Chapter 27
Time moved quickly. I had barely managed to calm Anais down and catch my breath when, before I knew it, I was standing in front of a mirror, letting Maya fuss over my appearance.
“…Maya, do I really need to be dressed up this much?”
“Of course!! Miss, do you have any idea how many young ladies will be there?! It’s a tea party hosted by the Luciella marquisate’s young lady!”
If a count’s daughter like me were to appear at such a gathering—what a sight it would be. I could already imagine it. I’d become the perfect piece of gossip, with them whispering about the villainess while praising Osborne. Wrapped, of course, in noble vocabulary—layered with metaphors and irony.
Well, it didn’t matter. All I had to do was make her drink the poison.
Two days ago, after barely calming Anais down, I’d been wracking my brain over how to get the poison to Osborne. Following Bowshell’s diagnosis, I mixed a little less than half a teaspoon of it with sugar and turned it into a sugar cube. Since the mineral itself was white, it blended seamlessly with the sugar—no sense of incongruity at all.
A pale pink dress hugged me softly, and an elegant white jewel shimmered at the center of my collarbone. Along the hem of the dress, intricate lace patterns had been laid with such care that one could practically see the artisan’s painstaking handiwork, stitch by stitch.
“I’ll wear that dress… and for the accessories, choose something that matches.”
“Yes~! Ah! This morning, a letter and a gift box arrived from the Arahan family—but I completely forgot to tell you.”
“…From the Arahan family?”
“Yes. It seemed like it was sent directly by the Duke…?”
“…….”
I’d forgotten.
No—more accurately, I’d been deliberately trying to forget.
And yet, here came that wretched Arahan, dragging it all back to the surface. Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Maya excitedly handed me the gift box. Unable to withstand her urging to open it, I finally lifted the lid.
“Oh my, butterfly-shaped earrings? And they’re such a lovely white—like they were made to go with this dress! Truly, as expected of the Duke! His eye for these things is impeccable! Miss, we’ll use these for your accessories.”
“…Fine, fine.”
Giving up on persuading Maya, I opened the letter that had come with the box and read it.
『I apologize for startling you. Please accept this as recompense.』
It was short and concise, but I couldn’t help letting out a small chuckle. It was so very Arahan-like.
If it were me, I’d have been too proud to acknowledge it at all—and if I disliked rumors, I’d have pretended the incident never happened. Yet he remembered, apologized, and even sent a gift.
“The lover of all,” Rath Arahan indeed.
Murmuring quietly, I placed the letter on my vanity. Leaving behind a visibly satisfied Maya, I slipped the pouch containing the sugar cubes into the inside of my sleeve and left the room. My light-colored hair was neatly gathered atop my head—undoubtedly Maya’s handiwork, meant to make the butterfly earrings Arahan had given me stand out all the more.
When I reached the entrance of the estate, preparing to board the carriage, a thought struck me.
…Wait. Why is this carriage here?
“Maya, what’s going on here?”
“…I was wondering the same thing. I had no idea either….”
“Ah, Miss! It’s been a while!”
The sturdy man stepping down from the carriage was unmistakably Ain of the Guardian Knights.
“Ain…?”
“Yes. The commander ordered me to escort you safely to the Luciella marquisate.”
“My grandfather did?”
“Yes.”
“No, wait—how did he even know I was going to the Luciella marquisate in the first place??”
“I told him.”
“……??”
Why is that man showing up here again?!
“Duke Arahan?!”
“It’s been some time, young lady.”
“No… what brings you here?”
“The dress and earrings suit you well. I made a special request to Lord Anais.”
“…What? No, I—”
I had never once told him that I was going to a tea gathering hosted by Osborne. So how did Arahan know—and why had he arranged for a Vincent family carriage?
“I would have liked to escort you in an Arahan family carriage, but… that might make you uncomfortable, wouldn’t it?”
Yes. Very much so.
That’s why I’ll gladly take the Vincent family carriage!!
Of course, I couldn’t say that outright. Smiling politely, as if promising another time, I boarded the carriage.
“Have a safe trip, young lady.”
“…Well, I doubt anything will happen. But how did you know I was attending Lady Luciella’s tea gathering? Don’t tell me you investigated me—?!”
“Haha, nothing of the sort. Didn’t you once accompany a priest alongside Lady Luciella?”
“Ah… yes.”
If a priest had visited my estate with Osborne, it could only have been Arten.
Ah, just thinking about that day makes my heart flutter again. My favorite character—please show your face more often.
