CH 111

“Lancel, open the glass greenhouse. I will hold the tea party in the garden.”

“Yes.”

“And you dress up, too.”

“Me too?”

I nodded at Lancel who asked back in bewilderment. 

“Yes, as you know, most nobles don’t have butlers.”

It was an opportunity to show off how great and prestigious Lagrange was. Lancel had a pretty decent appearance, and if he just kept his mouth shut he looked quite dignified. 

“Can you get Yuric dressed up too and bring him here?”

“Young master Yuric, too…?”

With a little self-interest, Dietrich was more handsome than Yuric, but Yuric who had a sweet atmosphere was the best to win the favor of the ladies.

‘Besides, Dietrich wouldn’t cooperate in something like this.’

Disliking people was the only thing common among the Lagrange siblings, but Dietrich was especially worse. 

Creating a bloody atmosphere would only cause fear among nobles, not favor.

“Yes, dress him up gorgeously. I think the clothes have already been sent from Celine’s Salon.”

Just in time, I smiled and checked the dress that Marilyn was bringing. Even to me who was ignorant about dresses, it looked exceptionally beautiful. 

‘It’s lined with fleece so it won’t be cold.’

I spread my arms around the light blue velvet dress touching the fluffy frills decorating it.

Marilyn took off my dress as if she had been waiting. I breathed, wrapped up inside a blanket like a chrysalis. 

“Everyone I invited will come, right?”

“If they don’t want to die, they would.”

“If they don’t come, they’ll die?”

“Oh my, Princess. Would you then spare that clueless aristocrat who would dare to ignore the invitation of Lagrange?” 

At my question, Marilyn let out harsh words that didn’t match her elegant face.

‘She’s been working as a head maid in Lagrange for a long time…’

It seemed it was still quite difficult to command the servants. I scratched my cheeks at her words which seemed to have accumulated quite a bit of stress. 

After relaxing in a bath with perfumed oil, the preparations leading up to the massage went on for quite some time. I thought when I opened my eyes, it was the end of the preparations, but then, it was time for people to decorate my hair. 

“I’ve never seen anyone look good in real flowers such as you, Princess,” Vanessa exclaimed as she decorated my hair with freesia flowers. 

“You’re right. How are you so cute? I’d believe it if you were actually a fairy!”

No matter how many times I heard Vanessa and Tally’s uproarious praise, I still couldn’t get used to it. I blushed, feeling embarrassed, and checked myself. 

‘Hm. This should be enough.’

The soft, wavy hair twisted and turned in a braid along with the light blue dress matched well that I admired Madame Celine’s skills anew. 

“If I leave now, people will be waiting, right?”

I dawdled, deliberately looking for accessories in a slow manner. It’s a tea party I’m hosting, but if I appeared last, I would get more attention. 

I didn’t get out of my seat until I received a report from Lancel that people have gathered. 

“Every single one is here–gasp.”

Lancel, who had been busy with the preparations for the tea party had not been looking at me, so when he saw me looking like an adult, his eyes widened. 

“Wow.”

Clap, Clap. As if he couldn’t find the words to express what he was feeling, he clapped his hands instead and I smiled at his reaction. I followed Lancel down the hallway and Yuric, wearing a gray frock coat leaning on the garden door, extended his hand to me when he found me. 

“You look marvelous today.”

Even when he went around wearing an ordinary shirt, he was already gorgeous, and now that he had dressed up, he was quite dazzling. Looking at me with clear eyes, Yuric soon kissed the back of my hand. 

“I was going to complain about the people telling me to dress up and change my clothes since this morning as it was quite a draining experience.”

“Huh?”

“But I can’t even do that because you’re too beautiful.”

“You’re more beautiful, Yuric.”

I meant it. That was the reason why I chose him as my partner for this tea party. As I entered the garden linking arms with him, I heard people talking from a distance.

“Why are you going back?”

“Shh.” 

I retraced my steps and turned around, observing the atmosphere. Usually, tea parties were held on a small scale, but due to the number of people invited today, it seemed that cliques have already formed. 

“Isn’t this the first tea party hosted by Lagrange? I’m curious about what the Princess is thinking.”

A family that had been loyal to Lagrange for a long time, 

“However, even if she’s called a Princess, at the end of the day, isn’t she just the Grand Duke’s sister? Since she’s not a Duchess, then she’s nothing but a vassal.”

A family that sought opportunities to covet the authority of the North,

“A relative of mine saw her in the capital and there was a rumor that she was ugly and dull.”

