The atmosphere of the tea party cooled as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it. The hostess, Lady Aisha, quickly greeted Lady Hayley and inquired as to the reason for her unexpected visit.

“Your Grace, I hadn’t sent you an invitation recently as I thought you might be busy. What brings you here today?”

“Thank you for your consideration. However, I heard something interesting that made me want to attend this tea party, so I asked Lady Daisy to accompany me.”

It wasn’t unheard of for someone to attend without an invitation. As Hayley spoke, she cast an unmistakable glance at Ciela. The chill in her gaze was palpable, but Ciela didn’t flinch. Instead, she responded with a soft, poised smile.

‘I didn’t tell anyone about the tea party.’

Ciela’s eyes flickered to Daisy, who was standing quietly next to Hayley.

“….”

Daisy’s head was bowed so low that half of her face was hidden by her curly, wool-like hair. A faint glimpse of her tear-filled eyes could be seen through the strands. Droplets clung to her lashes and her restless hands fidgeted, making it clear that she found the situation unbearable.

‘She doesn’t seem the type to speak first.’

Ciela watched Daisy for a moment before picking up a cookie from the table.

‘Since she’d come all this way, there was no way she was going to leave without doing something.’

Still, knowing Hayley’s personality, she wouldn’t deliberately ruin someone else’s tea party. Things were likely to remain civil, at least until the end of the meeting.

They had gone out of their way to avoid each other, so it was surprising that Hayley would be the one to approach her first. Of course, Ciela was sure that this visit was about Lilia. She bit into the cookie, savouring its sweetness, although it left a slight dryness in her mouth after swallowing.

“It is truly an honour to have Your Grace at my tea party.”

“Thank you for making me feel so welcome despite the sudden visit, Lady Lemond.”

“Let me show you to your seat.”

There was no justification for expelling Hayley. Besides, she was far too prominent a figure to be dismissed so easily. As the youngest daughter of the illustrious Dyanis ducal family, the fiancée of the Crown Prince and the current darling of the social scene, Hayley was an object of admiration among the noble ladies. Normally, her presence would have been celebrated by all.

But not today.

‘Of all times, it had to be when Lady Ciela was here!’

Her visit felt deliberately pointed, and Aisha couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

‘Will she be all right?’

Worried, Aisha looked at Ciela, who, to her surprise, met her gaze with a beaming smile, as if to reassure her.

‘I am the host, yet here I am being comforted by my guest.’

Thanks to Ciela’s reassuring smile, Aisha felt her tension ease and her stiff shoulders begin to relax. Determined to break the stifling silence, she quickly searched her mind for a suitable topic.

“Ah!”

A promising rumour appeared in her mind.

“Has everyone heard?”

“What is it?”

“Oh, could it be something I already know?”

The ladies, equally eager to break the awkward silence, responded immediately. Buoyed by the enthusiastic reactions, Aisha, who loved to be the centre of attention, straightened her posture with a proud grin.

“You may already know, as it’s been going around, but have you heard that Stella’s Atelier and many other famous tailors and accessories shops in the capital are fully booked?”

“Yes! I had planned to have a dress made for the upcoming hunting tournament, but I had to give up on that idea.”

“Last year at this time there were still vacancies for reservations… I don’t know what has changed in just one year”.

“Exactly. And the strange thing is, none of the ladies I know seem to have made a reservation.”

Ciela nibbled quietly on a biscuit, her curiosity piqued.

‘Only a month ago there seemed to be plenty of availability.’

She remembered frequently visiting dress shops with Lilia to help her choose dresses. Reservations had been easy to make then. The fact that none of the other ladies seemed to know why there had been a sudden rush made her murmur of frustration understandable.

“Your Grace, do you happen to know who’s been making all these reservations?”

“There are a few individuals, but not enough to explain why every famous shop in the capital is fully booked.”

Even Hayley’s lack of insight added to the ladies’ growing discontent. It was then that Aisha spoke up with a knowing smile.

“Actually, I’ve recently come across some additional information about this rumour.”

“Oh, really?”

“Come to think of it, Lady Aisha, you’re pretty close to a lot of designers, aren’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right;”

Aisha replied with a pleased smile.

“Please, tell us quickly! We’re dying to know!”

Ciela, sipping at her tea to wet her lips, also turned her attention to Aisha. Seeing the eager eyes on her, Aisha’s lips twitched into a satisfied smile.

“Well… the rumour is that all these mysterious reservations might actually belong to one person.”

“What?!”

“No way! That’s incredible!”

The ladies gasped, their eyes widening in shock. Had this story come from anyone else, they might have dismissed it as an exaggeration. But coming from Aisha, who had reliable connections in the fashion world, they couldn’t ignore it.

Sure that Aisha would go on to add to the intrigue, everyone held their breath and focused on her lips, waiting for the next revelation.

“I discreetly asked a few designer friends and they mentioned that the person’s demeanour was more servant than noble, but they didn’t wear anything that could identify a particular household. However,” Aisha paused for effect, “when ordering, they all said the same thing: ‘It’s for my beloved, so please give it special attention.'”

“Oh my goodness!”

