Rose and Rapier

First encounter with a bi-

I know this sounds ridiculous, but listen!

The graphic, the looks, the design of this world-

It is amazing!

They even played the theme song, A Fighting Chance, which suited the era!

You have to see it on the internet about that song if you want to.

It looks real, as I was walking in the original timeline where the Renaissance's era happened! 

I looked around, feeling amazed with every each detail that this world had.

The buildings around with bricks and symmetrical design to each other, 

the roads that busy with people and horses, doing their things, 

everything looks as same as what I had learned during the history class.

Even the NPC's features looked so real almost as they kidn*pped the people on that era and brought them here!

"What an impolite lady!"

"Her House needs to teach her some manners!"

I looked for the voice, and I found out the NPC, which were designed as a noble lady, with attitude, of course, eyeing on me with their disgust looks. 

What is their problem?

I looked at myself, twirling around, to find if I did anything wrong, but then I heard someone sneered. 

"Wow. A new player without any carriage? Real amateur."

I turned to look for the voice and turned out it was another girl, but her clothes looked more luxury than mine. She has a beautiful, silky black hair, braided while wearing two tunics, with one more vibrant and embellished than the other. Its also had ornamental bands decorated sleeve borders, necklines and the bottom half of her dress. I saw a tattoo, embroidered on the back of her left hand that shaped like a peacock, as she was covering half of her face with a fan. 

A fan that looks like a peacock's tail, with colourful colours.

Her eyes narrowed as she scanned me, from top to bottom. I knew that somehow she was smirking by looking at her eyes that turned like a smile upwards.

"Poor little girl, are you sure that you're from a noble? Is your system has a glitch?"

I did not know whether she is trying to help or to mock. I looked at her and smiled politely. 

I gave a polite courtesy, bowing while holding my long gown so it would not get dirty.

"Pardon my impoliteness, my Grace, but I'd just got into this game. Perhaps, you will be such a lovely lady to give me a reminder for this?"

As I rose from my bowing, I found out that the girl's face frown, as she was lost in something. She held her fan tightly, but her body languages looked like she was ready to do something to me. 

I remain my composure as I did not have any weapon around me, and she must hide her armament somewhere. Plus, I did not want to make an enemy on my first day playing this game.

Also, I maintained my smile, though I am pretty sure she did not like that.

Suddenly, I heard a bell rang nearby. I startled, but I quickly calmed myself down. 

Suddenly, a screen popped up in front of me!

Clara Courteney's Reputation: 20(+20)

What is this?

A new method of levelling?

And then, I realized that in front of the girl too, a screen had popped up.

When she closed her screen, she looked at me, straight into my eyes. I can finally see her face, but it is not a welcoming one.

She clearly looks mad!

She bolted towards me, and she looked ready to attack. I quickly shielded my face, not knowing what might strike me later.

"You-!"

"Ilyana Strauss, stop!"

A voice yelled at that girl, making her stopped. She then glanced around, with her teeth clenched, trying to search for the call. When she finally found that voice, her eyes went wide, and she suddenly behaved like a lady again.

I saw it with my own two eyes on how fast she changed it!

One time she can be a beast, but another time she looked like a refined lady. 

But I was not paying attention to her anymore, since my eyes caught something even more appealing. 

A guy, wearing a shirt, similar to today's dress shirt, lacking the collar and cuffs we are familiar with, instead sometimes utilizing lace collars and cuffs.

Instead of using trousers, he wore hose on his legs. The upper hose was poufy, knee-length trousers were met by the nether hose, or stockings, on the lower leg. 

He looks exactly like what Renaissance's nobleman would wear during that era.

On top of that, he is riding a red, magnificent horse!

"Lord Gerald!"

The girl walked fastly, yet elegantly to the guy's side.

Gerald? 

Sounds familiar...

"This lady was bullying me and threatened me. I'm scared."

The girl then acted as she was the weak one, though she was the one who started all this. 

I started to despise her now.

The guy, on the other hand, was not interested in the girl's act. 

But he was looking at me, arrogantly!

My spine shivered, but as time went by, I started to develop uneasy feelings towards him.

The guy, Lord Gerald, with his horse, started to move toward me. 

"And who are you?"

He spoke to me, arrogantly, as his head did not lower down, as it was looking down to me.

Rude!

I remained my smile, with courtesy, though I did not know why I can endure it this much.

Maybe thanks to my rich's background, I suppose.

"Pardon my rudeness, my name is Clara Courteney. I'm indeed just entering this game, so I didn't know what to do for a start. That's why I asked that fine lady for a hand."

I politely bowed as I spoke to him, though he did not like as he respected me in the first place. He then smirked and looked at me mockingly.

"For a lady to walk alone without any companion, how shame can you be!"

