Chapter 4 – Ophelia’s Chaperone

“I wanted to thank you for helping me earlier.”

“I was merely expressing my thoughts. But I’m glad if it was helpful.”

“You might not believe it, but I’ve always wanted to be close with Lady Keppel.”

Celia quickly added, as if to dispel any misunderstanding.

“Since Duke Keppel is His Majesty’s close friend.”

And his rival in love, I thought but smiled innocently, pretending to know nothing.

“And you are a lady whom I deeply admire.”

“I am honored, Your Majesty.”

“Please, don’t be. I regret not arranging such a meeting sooner.”

I kept smiling, but the situation was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Does she want something from me? Why did she summon me out of the blue?

“In truth,”

As if reading my mind, Celia continued.

“I haven’t announced it publicly yet, but I am pregnant.”

I was startled but quickly stood up, knelt, and bowed without showing my surprise.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”

Celia helped me up as she spoke.

“I haven’t told anyone yet because it’s still early. There’s always a risk of miscarriage in the early stages.”

Celia seemed somewhat melancholic, perhaps due to the early stage of her pregnancy. Unsure how to respond, I quietly sat back down.

“I plan to tell everyone that I’m unwell and need rest, but the problem is that His Majesty’s younger sister, Princess Ophelia, is about to make her debut.”

Ah, Ophelia. I became interested, as she was a character from the original story. Ophelia, now nearly 16, was Cade’s only sister in the original story. Well, not exactly the only sibling; she was the only one who survived after all the Emperor’s other brothers were killed in the battle for the throne…

The Emperor eliminated all the princes who competed for the throne, winning the civil war and completing a bloody purge before ascending the throne. However, he spared his sisters who were married off to other countries and his younger sister, as there was no justification for killing them.

In the original story, Ophelia was unintentionally a cupid for the Emperor and Celia’s love.

“But there’s no one to chaperone Ophelia. As you know…”

Ophelia’s maternal relatives were all killed in the bloody purge. Furthermore, with civil wars occurring whenever a new emperor ascended, there were no suitable relatives left in the royal family. So the only person who could chaperone Ophelia was the Empress herself.

“Could you possibly be Ophelia’s chaperone?”

Me? I can barely take care of myself! I was taken aback but managed to maintain a composed smile. Unaware of my inner turmoil, Celia earnestly pleaded.

“I first asked the Dowager Duchess Keppel, but she declined. There’s no suitable person in my family either. For a princess’s chaperone, it should be someone from a distinguished family who can act without self-interest, and Lady Keppel is the only one who fits that role.”

Of course… Countess Bailey would likely want to make Ophelia her daughter-in-law, and Lady Avery… the same.

“Viscountess Pillsbury, who was in charge of Ophelia’s education, recently had an accident. I wanted to do it myself, but His Majesty wouldn’t allow it due to my pregnancy.”

Celia whispered softly.

“I had a miscarriage once before.”

“Oh, I am so sorry to hear that…”

“It was due to stress.”

As I watched Celia drink her tea, I remembered something about chamomile and spoke up.

“Your Majesty, I am not an expert, but I’ve heard that chamomile isn’t good for pregnant women.”

Celia, who had momentarily frozen at my words, slowly set down her teacup.

“…Really?”

“Those without access to divine or magical healing often rely on various folk remedies. It’s something I picked up before I got married.”

The church, driven by power and donations, often left commoners more familiar with magic than divine blessings. While a couple of chamomile teas wouldn’t be harmful, if the tea’s effects were amplified by magic, it could be a different story.

But bringing that up might be overstepping. Besides, these were herbs the Empress had personally cultivated and brewed…

After a moment of silence, Celia forced a smile.

“Lady Keppel must have had a difficult time before marriage too. I did as well. I think we can be good friends.”

I just smiled. Celia was born a noble lady, maintaining her grace and elegance even when fleeing and hiding. Everyone treated her with utmost respect, recognizing her noble status, as mentioned in the novel. In contrast, I was often mistaken for a maid accompanying a widow.

Maybe there is a significant difference between the protagonist and an extra. Or perhaps the memories of my past life as a commoner left a lingering scent of earthiness on my soul.

“…Will you be Ophelia’s chaperone?”

