CH 12.5

While the male nobles were busy hunting, a cold wind whipped through the tents where the female nobles were gathered.

Charlotte still refused to give up her seat, and Lila fought back.

“Why do I have to move?”

Charlotte, barely regaining her composure, asked, shielding her face with her fan. But Lila was having none of it.

She was bringing up everything she had done to Charlotte so far.

“It’s not polite to cover your face with a fan when a person is speaking, young lady. Didn’t you know that?”

It wasn’t that she didn’t know, but that it was an act she was trying to ignore. Everyone in the room knew it, and they, too, were covering their faces with fans.

“…I beg your pardon?”

Charlotte repeated, chewing on her lip. Lila spoke up, holding back the anger that was bubbling up inside her.

“Why do you keep asking, I told you it’s not polite.”

“…Ha!”

Charlotte sneered, unable to contain herself. She was so excited that she forgot the others were in the room with her.

“If you’re ugly, you should think about getting out of the way. Don’t you have a conscience?”

Each of the ladies opened their mouths in surprise as Charlotte revealed a side of herself that she had kept well hidden.

Monaca couldn’t help but laugh as Charlotte’s image of nobility and elegance was fully revealed.

She was well aware of Charlotte’s true colors, but because her family was lower in rank than Charlotte’s, she had to put up with it.

Monaca was not about to let this opportunity pass her by. The crown princess was not a position she would give up easily.

“You’re being a little harsh.”

The other young ladies nodded in agreement as Monaca’s words spread like wildfire.

“What?”

Charlotte’s eyes lit up and she glared at Monaca. Monaca narrowed her eyes and spoke again.

“I said you were talking too much, and I’m worried that you’re really ill. As Lady Este said, why can’t you understand it at once?”

“You!”

“There’s nothing wrong with what Lady Este said, but isn’t that seat supposed to be Lady Este’s? Even though you’re a countess, you’re not higher than Este, the prospective duchess, are you? Isn’t that right?”

Monaca cleverly looked at the ladies around her to encourage agreement.

The ladies were different from the young ladies. Their rank was determined by their husbands, so it wasn’t fair to dismiss them as prospective wives.

But the social gatherings were always led by Charlotte, and Lila had never raised her voice before, so she had only taken it lightly.

But Lila’s point was a valid one.

“I, too, think Lady Este has a point.”

A countess spoke up. Had they been viscounts or barons, Charlotte could have ignored them, but countesses were a different matter.

Moreover, it was rumored that Charlotte had recently fallen out with the Prince.

Even Monaca, the Prince’s new woman, has taken Lila’s side, and people look back and forth between Charlotte and Lila in confusion.

In the past, Lila would have ignored them. But Lila was fully aware that she was a member of the Duke of Montefeltra’s family.

She didn’t want Lucas to be humiliated because of her. Not just Lucas, but Michael as well.

The three of them were already family.

Charlotte glared at the Countess with a look of bewilderment on her face. But she couldn’t bring herself to say anything more.

She turned on her heel and left. Only one young lady, who was confused when she saw Charlotte disappearing from the tent, followed her.

Lila had a strange feeling as she watched Charlotte disappear. It was awkward to be in this position to say she had won, but it wasn’t so bad.

After everything that had been done to her, today was nothing.

“Please, Lady Este, have a seat. I’d like to refill your teacup, but you’re strangely absent from the court.”

Lila sat down and nodded slightly at the countess.

“Thank you, my lady. I wonder if they don’t have a magic bell?”

She asked, unsurprisingly, since it was a common item in a ducal court.

“What’s an magic bell?”

The Countess asked her with a look of unfamiliarity, as if she had never heard of it before.

“Don’t courtiers carry a bell with them, so you can call them?”

The others scratched their heads as Lila looked puzzled.

Outside the tent, Charlotte walked with a grunt. The more she thought about it, the more exasperated she became.

“How dare she speak to me on this ugly subject?”

This was not the scenario she had planned. She was supposed to be in the position of pitying Lila as she walked away, insulted and scorned in front of everyone.

And she had screwed it all up.

“It’s her fault.”

Charlotte’s normally soothing voice was nowhere to be heard, and her follower, the lady, rushed to her side as she cursed viciously.

“Lady Pinatelli!”

Charlotte turned around, her expression crumpled.

“Lady Huras.”

“Are you okay, you’re offended?”

Are you saying that? Charlotte, who almost made a face like this, changed her expression in an instant.

Lady Huras was restless at the look on her face, which was full of patheticness and pity.

She had been happy to be close to Charlotte, who she had always admired, but now that this was happening, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

“Lady Pinatelli… Is there anything I can do to help?”

Charlotte’s brow furrowed as she watched the young lady comfort her, even though she wanted to curse her.

Then she had an idea. In truth, if Lila would just back off, everything would be fine, but now that things had come to this, she wasn’t going to take it anymore.

“How very kind of you, Lady Huras. But my heart is broken and I need to be alone for a while.”

“…Lady.”

“But I will have to apologize to Lady Este.”

“You are indeed kind-hearted, how could you apologize to someone like that…”

“So I have a favor to ask of you.”

Clasping both of Charlotte’s hands as she begged in a faintly trembling voice, Huras said.

“Anything.”

Although she was offended that she had taken her hands without permission, Charlotte begged her with tears in her eyes.

“Will you please bring Lady Este to me. I can’t bear to sit with anyone else, I want to talk it out alone.”

“Yes, I’ll do that. I’m sure Lady Este thinks she’s misunderstood Lady Pinatelli. And it’s the lady’s fault that the courtier didn’t come, don’t you think?”

“I feel better because of the young lady, and I thank you for believing in my innocence.”

As she said this, she sobbed beautifully. Charlotte looked at her with an even more piteous expression, dabbing at her face with her handkerchief.

“Well, will you bring her to me now?”

“Where would you like me to take her?”

Charlotte turned her head to look at the hunting grounds. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly as she spoke.

“Tell her I’ll be waiting for her in the Ninth Garden, not far from here.”

“Yes, I understand, I’ll be right back.”

Charlotte laughed bitterly as she watched Lady Huras disappear by the hem of her skirt.

The tears that had been building up in her eyes slid down her cheeks. With an annoyed gesture, Charlotte wiped the tears from her eyes and drew her tools from her pouch.

It was a trap for a ferocious beast. Hiding on the path to the Ninth Garden, Charlotte clutched it tightly in her hand.

“Good thing I had it ready.”

She sneered with a maniacal gleam in her eye.

“I should be the center of attention, I’ve always been the center of attention.”

Charlotte let out a pleasant laugh as she hid in the shadows, hoping Lila would come to her.

Lucas stalked his prey in sight. The crowd gasped in admiration as he struck the bullseye with a bow without a quiver.

“I didn’t realize the Duke was so good at hunting.”

Alfonso marveled, too. Heinrich couldn’t help but be puzzled by this side of Lucas he hadn’t seen at the Academy.

At the academy, Lucas had been an inconspicuous student, so it was strange to see him act so conspicuously in the presence of the crown prince.

Theobald was surprised by his unexpected skill, but he didn’t let it show. No, he couldn’t.

He couldn’t hide his displeasure at being compared.

“I’m surprised, too.”

He said he was surprised, but his expression was cold. It was only then that people looked at the prince and spoke to Lucas.

“Haha, how much time has passed already.”

“That’s right, it’s almost luncheon time, isn’t it? We should go back and get some rest first, and then we’ll be ready for the afternoon.”

“It’s the same for me. I drove from the duchy to hunt for my first hunting tournament, and my toolbox is empty.”