CH 14

[Siana’s POV]

Siana began to teach Aris manners.

In fact, imperial etiquette was not something that could be learned overnight.

This is because you have to consider complex formalities, from posture to hand gestures and tone of voice.

So, Siana decided to teach only the simple etiquette needed at a tea party.

“You shouldn’t drink tea before the host. You have to drink tea after the host permits you to drink it.”

“You should never make a sound when you drink tea.”

“Put the tea down after a sip. There should be no sound at this time either.”

Aris’ face turned ugly.

‘Why is it so complicated to drink a cup of tea?’

However, instead of complaining, Aris just kept her mouth shut and followed Siana.

She was quite skillful considering that she had never learned proper etiquette before.

“You’re good.”

Aris said with a slightly reddened face at Siana’s praise.

“Because I was born and raised in a palace.”

Even though she didn’t learn it formally, there are things she saw at occasional imperial events.

She knew roughly what a Lady’s elegant gesture was like.

That was a huge help.

Aris learned the etiquette of a tea party in a matter of days.

Aris, who quietly put down an empty teacup, raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.

“Thank you for your wonderful tea.”

Siana clapped with a flushed face.

“You really did a great job, princess. From entering the tea party to finishing, it’s perfect. No matter how much you see, you learn so quickly. Isn’t princess a genius? No, she must be a genius. Ettiquite genius, Princess Aris!”

Aris snorted in excitement at Siana’s brash praise.

“I know. I didn’t even know I was this talented. It’s easy after trying it. It’s too easy.”

Seeing Aris answer with a raised nose, Siana burst into laughter.

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A princess is different from an ordinary aristocrat.

Unlike aristocrats who have to show moderate modesty and be humble, a princess must be arrogant and confident.

That way, you won’t be ignored.

So Siana praised Aris to the fullest.

Thanks to this, Aris, who used to lack confidence in etiquette, was full of confidence.

‘Princess is ready. The problem is now elsewhere.’

The imperial tea party wasn’t just a place where etiquette was good enough. Attire was also important.

But Aris didn’t have a proper dress.

There are several dresses in the dressing room.

The ones she had were old and the size just didn’t fit.

“What to do.”

Siana was troubled.

The dress was incredibly expensive.

Neither Siana nor Aris had money to buy a dress.

For a moment, Rashid’s face flashed through my mind.

‘If you ask His Highness the Crown Prince to help you…….’

For him, a little princess’s dress would be easier than taking a breath.

‘But Princess Aris wouldn’t want me to ask for anything like that.’

Rashid often came to Ruby Palace with a sweet treat.

Cakes topped with plenty of fruit, donuts sprinkled with pure white sugar, and fragrant chocolate.

Everything Aris likes. But they were also too expensive to eat easily.

Aris accepted them reluctantly.

Because Siana paid Rashid by pouring him tea.

But that was it.

If Rashid gets more than cake, Aris will feel the burden of being in debt.

Siana didn’t want to go that far for a dress.

‘It’s okay. I can handle this on my own.’

***

The place Siana went to was the dressing room where the clothes of the royal family were made.

The maid in the dressing room frowned when she heard that she came from Ruby Palace.

She waved her hand as if chasing a sparrow.

“Hey, don’t go through any trouble and go home. This is a place where clothes are made for noble members of the imperial family, such as His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress.”

It meant that no dresses were made for abandoned princesses in Ruby Palace.

Siana, of course, knew.

I didn’t come here to make such an unreasonable request in the first place.

“Can’t I get a piece of cloth that you don’t use? I wanted to make a pretty dress for Princess Aris.”

“…….”

The maid’s eyes wavered.

The maid also knew Princess Aris.

The youngest princess in the Imperial Palace. But the unfortunate girl was abandoned by everyone.

I couldn’t make an expensive dress for such a princess, but I could at least give her the leftover scraps of fabric.

The maid let out a small sigh and muttered.

“……That would be fine.”

The maid gave Siana the cloth she had gathered in a corner.

“It’s left over from making clothes, so it’s arbitrary in shape and small in size. I don’t know if it’s worth using.”

“That’s enough. Thank you very much!”

Siana smiled brightly, hugging a package of cloth.

Seeing a small maid with round eyes smiling, somehow made her heart tickle.

‘She’s a cute kid.’

The maid waved her hand.

“Go.”

After bowing down to say thank you, Siana returned to the Ruby Palace, scurrying like a rabbit.

Then I spread the pieces of cloth I had received on the table.

As the maid said, the pieces of cloth seemed useless at first glance.

