Chapter 10 Harmless Young Lady
"Whoa..."
In the vast garden of the royal palace, Rhiannon let out a breathless sound, overwhelmed with excitement at the tea party being held.
As it was a party hosted by royalty, everything from the decorations to the cups used was dazzling.
The nobles in attendance were also dressed in colorful outfits, competing to outshine one another.
Kaine, who was standing a step behind, leaned in to whisper to Rhiannon.
"My ladu, try not to look around so much. You'll give away that you're a country bumpkin."
"W-well, I know that!"
With that, Rhiannon puffed out her cheeks.
Today, Rhiannon was wearing a simple dress in a soft pink color.
She had paired it with a red ribbon tie that Sarah had recommended she buy the other day.
"Hey, hey, don't you think my dress is a bit weird? Maybe I should've gone for something flashier..."
"It suits you very well."
Kaine smiled politely.
Rhiannon fidgeted with the lace of her ribbon tie, feeling uneasy.
The truth was, she hadn't intended to wear this dress; she had planned on wearing a much flashier, gaudy red dress.
However, Kaine had shot it down with a single word, calling it "tacky," and she had reluctantly changed into this baby pink dress.
"Isn't this dress a bit too subdued...?"
"Actually, I think it's just right. With all due respect, My lady, your face is quite striking, so if you wear a flashy dress, it'll just clash and look all jumbled together."
"Jumbled, you say...? You think that's an appropriate way to describe the beautiful Rhiannon Mimi Clahsen!?"
Even at the royal palace tea party, Kaine's sharp tongue was as lively as ever.
Today, Kaine was impeccably dressed in a tailcoat, fitting the role of a noble lady's attendant without a hitch.
The ribbon tie in his hair was the usual black, casually tied back.
It seemed that the ribbon tie Rhiannon had given him was being kept safely, just as Kaine had declared, without being used.
Rhiannon, who came to the tea party to expand her network, casually nibbled on the array of hors d'oeuvres while subtly scanning the surroundings.
She noticed that Sarah Belts, who was supposed to have guided her invitation, was nowhere to be found.
Rhiannon furrowed her brows a bit.
(Hmm, where's Sarah? I wanted to show her that ribbon tie I wore last time...)
Rhiannon still couldn't believe that Sarah was the kind of wicked woman Kaine described.
In Rhiannon's mind, Sarah was sweet, cheerful, and a cute girl.
Plus, being a bit impulsive, Rhiannon had already decided that Sarah was her best friend.
(Honestly, Sarah is such a good girl. I wonder what Kaine is misunderstanding. Well, I guess I'll have to clear up Kaine's misunderstanding. They should get along just fine soon enough!)
With that resolve in her heart, Rhiannon turned her attention back to the venue.
Her goal today was to expand her connections.
Although she was concerned about Sarah, she decided to start scouting other noble ladies for now.
The noblewomen were dressed in dazzling outfits, all looking equally cheerful.
Rhiannon discreetly covered her mouth with a feathered fan and signaled to Kaine.
"Hey, what about that cute girl in the light blue dress? I wanna be friends with her."
"No way. She'll betray you at the last minute."
"What? Then what about that girl?"
"That one in the light green dress? Nope. She'll betray you halfway through."
"Then how about that blonde girl..."
"She'll betray you just as easily."
"...Hey, could it be that all the girls here are..."
"Unfortunately, almost all the noble ladies here are a no-go."
"Aw, come on... They all seem like they'd get along..."
Rhiannon slumped her shoulders.
Meanwhile, Kaine was barely holding back a tongue click.
The truth was, the noble ladies invited to the tea party were all from Rhiannon's entourage in her past life.
Kaine quickly realized that this choice of attendees was part of Sarah Belts' scheme.
Sarah Belts seems to be trying to make Rhiannon into the villainess by any means necessary.
Kaine guided Rhiannon toward the exit.
"My lady, let's just give up for today and head home."
"Yeah, but... I still haven't met Sarah. Oh, what about that girl? The one over there, the one with black hair?"
Rhiannon pointed randomly, trying to buy some time, at a girl with long black hair and a slouched posture in the corner of the garden.
She wore a plain gray dress that covered her eyes with her long hair.
It seemed like she was glancing over at them every now and then.
"That girl is..."
"Ah, yeah, yeah. I get it! She's probably no good, right? So, um──."
"That girl should be fine."
"...Huh?"
"That girl is Lady Halesia Jouteau. She's the only daughter of one of the King's brothers. To put it simply, she's a member of the royal family, albeit a distant one. She's completely harmless, I think."
Rhiannon stared at Kaine in shock.
He didn't seem to be joking.
"I was just saying that randomly, though..."
"So, should we head home?"
"Oh, hoho, I was just kidding! I'll go talk to her right away!"
With that, Rhiannon turned on her heel and hurried over to the black-haired girl.
