A few days had passed and Willow was going back to her lessons with Madame Park. Enough of the snow had been cleared away that Manager Kim had even been sent to fetch her.

  The older gentleman had actually been a source of kindness to Willow as the lessons had gone on. He’d often provide tasty snacks during her brief breaks or helped her out when she was left to study on her own since he was familiar with most of the etiquette protocols she was being taught.

  She suspected it was something initially ordered by the Madame since his qi lacked any warmth when he’d first started doing these small gestures of support, but over time he genuinely seemed to enjoy hearing the progress that she’d made in her lessons and providing her support where he could.

  Willow took off her snow dusted cloak and rough boots in the entryway and after saying goodbye to the probably busy manager made her way to the study space in the back. The building was much toastier than the bitter cold outside, something Willow greatly appreciated. Focusing on warming up and navigating the shop also helped distract from the near constant twinging of her core caused by her new exercises.

  She hoped the lessons today wouldn’t be anything too strenuous.

  “I hope you kept up with your studies during this unfortunate break in our sessions.” Madame Park greeted her from her seated position at the low table, her posture perfect and her stare piercing as usual. The girl also took note that it seemed to be elaborate hairstyle number twelve today. She’d begun to keep track as a way to amuse herself, and mostly numbered them by the order she’d seen them.

  She’d yet to find any pattern in why she chose the hairstyles she did each day, but hopefully her lessons would eventually go over it.

  Willow executed what she felt was a flawless curtsy despite lacking a skirt or dress of any kind. This was both a signal that she was a girl today and a way to show she’d been practicing.

  “Yes ma’am.” She kept her eyes down as she’d been taught. Something about showing subservience to someone you respect, though Willow often chafed against those aspects of her lessons. “I didn’t have a lot else to do while I waited for the snow to clear.”

  Madame Park looked over her form with a critical eye. “Satisfactory, though I do wish your mentor would buy you some nice dresses or skirts so you could present yourself more elegantly.” This wasn’t the first time she’d expressed such a sentiment, and it was unlikely to be the last.

  “You know Miss Mu views such things as a waste of money, ma’am.” Willow reminded her.

  “I’m well aware, girl. Now sit, we have much to discuss today.”

  Oh? That was rare, especially after an impromptu break like the one they just went through. Usually the Madame was eager to resume teaching after thoroughly quizzing Willow on what they’d already learned. The fact she framed the coming conversation as a “discussion” meant there’d likely not be a quiz first.

  Willow sat on her usual cushion, making sure to sit as straight as she could. Slouching was considered quite rude after all.

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  After she was properly settled in Madame Park continued. “Since you’ve begun to show competency in the basic lessons I’ll be putting you to work at the front of house beginning in the spring. This will function as practical training and has already been approved by your mentor so long as I provide protection to you if you make any reasonable mistakes. For the next few weeks we’ll be going over what duties I expect you to perform and we shall do several trial runs to make sure you won’t require my protection in the first place.”

  Her steely gaze sharpened further. “Do we have an understanding, Willow?”

  That was slightly nerve wracking, but she nodded with as much confidence she could muster. “Yes ma’am!”

  She inclined her head. “Good. It’s mostly going to be taking customer orders and serving tea, while occasionally assisting Sunhee in the kitchen or Mister Kim in taking payment. That last part was at your mentor’s insistence since you apparently hadn’t dealt with currency too often before your apprenticeship?”

  Willow nodded somewhat bashfully. She still didn’t fully understand the costs for things, though she at least understood how much she needed to buy snacks and not be overcharged. She had a nice old stall owner to thank for that rather than Mu herself however.

  Willow suspected her teacher wasn’t the best with money herself. Which would explain why she kept outsourcing others to teach her about it.

  Madame Park continued to scrutinise her. “Hm. I do often wonder where exactly Mu found you. The gaps in your knowledge are surprising and can’t all be explained by your oaf of a mentor. Your continued fascination with stories and the written word makes it likely that you had access to such things at your home. Now normally that, combined with your unfamiliarity with the cost of things, would make me suspect you were a clan child, but then your complete lack of knowledge on how to behave in polite society makes it clear that’s not the case.”

  Willow stilled, unsure where the Madame was going with this. She was also unsure how much she was supposed to reveal in a situation like this. Though for the most part she figured her origins weren’t exactly a secret. Aside from the bits her teacher lied to Madame Park about.

  It was clear that the owner of the tea house expected an answer though, so she gave one.

  “My family lived in a small place on the edge of Clan Darach’s territory. Da had a collection of stories that he’d read to me, though I only learned to read myself in the past year.”

  That only seemed to heighten the older woman’s curiosity. “Did your father ever say how he came by his collection? Books and scrolls for leisure reading are often only available to those with means.”

  Willow began to worry she might have said too much already, but at this point the only way out was through.

  “He apparently fought in some tournaments when he was younger and made a bit of money that way.” Which wasn’t even a lie. She’d just not mention how the money he got from those tournaments didn’t go into buying story scrolls.

  Though apparently she said the wrong thing as Madame Park was now even more intrigued. “Oh? I wasn’t aware of any tournaments in Darach lands.”

  Willow shrugged. “It was before I was born, so I don’t know too much about it either.”

  Her eyes narrowed slightly before she nodded to herself. “Hmph. I suppose that’s fair. Can’t expect a child to know everything about their family’s situation. My curiosity will just have to be put aside for the time being.”

  She rang a small bell, summoning Manager Kim who entered with his usual bow.

  “Mister Kim, if you’d be so kind please have Willow measured for her work clothes. Two sets, one for a boy and one for a girl should suffice. If we get the measurements done now they should be finished by spring.”

  As Willow was led out of the room she hoped the Madame wasn’t still too curious about her background.

  She had a lot to hide after all.