"What a disaster..." Baster murmured these words.

He followed his grandfather and Rosalie to see if there's going to be a change in the storyline.
But what he saw was a terrible display of performance.

[Specifically, to bow, dance, speak and move with grace.
As most noble children are taught at a young age.]

They were currently in the royal gardens where she performed the etiquette.

But Tori messed up every step that she was supposed to splendidly perform.

"Lady Tori, please... Calm down!
And just show your grandfather what you showed me."
The teacher was trembling and panicking, Tori was showing a messy display.

But something was strange.
Her mistakes were now similar to Talie which the instructor swiftly noticed.

In Tori's thoughts, however:
[Hmmm I never imagined being twins could come in handy.

The only difference between Tori and I were our hair-style to make sure our family notices the difference since they usually have trouble calling us by our names. ]

Both of them often wear matching clothing simply because both of them liked messing with their parents when they try to play mind games by swapping them together.

Aside from their way of speaking and manners are the only way to differentiate both of them.
No one can technically tell the difference.

[But the fact that I can destroys Tori's reputation.

Without any consequence is also a bonus.
Though, she did ask me.
To do so...]

It was at this point that the one who is in front of them is Talie who pretends to be Tori.

Rosalie had requested Tori to show her talent to her grandfather, which she expressed mixed feelings of distraught and terror.

Where she couldn't refuse her...
It was then she begged Talie to swap with her.

[Still, it was nice seeing her beg for once...

Though,
I highly doubt she could hide her fine-dining habits or movements after years of being a Queen in her past-life.

It's good she at least understood that fact herself.]

Tori's past life was once a queen of dragon that carried a powerful presence of nobility.
In her world, their etiquette was imitated from humans which means that her past-life talents and habits have been passed on to her new life.

Inevitably she will be drawn into trouble because of this if some noble began to fancy her...
In order to counter this, both of them made plans from the very beginning to swap appearance with one another should pesky noble starts to pester them.

But it was also a time where she admitted to Talie that.
She wasn't able to stop herself from acting like she usually did and begged for her help.
It pleased her enough to lend her a hand.

[Since she politely apologized and promised to make me my delicious home-made tea and meal for a month.

I'll forgive her for being so cocky.]

That was the deal made between the two sisters.

The tea and meal Talie wanted, on the other hand, was the modern style food that came from her world.

Fortunately, the two managed to discover that the tea and meal were possible to create in their own home as access to spices and sweets was not too pricy and easy to obtain in the market.

As for Tori herself, she was in the kitchen arguing with the chef as she personally made her work.
She could have easily asked the chef to make it for her.

But they were afraid that the recipe would be stolen and its popularity will spread enough for its price to sky-rocket due to the fact they experienced it once before.

While the two continued their mischief...

Talie who knew Tori's personality quite well was pretending like her effectively displaying her every flaw.

Tori herself wasn't there...

She didn't want to see it and left to do what she asked not wasting any free time she had left.

As Talie performed what Tori usually did and would pretend like her,
She made mistake's what novices usually does...

「I'm sorry, I'm very sorry...」she apologized to her teacher as Rosalie shuddered with a pale expression. Her grandfather was gazing at her on the other hand while stroking his beard.

He then finally said.
"Enough." as he stood in his chair while holding a cane.
His face expressed a wry smile as he saw the poor display of her ability.

"My... my lord, I deeply apologized." Rosalie apologized in desperation at the scene.

"Rosalie there's no need to apologize." He deeply sighed and said with a calm voice.

"But-"

"Please...
Excuse her and let us speak privately."

As he said those words she hung her head as she followed her lord.
Talie who was acting as Tori was given a break as the two left the scene.
Baster was still hiding from the bushes.

Gazing at her with pity, but what he saw soon shocked him as he overheard her words.

『Well, that was easier than I thought.
Though, I'm no match with her when it comes to this kind of thing.

At least it saves us from being dragged into another kind of mess.』

As Talie sat from the nearby chair in the garden she grabbed a cup of water from the table and drank it. The sun was brightly shining as she then heard the sound of a twig from the bushes.

She fixes her hair back to its normal position of a bun.

However, as Baster was about to leave the place he accidentally stepped on a branch as it made a noise.

