🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 87
Tea Party
The shawl of Princess Kragel looked absolutely magnificent. The fabric, with its rainbow sheen, was extremely rare. Seeing a princess from a prominent family wearing it, the noblewomen began trying on similar shawls one by one.
Diana smiled at Princess Lebian and offered her a pink shawl. With her pale face, Princess Lebian accepted it.
“How foolish.”
Diana looked straight into Princess Lebian’s eyes. She already knew that Lebian would pull such a stunt—after all, in her previous life, Princess Lebian had humiliated her in exactly this way.
In her previous life, it had worked very effectively. At the time, Diana had been made to wear elaborate clothing, and she had even felt both apologetic and grateful toward Lebian.
Diana hadn’t thought Princess Lebian was wrong. After all, as the queen of a kingdom, she understood that establishing her presence at first sight was important. When she had attended the tea party hosted by Lebian in her previous life, she had been shocked to see how plainly some guests were dressed.
Seeing the invited noblewomen’s faces grow cold, Diana had to force herself to appear composed. She didn’t even want to recall how that tea party had been ruined. Some had left early, some openly mocked her, and some silently observed her.
Princess Lebian had later apologized profusely, claiming her greed had gone too far and that the nobles had collectively humiliated her. Watching her convincing act, Diana had believed her. When most of her authority had been taken away, Diana had realized the first step had been wrong. She had understood far too late that it had all been Lebian’s manipulation.
How foolish she had been.
At that time, Diana had been naive, thinking that even in extreme situations, people would naturally show her goodwill.
But most people had been eager to take her place. They were busy mocking her. That was why Diana decided not to trust people.
After Princess Rogafl and Princess Kragel left in a flurry of words, it was some time before Mabel came to see Diana.
“It seems Princess Lebian is plotting something,” she said.
At that moment, Mabel—entwined with Diana by the fate of their previous life—quietly reported to her, and Diana looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“According to Aidel, it seems she sent invitations saying that guests should come dressed lightly.”
“…Thank you.”
Why tell me this? Why warn me in advance? At that moment, Mabel added,
“Oh, and Queen Rize asks if Your Majesty truly likes extravagant ruby earrings.”
“I prefer pearls over rubies. I don’t like anything too flashy.”
Mabel muttered softly, “I see,” but Diana couldn’t guess what she was thinking. After a long pause to gather her thoughts, Mabel finally spoke.
“Please be careful of Princess Lebian. She is stirring trouble.”
“….”
Diana already knew. Even so, Mabel whispered as if it were a great secret, like a loyal subordinate.
“All who serve the queen are sharp enough to act accordingly. Please trust me on this.”
Diana could not understand the gap between her previous life and this one. Why was Mabel being so kind to her?
“Why are you doing this for me?”
“Excuse me?”
“Mabel, I have nothing to offer you. I have less power than the barons here. Wouldn’t it be better to side with Princess Lebian?”
Cracks appeared in Mabel’s stern expression. She looked as if she didn’t understand what Diana was saying.
“Even though it is by the king’s order, I have been instructed to ensure that nothing goes wrong in serving Her Majesty the Queen.”
“….”
“I may not be willing to risk my life like the knights, but I know exactly whom I must serve.”
Mabel’s face reddened, perhaps feeling insulted. This was the first clear gap Diana noticed between her past life and this one. Mabel, who had occasionally troubled Diana with cold stares, was openly declaring that she belonged to Diana.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you. I… I thought that you and others disliked me. Given my family… I suppose it’s natural…”
Mabel shook her head desperately.
“I have no personal feelings regarding whom I serve! And besides…”
She sighed, as if carefully choosing her words, then finally said,
“And besides, Your Majesty, do you remember the incident before the wedding with the coronet?”
“Huh?”
Diana had nearly forgotten. As she barely recalled it, Mabel quietly continued:
“You entrusted me with handling that matter. It was serious enough that I could have lost my life for mishandling it. But Your Majesty, the Queen, did not hold me accountable. Since the Queen had made that decision, the King respected it as well. That is when I was spared.”
“….”
“Why would I not serve someone who showed me such mercy?”
