Secret Wardrobe of the Duchess

Chapter 63

Mrs. Shaynie raised her chin high.

“Your Grace, it is written in the Guide for Noble Ladies that disobedient and lazy children should be beaten. There isn’t a better way to educate them.”

She was trying to teach Rubica, and it angered her even more.

“Arka, god of education and wisdom, said, ‘Compliment when teaching children and think at least three times before using a rod.'”

Shaynie was confused as she was teaching manners. However, even if she knew the manners, she hadn’t bothered to learn Arka’s teachings.

“Your Grace, Arka’s teachings have nothing to do with manners.”

“Arka is the god of education. I think you should keep his teachings in your mind as you are a teacher yourself.”

“I did think three times.”

“It doesn’t mean that it is right for you to punish them so severely.”

Rubica spoke firmly and Shaynie gulped hard. She thought Rubica was only a young and innocent girl, but it turned out she wasn’t such an easy prey. However, there wasn’t an enemy she couldn’t defeat using her age and years of experience. Most people shut their mouths when she talked about her experiences.

“Your Grace, you are generous, so you may think I am too harsh on these girls. But according to my years of, no, decades of experience, children get spoiled when given too much freedom. They must be disciplined. I taught your husband, too, and he is perfect when it comes to manners. Your Grace, it is not good for their education to intervene when the teacher is disciplining students.”

Oh, so you want to talk about experiences. Rubica had to resist the urge to beat her lips. She really wanted to ask if it had been Shaynie who taught that sarcastic way of talking Edgar always used. However, she couldn’t dishonor the duke in front of Ann and the other relatives.

“An old lady I know taught children till the age of seventy, but she said complimenting is much better than using the rod for education.”

And, of course, that old lady was Rubica herself.

Shaynie decided she couldn’t back off now. Who on earth had given Rubica such wrong and useless ideas? Ann? She thought she had to save the poor brainwashed duchess.

“… but that’s just the opinion of one person. Efficient ways of teaching differ from people to people. I wonder who told you such a thing.”

Rubica’s patience started to snap. She stopped glaring at Shaynie and turned to the trembling girls.

“Would you curtsy again?”

“Your Grace?”

“There’s no need to be afraid. Just curtsy to me again.”

The children were confused, but as Rubica spoke kindly to them, they found their courage and curtsied. Although they were following the instructions in the book, there were so many details that had to be fixed. Manners were not things that could be learned by reading books. That’s why a teacher was required.

“Mrs. Shaynie, judging from how they curtsy, it appears your way of teaching can’t be more wrong.”

The girls thought Rubica was saying they were wrong. They cringed and looked down.
Rubica’s fairy even closed her eyes and seemed to be waiting for the severe punishment she was about to be given.

Rubica could understand how Edgar had felt when he looked at her cringe thinking he would hit her in front of the Berner Mansion.

“It’s because they haven’t even memorized the book yet. I was going to make them finish it first and fix their posture later.”