Chapter 22

Had Freddy been at Hester, Olivia would not have received that invitation, and as always, Princess Anthonia would have attended in her stead.  

The timing, in many ways, was unfavorable.  

Freddy scowled deeply.  

Rumors must have spread among the nobles, and it was clear that unpleasant stories would have reached Olivia’s ears.  

“Don’t worry. Since Fai hasn’t attended in a while, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”  

Hearing those words, Freddy’s expression hardened even more.  

The Crown Princess?  

Even Freddy, who had no interest in tea parties, knew it was well-known that Faivel rarely attended such gatherings. Yet, of all times, she attended when Olivia was there?  

He had a bad feeling about this.  

“At the Munk Ducal House… No, I’ll head home right now.”  

Freddy, who had shown no intention of leaving until the matter was resolved, suddenly rose from his seat.  

Andrew was startled by his abrupt declaration.  

“Didn’t you say you’d resolve everything today before leaving?”  

“If I’ve been pondering this for a week without finding a solution, then I believe the problem lies with the location. I’ll return to the Grand Duke’s residence and think about a solution there.”  

Freddy stared intently at Andrew.  

It was a look that seemed to ask why he hadn’t been granted permission yet. At Freddy’s gaze, Andrew let out a faint laugh.  

“Alright. Go ahead.”  

The moment Andrew gave his permission, Freddy didn’t hesitate and moved immediately. His hurried steps revealed his impatience.  

***

Olivia, holding a bouquet in her hands, stepped into the Munk Ducal House. Upon her arrival, Lady Munk greeted her warmly.  

“It is an honor to meet you, Grand Duchess.”  

Her greeting was polite and respectful.  

It was easy to discern that her behavior stemmed from the fact that the source of the rumors was tied to the Noble Faction, prompting her to tread carefully.  

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  

Even so, Olivia couldn’t let her guard down.  

Freddy had expressed regret over what had happened to ‘Liv’ at the Munk Ducal House, so there was no doubt that there would be those ready to tear her apart, even if they weren’t from the Noble Faction.  

Lady Munk, unable to read Olivia’s thoughts, smiled brightly and quickly guided her to the glass garden where the tea party was being held.  

There, the Royalist Faction, the Noble Faction, and the Neutral Faction sat, each group clearly separated.  

Lady Munk first led Olivia to the Neutral Faction’s table. Unlike the Noble Faction, they had nothing to lose, so they neither warmly welcomed Olivia nor treated her with hostility.  

After exchanging greetings with them, Olivia moved toward the Noble Faction’s group.  

“It is an honor to meet you, Grand Duchess.”  

The Noble Faction, aware of the need to tread carefully, neither acted rudely nor openly hostile toward Olivia, but there were a few whose expressions were far from friendly.  

Although she noticed their reactions, Olivia chose not to point them out.  

With her position still unstable, it was too early to stir things up unnecessarily.  

After greeting the Noble Faction, Olivia moved on.  

Heading toward the Royalist Faction’s group, she was able to relax slightly. She had been most concerned about potential conflicts with the Noble Faction, but there had been none. Even the Neutral Faction, whom she had been unsure about, had greeted her without incident.  

Lady Munk guided Olivia to a seat, and members of the Royalist Faction greeted her.  

“Well then, Your Grace, I’ll leave you to enjoy your time. I need to go greet other guests.”  

It seemed Lady Munk was uncomfortable staying too long near the Royalist Faction, so she quickly excused herself.  

Any relief Olivia had felt was short-lived, as she had to remain on high alert. The gazes of the Royalist Faction were openly hostile.  

While they didn’t express their feelings outright, after exchanging greetings, none of them made eye contact with Olivia. It was clear to anyone that they had no intention of engaging with her.  

As Olivia tried to make sense of their behavior, Crown Princess Faivel, the highest-ranking figure at the party, made her entrance.  

After greeting the Noble Faction and the Neutral Faction in turn, Faivel approached the Royalist Faction’s table.  

Everyone seated at the Royalist Faction’s table stood to greet her.  

“It is an honor to meet you, Crown Princess.”  

