Chapter 6
The current head of the Hatsbellua Ducal House was Luman.
If his daughter were to marry the Second Prince, Demian, then the power of the ducal house would naturally flow toward Demian. To prevent that, Partsrary allowed the fiancée to be changed to Meril.
Of course, during the ten years of their engagement, Meia had faithfully supported him from his side.
Social skills, diplomacy, foreign languages. She was talented in all kinds of instruments, horseback riding, politics, military theory, and even had magical talent—a genius among geniuses.
“But still……”
“Don’t say anything more! Mother also said that if I want to gain the power of Duke Hatsbellua, I just need to get engaged to that lady named Meril.”
Andy let out a long sigh. As if he had nothing more to say, he closed his mouth.
“Andy, it’s just that my fiancée is changing. Nothing else will change anyway.”
“I understand. But at least meeting Lady Meia in person and telling her about the broken engagement……”
“Can’t you see the work piled up in front of me right now? If it’s her, she’ll understand.”
Up until this moment, Partsrary had not expected it.
That Meril, who would become his fiancée, was unbelievably lacking in sense.
And that he would soon realize this fact and fall into despair.
Moreover, becoming a laughingstock among the nobles was also something he had not anticipated.
Naturally, his position as Crown Prince shaking along with it was an added bonus.
I opened my eyes, sat in front of the vanity, and looked at myself in the mirror.
I saw my silver hair neatly tied up. In the mirror, the eyes of the servants around me were filled with pity.
The breaking of the engagement had been decided.
There wasn’t even a single letter from Partsrary or the Empress.
“My Lady……”
Yudi bit her lips tightly, filled with anger and resentment.
“Don’t cry. It was a political marriage anyway. The moment my parents passed away, it’s not like I didn’t expect situations like this.”
“But this is too much. Why does our lady have to step down?! Sob, sob.”
Meia slightly turned her body and held Yudi’s hand. Yudi tightly grasped her hand as well, venting her sorrow.
“Our lady has suffered so much since she was young…… I saw it all from the side…… Sob…… sob……”
“I don’t resent anyone. If I start resenting, there will be no end to it.”
The maids standing behind Meia knelt down, bowing their heads as they sobbed.
“This can’t be right.”
“This is too much.”
Comforting the crying servants, Meia spoke.
“Everyone, stop crying and prepare for the tea party.”
“Yes.”
The maids wiped away their tears and began to move according to Meia’s words.
“Dress me more elegantly and gracefully than usual today.”
The concept of today’s tea party was ‘gratitude.’ The flowers would be arranged mainly with carnations, along with ragnas and saffron.
It would be the last tea party before she left for the Magic Tower.
So that it would be talked about for a long time among the young ladies attending, it was prepared beautifully and meaningfully.
In many ways, it would be deeply significant.
‘Thinking of my parents.’
Knock, knock.
“My Lady, Lady Olivia, daughter of Marquis Perzen, has arrived.”
“Bring her in. And everyone, you may leave.”
“Yes.”
An hour before the tea party, Meia had invited Olivia to her room in advance.
Among her mother’s teachings, there was an advanced lesson in ‘making allies.’
That was, ‘turning enemies into allies.’
<Mei, the difference between an enemy who hates you and an ally is as thin as a sheet of paper. But there is nothing more reassuring than someone who was once your enemy becoming your ally, and nothing more frightening than an ally turning their back on you.>
Closing her eyes, Meia recalled her mother’s teachings.
Hearing the knock, Meia opened her eyes and moved to the sofa. Then she furrowed her brows deeply and placed a hand on her forehead, as if she had a headache.
The door opened, and Olivia entered.
Seeing Meia holding her forehead, Olivia was startled, thinking she looked unwell, and quickly walked over to the sofa.
“Lady Meia, oh my!”
Seeing Meia’s strained expression, her brows tightly furrowed, Olivia felt her heart drop.
The gentle smile and composure Meia always had were nowhere to be seen. It was the first time she had seen Meia look ill.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah…… I’m fine. I’ve shown you an unsightly 모습, Lady Olivia.”
Meia shook her head with an awkward, stiff smile.
“Please sit, Lady Olivia.”
Olivia carefully examined Meia’s face. The corners of her eyes were slightly red.
There were even traces of tears. Something had definitely happened.
“Did something happen? This isn’t like you, Lady Meia. And why did you call me so early?”
“I just cried because I thought of my parents.”
“Ah.”
“This tea party might be the last one at the ducal residence.”
“The last? What do you mean?”
With a lonely expression, Meia spoke calmly.
“At your tea party, I told you I would take responsibility for the rumors, didn’t I?”
“Yes.”
“The rumors have become true.”
