Chapter 75. The Princess of Esolin Kingdom

“No. It’s just funny. The flower colors, this table…”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Your Highness Grand Duchess, people don’t usually use round tables like this. Who knows where anyone should sit with something like this?”

Giselle smiled sweetly. Emily, who had lost her seat and was now sitting across, held her forehead.

Surely Giselle had come determined to end this gathering.

She regretted asking Yuelina to invite Giselle.

“Giselle, the garden isn’t finished yet. And what’s wrong with the table?”

Emily raised her voice as if scolding Giselle. Giselle bit her lip.

“That’s right, my lady. I was planning to buy this table too!”

“The chairs are big enough for two people to sit, it’s so comfortable!”

Mary and Teresa chimed in.

“Hmph. And I suppose your garden was designed by adults?”

Even Chloe joined in mocking her. Giselle was dumbfounded.

Yuelina.

What kind of bribes had this woman offered for these proud noble ladies to all take her side?

Then the image of Armand’s plate flashed through Giselle’s mind.

Ah. So they’re acting like this because they received Armand’s plates?

Trying to curry favor because His Highness the Grand Duke seems to care about Yuelina?

Giselle snorted.

“By the way, I heard His Highness went to the Sebran Festival?”

Giselle smiled kindly while looking at Yuelina.

“Yes.”

“His Highness is famous for never attending festivals. He must have really wanted to go to the Southern Festival.”

“Yes, he said it was something he had to attend.”

It had already been ten days since Theo left. He would return to the mansion in just a few days.

Yuelina’s heart fluttered more as the time for Theo’s return grew shorter.

“From what I know, the Princess of Esolin Kingdom is also attending the Southern Festival.”

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold at her words.

Yuelina was taken aback by the sudden change in mood.

Giselle stared at Yuelina with a smile playing on her lips.

“Oh my, you don’t know who the Princess of Esolin Kingdom is?”

“Ah, no…”

“While the Esolin Kingdom may be a small country, their princesses are famous for their beauty.”

“Giselle! Why are you bringing up the Esolin princesses here!”

Emily glared at Giselle while striking the table.

But Giselle continued undaunted.

“Your Highness, do you know how many nobles wanted the Esolin Kingdom’s princesses? Even members of the imperial family.”

“Ah.”

“Would you like to know who that imperial family member was?”

“No, I…”

“As you might have guessed, it was His Highness the Grand Duke! Actually, they were even engaged, so I thought they would certainly marry.”

Yuelina’s expression, which had maintained a bright smile, slowly hardened.

Seeing Yuelina’s expression harden, Giselle felt relieved as if an old indigestion had cleared.

“Was it five years ago? They say His Highness protested, demanding the princess of the Esolin Kingdom. Said he wouldn’t leave without her.”

“……”

“Unfortunately, the King’s illness worsened, so they couldn’t proceed with the marriage. That’s why they sadly couldn’t marry.”

Giselle stared at Yuelina while resting her chin on her arm.

“Well, it’s a touching love story, but now he’s married to you, Your Highness.”

“……”

“Surely he didn’t go south just to see his past first love?”

“……”

“Come to think of it, His Highness went to attend the festival but left you behind?”

Yuelina lowered her head. Giselle wore a victorious smile.

“Giselle, stand up.”

“Emily?”

“Get out right now!”

Emily stood up abruptly and pulled Giselle to her feet.

Giselle looked at Emily with an aggrieved expression.

“What’s wrong? What did I do wrong!”

“What do you mean nothing wrong! You’re not even a Tea-Pie member!”

“Teresa is right! Get out right now!”

Teresa and Chloe also raised their voices against Giselle.

“I didn’t say anything wrong! Is there anyone who doesn’t know that His Highness loved the Princess of Esolin?”

“Then were you the Baron’s first love? How absurd!”

“That’s right! My husband wasn’t my first love either!”

Mary and Chloe crossed their arms and stood in front of Giselle.

Giselle flinched at the fierce glares of the two women.

“My lady.”

Someone called Giselle from behind. Giselle turned around.

It was Raye in her training attire. Raye looked down at Giselle with a cold expression.

“Please leave. I will escort you to the entrance.”

“Ah, no, who are you to…”

“Be quiet. If you say anything more, you’ll face serious consequences later.”

Raye spoke while staring at a large tree behind the garden.

Giselle followed Raye’s gaze to the tree. There was no one there.

But Raye stared at it as if someone was in the tree.

That somehow made Giselle even more afraid.

“I-I’m leaving! I was about to leave anyway because I’m busy!”

Giselle hurriedly left the garden.

The Tea-Pie members approached Yuelina with worried expressions.

“Yuelina, don’t mind it.”

“That’s right! Those rumors were exaggerated. His Highness didn’t protest, he threatened…”

“Teresa!”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant! Anyway, I wanted to say that His Highness cleanly broke off the engagement five years ago. And after that, he got married three times!”

Mary covered Teresa’s mouth.

Though Teresa spoke out of concern for Yuelina, her words would only make things worse.

Yuelina forced a calm expression and lifted her head with a smile.

“I’m fine. Of course His Highness must have had someone he liked. Everyone has a first love, right?”

“That’s right! It wasn’t first love, just puppy love!”

“That’s right, Yuelina. Past loves are all meaningless!”

The ladies unanimously took Yuelina’s side.

Yuelina was truly grateful to the ladies. But Giselle’s words kept coming back to her.

The fact that Theo went to the Southern Festival, and that the princess he had been engaged to was also there in the same place as Theo.

Yuelina hesitated before looking at the ladies.

“But is… the Princess of Esolin very pretty?”

Emily’s face fell.

Yuelina, shoulders slumped like a sad puppy, couldn’t properly lift her spirits.

“Yuelina, you’re much more beautiful than the princess. I guarantee it.”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant…”

“Emily is right! When I first saw Yuelina, I thought my heart would stop!”

“Me too! I thought a goddess was walking towards us!”

Yuelina found herself trapped in the ladies’ prison of compliments.

* * *

Theo headed to the banquet hall where the Magic Stone Festival was being held, wearing formal attire.

From the entrance, the banquet hall was preoccupied with showing off magic stones.

The artificial lake made of magic stones glowed brightly despite it being night, and the magic stones decorating the interior of the hall emitted hot energy when people approached.

Theo sipped his drink with a disinterested face from a corner.

He planned to just show his face briefly and leave quickly.

But even hiding in a corner couldn’t conceal his massive frame.

Moreover, it was rare for Theo to attend festivals.

Rumors spread quickly that Theo had come all the way to the South to attend the festival.

Theo was the center of attention for all the nobles at today’s festival.

Nobles who had advanced or wanted to advance to the imperial capital knew how developed the magic stone facilities were in the Northern Phaenyx Principality.

If the Empire hadn’t suppressed and concealed this fact in their effort to check the North’s power, Northern Phaenyx’s status would have been twice what it was now.

And who was Theo?

He was the man who had delivered victory flags to the Empire in all sorts of wars.

The spoils he had collected from wars alone would match the Empire’s wealth.

So they needed to make a good impression on Theo.

If they could gain his trust, they might be granted the processing methods for the magic stone facilities.

Or it was a golden opportunity to receive investment funds from him.

“Greetings, Your Highness!”

Just then, someone boldly offered a loud greeting in front of Theo.

The nobles who had been watching Theo’s mood perked up their ears.

“You may not know me well, Your Highness, but I…”

“Just pour some drinks and go.”

Theo cut off the man’s words and handed him an empty glass.

As if entranced, the man filled Theo’s glass without even realizing what he was doing.