Author's Notes:
I got another chapter up!! *looks at the angered readers* Ah…hehehehehe ^^;;;? Mou… Anyway, since most of you asked so nicely about the training part, I managed to get on with it included ^^ Actually, I had fun doing it especially that I just had my lecture about European literature (you know, with the gowns and balls and everything ^^) so I had the inspiration…
Well….here are the answers to your comments and questions ^^:
Fuu: Hey! You reviewed my other fics too right? Thanks oh so much! Hope you'll like this fic like the past ones ^^
KyteAura: Sorry ^^;;;; I forgot to remind you about the new chapter. But you found it anyway, right? *hides*
Polgara-C: Goths are Germanic people who invaded the…ooops…that was not it. Actually, I cannot fully describe a goth. It could be somebody very weird, wears dark make-up, walks around at night….generally it's anybody dark-looking or has a dark personality. That is the lingo in our place though. I don't know about the other places. ^^ And thanks! I got a high score in my trigonometry exam ^^
Dana Daidouji: Thanks for reading my fic! Actually, yes, I think Eriol will break his promise too, otherwise you'll kill me all ^^;;;; And will she behave like a lady in the party? We'll never know… *sly grin*
Like a falling star: Another new reader! Hmm…bashing Kaho? Good idea! ^^ Nah…I did worse than bashing…I killed her.
Bishounen lovah: I love bishounen too! ^^ And thanks for reading my fic! You're right, Tomoyo has a deep secret and even I do not know what it is…I gotta ask her first…
Saa, thanks to you all, I can continue my fic. Please enjoy Tomoyo's training on manners. ^^
CARESS OF VENUS
By: nikki hiiragizawa
Chapter 5: To be a Lady…
Eriol raised his wineglass towards Tomoyo and gave a challenging smile. "Very well, twelve course?" The young woman across him silently gulped.
"Wha…What am I supposed to do then?"
"Nothing." Tomoyo's eyes fixed themselves on Eriol, wondering. He gave a small laugh. "When you do not know what to do, do what you're companions are doing." He gestured towards the cutlery as soon as Nakuru served them another round of the dinner. "These cutlery are arranged according to the order of their usage." Tomoyo nodded in understanding and he continued his lecture. "For example, in a formal gathering, the appetizer is usually served first. That is why the salad fork," he held up a small two-pronged fork, "is usually placed nearest to the plate on the left side. The soup spoon, on the other side of the plate, is placed nearest to the plate on the right side. You got it?"
"Erm…" Tomoyo brought her fingers to her chin. "You mean all I have to do is used the spoons and forks in the order that they are arranged? I have to use the one nearest to the plate first?"
Eriol nodded in agreement. "Sou, You are doing greatly, Tomoyo-san." He bit his lip as he observed the young woman bow her head and blush faintly. Looking at her like this was making him nervous, if not breathless. Closing his eyes for a moment and chanting 'teach her only' in his mind, he resumed his lecture. "Saa, I think you could do well with this."
Tomoyo stared at the crab salad as if it was poisonous. Whatever this is, she sure has to eat it without chopsticks. Picking up the salad fork, she stabbed mercilessly at the crab sticks.
The young man looked at the pretty woman across him turn into some kind of evil villain prodding the crab sticks with her salad fork. He could almost hear her muttering slight curses as the sticks evaded her fork (A/N: Not actually evading…but…khekhe ^^…). "Maa, Tomoyo-san, I think you need to be a bit gentler…"
"Oh?" The girl looked up from her dish. Immediately as she met Eriol's eyes, she realized that she was doing something wrong. Dropping her fork beside the plate with a clatter, she enthusiastically said, "I'm sorry! I…"
"It's alright, don't worry." Eriol waved her apologies away. "Look here." He was already holding his own salad fork. "Hold the fork the way you would hold a pair of chopsticks." Tomoyo did so. Nodding, Eriol continued. "Now, spear the food gently, you must do it without making a single clink from the glass bowl." He ended his lecture by demonstrating it.
The young woman's brows met as she tried to do what he had done. She gladly smiled as she succeeded in 'spearing' the food. "Look! I have…oops…"
Eriol hid an amused smile as he watched Tomoyo glance down to her dress. Her pink dress was slightly stained with the mayonnaise from the salad as her crab stick dropped to her lap. Almost tearful, she looked up to Eriol.
