Chapter 92 - 110 CRAZY!
After practicing the walk of confidence several times, Reina invited the other instructors to teach Ashley additional skills to reinforce that confidence. Not only did they focus on how to hold a wine glass, take proper sips, stand, and maintain composure, but they also slipped in unpleasant conversations in between.
It was what made them the best in their field, and why they were respected—not just because they trained under Reina.
Rather, it was because they deeply understood the elite social stage.
The elites might drape themselves in gold and luxury from head to toe—even down to their perfumes—but they also had sharp tongues. Hence, the instructors were preparing Ashley for the possibility of encountering people who could twist words and catch her off guard.
The lesson lasted the entire day, but the instructors were pleased with Ashley’s progress.
As for Ashley, after the endless lessons and enduring the instructors’ "mockery," she slumped into her seat in the dining room for dinner. Lucian and Primo were already there, quietly looking at each other before glancing at her.
She sighed heavily, enough to make both father and son raise their brows. Even Nolan and Betty, who stood on the sidelines, looked a little worried. They were ready to step in the moment Ashley said anything that hinted she needed help.
I guess this is the pain of going back in time alone, she thought, cupping her cheek as she ate. I would never know other people’s perspectives.
Like how she would probably never understand how she had passed these lessons back then, when there was still so much to learn. But one thing was clear—her instructors had accepted Lucian’s invitation to help her, not to punish her.
As Ashley snapped out of her thoughts, her brows rose.
Primo and Lucian were staring at her intently. When she turned her head, she saw Nolan, Betty, and even some of the maids watching her with a mix of worry and genuine curiosity.
"Madam..." Betty finally spoke in a small voice. "Are you... okay?"
"Oh." Ashley tilted her head, a little confused by the scene.
She paused for a moment, a smile creeping onto her face as she took in the concern that even Lucian and Primo couldn’t hide. Her cheeks turned pink as her expression softened.
In that moment of clarity, a realization struck her.
No one had ever watched her so closely out of concern for her well-being—not even when she was perfectly fine and merely lost in thought about her previous life.
It almost felt like she belonged... like she had found her people... when these people had been around her all along.
How ironic.
"Eat up, both of you!" she said to Lucian and Primo. "Finish your meal quickly. I need your help after this."
Like father and son, they simply nodded and picked up their cutlery, eating faster without question. Meanwhile, Ashley turned to Nolan, Betty, and the other maids, who had gradually begun to warm up to her.
"Also, you guys—have you eaten?" she asked. They all nodded. "Good! I need your help with something too, okay? Just give me an extra hour tonight."
She smiled brightly until her eyes squinted. Unlike her usual mischievous grin, this one was simply... endearing.
*****
After dinner, everyone gathered in the mansion’s lobby. Lucian and Primo sat on the long couch, while the others stood behind it, each holding a board.
They all stilled, watching Ashley walk before them with a book balanced on her head, demonstrating the "social skills" she had learned. Once she finished, she turned to them proudly.
"What do you guys think?" she asked, hands on her hips. "Be honest! If you’re not honest... then you’re not helping me!"
The first thing she saw was Primo nodding in approval, clearly pleased with her improvement. Meanwhile, the other maids glanced nervously at Nolan, then at Lucian.
"Be honest," Betty echoed with a smile as she wrote her score. Before revealing it, she turned kindly to the others. "Don’t worry. Even if you give her a zero, you won’t get in trouble... as long as it’s your honest opinion."
Betty’s smile widened as she glanced at Nolan. "Am I right, Head Butler?"
"Yes," Nolan chuckled, having already written his score. He gave the maids a reassuring look. "Be honest."
The maids exchanged glances before quietly writing their honest evaluations. Having been trained to serve not only the household but also Lucian’s high-profile guests, they had seen enough elites to recognize how graceful Ashley truly was.
Then, one by one, everyone revealed their scores.
Most gave her either an [8] or a [9]. The [8] came from Primo—ironically, the strictest among them. Ashley felt pleased, but her smile cracked the moment Lucian raised his board.
Her face twitched as she stared at it. "What the heck?"
Curious, Nolan stepped closer to take a look.
[100]
And Lucian held it up with unmistakable pride.
"Master..." Nolan let out a defeated chuckle, while the maids and Betty—who also peeked—pressed their lips together. "The scoring is from one to ten."
But Lucian didn’t budge.
"Forget it!" Ashley waved dismissively. "Let’s move on."
And so, she demonstrated another skill as if performing a magic trick. Immediately, everyone flipped their boards again... and Lucian still writing [100] every single time without fail.
It made her pause...
"Lu! Are you just too lazy to write a proper score!? How can you give me a hundred every time!? Change it!" she harrumphed, making him actually consider it.
"Alright," he said. He calmly erased his score, wrote something again, and showed it without hesitation.
[110]
Ashley dramatically harrumphed, trying to force him to "be honest," but the man refused to budge.
From the corner, Reina leaned against the wall, arms folded beneath her chest. The corners of her lips curled upward as she watched the chaotic scene unfold inside Dominion.
"Who would have thought," she whispered, her eyes softening, "that Dominion isn’t as frightening as I remember it."
Her gaze shifted to Lucian, who had turned his face away while Ashley practically shook him in protest, yelling, "You’re 110 CRAZY!"
It made Reina chuckle softly.
"And that I would see him be human... instead of the monster his path is meant to make him."