SEM 17

SEM

Posted by Hoor, Released on July 12, 2025

Chapter 17

While Eliana sat nervously, Rozella spoke calmly.

“Everyone’s curious who it is that captured the heart of the Duke of Cryber.”

Empress Rozella looked at the ladies-in-waiting surrounding her like a folding screen. They were all daughters from prominent noble families in the Empire.

“On a personal note, since His Majesty the Emperor and the Duke are brothers, I thought it inappropriate not to see each other at the wedding.”

“You’re so kind, Your Majesty, calling in an unworthy junior like this first.”

A lady-in-waiting beside Rozella praised her, as if it were second nature. Rozella merely waved a hand modestly, clearly used to such flattery.

But Eliana involuntarily bit her lip at the maid’s words. She understood it was a veiled rebuke for not appearing in the palace until summoned.

“How disgraceful, in front of guests.”

“I should’ve come to greet you first. I was thoughtless. I apologize, Your Majesty.”

Eliana bowed her head, carefully watching Rozella’s reaction.

“Oh, come now! I said it’s nothing to fuss over.”

“……”

“You must have been so busy—first a funeral, now a wedding.”

Though Empress Rozella smiled elegantly and lifted her teacup, the words that followed were biting. Eliana couldn’t even muster a smile.

The Empress had done nothing when it came to the Duke of Cryber’s one-sided love. Rather than rejecting her brother-in-law’s feelings, she’d asked Eliana to spare her the misfortune instead.

‘Still, that’s what let me stay by his side in the end.’

“I will come by more often and offer my greetings from now on, Your Majesty.”

Eliana’s voice, though polite, trembled slightly with anger.

Her frustration toward the Empress naturally turned into thoughts of Gredy—as if she were jealous. Even she couldn’t understand the strange emotion herself.

“Oh my, are you frightened? What did I even do? Someone might misunderstand.”

Fortunately, the Empress took Eliana’s anger as nervousness. A misunderstanding Eliana welcomed.

“Indeed. Her Majesty graciously extended a hand first, after all.”

As if waiting for their cue, the ladies-in-waiting echoed Rozella’s words, cornering Eliana.

“No, it’s just that… this is my first time at such an occasion.”

Eliana tried to explain, flustered, but no one listened. They were too busy chatting among themselves.

“Well, I suppose it would be difficult for Lady Hoffman. After all, just warming a bed got her a title and wealth.”

Claire fanned herself, eyes lowered.

“What?”

“Everyone says it’s an amazing talent. But why do you look so clueless? Ah! Perhaps looking clueless is part of that talent too?”

At Claire’s words, the reception room fell into a heavy silence. No one, not even the Empress, dared speak.

Claire Laymon was the Empress’s closest confidante. Her words were as good as Rozella’s own.

The noble ladies exchanged glances. Realizing Rozella wanted to humiliate Eliana, they all fell silent in unison.

“What do you mean by that?”

Eliana forced a smile.

“Hmm? Are you deaf? Or just slow? I was complimenting your talent, Lady.”

Claire sipped her tea elegantly. A green emerald pin in her braided hair sparkled, matching her cold green eyes.

It was then that Eliana realized green eyes could be so cold.

“Oh dear, what trouble for Her Majesty. To have a half-wit for a duchess-to-be.”

“Hehehe.”

Some ladies giggled behind their fans as if they’d been holding it in.

Even as the insults crossed a line, Rozella did nothing to stop them.

“How mischievous,” she murmured with a wave of her fan.

Eliana, seated in silence, clasped her hands. She could’ve sold her soul to the devil to escape that room.

“Don’t sulk over a little joke. We’ll be seeing each other often. There’s no need to make things awkward, right?”

Claire stepped forward again, her words raising the tension in the room.

“…Yes.”

Eliana could barely mutter a response as she bowed her head like a sinner.

All the while, the Empress and her ladies continued to laugh among themselves, not sparing Eliana even a glance—as if she weren’t there.

Eliana reached for her now-cold teacup, hoping to escape the gazes, when—

“Oh!”

“Ah!”

Eliana suddenly stood up. Though she hadn’t even touched the cup, her thin muslin dress was soaked with yellow tea. There wasn’t even time to react.

“How careless! What a mess.”

No one worried about Eliana. The stain on her dress was an eyesore, but no one gave it a second thought.

“Are you alright, Claire?”

Claire Laymon, called by her first name—an unmistakable sign of closeness to the Empress—frowned and cradled her hand.

Though Eliana had her thigh soaked, everyone fretted over the few droplets that splashed on Claire’s hand.

“Oh no! What if it leaves a scar on her lovely hand?”

“Summon a doctor, now!”

At Rozella’s quiet command, a shadow-like servant rushed out of the room.

Eliana remained the only one in silence among the crowd.

“Claire?”

The Empress called softly to Claire, who still cradled her hand. But Claire was glaring at Eliana. She didn’t seem to like Eliana’s continued silence.

“Doesn’t the lady know how to apologize?”

Her words pierced like needles.

Eliana felt wronged. All she had done was reach for the teacup in front of her. It was Claire who had struck her hand.

“Shouldn’t I be the one receiving an apology, not Lady Laymon?”

“What nonsense is this?”

Claire’s sharp glare bore into her as Eliana sighed.

Having been tense since the unexpected summons, Eliana only now noticed her surroundings.

The ladies hidden behind fans were all watching her. Few of them were actual palace maids. The others were likely gossipy noble daughters. The maids at the edges of the room were likely no different.

Once this gathering ended, word would spread through the Empire about how foolish Lady Eliana had acted at a tea party hosted by the Empress.

A fabricated rumor, spread with malice, would hurt both Eliana and the Hoffman family.

Eliana bit her lip.

She didn’t care about herself or her family’s reputation—but the rumor would surely end with Gredy Cryber.

‘What are you even hoping to gain from this?’

Eliana’s gaze landed on Empress Rozella.

“Are you trying to pick a fight, Lady Eliana?!”

As Eliana sank into thought, the impatient Claire finally snapped and shouted.

Even though she was a marquess’s daughter, shouting in the Empress’s presence was unthinkable—unless she had the Empress’s blessing.

Whether Eliana apologized or not, the outcome wouldn’t change. She’d forever be remembered as the fool who couldn’t even drink a cup of tea properly.

‘What should I do?’

Eliana bit her lip again.

Then—

“There you all are.”

The tightly shut door opened, and everyone assumed it was the doctor. But the man who entered was not a physician.

It was Gredy.

“Your Grace.”

“I greet Your Majesty. Might a humble guest have a warm cup of tea?”

Even Empress Rozella looked visibly flustered at his sudden arrival. But when Gredy offered his cheeky greeting, her face quickly relaxed into a smile.

“Of course.”

With the Empress’s permission, Gredy scanned the room from the doorway, then walked straight over to Eliana.

“Your Grace, are you hurt?”

Rozella frowned when she saw a cut on Gredy’s lip. She seemed reminded of the Emperor upon seeing how Gredy had matured.

“Oh, a flower bit me.”

“What?”

The Empress tilted her head at the cryptic remark, folding her fan. Meanwhile, Gredy was staring at Eliana’s tea-stained muslin dress.

“A flower bloomed on your dress.”

He grinned, scrunching his nose at the yellow-stained fabric.

“What?”

Claire, who had just been berating Eliana moments ago, now stared at him in disbelief.

Gredy, always cold and composed with her, was now teasing Eliana about her dress.