Chapter 69

“Raffy, make lots of friends and have fun.”  

Lia knelt down and gently cupped her daughter’s cheek with her hand.  

“…Mm!”  

Rafaella, nervous at the thought of meeting the Imperial Princess today, answered a beat late.  

“Don’t forget that no one can treat you carelessly.”  

Someone might try to pick a fight with Rafaella about her background.  

Even though it was a tea party only for young noble ladies, there could be a mean child like Marco.  

“You’re the daughter of House Blumhart, so if there’s anyone like that, don’t hold back, got it?”  

“Yes!”  

Rafaella nodded her head.  

Lia kissed both of her daughter’s cheeks.  

Not only was it her first time meeting the Imperial Princess, but also her first time meeting friends her own age from noble families, so Lia’s hands were sweating too.  

‘…Please let her come back without any trouble.’  

She prayed as she watched Rafaella get into the carriage with Johann.  

Rafaella waved at Lia from inside the carriage.  

“Mom, I’ll be back!”  

“Have a good time.”  

Lia waved back.  

The carriage passed through the huge iron gates of House Blumhart and headed for the Imperial Palace.  

“There’s nothing to be nervous about, Raffy.”  

Johann took his daughter’s hand.  

“I’ll be watching from afar with His Highness the Crown Prince, and Lady Lucia is just as kind as His Highness.”  

“…Yes!”  

Rafaella’s tension eased a little at Johann’s gentle voice.  

At the entrance of the Crown Prince’s palace, unexpectedly, the Crown Prince himself was waiting.  

“…Your Highness, why have you come out yourself?”  

Johann asked as he got out of the carriage.  

“Ahem, it’s my daughter’s first tea party, so shouldn’t I personally welcome the guests?”  

Matthias answered with his hands behind his back.  

“Your Highness, you are truly extraordinary.”  

“…I greet His Highness the Crown Prince, the little sun of the heavens.”  

From the side, Rafaella greeted politely.  

“Let’s skip the stiff formalities between us.”  

Matthias bent down and met Rafaella’s eyes.  

“I’m your godfather now. Next time, just greet me casually.”  

“Yes, Godfather!”  

Rafaella answered energetically.  

“Ha ha, I like the sound of ‘Godfather.’”  

Matthias lifted Rafaella up in both arms.  

“Kya!”  

“Your Highness, you’re scaring the child. Please put her down.”  

Johann said sternly, trying to stop Matthias.  

“Huh? Lucia liked it. Are you scared, Rafaella?”  

“No, it’s fun!”  

Rafaella burst out laughing.  

Johann’s face hardened even more.  

‘Even I haven’t done that with Raffy, and His Highness is the first….’  

Seeing Johann’s burning eyes, Matthias burst into hearty laughter.  

“My goodness, Johann. Are you jealous of me right now?”  

“…If you know, then please put her down.”  

Johann replied through gritted teeth.  

“All right, all right. Your expression is so scary, I can’t do it anymore.”  

Matthias put Rafaella down and wiped tears from his eyes.  

“Rafaella, from now on your father will let you see the sky as much as you want.”  

“Really?”  

Rafaella’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Johann.  

“Yes. I’ll do it anytime.”  

Johann straightened Rafaella’s disheveled clothes.  

“Now, Rafaella. It’s time to go to the tea party.”  

Matthias signaled to a maid standing nearby.  

“I will escort you, Young Lady.”  

Rafaella waved to Johann and followed the maid.  

The maid opened a door with large windows and led Rafaella to a place with tables decorated with flowers and several chairs.  

There, four noble young ladies were already seated.  

“If you wait here with the other young ladies, Lady Lucia will be here soon.”  

“Yes.”  

After the maid stepped back, Rafaella approached the young ladies.  

“Nice to meet you, Lady Blumhart.”  

A young lady with impressively curly blonde hair greeted Rafaella first.  

She looked about two years older than Rafaella.  

“Oh my, so you’re the Lady Blumhart?”  

The brown-haired young lady beside her covered her mouth with her hand.  

“I am Emilia of the Hessel Marquisate.”  

Following the lead of the blonde young lady, everyone introduced themselves.  

“I am Rafaella von Blumhart.”  

Rafaella finally spoke.  

“…Pfft, a country girl saying ‘von’?”  

The brown-haired one—that is, Lady Frey—turned her head and sneered.  

“Lady Frey, that’s rude to Lady Blumhart.”  

Lady Hessel smiled as she scolded her.  

Rafaella saw the contempt that flashed in her eyes.  

…It was the same contempt as Lady Frey’s.  

If Lady Frey was like Marco, Lady Hessel seemed to be a step above.  

Pretending not to, but even more aristocratic about it.  

“Didn’t you come from the north last year, Lady?”  

“…Yes.”  

“If it’s the north, have you ever seen monsters?”  

Once Rafaella sat down, the young ladies bombarded her with questions.  

“But how did you come all the way here from such a mountain village?”  

Lady Lindblum, who was the same age as Rafaella, asked.  

“She wasn’t a noble young lady back then, so she must have come in a freight wagon.”  

Lady Weiss, who had freckles on her face, answered in Rafaella’s place.  

“Ugh, a freight wagon.”  

Lady Frey wrinkled her nose.  

“Lady Frey. That’s extremely rude.”  

Lady Hessel scolded her.  

“…Sorry, I have a weak stomach.”  

