QBSLB 38

Chapter 38

What is she scheming?
I stood there thinking in silence when Sophia continued speaking.

“If it’s Lady Vanetta’s tea party… then Lady Scarlet will surely be attending as well.”

“……”

“I hear she’s arranged three marriages just recently.”

Yes—now I understood.
She was so transparent that her intentions were obvious at a glance.

It seemed she wanted to secure a match for Makaila, whose marriageable age had long since passed, right there at the party.

Keeping a calm expression, I opened my mouth.

“…But as you know, only those who receive invitations are meant to attend a tea party.”

Besides, Makaila was practically ostracized within high society.

Of course, it wasn’t because she was nouveau riche, nor because she was unmarried.
It was purely due to her personality.

Self-centered, always insisting that only her opinion was right—who would possibly like someone like that?

Naturally, Sophia and Makaila felt wronged, claiming that the nobles looked down on them simply because they were from a newly rich family.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

At my words, Sophia immediately raised her eyebrows.

“So you were planning to go out and enjoy yourself alone while that young thing stays cooped up at home?!”

She snapped, her voice rising in anger.

“Why are you such a selfish child?!”

The words were so outrageous they left me speechless.
Right now—who was calling whom selfish?

I was going to let it slide if possible… but no. This won’t do.

Having made my decision, I didn’t argue back. Instead, I put on a fresh smile and replied sweetly.

“Yes, Mother. If you insist, then I’ll go together with Miss Makaila.”

“…Fine. You should have done that from the start. If only you’d just said yes to your mother right away!”

Sophia shot back sharply.

“You always make me this angry!”

With that, she turned on her heel and slammed the attic door shut.

Left alone in the now-quiet room, I wore a cold smile.

…Let’s see who really loses more by forcing their way into that gathering.

“Goodness, Makaila doesn’t really want to go to a place like that…”

Inside the carriage headed for Earl Airington’s estate, Makaila muttered nonstop beside me, her cheeks painted an almost gaudy red.

For someone who doesn’t want to go, you certainly dressed up enthusiastically.

Thanks to that, we ended up arriving a little late.

And yet, the very person who had kept me waiting in the carriage for thirty minutes didn’t offer a single apology.

“There are just so many people at those places. Makaila gets dizzy in crowds, you know, Sister.”

“…I see…”

Just as my temples were starting to throb from her constant chatter, the carriage thankfully came to a stop at the Airington estate.

After getting down, we followed the butler into the garden.

The beautiful garden was filled with blooming blue hydrangeas, and elegant tables were set with tea and refreshments.

“Welcome, Viscountess… ah.”

Lady Vanetta’s expression stiffened slightly when she noticed Makaila following closely behind me with a prim look on her face.

“…You’ve come together with Miss Makaila.”

“Well, you see, I had to get my mother-in-law’s permission…”

“Oh, I understand perfectly, so don’t worry.”

Fortunately, Lady Vanetta seemed to grasp the situation at once without any further explanation.

“It’s quite a modest tea party.”

At that moment, Makaila—who had been looking around—called out loudly without a hint of tact.

“I thought it’d be better if more people gathered, so I decided to attend as well.”

“I… see.”

Maintaining a polite smile, Lady Vanetta guided us to the table.

Since we had arrived a bit late, everyone was already seated.

“Welcome, Madam Aileen!”

“It’s nice to see you here!”

Several young ladies I recognized from the academy gates greeted me warmly.

Lady Vanetta had clearly put a great deal of thought into the seating arrangement.

“Hello, I’m glad to—”

“Makaila is here too, you know? Aren’t you going to greet me?”

“Well… I was planning to greet everyone in order, Miss Morgans.”

“If it’s in order, shouldn’t you greet me first?”

Makaila asked in a tone tinged with inferiority.

It was obvious—her inferiority complex was acting up again.

“Ah… no. Properly speaking, Madam Aileen should be greeted first.”

