n

n

n

nWhat are the rumors that could divide the political factions?

nWhen I cut in and asked, everybody was paying their attention to me.

n“Oh, haven’t you heard it, Lady Monique? Well, the parties concerned usually get to know it the latest.”

nI felt some sort of uneasy feelings, so I cut off Ilia who was trying to say something and asked,

n“What rumor is it about?”

n“Well, the rumors are that you and Allendis are lovers…”

nSuddenly Lady Nuen’s face turned white. Trembling like a leaf, she looked at Allendis.

n“Lady Nuen?”

n“Yes, yes?” She was so surprised that she touched the mug in front of her while standing up.

nThe tea in the cup was spilt on her ivory-colored dress.

n

n

n“Lady Nuen!”

n“Please stay seated. Let me take care of it.”

nAllendis stopped me and Ilia who hurriedly stood up and approached her.

n“Lady Nuen, are you okay?”

n“Yes, I’m fine.”

n“Please wipe it with this first.”

nAllendis pulled out a folded handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to Lady Nuen. I was puzzled while watching her wiping the spilled tea with her trembling hands. Why is she trembling like that as if she was afraid of somebody?

n“Oh my god… Your beautiful dress is all messed up. Do you have any extra clothes to change into?” The nobles’ banquets, such as tea parties, dinners, and balls, often take several days to finish even without intermissions, so the participants usually brought extra clothes. At small tea parties or short events, they didn’t carry extra clothes, but it is still essential to bring shawls or simple clothes. So, it was customary that when they sent invitations, they gave the guests such a reminder.

n“Oh, no. I didn’t bring any extra clothes.”

n“I see. I can’t give you the dress my mother used to wear. What should I do?”

nMaking an embarrassed expression, Allendis asked the maid urgently, “Are there any extra dresses that she can wear?”

n“… Sorry, we don’t have one.”

n“Oh, what should I do?”

n“Fine, never mind. As I can’t stay here like this, I’d like to leave first,” she said calmly.

nShe seemed to have come to her senses now. I looked at her stained dress with a bit of sympathy. I wish I could give her my extra dress, but she looked several years older than me, so it wouldn’t fit her.

n“Don’t you have any extra dress, Lady Genoa and Lady Whir?”

n“No, how about you, Lady Monique?

n“…Neither do I. ”

nRight after Genoa said in the negative, Whir followed suit. I felt they were a bit strange, but couldn’t afford to question them. I just nodded to Lady Nuen who was leaving after saying goodbye.

n“Sorry, Lady Nuen. I think I’ve not been prepared well enough. Let me take you to the carriage as a sign of apology. ”

n“I’m fine, so don’t worry.”

n“No, I feel uncomfortable if you go like this. Excuse me, everyone. Please enjoy the party while I’m away briefly.”

nAllendis asked for our understanding, voluntarily asking to escort her. As expected, he was kind and considerate. Obviously, he felt very sorry that he didn’t prepare any extra dresses just in case.

nWhen the two disappeared to the other side of the greenhouse, I heard somebody giggling on my right.

n“Carsein?”

n“How funny and ridiculous! I see it every time, but it’s really ridiculous.”

n“What is so ridiculous, Carsein? ” I asked quickly.

nBut Carsein was laughing so much that he couldn’t answer. I couldn’t understand what was so funny. After laughing his head off, he said, looking back at me, “I wonder if he is stupid or if he really believes it. Well, that’s enough. It’s good I came here, though I didn’t want to. It really was something to see.”

n“… ”

n“Now, everyone, as Allendis has asked us to enjoy our tea party, shall we have a chat until he comes back? What would you like to talk about? Rumors circulating in social circles? Or slandering Allendis?”

nThe atmosphere that became cold because of the happenstance a moment ago got better when Carsein broke the ice by cracking jokes. Watching them having a dialogue at Carsein’s initiative, I was lost in thought for a moment.

n‘Rumor?”

nGiven the atmosphere, it didn’t seem to be a big deal, but I wanted to find out a little more about the rumor.

nAllendis returned after seeing her off and sat down. I thought that as soon as I got home, I would have to order my family’s intelligence people to look into the rumors. Soon I also chatted with them in a good mood.

nToday is the first day of 962 by the imperial calendar.

nAnd I turned fourteen this year.

nAs the damages caused by the massive famine in the previous year had not fully recovered, the emperor issued a decree that he would cancel the New Year’s festival just like last year.

nEven though the New Year’s festival was cancelled, the Central Palace was very crowded with nobles who came to greet him in the New Year. It was because three dukes, eight marquises and more than half of the empire’s earls were waiting for their turn to offer New Year greetings to the emperor.

n“Welcome, Keiran and Lady Monique.”

n“Oh, it’s been a while, Ruth. Hello, Duchess!”

nWhen I entered the waiting room, Duke Verita greeted my father and me. He stood at the center of one of the two groups. I could not see Duke Lars and his family members perhaps because he already went to see the emperor. I saw the duchess, Allendis and another man who looked like his elder brother standing next to the duke.

nI bowed to the duke and looked at the duchess.

n“Hi, Duchess. Thank you very much for inviting me the other day. I enjoyed the party.”

n“Oh, I’m glad you enjoyed it. You are welcome to visit my house anytime, so come often.

nBy the way, do you know my eldest son?”

n“No, it’s my first time meeting him. Nice to meet you today. My name is Aristia La Monique, the eldest daughter of Marquis Monique.

n“Nice to see you here. I am Alexis de Verita, Duke Verita’s eldest son.”

nAlexis looked like Allendis very much, but he had a different impression. He had his father’s dark green hair, mother’s dark eyes and white skin like Allendis. He was twenty this year, but he looked younger than his age. Unlike Alendis, who never seemed weak, he looked pale. Maybe the rumor that he had poor health was true.

n“I really wanted to see you once. Nice to meet you. ”

n“Really? Oh, nice to meet you too.”

n“I heard you have turned my brother into a meek boy, so I was very curious about who you were.”

n“Pardon?”

n“Hey, brother.”

nWith a gentle smile, Allendis called his brother. Surprised by his gentle tone, Alexis smiled at him. When he tried to say something more, a protocol officer came into the waiting room and announced who was the next person to see the emperor. Duke Verita’s family, the 2nd most powerful in the empire, was the next.

n

n

n“Then, see you later, Keiran. Let me leave first.”

n“Okay, Ruth. See you next time, madam. ”

nAfter the Duke Veritas’s family left, my father and I remained. Everyone around us belonged to the same political faction, so they should not have been neglected. Moreover, the people here were the members of earls and above in rank.

nHowever, I had no friendship with any of them because I hadn’t been active in social circles since I came back from the past. Of course, I remembered their names and appearances, based on my past memories, but it was a little difficult for me to exchange greetings with them as I didn’t know them well.

nAt that moment, a woman, with her thin brown hair twisted into an elegant updo, approached and gently bowed to me. She was Lady Genoa.

n“Hello, Lady Monique. It seems to be my first time seeing you since I met you at the previous garden party.”

n“Hello, Lady Genoa. How have you been?”

n“Thanks. I am doing well.”

nAfter she replied calmly, she introduced me to the successors of the four marquis families as well as sons and daughters of those powerful earl families who belonged to our faction.

nAmong them were the daughter of the Whir family and the son of the Earl Burt family whom I met at the recent garden party.

n