Lady Frey apologized to Rafaella with a face that wasn’t sorry at all.  

“Oh dear, it must be hard for you with such a weak stomach.”  

Lady Hessel patted Lady Frey’s back.  

To Rafaella, it felt like watching a play.  

A play where she was being looked down on.  

‘…They’re all just like Marco.’  

If Marco had openly looked down on Rafaella, these young ladies pretended to be cultured while looking down on her.  

The day before, Johann had told Rafaella about the young ladies coming to the tea party and their families.  

None of the girls here, except for Lucia, belonged to families that had the right to use ‘von.’  

That meant, except for Lucia, Rafaella ranked highest among them.  

Yet they were looking down on her.  

…They must all know this.  

“Lady Blumhart, please understand. We only live in the mansion in the capital.”  

Lady Hessel raised the corners of her mouth in a fake smile.  

“We have trouble with dirty and filthy things.”  

Lady Weiss chimed in.  

Her Mom had said so that if someone looked down on her, she shouldn’t just let it go.  

‘You’re the daughter of House Blumhart, so no one can look down on you.’  

Rafaella clenched both hands under the table.  

“What’s dirty about a freight wagon?”  

She wasn’t going to put up with it!  

“What?”  

Lady Weiss asked back.  

“I asked what’s dirty and filthy about a freight wagon.”  

“Well, just look at it and you can tell.”  

Lady Lindblum replied timidly.  

“Do you know that the fabric for the clothes you wear every day and the ingredients for your food are delivered by those freight wagons?”  

Rafaella looked around at the young ladies before her.  

“Then the clothes you’re wearing right now must be dirty too?”  

“……”  

No one could say anything.  

“…Lady Blumhart, calm down.”  

Lady Hessel gave her the same fake smile.  

“I’m fine.”  

Rafaella replied.  

“Don’t you see how uncomfortable you’re making everyone?”  

They had been fine until now, but suddenly now it was uncomfortable.  

The shamelessness was unbelievable.  

“…This is why background matters.”  

Lady Frey muttered quietly.  

“Her birth mother is a commoner, isn’t she?”  

Lady Weiss agreed.  

“We should be understanding.”  

Lady Hessel put on a benevolent expression and encouraged the other ladies.  

They were at most nine or ten years old, but their cunning was beyond words.  

Creak.  

Rafaella, unable to stand it any longer, stood up.  

“What are you all doing right now?”  

“…Your Highness!”  

Lucia, the protagonist of today’s tea party, appeared.  

“It seems there’s a street urchin here, not a noble young lady.”  

Lucia swept her gaze across the group, her expression stern.  

“Lady Blumhart is still inexperienced…”  

Lady Hessel cautiously began.  

“I was talking about you, Lady.”  

Lucia glared at her.  

“And the young ladies beside you as well.”  

“…Your Highness, how could you say that to us!”  

Lady Frey’s face reddened.  

“Lady Frey, did you just dare raise your voice to me?”  

“…No, Your Highness. I wouldn’t dare.”  

Lady Frey bowed her head.  

“It seemed to me that you were all looking down on Lady Blumhart, the daughter of my godfather and the young lady of one of the Empire’s five great ducal families. Am I wrong?”  

She was only ten years old, but Lucia’s voice was full of authority.  

“……”  

The young ladies, frightened, lowered their heads even further.  

“It looks like I’ll have to enjoy the tea party only with Lady Blumhart, who has been properly educated.”  

Lucia gently placed her hand on Rafaella’s shoulder.  

“…Your Highness. Th-that’s…”  

Lady Hessel was visibly flustered and stammered.  

“How can I enjoy refreshments with those who have been rude to Lady Blumhart?”  

Unless they apologized to Rafaella, Lucia meant she would throw them out.  

Not just this once, but forever.  

If their parents found out, it would be a disaster.  

Gulping, Lady Hessel and the other young ladies approached Rafaella.  

“…Lady Blumhart, please forgive my rudeness.”  

Lady Hessel bowed her head first.  

“We treated you with prejudice. Please forgive us.”  

Lady Frey and the others followed, bowing politely.  

It was a forced apology, but now they would never look down on Rafaella again.  

They must have finally realized her status.  

“Lady Blumhart, do you want to accept their apology?”  

Lucia whispered kindly.  

“…If it doesn’t happen again, I’ll accept their apology.”  

“Yes. It will never happen again.”  

The four young ladies nodded earnestly.  

Her daddy had said in the carriage:  

“Rafaella, a tea party is a small version of society, so let me give you some advice…”  

Rafaella listened closely.  

“There’s no need to make enemies in society.”  

“Yes.”  

“But you also shouldn’t let anyone act arrogantly toward you.”  

“…Then what should I do?”  

She wasn’t supposed to make enemies, but also not let herself be ignored.  

“You make them submit. Use the carrot and stick appropriately.”  

(T/N: The idiom “carrot and stick” refers to a motivational approach that combines rewards and punishments to encourage desired behavior. It implies using both positive incentives (the “carrot”) and negative consequences (the “stick”) to influence someone’s actions.)

At seven years old, it was too hard for Rafaella to understand.  

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it when the time comes.”  

Rafaella turned her head.  

At the end of her gaze was Lucia, who had acted exactly as her father advised.  

“Well then, shall we all take our seats?”  

Lucia quickly took control of the situation and led everyone with ease.  

‘…She’s amazing.’  

Rafaella wanted to become like Lucia too.