Despite having only an hour to prepare, Brynn managed to get Stella ready with impressive skill.

With quick, deft strokes, she transformed Stella’s tangled hair, which had become messy from the hurried walk through the forest, into a glossy, smooth style. There wasn’t time for a full bath, so she gently cleansed Stella’s face and hands with warm water infused with a drop of essential oil.

She also made sure to polish each of Stella’s nails. Brynn achieved remarkable results in a short time with her focused effort.

“How perfectly this green dress suits you!”

Brynn, as if she had met a prince charming at first sight, clasped her hands together as if in prayer and endlessly praised Stella’s beauty with sparkling eyes.

Stella found Brynn’s overly enthusiastic expression so amusing that she laughed out loud, which lifted her spirits a bit. However, it didn’t make the prospect of attending the tea party any more enjoyable.

“I think it would be best to wear the diamond necklace and ring.”

This decision was made by Milla after comparing them with the yellow sapphire set. Stella’s bright blonde hair and green dress complemented each other beautifully.

The dress, which was a shade of dark green rather than a bright, vibrant color, highlighted Stella’s fair skin and radiant blonde hair. It was an outfit that truly maximized Stella’s strengths.

Milla, who was calm and always composed, and Brynn, who was easily excited and quick to laugh or cry, had opposite personalities, yet they displayed the best partnership when it came to adorning Stella.

Milla was satisfied with Brynn’s makeup and hairstyling, while Brynn admired Milla’s taste in selecting dresses and jewelry.

“It’s time for you to depart now.”

At this moment, the two of them, who were in perfect sync, nodded and looked at Stella. Their expressions were solemn, as if they were sending a comrade off to battle.

The garden of Müiget Castle had many more flowers and trees compared to Stella’s barren garden. The garden, as beautiful as a painting, was always filled with a pleasant fragrance.

The tea party venue prepared by Princess Annette was set near a flowerbed full of peonies and hydrangeas within the garden. As they entered the place, which was a sea of pink and purple, the invited princesses couldn’t help but express their admiration.

The area around the lavishly set table was filled with hydrangeas in soft hues.

The princesses entered the tea party venue with a graceful, fairy-like demeanor. With each step they took, the flowing skirts of their dresses fluttered gently.

The beautifully adorned princesses blended perfectly with the splendid flowerbed, as if they had always been there.

“Oh my, Princess Lianne, your brooch is absolutely stunning.”

“It’s part of a set of jewels my father sent me last month.”

Princess Lianne, buoyed by the compliments, proudly showed off the brooch she was wearing, emphasizing the word “set” to imply that she had received several pieces at once. The princesses began conversations by complimenting each other’s dresses and jewelry.

Although Stella had been invited, she didn’t feel particularly thrilled about being there. Since her arrival, no one had approached her to engage in conversation.

Why invite her if they were going to ignore her?

Stella sighed deeply but calmed her mind. At least the earth fairies who accompanied her seemed to enjoy the garden of Müiget Castle, making the time bearable.

“Princess Annette, how beautiful your garden is!”

“The flowers are so lovely. The gardener at Müiget Castle must be very skilled.”

Stella, who had been listening with a disinterested expression, suddenly perked up at that moment. She hadn’t found any topic interesting until she heard the word “gardener,” which piqued her curiosity.

What intrigued her most was why Müiget Castle had a dedicated gardener. Stella thought it better to ask now than to regret not doing so later.

“Does Müiget Castle have a dedicated gardener?”

Stella’s unexpected question abruptly halted the lively conversation. The expressions seemed to ask, “Why would she ask something like that?” The awkward silence was broken by Princess Annette.

“Doesn’t Verdura Castle have one?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Ah, I see. As you can observe, Müiget Castle is larger and has more staff compared to other castles. However, the budget allocated to each castle by the Credion Empire is quite similar. That’s why support from the homeland is crucial.

The garden at Verdura Castle also needs attention. Why not hire a gardener with the budget sent from Amalrune? The imperial palace has plenty of gardeners.”

