Big Sister Monica?"
"Um… Including me, there are four people… one of them is from my class… She is Miss Lana Collete… as for the other two… they are from the other class… so I don't know them very well…"
During joint practice with other classes, they will be assigned to form groups with those who were close to them.
However, Monica's unsociable trait made it impossible for her to talk to anyone other than Lana. As for Lana herself treated as a bit of an outsider in the class, she has no other girls she was close to.
As a result, they were put in the same group as the remaining students by the teacher.
One of them was Casey, a brown-haired young lady with a vivacious air.
While the other was Claudia, a calm, dark-haired beauty.
After a brief greeting on the first day, the meeting was dismissed and they hardly had a chance to talk.
"Then, deciding the tea in advance would prove more difficult."
"S-Sorry…"
Lana would probably be able to provide her the details, but Monica didn't have any courage to directly ask the two girls, whom she barely knew.
Furthermore, she didn't know their family ranks of the two girls, so if Monica were to speak to them, she might be perceived as being unpolite. Among the nobility, a person of a lower rank to casually talk to a person of a higher rank was taboo.
"In that case, I will provide you with several kinds of tea. At a tea party, those with the highest status are served first, so it's likely you would be served in last. That way, you can easily make sure that your choice of tea won't clash with anyone."
"T-Thank you very much…"
Monica bowed her head, slumping her shoulders then let out a deep sigh.
"This tea party thing is so hard, isn't it…"
When Monica looked unsure of herself, Isabelle also let out a sigh with a troubled face.
"I wish my knowledge would be useful to you… I apologize for my inexperience… but If you wanted to learn how to act like a villainess, I could teach you all you need to know!"
"I-I'm fine…"
Even if it is passed down to her, she will never have the chance to use it. Absolutely not.
Monica gave a wry smile, and Agatha, Isabelle's maidservant, advised her with a very serious face.
"My Lady, there may be an occasion in the future when Miss Monica will have to face a villainess other than you. For that occasion, how about teaching her about the behavior of a villainess now?"
"…eh?"
As Monica was twitching with a stiff expression, Isabelle's put her hands on her face, saying "Wonderful!"
"Yes, that's a good idea! Big Sister Monica is my heroine! I'm sure there will come a time when some other villainess will invite her to tea parties and tormented her!"
She sincerely wished to spare herself from such a future. As much as she desired it, she knew she could not say it in her current situation.
After all, having been elected to the student council as soon as she transferred to the school, and having her dance rehearsals watched by the same student council members, Monica has made enemies with the majority of the female students. The only people in her grade who would treat her normally were Lana, Glenn, and Neil.
Now, the eyes of the people around Monica can be generally divided into two types.
Those who despise Monica and show hostility towards her, and those who look at her from afar as some kind of uncanny person.
No one has called her out to the back of the school building or hidden her personal belongings yet, but many times she has been sarcastically remarked on as she passes by or giggled at from afar.
"Now. I will explain to you the behavioral patterns of villainesses, in case you come face to face with a true villainess someday."
They say that the first step to fight your enemy is to understand your enemy.
Knowing what would a villainess do here, might come in handy one day.
if possible, I really don't want that day to come…
As Monica straightened her back to listen intently to Isabelle's speech—in an instant.
"Ohohoho!"
Isabelle put her hand over her mouth, puffed her chest out, and smiled loftily.
Hearing her voice, Monica's shoulders jerked, and Isabelle pulled back her high-pitched laugh and straightened her posture.
"First of all, this is the basic move of a villainess. A high-pitched laugh. By laughing like this, you can intimidate and check your opponent, and at the same time, you can regain control of the situation!"
"C-Can a high-pitched laugh have such an effect?"
To Monica's great surprise, Isabelle nodded plausibly.
"However, if you use it too often, the effect will fade, so use it only with the right timing."
Right, the timing of using special moves is important, apparently.
As Monica was nodding her head, Isabelle unfolded her fan in front of her.
"And basic move number two! ‘Snicker silently'!"
In a fluid motion, Isabelle held the fan to her mouth to show the other person that she was laughing at them as if she were making fun of them.
No matter how you look at it, her haughty laughter, which showed how much she looked down on the other person, will put shame on an actress's performance on a stage.
"Normally, covering your mouth with a fan when laughing is proper etiquette, but in this case, I deliberately lowered the fan a little to show my mouth to the other person. By doing so, I could blatantly show that I am mocking the other person!"
How detailed, Monica thought in shock.
She never thought such minor details would have such effects!
"Of course, you can also hide your mouth with a fan and giggle to create a sarcastic effect. You should use different methods according to the character of the young lady."
"I-I see… t-this is so profound."
"Yes, the more I try to master it, the more I realize how deep it goes."
Just to make sure, they're talking about villainess.
Thus, the villainess course, which was far more intensive than the tea brewing course, continued until late at night.
It should be added here that Miss Isabelle Norton was the top student in the tea party course of the first year of high school.
