48.
“E-Excuse me…!”
Unable to endure the attention any longer, Lady Huizette’s face went pale as she fled the garden. The two young ladies beside her also glanced around nervously before following her out.
Once the three of them had left, all the remaining ladies in the garden had their gazes fixed on me. Oh dear, did I stand out too much from the start? But I couldn’t just overlook how they were treating Angelica.
If I hadn’t stepped in, they would’ve picked on her throughout the whole tea party. It was better to cut it off early. I ended up drawing more attention than expected, but I’d come prepared for that anyway.
Ignoring the stares as best I could and standing composedly, Alexandra approached me with a bright smile.
“You were amazing, Tiana. It felt so refreshing to watch. I was annoyed with them constantly spoiling the mood, so thanks to you, they probably won’t cause any more trouble for a while.”
“I’m sorry I acted without thinking, Alexandra. I just couldn’t sit by and watch.”
“There’s no need to apologize. You said what I wanted to say. Honestly, it’s better that you spoke up instead of me. Those ladies are from pro-Emperor families… If I’d said something, there would’ve been backlash.”
“Ah, I see.”
Given her position aligned with the Emperor’s faction, criticizing young ladies from the same side would surely stir gossip.
“I did speak out a little carelessly, though. Will it be alright?”
“They’re the ones at fault for picking a fight and bringing up political matters at a gathering meant for everyone to enjoy. I understand where they’re coming from, but it’s still irritating.”
“It really is.”
Seeing her click her tongue in frustration over the ruined atmosphere made me feel sorry. In the original story, Alexandra was known for her distaste for factional conflicts and was famous for getting along with everyone regardless of their affiliations.
She likely invited people to this tea party regardless of factions, so those ladies ruining it must’ve really frustrated her. Even if high society is a political battlefield, I wish people would at least pick the right time and place.
“I should ask them to bring out some fresh tea.”
Looking around to refresh the mood, she called for nearby attendants. At her command, the attendants quickly began preparing to bring out new tea.
“Um, Your Grace the Grand Duchess…”
As I watched the attendants move about, I heard Angelica’s voice beside me. Turning toward her in curiosity, I saw her clasp her hands modestly and bow deeply to me.
“Thank you for helping me.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s not something you need to thank me for.”
“No… If you hadn’t stepped in, I probably wouldn’t have been able to say a word. I might’ve left just like those ladies.”
“You’ve been recognized by Her Highness the Princess as someone who deserves to be here. I don’t know exactly what hardships you’re going through, but don’t shrink back—hold your head high. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“…Yes. Thank you so much.”
When I saw the faint smile that finally appeared on her lips, I smiled back. Her expression had relaxed a bit compared to before, which was a relief. As the darkness faded from her face, color returned to her cheeks, and her clear sky-blue eyes sparkled.
The golden hair shining in the sunlight suited her so well—she really did have that radiance befitting a heroine. While I was admiring her silently, a maid approached carefully.
“Excuse me. Your Grace the Grand Duchess, Lady Angelica of House Verner. May I clean up the broken teacup at your feet? It may be dangerous.”
“Oh, yes. Please be careful.”
“Understood.”
The maid nodded and began sweeping up the shards with a broom. Shortly after, another maid brought a dustpan, into which the shards were carefully collected and taken away. As Angelica kept her eyes fixed on the departing pieces, I gently asked,
“You seem to really like teacups.”
“Huh? Oh, yes… Due to our family’s business, I’ve always liked ceramics since I was young, but teacups are my favorite. That one was actually a product of Lady Huizette’s family, but… the teacup didn’t do anything wrong…”
As she spoke with a gentle expression, her face suddenly changed as if she remembered something, and she turned to Alexandra, bowing quickly with a slightly panicked face.
“I’m so sorry, Your Highness! I should have apologized for the broken teacup earlier!”
“Hmm? Oh, don’t worry. It’s not like you broke it on purpose, right?”
“No… I got angry at what Lady Huizette said and stood up without thinking, which made me knock it over…”
“That’s what I figured. Someone who treats teacups as preciously as you do wouldn’t break one on purpose. It’s fine—it wasn’t even that expensive, and I have plenty of them.”
“Still, I’d like to compensate you for it.”
“There’s no need, really…”
Alexandra looked at me awkwardly, seemingly unsure how to deal with Angelica’s insistence. But what could I do? I wasn’t the one who could decide that. After watching the two of them for a moment, I came up with a good idea.
