Miss Witch Doesn’t Want to Become a Songstress

“For the foreseeable future, I will be teaching Miss Thilan about the subject of etiquette.”

A maid wearing glasses stood in front of the young girl. She appeared to be in her thirties, dressed impeccably, with a stern expression.

She seemed like a strict teacher. Thilan blinked, sensing the maid’s remarkable strength—at least Sequence 6—marking her as an elite transcendent.

“I understand, Teacher Pranley.”

Thilan had great respect for these professional instructors, knowing that bringing in someone of this caliber required significant resources.

“Um, I don’t think I need this,” Annelie said nervously, glancing at the head maid and recalling the strict tutoring she endured as a child under her family’s governess.

“Miss Annelie doesn’t need to learn the same things as Miss Thilan…” The maid began, and Annelie sighed in relief. But before she could fully relax, the maid continued.

“However, if Miss Annelie wishes to be an excellent adjutant, capable of assisting or handling scenarios Miss Thilan might face in the future, she also needs to supplement many skills and abilities.” Pushing her glasses up, the maid’s sharp gaze swept over Annelie, making her tremble.

Although she was regarded as a genius by her family, Annelie had grown a bit complacent over the years. While her flaws weren’t noticeable to Hestia, they were glaring to this professional maid.

“Fine, I’ll learn,” Annelie muttered, resigning herself to what seemed like an arduous period ahead.

“Excellent. Let’s begin today,” the head maid said, immediately transitioning into teaching mode.

The lessons took place not in a classroom but in Hestia’s temporary residence within the Edess Academy. Pranley, the head maid, was specially hired by the academy to teach Hestia. She was not a permanent staff member but a distinguished professional whose former clients hailed from noble families in the Central Star Region. Without the academy’s extensive network, they could never have secured her services.

First, Pranley observed Hestia’s posture and movements—how she walked, drank, and sat—to assess whether her manners met the standard.

After a somewhat tense demonstration, the teacher gave her feedback.

“While there’s much room for improvement, it’s clear you received some foundational education as a child. This will save a considerable amount of time.”

Hestia silently thanked her mother for the early lessons that had instilled good habits.

The maid then picked up a teaching rod and snapped it lightly in the air with a sharp crack, startling the distracted Annelie back to attention.

“Listen carefully. Beauty is a powerful weapon for women. It can give you an advantage in life and work. But! If you fail to wield this weapon correctly, it will greatly diminish your value in others’ eyes, even evoking disgust and rejection.”

“You are still young, at sixteen or seventeen—the age when women are often at their most attractive and receive the most preferential treatment.”

“I emphasize this because you must not see your current experiences and circumstances as the norm. Instead, recognize this as a privilege that will gradually fade with time.”

“Society’s expectations for men and women, adults and children, differ greatly. A child can say certain things that are considered cute or amusing. When an adult says the same, it becomes rude and repugnant.”

“If you indulge in this preferential treatment without cultivating good habits and a proper mindset, you will face a significant adjustment later in life and struggle to adapt.”

“For example, a ten-year-old child asking for candy and a forty-year-old woman with caked makeup asking for candy create vastly different impressions.”

“Habits formed at sixteen or seventeen, if carried on for over a decade, are almost impossible to change later. And these habits, developed in privilege, often clash with the realities of life, causing irritability, harshness, and an unpleasant demeanor.”

“While you may come from wealthy families, ensuring a lifetime of comfort, this aura of privilege only works on those beneath your station.”

“Imagine, even among your peers of similar standing, if one of them behaved rudely or unpleasantly, wouldn’t you avoid them?”

“If you only wish to associate with those who grovel for your favor and ignore your rudeness, then you have no need for etiquette.”

“But those in the upper echelons are still human. If you wish to maintain or expand your family’s influence, you will have to interact, collaborate, and even seek help from people of the same status. In such cases, the impression you leave on others is critical.”

“Being wealthy does not give you license to behave recklessly. That’s a hallmark of nouveau riche vulgarity.”

After establishing the importance of etiquette, she began the actual training, focusing on refining Thilan’s sitting posture, walking gait, tone of voice, and gestures when interacting with others.

The goal wasn’t to follow rigid textbook standards but to exhibit poise and make interactions comfortable for all parties.

Initially, these adjustments were uncomfortable, but the aim was for them to become natural and habitual over time, allowing for freedom within the boundaries of propriety.

“Etiquette isn’t about rigidly adhering to prescribed behavior,” Pranley later added, “but about maintaining a natural and heartfelt demeanor while still appearing elegant and composed.”

Throughout the day, Hestia repeatedly adjusted her unconscious habits under Pranley’s guidance until she struck a balance that was both comfortable for herself and pleasing to others.

“Forming good habits—or any habit—has a common pitfall: focusing solely on the benefits while ignoring whether the habit itself feels suitable or comfortable. If a habit feels particularly unpleasant or repugnant, even if it’s beneficial, you’ll struggle to maintain it.”

“Adhering to such a behavior requires constant effort and drains your mental energy, making it unsustainable in the long run.”

“It’s best to find a balance that is neither overly uncomfortable nor devoid of benefits. This way, the behavior can gradually become a part of your unconscious habits.”

A week after entering Edess Academy, Hestia began following the academy’s tailored development plan, with etiquette lessons as the first step.