After skimming through the newspaper to catch up on the latest updates about my academy friends, I spent the rest of the morning reading an economics book that Dietmeier had recommended.

These days, I often found myself with a bit of free time each day. Back when I first started my duchess training, every aspect of my behavior and speech had been scrutinized relentlessly. But lately, I had managed to appear somewhat presentable as a noble lady.

Because of this, Mezlen’s etiquette lectures often ended earlier than usual, leaving me with an hour or two of leisure. Lizzy’s stay at …