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60.

"Countess Hanela's Daughter has been asking me to come, and wouldn't it be my duty as the Lopez Duchy's daughter to oblige?"
Wilhelmina Lopez traced an elegant arc with her movements as naturally as breathing, helping me descend from the carriage with the grace of an escort.
"She's sent over ten invitations, and ‌‌‌I've been declining them all this time. I realized that as the Lopez Duchy's daughter, such behavior is hardly becoming. After all, I have a duty to mingle with various people in society."
"I-I only sent them out of obligation, not because I was particularly concerned about the Lopez Duchy's daughter-"
Countess Hanela's Daughter hastily interjected.
Of course, Wilhelmina let those words pass through ‌‌one ear and out the other, continuing with what she wished to say.
"Everyone ‌knows about Roselita ‌‌‌‌‌Salice, don't they? The Second Prince's betrothed, and the one who participated in the expedition that everyone avoided because they couldn't guarantee survival-"
At Wilhelmina's words, Countess Hanela's Daughter's face crumpled.
Everyone ‌‌among the nobility knew that the First Prince was originally supposed to ‌‌‌lead the expedition, but it changed to Cassian Artez due to the Flare Dragon's appearance.
"She willingly stood by the Second Prince's side and even earned ‌‌recognition as the master of the Lair. And she received the endorsement of His Holiness the Saint, so I'm truly delighted to have such a person as my friend. ‌‌‌And...."
Wilhelmina ‌‌‌‌smiled subtly, indicating her assault was far from over, and removed her coat, handing it to a servant.
Then, with her own hands, she unfastened the topmost button of my coat while flaunting our closeness as she spoke.
"I was worried my tea party might be rather dull since there's ‌‌‌‌nothing particularly special about it, but she graciously made time for me despite her busy schedule. I trust none of you would be discourteous to my friend?"
Though she was smiling, a steely confidence ‌‌radiated from Wilhelmina.
Every word was a subtle dismissal of Countess Hanela's Daughter, the hostess, yet no one ‌‌dared point it out.
In that moment, I truly understood.
My soft-hearted ‌‌‌young lady was the proud daughter of the Lopez Duchy who, in the original story, commanded high society without regard for anyone's opinion.

