Chapter 7
“I’ll bring it over myself, don’t worry.”
“Pardon me, but… Master and the young lady’s usual schedule is… well… um…”
Sir Mild spoke with evident difficulty, struggling to string the words together. Listening quietly, I quickly realized what he couldn’t bring himself to say.
Because of all the mischief Ellen had caused, many of Marlboro and Laila’s activities were kept strictly private. It was entirely normal that neither Sir Mild nor I would know their whereabouts.
“Oh, I happened to find out somehow. I wanted to take a look, but I’m not exactly sure of the location.”
“You… plan to go?”
A flicker of unease crossed Sir Mild’s eyes as he swallowed nervously. He clearly worried about what trouble his lady might cause.
“Is there another rose garden besides this one?”
“….”
“Answer me, Sir Mild.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly with tension, but he eventually offered an opinion with a resigned expression.
“If it’s a tea party, perhaps it’s being held in the rear garden?”
“The rear garden?”
“Yes, since the young lady’s friends aren’t nobility, they would likely use the wisteria garden by the lake.”
I watched him quietly as he shrugged a single shoulder.
“The rose gardens consist only of this one, the front gate garden, and the rear wisteria garden. Moreover, the wisteria vines form a natural wall, making it relatively secluded from prying eyes.”
It sounded plausible.
“Good. Lead the way.”
There was a hint of hesitation in Sir Mild’s steps. Even though he never resisted Ellen’s orders, it was clear he wrestled with internal conflicts.
“It’s over ten minutes on foot. Shall we bring horses or a carriage?”
I recalled the original story. In it, Ellen dramatically arrived by carriage, making everyone except Laila kneel, overturning the table in a fit of spite. “I will not give tea to those beneath me!” That was her justification—everyone outside Laila and her friends were, in her eyes, beneath her.
Then I’ll just walk calmly and play along with my girl, speaking gently and nicely.
I gestured to Sir Mild.
“No need. If we make a fuss, it’ll startle them. Let’s just go.”
.
.
.
As we approached the path that led around the mansion to the rear garden, we encountered two maids carrying picnic baskets covered in cloth.
“My lady!”
Startled, they quickly composed themselves and bowed. The baskets looked surprisingly heavy.
“Where are you headed?”
“Well, that is…”
They hesitated, clearly reluctant to reveal that Laila was hosting a tea party, so I rephrased.
“What’s in the picnic baskets?”
They faltered again.
“Sir Mild, go and take a look,” I instructed.
Stepping forward, Sir Mild carefully lifted the lid of one basket. Inside were a large, delectable chocolate cake, egg sandwiches beautifully adorned with colorful vegetables, steaming freshly baked apple pie, and an assortment of cookies.
A good idea struck me.
“This is for Laila’s tea party, right?”
“Yes?”
The two maids looked utterly shocked. Their expressions plainly said: How did my lady know?
“Oh… well, um…”
Though they feared me for being a villainess, their continued fumbling frustrated me.
“Can’t you answer properly?”
I raised an eyebrow sharply, and they immediately bowed, trembling.
“Yes, that’s right, my lady!”
Perfect.
Yes, it’s better than going empty-handed…
Bringing something would surely make the atmosphere smoother. Especially if I delivered it myself. It would also spare the maids some effort.
“Good. Hand me the baskets.”
“…Pardon?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll bring them over myself.”
“My… my lady?”
“But… these baskets are quite heavy…”
“Yes, normally such tasks fall to people like us…”
“It’s fine, with Sir Mild here.”
The sun shone brightly, yet the maids’ faces went pale. Their teeth clicked with reluctant fear. I thought perhaps they were unsettled precisely because they saw me as a villainess.
“I told you, I’ll bring them safely.”
“….”
“Why? Don’t you trust me?”
I signaled Sir Mild with a glance. The trembling maids handed him the baskets.
“W-well… please take care of them,” they stammered.
“Good. Now you two go inside and tend to your other tasks.”
Just by offering to relieve them, they returned to the mansion with expressions as if they had lost a kingdom.
Once the two surprisingly heavy baskets were in Sir Mild’s hands, they seemed almost weightless, as if by magic.
“Not too heavy?” I asked.
He smiled faintly.
“Not at all. Let’s go.”
The sunlight danced on the lake’s surface, sparkling beautifully. The garden overflowed with roses of every kind.
At its center, wisteria vines twisted around pillars to form a natural wall. From beyond it came the chirping laughter of the young ladies, clearly enjoying themselves immensely.
“Shall I announce your arrival, my lady?” Sir Mild asked.
I shook my head.
“No need for formalities… just join them.”
I stepped forward calmly.
As we neared the wisteria wall, I could hear their conversation. I selected my words carefully in my mind.
“It’s a pleasure to see you all enjoying yourselves. I brought some cake and pie. I hope to build a strong friendship with Laila.”
It might seem like a perfunctory courtesy, but it was sufficient.
