“Come on, everyone, this way. This is the Central Palace of the Heren Villa. The tea table has already been set up on the terrace, so we can sit and talk comfortably there. But first, let me show you around the palace where I’m staying!”
Already brimming with excitement, Lylaina explained that today’s gathering was part of the rewards she’d received for successfully hosting the previous royal tea party. One of those rewards was the privilege of freely inviting her friends to the royal villa.
Allowing Dianther to stay here for a day was another such reward. The place itself — the villa imbued with the princess’s taste — had a far more charming and whimsical atmosphere than the Rubedere Palace. As the noble ladies followed the princess, listening to her cheerful chatter, the maids trailed quietly behind them.
“Dian, thank you so much for your invitation the other day. Honestly, it felt as if a spell from Aspania itself had been cast that day!”
“The Aspania estate was already beautiful, but the princess is right.”
“You flatter me, Princess. Lady Rabian.”
“Lady Dianther. Did you know that your gathering has become quite the talk of the social circles? Even my fiancé regretted not being able to attend that day.”
Once they arrived at the spacious terrace — where small, dainty tables were set — they sat down, and the conversations they hadn’t yet finished began to flow freely.
Dianther looked slightly puzzled at Lady Hazel’s remark and replied,
“Thank you, but I’m not sure what sort of talk you mean, Lady Hazel. I did my best to properly receive Her Highness and the guests, but there was nothing particularly special about it.”
“Oh my, too much modesty can be rather unbecoming, Lady Dianther. I hope you’re not making that mistake now. You’ll make me embarrassed for giving a compliment! Didn’t you summon magicians to make the flowers bloom? Anyone could see why your home was called ‘The Flowered Mansion.’ It was truly beautiful. Though I did worry a little that the Grand Duke and Duchess might have overexerted themselves.”
“……”
“Oh dear, was that rude of me? Surely the Aspania Duchy doesn’t struggle with finances. Please pretend I didn’t say that — my mistake.”
They say some people can ruin a moment just by opening their mouths, and Hazel Luxan was exactly that sort. Her tone was even less restrained than it had been at their last gathering. Sitting nearby, Rabian Chamber felt the pleasant mood drain away in an instant.
That… doesn’t sound like something a friend would say.
Even she, infamous for being a little slow on social cues, could easily pick up on the hostility in Hazel’s words.
So, what I sensed that day wasn’t a mistake after all.
The meeting had barely begun, yet the atmosphere was already deteriorating. Rabian decided she officially disliked Hazel Luxan. They weren’t even close, and she had been surprised to hear Hazel would be attending again today. Before the princess arrived, Hazel hadn’t even looked her way.
Unlike Rabian, who sat stiff with discomfort, Dianther seemed unbothered by Hazel’s tactless remarks. Her calm response carried no trace of irritation, as if she truly didn’t perceive the malice laced in Hazel’s velvety tone.
“‘The Flowered Mansion,’ you say? Thank you. I’m sure my mother will be pleased to hear that. But Lady Hazel, I’m not the modest type. I believe accepting a compliment graciously is proper etiquette. When I said there was nothing special, I wasn’t being humble — I simply meant that as fact.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that. What do you mean?”
“Don’t you remember? I mentioned to the princess that all the flowers were transplanted directly from Fleurmant. You were there too, Lady Hazel.”
“So, you brought all those flowers from the south?”
“That’s right. We didn’t hire any magicians for the event.”
Looking equally bewildered by how the conversation was unfolding, Lylaina quickly nodded and stepped in.
“Yes, Lady Hazel. Lady Dianther definitely said that. I think you must have misheard.”
Hazel blinked in mild surprise at the princess’s words — then smiled, admitting her mistake faster than expected.
“My apologies, Your Highness. I must have been mistaken. These days it’s gotten so hard to hire magicians that I assumed as much. The flowers at the Aspania estate were so beautiful it was hard to believe they weren’t magic.”
“That’s true,” said the princess.
“I had help from a royal magician for my tea party, but private magicians are becoming harder to find. I’ve heard their fees are exorbitant now.”
