ILTDAMH | CHAPTER 20

Chapter 20

 “The Tea Gathering”

“What on earth is the marquis plotting?”

“And why is the lady so determined to keep her sister and mother from coming?”

“Well…”

Whatever the reason, I just don’t want to trouble Ruan any further.

“Madam, I cannot reveal everything, but it is Ruan’s wish that this tea gathering be held.”

Ruan’s wish?

Mercian stood silently for a moment, speechless at Tablo’s answer.

“…”

“And what the marchioness and the young lady want can be found in the study. You can simply hint that they should look there.”

So Ruan knows what his mother and sister want.

Did she deliberately leave evidence for me?

I’ve already burdened Ruan enough; I can’t cause her more trouble.

“I refuse. While I understand Ruan’s wishes, I do not want to proceed. Thank you for your suggestion, Marquis, but I will hold the tea gathering as I see fit. Please do not interfere further.”

Refuse?

Shouldn’t she be grateful if evidence is being handed over?

Tablo looked at Mercian, momentarily taken aback by how firmly she drew the line—something unlike her usual self.

The truth was, although Ruan had asked him, Tablo had no intention of giving up the evidence to protect Mercian from the crown prince as she wished.

No matter how Ruan wrapped it, Mercian was still a six-month terminal wife, and once Ruan was gone, she wouldn’t remain in the duke’s household.

He didn’t see why he needed to protect her.

But Tablo realised Mercian was a little different from other noble daughters after spending more than two weeks in the duke’s mansion since Ruan left.

Generally speaking, noble young women were picky eaters who would starve themselves if they gained even one kilogramme, as if the world were ending.

Mercian, however, didn’t appear to mind.

She ate well, not just adequately but with genuine delight.

Sharing a meal with her, Tablo felt hunger he hadn’t felt before.

Strangely, whenever he dined with Mercian, no matter the dish, it all seemed delicious.

In between his duties, he saw her visit the kitchen often, learning from the chefs and preparing large amounts of food to share with everyone in the household.

Watching her eat happily, perched in the trees with a radiant smile, he couldn’t help but feel warmth spread inside him.

Despite her plump figure, Mercian climbed up and down the trees with surprising agility, leaving him amazed.

Unlike his expectations that she’d just lounge about playing the duchess while Ruan was away, Mercian lived each day with genuine effort—and Tablo found himself growing fond of her.

He began to understand why Ruan cared for Mercian so deeply.

Yet, seeing Luciane harshly criticise Mercian as if she were beneath her made Tablo realize he was quietly doing the job Ruan had asked him to do—disguised as a woman.

Of course, he didn’t expect Mercian to thank him for helping, but he hadn’t imagined she’d dislike him so openly either.

Staring at Mercian’s cold expression, Tablo found himself at a loss for words.

“I apologize, madam. I only suggested this tea gathering because, with the crown prince pressuring the marquisate, I doubt either the marchioness or the young lady could hold out long. As I mentioned before, the crown prince is quite a dangerous figure. It seemed better to give him what he wanted and cut ties cleanly.”

“I understand the wishes of the marquis and Ruan well. However, my sister Luci does not want this matter to sever ties with His Highness the Crown Prince… what she truly desires is to stand beside him.”

“W-what? Stand. Surely you don’t mean…”

The young lady’s true desire was… Was that the crown princess’s seat?

Sigh.

I completely overlooked an important fact.

Tablo suddenly felt a sharp headache.

If the crown prince he knew was involved, there was no way he wouldn’t understand Luciane’s true intentions.

Then it wasn’t simply that the crown prince wanted to seize evidence against Ruan…

He wanted to know Mercian’s value beyond just Ruan’s proof.

He was curious to see how much Ruan would react when he seized control of the marquisate and shook Mercian!

***

The Omancourt Empire had some unique customs, one of which was that noble daughters, within a month of marriage, invited their family members from their birth household to hold a tea gathering or a dinner.

Simply put, the tea gathering or dinner allowed the young ladies to ease their homesickness after moving into unfamiliar surroundings, while their families could find comfort in seeing firsthand that their daughter was living happily.

However, in some high-ranking households, like the royal palace or a duke’s estate, such gatherings were often skipped for safety reasons — concerns over assassination attempts, maintaining the confidentiality of the duke’s family affairs, and other security issues.

***

“Good morning, ma’am. Why are you up so early today?”

Charles approached Mercian, who was already awake, sitting by the window, sipping tea.

“Did you sleep well, Charles? The weather seems nice today.”

“Well, December is approaching soon, and the trees are turning colours. The scenery looks quite lovely. By the way, the butler said the master will be returning the day after tomorrow.”

“Really? Coming back the day after tomorrow?”

“Yes. Also, the housekeeper asked me to tell you that all the preparations for the tea gathering you mentioned have been completed.”

“Is that so? Thank you. What’s on the menu this morning?”

“The chef specially prepared a rich, creamy soup for you, ma’am, along with freshly baked rye bread and a stew that was simmered overnight.”

“Wow. Sounds delicious! Today’s going to be a demanding day, so I’ll need a hearty meal.”

Mercian spoke with a determined tone, and Charles nodded in response.

“Whatever helps you feel strong, ma’am, is good.”

“Charles, please go fetch Clea and Edward.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“How is it going? Is it possible?”

Edward nodded in response to Mercian’s question.

