Chapter 44

The teacups were emptied and refilled a few more times, and the chirping voices like a bird gradually diminished.

Asilia picked up the teacup and spoke to the woman sitting next to her.

“Anyway, you came this time. Marchioness Lionel.”

The woman whose name was called was the young lady who was staring intently at Rosena.

“I thought there was something wrong because even if I sent invitations, you didn’t come.”

There was a reason why Asilia pretended to be close to the Marchioness Lionel.

The Marquis of Lionel was one of the oldest families in the empire.

The meritorious family had produced an empress several times, and their territory has many residents because they have real estate.

Ibella, who married Marquis Lionel a few years ago, was the only child of a marquis in the western region.

It was no exaggeration to say that Ibella’s parents made a fortune out of trade and held the west tight.

Asilia was impatient to conciliate such an Ibella on her side.

She had ambitions to overthrow the crown prince and raise her husband, the second prince, to the throne.

But for that to happen, she needed a force to back it up, and she spotted the Marquis of Lionel early on.

But Ibella never accepted the invitation. The only thing that came back was a reply of refusal. But that wasn’t the extent for Asilia to give up.

Asilia persistently sent out invitations and finally received a reply from Ibella that said she would attend.

Ibella, who was sitting silent, opened her mouth for the first time.

“I’m here because I’d like to meet someone.”

At that word, Asilia looked perplexed.

She thought she had finally come to show her face, but the reason was that she wanted to meet someone else.

Asilia was offended by her attitude of not falling to her, but she tried to laugh.

If it had been anyone else, she would have kicked her out right away. However, Ibella Lionel was a necessary hand for Asilia.

“From now on, come to see me more often.”

When Asilia skillfully laughed, the people around her also laughed.

As the subdued atmosphere returned a little, Asilia brought up another topic.

“Come to think of it, there was a new dressing room in the capital…”

It was a story about the dressing room that people are paying attention to these days. Then the topic of conversation quickly shifted to clothes.

“They say the Rael dressing room is fully booked.”

“Oh, for the lady too? I was told that I had to wait at least three months.”

When the familiar dressing room name was mentioned, Rosena listened for a moment.

It was the dressing room she had visited with Yerhan before. Of course, she met Macella and Rania there.

Rosena’s face sank slightly as she thought of the two.

“Lady, I love the color of the dress.”

As the story of clothes became a topic of discussion, compliments continued again.

But most of them were wearing similar dresses, so there were only a few compliments.

“Come to think of it, the dress worn by Her Highness the Third Princess is truly unique and beautiful.”

Everyone shut up in an instant at a woman’s words. At the same time, the atmosphere became chilly as if cold water had been poured, and Asilia’s complexion deteriorated dramatically.

Now, that woman had broken the unwritten rules of this tea party.

Rosena, who had been treated as a stranger, looked up when her name was mentioned.

It was Countess Levita who called Rosena. She was sitting not too far away from her.

“…So which dressroom did you buy this dress from?”

The other woman next to her turned her face aside and brought up another topic.

Those who had just spoken to Countess Levita in a friendly manner also turned their faces away.

Countess Levita looked around in bewilderment as everyone began to act as if she wasn’t there.

But like Rosena, she was excluded from this position.

“That…..”

Countess Levita opened her mouth, but everyone ignored her and just talked to another person.

The woman sitting next to her tapped her arm and that shook the cup.

“Ack!”

Spilled red tea poured over the table, soaking Countess Levita’s dress.

“Oh my God, are you okay?”

Then everyone started to take care of the woman who spilled the teacup.

The woman smiled, saying it was fine to the others, without any apology to Countess Levita.

No one cared for Countess Levita, whose dress was soaked wet.

Having become the ghost of the tea party, she wept and bit her lip.

Rosena’s expression, who was watching the scene intact, subsided.

They were treating her like she was not even there just because she talked to Rosena.

Now Asilia was flaunting her power here against the women who had been seated like puppets.

Feeling sorry for Countess Levita, who was holding back her tears with her head down, Rosena turned to Asilia.

Feeling the gaze, Asilia stopped talking and made eye contact with Rosena.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Was it supposed to be this childish?”

Upon hearing Rosena’s words, even the sound of pouring tea was cut off. In everyone’s gaze, Asilia asked with a slightly trembling corner of her lips.

“Child…ish?”

“It’s like doing things that even a child wouldn’t do.”

Rosena spoke calmly.

“You’re determined to ignore one person, aren’t you childish?”

Upon those words, the woman sitting right next to Asilia opened her mouth.

“Your Highness, Third Princess! The rudeness…”

“You can be like this too, right?”

Rosena cut her off. Then that woman shut her mouth.

There was no subject, but everyone knew. She said that she would be like Countess Levita if she went out of her favor.

“It’s too much of an illusion.”

Asilia waved her fan softly, ventilating the atmosphere.

She opened her mouth, making eye contact with those sitting around her.

“Nobody feels that way but you, doesn’t it?”

“…Tha, that’s right.”

Those who received Asilia’s gaze nodded their heads in agreement. No one was here to stand by Rosena anyway.

No matter what Rosena said, it was the people of Asilia who were invited here.

It was the time when the atmosphere was about to shift towards Asilia again. Someone opened their mouth.

“I felt the same way, am I wrong?”

She was the Marchioness of Lionel.

“… Lady Lionel?”

Asilia called Ibella with an expression that showed she’s wondering if she heard it wrong.

