Chapter 8 – Danger Quietly Under Happiness (Part 4)

On the day of the tea party, Ria couldn’t stop fidgeting with her fingers even while getting dressed. It was a completely different kind of tension from the royal banquet. She was so nervous that she couldn’t sleep the night before and only fell asleep thanks to Rune’s soothing.

She felt more burdened by having to meet other nobles in her original form, not the one altered by a magic potion, than the excitement of her first invitation from a friend here.

“Miss, how would you like your hair done?”

“Just leave it down.”

“It might be a bit hot, so I’ve prepared a slightly thinner dress. Instead, I’ve prepared a thicker shawl for you to wear over it. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Then we’ll go with this ivory dress.”

Today, the dressing time felt unusually short. She wasn’t even mentally prepared yet.

“We’re done.”

When she opened her eyes at the maid’s words, her lightly made-up face was reflected in the mirror. Her cheeks, lightly dusted with pink blush, emphasized her loveliness, and her lips, tinted just enough to show some color, were moist and eye-catching.

“Miss, should we go with these accessories?”

Another maid brought out a set of diamond jewelry and showed it to Ria. The sparkling shine felt burdensome, but since Serena had insisted on dressing up as splendidly as possible so no one could look down on her, Ria reluctantly nodded. The weight of the jewelry on her ears and neck was quite heavy.

With the jewelry on and shoes matching the dress, she was all set. Standing in front of the full-length mirror brought by the maid, the diamond necklace on her deeply cut square neckline stood out.

‘Getting ready each time is so exhausting.’

She already felt like she had used up all her energy for the day. It was tiring just sitting and being dressed. She wondered how much more tiring it must be for those doing the dressing, but recalling past memories, she dismissed the thought.

When she had asked if it was tiring to dress her for hours, the maids had waved it off, saying it was their job, and had even sparkled their eyes, saying it was fun to dress someone so beautiful.

“You look so beautiful today, too, Miss!”

“Thank you.”

Ria smiled, momentarily forgetting her fatigue, at the maids who praised her with sparkling eyes. She was grateful for their consistent kindness.

As she left the room, Kahin, who was waiting outside the door, paused for a moment when he saw her, then smiled warmly.

“You look beautiful today as well.”

Ria’s cheeks turned red at the different feeling from when the maids complimented her. Kahin chuckled softly, finding her endearing as she blushed shyly each time.

“Shall we go?”

Ria gently placed her hand on his arm extended for escort. The solid feel of his arm gave her a sense of stability, easing her tension bit by bit. She had a good feeling that she could successfully get through the tea party.

As the carriage moved smoothly, they soon arrived in front of the Marchioness’s mansion, where Serena greeted her warmly.

“Welcome, Ria!”

“Serena. Thank you for inviting me.”

“It’s been a while, Marchioness Rosevita.”

“Have you been well, Lord Fernon? You’re here as a guard, right?”

“Yes.”

Serena lightly greeted Kahin, who had come along, and whispered softly to Ria.

“Everyone seems very curious about you. They arrived much earlier than the time stated on the invitation and have been waiting. They really have nothing better to do…….”

“Ahaha, Serena. Let’s go in quickly.”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Lord Fernon, I’ll have you escorted to a separate parlor room. Butler, please guide him.”

“Please follow me.”

Before Serena’s true feelings could slip out, Ria urgently cut her off and changed the subject. Serena nodded without a word and moved to the spacious terrace on the second floor. Kahin was guided to a nearby parlor room.

“Remember what I told you? Everyone will be very interested in you. They might show hostility or act rudely. I’ll handle it as much as I can, but there might be situations where I can’t…”

“Don’t worry.”

Thanks to Kahin, Ria’s tension had eased considerably, and she smiled softly. But Serena, still uneasy, emphasized several points again before opening the terrace door.

The space, filled with the scent of flowers and tea, had a long table with young ladies and noblewomen sitting on both sides, all looking at her. Their curious gazes were only natural.

Serena led Ria to the head of the table and seated her right next to herself. The terrace, which had been noisy until then, fell silent. Serena looked around at everyone seated, then broke the silence with a social smile.

“Thank you all for attending today. Before we start the tea party, I’d like to introduce someone. Many of you might have seen her at the recent royal banquet.”

As Serena turned her head and made eye contact, Ria smiled at the people.

“This is Ria Leviar.”

The silence was momentary, soon replaced by murmurs from all around.

“Leviar? Isn’t she the young lady who entered with the dukes at the royal banquet?”

“But that young lady’s hair and eye color…”

“It was light pink. This is… black.”

Having anticipated this situation, Ria was unfazed. On the other hand, Serena was displeased with their behavior, even though she had expected it.

“If you have questions, please ask directly. You wouldn’t want to judge based on assumptions in front of the person, would you?”

The people, understanding the underlying message, quickly fell silent, each wary of the consequences. 

Then, a young lady sitting not far from the head of the table put down her teacup and spoke.

“Lady Leviar, how have you been?”

It was Katrina Peune.

“I heard you were unwell and I wanted to visit, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

Knowing it wasn’t just a polite gesture, Ria shook her head. It was probably because of her brother.

“No, thank you for your concern. I’m fully recovered.”

“That’s a relief.”

Despite the Omur incident, Katrina still held a central position in the social circle. As she exchanged friendly greetings with Ria, others who had been hesitant started to cautiously introduce themselves.

Surprised by how smoothly things were going, Serena glanced at Katrina, finding her unexpected. Ria hadn’t mentioned her dealings with Katrina, so Serena hadn’t expected her help.

As the situation eased, a young lady sitting opposite Ria spoke.

“I’m Exi Melbourne of the Melbourne Marquisate.”

She was from one of the four marquis families in the empire and the daughter of the head of the noble faction, Marquis Melbourne.

“At the royal banquet, I only saw you from afar, so I’m a bit confused. You seem a bit different from then.”

Exi was the main source of Serena’s concern. Serena narrowed her eyes, startled by the sudden quietness.

“If I’ve offended you, I apologize. I was just curious because your hair and eye color aren’t common in the empire. I wondered if you were from another country. I’m very interested in foreign lands.”

She seemed harmless on the surface, even genuinely trying to smooth things over. But Serena and Katrina knew there was more to it. Both being prominent in politics and society, they could easily see through such facades.

Moreover, they had never heard of Lady Melbourne being interested in foreign countries. Given the Melbourne Marquis’s usual disdain for them, it seemed unlikely.

“By the way, if it’s not too much trouble, could you tell us about the time you were with the two dukes at the banquet? I’ve never been in a relationship, so I’m very curious.”

“Oh my, the lady seems very curious. You should tell us a little bit.”

“We’re also a bit curious. How did you meet them?”

Before Ria could respond, Exi, blushing innocently, shifted the topic to romance, prompting others to eagerly ask questions.

‘Like father, like daughter. Or perhaps the daughter is smarter than the marquis?’

Serena noticed the slight smirk on Exi’s face and frowned. She didn’t like that family for various reasons. Just as she was about to intervene, Ria’s voice rang out.

“Well, if I tell you, Rune or Eden might get embarrassed later.”

“……Pardon?”

“Then I’d have to comfort them, so I’ll keep it a secret. I hope you understand.”

Exi’s expression twisted in confusion at the unexpected response. Others were equally baffled. Only Serena and Katrina bit their lips to stifle their laughter.

“Embar… rassed? Who…?”

“Rune and Eden.”