Noelle

For twenty years, you have been the irresistible child of this royal family. The resources, position and status - it's all yours now, use it as you wish. But at what cost did you obtain it? The teenage foolishness in your head didn't fade, you thought that ordering a hit on your own parents and becoming an accomplice was a good idea. The great tragedy was the talk of all the neighboring families; you were showered with attention and overwhelming amount of pity, unfortunate orphan. You never bothered to learn how things are run in the palace. The loss of the previous heads of the family doesn't mean everything will just continue as before, only without the nagging parents. Now all formal duties rest solely on your shoulders, and you have no clue how any of it works.

"Of course you don't know, you dolt." Noelle's monotonous voice no longer cut to the quick but was starting to get irritating. He's annoying all on his own!! You don't understand any of these complicated things anyway...

"I said, study the etiquette. The business bigwigs won't forgive your stupidity, and they'll swindle away part of your estate if you can't even be bothered to read through the documents. You idiot." Noelle kept jabbing his finger at a page in a book you were seeing for the first time. Probably the very one he'd been using to teach you for two months now. His amber eyes were fixed on yours, his expression grew more severe...

"Read, read. You'll be answering questions next."

You read it, sure, but nothing stuck. ...At formal receptions, the conversation between guests at the table- what? It makes no sense. You've never had any need to memorize text before... Also, how does he get to talk to his superior like this? Can't you just fire him or something? Is that how it works?

"Time's up." Noelle pulls the book back to his side and then snaps the cover shut, holding it with his fingers. With a heavy sigh, he lifts his gaze to you.

"Well then, shall we begin?"