Sympathy and lingering attachment became her burial goods. In the end, she’s just someone to be forgotten. That was Alisa’s role.

‘It can’t be because of that that he needs me. There must be another reason.’

It made much more sense to think that way.

There could be several reasons to consider. Just because he’s gotten used to being together for a long time. Because it’s comfortable. Or from a sense of duty that he should love me as his wife? Or……

Fine, let’s say Rashid loves me for whatever reason.

Then how should I treat him?

……I liked being with him too. I acknowledge the fact that my current happiness is only possible with Rashid.

‘But will his feelings remain unchanged even after Priscilla appears?’

It wasn’t easy to have faith. On one hand, I also wondered if this was really okay.

Above all, do I love him?

Is it okay to express these feelings, these emotions as love?

Lost in thoughts of Rashid like that, I couldn’t focus on anything.

It was the same in the evening when he returned.

When I saw Rashid, my heart would either drop or my whole body would feel like jumping up…… anyway, I was so distracted that I tried to stay away from him as much as possible. I ate dinner alone separately and even pretended to fall asleep first at night.

I was so unsettled that I couldn’t properly prepare for the upcoming tea party. Thanks to that, Harriet and the other maids were very busy arranging everything on their own.

“We plan to prepare the tea like this. And for the accompanying snacks……”

“Yes, yes. Right, I understand.”

Harriet and the maid managing the tea room recited the composition of refreshments. Which cups to use and how, which tea to pair with which snacks. From what I heard briefly, they seemed to have chosen quite meticulously.

But those words went in one ear and out the other. I just couldn’t concentrate at all.

“Please handle it yourselves. Do it like you’ve been doing until now.”

I asked them, and they said they understood. It was fortunate that we had discussed the entertainment options beforehand.

After that, I fell into thoughts of Rashid again. While doing so, I stomped around for a while, hit the blanket repeatedly, and even sobbed in the middle of the night. Then Rashid would tap my nose saying I must be crying because I’m too happy, and hold me tight.

He’s bad. I’m so confused because of him, yet he just looks relaxed.

Still, when I buried myself in the gentle warmth Rashid gave me, it was reassuring, so I quietly closed my eyes and began to slowly compose my feelings.

Like polishing a sharp and rough raw stone into a gleaming jewel, my emotions gradually took shape within his delicate and gentle touch.

* * *

The day of the tea party dawned. Carriages bearing noble crests arrived at the villa one by one. Among them were the imperial rose and Limnike’s gladiolus.

I greeted them in the reception room.

“Welcome, Miss Patricia.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Patricia came before anyone else. Her neatly braided silver hair still sparkled and shone, and her violet eyes also looked soft.

“I’m glad the weather is good. On my way here, I saw the garden was so beautiful, I really want to take a walk there.”

“Yes, we’ve prepared for that.”

“Above all, I’m happy to see you again, Alisa.”

Alisa?

When I stiffened awkwardly at her seemingly familiar attitude, Patricia noticed and made a troubled face.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was too impolite. My feelings got ahead of me.”

“……Yes.”

The words ‘it was fine’ and that she should be comfortable wouldn’t come out. I just laughed it off awkwardly.

Fortunately, the next guest arrived soon. It was Karla.

“My, who do we have here. We get to see Lady Limnike.”

“It’s been a while, Countess Spendal.”

Karla exchanged greetings with Patricia. Though the content and tone were flawless, the air flowing between them wasn’t very friendly.

Then several noble ladies appeared in succession.

Jeanne came last. Everyone in the inner room knelt and paid their respects at her arrival.

“Glory to the Rose. We are honored to have you grace us with your presence.”

“Not at all. I’m the one who’s glad to join you.”

She looked around, examining the attendees. Jeanne’s manner of making eye contact with each person one by one appeared very dignified.

Her gaze met Patricia’s. Jeanne’s eyes grew deeper.

「Jeanne glared at Patricia persistently as if to burn her.」

Compared to others, significantly more time was spent greeting Patricia. I heard noble ladies whispering from behind. Seeing this, they were saying things like how House Limnike must be producing the Crown Princess.

The atmosphere was rather subtle for that. The text that appeared was also quite uncomfortable.

‘But Jeanne shouldn’t have any particular reason to be hostile toward Patricia.’

If I had known beforehand, I wouldn’t have invited Patricia no matter what. I couldn’t disturb the Imperial Princess’s mood.

