Chapter 31

Lilith, who had woken up a bit late, had just finished her morning preparations and was enjoying a pleasant breakfast when Tena arrived with a tray carrying a sheet of paper and a stack of envelopes, which she gently placed at the corner of the table. It seemed to be a list of people requesting meetings and some invitations.

“Lady Lilith, we have received numerous requests for meetings and invitations to salons today. What would you like to do about them?”

“Oh… I met Conrad yesterday…”

“It seems so. I have already sent the messengers away, telling them we will reply later, but I think it would be best to respond as soon as possible.”

“Yes, you’re right….”

While thinking, Lilith finished her breakfast. Then, while Rese prepared her tea, she began to check the senders of the invitations. As expected, Tena had arranged them in order of rank, so all she needed to do was confirm the dates and times. However, Lilith frowned when she saw the invitation at the top of the list.

“—Tena, I will attend this tea party. As for the others… I will decline these, these, and this one. For the rest, I will say I will reply after considering my health. Regarding today’s meetings, please decline all of them, saying I will attend this tea party. I want to greet everyone there. Even though the times don’t overlap, I believe they will understand.”

“Understood. By the way, why did you choose this tea party?”

“Of course, because it is hosted by the Duchess of Bardin. She is the wife of the Duke of Bardin, the younger brother of His Majesty, and Conrad’s mother. She is the most powerful lady in this palace, so I need to handle her well. If I make her an enemy, I won’t be able to survive in this palace. Besides, this ‘small tea party’ is definitely because of what happened yesterday. She must have been curious about my meeting with Conrad, so she decided to host it suddenly in the palace salon.”

Tena smiled, as if to say, “Well done,” and Lilith returned a smug smile. After all, she had received years of education as a princess.

“Today is a crucial day. I won’t make any mistakes. You can trust me!”

When Lilith said this with confidence, Tena raised an eyebrow silently, indirectly reminding her of yesterday’s failure. Feeling a bit frustrated, Lilith pretended not to notice and drank the tea Rese had prepared. Last night, among the various drinks Tena had prepared, the only one missing was apple wine, which was probably intentional. Determined to be more careful today, Lilith was about to start when Tena spoke up.

“Yesterday, you immediately decided to meet Count Borneau. Was there a reason for that?”

“Of course, because Conrad—”

“Huh?”

“…I thought he would be the best to greet first!”

“I see. You usually avoid formalities, so I was worried about the change in your mood.”

“Excuse me. I can be serious when I need to. It’s best to get tedious things over with quickly.”

“…Then, please be careful today and get them over with quickly.”

Tena bowed deeply and left with the list and invitations. Her “be careful” was a reminder to be cautious with her words. Feeling frustrated that she couldn’t retort, Lilith resolved to behave as a proper lady—indeed, as the Crown Princess—and earn the respect of the people of Aelras.

The tea party hosted by the Duchess of Bardin proceeded more smoothly than expected. The Duchess, who had a gentle smile, just like when they met before her marriage, was always attentive to Lilith. Of course, she seemed to have a few quirks. Following her lead, the other ladies treated Lilith kindly. While it was likely due to her position as the Crown Princess, Lilith was able to relax and behave naturally.

Once she felt more comfortable, Lilith began to look for two specific individuals to achieve her other goal. She wasn’t sure if they would attend the “small tea party,” but fortunately, both were there. She had checked when everyone first greeted the host, so she could recognize them by their dress designs from behind. Lilith casually approached them and was satisfied to have a brief conversation with both.

“Duchess of Bardin, thank you for inviting me to such a wonderful tea party. However, I am a bit tired from all the enjoyment, so I will take my leave. Please excuse my early departure.”

“Oh, Your Highness. It is an honor to hear such kind words. Of course, please don’t worry about me. Take your time to rest. I will inform everyone. Do you need more attendants?”

“No, my maid is here, and she is used to this. Thank you. I will take my leave.”

Lilith discreetly informed the Duchess and signaled Tena, who was standing in the corner, before leaving the tea party. Despite her position, she had received considerable attention, but the Duchess would handle the situation well. Lilith would have Rese gather information about the rumors after her departure. Rese was already on good terms with many of the palace staff and was skilled at mingling.

(Hmm… Despite the unpaid wages at the Toyson factory, the Baroness of Coat seemed to be doing quite well. Wearing so many jewels in the middle of the day seemed a bit vulgar.)

While returning to her room with Tena, Lilith thought about the Baroness of Toyson, the lord of the town she had spoken to earlier. The Baron of Coat’s territory wasn’t very large. She made a mental note to investigate the Baron’s land thoroughly later. Next, she thought about the Lady of Bummini, the town’s lord, Echude.

Her husband had no title, so he wouldn’t usually be invited to such a tea party hosted by the Duchess, but because her family was a prestigious baronial house, she received invitations to important events. Even in the small Freud Castle, there were complicated relationships, and the scale was much larger in the Aelras Empire.

(Ah, it’s so troublesome… But there’s no choice. I chose this path.)

At the tea party, the ladies were quite sympathetic to Lilith. Yet, they were also curious and tried to pry into whether she was being mistreated by Jesarld.

(But Lady Echude didn’t seem to be mistreated. On the contrary, she looked so tired that I almost felt sorry for her. Her dress was quite simple…)

She had completed the necessary greetings and gathered some information. The thought of being able to retreat to her room for a while made her happy, and she realized she was smiling. Tena reminded her not to look too cheerful, so Lilith hurriedly feigned a delicate appearance and returned to her room.