Several days had passed since the banquet.
As he had intimated, Kaern left the capital in haste on the night he dropped me off after the banquet. I learned this yesterday when I wanted to stroll through the garden of the Duke’s residence and spoke to the butler.
‘He could have skipped the banquet if he was that busy.’
No matter how I thought about it, it seemed he went to great lengths for my sake, and I felt both grateful and sorry for him.
At the same time, Kaern’s words at the banquet came back to me.
‘He said marriage.’
He mentioned that we would soon be getting married.
Kaern and I.
It was the first time he had mentioned marriage.
And it seemed like he was really considering marriage with me.
Being engaged, marriage was perhaps the natural next step.
Kaern must have thought so too.
But I couldn’t marry him.
Suppressing the slight flutter in my heart, I firmly clung to my resolve to call off the engagement.
‘If I just let things go on like this, it’ll be a disaster.’
I must speak to Kaern as soon as he returns.
Otherwise, we might actually end up getting married…
“No way.”
“Miss, what are you talking about?”
“Uh? Oh, it’s nothing.”
It seems my thoughts had inadvertently slipped out loud.
Amy, the maid, looked at me curiously and asked. I brushed it off and focused on my work.
While working in the study that morning, someone knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
“Miss, it’s the butler.”
“Come in.”
With my permission, the butler opened the door and entered the study.
“What’s the matter?”
“Miss, an invitation has just arrived for you.”
“An invitation?”
“Yes. Here it is.”
I first checked the seal of the letter handed to me by the butler.
It was the seal of Count Melison.
‘Melison…’
Countess Charlotte Melison of the Melison family was one of the leading figures in the social circle. She loved to create gatherings and chatter about happenings in the social circle.
Having never received an invitation from Countess Melison before, I curiously broke the seal.
To the esteemed Miss Helena Rosenthia,
I hope you’ll forgive the suddenness of this letter. I’m writing because I’ve heard that there’s likely to be another joyous occasion, much like the recent event at the banquet.
I’ve wanted to reach out several times to discuss our shared interest in gardens, but somehow the timing never seemed right, leaving me to enjoy my cake in solitude.
Although this invitation might come as a surprise, I hope you’ll join me and my friends for tea in a relaxed atmosphere.
I eagerly await your positive response.
From Charlotte Melison, Countess who loves gardens.
After reading the letter, I immediately realized why she had invited me to the tea party.
‘What should I do?’
It seemed like she was using the topic of gardens as an excuse, but in reality, tea parties usually focused more on gossip than gardens.
This time, it seemed she wanted to inquire about Kaern and my presence together at the banquet.
However, declining a pointed invitation to a tea party was not proper etiquette for a noble.
Moreover, she was a powerful figure in the social circle.
If it were just about me, I would have happily attended, but this time, it involved Kaern as well, which added to the pressure.
‘I guess I should go?’
I hadn’t even penned my acceptance yet, but sighs involuntarily escaped me.
I picked up the pen, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and slowly, very slowly, wrote a reply accepting the invitation.
And then, the day of the tea party arrived.
After getting ready, I took a carriage to Count Melison’s residence, a journey that took about an hour. Upon arrival, Countess Melison herself greeted me.
“Welcome, Miss Rosenthia.”
“Thank you for the invitation, Countess Melison.”
“I’m so grateful you could come despite the sudden summons.”
Countess Melison was more amiable towards me than I had anticipated. Feeling somewhat relieved, I was about to enter the mansion where the tea party was being held when the Countess called out to me.
“Oh, Miss Rosenthia, just a moment, please.”
I stopped and turned around to face her.
“Actually, today’s tea party is scheduled to start in about two hours.”
“Excuse me?”
I was momentarily confused and looked at her inquiringly.
“Well… The truth is, I have a favor to ask of you, which is why I set our appointment earlier than planned. Could you spare a moment to listen to my request?”
I briefly pondered what this early invitation could mean but decided it was pointless to speculate without hearing her out. So, I agreed to listen to her proposal.
“Sure, I’ll hear you out, and if it’s something I can help with, I’ll certainly try.”
“Oh, thank you. It’s actually about our family’s garden. There’s no one quite like you when it comes to gardens. This flower here was even inspired by one of your magazine articles…”
Throughout her talk, Countess Melison skillfully picked and praised the parts she was most interested in, showcasing the finesse of a social circle matriarch.
“While preparing for the tea party, I made some changes to the garden, but it somehow feels a bit off. Of course, with the limited time, we can’t redo everything, but I thought maybe you’d have some ideas.”
Realizing her genuine request was indeed about the garden, I began to feel more at ease.
“I’ll take a look.”
After all, it was a request acknowledging my expertise, which brought a sense of pride within me.
“Thank you. The garden is this way.”
I followed Countess Melison to the greenhouse garden she had tended.
Upon inspecting the garden, I immediately understood why she had made such comments. The garden was full of colorful, beautiful flowers. However, the placement and direction of the flowers were not thought out, overshadowing each other’s beauty.
“Countess Melison, may I rearrange the garden with the help of the staff?”
I asked for her permission before making any significant changes.
“Oh, of course. Whatever you do, I trust it will be wonderful.”
“Alright, then.”
With her approval, I rolled up my sleeves, put on gloves, and began rearranging the flowers. I also started groundwork in suitable spots through the staff.
‘Given the time constraint, let’s focus on creating a glamorous feel that suits the tea party, rather than a long-term harmony for the entire garden.’
The task was time-consuming, especially being careful not to damage the roots while transplanting. Still, I managed to finish just 30 minutes before the tea party, even with the tight schedule.
Fortunately, the garden looked much more sophisticated than when I first saw it, fitting well with the atmosphere of the upcoming tea party.
“Wow, you truly are as skilled as the rumors say. To adjust it so beautifully in such a short time…”
“I had to rush, so there are some imperfections that make me a bit embarrassed.”
“Not at all. I absolutely love it.”
Countess Melison looked at me with admiration and handed me a cup of tea, urging me to sit and rest for a while. I handed the gloves I had borrowed to a servant and took the seat she had offered.
“Would it be possible to entrust you with garden tasks more often in the future? Of course, I’ll make sure you’re compensated for today’s work as well.”
“Sure. Fortunately, my schedule is quite flexible since I graduated from the academy not long ago. Please take your time to decide on the dates and send me a letter. I’ll visit again then. As for today’s compensation…”
“Please, feel free to ask for anything. The atmosphere of the tea party has been greatly enhanced thanks to you.”
“Consider today’s work as my gratitude for the invitation to the tea party.”
“Really? I feel like I owe you so much for today. I’ll keep these debts in mind and repay them over time.”
“No, please don’t worry about it. I also got a great opportunity to study various and vibrant flowers today.”
While Countess Melison and I chatted and sipped our tea, the tea party preparations and tidying up around us were already completed.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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