Rote looked around in the somber mood as if surprised, her eyes wide open. And she spoke, looking at Justice Ortega.
“Perhaps you were all waiting for us to come, Your Excellency.”
The noblewomen, embarrassed and reading the situation, greeted Rote and Justice Ortega a little too warmly.
“The two of you stand there like that, you really suit each other. If someone didn’t know you, they’d think you were a married couple!”
“Oh my, I don’t think I’m the only one who thought so. Are you two really nothing at all?”
Rote pretended to be embarrassed, glancing at Justice Ortega as if to say, “Everyone, please don’t overdo it. We’re really not involved with each other at all.”
‘The judge doesn’t seem to care about Rote.’
It felt like a light acceptance within polite bounds.
Then she met Justice Ortega’s gaze. At first glance, her eyes were purple.
‘Now that I look again, they’re a deep green.’
The color, once mistaken for purple, was so striking that it seemed odd.
Justice Ortega slightly lifted the corner of his mouth and nodded toward me. I naturally greeted him with a nod and then turned my attention to the tea party.
Meanwhile, Countess Hetel’s wife brought a new tea in front of Rote and began bragging.
“We obtained this tea with great effort from the Hetel estate. My husband, on a business trip in the Kingdom of Beaston, secured this Sileon tea.”
Beaston Kingdom was famous for being closed off and not trading with the Empire, so teas famous there were treated as precious delicacies.
“Rote, would you pour some Sileon tea for our guests?”
“Yes, Mother.”
Rote poured the tea from the kettle, stood gracefully, and served it in front of me. It was a glamorous cup with a sun motif and a golden rose engraved on the handle.
With a gentle smile, Rote asked, “Even if my skills are lacking, would you please try it once?”
I calmly took a sip of the tea.
~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~
Rote was the Hetel estate’s greatest beauty. Her mother, Countess Hetel, always claimed that she would surely marry off to the finest gentleman in the land.
Rote believed that as well.
‘An opportunity will come.’
The moment she faced the noble Blanccht (Blan-ch) Prince with his regal bearing, she realized it.
‘That man.’
A man whose arrogance seemed to eclipse royalty itself. He was handsome, yet lacked a certain masculine charm that Ortega, the Justice, possessed. Truthfully, he didn’t notice the wife beside him at all.
‘After all, he’s a fake.’
Even if the wife was more beautiful, Rote had a greater allure. She treated the rumor that they were officially married as a joke.
Of course, the Blanchet Duke wasn’t an easy man. Even when she feigned shyness and requested a secret meeting, he refused with practiced, cool etiquette.
‘I have no intention of escorting Hetel’s daughter. My beloved wife is waiting.’
‘I’ll tell my wife myself.’
‘Hmm.’
The Blanchet Duke glowered at Rote with a sharp gaze, his slim chin brushing languidly.
‘Why is Hetel’s wife talking with my wife? About me, while I am here?’
‘What? Well, the same woman, we can talk more freely as fellow women.’
‘That’s ridiculous. There’s no reason for Hetel to worry about our married life. She’s already seen enough, I’m sure.’
Rote recalled the night when she knocked on his chamber in a thin slip.
Honestly, when she saw the man’s body with her wife, she hesitated for a moment. But the sight of his body—how animal-like it seemed—made her approach the door.
The Blanchet Duke’s body, so taut, aroused her senses. Even with his wife present, she thought his sensuous figure would change things.
But the two were as if the sound of the door never existed, lost in each other.
Then the cold red eyes of the person watching his wife fixed on Rote.
At that moment, a chill ran down Rote’s spine as if she would faint, and she immediately fled.
Somehow, for reasons she couldn’t understand, she ran away. It wasn’t human malice. It was something beyond a human, a monstrous, terrifying aura.
‘That is enough of a warning. I know your family matters, but stop overstepping.’
Rote forgot etiquette and fled in a pale panic.
‘That man is no good. Too… scary.’
Rote decided to go for Ortega, the same man his sister Flora had pursued. Although she didn’t pay him much attention with the Blanchet Duke nearby, she realized later that there was no man comparable to him.
