Chapter 2 (Part 8)
Before Meia left, at a tea party held at the Ducal residence, Meryl made a significant mistake towards Olivia. Olivia demanded an apology from the Hatzbellua family, but the Duke refused to apologize.
Olivia was furious, to say the least. At every gathering she attended, she openly expressed how much she missed Meia.
“I miss Lady Meia.”
“Me too. There’s no one as perfect as her. How did this happen…”
“But there are many families welcoming the broken engagement, right?”
“Our family sent a proposal to Lady Meia, but it was rejected.”
“Oh my, ours too.”
“She rejected it and left for the Mage Tower, right?”
“Yes, I received a letter saying she would return before the coming-of-age ceremony.”
“I received one too.”
“Well, it’s for the best.”
Olivia sipped her tea and then spoke to the young ladies in front of her.
The young ladies perked up their ears at Olivia’s words.
“What do you mean by ‘for the best,’ Lady Olivia?”
“The fact that all families with sons sent proposals to Lady Meia. These days, a broken engagement isn’t a big flaw. His Highness the Crown Prince has made a new start, so Lady Meia should make a new start too.”
The young ladies nodded in agreement with Olivia’s words.
“If, by any chance, Lady Meia returns from the Mage Tower…”
The young ladies nodded again.
“For Lady Meia’s happiness!”
“For her happiness?”
The young ladies listened even more intently to Olivia’s words.
“We introduce her to a wonderful young man! So she can experience a great love, not a political marriage! We help her forget her broken engagement with His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“That’s a wonderful plan!”
“I’ll tell my younger brother and older brother too.”
“I’d love it if Lady Meia became my sister-in-law.”
“There will be fierce competition among the young men for Lady Meia.”
“But didn’t Lady Olivia dislike Lady Meia?”
“No, I didn’t dislike her. I was just jealous because she’s so perfect.”
“Oh my.”
For a noble lady to admit jealousy meant acknowledging the other person’s excellence.
“His Highness the Crown Prince let go of the lady who stood by his side for 10 years. Let’s help Lady Meia, who has returned to singlehood, meet someone new and fall in love!”
The young ladies were startled by Olivia’s blunt statement. It was a fact, but no one had spoken it aloud.
But Olivia didn’t stop there.
“And no matter if she is the Crown Prince’s fiancée, it’s not right for her to ignore us. That’s not all.”
Olivia turned her head to look at Iris of Count Ryuiel.
“Lady Iris, how was the tea party? Please speak honestly.”
At Olivia’s question, Iris sighed slightly.
“Lady Meryl came and criticized our etiquette. She said our refreshments were lacking. She said we didn’t greet her properly as a royal family member. She even said our tea was tasteless.”
One young lady, who couldn’t believe what she was hearing, spoke up.
“She criticized you like that? Lady Iris?”
“Yes, I don’t plan to send Lady Meryl an invitation again.”
“My mother sent Lady Meryl an invitation to a tea party. What should I do? Just hearing Lady Iris’s story makes her seem very picky…”
It’s extremely rude to openly criticize the refreshments or tea at a tea party.
People have diverse tastes, so criticizing something just because it doesn’t suit one’s taste is unacceptable.
“There’s more.”
“What is it? Please tell us.”
“She poured hot tea over my maid’s head.”
Philia of Viscount Richter’s family interrupted.
“Sorry to interrupt, but Lady Iris, did she hit anyone?”
“No… but my maid suffered burns from the hot tea. She’s a close servant, so it was upsetting.”
Philia nodded at Iris’s words.
“At our tea party, she said the refreshments and tea were tasteless and hit our maid.”
“She hit her?”
“She hit her in a way that showed she had experience. I don’t want to be close to Lady Meryl, even if she’s from the Hatzbellua family. I’ve decided that.”
“Who would dare invite her to a tea party?”
“The future looks bleak.”
“What should I do? My mother invited Lady Meryl to a tea party… She’s sensitive, so if Lady Meryl criticizes her, she’ll be upset and won’t eat.”
“We’re all in the same boat. We need to prepare.”
“We must never invite her.”
The young ladies gathered with Olivia understood each other without words.
They must not invite Meryl to tea parties anymore.
They must neither invite her nor accept her invitations…
But many hostesses had already sent invitations to Meryl, the future Crown Princess.
“Even His Majesty the Emperor treats the empire’s nobles with respect. If His Highness the Crown Prince’s fiancée doesn’t treat us with respect, we don’t have to either.”
Olivia’s words united all the young ladies.
“Let’s do that. Never invite her, and don’t go if invited.”
“By the way, did you know?”
“What?”
“Prince Demian, the second prince, has been mentioning Lady Meia recently!”
“Really? Lady Iris, is that true?”
“Please tell us more.”
“Let me take a sip first.”
After taking a sip, Iris looked at the curious young ladies and smiled.
