The Crown Prince had quicker instincts than I thought.
His words hit the mark, and I hesitated for a mont before answering with an indifferent look on my face.
“I received an excessive gift and prepared to return it.”
“May I ask who you are sending it to?”
“I want to send it to soone I’m grateful for.”
“A person you’re grateful for?”
The Crown Prince raised his eyebrows slightly at my answer.
“And who would that be?”
The Crown Prince asked .
He didn’t sound like he was asking a question.
He seed really curious about who I was going to give the gift to.
Do I have to answer?”
“No, you don’t……..”
“Then I’m not going to tell you.”
“!”
The Crown Prince looked a little surprised at what I said. He asked with an awkward smile.
“Is it soone I know?”
“Well…”
I put on a nonchalant face and answered.
“You’re not going to tell who it is?”
I wondered.
Has the crown prince ever shown this much interest in Roxana?
The Crown Prince asked what seed like an insistent question, but when I didn’t answer anything, he quickly gave up and asked sothing else.
“What is your relationship with Elvin?”
“Our parents were very close and I t him several tis when we were children.”
“But that was when you were very young, and I’ve heard that it’s been over ten years since the two families interacted.”
I didn’t deny it because it wasn’t wrong. The Crown Prince looked at as if he didn’t understand.
“Is that really all?”
The Crown Prince looked at strangely.
“What is your point?”
When I frowned in displeasure, the Crown Prince gave a small sigh and said.
“I don’t know what, but Elvin is not a nice person. So if he ever pretends to be friendly to you again, just ignore him completely.”
Elvin was more complicated than he looked, and I had no idea what to make of him.
At tis he was up front and helpful, at other tis he acted like a stranger, and at other tis he was friendly again…
Anyway, after I found out that Elvin was a mber of the royal family, I didn’t want to be involved with him anymore. However, Elvin was an opponent that could never be ignored, and I had no intention of pretending to be with soone for the Crown Prince.
Besides, it seed ironic that the Crown Prince, who was so averse to any interference between himself and Claire, would say this to .
However, I couldn’t easily say anything else today because I felt guilty about one thing.
“The wedding is less than a year away, so you’d better be careful not to get caught up in a strange scandal until then. Always….”
“…?”
Don’t forget your place as Crown Princess.”
***
The Crown Prince drove to the Duke’s residence and then left imdiately.
I quickly returned to my room and called a servant to tell him to send the brooch I had bought today to the Hers in my na.
After I changed into comfortable clothes, Joan handed a box saying it ca for . When I opened it, there was a handkerchief inside.
At first I didn’t notice it, but after a while I realized that it was the sa one the Crown Prince usually carried with him.
The handkerchief was sent anonymously around noon.
I didn’t receive it because at that ti I had already left the mansion to go to Lady Milanov’s tea party and the carriage got broken on the way.
The Crown Prince’s handkerchief……
There was only one person who bothered to send it to .
Claire. I think I know exactly why she did this. First she sent the invitation to her birthday party, now the handkerchief.
Claire’s trick was childish and simplistic.
However, if Roxana had discovered this, she definitely wouldn’t let it go.
She probably would have gone straight to the banquet to check it out.
The scene she would co to see there would be of close lovers, and people admiring their lovely appearance.
Roxana had a childlike side, but the truth was that not many people would be able to resist such a scene.
A pleasant banquet hall would have been ruined by the intrusion of an uninvited guest, and Roxana would have been condemned by the people. Claire’s technique was the sa this ti.
It was so obvious and monotonous that it was almost boring. Of course, it wasn’t sothing to be taken lightly, considering the malice contained in it and what it might have caused.
But in the end, all of Claire’s preparations went to waste, because the Crown Prince couldn’t co. Besides, he and I walked around the crowded streets openly today, so perhaps tomorrow Claire will notice that I was with the Crown Prince at the sa ti she was having the banquet.
‘It should be enough of a return gift for the handkerchief.’
I smiled, hoping that today would be a morable enough birthday for Claire. After changing clothes, I sat in front of the dressing table and took off my accessories, and Tien asked .
“Miss, do you want your als to be served in your room today?”
I shook my head and then went down to the dining room. Normally, I would co down to the dining hall and sit alone at the large dining table to eat, which felt like a hassle, so I would eat in my room.
Today, however, it wasn’t the least bit botherso.
Perhaps it was because I rembered Claire’s twisted face.
Even though the food was the sa as usual, it felt extraordinarily delicious.
***
The Duke’s return was just around the corner.
The servants were also busy welcoming the master who was coming back after a long absence.
I was also busier than usual, though there was nothing special I had to do since I had prepared the gift for his return.
This was because more invitations ca to than usual due to the spread of news that the Duke would return soon.
Unlike Roxana, the Duke of Lillian had a good reputation and was respected by many people, commoners and nobles alike.
It was only natural that the nobles, with their various interests at stake, would try to make them look good, since the Duke made a great contribution this ti.
It was a typical day.
I ate a quick al in my room, took a walk in the garden, and then returned to my room. I read the letters and invitations addressed to .