“Well then, shall we take a walk in the garden first?”

I suggested going outside for some air.

Thanks to Harriet and the maids’ constant efforts, the preparations were perfect. They had remembered very well when I said I wanted to fully capture the villa’s pastoral atmosphere.

‘Of course, I barely took care of anything after that……”

Fortunately, everything was exactly as I had imagined.

The noble ladies and I moved deeper into the garden riding open carriages pulled by small donkeys.

“Oh my, how adorable!”

Some ladies found the donkeys cute, while others were unfamiliar with the new mode of transport.

“This way, my ladies.”

Julia welcomed us at the farmhouse inside the garden.

While guiding the noble ladies around the garden with her, we took a light walk, and then we reached the pond.

“You can fish in this pond.”

I spoke while standing slightly away from the pond’s edge. Though I wanted to go right up to it, I was also a bit scared of falling in again.

“Fishing? But that’s what men do.”

“How about trying it? The fishing rods are prepared.”

Other ladies hesitated at my suggestion. They seemed to be gauging what to do while checking each other’s reactions. Jeanne appeared to have no interest at all, leisurely fanning herself while focusing on the beauty of the water lilies.

“Alright, how do we do it?”

Karla was the first to step forward.

After learning how to handle the fishing rod from Julia, Karla sat boldly on the makeshift chair. She moved the fishing rod this way and that, and soon succeeded in catching a fish.

“Oh my, this is so fun!”

“Is it? Then I’ll try too.”

After Karla broke the ice, others followed one by one.

The noble ladies soon became absorbed in fishing, not even noticing their skirt hems getting wet.

There were many other things to do as well. The rural life experience continued with activities like looking around the vegetable garden and feeding the livestock.

The noble ladies, already thoroughly bored with boat rides and cards, quickly grew excited when new entertainment appeared. Text appeared and faded repeatedly following the direction of their movements.

“How did you come up with this idea? I should ask for a farmhouse like this too.”

“But it would be hard to decorate it like this, right? Just looking at this place shows how much His Grace cherishes his wife.”

The noble ladies praised me highly. Somehow today their words seemed especially kind and reactions bigger—I suppose it was because of Rashid.

At any other time I would have insisted absolutely not, that I just spent money as I pleased… but now I didn’t particularly feel like doing so, and merely showed a faint smile.

After spending time like that, we returned to the mansion.

The maid managing the tea room brought out tea sets and snacks. The teacups, warmed up, gleamed inside as if glazed, and perhaps due to added fragrance, gave off a faint cinnamon scent.

I poured tea into each cup one by one. Then I passed them to Jeanne first, with saucers underneath.

For snacks, there were orangettes and dried moon apples, peach tarts and scones, macarons filled with peach cream cheese, small sponge cakes topped with peach and lemon cream, crème brûlée, and more.

Pleasant conversation continued while enjoying tea and snacks. I made sure the guests’ cups didn’t run empty.

“This peach tart is absolutely delicious.”

Patricia exclaimed in delight after tasting the snacks. I found it a bit surprising to see her show such an expression.

“Oh, is it?”

“Yes. Madame Hezet, you should try it too.”

At Patricia’s recommendation, another noble lady put the tart in her mouth.

I turned my head briefly from watching that scene and asked Jeanne who sat beside me.

“Does the tea suit your taste, Your Highness?”

“Yes.”

While saying so, Jeanne elegantly extended her hand and picked up an orangette. She had been eating only orangettes and dried moon apples for several pieces now.

“The peach tart here is also very refreshing in its aroma.”

“Ah, I don’t eat peaches.”

I couldn’t help but be flustered at her response. This was because most of the snacks were made with peaches as ingredients.

I hurriedly apologized to Jeanne.

“Oh my, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Perhaps because it’s a summer fruit, we prepared many peach items. I’ll have them prepare more different snacks.”

“It’s fine, I can eat plenty of other things. Besides, I originally like these kinds of refreshing treats.”

As she said this, Jeanne smiled sweetly.

Only then did I feel regret. I should have been more attentive. No matter how hard Harriet and the maids prepared, mistakes like this happen when the host doesn’t properly understand their guests. My heart grew a bit heavy.

“Mmm.”

At that moment, Jeanne cleared her throat while pressing her vocal cords. She looked somewhat uncomfortable.

“Your Highness? Are you alright?”

“My throat hurts.”

She drew rough breaths.