*Crunch*

Her eyes darted towards its direction and shouted.

『Whose there!?』

Baster who made a mistake slowly came out.

"You did all those mistakes on purpose?"

She shrugged.

『If I did all those mistakes on purpose, then I'd be quite a genius.』

Talie truly did try.

She didn't want to make Tori look too bad.
Though her mistakes were simply too honest and very plain to see.

"Then why did you say those words, if you weren't faking it."

『Why I wonder?』She said teasingly.

"I see, then I should tell grandfather that you were just faking it."

She frowned at his words as she then said.

『Fine, I was really faking.』

Talie had realized that he didn't know about Tori and was simply making an assumption.
She had chosen to admit it instead to further deceive him.

"But why? If you showed your skills properly to grandfather.
They would surely send you off to school amongst the nobles."

『And where will my free time go with that?』she retorts.

"Eh?"

『Only an idiot would want to show themselves off,
If I showed it off to my grandfather then all my free time will go to waste.

If they start forcing me to join those boring and stupid training for some kind of future.
I don't want to have!』

"huh?"

He was baffled at the words of the young girl before him.
Baster is at least 12 years older than them but she was speaking with cunning guile.

Very unlike a 9-year-old would usually say.

"You are... awfully smart for a kid." his voice trembled now aware that the young girl was someone much mature and aware as he took a step back.

『Thank you, my mother taught me a lot.』she grins at him with a cunning smile.

『But looking at how you are the only young lad here wearing noble clothing.
I can guess you're our stepbrother?』

He gulped and nods.

"What... what are you?" he asks with a puzzled expression.

『I'm just a little girl.』as she pours herself some water in a cup and slowly drank from it.

『Ah... that was refreshing.』

Her expression soon darkens with a fierce glare that sent a chill down his spine.

『I should tell you now...

If you tell anyone of what you over-heard here.
I'll come back to haunt you...』

He nods to her and left the scene in a panic.

________________________________________________________________________________

// Basters confusion //

"What the hell was that!?" he deeply cried out in his thoughts.

I can understand this world is from an otome game I played.
But that step-sister of mine is too ridiculously deceptive.

Though, at least now I can understand why they were simply sheltered here.
If that girl joined the fray in that game.

Who the heck knows what will happen to the story!

She is like the secret character of the game that never came out.

If she was made by the developers then...

Holy shit...
I don't want to deal with someone as dangerous as that.
Hopefully, I want to support their cause of remaining in the house untouched.

As he left the room he went back into finding his grandfather to finally finish his report.

________________________________________________________________________________

// Tori's unexpected surprise. //

「Eh? what are they doing here...
Did Talie got caught in the act somehow?」

Tori who was pretending to be Talie at this point was currently among the staff of the kitchen who seemed troubled by her presence. She was wearing a cute green apron which her mother made for the both of them.

 She encountered with servants, then her teacher and grandfather only recently arrived in the kitchen.

"We keep telling her that she shouldn't be doing this..."

Indeed, it is strange for a noble lady to make tea and baked goods on their own.
For them, it is the work of skilled hands but Tori is persistent to make it herself without asking much need from the staff aside from the ingredients.

The reason for this was simply because...
「I just wanted to eat the delicious meal we used to make back at home!
Why do they keep pestering me...」

Was her complaint before the teacher and her grandfather arrived on the scene.

...

...

...

A few minutes ago...

(Rosalie's Pov during her short performance.)

What on earth is happening?
Why is she making such simple mistakes?

Is she faking it?

As she observed Tori's movement then finally her speech.
{Something was completely off...} were the words that she deeply thought.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said with a pale expression.

But repeatedly she moved like a novice...
Though she soon realized that her movements were just like.

[This child is Talie isn't she?] was what she concluded.

She has taught many children and they caused mischief all the same.
This was her 3rd time dealing with noble twins that usually identical.

But this was the first time she experiences such baffling confusion because...

Talie acted like Tori when she once apologized to her after she accidentally bumped into a servant.
She was prone to apologizing when making a mistake.

________________________________________________________________________________

The reason for this was simply due to the harsh training Tori/Estel in her past life.
Her past-life tutor was a perfectionist who brought out her talent as a princess fit to be queen.

but the cost was that...

