~Chapter 46~
Amel was warmly welcomed back to the imperial capital, Barvate, by some unexpected visitors.
“Amel~!”
“Mom, Dad?!”
The Count and Countess Winterpool, who were supposed to be at the Winterpool estate, had come to the capital.
Amel barely found a moment to breathe between her parents’ tight hug and asked,
“It’s hard to breathe! Why are you here?”
“Well, since you said you’d be staying alone in the mansion, we decided to come. How could we leave our Amel alone in such a big house?”
“I’m nineteen!”
Amel thought of Gio, the 10-year-old who had become the “master of the house” living alone without parents, and struggled. But her mother, Rosaria, glared at her.
“No. Whether you’re nineteen or ninety-nine, our Amel is still a baby.”
“…”
Amel was lost for words because of her mother’s overprotectiveness.
“Look at our Amel’s chubby cheeks… Hmm?”
Rosaria paused while pinching Amel’s squishy cheeks with her long fingers. Her blue eyes blinked twice.
Amel, suddenly nervous, cautiously asked,
“What’s wrong?”
A cold sweat ran down Rosaria’s forehead.
“Dear! Conrad! Come quickly and look at this!”
“What’s the matter, my dear?”
Conrad, the Count of Winterpool, asked in surprise. Rosaria, still holding Amel’s cheeks, shouted,
“Amel’s cheeks have gotten thinner!”
“What?!”
“…?”
Amel was confused. Her cheeks had gotten thinner?
Ignoring Amel’s confusion, Conrad followed Rosaria’s lead, grabbing Amel’s cheeks and engaging in a serious discussion.
“It’s true. As my wife said, it seems like Amel has lost about 10g of her cheeks. Amel, did something happen?”
“I already told you everything.”
“And how did you notice my cheeks lost 10g?”
Amel was dumbfounded. But the couple was firm in their assessment.
“She’s our daughter, so of course, we’d notice.”
“How much you must’ve suffered… I thought it was just emotional distress, but your physical health too…”
“….”
Amel, tired of the conversation that wasn’t progressing, quickly changed the subject.
“Dad, if I want to meet His Majesty, I need to put in a request, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. Why, is there something going on?”
“Yes…”
Despite being her parents, Amel couldn’t tell them everything that had happened between Christan and Gaspar. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust them, but Christan’s personal matters were involved.
So, Amel gave a vague answer.
“Since His Majesty hasn’t contacted me after the hunt, I think I need to visit him in person.”
“Hmm, I see. Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing to be done.”
Conrad called a servant to bring over the request form.
“Just fill this out and send it to him.”
“Thank you!”
Grabbing the form, Amel hurried upstairs to her room. Though it had been a while since she had been in the capital mansion, her room still felt familiar.
Nina, who followed her upstairs, asked as she entered the room,
“Miss, when do you plan on taking a bath?”
“Well… since I’ve been in the carriage for so long, it’s better to do it quickly. After I finish with this, please prepare the bath.”
“Yes, understood!”
Nina went out with the other servants to prepare for the bath. Amel, left alone in the room, stared at the form on the table.
“Oh, I forgot my pen.”
Amel walked toward her desk to grab her fountain pen. But, on top of the desk, there was an unfamiliar letter.
“What’s this?”
Tilting her head in confusion, she picked up the envelope and turned it over. The wax seal on the envelope made her freeze in surprise.
“Why is the Esmeralda family sending me a letter?”
The Esmeralda family was the family of the current Empress. Amel remembered that Marquis Esmeralda had once collaborated with Gaspar to torment Christan.
“Also… they tried to marry the second daughter, Chiara Esmeralda, off to His Highness.”
With her expression stiffening, Amel quickly tore open the envelope and checked the contents. The letter was drenched in a strong perfume scent.
The sender was Chiara Esmeralda.
[Hello, Amelie Winterpool,
This is Chiara Esmeralda.
We spoke briefly at the debutante ball, and I wonder if you remember?
Since that day, I’ve been eagerly waiting for a chance to meet with you privately.
But since I hadn’t heard from you, I decided to send this letter.
Actually, this Friday, I’m hosting a tea party with some ladies around your age, and I’d love for you to join us.
If it’s convenient for you, will you be able to attend? The other ladies are also excited to meet you.
We’re all curious to hear more about your experiences at the hunt in Bellerophon as well.
I look forward to hearing a positive reply from you.
Chiara Esmeralda]
“…?”
Amel was stunned after reading the letter. First, calling the debutante ball “recent” was already strange, considering it had been over a year ago. And claiming to have been eagerly waiting to meet her privately?
“…”
In the past year, Amel had never been invited to any other aristocratic social gatherings or tea parties.
In simple terms, she was considered an outsider.
Even though the Winterpool family was known for its purity and integrity, it wouldn’t have been a problem to make acquaintances. However, no one seemed eager to be close to a “witch.”
But that wasn’t the only mystery.
Amel and her family had been living at the Winterpool estate, and she hadn’t told anyone about her trip to the capital today. How did Chiara know exactly when she would arrive and send a tea party invitation for Friday?
“…”
Feeling uneasy, Amel quickly glanced over her shoulder. The empty room felt completely still.
Despite the silence, the feeling of unease wouldn’t go away. She tossed the letter aside and hurried downstairs.
“Mom! Dad!”
Conrad and Rosaria were sipping tea, unaware of what was happening. The Countess turned around after taking a sip of tea.
“Amel, it’s dangerous to run on the stairs.”
Amel ignored the scolding and, forcing down her trembling voice, asked,
“How many guards did you bring with you?”
Hearing the question, Conrad chuckled and answered,
“Why, is our daughter feeling uneasy because she’s in an unfamiliar place?”
“Hurry!”
“…”
With Amel speaking so urgently, Rosaria looked at her with wide eyes and said,
“We brought two. Sir Louis and Sir Mark, you know them, right?”
“Two is too few…”
Amel’s face was filled with despair. Rosaria, who was about to scold her for speaking rudely, was taken aback by her expression.
“Amel, what’s wrong?”
“Why… why are you acting this way, Amel? Is it because you don’t like Sir Louis and Sir Mark?”
Amel struggled to figure out how to explain it to her parents and finally spoke,
“…I think the Esmeralda family is watching me.”
“The Esmeralda family…? Isn’t that Empress Isabel’s family? Why would they…?”
Both of them were confused. Amel began to explain.
“Well, we usually live at the estate, but how did they know I was coming to the capital today? They even sent an invitation for a tea party on Friday.”
“Friday, that’s the day after tomorrow.”
The couple’s expressions turned serious. Conrad thoughtfully rubbed his chin.
“But why would the Marquis family be watching us?”
“I’m not sure.”
Amel’s mind raced. Of course, the Esmeralda family might hold a grudge against her since they tried to marry Chiara to Christan, but she couldn’t believe they would go as far as to spy on her for such a reason.
“That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
As she pondered, her red eyes blinked slowly. Rosaria, who had been watching her with worried eyes, grabbed her by the arm.
“Amel!”
“Yes?”
“…You’re not planning to accept that invitation, are you?”