But that didn’t erase the resentment toward the Blanchet Duke’s wife.
Because of Estelle, Hetel’s family had been humiliated by Blanchet Duke and Otarka Count. So Rote resolved to humiliate the Blanchet Duke’s wife and show Ortega the extent of her own charm.
“Even if my skills are lacking, would you try it once?”
Blanchet Duke’s daughter, Estelle, drank the tea gracefully.
‘Serving tea perfectly is a perfect skill.’
Dressed in a pale lilac gown with just the right amount of makeup, she stood out at the tea party. Yet she was only a commoner adopted into a noble family.
‘But serving tea isn’t enough.’
A test of etiquette all nobles who’ve debuted in society must know. A commoner adopted into society could hardly master it.
‘Because I had to distract everyone so they wouldn’t notice the tea cup properly.’
Rote swallowed hard and watched Estelle’s tasting. Estelle set the tea down gracefully and flashed a subtle smile.
“Antreine (the scent is wonderful).”
Using the ornate sun-patterned royal teacup, with the golden rose handle, it was customary to drink tea in line with royal etiquette. It was a sign of respect for royal history.
‘But nowadays, almost no one does it, so most people don’t know…’
Estelle even praised the tea in an ancient language and in a perfect sentence.
“Bel Nuyadhe Haiy Aishaten (but there is a bitter aftertaste in the tea. It would be better to adjust it).”
Perfect pronunciation, perfect etiquette. She seemed to be a model for imperial ladies. People around her were astonished, and Estelle asked, seemingly puzzled.
“Tenluah (Is there a problem)?”
Her blue-black eyes looked pure. Rote suddenly became irritated.
‘No, there’s something… different.’
Flustered, Rote recalled what Estelle had said. She was surprised that Estelle spoke ancient language fluently, though somewhat differently from what she had learned.
‘She missed a word in the middle!’
Ancient languages have highly irregular grammar, so Rote usually memorized conventional sentences used in society. Yet Estelle’s ancient language lacked a word that a proper gentlewoman should have included.
“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s a little different from what I was thinking.”
“What is different?”
“Yes. Perhaps this is your first tea party, and you seem nervous and confused. You should say, ‘Bel Nuyadhe Haiy Aishaten Roa, La,’”
Rote, as a kind lady, gently corrected Blanchet Duke’s wife’s mistake and smiled at Ortega, too.
“Even in society, many people practice ancient language, but since it’s not something used often, they get confused. Please be generous and understand, Your Excellency.”
“…”
“Of course, you may need to study a bit more on your own.”
The noblewomen nearby began praising Rote’s excellence.
“Rote is truly remarkable. It’s rare to master ancient language so perfectly.”
“You explain the mistakes kindly and your apology is beautiful. You are indeed a model of society.”
“Modest as always.”
Rote remained modest, glancing at Estelle.
‘Hmph, someone might tell me to stop. Will she lose control and get excited?’
But Estelle’s demeanor wasn’t what Rote had expected. She calmly placed the tea down and looked at Rote with a gentle gaze, almost pitying her.
‘Why?’
As Rote’s confusion grew, Ortega spoke to her.
“Rote.”
Ortega frowned, and a sense of danger spread through Rote, as if the floor would crack beneath her.
~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~
I clicked my tongue at Rote.
Ortega’s eyes held faint contempt.
“Rote, you need to devote yourself to your education. Look at how reckless you are.”
Rote’s color drained.
“What do you mean? Is it because my ancient language is wrong?”
“In ladies’ ancient-language textbooks, people often attach Roa to the end of every sentence and mislead people, but in this situation, you should not add Roa. There are multiple people here.”
“Th-then…”
Rote’s gaze turned to me. Naturally, everyone looked at me. I smiled with my lips curled upward.
“Don’t worry, it was certainly challenging.”
To be honest, I was flustered by suddenly being criticized about tea etiquette. Because using ancient language while drinking from this cup was entirely natural.
‘If I hadn’t done anything, it might have been okay.’
