It took a long time to finish the beef stew, but once the bowl was empty, the exhaustion of my situation completely overtook me, and I drifted to sleep nearly instantly.

  The next morning, I awoke to find the maid who had shown me the Anlage drawing two days ago, as well as another woman I hadn’t met before. She wasn’t dressed in the maid outfit of the other girls. Instead, she had a red dress that extended far from her body, making it look like she could fit even a chair under her skirt. She also had a golden cuff on her left upper arm and a golden bracelet on her right wrist. She glanced at it before looking at me.

  “Good morning, Julia. Not to worry, my husband informed me of your preference. I am Baroness Elise Alexis Malatise.”

  “Hi,” I said. “So, I am guessing this is going to be the start of my education?”

  She nodded. “Not to worry, I don’t plan to do anything difficult today. I thought you might like just getting together with the girls.”

  “Do you mind if I get some privacy. I need to tend to… something,” I said as I glanced at the rags and the tub of water. To my surprise, I saw steam. I guess the maid took my requests for warm water to mean I preferred warm water, so she brought it without me having to ask. That was… nice.

  “Oh, there is no need. I can assist. I would be delighted too. Zureinigen,” she said as she waved her hand towards me. A light flew towards me.

  I panicked as I backed up, but it didn’t change anything. “What… did you do!” I shouted. I felt… warmness down there. It lasted only a brief moment before I realized two things. First, I was dry, and I didn’t need to use the bathroom anymore.

  “Quite the spell, right? Of all the ones I learned back at the capital, it is an absolute must for any woman. It removes impurities of any kind.“

  “Can you please ask before you do magic?” I asked.

  She touched her cheek and tilted her head. “You didn’t like it? That spell shouldn’t have felt unpleasant at all. I hope it didn’t have a bad reaction because you're a maiden.”

  “No, it wasn’t that. It is just, I am not used to things being done to me like that,” I said. I couldn’t lie about it feeling nice. But were all nobles like this? Just flinging spells at each other without asking? I hope not.

  “I see. Well, noted, for the time being, I shall ask for permission,” she said before looking at the maid. “Please bring up some tea. We shall have it in this room today.”

  “Tea? Do I have to?” I asked. That stuff was gross.

  “You don’t like tea?” she asked, blinking a bit.

  “It is bitter and…”

  She clasped her hands. “Oh, that makes much more sense. Those boys, they prefer it in that bitter way. I shall show you how a lady enjoys her tea.”

  So, what I was hearing was, yes. I did have to. I sat up in bed. It was weird not having to use the bathroom. “So, what is on the education plan for today?”

  “Tea, and just us talking. I have no doubt the men likely were poor in their explanations,” she said as she sat down next to me, her puffy dress brushing up against my leg.

  “How is tea educational?” I asked.

  “I was right to think the men hadn’t explained anything,” she said with a bit of a grimace. “The Maidens can save the world. But that doesn’t mean they will. And the best thing they can do to have a better chance at saving the world? Friends.”

  “Not sure I am following this or how it relates to tea,” I asked.

  “The world is very vast. There are over a hundred countries, or, right, how do I say it more simply? Anlage is a country, and places of a similar size are countries, and in this world are over a hundred of them. Many of them are united by nobility. And that means the way many nation behaves is the same or very similar even across borders. For example, every country you visit will offer you tea.”

  “You're saying I need to learn about tea, so that I can make friends in other countries?” I asked.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Exactly. It isn’t just tea, obviously. But many things. Christopher told me about the bathing situation. In most other countries, they will offer the same thing. Turning them down is saying you don’t think they are good enough. Like, imagine if someone went to Hatula, and your mother offered them dinner, and they said no, but then their stomach growled. Would you not think they were saying your mother’s cooking was bad?”

  I could picture that. Why else would a hungry person turn down good cooking? “But I could explain to them-”

  She shook her head. “It isn’t a good idea. It wouldn’t be much fun to travel that way. Repeating the same thing about what you prefer. Not knowing who will understand and who won’t. Beyond that, it is kind of insulting, isn’t it? Like, imagine if someone came to your home and you asked them to take their shoes off, and they said no. Is that someone you really want to help?”

