It was like that in my previous life, and it’s the same now.

‘The princess really hates me.’

This wasn’t so surprising as the situation was the same then and now. But looking around, all the noble ladies attending the party were waiting for Bellia’s answer.

Seeing this, it was instantly clear that everyone except herself had agreed on the situation in advance.

Bellia took a short breath and opened her mouth to give the most neutral answer possible.

But at that moment.

“Oh my! I’m sorry. The Kingdom of Ronica and the Empire are so different, you must not be used to it… I asked something unnecessary.”

It seemed that when Bellia didn’t seem likely to fall into the trap she had set, she decided to change to another method.

‘She’s quite quick-witted.’

She noticed that Bellia had caught on to the true meaning behind Elin’s words in that brief hesitation.

It seemed she had thought a bit too lightly of Elin Canteriff, considering she hadn’t been a match before. But she wasn’t so incompetent as to not be able to handle something of this level.

“This black tea is something I often drank when I was in the Kingdom of Ronica. So I was really delighted.”

Bellia said, clasping her hands together as if truly moved.

“Since it’s tea imported from the Southern United Kingdom, it must not have been easy to obtain in the Empire… I could see how much effort Lady Duncan put into this tea party.”

Elin Canteriff’s expression darkened. It was natural, as this wasn’t the reaction she had expected.

“Moreover, this black tea goes very well with the baked goods placed in front. Did you consider that part as well when preparing?”

Bellia asked, turning to Lady Duncan.

Lady Duncan looked to the Princess Canteriff. But there was no reaction from Elin Canteriff. In the end, the Countess forced a smile and answered.

“Ah, that… Yes, that’s right…”

Clearly, all of this must have been ordered by Princess Canteriff.

It must have been difficult for her to refuse as well.

‘I’m sorry, but I can’t just let this slide either.’

Bellia smiled brightly and offered praise to Lady Duncan.

It was the finishing touch.

“I knew it! From the moment I first smelled the black tea, I thought you must be someone who loves tea. I’m so pleased to meet someone who shares the same hobby.”

Then she sat down gracefully and, with perfect posture, took a baked good and ate it with the black tea.

Judging by the Princess Canteriff’s face, this didn’t seem like it would be the end. But having failed to gain the upper hand, she would stop here for today.

Murmurs could be heard from all around the garden.

“…I’m glad the princess enjoyed the tea party. Lady Duncan must be relieved as well.”

“It seems Princess Canteriff and Lady Duncan are quite close?”

She subtly conveyed the inner thought of ‘Do you have to say this on her behalf too?’

Then Princess Canteriff smiled and said.

“I just said it with good intentions.”

An expression as if she really knew nothing.

She wasn’t a clumsy person who would tremble at a slight provocation. Bellia decided to keep this part in mind.

Princess Canteriff continued speaking with a kind smile.

“And since we’ve shared this special occasion together today, couldn’t we say that we’re also quite close to each other in a way?”

Oh ho?

Bellia was inwardly impressed. She couldn’t hide the slightly crooked smile, but it was quite excellent for the response of an unmarried noble lady.

“I see. The princess seems very kind and open-hearted, I’m truly touched.”

“Oh my. Princess, you’re speaking even more warmly.”

Bellia and Elin looked at each other and smiled brightly.

There were two things Bellia could grasp today.

That Princess Canteriff’s influence in social circles was stronger than expected, and that surprisingly, the noble ladies had no ill feelings towards her.

‘How to change the atmosphere of social circles in the future…’

Bellia didn’t miss the fact that there was definitely room to wedge herself between them. But it seemed she would have to think a bit about the method.

By now, the last dessert was being served. This also meant that the tea party was nearing its end.

‘I should get up while watching the situation appropriately.’

At that moment, a maid came running from the entrance of the garden, looking quite flustered. It was quite eye-catching as it was rare for someone to interrupt in the middle of a tea party unless it was an urgent matter.

While everyone was looking bewildered with surprised eyes.

‘Oh my…!’

Behind her, a familiar figure could be seen approaching leisurely.

Bellia, spotting a face that shouldn’t be here right now, stood up in surprise.

“Callid?”

“Oh my. What brings the Second Prince here…”

“Oh my goodness!”

Callid approached Bellia’s side, walking steadily as if he wasn’t uncomfortable in a place where only women were gathered. Then he held out his hand affectionately.

“I came to pick you up.”

People looked very surprised, as if they were seeing Callid speak affectionately for the first time.

Moreover, they were shocked once again by the fact that he had come personally to pick up his lover who was attending a women’s tea party.

“I came at the time it was supposed to end. Did I arrive too early?”

Callid asked, turning to Lady Duncan, the host.

“No, Your Highness. We were just about to wrap up.”

“I see. Then may I take Bellia?”

