Ch#91
Spoils of War
Duchess
By Lemon Frog
Episode 91
The fact that the man begging for love before me right now is another son of the Emperor isn't a big problem at all. What's important is that he has been chosen by House Winblair.
'It means the three great houses will support this man as emperor!'
She had wondered why the three great houses had been unusually quiet since the extermination of House Lancaster. She thought they were just keeping a low profile, but to think they were preparing such an enormous plan in secret...!
"Is it alright for you to tell me all this? As you know, House Bliss..."
"Of course, I don't trust House Bliss. But I do trust you, who is worthy of the Empress's position."
Liandro lifted Angela's hand and pressed his lips to the back of it.
"Just as I must become Emperor, you must become Empress. That position suits you alone. You know that too, don't you?"
Of course she did. Any position in the world would leave her wanting more, but Empress was the highest a woman could achieve.
Angela smiled inwardly with satisfaction while shyly lowering her head.
"I will give you that position. Please come to me, Angela."
It was a gamble with no small risk.
However, Angela was the type who believed she had to take that level of risk for great rewards.
She did not refuse Liandro's hand as it gently lifted her chin.
As she accepted his lips, still unable to fully hide his anxiety and urgency, Angela vowed not to let this man slip away.
Linia, with Edel's help, not only selected invitations and attended good parties but also invited guests to their home.
It wasn't just Laslo who had become busy after the party.
"Can't I invite the Talon Young Master again?"
.
Linia, who had spent a dreamlike tea time with Ian Talon, laid out the invitations she had received and let out a deep sigh.
But Edel, beside her, shook her head.
"Inviting him consecutively will start rumors of marriage talks soon. It's still too early for that. You should also invite the ladies who invited you to maintain good standing."
"Sigh... Then who should I invite? Inviting older matrons feels burdensome for someone like me... And inviting only my peers would make me seem conscious of others..."
Edel quickly sorted through the invitations in front of the悩ing Linia.
"As you said, it's too much for a young lady to invite much older matrons. It might seem presumptuous. Usually, it's handled with thank-you cards."
"Then should I just send thank-you cards too?"
"But you need to build recognition, so how about adding invitations for their daughters or daughters-in-law along with the thank-you cards? It saves face for the matrons who invited you, and it'll be more comfortable for you."
"Wow...! How do you think of all this, Edel? You're amazing."
Edel smiled faintly at Linia, who clapped in genuine admiration. She felt relieved that her past efforts to build reputation in society could now help Linia.
And a few days later, a modest tea party was held in the drawing room of Creaser Mansion.
Instead of the latest trendy pastries, desserts that didn't divide opinions were served, and tea brewed from the fine leaves received from Ian Talon filled the guests' cups.
"Thank you for inviting us, miss. I had no idea the drawing room of Creaser Mansion was this splendid."
"Actually, you ladies are the first guests in this drawing room today."
"Oh my! What an honor...!"
The people, already curious about House Creaser after the party, cheered at becoming the drawing room's 'first guests.' It gave them something to boast about elsewhere.
"It's truly splendid. Whose taste is the interior decoration...?"
"Ah, this drawing room seems to follow my brother's image quite a bit. Neither he nor I have much knowledge in this area, so we relied heavily on the butler's help."
At those words, everyone's gazes turned at once to Edel standing beside Linia.
It was surprising that Linia openly admitted her shortcomings and praised the butler's role.
- 3 -
"Ah... Haha... I see..."
"Well, everyone knows this house's but...ler has excellent taste..."
Linia enjoyed watching the guests exchange glances and choose their words carefully.
The Linia Creaser who used to shrink and watch others' reactions before them was gone.
Through Edel's teachings, she had clearly recognized her own strengths and realized how insignificant high society truly was.
Thus, Linia's true personality was gradually emerging.
"Of course, you all know our house's butler well. I didn't realize it before, but lately I found out I've had an incredible governess all this time."
"Did the, uh, butler also serve as Lady Linia's governess?"
"Yes! Thanks to her, I realized what I was doing wrong and received great help in many ways. She's now indispensable to our house."
"Miss...!"
Edel was the one embarrassed as Linia introduced her like family.
'Why is Linia doing this all of a sudden?'
She wanted to stop her from making herself look lacking, but she couldn't speak carelessly in this setting.
Besides, Linia seemed to already know what Edel was worried about.
"Edel, no need to fret like that. It's not like I said anything untrue. Talking about how much I've benefited from you doesn't lower my standing, right?"
Her smiling face showed confidence reminiscent of her brother.
Linia didn't stop there and praised Edel to the guests again.
"Edel worries this might harm me. She always worries about others. I wish she'd be a bit more selfish and claim her due. Even when I give her generous bonuses, she buys snacks for the other servants or lends help to those in need..."
"Really?"
"Yes! She's so kind and upright that my brother trusted her enough to make her butler. After being betrayed by the previous head maid, he's become very picky about hiring."
No one seemed dissatisfied even as Linia chattered on alone. If anything, hearing House Creaser's intimate stories directly from Linia seemed to intrigue them more.
Edel smiled faintly while watching Linia lead the tea party's atmosphere.
.
