"Granny-granny!! What'chu got for me?!"
"Hehe~, still excited as ever, huh? Well then, your parents told me that you've been struggling with literacy, so I've brought some books."
"Laaaame~!! Come on, I thought it would nice new toy..."
"Calm down, little one. We'll be reading together, alright? It'll be in English as well."
"Eng... lish?"
"I've brought some special books that have both English and Japanese translation packed together. English is the language of the world as they, so I think it'll be fitting for a smart lady like you to know it - as well as just teaching you how to love reading. Your dad was a reading maniac as well, but he seems to have outgrown it since then. Hope you don't lose that love like him."
...
"Why didn't she go with the prince? I'm sure that would've made Gerda more happier..."
"The person she truly cares for Kai. Besides, it would be really unfair for the princess to be denied her chance."
...
"That's so weird, this tale hardly makes any sense! Mice, rabbits, hatters... What even is this?"
"Life can be more absurd than fiction at times. And well, in fiction, even the most bizarre ideas can seem like a comforting reality."
...
"Yawn~, I'm tired granny."
"Still a bit difficult?"
"Uh-huh..."
"Well then, let me carry you to bed. Hup!"
"Hehe~"
"Take this as a reward for a diligent reading. Sweet dreams."
...
...
...
"Math is so hard!!"
"Whining is an undoing for the lady. Please sit up, Yukino."
"Hmph!"
"Honestly, you inherit such stubborness from your mom. She also did not particularly liked math. But she did overcome it, and you wanna be a prime lady like her, no?"
"Nngh..."
"Let's try again: what's nine times four?"
"Hm... Thirty nine?..."
"Wrong. Okay to explain, and pay attention to it: what's nine plus nine?"
"Subtracting one from nine to get a ten, so we get eight and ten... Eighteen?"
"Uh-huh, now do it again."
"... Nine minus two... Twenty... Seven???"
"Indeed. And now do it the final time"
"Nine minus three... Ahh, it was thirty six."
"Notice any patterns?"
"...
...
... Nine decreases by one each time."
"Yes, multiplying by nine is one of the easier tables to remember. There's also this nifty trick I learned from Bianca, another member of "I really hate math" club you have with your mom. Look at my hands, now choose a number."
"... Five???"
"Now look at the remaining fingers."
"Four on left and five on right..."
"Does that remind you of anything?"
"Ahh!! It's forty five!! Then, if I choose seven... It's sixty three, right?!"
"Indeed. Now remember it well, I'll be testing you a day after tomorrow."
"Okie!"
...
"She is such an eager girl, huh?"
"Eager, but so unlady-like. If she wants to be a proper lady, she should have both discipline and manners."
"Is it now? Society changes, and from what I've observed, the society becomes more and more lax. People want to see one's true self now. Makes heartbreaks less painful and trust more firm."
"I don't know. For me it's a sign of societal degradation. People shouldn't be this eager to expose themselves to wrong people. Such odd attitudes only serve as a bad example. If we become this negligent, then the overall quality of life will be in ruins."
"I suppose I see your point. Japan is pretty famous for its gentle, yet distant hospitality. Though I do find myself wondering if being honest with one's feelings would alleviate some of that pressure on the soul."
"Are people in Europe are always like that?"
"We're more honest, yes - but we keep our honesty to ourselves. Just like you, no one would want to rock the fragile boat - and it's typically broken as an utter last resort. Come to think of it, despite the apparent openness, honesty is punished more than ever in those trying times. People in power... They hate criticism, don't they?"
"Yeah..."
"Want to have seconds?"
"Yes, thank you Bianca-dono."
"Don't flatter me, Akagi."