Gasps of excitement rippled through the group. All the shops specialising in women’s fashion were full, and for young ladies at an age when romantic fantasies are common, the revelation painted a picture that made their cheeks flush.

“There aren’t many people with that kind of wealth. Who could it be?”

“Whoever it is, your lover is very lucky. Hoho.”

“Exactly! I wonder when my fiancé will ever do something so romantic for me…”

Listening to the lively chatter, Ciela chewed her biscuit slowly to stifle a cough, almost choking on her amusement.

‘Why…?’

‘Why does this give me the shivers?’

‘No, it can’t be.’

The image of Calix, who had recently mentioned planning an extravagant party, flashed through her mind. Ciela quickly pushed the thought aside, refusing to consider the possibility. She drained her slightly chilled tea in one gulp and set the empty cup down.

Looking up, her eyes inadvertently met Hayley’s. The gaze that locked onto her felt piercing, as if it could see right through her.

‘Has she been watching me all this time?’

Hayley finally looked away, breaking the tension. Ciela turned her attention back to her plate and took another cookie. From then on, the tea party ran smoothly and came to an amicable end.

“Today’s meeting was absolutely delightful.”

“Hoho, I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the next one.”

The ladies exchanged goodbyes and each prepared to leave.

“…”

Ciela watched quietly as the others prepared, a faint sense of unease lingering.

Ciela rubbed her chest briefly to ease the lingering tension before approaching Lady Aisha for a final word.

“Oh dear, your complexion seems a little worse than before. Are you all right?”

Aisha asked quietly, her voice filled with concern, so low that only Ciela could hear.

“I’m fine, really. I really enjoyed being part of the tea party today.”

“I’m so glad! It felt even better than usual to have you here, Lady Ciela. If you’re feeling well next time, would you please join us again?”

The hope for a continued connection was evident in Aisha’s words. It was exactly what Ciela had hoped for, so she nodded with ease.

“I would be delighted. If I can join you again, it would make me very happy. Lady Aisha, until the next time.”

“Oh, how wonderful! I’ll look forward to it!”

With that, Ciela said goodbye to Aisha.

‘It was worth coming today.’

She seemed to have made more of an impression on Aisha than she had expected. Although it was a shame she hadn’t been able to connect with Daisy because of Hayley’s presence, Ciela remained optimistic.

This won’t be my only chance.’

Ciela made her way to the carriage. As she approached, a figure standing near it came into view.

A cascade of delicately braided pink hair flowed past her right shoulder. Her pale skin shimmered in the moonlight, her eyes held a soft lunar glow, and a beauty mark beneath her lips completed the ethereal appearance. It was as if spring had been personified – undeniably, it was Hayley.

‘She was waiting for me.’

The moment Ciela recognised her, Hayley seemed to notice her as well. With graceful, unhesitating steps, Hayley approached, her demeanour calm and composed. Behind her was Daisy, her face etched with concern.

“I was disappointed when you declined my invitation, but I didn’t expect to see you at another tea party so soon.”

Ciela had indeed received an invitation from Hayley before, but had declined, knowing full well that attending would probably lead to trouble. Now she offered a slight, unaffected smile and replied with effortless composure.

“I am also pleased to meet you in this way, I was very sorry to have to decline your invitation, especially after hearing how much Your Grace wished to meet me. Unfortunately, my health at the time prevented me from attending.”

“You mentioned that you were unwell. How is it that you were able to attend a tea party today?”

“I wasn’t feeling well until yesterday, but fortunately my condition improved this morning.”

Hayley’s eyes narrowed for a moment before her expression softened into a gentle smile.

“That’s wonderful news. In that case, since the day is still young, how would you like to attend my upcoming gathering?”

“Your gathering, Your Grace?”

“You will have the opportunity to meet many ladies, which I’m sure would be beneficial to you, Lady Arcel.”

Hayley said, stepping closer to Ciela, her presence almost pressing.

“You will join us, won’t you? Lady Arcel?”

Her words, though polite, carried an unmistakable undertone of insistence.

The sweet tone of Hayley’s voice was nothing more than a decorative wrapping. Ciela knew that if she went to Hayley’s meeting, she would be cornered into giving an explanation “for Lilia’s sake”, pushed endlessly until she gave in.

Ciela put a hand to her chest as if to steady herself and smiled apologetically.

“Thank you for the kind offer, Your Grace, but I’m terribly sorry to have to decline.”

“…”

“I felt fine this morning, but unfortunately I’m not at my best now. I think it’s best if I go home and rest.”

The shadow cast by the sunlight behind Hayley darkened her features. Without the presence of the other ladies – except for Daisy – her expression hardened, her hostility now glaringly obvious.

“I didn’t want to say this, but I can’t help but wonder if you really are unwell. In fact, it seems to me that Lilia, who has suffered immensely from her tarnished reputation, is the one who’s really struggling.”

Ciela hunched her shoulders as if burdened by an overwhelming sense of injustice, her lips parting hesitantly.

“But I really…”

Her torso leaned forward, a gesture that seemed both apologetic and as if she were struggling to bear some unseen burden.