Chapter 61. Emily’s Purple Invitation

* * *

Three days passed quickly.

The Black Mansion remained quiet without Theo.

The only thing that changed was the gloomy and messy garden.

Not only the back of the Black Mansion but also the overgrown grass in the front had been cut short.

Yuelina looked around the neatly arranged garden while wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

Maelyn and Raye, who were sticking close to her side, did the same.

“Does it look okay?”

“Yes! I think we just need to add flowers, tables, and chairs now!”

Yuelina shrugged her shoulders with a satisfied face.

Maelyn and Raye gave Yuelina a thumbs up.

“Weren’t you tired? Your Highness pulled out almost all the weeds yourself.”

“That’s right. It would have been easier if you had the servants do it.”

“No, I don’t want others to have extra work because of me.”

Yuelina organized her thoughts while looking at the garden.

Although they had primarily cleared out the overgrown weeds, there was still much work to be done to plant flowers and set up tables.

Moreover, adding flowers and tables would cost money, so it needed to be done carefully and frugally.

“Is it because you want to complete it before His Highness the Grand Duke returns?”

Maelyn asked slyly while watching Yuelina’s sparkling eyes.

Yuelina shyly nodded her head slightly.

“His Highness the Grand Duke will like it.”

Raye told Yuelina with a confident face.

What made Yuelina seriously commit to decorating the garden was Raye’s words.

“What kind of person was His Highness’s father?”

“Hmm. I don’t know much, but they say he was a kind person who loved reading books. Gardening was also his hobby.”

After Theo left, Raye diligently told Yuelina stories about Theo.

Most were about his difficult life on the streets when he left for war, but occasionally, there were stories about Theo’s family.

The alcohol that Karenrose, Theo’s mother and the previous Grand Duke, had liked.

And the garden and walking paths of the Black Mansion that Theo’s father had loved.

While listening attentively to Raye’s stories, Yuelina suddenly realized she had never once heard about Theo’s father.

That was because Theo’s father had passed away when he was eight years old due to worsening illness.

Theo had fewer memories of his father than even his mother, who frequently left the principality for work.

The well-maintained garden began to deteriorate from that time.

“Will His Highness the Grand Duke really like the garden?”

“Of course. They say His Highness also loved flowers and trees when he was young.”

Above all, Yuelina was decorating the garden for Theo.

Raye was certain.

Theo would be overjoyed when he learned of this.

“Her Highness the Grand Duchess.”

Just then,

The butler in charge of the Black Mansion’s general management walked toward Yuelina.

“An invitation has arrived for Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

“An invitation?”

The butler held out a glossy purple invitation.

Yuelina received the invitation he handed over with a bewildered face.

It was an invitation sealed with a burgundy wax seal bearing a leaf pattern.

“This, this is!”

Maelyn’s eyes widened as she saw the pattern on the envelope.

Both Raye and Yuelina tilted their heads looking at Maelyn.

“It’s Lady Emily Brown’s invitation!”

Maelyn started making a fuss, stomping her feet beside them.

“You don’t know the Brown family?!”

“Ah, I’ve heard of them.”

Raye had also heard of the Brown family.

The Count of Brown family was a prestigious family recognized not only in the Phaenyx Principality but also in the Bios Empire.

They owned several magic stone mines in the principality and were good at processing them, even supplying to the Bios Empire.

Especially Emily Brown. She’s at the center of northern social circles.

The invitations she sent weren’t something you could receive just because you wanted them.

“If it’s a purple invitation, it’s not for a party but for tea time! That’s even harder to receive!”

Maelyn said brightly with an excited face.

Emily Brown’s purple invitation.

It was for a tea time starting at noon in the garden in front of her mansion.

Though called a tea time, it was where abundant social rumors and gossip were exchanged.

Those rumors and topics naturally included important information that could help their husbands.

Receiving Emily’s purple invitation meant that one could easily enter any social gathering from now on.

So naturally, Maelyn couldn’t help but be in a good mood.

A place had been arranged where Yuelina, who had been cooped up in the mansion, could show off her beauty and dignity.

And to think the first stepping stone was Emily’s purple invitation!

It was worth screaming about.

“Aren’t you happy, Your Highness? The noble ladies are now taking interest in you!”

“Should I… really go?”

Meanwhile, Yuelina hesitated.

She couldn’t gauge whether it was a place she should attend.

Although she had heard about social gatherings from Maelyn, they felt like distant stories to her.

She was a foreigner in the principality. She still wasn’t confident whether the principality’s people would view her positively.

To receive such a sudden invitation in this situation…

Yuelina was a bit flustered.

“Your Highness, actually receiving the invitation now is late. Originally, invitations should have been flooding in for Your Highness as the Grand Duchess!”

“Really?”

“Yes! Of course! Perhaps until now, because they were afraid of His Highness the Grand Duke…”

Maelyn stopped mid-sentence.

Because Raye gave her a sharp look.

“Your Highness, Maelyn is right that the invitation is late.”

“I see…”

“And if you accept this invitation, more invitations will come in the future. Then you’ll have more occasions to go out.”

Raye continued speaking gently.

Maelyn was afraid Yuelina might reject the invitation.

Raye was a former knight, not just a simple maid. She was also someone Theo trusted.

That’s why she could be comfortable with herself as a lady’s maid.

“If I attend the gathering, could it help His Highness the Grand Duke?”

“Of course, Your Highness! Especially at Lady Emily’s social gatherings, various information is exchanged! It will be of great help to His Highness!”

Maelyn quickly spoke up.

Raye also nodded in agreement.

It was well-known even among the knights that the information from gatherings of noble ladies was truly valuable.

“Alright. Then tell them I’ll attend!”

“Eek! Really? You’re really going?!”

Maelyn jumped up and down excitedly on the spot.

Yuelina smiled, watching such an excited Maelyn.

“Is there anything special I need to prepare?”

“Hmm… First, we should have a dress made, and it would be good to change your hair accessories too!”

“No, not that. I mean for those ladies.”

“Oh! That’s good too! A small gift to win the noble ladies’ favor would be nice!”

Maelyn’s eyes sparkled.

“Yes. And let’s buy a dress each for both of you too, Maelyn and Raye.”

“Re-really?!”

“Of course. We’ll all go together! I won’t go alone!”

Yuelina smiled brightly.

* * *

Theo’s party, who had been riding non-stop to the southern Sebran region, rented an inn in a small village.

They had to rest because if they didn’t, the horses might collapse from exhaustion.

“We’ll depart at dawn tomorrow.”

Theo firmly told Ulysse, who was carrying luggage into the inn.

The captain of the Phaenyx First Knight Order and the porters who were carrying luggage together frowned.

It had been a truly arduous journey.

Saying they needed to arrive early, Theo had insisted on taking winding and treacherous mountain paths while ignoring the flat roads.

Thanks to that, they had only crossed mountains with no restaurants nearby.

While the horses only needed the same feed and water to rest, the others desperately needed proper meals.

If they were to depart at dawn tomorrow, they only had dinner left.

“Hey, innkeeper! Cook all the food in the kitchen!”

“We-we’ll take it to go, so don’t leave anything!”

They urgently handed money to the innkeeper.

The innkeeper ran to the kitchen and ordered the chef to cook everything using all the ingredients in the storage.

Ulysse sighed deeply as he looked at Theo’s indifferent expression.