She became meeker when dealing with her own mistakes.
To the extent, she even apologized to those lower than her in position during her time as a queen.
Which unfortunately became a habitual aspect of her that many in her past-life kingdom adored due to her appearance as an unaging being.

________________________________________________________________________________

The uncanniness disturbed her to the extent she doubted even herself.
But she was sure it was Talie as she's the only one who made such multiple mistakes during their practice.

She then turned to her grandfather as he gives her a wry smile.

[These cute little rascals...
I praise them for their incredible act.

But...
How am I suppose to explain this to his lordship?]

Her grandfather was completely tricked by their playful trick.

He then finally said.
"Enough." as he stood in his chair while holding a cane.
His face expressed a wry smile as he saw the poor display of her ability.

"My... my lord, I deeply apologized for these children-"
Rosalie apologized in desperation at the scene.
She wanted to explain and expose Tori who is actually Talie but was cut off by her lord.

"Rosalie there's no need to apologize." He deeply sighed and said with a calm voice.

"But-"

"Please...
Excuse her and let us speak privately."

When he said these words...

[Could it be possible he also noticed?] was what Rosalie thought.

As they swiftly left Tori who was acting as Talie...
They returned to the hallway of the manor.

"My lord...
About Tori."

"I do not believe you were lying.
You have taught many and surely you are no fool.

When you spoke with serious eyes and gazed at me with a plea...
I knew that you were saying the truth.

However..."

He gave Rosalie a smile.

"They are just kid's who recently only became a noble.
You mustn't rush them or else we will scare them."

As he said those words Rosalie was amazed at his words.
They were simply children at their age but they lived as commoners.
Unlike the other nobles who train their children at a young age to be proficient in everything.

These were children who were playful in their mischiefs.

As she was about to ask regarding Tori's strange actions.

"Did you-"

A servant came in a rush calling out to him.

"My lord!"

"Is there a problem?"

"One of your grand-daughters is causing a bit of problem in the kitchen.
Please help us..."

Rosalie and her grandfather swiftly move to meet with Talie in the kitchen.

________________________________________________________________________________

// Unprecedent circumstance. //

Alright...
The servants, teacher and now my grandfather is right here right behind me.

I'm stuck in the middle of making tea and some snacks.

The snack was simple cookies that my mother had baked.
We had her teach us so we can make them for ourselves.

The tea, however, is a special brew which we had kept secret for a long time.
It also took a few years for me to master the perfect temperature/time and its exact taste.

[What exactly should I do?]

My grandfather quelled the complaints and simply requested for a chair and table.
He requested me to pour him some tea for him while the others watched.

[How did it end like this?]

________________________________________________________________________________

The teapot I am currently using on the other hand is small commoner pot the size even a child like me can use.

 It was a gift which our mother had given us for our birthday.
Technically Talie and I heavily implied to them,
that we wanted a tea set for both of us to play/use for our own sake.

After showing our troubled expression repeatedly.
when we keep repeatedly harassing them with our childish looks.

Finally, we received it on our 7th birthday.

Both of us were afraid they would waste it on pointless toys that they might suddenly decide to give us on our birthday. After that, we made tea for our own parents using the herbs we found outside.

Turns out there were edible plants close to our home that we can gather with our small hands.

They wondered where we learned it.
We simply said that we experimented with it.

Which they later spat out and scolded us.

They later asked what plants and herbs, we used and which part of it.
[The both of us can clearly determine they wanted to know if they were poisonous or not.]

Which they soon discover it was safe to eat and use after plenty of testing.
It was also added to our garden as an extra.

But now...
That we are in a rich home like this...
Access in powdered/refined form was easier to obtain and use.

In actual fact, it made it easier, but I still needed to borrow their stove.

[Though still this situation is quite bad isn't it?]

As soon as I finished making the tea, I trembled a bit while giving my best poker face I ever had...
The servants even placed a small ladder usually to reach high places.
So I can stand on it and pour it for him.

The cookies were still being baked and carefully watched by the others.
They all had worried faces, as I wish they would just ignore me and work on their own jobs.

As I focused on my task, I gazed at my grandfather and teacher.
They oddly have bright smiles on their face's?

________________________________________________________________________________