And even a family who bats back and forth between the North and the South.

‘It seems all the people invited have gathered.’

The families I’m aiming for today were the royal families of the North, except for the bats. 

I nodded lightly as I recalled their portraits and personal information which Lancel had brought me in advance.

The long wooden table, which ran along from the door of the greenhouse, was covered with white lace, and each table was decorated with a different color of fresh flowers, making it bright like a spring garden in late autumn.

“Hello, everyone.” 

I revealed myself over the radiance of the place and smiled brightly, escorted by Yuric.

“Thank you all for accepting my invitation.”

“I greet Princess Anissa, the most lovely shadow of Lagrange.” 

I noticed Countess Devonshire who was the first one to respond to my greetings. 

‘She belonged to one of the families who offered their allegiance to Dietrich.’

Although the Grand Duchy of Lagrange held the North with its great power and ruthless authority, it didn’t gain a deep sense of loyalty. 

After all, it was a place where a respectable leader didn’t emerge.

‘If they were able to take the position, their soul would be eaten by the demon or get decapitated by the next successor.’ 

I narrowed my eyes and examined each of their aurae.

“As a member of Lagrange, I thought that I had been neglectful towards my ‘family’ in the North so I had prepared this.”

“Family?”

I smiled softly, looking at the noble tilting her head, seemingly puzzled at my words,

“It’s the same as being family, madam. Aren’t you all connected to Lagrange somehow?”

It’s all thanks to the unequaled grand dukes of the past. I clapped my hands and beckoned the maids carrying the desserts.

“Thank you for looking after us, but a tea party? Aren’t you trying too hard to copy the southern culture?”

I glanced at the young lady from Viscount Tully, looking as if she had a stiff neck.

Although she’s young, she looked like someone who was bursting with pride as a Northerner, such as the ‘group of bats’ and the lead in pretending.

“Is that how it looks like? What do you think, madam?”

The Countess of Rosiere, who was surprised in being the target of my question, scratched her temple. Her daughter, Ollier, who had made her debut in the capital and even studied abroad, raised her nose and bragged.

‘She’s the fiancee of the second prince, wasn’t she?’

“I think you followed it too poorly, Princess. I could have helped you if you called for me in advance.”

I smiled and listened to her words. When I didn’t stop her, she proceeded and let out a flow of words.

“Since the Princess isn’t used to socializing, I understand that you could make such a mistake. Like in the capital.” 

“Capital! Ah, I remember now. Haven’t we met before?”

I snapped my finger as if it was then that I had remembered her face laughing at me in the middle of Charlotte’s crowd.

‘Well, I called her on purpose.’

“You must go to the capital a lot, my lady?” 

“Yes. His Highness even gave me this dress I’m wearing today as a present.”

She rose from her seat and turned in a circle to show off the southern-style dress.

People looked on with envy. Ollier smugly enjoyed their envious stares. 

No matter how different the social circle in the South and North was, the center of society would always be the capital. Since she was someone active in the social circle in the capital, there was no reason why she wouldn’t receive people’s envy. 

‘The Northern social circle is one that insults the Southern-style while imitating them at the same time.’ 

At any rate, Rosiere was a territory that was anxious to be absorbed into the South. I glanced at her soft lace dress and opened my mouth. 

“Aren’t you cold? I don’t think it’s easy to endure the weather in the North.”

“There’s no reason why I can’t endure the cold for the sake of beauty.”

“Lady Ollier truly speaks like a southerner by nature.” 

I grinned as I pulled on my thick and soft, yet shiny fur scarf at the gentle breeze that blew just in time. 

I agree with the saying that when in Rome, you do as Romans do, however, in the North, there were laws that were only for the North.

“I find them quite without substance.”

“What did you say?” 

“I am not cold at all right now. However.” 

I didn’t want to say that I was pretty with my own mouth, so I stood up from my seat instead of speaking. Each of the ladies’ eyes widened when they saw my dress sparkling next to her. 

“Besides, I think you have a slightly different understanding of what social circle is, my lady. Doesn’t a social circle exist in order to interact with those people in power?”  

Therefore, the society in the capital revolved around the Emperor, Euclid, and also Charlotte, who was beloved by Dona. 

But it’s different in the North.

“.....Excuse me?”

I place my finger on the tip of Ollie’s chin, who was looking dazed and continued.

“That means, I am the embodiment of Northern society to you.”