“Yes, ma’am. We hastily gathered the necessary people and made preparations yesterday.”

“But ma’am, do we have to go this far? I don’t understand what you’re worried about, but if anything goes wrong…”

“Don’t worry about Clea. I will take full responsibility. Edward, please proceed as discussed.”

“Yes, ma’am. I will get everything ready immediately.”

With worried expressions, Clea and Edward stepped out, leaving Mercian alone.

She gazed quietly into the mirror on her dressing table, then let out a deep sigh.

“Don’t worry, Mer. If we do this right, no one else will get hurt. I’ll take all the blame myself. After all, being cursed at is like daily bread in the marquisate. Just hold on for a little while.”

Just then, footsteps echoed as someone entered the room.

“Ma’am, breakfast is ready.”

“Charles, after breakfast, please make me look as beautiful as possible today.”

“Don’t worry! I’ll make you look even more stunning than your sister!”

“Thank you, Charles.”

Charles clenched his fist with determination, inspired by Mercian’s request.

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“So you want me to search through the marquisate while you talk to Mer?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“But what if someone catches us?”

“That’s why it has to be you, Mother. If anyone asks, you can just say you were trying to find the restroom but got lost. People will believe that.”

“I… I’m scared. Maybe I should just tell Mer…”

“Honestly, if it weren’t for that woman—who claims to be the marquis’s lover—we wouldn’t even be having this tea gathering.”

“Lover? What do you mean?”

“A woman is staying at the marquisate who claims to be his former lover. She says she doesn’t intrude on the marquis’s or Mercian’s bedrooms, but she has nowhere else to stay, so she’s there temporarily.”

“What does she look like? Is she pretty?”

“A striking redhead, quite beautiful. But don’t worry, Mother. I’ll find proof of the marquis’s treason and hand it over to the crown prince. Then, once I become the crown princess, I’ll make sure Mercian divorces the marquis. If I become the crown princess, Mercian won’t have to stay as the marquis’s wife, right?”

“Luciane, are you planning to divorce Mercian?”

“Of course, Mother. If the marquis’s treason is revealed and the crown prince punishes him, he won’t last six months. If Mercian is still the marquis’s wife by then, our family would be seen as accomplices to treason. Could I become the crown princess then? No way. That’s why she has to be divorced beforehand. Only then can I become crown princess.”

“That may be true, but…”

“Don’t worry. Once I’m crown princess and eventually empress, I’ll make sure Mercian finds a good match to remarry.”

“Alright, Luciane, I trust only you.”

“So today, you must find the evidence, understand? Mother?”

“Alright, I understand. I’ll make sure to find it.”

Gazing out the window, Luciane smiled contentedly at what Penelope had said.

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“Welcome, Mother, Sister Luciane.”

As the carriage stopped before the marquisate and its door opened, Penelope and Luciane stepped out.

Mercian greeted them with a bright, polite smile.

“My, my, Mercian. Is that you?”

Penelope stood frozen, unable to approach.

Mercian’s flawless makeup and the dress that seemed tailor-made for her made the young woman look so unfamiliar, so out of place, that Penelope hesitated.

“Mother, have you really forgotten what your daughter looks like in just a few days?”

Mercian asked brightly, stepping forward with a radiant smile as she linked her arm through Penelope’s.

“Oh, no. It’s you—it’s just that you look so different.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Mercian said with a gentle laugh. “I was worried when I heard you were ill, but you look healthy now, so that’s a relief.”

“Yes, thank you for your concern.”

“Luciane has arrived, too. Since today is the formal invitation for the tea gathering, I’ll take my time showing you around.”

Luciane, too, looked Mercian over from head to toe, impeccably dressed as she was, but there was a flicker of displeasure in her awkward greeting.

“Thank you,” Mercian replied calmly.

With Mercian leading the way, Penelope and Luciane slowly stepped inside the marquisate.

The house, evidently prepared with care for the tea gathering, looked cleaner and more pristine than usual.

The servants bowed respectfully as they passed Mercian, Luciane, and Penelope, greeting them with polite nods.

“First, I’ll give you a tour of the marquisate,” Mercian said.

“My goodness, it’s much larger inside than it looks from the outside,” Penelope marvelled, glancing around as if it were her first time inside, despite having toured the house during Mercian’s wedding.

Luciane leaned toward Penelope and whispered, “Mother, make sure you memorise the locations of the marquis’s chambers and the study, okay?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Penelope replied with a nod.

After guiding them from the first-floor garden up to the second-floor guest rooms, Mercian finally led them toward Ruan’s room and the study.

“This way is Ruan’s chambers and the study. As you can see, there are many important documents here, so the door is usually locked. It’s also protected by a magical ward that can knock you unconscious if you touch the door incorrectly. That’s why I rarely come this way. And over there is my room.”

What? Magical wards protecting the door?

Luciane sneered inwardly at Mercian’s words.

A lie. 

She only said that to avoid having to go through the room herself.

Mer, no matter what you do, I’m not falling for your tricks.

“Oh, come on. What kind of nonsense is that? I won’t go inside; I’ll just look from outside. That should be fine.”

Ignoring Mercian’s warning, Luciane strode toward Ruan’s door and reached out to touch the handle.

“No, sister, don’t!”

A sudden flash of light burst from the doorknob the moment Luciane’s hand made contact, electrifying her entire body.

She collapsed, instantly unconscious.