Chapter 10

Chester brought a letter to the Roseblade household. It was addressed to Fiona, sealed with the royal crest, and was an invitation to a tea party from the queen.

Melissa would definitely want to come if she knew about this. However, it was impossible to bring her. If she found out, she would be upset for a while. An upset Melissa was unmanageable. She might not only lash out at Fiona but also at the servants.

Fiona hurriedly consulted Chester and Marie. As a result, they decided to keep the tea party with the queen a secret from Melissa and arrange for her to watch a popular play in the capital on the day of the tea party.

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"Thank you, Lord Aloys, for the beautiful roses."

"Thank you for arranging the play for my mother. The tea party with Her Majesty is coming up soon. I will review my manners and try not to make any mistakes."

"Fiona, you'll be fine. Don't worry about manners, just enjoy yourself."

The tea party that day was held in a garden where roses were in full bloom. This was the second informal tea party with the queen.

The elegantly shaped table was set with fragrant tea and delicate pastries.

"The other day, you must have had an unpleasant experience. Elizabeth, what a troublesome girl."

She seemed to be referring to Elizabeth's inappropriate behavior at the ball. The third princess, Elizabeth, was not the queen's biological daughter but the child of a concubine.

"Indeed, she is quite free-spirited."

The queen laughed heartily. She had a straightforward and candid personality, quite different from her impeccable and poised demeanor at the ball. Perhaps this was what made her a suitable queen.

"No, it wasn't like that... I had a wonderful evening."

Fiona searched for the right words and responded. She was unsure if her answer was correct or if it was unclear.

"Don't be so stiff. Today, I thought I'd tell you about the circumstances that led to the cancellation of Elizabeth and Aloys's engagement."

"..."

Fiona wondered why the queen was bringing this up now. Aloys had been dumped by Elizabeth, and she didn't particularly want to know the details.

"Actually, it was Aloys who proposed the cancellation."

"Eh?"

Fiona tilted her head, not understanding the story.

"Aloys had grown tired of Elizabeth and wanted to cancel the engagement."

Fiona was so shocked that she forgot her manners and gaped open-mouthed.

"And he said, 'It would be awkward, so let's say I was the one who was dumped.' I followed his suggestion."

Fiona was frozen in place.

"Of course, he didn't tell you. He's quite particular and proud. Perhaps he didn't want it to sound like an excuse out of spite. But for now, this is a secret."

The queen laughed. Fiona was at a loss for words. In such situations, all she could do was nod.

"The problem was with Elizabeth. She was always confident in her appearance and flirted with many gentlemen. To avoid rumors before her marriage, she was sent abroad to study. While abroad, she fired an experienced maid and seduced a young maid with money, then had an affair with the knight who was supposed to protect her."

The moment Fiona understood the meaning of "had an affair," she blushed. If it weren't disrespectful, she would have wanted to cover her ears.

The queen, seeing Fiona's reaction, covered her mouth with a fan and chuckled.

"Anyway, Aloys found out about it. It's no wonder he was disgusted. He wasn't enthusiastic about the engagement to begin with. Besides, the knight was the son of a noble family of considerable standing, so Aloys suggested he step back."

"I see."

Fiona had thought Aloys liked Elizabeth. If that were the case, she had assumed she was not his type at all.

The queen also explained why Aloys had become Elizabeth's fiancé. Originally, there were four candidates, all sons of prestigious noble families or heirs to their family titles.

"That boy, he's quite a picky eater. Aloys was the most handsome, so he was chosen. Poor Aloys."

The queen took a sip of tea. She then offered Fiona a pastry, saying, "This is delicious." Fiona took one, but the impact of the story made it tasteless.

"Of course, this is a secret. Well, rumors are starting to spread, so it won't be a secret for much longer. By then, Elizabeth will be married to a border lord in the far east. The engagement with the former knight has also been canceled, but that's still a secret."

The queen winked at Fiona.

"By the way, why didn't the engagement with the knight work out?"

Fiona asked before thinking about whether it was impolite.

"Hmm, the problem was there. Elizabeth suddenly said she still liked Aloys and rejected the engagement. She's quite capricious. That's why they rushed to arrange her marriage, but she became even more obsessed when she couldn't have him."

Fiona understood why no one blamed Aloys for casually brushing Elizabeth off.

"So, they had to find a place for her within the country. We couldn't send a princess to a convent, after all."

Fiona felt that anything was possible when it came to the third princess, but she nodded.

"I understand the situation."

"Good," the queen said with a beautiful smile. Fiona realized this was the reason she had been invited to tea.

"By the way, how are things with Aloys?"

Fiona's heart skipped a beat at the sudden question.

"Well, at the ball, Aloys seemed to be getting along well, but you seemed a bit awkward. Oh, if you were just nervous, I apologize. It was my mistake."

The queen smiled brightly, unbothered by her own words. Fiona had tried her best to maintain appearances, but it seemed she had been seen through. The queen was convinced they were a sham couple. Fiona felt her face turn red again, but she couldn't let Aloys down.

"Actually, Lord Aloys has been very kind to me. I feel quite undeserving."

The queen laughed heartily.

"Even though he was dumped by Elizabeth, there were still many candidates. He had quite a choice. Do you know why he chose you?"

Caught off guard again, Fiona answered honestly.

"Because of our family's debt?"

She regretted saying it as soon as the words left her mouth and quickly covered her mouth. The queen's eyebrow raised.

"Oh, you're quite level-headed. You look so lovely, but you're unexpectedly practical."

Fiona didn't know how to react to the queen's comment.

"Having inherited the dukedom at a young age, he needs to be calculating to survive in noble society. After his experience with Elizabeth, he probably wanted to marry a girl from a family he could easily manipulate."

The queen paused to gauge Fiona's reaction. Fiona was neither surprised nor shocked. The queen was right. It was a political marriage, not a fairy tale.

"Yes, it's an embarrassing situation, but the Carington family is recovering thanks to Lord Aloys. I am very grateful."

When Fiona said this, the queen's smile finally warmed.

"I'm sorry for putting you through such a cruel test."

Fiona was surprised by the queen's apology and stammered, "It's the truth."

The queen took a sip of tea and continued.

"Aloys has a distant relationship with his family. He lost his parents in a carriage accident before he came of age. His real sister is married in a distant foreign country and rarely visits."

Fiona didn't know that Aloys's parents had died in a carriage accident. He never talked about his family, and she never pried.

"Now that his engagement with Elizabeth has been canceled, I hope he can marry a wonderful person and have a happy family."

Fiona thought it would be nice if that happened. However, she didn't think she was suitable for him. He didn't open up to her.

"Fiona, I believe you can be a great support to him."

"Eh?"

The conversation took an unexpected turn, and she let out a surprised squeak.

"He might be a difficult person, but create a place where he can feel at ease. Please."

"Yes."

Caught off guard by the queen's insistence, Fiona answered honestly.

"It's a promise."

The queen smiled. What have I done? Fiona's heart pounded.

After that, they chatted about trivial matters and enjoyed the tea and pastries. This time, Fiona could taste them. Still, she thought the queen was a bit intimidating.

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The white lilies are beautiful.

I heard many interesting stories at the tea party. The tea and pastries were delicious. Of course, the tea and pastries at the Roseblade household are also excellent.

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What stories did you tell? Please tell me next time.

Fiona read the card that came with the flowers from Aloys and wrote a reply.

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The sweet peas are very cute.

Yes, definitely next time. I look forward to seeing you again.

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I feel like I'll have a good dream tonight. Fiona lay down on her fluffy bed.