‘However, since they are made from the clothes of the imperial family, all of them are of the highest quality. The pattern is also sophisticated.’

It would be impossible to make a proper dress, but it was possible to mend an old dress.

Fortunately, Siana’s needlework was first-class.

It was thanks to the embroidery skills that were honed since childhood.

“Hmm umm~”

Siana began to hum and sew.

* * *

On the day of the tea party, Aris woke up earlier than usual.

Aris washed her body and combed her hair dozens of times with the help of Siana.

“Wait a minute, princess. I’ll bring the dress.”

“Yes.”

Aris waited with an expressionless face.

For Aris, wearing a dress this time was not expected at all.

It was because all of Aris’ dresses were old and ugly.

Aris furrowed her eyebrows.

‘Yvette will laugh at my appearance again.’

A tacky, ill-fitting dress was one of the things that always came under attack.

However, Aris’ eyes widened when she saw the dress Siana was carrying.

It was definitely her dress, but it was completely different from before.

There were dainty ribbons on the chest and the hem of the skirt, which were plain without any decorations, and there were soft cuffs on the short wrists that protruded. A splendid lace was attached to the end of the frayed skirt.

Aris, who was staring blankly at the dress, came to her senses a beat later and shouted.

“Wh, what happened to this?”

“I’ve done some repairs. I didn’t have enough time, so I narrowly completed it.”

Siana’s eyes were darkened. It was a trace of overnight work that lasted for several days.

Aris, noticing this, bit her lip.

“You’ve been looking like that lately because you’re making this?”

Siana replied with a smile.

“Go ahead and try it on.”

Aris nodded with a face that looked like she was going to cry a little.

Aris, wearing a dress, said with an awkward face.

“It’s my first time wearing a tight-fitting dress.”

So far, Aris has only been given dresses that have become useless for various reasons.

The dresses that were made for someone else were always larger or smaller than Aris’ body.

So Aris hated wearing dresses. It’s uncomfortable to try it on and it’s just ugly.

However, the dress that Siana had repaired was completely different from the one she had worn before.

“I like the feeling of wearing it. The dress is pretty too. What do you think?”

Aris looked at Siana with a slightly reddened face.

Aris had a beautiful appearance. However, her beauty was usually not fully revealed.

It was only natural that she always wore loose-fitting indoor dresses and her hair was scattered.

But not now.

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The splendid dress brought out Aris’ beauty with distinct features.

Siana crossed her hands with a flushed face.

“You’re so pretty, princess. You’re like a rose fairy from mythology.”

“Hehe, really?”

“Yes!”

Aris was flattered at Siana’s praise.

Even to her, the reflection in the mirror was pretty.

Aris said in a playful voice.

“I’m pretty because I look like my mom.”

Aris’ mother, Rosemary, passed away the day Aris was born.

But Aris knew Rosemary’s face.

It was thanks to the portrait that remained in the Ruby Palace.

Rosemary in the portrait was a beauty with luscious red hair and blue eyes.

Aside from the purple eyes she received from the emperor, Aris looked exactly like Rosemary.

So Aris liked her face.

Knowing the fact, Siana smiled and bent her knees.

Siana made eye contact with Aris and said,

“That’s right. So you can do better than anyone else at the tea party today.”

“…….”

“Because you are the daughter of the beautiful and confident Rosemary who won the Emperor’s heart only with her charms.”

Aris had never heard anything like this before.

All that Aris had heard from others about her mother was ‘a witch-like woman who seduced the emperor with her humble status’, things like that.

It was mysterious.

With just one sentence from Siana, Aris’ inner anxiety disappeared and the confidence that she could do it welled up.

Aris nodded vigorously and shouted.

“Eung. I’ll smash Yvette!”

“It’s a great mindset.”

Siana laughed.

TL/N: So sweet, so fluffy, I’m getting diabetes.

* * *

[Yvette’s POV]

At the well-decorated table sat Princess Yvette.

Yvette, dressed too much to call it a simple tea party with her sister, was waiting for Aris.

Yvette thought, raising a corner of her mouth.

‘That girl*, she’ll show up like a beggar again today.’

TL/N: Yvette calls Aris “girl” in a rude way

I laughed at the thought of pointing out one by one from head to toe and trampling on them, 

However, the moment Yvette saw Aris entering the banquet hall, she was speechless.

It was because Aris, who was less attractive than a maid who did chores, was wearing a dress with fancy decorations.

Besides, the face she hadn’t seen in a long time was completely different.

Her thin face, which had not been able to eat properly, gained weight to look good, and her red hair, which had been frizzy, was glossy.