Diana looked at her with a firm expression. Only now did she recognize her own foolishness. She understood why there was this discrepancy.
This life could not be the same as the previous one because she acted differently. Although she faced undesired events as before, she behaved differently in small matters.
In both lives, Diana married Giskar. Unlike her past life, in this one, she had willingly worn the dress. Therefore, Mabel did not forcibly remove it, and no one struck her cheek. She did not shout at the maids, accusing everything from Rodbrock as rude. Unlike when Mirva had served her, Diana did not punish the maids gossiping about her.
She treated those who served her respectfully, receiving their greetings as naturally. The same went for Rogafl. She did not flee, and Rogafl, seeing her alive and confident, treated her kindly and favorably.
Diana knew she might still be blindsided, having experienced such despair before. Yet, she wanted to make at least a small move.
When there is something you want to protect, you don’t want to passively suffer.
Thus, Diana decided to act in any way she could. Princess Lebian would attempt the same tricks as before.
That was when she came up with the idea of the shawl. A simple piece of cloth that could make someone appear dazzling just by draping it over their shoulders.
During the depths of winter, luxurious shawls became a trend in Rodbrock. Rainbow-sheen silk, especially, had been a craze in Panberrow, one of the rarest items at the time.
Rainbow-sheen silk required a precise mix of dyes. While the method was simple, it required skill—one Diana knew how to procure.
Craftsmen from Panberrow had moved into Rodbrock, working in the clothing business, and contacting them was not difficult.
Diana checked her assigned budget. To her surprise, it was generous. She poured it all into making the shawls, which were finished just in time.
“A small gift for our friendship,” she said.
The noblewomen quickly realized there was no difference between the shawl they wore and Diana’s. Draping it over themselves made them as dazzling as Diana. Just wearing the shawl changed the atmosphere, and the stiff tension in the room softened.
Afterward, Diana sat between Princess Lebian and Princess Kragel, drinking tea. Lebian sat silently with a stern face, while Kragel leaned slightly toward Diana.
After all, the gathering had been arranged by Lebian to stir discord. Diana had no ulterior motives, so she listened to what they said.
Whether from Panberrow or Rodbrock, Diana found that people who listened carefully to her naturally earned her favor.
The noblewomen, expecting to mock her openly, surprisingly treated Diana politely and even spoke playfully:
“So, Your Majesty, when can we hear good news?”
“I hear that His Majesty does not leave the Queen’s side.”
They laughed mischievously at Diana’s surprised expression. Then:
“Can Her Majesty, from Panberrow, truly handle the blood of a hero?”
Diana looked at the speaker. It was the Duchess of Islag. She had not been favorable toward Diana and had refused her gift.
“People from Panberrow are far too weak.”
Diana, having expected this, smiled calmly.
“P-please don’t say that! What an insult!”
Finally, Princess Lebian spoke. The Duchess of Islag smiled coldly.
“Princess Lebian, are you capable of fencing? Is Her Majesty strong enough to protect herself?”
The noblewomen exchanged knowing glances. In Rodbrock, a woman should not appear utterly weak yet entirely dependent on others.
Diana still could not understand this view of women, but she knew she would not be outdone by them.
So, with a faint smile and lifted chin, she said politely:
“Surely not every woman in Rodbrock has beheaded a monster?”
“Excuse me?”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
Diana sipped her tea calmly:
“I am the one who hunted Echidna with His Majesty in my childhood.”
The room exchanged glances. She had killed Echidna? As a child? Could it be possible? For a king, yes—but for her…?
“You exaggerate,” the Duchess of Islag said coldly. Diana opened her eyes wide.
“You may even write to His Majesty to confirm. Surely he would not lie for the sake of a mere queen’s honor, right?”
Diana smiled gracefully while drinking her tea. They looked at each other. Diana Brien was not weak; she was a woman who knew how to respond to provocations.
Those who had attended the audience had varied opinions of the queen: too gloomy, too dark, unpredictable. But there was one consensus:
“She is not someone to be underestimated.”
The same went for the tea party attendees. Some were cautious, some mocked her, some judged her harshly—but they all recognized she was no weak, insignificant woman.
