HENRIETTA: PRAELUDIUM [TO BE EDITED]

CHAPTER 004

"The basic thing you need to know about etiquette is that it is completely different from manners. Etiquette is the way you handle yourself as part of society. With that in mind, you will still act depending on how society treats you. You have to learn how to be well-behaved and well-mannered while carrying your duty as an empress."

I could feel my head spinning with all these lessons. Don't get me wrong. This is my first time learning the art of being graceful, that's why I feel a little overwhelmed. Yet so far, this is one of my favorite lessons. And to top it off, Lady Clarence's teaching technique is top tier!

But I wonder where I heard her name?

"Aww!"

"Again, Princess. Do it again." I pout when she hits my hand with her stick.

Everything is good, except for this part of the lessons. Is hitting really allowed for punishments here? Isn't that against the law or something? Well, it wasn't really her who suggested that, it was her handmaid, Lauren.

I carefully glanced at my aunt's maid and frowned when I saw her smiling at my current situation. My body jolted when she looked at me and I unintentionally let go of the tea cup and saucer, causing the tea cup and its contents, and the saucer to fall on my lap.

"Ack…" I flinched. The tea was still hot when it fell on my lap.

 What annoyed my aunt was when the tea cup bounced from my dress to the floor, breaking it.

Oh, no... I kinda lost focus when the maid glanced back at me and smirked.

"Henrietta! I told you to focus!" I closed my eyes right away and waited for her punishment, but to my confusion, I didn't receive another hit.

I quickly opened my eyes and was a little surprised when I found her wiping my dress with her white handkerchief.

"I'm sorry, auntie..." I mumbled softly, lowering down my head. I don't know but I somehow feel scared again of anyone.

"That's not how you apologize, dear. Look at me," she said, her tone sounding different than earlier.

I lifted my head up again to look at her. I gasped loudly in bewilderment when her palm met my cheek. The slap was loud enough that it echoed in the room. My trembling hand slowly reached for my bruised cheek.

I didn't mean to lose focus... but why am I receiving such treatment again? It's just like how everyone treated me back in my previous life. Do I really deserve such hate even if I don't really know where it came from?

Hendrix's angry voice broke my train of thoughts and I was caught off guard when he went closer to me.

"Why did you do that, aunt?! Don't you remember who she is and what her role is?! She's the future empress!" My vision focused on the floor but my eyes grew wider as I heard every word he's saying.

Did this really happen in the book? Hendrix had been cold to me and Henrietta ever since and I don't recall that there was a time when he saved her from all the abuse Henrietta received. So why?

"Are you alright?" His voice sounded gentle. He sounded more like an older brother now than a jerk.

I didn't want to look at him because of how embarrassed I felt. It feels embarrassing knowing that he witnessed someone slapping me. I really didn't like it when someone watched my fall.

"Let me see," he held my chin with his thumb and index finger then lifted my head up. His hand was so gentle that it was almost making me tear up.

I could clearly see the hurt that flashes through his eyes when he saw how desperately I was preventing my tears from falling. "Let's go to your room."

"We're not done yet with her lessons!" Lady Clarence lashed out. She sounded furious for some reason.

"Enough. Father will hear of this." It somehow eases my mind knowing that someone is standing up for me. It feels nice and weird knowing that someone actually cares for me.

But what if this is all just an act of something?

Hah…

"Does it hurt?" Hendrix asked as gently as he could while he applied herbal medicine against my bruised cheek. We arrived in my room and the maid quickly prepared a first aid treatment for me.

I shook my head, my vision focusing at the door in front of me. For some reason, my chest feels quite heavy and my head feels like it's spinning. I wasn't hit that hard yet my body throbs painfully. I didn't really expect her to treat me too kindly since she's been hitting me ever since I started taking etiquette lessons from her.

I wonder, was it stated in the book, the reason why everyone hated Henrietta? It feels weird. My heart's been beating weirdly, as if it was empty, like something's been missing. I wonder what it is?

"Why does everyone hate me so much?" I couldn't stop myself from asking such a question. It's a question that's been stuck in my heart since my previous life. "Am I that bad to be with?" Something about Hendrix had been bothering me the whole time since he helped me earlier. He feels like someone who'll protect me. Like an older brother I never had.

"I'm sorry," he whispered softly as he pulled me closer to him, embracing me tightly.

I felt so comforted that my tears started flowing down my cheeks and that heavy feeling slowly washes all over me, as if it was slowly emptying me.

"You shouldn't have to go through of anything, yet here we are, hurting you everytime we get the chance." Is this really what you feel, brother? Do you really care for me? Or is everything just an act again?

"Hendrix! What happened to Amethyst?!"

I blinked a couple of times after wiping my tears away. The pout on my lips grew even more when I saw Arthur rushing inside my room. What's with everyone today? It hasn't been a month since I arrived here, right? Why are they acting weirdly now?

"Ah! Why are you crying!? Did she hurt you that badly!? Oh, I'm gonna ask my father to punish her!" Arthur shouted. He's clearly making a fuss about this, but the Grand Duke shouldn't know about this, or else...

"Don't tell uncle--"

"Don't tell me what, Henrietta?" My eyes widened, for the nth time, when I heard the Grand Duke's voice.

Oh, my... He looked upset.

"Uh... I'm sorry, your excellency. This is all my fault." Why am I doing this again? I shouldn't save that woman's ass, right?

"Henrietta, are you failing to recognize your own fault? Or are you trying to save an unworthy piece of trash? You should know that being an empress isn't just protecting her people," he said, his voice full of authority. He sounded so serious, but he looked so concerned while he's checking on me.

Why is this making me cry again? Am I finally having a family of my own?