Chapter 50
“We must’ve arrived too early.”
Mayra said to Anna with an awkward expression. Anna seemed to feel the same way. I tilted my head and asked, “Is it such a big deal to arrive first? Can’t we just take a seat if we’re early?”
“You took etiquette lessons with me, remember? Normally, in situations like this, the host arrives first, and then the guests. It’s considered improper for guests to show up before the host.”
“Really? Then… I guess we did come early?”
“But the instructed time was 2 p.m.”
I checked the time after Anna’s response. It was exactly 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
“Then why isn’t anyone else here? Shouldn’t the host princesses have arrived first?”
“Right…”
Anna answered vaguely, a flicker of unease crossing her face.
“Don’t tell me… they’re ditching us on purpose? Trying to humiliate us by not showing up?”
“…I don’t think so. Look, the attendants are still busy preparing. They probably just gave us the wrong time.”
I spoke firmly with a disinterested face and shrugged. I had already heard from Anna that the princesses didn’t get along well with her. Since they couldn’t change the venue or cancel the event entirely, the only way they could mess with her was this kind of petty trick.
“They gave us the wrong time?”
“Probably. So that they can mock us for arriving early—‘Oh my, you came so early, how eager!’ That kind of thing.”
At my response, both Anna and Mayra’s faces went pale.
“Mock us?”
“That’s so mean…”
Both looked crestfallen, about to cry. Oh, come on. I waved them off casually.
“Don’t let it get to you. If they try to mock you, don’t look sad like now. Keep a straight face.”
“Keep a straight face?”
“Yes. That irritates them the most.”
“….”
Anna and Mayra’s eyes lit up. I stifled a smile. They scold me for being indifferent, yet come running when they need reassurance. Cute.
Well, that just means I need to work harder so they can rely on me.
“And honestly, what’s the big deal about being early? If you’re likely to be harassed, it’s actually better to come early.”
“What? Why?”
“Easier to check things. Maybe there’s a missing chair or something’s off with the seating.”
“…How would you even know?”
“I haven’t experienced it personally, but it’s easy to guess. They might want to befriend us but hate Anna, so rather than exclude us openly, they’ll pick on her subtly and deliberately.”
Their eyes sparkled at my explanation. I gave them a soft smile. Poor kids. They’re still too young to be used to bullying.
But I, on the other hand, was practically an expert.
It wasn’t just nobles who bullied people in petty ways. Poor people were even worse. No time, no resources, and plenty of grudges. In the slums of Otern, the weak were made even weaker, the old were shunned for being old, and the young were dismissed as too inexperienced.
Before I learned to fight, when I was just a girl doing day labor, I went through all kinds of hell. I got slapped by brothel women for not selling my body, was paid with bread filled with sand, got charged for “dirtying” the dirty clothes I was given to wear, and once someone even tried to pay me with counterfeit money.
I finished speaking to the girls and started checking the tables.
Each plate had a name card on it, indicating where each young lady was to sit. Normally, in an imperial tea party, the host princesses would sit at the head of the table, and the rest of the guests would be seated evenly around them as friends and companions.
“…I knew it.”
I clicked my tongue as I found Anna’s name at the very end of the table—clearly the least favorable seat. Mine and Mayra’s names were in fifth and sixth positions. Meanwhile, the opposite head seat from the host’s was left for someone else—an obvious contrast.
“W-what is this?”
Even Mayra, who had been eagerly searching the names with me, gasped. Anna’s face had gone completely pale.
“So childish.”
I immediately took my name card and walked toward the lowest seat. Then I switched my and Mayra’s cards with Anna’s.
“Unnie! What are you doing?!”
Mayra hurried over and whispered in a panic.
“We can’t just change the seats! What if someone gets angry?”
“Anna sitting at the end is clearly wrong. And they placed us so far away from her.”
“Y-yeah, but… what if the princesses scold us for being rude?”
“The princesses? They won’t dare. It’s obvious they were going to pretend they didn’t notice and act like it was a ‘mistake’—all while leaving Anna at the bottom. They don’t want to be seen as bad people, so they’re playing sneaky.”
I could practically see an exclamation mark pop over Mayra’s head. Smart as ever, she immediately understood my point.
“You’re right. Even if we move the names, they won’t be able to force Anna back to the bottom, because her mother—the Fourth Empress—is still alive.”
“Exactly. Brilliant deduction, Mayra.”
“B-but even so, I hate that you’re the one who has to sit at the bottom. They clearly think I should be there instead…”
“We’re here as Anna’s companions. Her satisfaction takes priority. This is the best thing we can do. Let’s just change the arrangement for now.”
“Then… what if we move the girl in seat number 7 to the end, and you join us?”
Anna asked urgently, but I firmly shook my head.
“No, Your Highness. We can’t drag another companion down to the lowest seat just for our convenience.”
“Y-you’re right…”
“Just sit here, please.”
“Okay.”
Anna and Mayra nodded. But I wasn’t done yet. I looked at Mayra with a serious face and reminded her:
“Mayra. Take good care of Her Highness here. We have to protect her, okay?”
“Okay.”
Mayra nodded with all her might. Adorable. I smiled at her briefly before putting on a serious expression again and turned to both girls.
“And from now on, let’s establish some signals.”
“Signals?”
“We’re seated far apart. We can’t yell across the table. So I’ll send signals—watch closely.”
“Signals? Right now? Can we remember them all?”
“Just do your best to memorize them. It’s better than having nothing.”
“….”
I began teaching them the signs. These weren’t made up on the spot—they were hand signals I’d used back in the slums.
And surprisingly, both girls learned them quickly. It only took about ten minutes to teach them ten simple signals.
“Now let’s test it.”
I tucked my hair behind my ear and tapped just beneath my eye.