Ibella, placing the teacup down, looked straight at Asilia.

“I also thought that Her Highness the Third Princess’s dress is very beautiful, but are you going to ignore me now?”

“What do you…”

Asilia blurted out words with a look of bewilderment.

The ladies, who sat like her servants, were also silent, keeping their fans folded.

They were all just Asilia’s dolls, and they couldn’t take the initiative first.

In an instant, the mood turned, and Rosena looked at Ibella with a slightly surprised look.

Ibella, who spoke confidently, was very different from the ladies who only looked at Asilia.

Rosena thought she was unusual from a while ago, but she didn’t know that she would be on her side.

“I personally invited her, so it can’t be, right? The third princess seems to have misunderstood.”

Asilia straightened her shaky voice and answered.

Rosena sighed inwardly at Asilia’s words, who blamed everything on her.

There was nothing good about being here for long. On the contrary, Asilia would fret over her.

Rosena glanced at Countess Levita.

She, who had been crying until earlier, was looking at Ibella and Rosena alternately with her eyes wide open.

Rosena stood up from her seat.

“I’m going to leave now.”

“Are you leaving already?”

It was a regretful tone, but underlying it seemed to have a tinge of sarcasm, asking if she was running away.

Rosena smiled at such an Asilia.

“Thank you for your kind hospitality.”

At that, Asilia shut her mouth.

When she finally calmed down a little, Rosena turned her gaze to Levita.

If she left Levita here, the bullying would get worse.

“I have something to tell lady, could you please come with me for a moment?”

“… Okay.”

Levita, who had been completely stunned and simply sitting still, looked up and stood up.

“Third princess! She is my guest.”

Asilia hardened her expression and raised her voice.

Rosena answered with a smile, keeping a calm face.

“I don’t think you can handle it because there are too many guests, so I’m going to serve her. Please understand.”

So why didn’t you take good care of her earlier?

After finishing what she had to say, Rosena briefly greeted her and turned away.

Levita, who stood up and watched Rosena’s actions, followed her in a hurry.

She could hear a call from behind, but Rosena pretended not to hear and ignored everything.

So Rosena left the garden completely, and Asilia couldn’t bear her anger and hit the table.

With a banging, loud noise, the utensils roared.

The teaspoon fell to the floor, and the tea in the teacup spilled over and dirtied the table.

It was the first time that Asilia was so angry that everyone was holding their breath and just looking at her, but then, there was the sound of a chair being pulled.

Everyone sneaked a look to where the sound came from.

It was Ibella, who just got up from her seat. She immediately looked around.

“I’ll take my leave, too.”

Everyone swallowed their breath. With Ibella’s words, the already harsh atmosphere hit rock bottom.

Asilia called Ibella with a trembling fist.

“Lady Lionel!”

Ibella, who was about to leave, paused and looked at Asilia.

Asilia asked straightforwardly, erasing all her pretentious laughter.

“Are you going to pretend and leave like this?”

“If necessary.”

It was an outspoken answer with no hesitation.

Ibella looked down at Asilia, who was speechless, and gave her a final hit.

“I’m not your doll. Your Highness.”

***

Without hesitation, Rosena walked out of the garden of the Second Prince Palace.

Normally, she would have walked leisurely, looking at rare flowers, but nothing caught her eyes today.

From the moment the invitation came, she didn’t feel very well, and as expected…

Asilia invited Rosena to show off her power and it was clear that she was trying to break her spirit.

Rosena, who had walked a long way from where the tea party was held, finally stopped walking.

It was because she realized that Levita was following her with difficulty.

Rosena apologized as she looked at Levita gasping for breath.

“I was too fast, wasn’t I? I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, it’s not, Your Highness.”

Levita took a breath as if it was okay.

Rosena waited patiently for her to get better, then apologized again.

“I was presumptuously meddling without listening to your opinion.”

Levita’s eyes widened in surprise at Rosena’s apology.

In fact, she was nervous because she didn’t know what to say when the third princess called her separately.

However, she could not have imagined that she would hear an apology from a princess.

Levita’s eyes were red from crying for nothing. She was so grateful for Rosena’s consideration.

“No. Rather… Thank you for your help.”

Levita quickly shook her head and expressed her gratitude.

Levita, who was fiddling with her fingers, opened her mouth again after a long time.

“In fact, it’s my first time receiving a tea party invitation to this place. At first, I was so happy that I was jumping out of excitement… but I didn’t even know it was a place like this…”

Rosena gave her a slightly pitiful look.

As a matter of fact, Asilia seemed to hold tea parties regularly.

It seemed that Levita simply attended to the fact that she could be caught in the eyes of Asilia, her object of longing, but in reality, it was not.

It was a place that broke people with a single flutter of the fan. Levita, who wanted pure friendship, did not get along with Asilia’s tea party, it was like water and oil.

She might be lucky to get out of there even now.

“Your dress is very wet. Go ahead, go home.”

Rosena said while looking at Levita’s dress, which had been soaked with tea since earlier.

Shortly after, a carriage came to pick her up, and Levita thanked her several times.

It was the moment when Rosena, who had been watching the carriage move away, was about to step away.

“Your Highness, Princess!”

Rosena’s body stopped at the voice coming from behind. As she turned her head, she saw a familiar woman approaching her.

It was Ibella Lionel.

Rosena looked at Ibella with a puzzled face. She didn’t know why she was here.

Rosena waited for Ibella, and she immediately stopped in front of her and asked.

“Can I have a moment of your time?”