Chapter 112
Two weeks ago, Riana had already hosted her first tea party.
Thanks to Laura’s help in drafting the guest list, the invited ladies had been calm, elegant, and kind toward her.
Because of that, she thought she had gotten at least a little—just a very little—sense of what the atmosphere of a tea party was like…
“Lady Jerden, the seating order exists for a reason. Don’t you know that?”
“What about me?”
“I arrived first. So it’s only proper that I sit beside Her Highness.”
“Oh my, but I was the one who reached the chair first.”
“…Still, I arrived here first.”
“Who was it that complained last time about the trend of seating by arrival order, and suggested we stop following it?”
“…Are you really going to be like this?”
“Yes, I really am.”
“Then shall we do it by rank?”
“Heavens. Between the Jerden marquisate and the Teria marquisate, which one is higher? I wouldn’t know.”
“Ugh…!”
Riana clenched her teeth and forced out a polite laugh as the two young ladies glared at each other sweetly. Inside, however, she sighed.
Having run away from the palace before she could even experience high society, Riana found this kind of smiling confrontation incredibly difficult.
If it were a fight with curses flying and fists swinging, she would’ve been a hundred times more comfortable.
But how on earth was she supposed to break up a fight between these delicate noble daughters?
Worse still, the dispute was about the seat right beside her.
Her left side was already taken by a young woman with cat-like blue hair. The empty chair on her right was what sparked this quarrel.
If I’d known this would happen, I should have brought Laura…
Thinking of Laura—who was busy with the Founding Festival preparations—Riana sighed again in silence.
She didn’t want to get involved, but as the hostess, she couldn’t just ignore the fight happening in front of her.
Just as she resolved to step in, however—
“…I’ll let it go this time!”
Catching Riana’s gaze, the Teria marquis’s daughter flinched, raised her voice, and marched toward the empty seat.
Even from her back, one could tell she was sulking.
“….”
What was this now?
Should Riana be relieved that the quarrel ended before she had to interfere, or regret that both ladies’ moods had soured before the party even truly began?
“Ahem. Forgive me, Your Highness. We had a small disagreement and, unfortunately, showed an unseemly side before you.”
…Correction. It seemed only the pink-haired Teria girl was upset.
The Jerden girl wore nothing but a triumphant smile, having gotten exactly what she wanted.
Fortunately, aside from the noisy start, the tea party proceeded smoothly.
…Better than I feared, actually.
The blue-haired girl sitting on Riana’s left was the Duke of Bailey’s daughter, second only to Riana herself in rank at this gathering.
She wasn’t talkative—likely due to her prideful personality—but whenever her eyes turned toward Riana, there was an odd heat in them.
“What do you think, Lady Bailey?”
“…Pardon? Oh, I—I think…”
At first, Riana wondered if something was wrong with her own face, but when she saw Bailey startle just from being asked to share an opinion, she realized it wasn’t that.
It was embarrassing to admit, but she was used to such looks by now.
A gaze filled with admiration. Perhaps even longing.
Laura… you really…
Riana could tell her guest list had been stacked with those favorable to her. It made her smile faintly.
Well, the whole point was to test whether she could host a tea party properly, so she supposed it was fine.
Then one voice broke the hum of conversation.
“Your Highness… if it isn’t too bold of me, could we hear one of your adventures?”
It was the Teria girl, who had been quiet until now except when Riana prompted her.
An adventure story?
While Riana blinked in surprise, the others lit up with excitement.
The Jerden girl even shot Teria a discreet thumbs-up.
So they were fighting earlier, but actually on good terms, huh.
Riana thought idly and glanced around.
All the eyes fixed on her sparkled with anticipation.
“I don’t really have any proper adventure stories…”
“T-Then maybe just one of your experiences?”
When she tried to brush it off with a laugh, Teria nearly begged with desperate eyes.
Honestly. What could they possibly find interesting in this?
She had received the same request at the last tea party, two weeks ago.
…Did word spread about that?
If so, she couldn’t exactly refuse this time.
“All right, but you can’t complain if it’s boring. I’m sensitive—I’ll get hurt, you know.”
“Yes, of course!”
“We’d never!”
At her mock-warning, the young ladies all brightened and nodded eagerly.
They looked so cute that Riana’s lips curved in a gentle smile.
“Hmm, let’s see… It’s probably best to tell you a different story from last time.”
“I don’t mind! Any story would make me happy…”
One lady giggled, earning sharp glares from the others.
Of course, Riana had no intention of repeating herself anyway. She searched her memories.
Something not too gruesome, but still exciting enough to entertain…
“Ah—I’ll tell you about my first naval battle.”
“A naval battle…!”
“It wasn’t a war. We went to hunt a sea serpent—one of the monsters of the ocean. Anyone here afraid of snakes?”
“….”
“No one? Perfect. Then I can go into detail.”
“Yes!”
What followed was a flurry of gasps, groans, and cheers.
With vivid words, Riana recounted her experience.
When her life had been in danger, worried sighs rippled through the table.
And when she drove her blade into the neck of a serpent bigger than a ship, the girls cheered in awe.
Well, where else would these noble daughters ever hear a story like this?
Riana chuckled softly, finding their chatter endearing.
It wasn’t a normal tea party, but it was a perfect one nonetheless—everyone was having fun.
The two scheduled hours flew by.
“Um, Your Highness?”
“Yes?”
“When will your next tea party be?”
The question came from the Earl of Everin’s daughter. Her voice carried a tone of eager hope.
Riana’s expression turned faintly troubled.
The tea parties were originally part of her empress lessons—six in total.
Normally, she would host five guests each time, across six sessions in three months.
But Ianheart had hated the idea of forcing her to do something she had no aptitude for.
I didn’t bring you here for that, he had said.
He had wanted to abolish the practice entirely, until Count Chadwick and the etiquette minister practically begged him to keep it.
The compromise: greatly reducing the process.
I heard the minister moped for weeks afterward.
Thanks to that, instead of six sessions, Riana only had to host two tea parties—with seven guests each.
Meaning, today’s event was her last.
Better this way. Seven people at once, but only twice—far preferable to six long sessions.
Thinking back, she realized she owed Ianheart thanks. Without him, she’d still have four more to go.
“Mm, until the imperial wedding, there won’t be another tea party hosted by me.”
“…What?!”
“The empress lessons have been adjusted.”
“Oh…”
Everin’s daughter looked crushed, and the others clearly shared her disappointment.
It was a little pitiful, but Riana didn’t offer to host more.
She knew herself well enough—tea parties weren’t her forte.
“Still, thank you for coming today.”
“It was our honor, Your Highness!”
“I’m so grateful you invited us!”
Just as she was about to bring the warm gathering to a close—
“…!”
A chill ran down Riana’s spine, raising every hair on her body.
Her body moved before her mind caught up.
“Reteum! Protect the guests!”
At her command, the knights of the Reteum order swiftly formed a shield around the unarmed young ladies.
And then—
KIEEEEEK!
“Ahhh!”
“Wh-What was that?!”
A shriek pierced the air, crawling straight into their skulls.
The startled girls screamed, stumbling in panic.
SCREEEECH… AAAAAH!
Another horrific cry echoed, sharp as a blade.
Riana and the Reteum knights knew that sound well.
But to those who had lived their whole lives in the safety of the capital, it was utterly foreign.
“They’re coming.”
Seeing dots approaching from afar, Riana bit her lip and thrust out her right hand.
Space itself split open, and from within emerged a massive greatsword.