Listen to him suddenly yelled, most of the NPCs around then turned around abruptly and eyed on me.

"Shame on that lady!"

"Has she had no manners in herself?!"

"God, Heaven! Teach this child if you must!"

Suddenly, a screen popped up in front of me, the same like before.

Clara Courteney's Reputation: 9(-11)

My stats!

It drops!

Though I still cannot figure out about this game's system, yet somehow this thing tells me that it is vital.

The guy had the screen popped up in front of her, but the strange thing is, the girl beside her had the screen popped up too!

"Oh, Lord! Thank you for companying me for this walk. I'm sure that all noble lady should know that if they want to have a walk, they have to have a female companion or male companion from the same House."

The girl suddenly spoke up loudly. 

Why is she yelling now?

I looked around, trying to scan whether her action had affected something nearby, and yes, it does.

When I looked at all the NPCs earlier, all of them now were whispering to each other!

Almost like they were gossiping now!

I looked at my stats to figure out if something happened. I clicked to 'Profile' to see if anything changed yet.

Name: Clara Courteney

Role: Noble Lady

House: Zahradne

Reputation: 9

Skills: Persuasion:0 

Traits: Elegance: 0

             Music        :0

           Courtesy : 5

             Dance :0 Etiqutte : 0 

            Animal :0 Knowledge: 0

            Literacy :0 Leadership: 0

Nothing changed yet, though this is my first time seeing this.

Why do I have to learn Persuasion skills?

And why do I have to dance? 

And why do I have to be elegant?

I kept looking if anything had changed in my profile, but suddenly something popped up under the 'Skill'  and 'Traits' section.

Condition:

The Talk of the town

Every action you do now might affect your reputation.

What is this?!

I looked at the 'Condition' section to study about it. Apparently, it as the same as the effect like 'Poison', 'Paralyze' and others. 

I better be careful for now.

Those two looked at me, with their eyes filled with sinister in it, as they were planning something. Though I still did not get the grasp of the system, for now, I know one thing for sure.

I have to act like a lady!

Like a proper lady!

I closed my 'Profile'. 

I raised my head and looked at the Gerald guy and Ilyana.

I did one thing, and their face told me that they did not like it.

I bowed and smiled at them.

"I am sorry for my impoliteness. Thank you for your lovely advice. I will follow it for sure, and you're truly a gentleman."

After speaking it out loud, something happened again!

And this time, it looks pretty impressive!

Clara Courteney's Reputation: 30(+21)

My reputation!

Did it increase?

After that, I remembered my 'Condition'. 

Guess I can use it for my gains.

"Hmph! Let's go!"

Lord Gerald guy said aloud. Illyana looked panicked like she was about to get yell when they returned later. Lord Gerald then glared at Ilyana and extended his hands.

"Hurry up! Get up here!"

Ilyana quickly grabbed his hand and rode the horse with him. They both then left the scene, leaving me alone.

After that, all the NPCs acted like what they had been doing before.

Being an NPC.

I looked at my 'Profile' again, and my 'Condition' went back to null.

What a day!

Though I managed to escape those two, I still could not figure out what to do in this game!

As I tried to scan around, suddenly a green, glorious carriage with a horse bolted toward me, in full speed!

"Ahh!"

I shielded my eyes, as I cannot move around quickly in this gown. 

Yet, I heard the sounds of the horse stopped, as the sounds from the horseshoes were no longer there. I slowly opened my eyes, to find out a guy, an NPC maybe, in front of me.

"My Lady! It is my duty to escort you to our House! Please, walk into our House's carriage, specially designed for you."

I did not know what happened, but I followed his instruction. I carefully stepped on the ladder and entered the carriage. 

Surprisingly, the space inside of the carriage is much larger than its outer appearances! 

It looks as it can fit a hundred people inside of this carriage!

Oh, but then again, totally forgot.

Game.

As I sat on one of the seats there, the carriage began to move. The road was a bit bumpy, but then I managed to get a hold on the ride.

"Careful back there, my lady! We are on an uneven road now!"

The 'driver' yelled from in front.

I took a peek in the window and found out that we were leaving the town, and was in the countryside.

Beautiful.

I have never been away from the city before, so this is my first time seeing something that is not too modern.

And the funny thing is I experienced it in the game!

Finally, the carriage stopped.

The driver then opened the door, gesturing me to get out from the carriage.

"My Lady, we have arrived."

I carefully took the steps down of the ladder, and then I raised my head to look up. My jaw dropped.

The driver then smiled.

"Welcome to the House of Zahradne, my Lady."

This is not a house!

This is a whole castle with a freaking, massive garden around it!

I was too amazed at it until I did not realize that someone was calling me.

"Cl-?"

"Huh?"

I turned around.

And I surprised.

"Claire?"

"Spency?!"