There was an invitation sent from the imperial family. Unlike the last ti, this ti it was not the Crown Prince who invited , but the Empress.
The Empress and Roxana were not on bad terms, but when I received the letter, I instantly felt a sense of foreboding.
‘What could there be that the Empress called for?’
I had a few ideas in mind, but I didn’t know the exact answer. From the mories that ca to mind, the Empress was very fond of Roxana.
At the last imperial banquet, she had a benevolent face toward .
Even when Roxana’s reputation had fallen to the ground, the Empress had never once blad her.
However, the first thing the nobles learned was to manage their facial expressions. And since they don’t talk, it would be hard to know that they were thinking. This ant that the Empress was very thorough.
My assessnt of the Empress was in line with her external reputation. Her type of people were the hardest to deal with.
They don’t show it outwardly, but you never know what they are thinking in their hearts. That’s why I didn’t feel safe. I wrote a reply to the Empress, saying that I would accept her invitation. Then I leaned back on the couch and asked,
“Have you heard any news about the nanny?”
“I have not heard any news yet. I heard that she sold her house, but I don’t know where she is staying…”
Tien spoke with a worried voice. I put on a nonchalant face and got up from my seat.
Today was the day I had decided to go to the tea party hosted by Young Lady Evans. Although I didn’t have a close relationship with her, Roxana had conversed with her many tis.
Furthermore, the Duke of Lillian and Count Evans were of the sa faction, so there was nothing wrong with being close.
I went out in a light dress and a parasol in my hand to block the sun.
***
As I entered Count Evans’ mansion, a servant of the Count’s family noticed from the main gate and led to the location of the tea party. The tea party was held in a fragrant garden full of different kinds of flowers.
After a short walk, I saw a large number of people gathered around a white table with many delicious-looking treats.
I could see several familiar faces among them, as well as so that I had never seen before.
For example, Lady Flynn, who was sitting so distance away, looking at with a cold face.
I smiled and sat down in an empty seat. Actually, I ca a little late because I had to write a reply to the Empress’s letter.
I thought that was why I was the latest to arrive, but seeing that so seats were empty, I guessed otherwise.
“I was a little late, wasn’t I?”
“No, though we all just arrived as well.”
“What Elly said is right. The party hasn’t even started yet.”
The pretty Young Lady, seated right next to , whispered quietly with a kind face. Then the brown-haired Young Lady, who appeared to be her friend, added.
Whatever the reason, they were very nice to . A few of them didn’t seem to like the fact that I attended this sitting. However, no one had co out to fight yet.
There was no need for to make more enemies, unless I wanted to fight like hell.
“Lady, I thought you might not be coming, but I am honored that you are here.”
The host of the tea party, Lady Evans, said. Despite her smiling face, she had the look as if she didn’t like .
I also didn’t like the fact that I and Lady Flynn were at the sa place. However, it was sothing I could do as much as I wanted to talk to soone I didn’t like with a smile.
“Thank you for inviting to this great event.”
I greeted her formally and then, instead of continuing my conversation with her, I also greeted the other ladies who had expressed a liking for .
Young Lady Evans looked at a little stiffly, as if her pride had been hurt by my colder than usual attitude, because I was deliberately trying to keep my distance.
“It seems that everyone who should be here has already arrived. Why don’t you hurry up and start the tea party before the tea gets cold?”
Soone started to say in the subtly hardened atmosphere. The people nodded in agreent with her words. Lady Evans, seed to have the sa idea. She loosened her hardened expression and said with a smile.
“Thank you all for coming. I’ve prepared these seats with great care, so I hope you all have a good ti.”
The tea party began with the words of the party’s host, Lady Evans. Unlike banquets, which were held in a heavy atmosphere, the tea party was held in a lighter atmosphere, as it was a place for like-minded people to et and chat.
The nobles who attended the tea party drank tea, ate treats and chatted. I followed them, drinking tea and chatting with the young ladies who showed interest in .
During this ti, I was constantly being watched by curious eyes. They seed to have sothing they wanted to ask , but because of my position, they couldn’t easily say anything.
Even if that was the case with the others, I was quite surprised that Lady Flynn, who fought with every ti we ran into each other, kept quiet.
Every ti I t her gaze, she frowned as if she was dying from displeasure, then quickly averted her gaze and engaged in conversation with the others.
It was hard to tell if she learned anything from our last conversation, or if she was scolded by her family back ho. Nonetheless, I felt comfortable because I didn’t have to deal with her anymore.
The Crown Prince and I were related through a simple political engagent, and the Crown Prince was not interested in Lady Flynn.
Even if he broke up with , there was no way that the Crown Prince would engage or marry her. In such a situation, unnecessary emotional entanglent was not beneficial to either of us and would only lead to exhaustion. I took a bite of the macaroon in front of , hoping that Lady Flynn would also realize this fact soon.
“Sorry for being late.”
At that mont, I turned around involuntarily at the sound of a familiar, beautiful voice coming from right behind . To my surprise, Claire was standing there.
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