“Of course.”

As soon as he received the host’s permission, Callid grabbed Bellia’s hand and pulled her up.

“Bellia. They say they were just about to finish, right?”

Although Callid usually had a tendency to act as he pleased, if you looked closely at all his actions, he tended to move thoroughly calculatedly within the range he could control.

Therefore, his current behavior of suddenly appearing at a women’s tea party somehow seemed unlike him.

But when she raised her head and met his eyes, wasn’t Callid making a very familiar expression she had seen somewhere before?

‘…Oh no!’

That expression was the face Callid had made when he greeted her with a ridiculous theatrical tone on the day Bellia first arrived in the Empire.

Bellia realized from his eyes full of mischief that he was deliberately acting like this and played along with his act.

“I’m sorry. It seems I have to leave first.”

“No! We really were about to finish. Please don’t worry too much, Princess.”

Lady Duncan seemed to appreciate that Bellia hadn’t pointed out the inadequate preparation of the tea party earlier.

Her attitude towards Bellia became much friendlier.

‘It seems she’s a bit hurt by Princess Canteriff…’

Of course, that doesn’t mean she would cut ties with the princess completely, but for now, her feelings of disappointment were slightly revealed.

“I’m grateful for Lady Duncan’s broad-mindedness.”

Bellia turned to the other noble ladies who were flustered.

“Next time, I’ll invite all the ladies here to the Second Prince’s palace. Let’s talk more then.”

She was neither excessively apologetic nor disrespectful.

It was a clean wrap-up with nothing to fault anywhere.

“Are you really inviting us?!”

“Of course.”

Being invited to the Imperial Palace was an extremely difficult thing.

The young ladies’ eyes changed to sparkle brightly.

They seemed to want to hurry home and boast about this news to their families.

“Then please understand that I must leave first.”

She had been thinking of holding a tea party at the Prince’s palace soon anyway.

How great an opportunity it was to be able to invite them so naturally like this.

Bellia finished like that and left the garden holding Callid’s hand.

‘This wasn’t supposed to happen…’

Elin Canteriff, who was blankly watching their affectionate backs, clenched her fist under the table.

Her clenched fist trembled with force.

Everyone was talking about how much the Second Prince loved Princess Bellia.

How did it turn out like this?

According to the original plan, Princess Bellia should have been pushed into an awkward situation and isolated.

Elin gritted her teeth.

“Princess.”

“…Lady Duncan.”

At the voice calling her, Elin forced a smile and grabbed Lady Duncan’s hand.

“I’m sorry.”

Lady Duncan looked at Elin, who was holding her hand tightly and speaking as if upset, and let out a small sigh.

“I asked you to do something unnecessary for no reason.”

“No, Princess.”

Elin lowered her eyes pitifully.

“I’m really sorry to everyone here as well.”

Elin’s appearance seemed sincere.

“When I found out that Prince Raul had proposed to the princess, I was so upset that I ended up acting narrow-mindedly.”

The hearts of the noble ladies who remained there ached at the sight of her honestly revealing her feelings.

It was obvious that if it were them, they would have been very concerned if they had faced someone their fiancé had proposed to.

So they sympathized with Elin Canteriff’s emotions.

Although Princess Bellia turned out to be a better person than expected, Elin Canteriff’s situation was still more pitiful for now.

“I’ll invite the ladies who must have been confused today to my home soon as an apology.”

Elin carefully stood up. She didn’t want to sit here any longer.

She was so angry that it was hard to endure.

“Then, I’ll take my leave first as well.”

The noble ladies all cast sympathetic glances at Princess Canteriff as she disappeared with a faint smile until the very end.

‘How dare you make me receive such treatment?’

Bellia Ronica…!

Elin gnashed her teeth as she left the garden.

It was a very vicious look, completely different from the expression she had when dealing with the noble ladies just before.

“Let’s return to the mansion.”

“Yes.”

Elin, who had boarded the carriage, bit her nails as she fell into thought.

The afterimage of the Second Prince grabbing Princess Bellia’s hand and disappearing kept lingering.

It was the first time she had seen that lofty Second Prince act so submissively to someone.

Just for one woman.

‘Ha, coming to pick her up from a tea party?’

It wasn’t even funny. It’s obviously just for show.

But…

Raul had never treated Elin like that, even in forcibly staged actions.

‘…I’m the one who’s supposed to be engaged to him.’

The image of Raul persistently staring at Bellia at a recent party clearly comes to mind.

At the end of Raul’s gaze, full of possessiveness, Princess Bellia was happily smiling with the Second Prince.

After watching that scene for a while, Raul suddenly furrowed his brow and left the place.

‘It’s me who’s Raul’s fiancée, not Princess Bellia…!’

Elin, who had been holding back her resentful feelings, bit her nails again.