* * *
The Emperor sat at the head of the table and cleared his throat.
“Ahem.”
At the Emperor’s cough, Empress Ellermin, Crown Prince Patzraelli, his fiancée Meryl, Concubine Luruna, and the second prince Demian all looked at him simultaneously.
“We are gathered here to welcome the new fiancée of the Crown Prince. And…”
But the Emperor couldn’t finish his sentence. Meryl interrupted him.
“Thank you for the welcome, Your Majesty!”
The Empress, feeling a trickle of sweat down her back, spoke kindly to Meryl.
“Lady, it’s not proper to interrupt when His Majesty is speaking.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just so happy.”
The Emperor, taken aback, spoke to Meryl.
“Hmm, Lady Meryl is quite cheerful.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Ha. A compliment… how naive.”
Meryl smiled shyly, as if embarrassed by the Emperor’s words.
The only ones who didn’t laugh at his words were Empress Ellermin and Patzraelli.
The Emperor turned his sharp gaze to Patzraelli and Empress Ellermin.
“Lady Meryl must be taught proper etiquette, Empress.”
“Understood. I will teach her diligently.”
Patzraelli clenched his fists.
Receiving the Emperor’s cold gaze, Patzraelli gritted his teeth and suppressed his emotions.
“Lady Meryl and my brother make a great match.”
The second prince, Demian, said slyly, sitting opposite Patzraelli.
“Demian, don’t you plan on taking a princess?”
At the Emperor’s words, Meryl once again interrupted.
“Your Majesty! If you need a princess, I have some dear friends.”
“Cough.”
The Empress almost spat out what she was eating instead of coughing at Meryl’s remark.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
Trying to suppress his laughter, Demian glanced at Patzraelli and smiled broadly.
Meeting Demian’s eyes, Patzraelli didn’t look away and spoke openly.
“I don’t plan on taking a princess unless it’s Lady Meia.”
The Emperor showed interest in Demian’s statement.
He was already disappointed that he couldn’t have Meia as his daughter-in-law.
“Ho… Lady Meia, huh…”
The Emperor looked at Demian with an amused expression.
“Lady Meia is beautiful, knowledgeable…”
Trailing off, Demian turned his gaze from Patzraelli to Meryl and spoke with the happiest smile.
“She’s perfect. Does Lady Meia even have any flaws?”
Meryl frowned, feeling annoyed by Demian’s words.
Patzraelli sighed inwardly as he watched Meryl.
Demian, smiling, asked Meryl a question.
“Ah, Lady Meryl, since you are cousins, you must know Lady Meia’s flaws.”
Meryl responded immediately to Demian’s question.
“Meia’s flaw is that she’s too meticulous.”
Demian immediately countered.
“Isn’t that being thorough?”
“She’s very extravagant.”
“As a noblewoman, maintaining dignity requires some extravagance. I think I’d be very happy if she were extravagant as a princess.”
“She nags a lot.”
“Who does she nag? The servants? Or…”
Meryl couldn’t respond to Demian’s last remark
Meia has never scolded the servants. Rather, it was Meryl who scolds them the most.
Realizing that telling Demian this would be like spitting in her own face, Meryl’s voice grew quieter.
Demian, finding it amusing, spoke to Meryl with a grin.
“Thank you for sharing your cousin’s flaws. It makes her seem more human and attractive.”
“Me… Meia…”
Meryl tried to speak further, but Crown Prince Patzraelli stopped her in the middle.
“Lady Meryl, please try the food in front of you.”
However, Meryl did not respond to Patzraelli’s suggestion and merely frowned, holding her fork and glaring at the food. She was displeased with Demian’s praise of Meia.
Demian continued speaking to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, I would like Lady Meia to become my princess. She is the flower of the social world and a model noble lady who is supported by many young ladies, making her my ideal type.”
At Demian’s words, the Emperor burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha. Yes, yes, Lady Meia would indeed be perfect as my daughter-in-law!”
Demian’s biological mother, Consort Luruna, also smiled, seemingly pleased with her son’s statement.
“I agree as well.”
“Luruna…”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Lady Meia was once the fiancée of the Crown Prince. Are you suggesting that she marry the second prince now?”
At the Empress’s sharp words, the Emperor defended Consort Luruna and Demian.
“Empress, is that so important? Lady Meia is so exceptional that a few broken engagements wouldn’t be a flaw. Many families are currently sending proposals and love letters to Lady Meia. Isn’t she the flower of the social world? She is a young lady with immense support. Although she stepped down from being the Crown Princess, I think it would be fine if she were to marry Demian. I’ve always thought Lady Meia would make a great daughter-in-law.”
The Empress was at a loss for words at the Emperor’s statement.
It was at this moment that the competition for Meia Hatzbellua’s hand in marriage had escalated to include the second prince, Demian.
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