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Chapter 8
Every young lady attending the tea party looked at Liriope in confusion, but she didn’t mind in the slightest.
“Come sit over here. Right here.”
As Liriope patted the seat beside her, Rosearin hesitated in surprise.
However, seeing Liriope smiling so brightly, she finally walked over and sat beside her.
Although there was a trace of discomfort on her face, Liriope pretended not to notice and gave her the warmest business smile she could manage.
“I’m sorry for being late.”
Watching Liriope cautiously, Rosearin spoke in a small voice.
“Oh, come on. People are bound to be late sometimes.”
Liriope picked up the teacup in front of her and took a sip.
The moment she tasted it, her eyes widened.
“Oh? What kind of tea is this? It’s delicious.”
“Isn’t it? It was imported from Dalbadian. It’s both refreshing and sweet, so I liked it so much that I wanted everyone to try it.”
“Ah, Dalbadian… that’s the island nation where it rains all year round, isn’t it?”
Liriope tilted her head as if talking to herself.
Instead of Selzionel answering, Rosearin nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
She clearly recognized the tea immediately.
As someone who loved collecting different kinds of tea, she was naturally familiar with it.
Seeing the sparkle in Rosearin’s eyes whenever tea was mentioned reminded Liriope of the original novel, where Rosearin had gone to great lengths searching for rare tea leaves.
At the same time, a good idea crossed Liriope’s mind.
The tea leaves Rosearin had desperately tried to obtain in the original story.
“Ah, Rosearin, you’re really interested in different kinds of tea, aren’t you?”
Setting down her teacup, Liriope asked.
Rosearin nodded shyly.
“I like collecting them.”
“Then… would you like to visit the Duke’s mansion this weekend?”
Not only Rosearin, but every young lady present—including Selzionel—looked utterly shocked.
Selzionel, in particular, was visibly flustered.
It made sense.
Ever since their Academy days, Liriope had hated Rosearin.
And Selzionel had constantly encouraged Liriope, using childish yet underhanded methods to isolate Rosearin from the other noble ladies.
Determined never to repeat the mistakes the original Liriope had made, she smiled at Rosearin.
“My father recently imported some tea leaves from overseas. They haven’t even been distributed within the Empire yet.”
Selzionel’s expression immediately stiffened.
She had been in high spirits while preparing today’s tea party, planning to use it as another opportunity to belittle and torment the thorn in her side—Rosearin.
Now everything had gone completely wrong.
Even I haven’t been invited to the Duke’s mansion yet. How dare someone like her…!
“Oh my. If you have tea leaves that rare, shouldn’t I be the first one you invite, Lady Liriope?”
Liriope smiled sweetly at Selzionel.
“But collecting tea leaves isn’t your hobby. Rosearin absolutely loves it.”
The expression Selzionel had struggled so hard to maintain froze instantly.
The other young ladies also looked at Liriope strangely, whispering among themselves as they noticed her completely different attitude toward Rosearin.
But the most surprised person of all was Rosearin.
It was shocking enough that Liriope knew about her hobby of collecting tea leaves.
The invitation to her home to share such rare tea was even more unbelievable.
With a complicated mixture of confusion and excitement, Rosearin looked at Liriope.
“I see. She’s always been such a gloomy young lady who never talks about herself, so I didn’t know.”
Just then, Selzionel lifted her teacup and spoke.
Although she muttered it as though talking to herself, her voice was loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
Judging by her twisted smile, she had intentionally emphasized the word gloomy.
At her remark, both Rosearin and Liriope’s expressions hardened.
Selzionel ignored their gazes.
After taking a sip of tea, she turned playfully to the young lady sitting beside her.
“Then again, maybe it’s just because she looks so gloomy. Don’t you think?”
The girl beside her glanced nervously at Liriope before forcing an awkward smile.
The other ladies also laughed stiffly, trying to respond to the young marchioness.
Rosearin lowered her head, tightly pressing her lips together as the mocking laughter echoed around her.
Then—
A sarcastic chuckle escaped Liriope’s lips.
Everyone, including Rosearin, immediately turned to look at her.
Resting her chin lazily on one hand with her elbow on the tea table, Liriope looked directly at Selzionel.
“Honestly, if we’re judging by appearances alone, aren’t you the gloomiest-looking person here, Selzionel?”
The smile disappeared from Selzionel’s face.
The atmosphere instantly became ice-cold.
Only then did Liriope smile as though she had simply made a joke.