“Then how about this—when your family’s new product comes out, you can gift that instead?”
“Oh, I like that! I heard the new product from the Verner Trading Company is going to be very good.”
“It would be a much more meaningful gesture than just compensation. What do you think, Lady Verner?”
“…Ah.”
Angelica let out a small exclamation at my suggestion, looked at me for a moment, and then nodded.
“…Yes. The new item we’re releasing is a really fine product. I’ll make sure to deliver it as soon as it’s out.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“If it’s alright, I’d like to give one to you as well, Your Grace. Would you accept it?”
“To me too? I can just buy one when it comes out.”
“But I really want to gift it to you.”
“Hmm… Alright then. Thank you. I’ll look forward to it.”
“Yes!”
Her bright smile, so different from before, nearly made my heart leap out of my chest. Our heroine is truly beautiful. And with the way she now looked at me with such fondness, I felt satisfied—I’d created a great opportunity to grow closer to her.
***
While drinking the freshly brewed tea, I resumed the conversation with Baroness Garnet, which had been interrupted earlier. She had a lively and charming personality, and it seemed she had been impressed by my earlier actions—she kept praising me throughout our talk.
She seemed like a very decent person, both in temperament and expression. When I subtly brought up Junior Baron Evit, she quietly confided that Alexandra had already mentioned it to her and offered to help make a connection.
“He said he’s been thinking about expanding his business lately. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled if Your Grace lends a hand!”
“That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
“Absolutely! Leave it to me!”
Thanks to her friendliness, I was able to wrap up our chat in a cheerful atmosphere.
After some time passed and the mood had relaxed, I stepped out of the garden and into the corridor for a brief break. My mouth was sore from talking for so long, and I leaned against the wall, relaxing my face. Smiling and chatting nonstop really is exhausting.
Thinking I’d rest a little before going back, I sat down on a long sofa nearby. Loosening my tense posture, I leaned back and blankly stared at the ceiling—when I suddenly heard a familiar cry from a distance.
“Meow~”
“Huh? Rose?”
Rose emerged from the bushes at the far end of the corridor, spotted me, and ran over while meowing. I grinned at the sight of her after so long and picked her up when she reached my feet.
“Rose. Have you been doing well?”
“Meow~”
“You’re still as cute as ever. Were you wandering around by yourself? You’ve got leaves all over you.”
“Meow!”
She was covered in little pieces of leaves, probably from wherever she’d been roaming. I gently brushed them off. She must’ve liked the attention, because she rubbed up against me on my lap affectionately. What am I supposed to do with this adorable creature?
I couldn’t hide the softened smile on my face as I petted her soft fur, overcome with happiness. If only she weren’t Rayel’s cat—I’d have adopted her myself. He’s the male lead, but I’m still jealous. He has such a cute cat… and I don’t.
Lucious also likes cats, so maybe we could raise one too, but for now, I still wanted to enjoy our newlywed life. Maybe later, when things calm down.
“Meow~”
“Hm? What’s wrong, Rose?”
Rose suddenly perked up her ears and jumped down from my lap. She tilted her head toward the bushes, then ran to me and tugged at the hem of my dress.
“Meow! Meow!”
“What is it? Rose? Is something over there?”
“Meow!”
“Alright, alright. Let’s go.”
I didn’t hear anything, but it seemed Rose had picked up on something. She tugged insistently on my dress toward the bushes, as if we had to go there. With no choice, I got up and followed her.
Rose led the way through the bushes, and we soon came upon a narrow path. Surprised to find such a path hidden in the greenery, I carefully followed her. It looked like the kind of place you could easily get lost in, but Rose moved confidently as if she knew exactly where to go.
“Meow~”
“Hm? Are we here? Is this it?”
We arrived at a small clearing, and Rose meowed as she looked at me. Looking around, I saw it was a small secluded garden, even smaller than the princess’s garden earlier. More like a courtyard than a garden.
While I scanned the area, Rose rubbed against my leg. I asked her,
“Rose, what exactly is here?”
“Meow~”
“Over there? Wait, hold on…”
Once again, she tugged on my dress, and I had no choice but to let her lead me. She was pulling with surprising strength and insistence—as if there was something I had to see. What could it be?
Unable to resist, I let her pull me forward, and beyond a small patch of bushes, I saw another courtyard—slightly larger than the one before. And standing there… was Angelica.
“Why is Angelica here…?”
“Meow!”
“Wait—hold on…!”
