Chapter 59
#059. Venomous Preparations and Easy Choices
Esella stared at the closed door.
She couldn't possibly sense anything beyond the thick door, but somehow, she felt like Conrad was still looking at her door.
"Miss, come and eat quickly."
Veronica called her from behind, but Esella shook her head.
She felt sorry for the chef, but her stomach was so upset that she couldn't even empty the light salad and soup.
They both knew, but neither could easily bring up the story.
How did Conrad and she become so awkward? Her most beloved and perfect family.
No, let's take out 'perfect.' Esella swallowed her bitter feelings and looked at the wall.
The portrait hanging on the wall of her room, where neither her father nor her brothers could enter, was the family portrait from the living room.
Now, she could see that the Olivia in the portrait wasn't smiling with tension and awkwardness.
And there wasn't much she could do for her sister now. Esella deliberately took a light breath and looked at Veronica.
"Veronica, how far did we get?"
"We only covered how to hold a teacup... But you already know all the social etiquette, Miss."
Veronica, the daughter of a vassal family of House Madeleine, was quite familiar with society, unlike Esella. However, Esella, who had not appeared in society, could already skillfully perform the manners that Veronica had learned.
Veronica said hesitantly.
"More than that, it seems the young Duke knows that you are going out into society. Are you really going to officially attend Tea Parties from now on?"
Esella chuckled and gestured to the desk. The letters piled high on the desk were all invitations to Tea Parties.
"Now that my brother knows, I have to go more confidently. What I learned through lessons and actual practice may be different, so I'm going to start by attending light Tea Parties."
Esella still vividly remembered the day she met the Princess.
The subtle conversations that passed between them. The atmosphere where she was momentarily excluded and the laughter that grated on her nerves.
And even the words that were thrown at her haphazardly.
If they did that to her, how would they have acted towards her sister, the person involved? Just thinking about it made her blood run cold, and Esella twisted up the corners of her lips.
"Veronica said it, didn't she? Society flows as the Queen dictates."
To be exact, she said, "Society flows according to the tastes of the lady who dominates the atmosphere." But what Esella said wasn't wrong either, so Veronica just listened.
Esella slowly blinked her eyes and haughtily raised the corners of her lips.
"And since our mother was the Queen of society, of course, the next position should be mine. From the Tea Parties to the balls that will be held in the future, everything."
It was a declaration as if she was naturally destined to take over the position. She had to be the one to confront the Princess who had insulted her sister.
It was quite an arrogant statement for a young lady who still had a year until her Debutante, but Veronica nodded as if possessed.
"Come to think of it, the Imperial Palace's Summer Ball is coming up soon. I'm sure Princess will be leading the preparations again this year, right?"
Esella smiled lightly at Veronica's words.
The Princess had been the host of the Summer Ball for the past two years.
The Princess, who successfully completed her first Summer Ball as soon as she had her Debutante, quickly rose to become the flower of society.
The elegant and splendid Summer Ball, which even satisfied the discerning eyes of the strict noblewomen, spread widely as gossip in society that year.
"But you can't attend the main ball yet, Miss. Your Debutante is next year."
Veronica looked at Esella with a puzzled expression. But Esella shrugged as if it were nothing.
"Even if I can't attend the main ball, I have to attend Princess's Summer Ball preparation Tea Party. I am, after all, Madeleine."
Ah, Veronica nodded without realizing it.
The Princess always held Tea Parties when preparing for the Summer Ball. The justification was a place to receive ideas for the ball, but in reality, it was a 'special Tea Party' attended by the young ladies who formed the backbone of society.
Her young lady was probably aiming for that.
It was then. Knock-knock—a knock sounded from outside the door, and Sally's voice was heard. The tension that had been rising in case it was Conrad again relaxed.
"Come in."
At the word to come in, the door opened immediately, and Sally entered. Sally's face, which had been absent today, was bright. She was holding a large envelope as if it were something very precious.
"Where have you been? What's that?"
"I was running an errand for our Olivia! She told me something before she left!"
Esella paid attention to her sister's story. Sally couldn't hide her joy at Esella's curious face and blurted out.
"There's a letter coming for Miss, and she told me to deliver it to the Grand Duke's Residence when it arrives."
"But why didn't you send it right away?"
"I also have a letter to send to Miss. I didn't expect the letter to really be there, so I left it behind and came to pick it up to deliver it together. Would you like to give me a letter to send, Miss?"
As soon as she heard Sally's suggestion, emotion flashed across Esella's face, which had been puzzled. Soon, Esella began to move quickly.
"Wait a minute, I'll write the letter right away!"
Meanwhile, Sally looked into the envelope with a joyful face.
Inside were a total of eight letters.
After Olivia left for the Territory of Vikander, Sally had been steadily looking into the mailbox on behalf of Miss. Even so, she didn't expect the letters that had been cut off for more than half a year to come.
Oh my gosh! The letters came. Eight at once!
Sally read the writing on the letter with a satisfied look.
The envelope was written in elegant and powerful handwriting, 'With gratitude to Liv Green.'
* * *
Meanwhile, at that time.
At the Katanta Baron's Residence, which was in chaos due to the Princess's visit, a Knight of the Imperial Palace visited.
The Baron and his wife were so surprised by the Knight's words that he had brought a letter stamped with the Emperor's seal that their eyes popped out.
'Oh my gosh, His Majesty personally sent a letter to our territory!'
"...Thank you for your hard work, Sir. Please rest and return. Baron, would you lend the Knight, who came a long way by order of His Imperial Majesty, a space to rest for a while?"