"Gomen…." She paused as she heard Eriol's laugh, making her blush even more. "Anou…"
The young man strove to stop laughing by covering his mouth but was unable to do so. Discovering that Tomoyo seemed a bit hurt, he coughed and resumed his composure. "Sumimasen. I am very quite taken by you, I must say."
Yokatta! Nakuru slammed a fist in the air. Eriol said at last that he liked Tomoyo! Now the next step is how to make Tomoyo like him and make Eriol forget about Kaho. Silently, she slunk away form the door do prepare the next course.
The purple-eyed girl didn't know what to say. Eriol found her antics funny yet she didn't seem offended at all. Unable to say anything, she just continued trying to fork her way to the food. Just a few more trials and she finished the food. Smiling victoriously to herself, she looked up to Eriol, who was smiling at her.
"Good girl. It seemed you already got the knack."
"Hai."
"Saa, for the soup course. Nakuru…" As the shallow soup bowls with steaming cream of asparagus were served, Tomoyo curiously picked up the spoon nearest to the table. It was smaller, yet deeper that the others. "That's the soup spoon," Eriol remarked. He picked up his spoon and bade Tomoyo to pay attention. "In spooning soup, you dip the spoon gently into the soup. Then you move its side backwards, slowly."
Tomoyo watched the demonstration and eagerly followed. This was easier since Japanese use spoon when eating soba too. The only difference was the way to use it. She raised the spoon to her lips and slurped.
"Anou," Eriol said almost embarrassed. "You cannot slurp the soup. You just have to sip it."
The girl looked at her bowl. "What's the difference?"
"When sipping, you do not make a sound. Unlike here, the West regards slurping to soup as bad manners."
"Oh." Tomoyo repeated it and was successful.
Nakuru smirked as she served the next course. Watching Tomoyo study and practice was interesting, but watching her master struggle with not staring at his student was even more interesting.
Tomoyo sank back to her seat. Dinner was over at last. After two hours of restraining hunger and trying her best to do what Eriol was doing was pretty tiring, but she was happy that she was able to do those things. She smiled happily to herself as she sipped her tea, the last course of the night.
Eriol watched the girl smile to herself through thin-rimmed glasses. Usually, some people would take days to master all those table manners since they were too meticulous and strict. However, this girl, maybe it was her enthusiasm that encouraged her, got them all perfectly with only a few trials. We're going to make a perfect woman for you yet, Eriol thought. We just have to wait some more time. Soon, she will be as graceful and as lady-like as Kaho even, just a little more time to wait.
"Nee, Eriol-san?" Tomoyo started to cradle her chin on her palm but she quickly remembered that elbows are not meant to be placed on the table. Struggling and sitting primly, she looked back to her mentor. "Eriol-san, is that all I have to study about? I mean, what if they…"
"Sou!" Nakuru appeared on the doorway.
"Nakuru-san!" Tomoyo smiled at the servant as she walked towards Eriol's armchair.
Nakuru poked her master on the shoulder. "Eriol-sama, you forgot about the introduction and conversation stuff."
"Ah, you are right." Eriol stood up and walked over to Tomoyo. "Let's go to the sitting room." Tomoyo started to stand up and move the chair away, but she was surprised as Eriol moved the seat for her. "That's what the gentlemen always do," he said with a wink. Bidding the girl to follow him, he proceeded to the living room.
"Isn't Eriol-sama so great?" Nakuru whispered to Tomoyo as they walked behind the young man. Before the night ends, she wanted to make Tomoyo realize how nice, handsome and oh-so-alluring her master once. That way, tomorrow would be so interesting. "He's handsome, he's…"
"Oh yes," Tomoyo said, eyes shining. Nakuru crossed her fingers behind her back. "I mean he's so rich, and he knows so much about the Western life, and he looks smart too."
"Oh you bet he is." Nakuru was unable to continue for Eriol looked back to them.
Eriol opened the door and led Tomoyo inside. "Please wait for me for a bit inside." Closing the door, he left Tomoyo and Nakuru alone once more.
Nakuru continued to prod Tomoyo. "He is everything you are looking for in a man."
"Hmm…maybe," Tomoyo answered. "However, he's too strict. Don't you get tire do him, Nakuru-san? Does he make you do all those stuff too?"
The servant's hopes fell a bit. Tomoyo thinks of her master as someone who is bossy. "Anou…well…"
"Well, good thing I just get to spend a few more days with him. I want to look for a new job soon, or else I can't pay my apartment regularly."
