TTCF 33

chapter 33

2023.09.02

While Lowell was lost in her thoughts, hurried footsteps approached.

“Lady Anette! You’ve come!”

A young lady with a charming appearance was running, followed by a string of maids. The rose-colored bonnet suited her soft pink hair perfectly. Her radiant smile stretched across her face.

“Pleased to meet you, Lady Anette. I’m Klech Groteur.”

“I’m Anette Martineck. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Oh, not at all. I’m so glad you came. Come on in! Everyone is waiting for you!”

Klech said this and led Anette inside. Anette’s hands sparkled with lace gloves woven with silver thread—a perfect look for a happy young lady living in a warm, welcoming mansion.

“…Yes, let’s go.”

Following Klech, Lowell silently felt thankful that she had worn her velvet gloves. Her hands, worn and scarred from her time in Offerta, were no longer the elegant hands they used to be.

The Martinecks were a noble family. That meant that even though they belonged to Offerta, they had connections with other noble families. Of course, they were still essentially tied to Offerta, so interactions within it weren’t that different.

At least for Lowell, tea parties and similar social gatherings weren’t entirely unfamiliar.

However…

“Really? I’ve never heard that story before!”

“Next time, Lady Klech should join us too. It’ll surely be fun.”

“If you invite me, I’d be delighted. By the way, have you seen the newly built theater? I hear the facilities are stunning.”

“Of course. It was a very nice place. But the real charm wasn’t the facilities—it was the tea foods. Even without watching an opera, it’s a great place to enjoy tea.”

“I’ve heard about that too. I hear salon reservations are fully booked. It’s supposed to be the most popular place lately. Have you been, Lady Anette?”

Amidst the nonstop chatter, Lowell blinked slowly. She couldn’t understand a single word.

A theater… has been newly built?

Judging by all the talk of fully booked reservations, it seemed it had been there for a while.

Still, Lowell didn’t care about such things, nor did she care about the taste of tea. She hadn’t touched anything in front of her.

The emperor drank spiked wine just yesterday—why should she believe these teas and snacks were safe?

This isn’t the kind of tea party I imagined.

Tea parties in Martineck were usually short and dull. They mostly served to maintain political connections, so there was no need for genuine warmth. Of course, there were occasionally cheerful gatherings, too. After all, it was still a place where people lived; close friends naturally stuck together.

Lowell simply wasn’t among them.

I suppose I’m someone destined to be cast out eventually.

Martineck had no cadet branches. Once a successor was determined, everyone else had to fend for themselves—either by killing the heir to claim the position or establishing their own independent faction.

For women, marriage automatically made them part of another family, so the situation was even stricter.

Thus, no one bothered to be friendly with Lowell, and even fewer tried to gain her favor. Perhaps her black hair played a small role in that.

So, Lowell assumed today’s tea party would be the same as always: a place to exchange cutting remarks and reinforce the social hierarchy.

But… what was this cheerful atmosphere?

I didn’t think my reputation was good enough for this.

Did entering the banquet hall with Peter yesterday significantly influence people’s perceptions? Or were they trying to impress her now? Lowell shook her head, feeling slightly confused.

“…No, I haven’t been. Haven’t had the chance.”

“Oh, in that case, why not join us next time?”

“The group is small enough, so we could all go together as is. It would make me very happy if Lady Anette came along.”

Everyone around the tea table was looking at Lowell expectantly. If she nodded, they would probably reserve the salon immediately. She could play along politely, but she didn’t want to.

“Well… I’m not very fond of such gatherings.”

She didn’t want to expand her social network, nor did she have time for it. She hadn’t come to the palace to sip tea while laughing and joking with these people. However, she genuinely appreciated their kindness and quickly added:

“Thank you for the invitation. I’d love to join if there’s another chance.”

“…Ah, yes.”

But the response she received was noticeably cold. Lowell could feel the chill in the air instantly. Some at the corners of the table exchanged glances.

Something’s strange.

If they were trying to impress her, there was no need to be so overt. Just then, Klech, sitting beside her, quickly laughed and changed the topic.

“Ahaha, speaking of which, Lady Hawes, your birthday is coming up soon. Is the birthday banquet preparation going well?”

“Ah, yes. My father has put so much effort into this banquet. The last birthday banquet was very satisfying, but he still seemed to want more. He says that on a day that happens only once a year, I should shine the brightest…”

“How kind! I envy Lady Hawes.”

The host’s skillful topic change worked wonders. As everyone spoke about the upcoming birthday banquet, Lady Hawes brightened and opened her handbag.

“Thank you, everyone. I was planning to hand out invitations today anyway…”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Lowell abruptly stood. Klech followed, asking:

“Lady Anette? Where are you going?”

“Just outside. Don’t mind me—please continue your conversation.”

Lowell glanced at Klech’s worried face and then at the others at the table. She tried to smile as usual but failed.

I’m feeling a bit… unwell.

After a brief calm:

Cough, cough!

Lowell’s body shook violently. Every cough felt like her lungs were being squeezed. The unpleasant, metallic taste rose to her throat. The handkerchief she had pressed to her mouth was now soaked with blood. Her brow furrowed at the sight.

I knew my condition was bad, but I didn’t expect this here.

She felt a bit helpless but not resentful. Her body had endured this much, which was almost miraculous. Any frustration would be from the brief hope she had felt due to recent improvement in her symptoms.

Lowell knew her disease was rare, though she didn’t know the exact type. Doctors only mentioned that her condition was worsening quickly and couldn’t give a proper diagnosis.

The closest she had gotten to understanding the cause was an elderly doctor she consulted during the Hesse family fire.

“We can’t pinpoint the cause exactly, but it seems to be an immune system disorder.”

“What does that mean?”

“Your body is perceiving something inside it as poison. That’s why it’s attacking itself.”

“Then the treatment…”

“Remove the cause. But since we don’t know what it is, there’s nothing to do but weaken the immune system and hope it disappears naturally.”

It was a desperate prognosis, but it was the closest anyone had come to understanding her condition. The doctor even told her immune system had slightly improved, which made Lowell happy to return home—even though she had no one to share it with.

His name… was Noel, wasn’t it?

She never met him again. He lived near the Hesse County, far from the Martineck estate. Later, when her condition worsened, she tried to find him but learned he had recently passed away.

After that, she gave up seeking doctors. No one could provide a more definitive diagnosis than Noel, so any visit would have been the same.

Honestly, it’s a miracle I’m still alive. I should have died long ago.

What Lowell had told Peter wasn’t entirely false. The real Anette Martineck suffered from the same illness. Lowell had known that Jürgen communicated with Hesse because of his daughter’s condition.

Now, it was a convenient excuse for her.

Once her condition stabilized slightly, Lowell wiped her mouth, put the handkerchief back in her bag, and hurried back to the tea room.

If I’m late, it’ll be hard to make an excuse.

She didn’t want to draw attention with unnecessary actions. As she neared the tea room, voices could be heard from inside:

“Lady Anette, isn’t she a sight to behold?”