“I’ve heard the same, Your Highness. Thousands of Delun, they say.”
“Then it must be difficult to even commission one. My brother — ah, Prince Kian — said the number of independent magicians has dwindled significantly.”
The conversation shifting toward the topic of magicians was, in a sense, fortunate. Rabian felt a wave of relief as the tension eased and reached for one of the cookies placed before her — a baked treat topped with a halved fig.
Hazel seized the opportunity to speak again.
“But actually, Lady Dianther, the reason I wanted to attend today was to ask for your help.”
“Help? What kind of help, Lady Hazel?”
Crunch.
The cookie crumbled in Rabian’s mouth. Her fleeting sense of peace was about to vanish again. The fig-filled cookie tasted anything but sweet.
Ah, I could cry. If I’d known Hazel would be here, I should’ve just gone to visit my aunt like Father suggested.
Rabian fought the urge to sigh.
“I’ll soon be hosting Her Highness and several noble families at the Luxan estate. Now that I know the flowers at the Aspania estate weren’t magical, I feel inspired to challenge myself. I may not match the grandeur of the Grand Duchy, but I’d like to leave a good impression on my guests. So, I was hoping you could give me some advice.”
Dianther slowly set down her butter knife. Between her slender fingers, the silver blade caught the sunlight before resting neatly against the porcelain plate.
“Is there any advice you think I could give you, Lady Hazel?”
“Oh, plenty. Bringing in such fresh flowers from the south — that was impressive. Ah, and…”
Hazel paused dramatically, as though pondering deeply, then smiled.
“The place where your afternoon tea was held — the grand back garden of the Aspania estate. We have a similar garden at our mansion, but it’s such a mess. We’ve never really used it for gatherings before.”
“Then I’ll send the gardener who managed ours to the Luxan estate soon. They can give you some advice on how to prepare your garden.”
“Oh, I’d be so grateful! How kind of you, Lady Dianther.”
Hazel clasped her hands together and smiled brightly.
“My mother will probably insist on just hiring an expensive magician, but still — really, it was incredible. The path from the garden to the promenade at your estate, all lined with live flowers — it was breathtaking. There were so many of them.”
“Whether you choose magic, live flowers, or other decorations, Lady Luxan and her daughter should pick whichever suits them best.”
“I’ll do that. But now that I think about it, isn’t it strange? Lady Dianther, why did you insist on decorating the entire space with only real flowers? Your fiancé, Lord Callinan, is the heir of the renowned Callinan family, isn’t he? He must be skilled with magic. Even if magician fees are high, surely that’s no concern for someone like him — especially when he’s right beside you.”
Lylaina set down the macaron she had just picked up. Anyone could tell Hazel Luxan had crossed a line. Either that, or she truly had no sense of tact.
The atmosphere began to twist in an unexpected direction.
Should I step in?
Lylaina glanced at Dianther, but her calm voice remained perfectly steady.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. I was just curious.”
“So, Lady Hazel, are you implying that my fiancé didn’t assist me because he’s lost interest in me? Is that what you mean?”
“Yes, precisely. You catch on quickly.”
Clang!
The sharp clatter of silverware hitting the floor was not anyone’s imagination. Rabian Chamber had dropped her fork. Her maid hurried to pick it up, but even after setting a new one beside her plate, the suffocating tension refused to ease.
Dianther lifted her teacup, her fingers gracefully encircling the handle.
“…That’s rather sudden. I don’t even know what to say — perhaps that it’s absurd. Why would that be of interest to you, Lady Hazel?”
“As someone who attended that day, isn’t it natural for me to wonder? Seeing what I did, two possibilities came to mind.”
“I’m curious. Tell me what they are.”
Hazel looked as though she had been waiting for this moment all along.
“First — that the Grand Duchy’s finances have declined to the point where hiring a private magician has become a burden.”
Her words flowed smoothly, too smoothly.
“And second…”
Hazel Luxan met Dianther’s eyes directly, her lips curving into a crescent — unmistakably mocking.
“That Lord Callinan has fallen out of love with you.”
So, Dianther… what will you do now?
I’m dying to see how long that elegant voice of yours can hold.
