Eshella stared at the closed door.

There was no sign of life beyond the thick door, but somehow, Conrad seemed to be continuously watching her room.

“Miss, please come and eat.”

Veronica called to her from behind, but Eshella shook her head.

She felt sorry for the chef, but she was so uncomfortable that she couldn’t even finish a light salad and soup.

They both knew, but it was a story neither could lightly bring up.

How had she become so awkward with Conrad? Her family who she loved the most and thought were perfect.

No, let’s leave out ‘perfect’. Eshella swallowed a bitter feeling and looked at the wall.

The portrait hanging on the wall of her room, where neither her father nor her siblings could enter, was brought from the family portrait in the living room.

Now, her sister in that portrait seemed not to be smiling due to tension and awkwardness.

And because there’s not much I can do for such a sister now. Eshella sighed a light breath and looked at Veronica.

“Veronica, where were we?”

“We were at how to hold a teacup, but… you already know all the social manners.”

The young lady of the noble house of the Duchess of Madelleine, Veronica, unlike Eshella, was quite familiar with society. But even Eshella, who had not shown herself in society, could easily manage the manners that Veronica knew.

Veronica hesitated as she spoke.

“More than that, it seems the young Duke knows that you’re entering society, Miss. Are you really going to attend the tea parties officially?”

Eshella smirked and gestured to her desk. The letters piled up on her desk were all tea party invitations.

“I’ll go more confidently now that my brother knows. What I’ve learned in class may differ from practice, so I’m going to attend a casual tea party first.”

Eshella still vividly remembered the day she met the princess.

The subtle conversations between them. The atmosphere that momentarily excluded her and the laughter that irritated her nerves.

And the words that were randomly poured out on her.

How had they treated her sister, who was a part of it? Just thinking about it made her blood run cold, and Eshella twisted the corner of her mouth.

“Didn’t Veronica tell you? Society flows as the queen commands.”

To be exact, she had said, ‘Society flows according to the taste of the lady who controls the atmosphere.’ But what Eshella said was not wrong, so Veronica just listened.

Eshella slowly blinked her eyebrows and pulled up her mouth haughtily.

“And since our mother was the queen of society, it’s only natural that I take the next place. From the upcoming tea parties to the balls, everything.”

It was a declaration as if she was naturally scheduled to take over the position. She had to face the princess who had insulted her sister.

It was quite arrogant for a lady whose debutante was a year away, but Veronica nodded as if enchanted.

“Speaking of which, it’s almost time for the Imperial Palace’s summer ball. I suppose the princess will take the lead in preparing again?”

Eshella smiled lightly at Veronica’s words.

The host of the summer ball had been the princess since two years ago.

After successfully completing her debutante and the first summer ball, the princess had suddenly become the flower of society.

The elegant and glamorous summer ball, which satisfied even the discerning ladies, spread widely as the gossip of the social world that year.

“But you can’t attend the main event yet, Miss. Your debutante is next year.”

Veronica looked at Eshella with a puzzled expression as she spoke. But Eshella shrugged it off nonchalantly.

“I may not be able to attend the main event, but I must attend the princess’s summer ball preparation tea party. After all, I’m a Lady of the Madelleine.”

Aha, Veronica nodded unconsciously without even realizing it.
The princess always hosted a tea party when preparing for the summer banquet. The ostensible reason was to gather ideas for the banquet, but in reality, it was a ‘special tea party’ attended by the leading figures of the social scene.

My young lady seemed to have aimed for it.

That’s when it happened. A knock from outside the door came with Sally’s voice, and the tension that had risen in case Conrad was there again quickly relaxed.

“Come in.”

At the word to come in, the door immediately opened, and Sally came in. Sally’s face was bright today, holding a large envelope as if dealing with something very precious.

“Where have you been? What’s that?”

“It’s an errand from Lady Olivia! The lady had something to say to me before she left!”

Essella paid attention to her sister’s story. Sally could not hide her joy and talked effusively at Essella’s curious face.

“There’s a letter for the lady, and she said to deliver it to the duke when the letter arrives.”

“But why not send it right away?”

“I have a letter to send to the lady too. I didn’t know the letter would really be there, so I left it and came to deliver it together. Do you have a letter to send to the lady too?”

At Sally’s suggestion, emotion crossed the puzzled face of Essella. Essella began to move quickly.