At the elegant dismissal, the Baron looked at the Princess with a regretful face. It would be nice if Katanta's story was mixed in the reply to that letter, even a little bit.
But the Princess did not look back at the Baron, who was lingering with regret. It was when the Baron was about to get up from his seat with a reluctant attitude.
"Excuse me, Your Highness."
The Knight with a youthful face knelt in front of the Princess and said.
"I have been ordered to assist Your Highness for the next five days until you return to the Palace."
"...What does that mean, Sir?"
The Princess thought she must have misheard. If what the Knight said was true, her father had attached a guard to her. But the Knight's answer was consistent.
"I don't know because I haven't received any other instructions, Your Highness."
"You came by order of His Imperial Majesty, but are you already returning to the Imperial Palace, Your Highness? Oh dear, how can we be so sad?"
"Baron, you're too much. The Summer Ball hosted by Princess is about to begin. We haven't been invited to such a big ball, but the host, Your Highness, must return quickly."
The Baron and his wife added words after the Knight's words. As the three people's words mixed in the midst of anxiety and confusion, the Princess unknowingly spoke sharply.
"Everyone, stop!"
The Princess's room became quiet in an instant. The Princess realized her mistake and looked around. Her nanny, Baroness Luhan, looked at the faces of the Baron and his wife and the Knight with a helpless expression.
The Baron and his wife, who had only seen the Princess's Saintess-like appearance, as well as the Knight, were a little surprised.
"...I have a headache. I would appreciate it if you could lower your voices."
The Princess smiled gently as usual. Only then did the Baron and his wife laugh awkwardly, "Ahaha," and get up from their seats.
"Come to think of it, Princess also has to look at the letter. We will get up from our seats first."
"I would appreciate it if the Knight could also leave for a while. It seems that Your Highness needs to rest for a while after reading the letter."
At Baroness Luhan's words, the Knight hesitated for a moment and nodded. And before leaving, he looked at the Princess.
The moment their eyes met, the Knight's face turned red. The Princess knew instinctively.
Ah, that Knight can be dealt with somehow.
.
.
.
I will give you five days. Quickly finish the investigation of the White Crystal Mine and return.
The moment she read the letter, it was as if she could hear the voice of her father, the Emperor. The Princess tried to suppress her anxious heart.
It was perhaps natural that the Emperor knew she was here. Moreover, if it was her father, who thought so terribly of the Abandoned Mine, he would surely read her report more carefully this time.
But.
"How can I go back on that road again?"
"Your Highness!"
Baroness Luhan said even louder with an astonished face at the Princess's rough words.
What if someone heard? The nanny was very anxious.
But the Princess didn't care about the nanny. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't go back on that terrible unpaved road.
However, she couldn't give up the Abandoned Mine as it was. The Princess looked at the Abandoned Mine 'documents' with sharp eyes.
...The White Crystal Mine, which was owned by Late Grand Duchess Vikander, Esmelda Lowell Vikander, the last Princess of the ruined Lowell, was returned to the Imperial Family in response to the Late Grand Duke Vikander's responsibility for losing the war. ...After an investigation by magicians and scholars, it was confirmed that the veins were completely cut off.
What surprised the Princess was the next sentence.
However, before the ruined Lowell declined, it cannot be ruled out that they, who were skilled in magic, hid something. In addition, Grand Duke Bikander shows an obsessive interest in this mine, so he orders them to pass it down from generation to generation and find what they have hidden.
Hiding something.
The Princess gritted her teeth at the spine-chilling sentence. And she glared at Olivia Madelaine, who wasn't even in front of her.
If that half-wit really found something special in the mine and intentionally omitted it from the report, and coaxed her to take the White Crystal Mine?
"...No way. That idiot hesitated until she stamped the seal. She hasn't found anything yet."
The Princess muttered as if suppressing her anxiety. When that half-wit boldly demanded a dowry, she was the one who recommended the Abandoned Mine. ...Regretfully.
Judging by the fact that she hesitated until she stamped the seal on the document, that lowly bloodline would not know that something was hidden in the mine.
She tried to soothe herself like that, but the fact that the mine, which Grand Duke Bikander was obsessed with, was in danger of being returned to him by her own hands did not change.
It was when the Princess's anger soared to the top of her head. The nanny said cautiously.
"It would be impossible to come and go in five days. I should have fixed and corrected the Princess's report earlier."
At those words, the Princess burst into anger.
"Nanny! What nonsense are you talking about! Everyone at this Baron's Residence already knows that I didn't go to Vikander!"
The nanny flinched and lowered her head at the Princess's words. As if the nanny's words were a trigger, the Princess relentlessly drove the nanny.
"I'm already worried that Maria is preparing my ball. Really, that Olivia is not helpful at all...!"
The Princess's eyes widened as she spat out her annoyance. The Baron's wife's regretful voice flashed through her mind.
"Baron, you're too much. The Summer Ball hosted by Princess is about to begin. We haven't been invited to such a big ball, but the host, Your Highness, must return quickly."
The Baron and his wife, who openly wanted to attend the ball, and the Knight's gaze towards her!
Anyway, that half-wit Olivia will attend the ball as the Grand Duke's fiancée, so she will be able to meet her at the Imperial Palace.
Olivia Madelaine is unlikely to know about the Abandoned Mine. Then, wouldn't she just have to get through this moment without having to go all the way to Vikander?
Why hadn't she thought of this?
A smile began to form on the Princess's lips.
"Nanny! Tell the Baron and his wife and the Knight to come in right away, no, the Knight first!"