Then I heard it.
“Don’t speak like that about my mother!”
Laila’s firm voice cut through the chatter. I froze and pressed myself against the wisteria wall.
Shh!
I brought a finger to my lips, and Sir Mild fell silent as well.
Peeking through the gaps, I saw Laila, bright red-faced, seated with three friends around a delicately arranged tea table, a maid serving tea nearby.
But I thought her friends were commoners?
Their attire rivaled Laila’s.
Perhaps they come from well-off families after all.
I assigned temporary names to the girls in my mind: the prim friend with braided pigtails was “A,” the freckled brown bob was “Bibi,” and the one with auburn hair tied back, sitting against the wall, was “Cici.”
Laila glared at her friends.
“You may speak of me however you like, but do not speak of my mother carelessly.”
Since Laila was facing the wisteria wall, her expression was clear.
“But, Laila… honestly, I wish you’d be more aware. If you just let things happen, it’ll be too hard for you.”
A interjected cautiously, echoing Cici’s concern.
“Yes, exactly. Your mother, the Countess, is awful.”
“I said, don’t talk like that! My mother is a good person!”
“Good? Even without you saying it, everyone already knows.”
“No, she treats me well. When we returned from our honeymoon, she even welcomed me warmly.”
Despite Ellen’s cruelty, Laila sided with her mother—truly generous of heart. I felt a pang and rubbed beneath my nose lightly.
Laila, I’ll treat you better.
Then Cici sneered at Laila.
“Welcomed you? That ‘Welcome to Sea World’? You were white as a sheet and trembling then, weren’t you?”
“….”
“Come on, lie convincingly. How many eyes are watching?”
Cici’s teasing drained the firmness from Laila’s voice.
“It’s just that… I haven’t yet… caught her favor. The higher the rank, the more she values decorum.”
“Decorum? You are nobility, aren’t you? A viscountess from the Kingdom of Perdes?”
A asked, and Cici waved her hand dismissively.
“Anyway, there’s no need to worry now, right? About the Count’s divorce… people don’t know yet, but the rumors will spread soon.”
Laila, holding the hem of her skirt, forced a smile.
“Sorry, everyone. Let’s talk about something else.”
“Yeah! Something else!”
Bibi brightened and leaned forward.
“So, Laila… how was the first night?”
“Huh?”
Laila froze, utterly flustered, but Bibi pressed on relentlessly.
“Master Marlboro, he’s quite well-built, right? How was it? Good, yes?”
A giggled.
“Of course she’d ask that! Marlboro is the second most handsome in this territory, after all.”
Bibi’s teasing continued.
“What did you… do in bed? Tell us everything.”
Laila stammered, crimson-faced.
“Ah, th-that… I can’t really say. It’s… kind of…”
Cici grumbled.
“Really? That’s no fun at all.”
Listening as a reader once, I felt indignant.
Why is a princess stammering before commoners? And why are they forcing questions even when Laila clearly dislikes it?
A pouted.
“Yeah, we were really looking forward to hearing about the first night.”
“But… it’s embarrassing…”
“Embarrassing? She’s just acting like a noble.”
Bibi’s rebuke made Cici laugh.
“What do you mean? It’s not noble airs—Laila is nobility, after all, though she looks powerless.”
“Haha…”
Laila forced a weak smile, clutching her skirt tightly.
“Haha… let’s talk about something else. Madame Hades’ boutique is getting new oils and perfumes tomorrow, I heard?”
She changed the subject, and the young ladies exchanged glances, letting out a collective sigh.
“Boring.”
Bibi frowned, brushing Cici’s dress.
“By the way, why are you eating so messily?”
“What do you mean?”
A echoed Bibi’s complaint.
“Yeah, eat neatly. That dress Laila gave you will get dirty.”
Cici grumbled in response.
“Hey, technically it’s hers. We’re just borrowing it. We must look proper when entering a mansion.”
Ah, I understood. The dresses they wore were Laila’s.
“Bit bothersome, but we’re coming because Laila asked. We’re friends, right?”
Bibi finished the remaining cookies on her plate, then asked the maid for more.
“Wait a moment. The cake and pie will arrive shortly.”
Bibi crossed her arms, legs swinging.
“Tch, if it weren’t for your stepmother, we could have just had the party at the mansion. No need for the maids to carry food back and forth.”
A nodded in agreement.
“Right! It’s really absurd when you think about it.”
“I still can’t forget the first day I met that woman. Probably never will.”
Cici’s words made Bibi click her tongue.
Having a woman like that as a stepmother… poor Laila.
At that point, I could no longer restrain myself. I rose abruptly. Sir Mild quickly gathered the baskets and followed.
“See? Your mother left you with no noble friends, didn’t she?”
As soon as one of them agreed with Bibi, the maid serving them noticed me first.
“My lady!”
Startled, she bent at a perfect ninety degrees. A few teacups tipped over on the table as the young ladies gasped.
“My… mother!”