It was a case where I failed because I wanted to stand out unnecessarily. Ortega, who had been watching Rote with cold eyes, looked at me.
“Countess Blanchet, you’re quite proficient in ancient languages.”
“I still have a long way to go.”
“No, you’re impressive. Your skill in ancient languages is remarkable. A scholar who studies ancient languages probably could not speak so fluently as you do.”
Rote’s face reddened with embarrassment.
“N-no way.”
“Rote. Calm down.”
Hetel Countess, who had been humiliated by the marriage rumors, jumped up in defense of her daughter, drenched in cold sweat herself.
“Hehe, thanks to Countess Blanchet’s knowledge, our Rote has learned a great deal. She’s still young, with much to learn.”
“Oh my. I’m surprised. I didn’t realize.”
I looked slightly startled.
“I thought Hetel’s daughter was older than me.”
“Our Rote is older than the Duchess in terms of age, but that’s because the Duchess is exceptionally brilliant, and our Rote isn’t that much older…”
Hetel Countess, trying to cover up a mistake, looked at Ortega. Ortega, with an expressionless face, began to speak to Hetel Countess.
“Indeed, the Libertan Duchess is remarkable. As wise and considerate as Princess Armatis. You tried to shield Rote’s mistake, didn’t you?”
Princess Armathis is a revered figure in the empire, known for wisdom and beauty, a fitting match for a future bride.
‘That wasn’t the intention, but…’
Still, there was no need to refuse such a compliment.
“I simply believed Hetel Countess would maintain her poise. Since you’ve regained your poise, I am relieved.”
“That’s right. Next time, you’ll show an even more exemplary effort.”
Ortega’s remark ended, and Rote, pale, hurriedly covered her face with both hands and fled.
But for a lady at the age to marry, her behavior wasn’t appropriate. Hetel’s wife found herself in greater trouble.
“Ro- rote! I’m sorry. She isn’t like that by nature; she’s not well lately…”
Yes. Now no one would trust anyone anymore.
“Indeed. It’s a pity. I hope she recovers soon.”
The noblewomen who were with Hetel’s wife did not add more words. They realized Hetel’s side had been humiliated.
‘It seems they’ve put a lot of effort into getting her married off to the right family.’
The noblewomen looked at each other with meaningful expressions and one rose from her seat, turning over an empty teacup.
“Perhaps Sileon tea isn’t something we need to treat with such ceremony.”
One of the noblewomen who had passionately supported Hetel’s wife stood.
“Perhaps there will be a better opportunity next time.”
“I also have something to attend to tomorrow… it seems this matter may blow over.”
It seemed tomorrow would reveal all.
I smiled at Hetel’s wife in a gentle way.
“Still, I was glad to have had Sileon tea served. Don’t worry too much.”
Not everyone needs to marry; if necessary, they could avoid it. The rest would take care of themselves.
~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~
John stood in front of Hetel counts and linked arms gracefully.
“So, what is it you want to say?”
“There is some excellent information that Blanchet Duke must hear.”
Hetel Count, nodding and glancing around, lowered his voice.
“This is information that Justice Ortega was seeking. If I have this, I could push Ortega aside and gain the Emperor’s favor…”
“It’s not worth listening to.”
John smiled with a twist of his lips and rose from his seat.
“Save your nonsense for someone else.”
“M-My lord! If you don’t listen, you may regret it—”
Watching such people, I felt it was absurd. They were not worth toying with.
“Where is the wife?”
Estelle, who had appeared tired since arriving at the castle, was in the room.
“Bring Estelle here to Blanchet’s domain soon…”
John moved away from Hetel counts to go to Estelle’s room.
Betty was coming out of the room as John approached. Betty looked surprised to see John.
“M-Master?”
“Why are you so surprised?”
John opened the door, and inside was Estelle, about to take off her dress. Her threadbare and translucent neckline was clearly visible.
John froze.
She’s undressing?
When he turned around, he saw the slip Betty was holding.
~·~·*· . ·**##^^##**· . ·*·~·~
Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉
Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
~~~Next Chapter~~~
Next chapter will be released Tomorrow.
See you then!!
Thank you