How could I refuse the Empress’s request?

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

***

Returning home, the first thing I did was inform my mother-in-law that I had agreed to be Princess Ophelia’s debutante chaperone.

“You’ve taken on a troublesome task.”

“Should I have refused?”

“It’s troublesome, but you couldn’t have refused. I expected Her Majesty the Empress to be the chaperone herself…”

“She seems unwell.”

“If it becomes too burdensome, I’ll speak to Her Majesty and offer to be the chaperone instead.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine.”

It wouldn’t look good to back out now after agreeing to it. Besides, Celia’s close associates likely think I dislike Celia because of Ian. Perhaps even Celia herself thought so, which is why she hadn’t contacted me for the past three years.

Maybe she thought we could become friends after I had been quiet for three years.

Honestly, I also wanted to take this opportunity to get close to Celia, the protagonist I liked. Even if I hadn’t liked Celia from reading the original novel, who could refuse the beautiful Empress asking to be friends?

“Chaperoning a royal is different from chaperoning a regular debutante. However, it shouldn’t be too difficult. While a regular chaperone would introduce the debutante to people, you just need to introduce the people who come to greet the princess. The most important thing is…”

People who come to greet royalty cannot speak to them first. Ophelia must initiate the conversation. Therefore, the most important role for me would be to identify the highest-ranking individuals among those who come to greet and guide them in the right order, ensuring Ophelia initiates the conversation.

“You’ll do well.”

I responded to my mother-in-law’s encouragement with a modest smile. Even if I didn’t do well, there was no one else to take on the role. From the moment I decided to be Ophelia’s chaperone, I would have to enter the royal palace regularly.

***

“Lady Keppel! You’ve arrived?”

“Your Highness.”

As soon as I knelt to bow, Ophelia linked arms with me.

“I’m so glad Lady Keppel will be my chaperone.”

“It’s an honor for my family.”

“If you hadn’t agreed, my debut would have been postponed by a year.”

There were instances where debutantes postponed their debuts due to family difficulties or a period of mourning. But it was almost unheard of for a royal to postpone their debut.

“I don’t want to delay my debut. I want to get married soon.”

“Is that so?”

That was unexpected. If it were me, I would live as a princess and never marry. Perhaps she was still too young or found palace life stifling? Or maybe she was scared of Cade.

“Since you’re my chaperone, I want to choose dresses together. What do you think?”

“Do you have a design in mind?”

“Look at this. I drew it myself.”

Ophelia showed me her dress designs. The first design was a daring sheath dress, revealing both the front and back and accentuating the figure from the waist to the hips. I had never worn something so daring before.

“You have a talent for drawing, Your Highness. But since it’s your debut, I think something more modest would be better…”

“Oh my, you’re already acting as my chaperone?”

“Since Her Majesty the Empress personally requested it, I must be diligent. Such a dress can wait until after your debut.”

I didn’t want to wear it. The debutante dress code required white, so to match her, I’d need a different color but a similar design. Given my short stature, it wouldn’t suit me.

Ophelia, like most royals, was tall, slender, and would look good in such a dress. If the Empress were the chaperone, both would look picturesque. I selected the most modest A-line dress among her designs.

“This design is classic but lovely. It’s the standard for debutantes.”

“That was just a sketch…”

“But it will suit you perfectly, Your Highness.”

Though she seemed displeased, Ophelia reluctantly nodded at my insistence. I felt a sudden surge of power. I could make the Emperor’s sister do something she disliked… If I were still Miss Hershey instead of Lady Keppel, I wouldn’t even have the chance to greet her at the debutante ball. Moreover, I wouldn’t have had the funds to attend the social season in the capital.

While I was basking in this newfound power, a maid approached the princess and said,

“Your Highness, Duke Keppel has arrived.”

“Oh! Please show him in.”

What? Why is the Duke here?

“Lady Keppel, I invited him. Isn’t it a great idea?”

“Pardon?”

“I wanted him to help you choose your outfits since he’s your partner. I asked him to come if he had time, and it seems he isn’t busy today.”

He always tells me he’s busy. This is unbelievable. I forced a smile as I rose to follow Ophelia. As the doors opened, Ian strode in and halted at the sight of me.