Though there was still a sharp barb hidden beneath her words.
“So isn’t it fortunate you’re the daughter of a marquis?”
Selzionel stared stiffly at Liriope, unable to hide her expression.
Only then did Liriope lower the hand supporting her chin and pick up her teacup.
“You aren’t offended, are you? I was only joking, just like the joke you made to Rosearin a moment ago.”
“…O-Of course not. I’m not offended at all.”
Even if she was furious, Selzionel couldn’t admit it after being cornered like that.
She forced an awkward smile.
But she couldn’t keep her increasingly rigid expression under control.
Then it suddenly occurred to her.
Now that Liriope was engaged to Theo, she no longer had any reason to bully Rosearin.
After all, the only reason Liriope had tormented Rosearin in the first place was because the Crown Prince had taken an interest in her.
Realizing that she would no longer be able to manipulate Liriope into harassing the girl she disliked most, Selzionel unconsciously frowned.
Still, she forced another smile.
“Still… tea leaves from across the sea. I’m curious about them.”
Trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, Randrian—one of Selzionel’s followers—spoke up.
The other young ladies also began murmuring that they were curious.
Without answering, Liriope simply smiled with her eyes and quietly sipped her tea.
After all, the Duke had never actually imported any tea leaves from overseas.
If Rosearin accepted the invitation, Liriope intended to buy the very tea leaves that Rosearin had struggled so hard to obtain in the original story before inviting her over.
She couldn’t remember every detail perfectly.
But she did remember that the tea merchant had demanded an outrageously high price, forcing Rosearin to buy only a single box.
“Rosearin, you’ll come, won’t you?”
Liriope asked again, looking as though she absolutely expected her to come.
Smiling awkwardly, Rosearin nodded.
“It would be an honor if you invited me.”
Seeing her accept, Liriope smiled with satisfaction.
Using tea leaves to become friends with her really was a brilliant idea.
She decided that first thing tomorrow she would go buy the rare tea leaves Rosearin had originally discovered herself.
Across the table, Selzionel failed to hide the anger on her face as she glared at Liriope.
She had undoubtedly planned to use today’s tea party to encourage Liriope into bullying Rosearin once again.
Although the original novel summarized all of that bullying in only two short lines before the main story began, those two lines alone made it clear just how badly Liriope and Selzionel had tormented Rosearin ever since their Academy days.
In any case, none of that would happen anymore.
Once Liriope became friends with Rosearin, Selzionel naturally wouldn’t be able to treat her however she pleased.
“Absolutely not if you’re going alone.”
Gemma stood in front of the fully dressed Liriope, blocking her way with a scolding expression.
Liriope had gotten ready early in the morning to buy the rare tea leaves that Rosearin had accidentally discovered in the original story.
But Gemma insisted that Liriope couldn’t go to the shopping district until Gray, her escort knight, returned to the Duke’s mansion.
“Then you can come with me.”
“Oh, Lady Liri, honestly. Even though I was born into a viscount’s family, I’m only half-blooded, so I can’t use elemental magic. And even if I could, I’d never be stronger than you.”
“Then since I’m stronger, I can just go by myself.”
“Absolutely not. If the Master finds out, my head will be the one rolling.”
Liriope couldn’t understand why she even needed an escort just to visit the city’s shopping district.
“But Gray’s in Peruan right now. Who knows when he’ll be back? You expect me to wait until then?”
“You spoke with Sir Gray through the communication orb last week. He said he should be able to return sometime this week.”
“Ahhh, I don’t care! I have to go today.”
“I said absolutely not without an escort!”
A long sigh escaped Liriope’s lips.
The dangerous things in this world were monsters and people who practiced forbidden dark magic.
So why did she need an escort just to visit a place filled with ordinary citizens who couldn’t even use elemental magic?
If anything, shouldn’t the commoners be the ones afraid of Liriope?
She had graduated at the top of the Academy using fire magic.
Just seeing her graduation project would probably make most ordinary people run away in terror.
That thought suddenly gave her an idea.
“Then… what if I take Linix with me?”
She gestured toward Linix, who was dozing on top of the sofa.
Gemma immediately frowned.
“Don’t be ridiculous. If you absolutely must go, then ask His Grace the Grand Duke to assign you an escort.”
…Huh?
Liriope looked completely bewildered at the unexpected name that came out of Gemma’s mouth.
“Choose. Either ask His Grace the Grand Duke to provide an escort so you can go into town… or postpone your outing until Sir Gray returns.”
