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Ultimately, they were uncertain which was the better choice between posing as a noble incognito or a commoner. However, if they ever intend to make use of the fact that they are the adopted daughter of Central, the former strategy would be preferable.
While it’s true that Mistress Fiiyanamia neither submits to nor demands submission from others, we can set aside such nuances for the moment.

「And so, please help me with how to talk.」
「Of course, it would be my pleasure. But are you sure I’m the right choice?」
「Yes, the only other option would be Carol. And honestly, it’s not worth leaving the house for.」

Lady Cielmer responded so without any second thought, suggesting that she has yet to fully open up to the manor’s servants. Nonetheless, she does seem to place trust in us specifically, which leaves me feeling somewhat conflicted.

I feel happy, honestly delighted about this. But I will keep this feeling to myself. After all, I am a servant of this manor.

「Understood. By the way, how do you wish to communicate at the academy?」
「Honestly, I don’t really care. No, if possible, I’d rather not interact with anyone at all. It’s bothersome, after all.」

Lady Cielmer puffed her cheeks in displeasure—adorably so.
Suppressing the urge to smile, I ponder for a helpful answer.
In learning about human interaction, disengagement isn’t the best choice. Moreover, Mistress Fiiyanamia and Lady Ainsel would likely not allow it.

Still, it would only be counterproductive if the interactions caused stress for Lady Cielmer.

「But Ain and Fii told me that I shouldn’t be like that.
No, it was a bit different with Ain, I think?
Anyhow, to find a good compromise, we decided I should practice speaking with you, Luna.」
「In short, you’re trying to develop a manner of speaking that’s better suited for reciprocal dialogue, correct?」

After I posed this question, Lady Cielmer paused briefly before nodding in affirmation.
She must have spoken with Lady Ainsel. That isn’t an issue at all, but perhaps the way I phrased it was too complex?
Lady Cielmer is an outstanding talent, but due to her unique upbringing and life in general, she occasionally contemplates the most unexpected things.

Given that she places little importance on interacting with others, her ability to engage in conversation to this extent is already commendable.

Anyhow, my role at the moment is to assist the ladies in resolving their conundrum.

「In my humble opinion, wouldn’t it be difficult to adopt a completely different way of speaking in such a haste?」
「That’s true. Honestly, I’m not feeling very motivated either.」
「In that case, perhaps imitating someone else might work better…」
「I can only imitate Ain.」

Lady Cielmer’s reply made complete sense.
After all, she has spent more time with Lady Ainsel than with anyone else.
The issue, however, is that Lady Ainsel’s tone is exceedingly gentle and polite, to the point of being welcomingly amiable.
While this makes her very approachable, I doubt that Lady Cielmer wishes to be approachable.

「While Lady Ainsel’s speaking style is kind, it might not align with what you’re aiming for.」
「Really? I think it’s actually a pretty good idea.」
「Is that so?」
「I just need to imitate Ain when she’s in a bad mood, right?」
「In a bad mood?」

I absentmindedly parroted Lady Cielmer’s words, but it’s just hard to picture Lady Ainsel in a bad mood.
However, being human, I’m sure she has shown displeasure in the past, and perhaps Lady Cielmer has observed enough of these moments to mimic them.

「Well, let me give it a try.」
「Alright. What shall we discuss now?」
「…Right, anything is fine.」

Lady Cielmer responded in a distinctively chilly tone.
I see, this should suffice. It maintains Lady Ainsel’s civility, and her manner of speech should elicit no criticisms either.
The only problem is that, despite the frosty tone, Lady Cielmer had a beaming smile on her face. I suppose she finds the act of imitating Lady Ainsel enjoyable.

「To think that Lady Ainsel ever speaks that way.」
「She doesn’t show it, but Ain often talks like this inside my head, you know?」
「So she keeps it hidden.」
「And back in Estoque, Ain used to imitate me.」
「I see.」

Seeing Lady Cielmer discuss this so cheerfully, I’m certain that she has never been on the receiving end of Lady Ainsel’s cold tone.
That ever occurring is honestly unimaginable.
At the same time, considering why Lady Ainsel might have mimicked Lady Cielmer back then, it may not be wise to adopt Lady Ainsel’s mannerisms.
However, I then recalled that our goal is not to develop a way of speaking for Ciel but for their shared alter ego, “Lady Ailneige.”

「Incidentally, have you two settled on your hunter rank?」
「We’ve agreed on E-rank. Initially, we considered D or C, but those might just make us stand out.」
「If your goal is to blend in, then E-rank would be certainly be the limit. After all, fifteen is still commonly considered the youngest age for a C-rank promotion.」

In reality, the ladies achieved A-rank status at the age of 12, though they are considered exceptions to the general standard.
Typically, only exceptionally gifted individuals attain D-rank by the age of 15.
While E-rank is still notable for a 12-year-old, it’s not unheard of, making it a realistic achievement for a child aiming to enter the academy.

「Are there really that few C-rank hunters?」
「In the academy, you’ll likely find quite a few who have achieved C-rank in their specialized fields.」
「I see. Now that I think about it, my rank is mostly thanks to Ain.
I’m more capable on my own now, but I still completely rely on Ain for safety. I can even sleep safely in a forest at night, you know?」
「Lady Ainsel is certainly impressive.」
「That’s right! Ain is really amazing, you know!」

As Lady Cielmer began to cheerfully talk about Lady Ainsel, she appeared to have forgotten about the matter of mimicking. Nonetheless, her enthusiasm was so adorable that I found myself simply listening to her until she finished.

And that ends our this interlude! Adorable Ciel being adorable about Ain as she does.

While there was no Ain presence in this half, I can absolutely imagine her just feeling embarrassed about Ciel mimicking “bad mood Ain”. It’s adorable. Wanted to see it though. Also, it’s nice to see the subtle nod of Ciel having gaps in knowledge with her taking some time (and Ain’s explanation) to understand what Saueluna meant. While we do see it from time to time, it’s the first time we saw it from Saueluna’s perspective in particular.

Now then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to comment. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a nice day~!