Chapter 15

My body naturally produced a graceful movement.

"I'm sorry for the late greeting. I didn't expect to meet you today, but it's an honor to greet you, Lady Shati."

My gaze shifted to the left, from the lady in the light green dress.

"It's been a while, Lady Hamiel. Lady Benetta. Lady Sebine."

This was basic etiquette.

The skill [Intermediate Etiquette] I had learned allowed me to naturally display a dignified attitude befitting a noble lady and a generous demeanor.

"I haven't been able to keep in touch due to many commitments, but I'm delighted to be welcomed so kindly. I don't know how to express my gratitude."

"Oh my..."

I smiled calmly and subtly checked Lady Shati's expression.

Lady Shati, who rarely smiled, had a softened expression.

"The atmosphere seems a bit different, Miss Thérèse. I hope we can often exchange pleasant greetings in the future."

I slightly bent my knees to express my gratitude for Lady Shati's words.

Ding!

[Quest: Etiquette-appropriate greeting completed]

▸Reward: Social reputation increased

‘Passed.’

It seemed that she had given me a higher score because my behavior was different from her preconceived notions about Thérèse.

Ding!

[Seiza 'Seijochu' has donated 1,000 coins.]

[Wow, using the donation right away; other BJ's save the donations and end up eating a lot of sweet potatoes]

Donations are precious from a BJ's perspective, but from the viewer's perspective, if the play isn't satisfying, they'll get annoyed.

Ding!

[Seiza 'Saidapass' has donated 1,000 coins.]

[Getting greeted by Lady Shati and buying an item in 2 seconds, wow]

Ding!

[Seiza 'Ropan Jungdok Yeongae' has donated 1,000 coins.]

[Not bad, Yeongae.]

The continuous ding! ding! of notifications indicated that the viewers were satisfied.

Then,

[Shortest time to reach 100,000 coins in donations!]

[New viewers have entered.]

[New viewers have entered.]

...

‘Oh, another shortest time achievement.’

But when that notification appeared, it also mentioned that new viewers had entered. Why is that?

Ding!

[Seiza 'Romance Jukhyeon' has donated 1,000 coins.]

[What's so special about this broadcast to get another shortest time notification? Curious, so I came to check;]

‘Ah, notifications related to records, like successful item enhancement in MMORPGs, seem to appear to other viewers as well.’

It seems that viewers who see these notifications out of curiosity come to the broadcast.

‘Now, I need to reach 1,000,000 coins in donations in the shortest time possible, right?’

I don't know if that's possible.

‘At this rate, when will I ever gather 1 billion coins?’

Ozworld said that all the BJs he brought in bought wish tickets, but I can't even fathom how that's possible.

Does the number of viewers increase exponentially as the channel level goes up?

‘It's already quite noisy now, but the donation notifications will probably become even more annoying later.’

While I was lost in thought, the ladies continued to exclaim in admiration.

They seemed to see even my stillness as a sign of humility.

"Indeed, you are a lady of the Squire family. Young people these days tend to skip such formalities."

"Social activities are increasing, but etiquette is becoming more simplified. I'm skeptical, though."

"Elaborate and traditional etiquette, with its many procedures, is the best way to prove one's status."

As someone from a capitalist background who values practicality the most, it was hard to accept.

I showed a calm expression, indicating a vague agreement.

‘I absolutely do not think you are a stick-in-the-mud.’

At that moment, Lady Benetta asked with a gentle smile.

"Wasn't it your birthday recently?"

"Yes, it was."

My polite answer made Lady Benetta's smile even softer.

‘This crazy brat seems to have become more human as she grew older.’

"When did you become such a beautiful young lady? You might be the belle of the season this year."

[Seiza 'Ropan Jungdok Yeongae' is interested in the belle of the season.]

The belle of the season.

It was a necessary condition for the Empress route.

‘That's why I need the guidance of Lady Shati, the etiquette expert.’

The belle of the season is not just about charm.

She must show above-average abilities in various areas such as manners, magic, dance, and interpersonal skills.

The belle of the season is decided when the Emperor personally crowns the winner at the summer ball in August.

I smiled calmly.

"Well, I plan to focus on my studies for the rest of the semester."

Then I casually moved my hair behind my ear, subtly showing the thread bracelet.

"Oh, what a cute bracelet."

As expected, the ladies reacted to the bracelet.

It was a piece of jewelry that didn't match the occasion for a lady, which made it stand out even more.

"It's a bracelet my younger sister made for me as a birthday gift. It's not appropriate for this occasion, but it's my favorite right now."

At my words, the ladies' eyes sparkled like predators spotting prey.

They had gathered to hear about Livi, so the atmosphere changed when the topic came up.

"I heard that the Squire family found their lost second daughter."

They didn't offer congratulations right away.

They thought that the selfish and greedy Thérèse wouldn't be happy about having a sister to share with.

Lady Sebine subtly probed.

"An unexpected younger sister must be strange, but it seems you two get along well?"

I thought of Livi, who was bright, warm, and without a trace of pretense.

The real Livi had a special aura that couldn't be captured by graphics.

My heart ached every time I met her eyes.

"Anyone who sees her would fall in love with her."

Livi was my ideal.

I suddenly realized I had been staring blankly and quickly lifted my head.

However, the four ladies were not focused on me.

They seemed lost in their own thoughts.

Lady Shati spoke first.

"Hearing about the princess made me think of my younger sister, whom I had forgotten about. After I got married, we naturally lost touch. She moved to the south with her husband."

Lady Hamiel nodded in agreement.

"My older sister married a foreign noble and has been away from the empire for over 20 years. When we were young, we fought over desserts all the time, and I really hated her..."

Lady Hamiel couldn't continue and closed her mouth.

Her slightly reddened eyes clearly showed how much she missed her sister.

Lady Sebine shared a childish memory.

"I remember crying bitterly when I received my older sister's hand-me-down dresses. I really wanted a new one."

Lady Benetta shook her head.

"My older sister always did something wrong and then threw me a chocolate or something, saying, 'Still mad at me?' I foolishly fell for her treats."

"Oh, my older sister did the same thing!"

The ladies laughed as they shared their childhood memories.

"I don't know why, but I miss those times so much."

I just blinked.

I didn't have cute memories of sisters like they did, so I felt a bit at a loss on how to empathize.

The ladies seemed to understand my state and burst into happy laughter.

"Sisters fight over childish things even when they grow up. You might experience that too, Miss Thérèse."

"I fought with my sister even before I got married. I hope you two get along well."

I nodded, though I didn't think it would happen with Livi.

"Thank you, I will."

The ladies looked at me with warm smiles, feeling a sense of familiarity from having sisters.

Lady Hamiel, still with slightly reddened eyes, held my hand.

"Thanks to you, I remembered a time I had forgotten. Thank you."

I was taken aback.

I had only shown the thread bracelet to spread the rumor that Livi was different from other nobles.

But the ladies were reminiscing about their sisterly memories.

This wasn't what I had hoped for.

"No, I didn't do anything-"

"An auction will start shortly. Please move to your designated seats as directed by the staff."

The hotel staff entered the waiting room, cutting off my words.

Since it wasn't a particularly important conversation, I closed my mouth, and the ladies smiled at me softly.

"See you next time."

I also greeted them politely.

Ding!

[Seiza 'Romance Pass' has donated 1,000 coins.]

[I like this kind of thing...]

Ding!

[Seiza 'Romance Jukhyeon' has donated 1,000 coins.]

[I like this kind of thing too...]