“I don’t,” she said, a warble in her voice as her words trailed off.

I stopped, turning to face her with my hands behind my back, clenched. “Viscountess, my knowing affects nothing. Should you agree to help me, I have no plans to tell anyone.” I stepped closer to her, trying to read her emotions from her eyes. “What we need to focus on is your newest handmaid. She knows and hopes to use that knowledge to secure a marriage.” Should she ask how I knew, I wouldn’t have an answer, but I’d planned for that. She would investigate, and when the Viscountess couldn’t find anything, it would increase the pressure she felt.

The first sign that this wouldn’t go as planned was how quickly she pulled herself together. The rioting emotions in her eyes calmed, and a pleasant smile hung from her lips. “What is it that you want, Jal?” The clap of her fan as it unfolded made me jump.

I got the feeling this wasn’t the first time someone blackmailed her, even though this was my first time as the blackmailer. I’d expected her to ask how I knew, and when she didn’t, it left me scrambling for what to say next.

“Nothing difficult. Frankly, you should have been doing it anyway. All I want is for you to teach me.” Good. My voice came out strong, and the words were neither too fast nor slow.

I was about to continue when she laughed, closing the fan and tapping it on her cheek as she looked down at me from the tip of her pointy chin. “Isn’t this surprising?” Viscountess Rintour didn’t look surprised. She had an expression I’d seen a million times. The sparkle in her eyes, as if watching something amusing.

I couldn’t tell if she honestly thought I was a joke or if she was doing this to throw me off.

Just stick to what you practiced, I thought, comforting myself. The worst that could happen would be the viscountess telling the duchess; in doing that, she would have to confess her affair.

I continued, raising a hand to point at her face. It was a rude gesture that fit my persona, but I just wanted to mock her. “That,” I said, moving my finger up and down. “That is what I want to learn. I’m tired of being defenseless.” The aristocracy was a battlefield where they used clothes and titles as shields and words as weapons.

“I have been teaching you.” She pressed on my hand with her fan until I lowered it.

I laughed. That is why their scheme was perfect.

The Viscountess was the ideal tutor. Her lessons in etiquette and other fields were standard for a girl in my age group. She went one step further and taught Selena and me the same thing. On the surface, it looked like I was having problems learning, but Selena started receiving lessons when she was eight, and I started two years ago at thirteen. I didn’t have the proper foundation, and without that, it was impossible to learn the rest.

“Viscountess, I have lived my whole life as a fool, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid. My father has set my marriage for the end of the year. While I have no problem continuing to be the problem child in the castle, if I get married and continue with that behavior, we both know what will happen.” That sentence explained my motives and gave a suitable catalyst for change. It didn’t matter if she believed it or not. “It is crass to threaten you, but I have few options and even less time. I have helped you. Is my request that difficult?”

She laughed. “Aided. Your sentence would be more impactful if you said aided instead of helped.” The Viscountess glided to the settee and invited me to take a seat. “Before we go further, who should I fear more, the duchess or you? Have you considered what will happen if you appear in front of the duchess with the impeccable manners she wanted to stop you from having?”

Stolen novel; please report.

Something loosened in my chest as I sat opposite her, but I didn’t relax. “You misunderstand. I have no intention of improving my image and plan to make it worse. I want to know which rules I’m breaking instead of doing it because I’m ignorant.”

Viscountess Rintour used her fan to block her mouth, a tinkling laugh spreading through the room. That laugh gave me an eye twitch. “Despite her best efforts, Melaine’s greatest fear came true.” The glee and malice were apparent in her eyes. This woman did not like my stepmother. That was shocking. Their friendship was legendary and did not falter, even after the Viscountesses scandal. It was a moment before the look was gone and replaced by a horrified and frightened appearance. “Melaine has done her best to educate you. How could you doubt her intentions?”

My mind was sluggish before I realized I was getting a live demonstration of what I wanted to learn the most. I sat with my mouth gaping, every word I practiced fleeing my mind.

“You inexperienced little thing. Did you think you could hide your nerves by walking around? It made it more obvious. Unless you’re experienced, the next time you try to blackmail someone, make sure you're seated. Your body language is less likely to give you away.” Her tone was bland, as if commenting on the weather. “Your use of carrot and stick was passable, though it's best to separate them. Give the person you're talking to time to be anxious. Threatening me first and then offering the information about my maid would have been much more effective. Leaving off where you got that information was a nice touch, though your thoughts were obvious. I take it that my investigation won’t yield any results?”

I looked away, biting my lip. It took a moment for my mind to catch up with my body, and I looked down to see my finger fidgeting with my skirt. The viscountess's gaze stripped me bare, and again I came up lacking. I felt cold, and the conversation played over in my mind.

“Your words and actions don’t match. While saying you don’t want to improve your image, the effort you’ve put in is noticeable. Your posture is straighter, and your vocabulary more nuanced, but you’re like a child dressing up as an adult. It does a disservice, highlighting your ignorance.”

I lay my hands flat on the table. My behavior was involuntary, and it wasn’t the first time I realized I didn’t know how I behaved at this age. I used my spare time to practice, but after a single conversation, this woman noticed everything I tried to hide.

“What do I need the most?” The words were out before I could stop them. This woman was not a friend or an ally. She’d twisted my mind into knots, and I couldn’t even figure out if my threat was effective. Was she acting earlier when she lost her composure? The clock chimed, startling me.

She snorted. An inelegant sound. “Control and flexibility. Every action and word must be deliberate.”

I knew that, but I needed help. What I needed to learn, I couldn’t do on my own. I’d resolved to do it, or I wouldn’t have exposed myself by threatening her.

Again, I got the feeling I’d lost control.

I took a breath and examined myself, realizing the words weren’t for me. She’d clarified my doubts and concealed her actions, masterfully done and not the least helpful. If the amused expression on her face was anything to go by, she knew it too.

“Were you prepared for the consequences if this little charade of yours failed?” She lazily waved her hand.

“I’m angry at you, and after overhearing a maid talking, I used that information to hurt you.” I slumped in my seat, not bothering with pretenses.

“Hurt? Not blackmail?” Her brow arched again, and my palm tickled.

“No one will believe you if you told them I blackmailed you into teaching me more, and don’t threaten that you recorded this conversation. I chose this room because recording devices don’t work.”

“You're quite calm for someone whose plan fell apart.”

I smiled. The first real one since we entered the room. “Things didn’t go as planned, but the outcome is the same. You will teach me, and I won’t tell the duchess or your husband what you’ve been up to.”

“None of this will help you if you don’t have magic.”

She knew where to aim. I felt those words scratch against the raw wounds in my soul. This world valued strength, and the definition of that power was magic.

“You should remember those words. Your magic isn’t strong, and your husband can always find another wife, especially since you haven’t given him an heir.” She attacked my wound, and from the way she flinched, I hacked at hers.

“Spiteful little thing.” Her lips curled, and her eyes turned red.

That look suited her.

Ding. 5 revenge points. System coming online.