Arriving at the mansion and having dinner, I looked at the finely folded envelope on the silver tray in front of me and asked.
Yuta and Kellerhan were also examining the letter with curious expressions.
âYes, it just arrived in front of the Miss.â
Harold, who brought the letter, answered. Next to him stood Magda with her hands folded.
âThisâŠâ
With a careful hand, I pointed to the dazzling golden pattern on the envelope.
âItâs the Imperial emblem, isnât it?â
Magda and Harold looked at each other and nodded at the same time.
âWhy did the Imperial Family send me a letter?â
âHis Imperial Majesty sent it. He said he wanted to invite you to a small tea party. He also will introduce you to people your age.â
The Emperorâs invitation, a small tea party, friends of the same ageâŠ
Ah, it was that.
I could see why the Emperor sent me an invitation belatedly.
Because the same thing happened in my previous life.
The Emperor summoned me, who was engaged to Heiner, and held a tea party to deliver the message to the nobles:Â âIâm taking such good care of the daughter of the Viscount and Viscountess Schwires, who lost their lives in the Void.â
As I recalled the incident, I trembled without realizing it.
It wasnât a very good memory.
Duke Lodgemund prepared to attend the tea party and thoroughly imprinted on me how I should behave in front of people and my position in Lodgemund.
Besides, the EmperorâŠ
He didnât even notice the look in my eyes, next to Heiner, desperately asking for help, harboring one last hope.
For all the Emperor wanted was to find a new explorer to go to the Void.
âMiss, are you alright?â
Magda asked as my expression wasnât good.
âHm? Yes, Iâm fine.â
I didnât want Magda to worry, so I said with a bright smile on purpose.
âIâm just nervous because I think I have to appear in front of a lot of people.â
âThe Miss is so mature, so Iâm sure youâll do well.â
She gave me a friendly smile and encouraged me.
I felt comforted from the experiences from my past life by her kindness.
Yeah, now that there are people who take good care of me, nothing like my past life will happen.
Besides, I no longer need the Emperorâs help.
So letâs do it well.
Iâll attend the tea party to show them how I live well as a member of Barmuth.
That was the moment I thought about it.
âYou donât want to go?â
Kellerhanâs voice was heard.
âN-No?â
I shook my head in bewilderment, yet he didnât believe me.
âYour expression looks like that, though.â
Perhaps it was because he had done a lot of criminal papers, so it was no business for him to see through a childâs expression.
âIf you donât want to go, you donât have to go.â
Kellerhan made a sound as if it was nothing.
Heâs probably the only one in the world who says to the Emperorâs invitation, âIf you donât want to, donât go.â
Without a word, I opened the invitation and checked the contents.
Nothing has changed from my previous life either.
As it was sent to Barmuth, the text of the invitation was slightly different, but it wasnât to the point of concern.
I put down the invitation and opened my mouth, looking at Kellerhan.
âEven if I donât want to go, I have to go.â
âYouâre my daughter-in-law.â
Kellerhan frowned.
âYou donât have to force yourself to do something you donât like.â
âBecause the Duke has received me as your daughter-in-law, I think that I really have to go.â
âWhat does that mean?â
âIâm still young, but I know what His Imperial Majesty meant by sending this invitation.â
I gave him the invitation.
The gap between Kellerhanâs brows grew deeper.
âI also know that if I decline this invitation, the Duke, not me, will have to be rebuked by His Imperial Majesty.â
In the first place, the Emperor sent me, the only daughter of a viscount, to Barmuth to show people that he would never abandon the dead in the âVoidâ.
This tea party, where it will be announced to the public that not only verbal but real engagement has been made, and that I have become a preliminary Grand Princess, is a necessary extension of that sympathy.
But I canât believe he said I wasnât going there.
It was nothing like going directly against the will of the Emperor.
âThe Duke is in a bad situation on my behalf, can I really rest in peace?â
I spoke with emphasis.
âIâm going. Iâll go and let everyone know that Iâm doing well in Barmuth.â
Kellerhan wiped his face with one of his hands at my words.
He then reached out to my cheek.
âYou reallyâŠâ
âHmpph?!â
Kellerhanâs hand grabbed my cheek.
It didnât hurt, but I was terribly surprised.
What the hell is going on?
Kellerhan pulled my cheek for a while, and then barely let it go, and said.