  I looked down. I couldn’t exactly argue either point. “So, I don’t have a choice?”

  She wrapped her arm around me and pulled me close. “Of course, you have a choice. Some countries you may not like. Perhaps they ask too much of you. Perhaps they are rude first. Maybe there is something that you will consider worth losing allies over. But choices come with consequences. Fewer allies means less people to help you with your mission. It means you are more likely to die. Only you can decide what you are willing to do. I just would caution you against deciding such things now. Learn the culture of the world. And decide how to use it later.”

  The maid returned with a cart loaded with various items, from white cubes to milk and even honey. She set up two tea cups, but Elise instructed her to add three more cups to the table and then asked her to sit down.

  “While a maid having tea with nobles is not normally done, it can be our little secret. I think another girl might help ease her nerves.”

  “What of the other two cups?” I asked.

  Elise smiled as she poured tea into three cups. She then dropped two white squares in one. Added some milk to the second, and some honey to the third. She then waved a hand at them.

  I see. I took a sip of the first. Wow, sweet, but still an undercurrent of bitterness. The second was more soothing, but the flavor was not really that good. The third, I just didn’t like at all. I was just bad honey water as far as I was concerned.

  She poured a bit of milk into the first cup and gestured to it. I took another sip, and my eyes opened in shock. It was delicious.

  She smiled. “I nailed it, right?”

  “How… did you know?” I asked.

  “I can read your face like a book. Didn’t like the honey, and liked parts of milk and sugar.”

  “So these cubes are called sugar?” I asked.

  She nodded. “There is a lesson here, sometimes, things that are bitter and gross the first time. They can be sweet and delicious if you just give them a second chance and add a little bit to them.”

  “I don’t think my situation is quite so simple,” I said.

  “Perhaps not, but I am not sold that it isn’t that simple yet either. If I am to give you a piece of advice, Julia. There are some things you don’t get second chances on. Don’t cast away relationships or allies you don’t know yet. Because it's quite possible that it's a choice you one day deeply regret.”

  “Relationships and allies, I don’t know yet?” I asked.

  She nodded. “You are going to travel the world, Julia. You are going to meet even more people than I know. I can only guess at the beautiful things you will see, the delicious things you will taste, and the wonderful people you will meet.”

  “That is a scary thought,” I said.

  “Of course. But you don’t have to face it yet,” she turned and looked at the tray. The maid got up, but Elise pointed at her chair. “I said you're one of the girls today.” Elise then started setting up various items following the tea. Including what looked like hard bread, but it smelled sweet. Another very fluffy bread with blue dots, smelling even sweeter. Also, something that looked like bread, but had a red, gooey center with white streaks.

  “What are these?” I asked.

  “Pastries! Enough education for now. Let us just talk and enjoy each other's company. I am sure we all have stories worth sharing,” she said.

  I took a bite of the hard bread and noticed a warm dark spot in the middle that tasted better than anything I could even imagine. I wanted more.

  We drank tea and ate pastries for what felt like hours. I told stories about my Mom and Dad. About my siblings. About the kids of Hatula. We all laughed until we cried. The head maid, whom I learned was Emilia, shared stories about her friends, her other work locations, and her son. Finally, Elise told stories of nobles and parties, and I didn’t really understand her stories, but for some reason, I laughed just as hard. I laughed until my jaw hurt.

  When we couldn’t eat or drink anymore and the laughter died down, the maid stood up, and I could tell this moment was coming to an end. I was a bit sad, to be honest.

  “May I cast healing magic on your face?” Elise asked.

  “Thank you, and okay,” I said.

  “Zurein,” she said, and that same little light and warmth flowed around me. And the pain in my jaw faded away as if it had never been there. Only the joy that is still in my heart as a reminder.

  “So what else happens today?” I asked. I feared the only joy I could expect was now gone.

  She looked at the gold band on her wrist. “Nothing for now. I will speak with my Husband. Everything has been harsh. So you don’t need to push yourself this second. We will have tea again soon. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I said. Baroness Elise Alexis Malatise. I felt like I finally had something good from all of this. I smiled as she closed the door on her way out.