For heaven's sake, Tomoyo! Nakuru wanted to scream. You can stay here! You can go marry Eriol-sama and live happily ever after! She threw another glance at the purple-eyed girl, looking for some hopes of attraction, but all she can see was Tomoyo's eagerness to get her pay. Sighing, she resigned and said she has to clean up the dining room.
Eriol went back and he and Tomoyo were left in the room. "I forgot to mention about how everything works."
"What do you mean?"
The young man sat back on his armchair. "I meant the conversations and the order of events. I should have talked to you about this a bit sooner. Anyway," he moved his chair nearer to Tomoyo's. "First, when we enter the hall, you will see everyone looking at you, so all you have to do is smile at them."
Tomoyo flinched, suddenly nervous. "But why would they be looking at me?"
Eriol sighed. "Silly. Of course they'll be looking at you because you are pretty." Taken aback with what he just said, and scolding himself for saying so forwardly, he continued. "And they do not know you yet, so they'll be observing you."
"Oh." Tomoyo did not believe her ears that Eriol had told her she was pretty, for the second time. Was he just being polite? Shaking the thoughts off, she let Eriol continue the discussion.
"When I introduce you, I'm going to tell them that you are the one who's going to sing for us. I'll talk about the details, all you have to do is bow to them and say how do you do and stuff like that."
Tomoyo was thoughtful. "But, what if they asked about where I came from and things like that?"
Eriol smiled. "We'll discuss that later. The main point here is just to follow what I say. Never leave my sight." When he was sure that Tomoyo understood, he continued. "Then, men will come up to you and introduce themselves, and they'll kiss your hand."
"K…ki…kiss my hand?"
"Hai. Like this." Eriol stood up and walked to her. "How do you do, Miss Daidouji? I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa, a researcher for this museum." Slowly, he took Tomoyo's hand and planted a kiss on it. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, giving Tomoyo a dazzling smile.
The young woman sat speechless. It seemed as if Eriol transformed from a lone, kind but quiet person to a dashing debonair. Blushing furiously, she murmured, "It's nice to meet you, too…Hiiragizawa-san…"
"That's right." Tomoyo gushed back to reality and found Eriol sitting back on the armchair. "You just answer them like that." He smiled once more. "After that, there won't be any problems. When there's a conversation and you do not know what to say, the only safe thing to do is to smile and keep quiet, or nod if you are asked to agree or disagree."
"Ha…hai." Tomoyo stiffly stood up from her chair. "Sore jaa, I must get some sleep now."
Eriol nodded. "Be sure to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we'll study different things again." Tomoyo nodded and went out of the room rather hurriedly.
The young man stared at the fireplace. Surely everyone will like Tomoyo. She's sweet, and innocent-looking and pleasurable to speak with. Maybe no one will notice that she's not one of the rich people.
Maybe they won't notice that you're falling for her, his mind said. Eriol quickly shut out the thought. There was no way he would fall for her. This is primarily for business and business only. Suddenly feeling sick, he went upstairs to take a warm bath before attending to his paperwork.
Nakuru closed the door of Tomoyo's room slowly. Ever since she came in to give Tomoyo her beddings until the time she went out, the girl was just not herself, just staring at her reflection on the mirror. Until now, Nakuru cannot deduce if that behavior was because she liked Eriol or the other way around. Creeping silently, she went away from the door.
Inside, Tomoyo stared at her reflection. What's happening to her? She's feeling very queer. It was something she never felt before, and it was neither a good feeling nor a bad feeling. All she knew was that this feeling always comes whenever Eriol-san is near her. What could it be? And why was she having memories of having done these Western manners before? Did she really know how to do this even before Eriol taught her? Frowning, she decided to take a bath before bed, and think about how she will face Eriol tomorrow with such an impolite retirement a while ago.
Author's Notes:
Sorry this chappie was short ^^;;; I made this while I was making my Humanities paper, so I didn't get to make it detailed. However, I promise to make the next chapter better than this! Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
If you have any questions/comments/ suggestions about this fic and how this would turn up (since I do not know what will be the result of this) you're free to leave them so, and I'll see what I can do. After all, this fic is for my readers and I would love to make this fic the way you all want it ^^
Well, please take it easy on me, I'm already making the next chapter! ^^ Jaa na~
Card Captor Sakura is made by CLAMP This fic only borrowed the characters from the said animé. Please do not sue.
