"Hmm, this really looks quite impressive!"
At dinner time, Nero, Hathaway, and Genzo walked into the dining room together.
"Thank you, Miss Hathaway, for all your hard work these past few days." Genzo saw the dining room and bowed slightly to Hathaway in thanks.
Hathaway nodded, accepting the bow, then began to survey the dining room.
The interior style had completely changed; it was no longer the old-fashioned Japanese style.
Red carpets and crystal chandeliers, with various valuable paintings hanging on the walls—all of these had been moved from the golden rose.
The tables were several pushed together, completely covered by a long tablecloth. Hathaway touched it with her hand; it wasn't just a tablecloth, there seemed to be a layer of smooth stone underneath.
Although Nero's dinner still felt a bit rushed, the effort put into it was evident.
Nero took the main seat without hesitation, and Hathaway and Genzo also sat down afterward. These extravagant, luxurious chairs had also been moved from the ship.
Kuina and Zoro's eyes twitched involuntarily when they saw Hathaway take her seat.'So you're sitting here to give scores?'
"Hmm, then let's begin!"
At Nero's command, Kuina and Zoro both began to get busy.
First, they bowed deeply to the three people present, then Zoro quickly went outside to prepare tonight's food.
Kuina remained inside, ready to handle any sudden situations that might arise, and to report tonight's menu.
"Your Great Majesty Nero! Your maid, Kuina, will now report on tonight's dinner."
Nero did not reply, only smiled and nodded. Under normal circumstances, royalty was not allowed to say 'thank you' to servants; it was considered superfluous politeness. A smile and a nod already signified approval.
Kuina had naturally learned this during this period, and only after Nero nodded did she continue.
"First, tonight's main course is Sea Kings steak personally hunted by His Majesty Nero today, served with two sauce options: sweet and spicy..."
Kuina spoke fluently until a gentle double knock on the door stopped her introduction.
"The food is ready. Does Your Majesty wish for it to be served now?"
Beside Nero, Kuina leaned forward, indicating her attentive listening.
"Hmm, serve it directly! And for drinks, I'd like to drink champagne."
"Yes, please wait a moment, it will be prepared for you." Facing Nero's sudden request, Kuina's expression remained unchanged, and she calmly agreed.
Nero picked up the bell on the table and shook it twice, and Zoro pushed a dining cart in.
"Ah ~ that Zoro and Kuina actually have this day! I thought they would always be like two country bumpkins. It's truly thanks to His Majesty Nero that they've come this far!"
Genzo wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes and thanked Nero again.
"Mwahahaha, it's nothing! After all, the fact that they could force Hathaway to change her teaching methods is quite impressive in a way."
"You're making fun of me, hahaha..."
The two joked as if no one else was present, causing Zoro and Kuina's faces, who were serving the meal, to instantly darken.
Before they could frown, they met Hathaway's icy gaze, and the small notebook in her hand was like the Judge of the Underworld's ledger of life and death.
"..." x2
They resumed smiling, and their hands, serving the food, became even steadier.
Nero enjoyed the meal quite a bit; mainly, the expressions of the two youngsters were truly appetizing.
Recalling those twisted expressions, the dessert in her hand tasted even better.
Meanwhile, tonight's protagonists, Zoro and Kuina, sat nervously in the partitioned room, awaiting Hathaway's scores.
They genuinely didn't want to learn this etiquette anymore. Hathaway's teaching was like a ruler; every word, every action, every step, every rest had clear requirements.
If this continued, let alone learning swordsmanship, they weren't even sure if they could keep going.
"Knock knock!"
The bedroom door was knocked. The two instantly straightened their posture, cleared their throats: "Come in!"
Hathaway pushed the door open, walked in with her small notebook, adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses she'd gotten from who-knows-where, and got straight to the point.
"Well then, you two, I shall now announce your assessment scores for tonight."
"Gulp ~" x2
"First, regarding the beverage preparation, you two were so careless as to only prepare red wine and juice."
'As expected? This was a big oversight!' Kuina lamented inwardly.
"Secondly, the dining room's arrangement tonight—you completely replicated the golden rose's dining room, didn't you? The incongruous changes you added were obvious at a glance!"
'It's over!' Zoro, the self-proclaimed clever one, lowered his head even further.
Tonight's assessment seemed to be fraught with peril. This thought simultaneously arose in both Kuina and Zoro's minds.
Then, the situation took a turn as they heard Hathaway continue: "As for the requirements of a server, you two are undoubtedly still lacking a lot, but merely in terms of etiquette and upbringing, congratulations, you two have reached the passing mark."
"Which means...?"
The two looked up, surprised and full of expectation, at Hathaway.
"That's right, congratulations on passing the assessment. Tomorrow morning, His Majesty Nero will formally instruct you two at the dojo." Hathaway nodded, confirming their guess.
"Hooray!" Zoro raised his arms in a triumphant gesture.
Kuina also clenched her fist tightly, expressing her inner excitement.
"Ahem." Hathaway cleared her throat twice, and the two instantly returned to their proper sitting posture.
She looked at them with a hint of helplessness. It was no exaggeration to say that these two were the worst class Hathaway had ever taught, a world apart from little Robin.
"Then, please continue to be cautious in your words and actions. Facing His Majesty Nero's instruction is just the beginning, and I will be watching you two constantly."
Hathaway's eyes narrowed, an icy glint flashing in her aquamarine eyes: "If I find that you dare to show any disrespect towards His Majesty again, as you did before..."
Goosebumps covered their bodies. The two quickly shook their heads, indicating they absolutely would not. This maid was truly terrifying when she occasionally became impolite!
She was definitely more than just a maid!
This was a consensus Zoro and Kuina had reached long ago: Hathaway must have had blood on her hands, more than once.
Hathaway nodded in satisfaction at their reaction: "Then I won't disturb your rest. Please pay attention to your schedule so you aren't late for tomorrow's training."
After saying that, Hathaway pushed open the door and left. It was also time for Nero to sleep, and she couldn't be delayed.
Inside the room, Zoro and Kuina collapsed after Hathaway left, looking at each other's comical appearances and smiling.
"Clap!"
Their two small hands met, making a crisp sound in the air.
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