[There’s something I want to give you.]
It was a dress.
[There’s something you need to know.]
This was about etiquette.
[Come here for a moment.]
That was a lie.
Madam de Vasquez took a pocket watch out of her bosom and checked the time, then said, “We’ll have lunch first,” and led Astrid to another room.
‘At least they’re feeding me.’
That thought didn’t last long for Astrid. As soon as she sat at the table, Madam de Vasquez began a dining etiquette lesson.
“Start with the fork and knife on the outside!”
“Never use a fork and knife on bread!”
“Make sure the knife doesn’t point at the person across from you!”
“Don’t make sounds while chewing!”
The only rule Astrid got right was not flipping the fish when eating it. That came from a superstition among sailors—it reminded them of capsizing a boat.
Every move was met with correction, and even though it was a light meal, it took over two hours.
But Madam de Vasquez gave no break and moved straight to the next lesson.
The second lesson was a parade of greetings: how to identify someone’s status, how to greet other ladies, and how to address someone of higher rank.
What she emphasized most was how to greet the Emperor.
“Do you understand? No one in the Empire! No one can say ‘Hello’ to His Majesty the Emperor. And bowing at the waist? A lady must not greet like that. Now, follow me. Say, ‘I greet the sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor.’”
Madam de Vasquez elegantly bent her knees and lifted her dress slightly with both hands.
Astrid stood across from her and mimicked the motion as best she could. Madam de Vasquez approached and gently adjusted Astrid’s posture—her knees, her back, everything.
The strict lady made Astrid repeat the gesture until she was satisfied. By the time Astrid’s bow looked proper, it felt like she had greeted an invisible emperor twenty times.
“Good. That’s enough for now. You’ll learn how to greet young nobles after tea time.”
‘…Time to run!’
A clear thought came into Astrid’s mind.
Pretending to practice her greeting once more, she quickly scanned the room.
She was confident in her running ability—something she had proven during the chase with Florian just a few days ago.
Astrid glanced out the window. The building’s base wasn’t too high. Jumping from the first floor looked manageable.
All she had to do now was wait for Madam de Vasquez to show an opening.
“There’s etiquette to follow during tea as well. I’ll have it brought in.”
Madam de Vasquez rang the bell on the table. Maids outside opened the door.
As soon as Madam’s attention shifted to the door, Astrid didn’t hesitate.
She sprang from her chair like a spring, dashed to the open window, and jumped out without a second thought.
Rosana, who had been standing outside the door, witnessed the entire scene.
‘I wish I could go back to being a palace guard…’
* * *
Astrid rolled as she landed outside the window to soften the impact. Thankfully, there was a flowerbed just beneath the window.
“Miss del Fonto!!”
A furious voice shouted from above.
“Miss!!”
Rosana’s panicked voice followed.
Astrid sprang up, her dress stained with dirt, and began running.
It didn’t feel bad to be chased. Actually, it felt great. Energy surged through her, and her blue eyes sparkled.
The shawl Rosana had given her flapped around her shoulders. Astrid wrapped it over her head to cover her hair and swiftly moved between trees and bushes. Her goal was to get as far away from the inner palace as possible without being spotted.
When she passed a guard, she stood tall and greeted them properly. If she saw someone dressed formally, she bowed gracefully before passing.
People were puzzled by the sight of a young lady walking alone in the palace, but since she greeted them confidently like a “lady,” they accepted it.
‘So learning how to greet was useful after all!’
Astrid walked right out the palace gates with confidence. Soon after, stricter security would be implemented for those exiting the palace—all thanks to her.
She followed the main road outside the palace.
Though she escaped, Astrid didn’t know the city’s layout. The only road she recognized led to the Del Fonto estate, but returning there meant she’d be sent straight back to the palace and scolded by Madam de Vasquez.
‘I need to quickly learn the layout of the city. And the surrounding area too… Like how far we are from the sea, for example.’
El Cantador was five hours away by carriage from Luz Rosada. But maybe there was a closer sea.
The sea!
The thought of it suddenly overwhelmed her with longing.
‘If you want to see far, you have to climb high—like the main mast of a ship.’
When you’re lost, climb up. A timeless truth. Astrid looked up at the rooftops.
One tall spire stood out—a bell tower. It looked like the tallest structure in the city. From there, she would surely be able to see the entire capital.
Astrid tightened the shawl around her head.
Now that she had a goal, all that remained was to reach it. She moved quickly, glancing at the bell tower to make sure she was on the right path.
There were many shops, and the plaza connected to the road was crowded with people—a perfect place to blend in.
But what first caught her eye was a blue uniform. Navy soldiers.
They had nothing to do with her current escape, and they didn’t seem to be on duty, just chatting in small groups. Still, bad memories drove her deeper into the crowd.
‘Tch, they should stay at sea.’
Not that she’d enjoy meeting them there either.
Astrid walked quietly, trying not to draw attention.
The bell tower was part of a chapel. It looked like the stairs to the tower were inside. Astrid tried to enter the main door but was blocked by a priest.
“I’m sorry. You can’t enter during the ceremony.”
Astrid had no choice but to step back. She would have to wait until the ceremony ended.
‘At least it’s not completely off-limits. I’ll just wait…’
Just then, she spotted a familiar outfit—a black uniform worn by the palace guards.
Astrid quickly hid behind a nearby tree and watched them.
They were stopping passersby and asking questions. Astrid instinctively knew they were looking for her. Her sprint had clearly reached the Emperor’s ears.
The black uniforms stopped the navy soldiers. The sailors listened and then spread out, likely to inform their fellow navy members around the city.
‘How cold-blooded—making people work on their break.’
Though she wasn’t really one to talk.
Astrid knew she couldn’t just wait for the ceremony to end anymore. There were only two things to do:
One, climb the bell tower quickly.
Two, understand the city’s layout and surroundings.
She circled to the back of the chapel and began climbing the outer wall. Luckily, the stone walls had grooves she could grip with her hands and feet.
Astrid carefully chose each foothold. Right hand up, right foot placed, then stretch the right knee and raise her left hand. As she found her rhythm, her speed increased.
Soon, Astrid reached the roof—the first checkpoint. The bell tower jutted up from there.
Even though the chapel roof was high, it didn’t offer a wide enough view. Still, it was much better than the stuffy palace garden. Astrid crouched and caught her breath. She decided to rest a bit before climbing the bell tower.
The breeze cooled her sweat. Compared to the sea wind she loved, it was bland, but still welcome.
But the wind didn’t only carry her sweat. It also blew away the shawl she had used to cover her head.
Astrid jumped up to catch it.
And in that moment—she locked eyes with a navy soldier standing below the roof.
‘Ah, I’m doomed.’
