The More the Tsundere Lady Tries to Be Honest, the More Chaotic the World Becomes - The Perfect Lady's Secret Resolution—Today, I Will Be Honest, Absolutely, Probably, Surely

"S... s... s..." Edelstein Alicia couldn't find her voice. The girl in the mirror was flushed red all the way to her ears. Morning light flooded the third floor of the Edelstein mansion. White marble walls, a window overlooking gardens where blue roses bloomed, a full-length mirror polished to perfection. Everything was flawless. The furnishings scattered throughout the room were exactly what befitted a perfect lady's chambers. And reflected in that mirror was a seventeen-year-old girl with lustrous golden hair in soft waves. Eyes transparent as blue glass, delicate features, a slender frame in perfect proportion—Edelstein Alicia was, by anyone's measure, a perfect lady. Or so she was supposed to be. "S, s... s, s—" The redness spreading across her face crept slowly toward the tips of her ears. Her hand moved. By the time she realized what was happening, the pillow had struck the full-length mirror directly. *Crash.* The sound of cracks spreading. Alicia froze. Through the fractured glass, her reflection stared back—face crimson, mouth hanging half-open. "...Why?" Her voice was small. "Why can't I even do it in front of a mirror?" She'd only wanted to say one thing. Just one word. The shortest word in the world, and the hardest. *I like you.* Alicia let out a long, deep sigh before the cracked mirror. This was the entirety of her problem. In front of the person she cared for, her body acted in complete opposition to her will. Slaps, harsh words, throwing things—it wasn't a matter of personality. Not a matter of mood. It was a reflex at the physical level, something she couldn't control. That it activated even against a mirror meant she was in serious condition. Outside the window, gas lamps swayed gently in the morning light. The lamps that had recently begun spreading through the capital of Brünnenschstadt still glowed faintly orange in the early dawn, casting long shadows across the cobblestones. Alicia approached the window, pillow still in her arms. *(Today, I'll do it right.)* She pressed her lips together firmly. --- The sound of the carriage wheels on cobblestones was rhythmic, almost lulling. Alicia leaned back against the seat, peering through a gap in the curtains at Brünnenschstadt's streets. The capital, lined with white stone buildings, caught the morning light and gleamed faintly gold. Population: 850,000. A small mountain nation with Central European charm—the heart of the Felsenheim Principality. It wasn't the Grand Duke who moved this country. The Five Pillar Council (Fünfzeulen), composed of five great houses, held the real power. No bill, no budget, no diplomatic matter could be decided without the consent of all five families. And Alicia's own house, Edelstein—held the foremost position, governing diplomacy and social affairs. *(Which means I'm in the position where I must "conduct myself with the most refinement" in this entire country.)* Outside the window, the baker at the roadside swept in front of his shop. One loaf of bread for three copper coins. It was a sight she passed every morning, yet today it caught her eye for some reason. Did that baker manage to say "welcome" properly every morning? Of course he did. *Why am I thinking about this?* Alicia turned her gaze forward again. Twenty minutes by carriage to Klangschtein Academy. Built on a hill north of the Linne River, north of Brünnenschstadt, the academy—true to its name, "the resonating stone"—rang its bells every morning loud enough to echo through the capital. It was the nation's premier educational institution, attended by the children of great houses, including the five major families. *(Today, I'll manage it.)* She took a small, deep breath. --- The carriage stopped before the academy's stone gates. Alicia adjusted her skirts as she descended. A pure white lace-trimmed dress, a blue rose corsage. The outfit was fitting for an Edelstein lady—just finished last week by the tailor "Nadelkunst." Twelve gold coins. It had been expensive. As she approached the gate, it happened. "Miss Edelstein." A male student walking ahead turned and bowed politely. The son of a lower noble, she recognized his face. *(Just say good morning. That's all.)* Alicia reminded herself internally. Smile, speak, and that's it. She opened her mouth. "...What are you looking at?" A low voice emerged. Quiet, with an edge to it. The boy's face went pale. He turned on his heel and ran away, his back trembling. Alicia stood alone before the gate. *(I just wanted to say good morning!!)* She screamed silently. Why does this always happen?! Good morning! Go-od mor-ning! Why won't it come out?! The gas lamps along the path glowed quietly in the morning light. --- Etiquette class was second period in the morning. A spacious classroom with white rose motifs carved into columns that descended from a stone ceiling. Through the windows lay the academy's garden—the rare flowers blooming in the greenhouse garden "Glasgarten." Children of great houses, including the five major families, sat in neat rows, hands folded in their laps, eyes on the blackboard. Professor Steiner wrote on the blackboard in white chalk. *Emotional Restraint Etiquette (Gefühlsordnung).* "Everyone, please read this aloud," said Professor Steiner. The students spoke in unison. Alicia moved her lips while keeping her gaze lowered to her desk. Beneath the table, she quietly clenched her fist. The professor continued matter-of-factly. "Approximately 320 years ago," he said, his voice devoid of emotion, precise and uniform as a clock, "the heads of House Edelstein and House Graoschlturm expressed their personal feelings directly to one another. As a result, the five great houses split into two factions, and a three-year internal conflict—the Gray Three-Year War (Graudreijahrekrieg)—erupted. Approximately 15% of the principality's population was lost." The classroom fell silent. "From this reflection, we learned something. To express emotion directly in public is—a lack of refinement (Würdemangerl). Affection should be conveyed indirectly through flowers, poetry, and music. That is proper etiquette. There are no legal penalties for violations. However—invitations to social gatherings will simply... stop arriving." The professor spoke that last sentence in a slightly lower voice. Alicia gripped her fist beneath the desk even tighter. She felt her nails digging into her palm. *(So my condition is basically world-war level every single day.)