Chapter 95 - Banquets Here, There, and Everywhere (Part 3)

Vaughn looked at the departing back of Zenia, and he couldn't stop worrying. He feared that his little devil might do something outrageous if the people who were scheming against her touched her bottom line. Although she promised that she wouldn't do anything extreme, he couldn't trust her words. He already knew her like the back of his hand.

A man walked to the direction of Vaughn and Zenia's table. The man had an imposing aura.

"Greetings, Crown Prince. I am Marquis Vermont, and we met and talked for a brief moment during your Crown Prince title bestowment."

"Yes, I remember you, Marquis."

"If you don't mind Your Highness, I would like to invite you to my table. I have something important to tell you." Marquis Vermont flashed his pearly whites, which Vaughn found annoying.

Vaughn looked at the direction where the marquis had pointed and noticed that there were young women nearby. 

"What is it that you want to discuss Marquis Vermont? My Crown Princess is not here at the moment, we can discuss it here."

He had a hunch that those ladies were there to join them later. Vaughn was not certain whether the Marquis had truly something important to say or was scheming something.

The Marquis' lip twitched when he heard Vaughn's reply. He did not expect that he would reject his invitation to go to his table. He had no reason to decline Vaughn's suggestion. 

The Marquis looked at his niece and shook his head. The young woman stomped her foot and walked out of the room followed by the other young women who were talking in the corner earlier.

"Very well, Your Highness." The Marquis pull out a nearby empty chair and sat with Vaughn.

Zenia reached the table of the matriarch, and other elderly women were sitting with her. Zenia looked at Vaughn and saw that a gentleman was already discussing something with him.

'These people are really something. I can't tell what they are thinking.'

Zenia noticed a band of young women going out of the banquet hall. The one leading them looked angry. She guessed that those ladies may have something to do with the  arrangements  that she and Vaughn had.

The elders all stood up and chanted in unison, "Greetings, Crown Princess."

Zenia made a quick survey and found that there was no one of her age around. These elders did plan to detain her. But, for how long?

"This junior greets the elders."

After the greetings had been done, everyone sat down. Each one made a proper introduction and seemed polite. Zenia knew that these elders were scheming something. Standing among some men at the nearby refreshments table, she saw a familiar face – the Defense Minister.

Zenia looked at the Defense Minister and bowed her head slightly. The Defense Minister did the same. No one noticed the subtle exchange of pleasantries between them. 

"Crown Princess, have you heard about the tea ceremony that juniors usually give to their elders? Tonight is good enough to perform it, what do you think?" One of the elder women suggested.

"Sister, her teacher is the Baroness Munchefort. She may still need to teach her that tea ceremony. Let us not put her in an awkward position. Don't worry dear about bringing down your teacher's reputation when you can't perform the tea ceremony." The Matriarch of the House of Manford was the one who spoke.

The Baroness told Zenia about the tea ceremony that the elders had mentioned. It was usually performed by juniors of lower ranks. The members of the Royal Family should not perform it. 

Zenia smirked at the lowly ploy that the so-called  elders  were trying on her. Count Bernard Cordove watched quietly and wanted to find out the result of the devious plot, although he had already guessed the outcome. He knew that Zenia was not someone that could be easily toyed with.

The elder women believed that Zenia would easily fall into their trap. She should have known the reputation of her teacher already and would do everything in her power to avoid tarnishing it.

"Oh, it's like that… But, I believe that the reputation of my teacher won't be ruined even if a thousand people tried to smear it. This junior admits that I have not learned that tea ceremony from my teacher. May I ask the elders to teach it to me through demonstration? I'm afraid that with my simple mind, I will not be able to perform it well unless someone shows me how."

The scheming elders were stupefied with what they heard. With just a few simple sentences, Zenia had turned the table around. It was humiliating for a member of the Royal Family to perform that kind of tea ceremony, and it was even more shameful if the elder from a noble or influential family would do it. Whether it was only done as a demonstration, performing it would still tarnish the elder's reputation.

Count Bernard Cordove sneered when he heard what Zenia said. The elders were in a dilemma. How could they perform such a derogatory act? They were nobles and influential women of Tissuria. Zenia may be the rightful owner of the title of a Crown Princess, but she still came from outside of Tissuria. These elders had always treated anyone from outside of Tissuria as inferior beings. 

Zenia was looking at them intently. She was waiting for someone to step up. The elder kept looking at each other, and none of them was willing to degrade herself in front of the others.

Zenia sighed, "Is it really too difficult to do that no one wants to teach me how? Maybe my teacher knows that I won't be able to follow that's why she did not teach it to me."

"Yes, that's it! We can just forget about this and not perform it."

"Did you not complete it when you were young?" Zenia's tone was full of innocence.

None of the elders could say that they did not perform it because they already belonged to high-ranking families. Only mid-class and low-class families were obligated to perform it for their elders.

"It's been a long time, and we forgot about it already."

"So you did perform it when you were young?"

The elder women looked at each other and answered in unison, "Yes!"

Count Bernard Cordove wanted to laugh but still restrained himself.

"When I get back I will tell my teacher that the Matriarch of the House of Manford, Duchess Hezaar, Marchioness Nevita, Madame Herze, Viscountess Benitha, Lady Modiva, and Lady Gadja performed that tea ceremony."

"You don't need to tell your teacher about that." The women tried to persuade Zenia not to tell anything to the Baroness.

"I just remembered something. My teacher told me that I don't need to perform that tea ceremony because only low-ranking ladies should do it. How wonderful for you elders. Each one had able to marry into a high-ranking family so you have your noble title now, just like me. I am more fortunate than you because I married the Crown Prince first, and I don't need to perform that tea ceremony. I guess you did not know this. If you did, you wouldn't make me go through that. It would be too humiliating for me." 

None of the elderly women dared to refute Zenia. They were already humiliated, and they feared that saying something again would only worsen the situation. It was a good thing that the simple-minded lass did not suspect anything.

"The Crown Prince should be waiting for you now dear, you may go back." The Matriarch of the House of Manford blurted out.

Zenia looked at Vaughn who was still discussing something with the Marquis.

"Don't worry about it, Madam. I think the Crown Prince was still busy discussing something with the good gentleman over there. It might be impolite to disturb them. Let me stay with you for a bit more so I can learn more from you."

The women shuddered at Zenia's statement. They wanted her to leave their table immediately. The woman whom they thought to be naïve young lass may not be so naïve at all.