At those words, Olivia, who had been sitting, suddenly stood up.
“Your engagement has been broken?!”
Looking up at Olivia, Meia smiled bitterly.
“Yes, it has been broken.”
For ten years, Meia had supported Partsrary as his fiancée.
“This makes no sense!”
“The reason I called you early today is because now Sister Meril will have to lead high society. I thought it would be good if Lady Olivia could help her a lot…… so I wanted to ask you this.”
At Meia’s words, Olivia felt frustrated. Even in this situation, she was worrying about the social circles of the Karpen Empire!
She had suspected it, but the rumors had become reality.
Meril Hatsbellua had already been spreading the story, but people thought lightly of it, thinking surely a cousin wouldn’t steal the position of a younger sister who had recently lost her parents and hadn’t even had her coming-of-age ceremony yet.
Even if Luman desired to make Meril the Empress, why would the imperial family allow this?
How could ten years be cut off so easily? What on earth had Partsrary been doing?
“I cannot help you, Lady Meia.”
Olivia’s hands trembled.
Meril acted innocent in front of others, but Olivia knew well her true nature of subtly looking down on her as the daughter of a marquis.
Meia spoke again, driving the final nail in.
“I will soon leave the ducal residence.”
“What do you mean?”
Having already lost her parents and now her position as fiancée, hearing that she would leave the ducal residence sounded to Olivia like she was being driven out entirely.
Olivia’s face gradually turned pale.
It wasn’t that she disliked Meia. She had only been deeply jealous because Meia was so outstanding.
It was also true that she had desired the position of Empress. But if the imperial palace could discard someone like Meia so easily after ten years, she no longer wanted it.
No—her feelings were growing cold.
She knew how much Meia had studied and worked to become the flower of high society. She did not want someone she acknowledged to disappear like this.
Meia stood up, held Olivia’s hand, and looked her in the eyes.
“Before I leave, there’s something I really wanted to tell you, Lady Olivia.”
“What is it?”
“I want to become friends with you.”
With a shy smile, Meia continued.
“Shall we become real friends? Before I leave, let’s go look at dresses together and watch plays.”
“Why would you want to be friends with me……? I’ve been annoyed with you…… and jealous……”
“The more you did that, the more honest I became with myself. And I thought—I want to put down my tiring studies and drink tea with you, look at dresses, and have fun.”
At Meia’s words, Olivia’s eyes wavered.
“I want to do that with you before I leave.”
Olivia’s face turned red as she nodded.
“What do you mean by leaving the ducal residence? You’re not being kicked out, right? You aren’t, right? You must not be.”
Shaking her head, Meia replied.
“If a priest has no place in the temple, then leaving is the right thing to do.”
“This can’t be……”
“Before leaving, I wanted to meet you and say this. The position of Crown Princess was burdensome for me. But I didn’t want to disappoint my parents.”
“Lady Meia……”
“Since we’re friends now, let’s use nicknames. My nickname is Mei. What about you, Lady Olivia?”
“Via.”
“That’s a pretty nickname, Via.”
Seeing Meia smile sincerely, Olivia felt her chest ache.
She had expected Meia to look distressed after the broken engagement, but instead, she looked relieved.
“Now, even if I become Empress, there are no parents left who would be happy for me. So I actually feel relieved now.”
Though Meia spoke calmly, Olivia’s feelings grew more complicated.
“The tea party will start soon. I’ll reduce the swelling around my eyes and prepare, so could you go ahead to the venue first, Via?”
Olivia nodded.
Meia’s pale, slender hand rang the bell, and hearing it, the maid Kira entered.
“Please guide her to the tea party venue.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
As Olivia walked toward the venue, she spoke to Kira.
Kira recognized that this young lady was Olivia Perzen, the one Meia always praised, and told her how Meia usually spoke about her.
“She said the red dress suits you so well that she was momentarily captivated. And that your tea parties are always tasteful and elegant.”
“I see.”
Olivia had been jealous of Meia, yet Meia had only praised her.
“And she said she wanted to become good friends with you.”
There wasn’t a trace of falsehood on Kira’s face.
Naturally so. Meia never spoke ill of others. She had thoroughly learned how frightening words could be as they passed from person to person.
“……I feel the same.”
Olivia had envied and disliked Meia, but at the same time acknowledged that no one was more suited to be Empress than her. Thinking that such a person would leave made her chest feel tight.
If Meia disappeared, among the young ladies who all claimed they would become the flower of high society, was there anyone who could lead with as much charisma as Meril Hatsbellua?
Absolutely not.
‘Soon, high society will be swept into a storm.’
Looking in the opposite direction of the blowing wind, Olivia let out a deep sigh.
And at the same time, she accepted that she had truly become friends with Meia.
