It had been a month since Jeanette had started learning swordsmanship, and during that time she had managed to do fairly well. Her arms had gained a lot of muscle, and her growth with swordsmanship was very fast. She was not at the level of the experienced knights, but the trainees, who had been working at their swordsmanship for significantly longer than her, she was fairly consistent at beating.

Felix wouldn't yet let her have her own real sword, but she was improving daily.

He would never admit it aloud for fear of Claude's wrath, but Jeanette had not only far surpassed his expectations in skill, but she had stuck with it for longer too. He thought this would be a passing fancy that would last maybe a week, but most days Jeanette was ready to train before he was.

Jeanette wasn't sure when it was that she let go of her old name, but "Jeanette" seemed to fit her well.

Athanasia still hadn't started on magic lessons yet, but Claude was at least looking at teachers. From the books it seemed like it was usually either the tower master or previous emperor who would teach the heir magic. It was possible that this was Claude rejecting Athanasia, but he had never received the magical education of the heir himself, and the tower master hadn't been seen for many years.

Jeanette had neither been given nor offered magic lessons yet either, so it wasn't him trying again to convince Jeanette into being the crown princess.

In truth she did want to learn magic, who didn't, but she knew that Athanasia had to learn first, and more in depth in order to show that she had no desire for the throne. Words were never enough.

"Your imperial highness," A maid Jeanette didn't see much bowed to her as she relaxed in a hot bath to sooth her muscles after training. "You have a guest."

"Who is it?" Jeanette's brown furrowed, she really couldn't think of anyone who would be visiting now, she hadn't invited anyone. Was she wrong for thinking it was rude to turn up uninvited.

"It's your aunt, imperial highness." The maid stayed bowed.

"Oh." Jeanette's face hardened, she knew the woman who had just shown up. She was the one who poisoned Jeanette in the novel in order to frame Athanasia. Athanasia was more of a hurdle to the throne now than she was in the novel, Jeanette didn't want to think of what her aunt would do to her precious sister. "You may leave, please tell sister Athanasia that I will be seeing her after my aunt leaves."

"Of course, your imperial highness." The maid bowed out of the room.

Jeanette sighed, leaning back in the bath. It was odd, she had accepted her new life almost entirely, but she still struggled to hear things like that without them feeling sarcastic. She didn't feel like a princess and she didn't want to be one, but she would forever be addressed as one after she revealed herself to be Claude's daughter. Even if she was kicked out, unlikely given how Claude invited her to a tea party daily, she would still be known as a princess.

 Wishing she didn't have to deal with this aunt, Jeanette heaved herself out of the bath. It had taken her a few days to persuade the maids to leave her alone to dry off, having lost the argument to let her wash herself. She was wearing only the dressing gown as she entered her room.

Jeanette knew better than to fight against it as the maids surrounded her, choosing a dress for her meeting with her aunt, though she usually went around in her training clothes even when not working on her swordsmanship. They were the closest to the clothes she wore in her previous life, though it had taken a few weeks to get a shorter corset for the freedom of movement that could still provide support.

"Isn't it great to see the family you were raised by your imperial highness?" Emily, a maid who only served Jeanette tried to cheer her up while braiding her hair.

"It would be if I was going to talk to Ijekiel." Jeanette sighed, looking at the golden bracelets on her arm, any one would be enough to feed a large family, and yet she had more than she could deal with. All Claude's 'favour'.

"I'm sure your aunt loves you, though. She came all the way here. Her clothes look like she came from far north." Emily pinned the last braid into place as she tried to encourage Jeanette.

"It's not her love for me that I'm worried about. It's her hatred for sister Athanasia." Jeanette shook her head as she stood, ready to face what was sure to be a battle.

She was wearing a lightweight blue dress, the long sleeves see through and barely touching her skin, providing just a little shade from the sun. The hem of the dress was just barely above the floor as she walked, a gold collar and band around her waist that matched the bracelets. It looked as though she was clothed in water.

It was clear that Claude cared more for Jeanette than Athanasia still, as Jeanette was given clothes that suited the hot climate of the imperial palaces, while Athanasia had to wear the same heavy, hot dresses with layers of petticoats or uncomfortable hoops that would fly into the face if sitting down wrong that the rest of the social world wore.

Of course, Jeanette and Claude didn't wear their usual clothes to events, where Jeanette would wear the same style of dresses as Athanasia, though with fabric that was finer and spells that kept her cool, and Claude would wear a suit that looked rather unlike him.

Jeanette couldn't wait for the day that she would be able to wear a knight uniform to such events. How much easier it would be to breathe.

"Aunt." Jeanette greeted from the door.

Emily hadn't exaggerated when she said it was clear that her aunt had come from the far north, she was wearing a dress made from heavy, warm material, a fur rimmed cloak on her shoulders and a fan that could never cool the user down clutched in her gloved hands. She looked like it was snowing outside, and from the colour of her neck and ears she was feeling the heat.

From the novel Jeanette knew that her aunt was always on top of fashion, and wouldn't usually be caught dead in an outfit that so obviously othered her. She must have gone to Mr White's before coming here, as in the novel she had appeared in far more seasonal clothing. Perhaps she was trying to guilt Jeanette for not having invited her after getting accepted as Claude's daughter.

"My dear imperial niece!" Her aunt greeted with arms wide, clearly expecting Jeanette to approach her, but no luck there.