“No matter how revered Lady Luciella may be as a saint, bringing a priest from the holy lands into the Empire requires the approval of the Chancellor—that would be me. At the time, Lady Luciella mentioned that she wished to invite you to a tea party as a gesture of apology.”
“Haha, I see. But what does that have to do with the carriage…?”
“You may not realize it, but—the only granddaughter of the Vincent family is quite the target for many.”
“…….”
Yes. I knew that all too well. At the aristocrat faction’s ball, I’d seen it with my own eyes—Elizabeth being openly slandered as a villainess.
Still, I didn’t quite grasp how that connected to this situation.
But the tea party was fast approaching, and I had to hurry to the Luciella marquisate. So, swallowing my curiosity, I boarded the carriage. As it began to move smoothly forward, I waved back at Arahan. Inside, Ain—who had volunteered as my escort for the day—sat across from me, studying me intently.
“Hm…? What is it?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just that this doesn’t seem like the style of dress you usually favor, Miss.”
“I just felt like changing things up.”
“I see.”
“Well—right. And Grandfather? He’s doing well?”
“Yes. Too well, actually. His training sessions keep increasing by the day.”
“Hahaha, how unfortunate for you.”
As we chatted, we soon arrived at the Luciella marquisate. It was larger than the Arlesia estate, but compared to the Vincent family’s residence, it was modest. After all, even among marquisates, there were ranks.
Ah—so that was it. That’s why Arahan had spoken to Anais and arranged for a Vincent family carriage. He didn’t want his granddaughter to be looked down on by marquisate ladies just because she came from a count’s family.
Though honestly, I doubted anyone would dare mock the Vincent family’s granddaughter in the first place.
“Ain, wait here at the entrance.”
“Yes. Please call for me immediately if anything happens.”
“Okay, okay. I will.”
Just as I finished saying goodbye to Ain, I spotted Osborne approaching from the far end, lightly lifting her skirts as she walked. I headed straight toward her.
“Lady Luciella, it’s been a while.”
“Ah… Lady Arlesia, it has. How is your health…?”
Osborne’s careful voice was laced with both concern and guilt—pure, untainted worry and remorse. That was who she was. Too kind. So kind that I felt guilty even carrying poison meant for her.
If there had been even a hint of deceit in her, this would have been easier.
“It’s nothing to worry about. Shall we go?”
“Ah, yes! This way, please.”
As she guided me, Osborne’s hand never trembled. Which meant she wasn’t afraid—and she wasn’t lying. Nor was she trying to hide anything behind a carefully composed expression. After all, there was no reason for her to suspect that the noble young lady she’d met at the aristocrat faction’s ball had been me.
When the tea table set up in the garden came into view, Osborne smiled and gave my hand another gentle squeeze.
This saintly woman—kind to the point of being overwhelming—was simply a beloved saintess. So why did she have to get entangled with a villainess and suffer such hardship?
Shaking my head, I looked toward the young ladies who had already arrived.
Several of them stared at Osborne and me with open mouths, clearly taken aback.
Ignoring their gazes, Osborne led me to the seat beside her, as if it were naturally mine. I sat down.
Well, if I’m right next to her, slipping in a sugar cube will be easy.
“Thank you all so much for accepting my invitation~.”
“Oh, not at all, Lady Luciella.”
“We should be the ones thanking you for inviting us. Hohoho….”
A quick glance told me they were all from marquisate families. Of course. Marquisate people only associated with their own kind.
As one young lady finished greeting Osborne, she turned her head toward me and spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“A count’s daughter attending a gathering meant for marquisate ladies….”
In other words: You’re just a count’s daughter—how did you get invited here? And to Lady Luciella’s tea party of all places?!
If that was the case, I had plenty to say too.
“It seems you’re quite out of practice with tea gatherings,” I replied calmly. “To sit down without even introducing yourselves.”
“Oh my. Your hair is so distinctive that I assumed you were already known,” she said smoothly. “But I suppose not.”
I lifted my teacup, took a sip, and greeted them with a brighter smile than ever before.
“I am Elizabeth Arlesia, daughter of the House of Arlesia.”
They already knew. There was no one who didn’t recognize Elizabeth’s light-colored hair. Bringing up introductions now was merely a way to assert dominance. After all, they were daughters of marquisates—and I was only from a count’s house.
Or perhaps they wanted me to disrupt the gathering, to reinforce my image as a villainess.
I ended my introduction with a brief bow, then took another unhurried sip of my tea.