*

Countess Hanela's Daughter couldn't wipe the anger from ‌‌her face as she led the assembled guests to the Grand Hall where the tea party had been prepared.
She ‌‌‌couldn't simply dismiss Wilhelmina as rude, and canceling the event because her feelings were hurt would have been far more shameful to her reputation.
That didn't mean she refrained from petty ‌‌‌‌tactics, however.
"I've taken special care with ‌your seating, as this spot offers the most beautiful view in the entire Grand Hall."
She dressed it up nicely, but strategically placed us as far from the host's table as possible.
I didn't mind ‌‌in the slightest—I'd expected such scheming even if I'd come alone—but I was somewhat concerned that Wilhelmina might take offense to her wounded pride.
"How thoughtful of you. Roselita has been so busy that we've barely had time to talk, so I'll gratefully accept your consideration." ‌‌‌
Wilhelmina responded to Countess Hanela's Daughter as though this arrangement had actually worked in our favor.
But that wasn't all.
"Perfect timing, Roselita. You must still be recovering from your expedition, and since that side gets just the right amount of sunlight, I think it would be lovely to have the servants move our table over there."
She boldly declared that we would repurpose Countess Hanela's Daughter's tea party as our own private tea room.
"Don't worry, Hanella. I hosted tea parties quite frequently before I entered the Academy, didn't I? I know how taxing it is for a hostess, so I'll make sure Roselita is well taken care of."
She even issued a warning not to waste her efforts on futile schemes, then summoned servants and meticulously instructed them to relocate the table.
Countess Hanela's Daughter's face, which had barely composed itself, began to twitch with barely ‌‌‌suppressed rage.
'She's not quite at the First Empress's level yet.'
At this rate, even after marriage, she'd be nothing more than a pawn in the First Prince's hands rather than the ‌instrument of her family's ‌‌glory ‌that her father envisioned—if she was fortunate.
In the original story, she'd ended up in exactly such a position, becoming little more than a princess in name alone.
Countess Hanela's Daughter began the tea party with a darkened expression, barely restraining her seething irritation.
Thanks to Wilhelmina's thorough protection, the other noble ladies—who must have received orders from their parents—couldn't ‌even approach me throughout the entire tea party. ‌‌‌‌
Naturally, their lingering glances only made Countess Hanela's Daughter's expression grow darker by the moment.
She believed all attention should be on her, and that I, merely a Countess's daughter, should be easily manipulated according to her design—but Wilhelmina had ruined everything.
For that reason, I was deeply concerned about Wilhelmina. ‌‌
"Are you really sure this is alright?"
"What do you mean?"
Wilhelmina set a lemon curd cake before me, as though she had no idea what I was asking.
"The quality ‌seems a bit lacking, doesn't it? I wanted to serve you only the finest, but the desserts are disappointing. The tea leaves as well."
She raised her voice deliberately, landing another pointed jab at Countess Hanela's Daughter.
Having endured passive attacks, Countess Hanela's Daughter decided she wouldn't take it lying down this time. She glanced toward ‌‌the Lopez Duchy's daughter, then abruptly turned her head toward me.
So I was the easier target?
I welcomed it wholeheartedly.
I'd been growing bored from merely receiving Wilhelmina's protection, after all.
"No matter how disappointing things are, surely they can't compare to someone's attire?"
My attire...?
Was she really criticizing my dress right now?
I decided to listen quietly and see where this was going.
"Even for a tea ‌‌‌‌party, you're ‌‌no longer in such dire straits as before, are you?"
Countess Hanela's Daughter extended her fingers gracefully, cut the cake into ‌‌‌‍delicate pieces with her fork, placed them in her mouth, and smiled like a flower.
"It seems you're wearing lace of questionable origin, with ‌‌no sign of proper breeding. Don't worry though—as someone who will soon be family, I'm fully prepared to guide you properly, of course."
Her ‌‌gaze slowly turned toward Wilhelmina.
"I'm saying this with the best intentions, you understand. Think carefully—pleasant words aren't always beneficial. You should judge well who truly cares for you."
Of course, that's obvious, Wilhelmina.
I could ‌‌tell she was ‌‌being deliberately simplistic, and that Wilhelmina was intentionally speaking in a way that Countess Hanela's Daughter could easily understand.
I leaned back comfortably, resting my chin on my hand as I ‌‌spoke.
"I did think it was a bit early, since people tend to make hasty judgments when they don't know the ‌‌‌‌full story. That's actually why I tried to stop His Highness."
At my words, Wilhelmina's eyes sparkled as though she'd been waiting for this moment.
"As you know, Wilhelmina, His Highness and I haven't had a moment's rest, have we? Even returning ‌‌‌from the expedition, we've ‌‌‌‌been consistently receiving reports from the ‌‌‌Winter Palace Administration and the Administrative Officials, approving what needed approval."
"Roselita, you don't need to explain all of that to me. My judgment ‌‌‌isn't so shallow."
At her words, I clapped ‌‌‌‌‌my hands as ‌‌though I'd just remembered, nodding my head.
"That's right—since you were at the Kingdom Academy in the commercially developed Anden Kingdom, you must have seen this artisan's work long ago."
"Exactly. Across the sea from the Anden Kingdom, there's a country famous for textiles. That's the only place where lace artisans who work with silk thread and ‌‌‌‌intricate patterns exist."
This time, Wilhelmina turned her head deliberately toward Countess Hanela's Daughter rather than toward me, ‌‌meeting her eyes with a smile.
"The production is ‌so limited that it ‌‌‌barely circulates within the Anden Kingdom, and almost none reaches the Empire. But it seems new lace fabric has arrived this time, thanks to the Kingdom's careful attention to the royal marriage."
"That's right—it was just a week ago."
"Thinking back to when I was in the Kingdom before, a dress made from that fabric would barely yield twenty pieces."
Wilhelmina, who had been building ‌‌‌‌tension, delivered the ‌‌‌‌final blow with a victorious smile to Countess Hanela's Daughter.
"And yet you had it rushed and made to suit you for the tea party? It seems His Highness was always ‌‌thinking of you, even during the expedition."
At those words, soft gasps escaped from the lips of the other noble ladies, and Countess Hanela's Daughter's face flushed red and then pale.
She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms as she retorted.
"It seems Prince Cassian is only busy on the surface—if he has ‍‌‌‌‌time to concern himself with something as trivial as his fiancée's dress!"
No one responded to her words.
Watching the anger and jealousy in her eyes, I silently thanked Wilhelmina.
'All the ingredients are gathered.'
Countess ‌‌‌Hanela's Daughter's inferiority complex from being unloved, her jealousy of me as the object of that jealousy, the tea party, and.
'And this magnificent marquis residence.'
Unlike Countess Hanela's Daughter, I lifted my teacup with a composed expression.
And the result came as the tea party was winding ‌‌‌‌down, when I deliberately separated from Wilhelmina and headed alone to the powder room.
"Miss Roselita, would you have a moment to talk?"
Countess Hanela's Daughter was smiling ‌‌more warmly ‌than at any other point that day.

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