* She made a quiet internal comment. Seriously. A girl who throws pillows at mirrors just for saying "I like you" was being told to follow this etiquette? She wanted to follow it—her body just wouldn't cooperate. In fact, it was doing the exact opposite at full speed. The professor's voice continued. The history of Gefühlsordnung, its scope of application, case studies. Every time the internal war caused by her own house was mentioned, the lady in the next seat glanced slightly in Alicia's direction. Alicia pretended not to notice. Outside the window, the flowers in Glasgarten swayed in the breeze. --- The dining hall "Silver Spoon Room (Silberlöffelzaal)" grew crowded at noon. Alicia took a seat by the window—the priority seating reserved for children of the five great houses. Lunch was provided by the academy: cream stew and rye bread today. As she tore apart her bread, she listened to the conversations around her. "The weather is quite lovely today, isn't it?" "Yes, truly." "The surface of the Linne River was shining so beautifully." "My, yes indeed." *(Translation: "I've been thinking of you today." "I know, I have too." "I'll give you a flower at the next ball." "I'll accept it gladly.")* Alicia continued her real-time internal translation while spooning up her stew. In this country, people never stated their feelings directly. Talk of weather was an expression of affection. Talk of rivers meant "I want to see you again." Flowers at balls were proposals in disguise. A system of circumlocution built up over 320 years. Everyone, without exception, never spoke their true feelings aloud. She noticed upper-class students watching from the end of the corridor and naturally straightened her posture. Being the lady of a great house meant her bearing influenced those around her—the professor called it "noble force (Adelskraft)." A spiritual influence proportional to bloodline and education that functioned as dignity when emotions were stable. But when emotions became unstable— "Miss Edelstein." The lady in the next seat smiled gracefully. "Your remarks at the gate earlier were truly impressive. That single low-voiced word had all the lower-class students trembling." "...Thank you." She returned a perfect smile. *(It wasn't impressive, it was an accident!!)* She screamed internally, but her expression never wavered. An Edelstein lady never let her smile crack. That, at least, she could do perfectly. She took a bite of rye bread. It was slightly hard. But she didn't dislike it. --- She returned home in the evening, when the slanting sunlight painted the mansion's garden orange. Alicia went straight to her room. She closed the door and turned the lock. The cracked mirror stood in the fading light. She didn't feel like apologizing to the mirror she'd broken. The problem was with Alicia herself, after all. Today's lesson kept replaying in her mind. To express emotion directly was equivalent to the foolishness of 320 years ago— *(I already knew that.)* She sighed deeply. *(But.)* But what kind of life was it if you couldn't tell the person you cared for that you cared? If expressing emotion was foolishness, then let her be foolish. Whatever those important people from 320 years ago had decided, it had nothing to do with Alicia's heart. *I'm going to be honest.* She stood before the mirror again. In the fractured glass, a determined face looked back. Golden hair caught the evening light and gleamed. Blue eyes stared straight ahead. "S... s... s..." Heat rose in her face. "S, s—" Her hand moved. *Thud.* A second pillow struck the already-cracked mirror. The cracks doubled. Alicia froze. *(The second one flew too.)* Her hand reached for a third pillow, then stopped. She grabbed all the pillows from the bed and placed them on the floor. Out of reach. She looked at the mirror. The cracks were getting out of hand. Her breath gave out and she slid down the wall, collapsing onto the floor without a thought for her dress. She sat there, back against the wall, completely flat. In the fractured mirror, a fractured lady sat reflected—hugging pillows, face crimson, sitting on the floor. Nothing like a perfect lady at all. "...Isn't this getting a bit too difficult?" Her voice came out quieter than expected. She said it to herself, and found she could almost laugh. Whether "almost laugh" was the right description, she wasn't sure, but at least she didn't feel like crying. Outside the window, the gas lamps of Brünnenschstadt began lighting one by one. The sun was setting fast. Autumn was coming. *(Even if the mirror cracks, I can try again tomorrow.)* Alicia slowly got to her feet. Clumsy or not, failing or not. Even if the mirror broke, even if two pillows flew— Her determination was real. --- The next morning. The moment Alicia passed through the stone gates of Klangschtein Academy, it happened. "Good morning, Miss Edelstein." A voice slightly lower in pitch, calm and composed. Something in Alicia's chest began pounding violently. Her breath stopped completely for one beat. Her fingertips went cold. Her feet felt glued to the ground. She turned. Black tailcoat. White gloves. A perfect bow. Standing in the morning light was a face she should have known well. Her childhood companion. The one she'd grown up with since they were small. And now, her personal attendant butler (Wachhediner)— *(Today, I'll say it.)* Alicia steeled

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Episode 1

Name: The More the Tsundere Lady Tries to Be Honest, the More Chaotic the World Becomes
Author: Novelia

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