There was a smile on his face, which was just hideous like an animal caught in a trap.

It was the appearance of a princess so lovely and beautiful that anyone could stare at her in awe.

It didn’t end there.

Aris, approaching Yvette, grabbed the hem of her dress and bowed her head.

“Thank you for inviting me to the party, Yvette.”

It was a bold and impeccable greeting that could not be compared to before.

Yvette was taken aback.

‘What the hell is going on here?’

Aris tilted her head at Yvette, who was frozen like ice.

“Why are you like that, sister?”

I was dumbfounded seeing you look prettier.

—I can’t say that, so Yvette forced a smile.

“No, it’s nice to see you after a long time.”

At those words, Aris’ eyebrows twitched.

Nice to meet you.

Aris swore inwardly but didn’t show it on her face.

Because of Siana’s teachings.

‘Don’t lose your smile, princess. In the courtroom, those who do not laugh are defeated.’

Aris hid her displeasure and smiled even more brightly.

“I know. I really missed sister, too.”

Of course, it wasn’t sincere.

This is also what I learned from Siana.

Smile and say what the other person doesn’t want to hear the most.

It worked.

Yvette twisted her face as if she couldn’t stand it for a moment.

Yvette said with a stiff face.

“Hurry up and have a seat. I want to have a cup of tea and talk after a long time.”

“Yes.”

[Siana’s POV]

Aris sat rather gently opposite Yvette. Siana stood behind Aris.

This was because it was customary for the imperial family to have at least one attendant with them.

Siana thought as she looked at Yvette, whose hostility was palpable at a glance.

‘It looks like it’s not easy.’

I was lucky to be able to stand by Aris.

Being alone and having two of us together are different things.

‘Just standing behind her will be a great help to Princess Aris.’

It was as Siana expected.

Aris was not afraid of Yvette, who used to feel like a monster in the past.

Aris straightened her back and sat proudly.

Her bright face was full of confidence that she would successfully finish the tea party today.

***

[Yvette’s POV]

Dribble.

Aris’ teacup was filled with hot tea.

Aris, holding the teacup, took a sip of the tea with an elegant gesture and smiled.

“The tea tastes great, sister.”

“… … I’m glad it suits your taste.”

Yvette’s face was smiling, but her heart was full of confusion.

Aris had changed like a different person.

I thought it could be as far as looks go. But even the tea etiquette is perfect.

I couldn’t believe it.

Yvette said, raising her eyebrows.

“Aris, you used to be worse at drinking tea than slaves. How did such a person change like this?”

“I learned it from my maid. I thought it was difficult, but when I tried it, it was incredibly easy.”

Bzzzzt.

While they were clearly laughing, tension flowed between the two of them.

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Yvette said to Aris.

“It’s very like you to boast that you learned some etiquette from a maid. I wonder how much you’ve improved. Pour me a cup of tea.”

Aris’ eyes shook at the sudden request.

Pouring tea was on a completely different level from quietly drinking tea.

The procedure was fixed, so it was easy to find fault with even the slightest mistake.

‘Go ahead and give it a try.’

Yvette’s face immediately became elated.

Aris glanced at Siana standing behind her. When their eyes met, Siana’s eyes were calm.

‘Princess can do it well.’

-It seemed to say that.

So Aris cleared her expression and nodded.

“All right.”

Aris received a teapot from a maid who was serving the tea and started making tea.

The movement was a little awkward, but she didn’t miss any steps.

Yvette’s face contorted.

Damn it. Why are you so good? Why are you pouring tea like that? There’s nothing to catch, why are you pouring tea like that!

[Siana’s POV]

‘-I’m sure you’re thinking that.’

Siana saw through all the vicious thoughts in Yvette’s little head.

Siana grew up under her stepmother, who was bent on harassing me at every opportunity.

Most of the methods she chose were like that.

Telling you to do something, and then attacking it with an excuse if you don’t do it right.

So, Siana anticipated all of this and taught Aris how to brew tea perfectly.

But there was something Siana hadn’t thought of.

The stepmother was an adult, but Yvette was still a child.

Much more childish than her.

It was the moment Aris poured the finished tea. Yvette set the teacup aside.

The hot tea that should have entered the teacup spilled on the empty table and splashed on the back of Yvette’s hand.

“Aya!”

The back of Yvette’s white hand, which had been touched by the hot water, swelled red.

TL/N: ARE YALL SMELLING WHAT I’M SMELLING. I SMELL A PIECE OF SHIT IN HERE GUISE.