âGosh, you have a lot of thoughts that donât fit your age.â
I laid my hands on the cheeks Kellerhan had pulled, and stared blankly at him with my mouth open.
Kellerhan shrugged his shoulders and placed the Emperorâs letter back on the silver tray.
âI understand what you mean. Then, letâs make sure we show them what weâre going to show them.â
Yeah? Make sure of what?
I was still confused as I couldnât get over the shock that Kellerhan pulled my cheek.
âMagda, Harold.â
Kellehan left me alone and beckoned to the two servants.
âPrepare everything thoroughly so that no one at the tea party will ever doubt that Isabella is being treated well.â
He said.
âPractically, this tea party is Isabellaâs socialite debut, so Iâll let you use the âkeyâ.â
Magda and Harold both looked surprised at the word âkeyâ.
âIf itâs the key, would you like to open the jewelry storehouse?â
âYes.â
Harold asked, and Kellerhan nodded his head.
âGive the key to Isabella right now. As the only person in the family who can use jewelry is Isabella.â
âGive the key to the Miss? I understand.â
Harold looked more startled than surprised, but quietly followed Kellerhanâs words.
âBut choose only those with clean history and write them down. Donât use any jewelry that is tangled with gossip.â
He made a mysterious request to Harold.
Is there anything to do with the clean details of a jewelry? Besides, tangled jewelries?
âI will guide you to the jewelry storehouse.â
As I was trying to figure out what Kellerhan meant, Magda led me.
With Harold and Magda, I headed to a place called the âJewelry Storehouseâ.
âWe must go to the Gottfried Knightsâ headquarter first.â
I thought it was in the mansion because it was a jewelry storehouse, but I arrived at the Knightsâ headquarter.
Harold and Magda exchanged friendly greetings with anyone we met as if they knew each other.
Harold went straight to Abrahamâs office.
âWe want to go to the jewelry storehouse.â
âYou mean the jewelry storehouse?â
When I heard Abraham, who had greeted me loudly saying, âOoh, Young Madam!â, saying âjewelry storehouseâ, I opened my eyes wide.
âThe Duke has given you permission, right?â
âOf course. He told me to open the jewelry storehouse for the day the Miss debuted in the society.â
âYes?!â
For a moment, Abraham shouted out in a very loud voice.
âThe Young Madam has reached the age to debut in society! This Abraham Blasiha, I canât hide my excitement!â
âItâs more like His Imperial Majesty is calling her out rather than the Miss reaching the age.â
Harold corrected Abrahamâs words in a dry tone, without the slightest bit of mercy.
Apparently, he was used to Abrahamâs fuss.
âWhatâs the event? ball? Tea time? Salon party?â
Abraham called the socialite party an âeventâ as if it were a game.
âItâs a tea party.â
Again, Harold answered in a dry voice.
âOoh, tea party!â
Abraham looked up at me from a kneeling position with his hands together as if he was praying.
âThen we should open the jewelry storehouse. We have to open it!â
Abraham said.
âCome and destroy everything, Young Madam!â
I canât believe he said destroy, what? What do you destroy at a tea party?
âThe key is here.â
Abraham moved quickly, opened a small safe, took out an old key, and handed it to Harold.
âThank you. Then weâll see you later.â
Abraham begged for more conversation with me with his eyes of anguish, yet Harold was like a sword.
âLetâs go, Miss.â
We left Abrahamâs office and headed towards the innermost building of the Knightsâ headquarter.
It was a place I had never been to even when I was researching Schutan with Caroline.
âThis is a place like the Central Bank Vault, where all the important things of the Knights are kept. There is also a jewelry storehouse here.â
Harold greeted the guards guarding the building and opened the door.
Then the inside of the building, which was neatly and simply decorated, appeared.
Instead of the magic lights of the magicians, the interior was illuminated with traditional gas lamps.
âThe jewelry storehouse is also the very innermost part of this place.â
From here on, Harold led the two of us, presumably because it was the first time Magda came here.
He stopped in front of an unusually heavy door, put the key in the lock and turned it.
Then, after hearing the faint sound of gears inside, the door to the âjewelry storehouseâ was finally opened.
Harold stepped aside and looked at me as if he was telling me to go in first.
With his consideration, I was the first to step inside, and I opened my mouth to see the scene unfolding in the room.