“It’s been a while, everyone. And it’s been a while for you as well, Grand Duchess.”  

Faivel greeted Olivia warmly. However, after their exchange, Olivia found herself excluded from the group’s conversations.  

The expression “left on the outskirts” would have been apt.  

Even when she tried to engage in conversation to gauge the situation, the responses she received were curt. The women of the Royalist Faction clung to Faivel, eager to converse with her, so it was perhaps inevitable.  

Olivia felt stifled but refrained from pointing out the situation.  

This wasn’t Frenchia, and criticizing the current dynamic, which Faivel was leading, would undoubtedly provoke backlash from many.  

Seeing that Olivia wasn’t reacting as she might have in the past, Faivel bit her lip.  

Noticing Faivel’s mood sour, her closest ally, Lady Vienna of the Earl of Vienna’s family, clenched her fists. She then flashed a brief smile at Faivel before turning her gaze sharply toward Olivia.  

Since those of lower status could not address someone of higher rank first, she waited.  

Watching Lady Vienna, who stood close to Faivel and stared at her with hostility, Olivia suppressed a sigh.  

“Lady Vienna. Do you have something to say?”  

At Olivia’s informal address, Lady Vienna’s brow twitched slightly.  

Olivia considered pointing out her rudeness but stopped herself. A division within the Royalist Faction would not be beneficial, and such behavior during her first public outing would undoubtedly come back to haunt her in the future.  

“Your Grace, are you aware of the rumors circulating in Silvest right now?”  

“What rumors are you referring to?”  

“Oh, it’s rather embarrassing to say it myself… but please don’t be too upset. I say this out of loyalty.”  

It was unclear why she was drawing out her words like this.  

After letting out a short sigh, Olivia tilted her head slightly. Taking this as permission, Lady Vienna began to speak as if she had been rehearsing.  

“From rumors about the relationship between you and His Grace, to the reasons why you came to Silvest… And there’s talk that the alliance with Frenchia isn’t proving as advantageous for His Grace and Silvest as expected. They say His Grace has lost more than he’s gained.”  

A subtle sneer laced her tone.  

Although it was publicly stated that Freddy’s stay at the royal palace was due to the alliance with Frenchia, no one truly believed it.  

With rumors running rampant, it was clear everyone knew he was staying at the palace to resolve the situation. However, they must have wondered:  

Why is he staying at the palace for so long?  

Couldn’t this be handled from the Grand Duke’s residence?  

Although Olivia had similar questions herself, she hadn’t pressed Freddy about it. She trusted that he had his reasons for acting as he did. 

Maintaining her composure, she responded without wavering.  

“There’s no need for your concern. Matters between a husband and wife aren’t for everyone to know. We will handle things ourselves, so wouldn’t it be better to keep your curiosity in check?”  

Olivia skillfully defused the situation without showing any cracks. Seeing this, Lady Vienna bit her lip hard.  

It seemed she desperately wanted to break through Olivia’s firm and unyielding facade.  

Staring intently at Olivia, Lady Vienna muttered under her breath.  

“What about taking a lover?”  

In Frenchia, taking a lover was akin to betraying the match ordained by God.  

Though there were those who discreetly kept lovers, Olivia had never entertained the thought.  

Moreover, seeing Faivel smirking behind her back filled Olivia with an inexplicable sense of shame.  

Turning her head slightly, she noticed that other Royalist Faction nobles, who shared Faivel’s sentiments, were also watching her.  

Clenching her fists tightly to maintain her composure, she asked again, 

“What did you just say?”  

Noticing Olivia’s shaken expression, Lady Vienna’s eyes gleamed.  

“In Silvest, having a lover isn’t considered such a disgraceful thing, unlike in Frenchia.”  

Lady Vienna spoke with an air of concern.  

Realizing that Olivia’s previously unshakable mask was beginning to crack, Lady Vienna quickly covered her mouth with her fan.  

It was to hide the grin that nearly split her face in two.  

“It’s better than living in loneliness, isn’t it? Especially for someone who was sold off.”  

Though the comment was spoken softly, every woman seated at the Royalist Faction’s table heard it clearly.