The gardener Annette referred to wasn’t an official royal gardener but rather a dedicated team assigned to princesses held as hostages.

This dedicated team served as a stepping stone for becoming an official royal gardener. Those who excelled there were sometimes formally employed as royal gardeners.

However, hiring them incurred additional expenses. Most princesses, except Stella, employed them. As soon as Annette finished speaking, the princesses sneered as if they had been waiting for this moment.

“The labor costs in the Credion Empire and Amalrune are quite different.”

“I’m sure Princess Stella’s dedicated maid would have informed her.”

“After all, could a princess of a nation possibly lack the funds to hire a gardener?”

The princesses, who had already figured out the treatment Stella received in Amalrune, continued their conversation with laughter.

Stella’s situation was such that she couldn’t even dream of hiring a gardener, as she received no support from her homeland. The other princesses, who weren’t part of the conversation, chuckled as they glanced at Stella. They, too, had seen the garden at Verdura Castle.

Since the castle was so secluded, they had to go out of their way to see it, but the barren garden looked so much like Stella’s circumstances that they laughed heartily at the sight of the desolate land.

“Are those girls worried about you?”

Ark, who was sitting on Stella’s lap with the other fairies, asked innocently as he popped a cookie crumb into his mouth.

Oton, sitting next to him with her arms crossed, gave him a sharp knock on the head and shouted.

“Are you an idiot? They’re mocking Stella!”

“No, it seems like they’re worried.”

Esta asked with wide eyes, and Iver nodded in agreement with a gentle blink. Oton sighed deeply at their simple-mindedness.

“This is why I don’t have proper conversations with you guys. Look at Stella’s face. Does she look thankful for their concern?”

At Oton’s question, the three of them looked up. Seeing Stella’s tense expression, they turned back to Oton.

“I don’t think so.”

“She looks angry.”

Iver nodded.

“Those princesses are insulting Stella!”

“No, it sounded like they were concerned.”

When Ark tilted his head in confusion again, Oton’s expression grew even more exasperated.

“You need to think about the hidden meaning in their words!”

Just as Oton couldn’t hold back her frustration and raised her voice, she pointed somewhere and spoke in a slow voice.

“Hey, look at that.”

“What? Why?”

The earth fairies turned their heads in the direction Oton pointed, looking puzzled.

“Oh? It’s Golden Bloom!”

“Indeed! Why is it blooming here?”

Hearing the earth fairies’ murmurs, Stella, who had been looking down, realized they were all looking at something and turned her head in the same direction.

There, she saw a few peonies of an unusual color that she hadn’t noticed before.

Among the naturally purple, beautiful peonies, the flower the earth fairies called Golden Bloom had a dull color like autumn leaves.

At first glance, it looked diseased or withered, but upon closer inspection, it was just the color that was different; each petal was full of life. That wasn’t all.

After recognizing Golden Bloom, she felt a peculiar energy emanating from the flower. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, so she found herself looking at it repeatedly.

Annette was curious about how Stella would react after hearing the princesses’ sneers.

After giving the princesses a subtle look to stop, she turned to Stella, who, instead of being hurt or intimidated, was staring intently at something as if she were lost in thought.

It felt as if Stella wasn’t the one being excluded from the conversation, but rather everyone else was, except for Stella. This made Annette feel a sense of defiance.

“Princess Stella, what are you looking at over there?”

“May I go over and take a closer look at that flower?”

Stella’s response was entirely unexpected for Annette. A flower, out of nowhere. Annette realized that Stella hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation at all, which annoyed her.

“What flower are you talking about?”

Startled by her own sharp tone, Annette quickly composed her expression.

She couldn’t allow herself to become like the other princesses who made light of things. She had to maintain her elegance because she was destined to become an empress.

“That brown flower over there.”

Annette’s gaze sharpened as she turned to where Stella was pointing. Amidst the beautiful flowers, there were a few unsightly ones mixed in.

Annette’s delicate eyebrows furrowed. It felt like a stain on her carefully chosen dress. A maid, who had been observing Annette’s state, quickly approached and spoke tactfully.

“I’ll go and remove them.”