“By etiquette, Madam Aileen is the wife of your elder brother, the Viscount…”

“Hmm, is that so? Then I guess Makaila was mistaken!”

The atmosphere at the table instantly froze.

Yet the very person who caused it—Makaila—promptly reached out and popped a piece of tea food into her mouth.

“Mmm… it’s not bad?”

Watching her with a look of disbelief, I thought to myself,

In every way… she’s the complete package, isn’t she?

I knew she was bad, but I hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

Since Aileen rarely went out, this was the first time I’d ever spent time with Makaila outside the estate.

“…So, everyone’s preparations for the party are going well, right?”

At that moment, Lady Scarlet cheerfully stepped in to ease the awkward atmosphere.

Though her family background was modest, she was well known for her bright, easygoing personality.

Thanks to that, she was liked by everyone, regardless of gender.

It was no coincidence that three couples she had introduced had already married.

“Of course. I received a newly made dress just yesterday.”

“So did I. It took almost three months. They said orders were backed up because of the Imperial Palace party—I guess it was true.”

The Imperial Palace party was only a month away.

Since it was impossible to get a dress from a popular salon in just one month, everyone had already finished preparing.

That was how significant the twice-yearly palace party was to the nobility.

The young ladies attending their first palace party since their debutantes were brimming with excitement.

The conversation about the palace party continued.

“Right? Is it true that Marquis Silas of the Borderlands will attend?”

“Did you hear? Duke Tristan is said to…”

These social gatherings weren’t merely for eating and enjoying oneself.

They were places where people quietly exchanged information and strategized for important events like the palace party.

That was exactly why Hobshin was always so angry at Sophia for failing to mingle with the central nobility.

Because the high-level information these ladies gather here all becomes part of a family’s influence.

However, there was one bomb at the table that no one had anticipated.

It was Makaila, who had been quietly stuffing herself with tea food until now.

“Madam Aileen, you’ll of course be attending the palace party too, right?”

“Ah, well…”

“Oh, come on. You’re already married, Sister. You should stay quietly at home!”

At those words, the expressions of the ladies I had been speaking with hardened slightly.

“…Miss Morgans, that sounds as though you’re saying a married woman ought to stay at home and nowhere else.”

One lady asked in a stiff tone.

Yet Makaila, completely oblivious, continued prattling on.

“Of course! Isn’t that the posture of a virtuous woman taught by the Church?”

“…That’s a rather extreme interpretation of scripture.”

“And especially for someone like Sister Aileen, even more so.”

“Someone like Madam Aileen…?”

“She married into the Morgans family! Honestly, the Ketel family may be old and prestigious, but it was still just a modest viscountcy…”

At that, the ladies glanced at me with stunned expressions.

In truth, until they received the earldom ten years ago, the Morgans family had been far inferior.

Even that earldom had been granted through the Empress’s favor, without any real merit.

Still, since it was another family’s affair, the ladies couldn’t openly comment.

As the atmosphere continued to freeze thanks to Makaila’s tactlessness—

Shall I end this here?

I decided to put a stop to the disturbance caused by this uninvited guest.

Seriously, Makaila—why did you insist on tagging along?

I spoke up casually.

“…By the way, Miss, have you any thoughts of marriage yourself?”

Thinking I was simply changing the subject out of discomfort, Lady Scarlet quickly joined in.

“That’s right. What type do you like, Miss Morgans?”

“Oh my, me? Ho ho. Well…”

Makaila beamed openly, clearly delighted.

She must have heard from Sophia.

That she should use this opportunity to secure a matchmaking prospect through Lady Scarlet.

“Well, I don’t really care much about looks. That’s something only shallow people worry about.”

“Ah, I see…”

“Just… someone like Grand Duke Taion would be fine.”

At those words, the faces of all the ladies at the table stiffened at once.

They were all skilled at keeping a poker face, yet even they couldn’t hide it this time.

And for good reason—Grand Duke Taion was renowned not only within the Empire, but across the continent, as a peerless beauty.