While I was having these thoughts, the ladies of the tea party were exchanging glances and snickering.

I held my tongue, contemplating the fact that I shouldn’t speak to royalty first. The hem of my gown remained tightly grasped.

Keryl, the woman next to the princess, spoke.

“Would it be acceptable to offer Your Highness Darjeeling tea that my father brought from overseas?”

“Good. I like Darjeeling. It goes well with macarons, doesn’t it?”

“Your Highness’s taste is truly refined.”

“I dislike flattery, Keryl.”

“Oh! I am only stating facts. Right, everyone?”

“Indeed. Keryl always speaks the truth, Your Highness.”

How disgustingly harmonious this tea party was.

Then, one of the women laughing suddenly dropped a macaron. It rolled across the floor and stopped against my gown.

As I unconsciously reached to pick it up, our eyes met.

‘So, are you going to ask the invisible person to pick it up?’

She looked flustered, glancing between the princess and me before calling in a maid who was outside.

“Are you out there?”

As Eria rushed in, the woman spoke.

“I dropped a macaron. Can you clean it up? It would be a big problem if Her Highness steps on it.”

“Yes.”

Eria hastily surveyed the floor and found the macaron lying in front of my gown. She hesitated, especially as I was glaring at it.

On the other hand, Princess Milliora sat with her back turned to us, sipping her tea.

Eria cautiously approached me, and I preemptively picked up the macaron and handed it to her.

Then I spoke loudly.

“Lorisha Loar greets the Small Sun, Princess Milliora of Tagar. Glory to eternal Tagar.”

The startled tea party guests all wore expressions of horror. The princess, in the midst of this silence, extended her thin, fading fingers to lift her teacup.

She cleared her throat very softly.

Then Keryl, of the House of Lysan, spoke as if intending for me to hear, still turning away from me as if I were an invisible person, or perhaps trash.

“How dare she speak to royalty without permission. Clearly, a bastard is a bastard!”

“Oh my, how shocking!”

“To witness such a thing in the sacred palace!”
The guests at the tea party fanned themselves, as if my voice alone had contaminated them.

In the marketplace, there are quite a variety of expressions suitable for such occasions, often involving vivid descriptions related to ‘eyes’ or physical mutilation.

However, I simply looked at them in silence. Perhaps it was because I had come of age, I had gained some self-restraint and the ability to assess situations.

I was at a crossroads. I could either become a lowly bastard who had been rude to the royals, or a mad maid who had committed such an offense before the royalty.

The thought briefly crossed my mind that Prince Caidel being called a madman by the Second Prince might be considered occupational hazard.

Of course, my situation could not have been the same as his.

As I met Keril’s gaze with a refreshing smile, her mouth flew open in surprise. My reaction had caught her off guard.

Keril Rysen, you’ve never seen such a shameless bastard before. It’s in my blood.

Half of my blood is that of a lion.

I spoke respectfully.

“Forgive the rudeness. Eria, please check if the refreshments are sufficient and refill if needed.”

I bowed deeply and stood before the wall, my posture signaling readiness to act upon Princess Her Highness’s directive.

As I moved away from the sofa, the guests looked at each other and kept making ‘Ha!’ sounds.

Though I glanced back briefly, Her Highness the Princess had eyes so cold they seemed silver, filled with anger.

Meanwhile, Eria scanned the table with a frightened look and left. There were no shortages; the refreshments had been quickly consumed.

Infuriated, Keril swung open the gate.