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chapter 17
My remarkable sister never tolerated Caroline’s sly attitude or her attempts to act like the victim.
Isn’t she just amazing, everyone?
“Wh-what nonsense, Princess? That’s way too much—!”
“Silence.”
Pere-ssi’s gaze cut through the young lady acting as Caroline’s spokesperson like a knife. She could have killed her with that look.
Caroline’s stand-in started with a defiant expression, as if trying to paint Pere-ssi as the villain.
I couldn’t just let it happen. I jumped in.
“Caroline, I want you to speak properly,” I said.
The other young ladies, tense at the thought of Pere-ssi’s wrath, all turned to me.
I carefully pointed out the parts of Caroline’s story that she had deliberately twisted to suit herself.
“I didn’t ‘take the Crown Prince out for a meeting with you.’ That wasn’t what happened. You came over to our table, complaining why I didn’t go to the baron’s place, and the Crown Prince was sitting alone.”
Caroline froze for a moment, her expression hardening.
“So what I meant was…”
“No. You got it wrong. Our sister just said it was wrong that a baroness like you would order a countess like me around. The Crown Prince defended you, and that led to the argument with her.”
“…!”
“I intervened because the Crown Prince didn’t understand the situation and blamed her first. I made him step aside to set things straight.”
The young ladies started murmuring among themselves.
Thankfully, one of them spoke up first, saying the Crown Prince sometimes acted unusually cold toward Pere-ssi in front of Caroline.
I immediately agreed.
“Yes! That’s exactly what I’ve noticed. It’s as if someone had planted the idea in the Crown Prince’s mind that he should scold her every time.”
As soon as I finished, I looked at Caroline. She stared at me, hurt, with tears welling up.
“Eli… I don’t understand why you’ve changed. What has the princess done to you?”
“Excuse me?”
Caroline was openly blaming Pere-ssi for the change in my attitude, and Pere-ssi bristled at the implication. I subtly tightened my grip on her arm, signaling her not to react to the provocation.
Then, speaking for Pere-ssi, I addressed Caroline.
“Caroline. That’s rude. Asking what the princess did to me? No matter how special the Crown Prince treats you, a mere baroness doesn’t get to speak like that to a princess.”
Caroline’s face paled immediately.
I recalled how, in the original story, every time she endured Pere-ssi’s wrath, she would murmur to herself, “A mere baroness shouldn’t defy a princess, I know that.” She was very conscious of her rank versus Pere-ssi’s.
Perhaps this was her sensitive spot—just like Lloyd was for Pere-ssi.
Regardless, it was wrong for Caroline to try to tarnish me while I defended Pere-ssi.
In the original story, the female lead often used lies to garner sympathy, which was intolerable. Caroline was probably twisting the story to make it seem like I had taken Lloyd aside without reason.
Everyone would assume I could do such a thing only because I had the princess’s backing.
I decided to correct her behavior then and there. Touching her sensitive spot worked immediately; Caroline froze, forgetting even how to manage her facial expressions.
“I’m not someone who acts recklessly just because the Crown Prince treats me specially,” she said, fear flashing in her eyes at what the other young ladies might think of her.
“Yet you’re clearly acting arrogantly toward me with Lloyd on your side,” Pere-ssi interjected, making Caroline bite her lower lip in frustration.
Tears threatened to spill, mixing with her expression of indignation, making her look pitiful. Truly, the female lead buff made her look effortlessly good and virtuous, as if she were meant to be admired.
“Enough. Stop adding false statements atop the truth, young lady. Your habit of twisting stories could harm others,” I said.
Thanks to my intervention, Pere-ssi didn’t have to lash out, yet the point was made firmly. I felt a surge of admiration—my sister could command respect without raising a hand.
Gone was the destructive, vengeful image of Princess Perioze. Caroline, with her usual cunning to manipulate people, seemed stunned that Pere-ssi remained calm and composed.
She had built up the image of a good, patient, and resilient baroness enduring the princess’s wrath—so this was a shock to her expectations.
“Apologies,” Caroline muttered, realizing staying here wouldn’t benefit her. She bowed slightly and turned away.
Her follower tried to follow, but the other young ladies, losing interest, gathered around me and Pere-ssi again, asking what had happened with the Crown Prince.
I seized the opportunity to embellish Pere-ssi’s deeds, shining a spotlight on her generosity and charm. I added just enough seasoning to make it more impressive.
Even if some murmured, “The Crown Prince was too harsh,” it didn’t matter—I knew Lloyd had instigated things first, so no guilt lingered.
The carriage ride home from the tea party.
“Today was really fun, Eli,” Pere-ssi said softly, gazing out the window.
I smiled, satisfied, watching her. She had handled Caroline perfectly—it made her look so cool.
Then, I suddenly felt a presence outside the carriage.
No one could possibly be spying on a moving carriage, but I felt it nonetheless.
I quickly turned my head, scanning the passing crowd.
The pedestrians were too far and moving too slowly for me to detect anyone inside the carriage—but that sense of being watched persisted.
A familiar ominous feeling crept up again. It wasn’t just my imagination—someone was definitely observing me.
“What’s wrong, Eli?”
Seeing my tense expression, Pere-ssi asked.
“Nothing, it’s nothing,” I said, forcing a smile and gazing casually out the window.
‘It’s probably nothing,’ I thought, trying to calm my unease.
I reflected on Pere-ssi’s image-building efforts. Every time Lloyd acted poorly in front of Caroline, it only strengthened the perception that Pere-ssi was generous and just. It was a subtle yet effective strategy.
Though she still retained her “stern princess” image among the young ladies, they now clearly understood that anyone close to her received her endless affection.
Exactly the public image I wanted Pere-ssi to have.
“Miss! The invitations are coming in fast!”
Becky burst into the room, brandishing stacks of letters in both hands. I chuckled softly at her excitement—it was more than warranted.
“Isn’t it thrilling? All the prominent debutantes in the empire want to invite you to their tea parties!”
I wasn’t as overjoyed as Becky, but it was still nice. Most of these invitations likely stemmed from the first tea party, where curiosity about the article and my connection with Théor went unanswered.
Some were for group tea parties, others for private one-on-one visits. I planned to visit each one eventually to spread Pere-ssi’s good reputation, though attending more than one a day would be too exhausting.
Interacting with young ladies always drained an unusual amount of energy. So, attending once every couple of days, with occasional breaks, seemed ideal.
“Oh, there’s a letter from the Grand Duke too,” Becky said, handing me an envelope sealed with the ducal insignia.
I wondered why he didn’t use the communication device and opened it anyway.
[May I use the communicator, Elinea?]
A single line, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Truly, a stubborn and earnest secondary male lead.