Halesia Jouteau, who had been quietly engrossed in something in the corner of the garden to avoid standing out, was somewhat surprised when the only daughter of the Clahsen family approached her with a desperate expression.
"G-Good day!"
"...Uh, are you talking to me? Good day."
"My excellent butler told me your name, and you're Ms. Halesia, right? So, can we be friends right away?"
Halesia froze for a moment at Rhiannon's sudden words.
"...Is it really okay for someone like me!?"
"Yeah, you're perfect. Don't be so modest."
"No, no, I mean, I'm gloomy and dark, and my mother even said, 'You're so forgettable that I can't even recognize your presence when you're right in front of me'...?"
"Wait, didn't they just say something really awful!?"
"Y-Yeah, right...? Haha..."
Halesia wore a dry smile.
Rhiannon also forced a strained grin.
An awkward silence flowed between the two.
(Oh no, I messed up... Should I have asked Kaine how to make friends...?)
As Rhiannon started to sweat nervously, the nobles in the garden suddenly began to murmur.
It seemed that the host of the tea party had finally arrived.
The Chief Steward blew a trumpet to announce the guests' arrival.
Amidst everyone's attention, the first prince, Serio, appeared in the garden, shining blonde hair and cold blue eyes.
And then──.
"Wait, isn't that Sarah?!"
Alongside the first prince was Sarah Belts.
As the envious and jealous gazes of the young ladies focused on her, Sarah walked proudly, clinging to the prince.
He didn't seem to mind it at all.
(So, she said it was a friend's tea party, but could it be that the friend she was talking about was Prince Serio?!)
Rhiannon was taken aback, her mouth agape in shock.
(Well, Sarah is super cute, and she's got a nice personality, so I can kind of see why Prince Serio would take a liking to her...)
But that wasn't the only surprising thing.
The first prince, still with his arm linked with Sarah's, was exchanging polite greetings with the gathering nobles.
Suddenly, the second prince, Roldán, appeared and caused a scene.
He grabbed one of Sarah's arms and forcefully pulled her toward himself, glaring openly at his brother, Serio.
It seemed that the two princes were, unbelievably, vying for Sarah Belts.
It was a total mess.
For a moment, Sarah's eyes glanced over in her direction.
In that instant, a mischievous glint appeared in her adorable, large eyes.
(Huh? Did Sarah just look over here with a hint of malice...? Or am I just imagining things?)
However, while Rhiannon was blinking, Sarah was staring at the prince who was fighting.
As usual, the princes were in a heated argument, ready to pounce at any moment.
Rhiannon couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration.
"Whoa, that's impressive. It's like a clear battlefield, huh?"
"Yeah, it's just an everyday thing. Such a hassle, right?"
"Totally, looks like a pain."
"It really is. The palace is in total chaos, and Sir Roldan has a short temper, so he wants to duel at the drop of a hat..."
"The palace is wild──."
In shock, Halesia and Rhiannon ended up chatting normally.
Despite being quite shy, the shock blew away their hesitation in an instant.
After a moment, they exchanged glances and started laughing.
Rhiannon wiped her tear-filled eyes from laughing too much and smiled at Halesia.
"You surprised me by suddenly talking to me. Let me introduce myself properly. I'm──."
"Lady Rhiannon Mimi Clahsen, right? You live in a townhouse on 3rd Street, Baltana. Your favorite books are 'Melvina's First Love' and 'The Proposal of God Adeel,' and your favorite food is apple pie with lots of cinnamon."
There was a brief pause.
Rhiannon's expression froze at the sudden turn of events.
"...Huh? Um, how do you know so much about me?"
"Well, um..."
Halesia fidgeted with her fingers.
"Lady Rhiannon is such a beautiful person, so I've been quietly watching over you since I saw you at a party a few years ago..."
"Huh!?"
"I heard that, unusually, Lady Rhiannon was attending a tea party today, so I rushed over and was just staring at you."
"Wait, ...huh? ...What?"
She was completely confused.
(Huh, Kaine said this lady was harmless, but really!?)
While dodging Halesia's intense gaze, Rhiannon casually looked around.
For some reason, she couldn't see Kaine, who she always relied on.
(Why is Kaine not here at a time like this...?)
While Rhiannon was quietly sniffling in her heart, she tried to back away slowly.
However, Halesia grabbed Rhiannon's hand at lightning speed.
There was something about Halesia's heavy breathing that made her even more scared.
"W-well, I'm Halesia Jouteau! My hobby is observing people, especially good-looking people! And, um, I'm really honored to meet you!"
"Ms. Halesia, huh? Got it. Uh, I just wanted to say hi to Sarah..."
"Wow, up close, you're really dignified and beautiful... Your eyes look indigo from a distance, but the irises have a bit of green in them! Ah, what a treat for the eyes! Can I stare a little longer?"
"Um, you're a bit too close, too close! ──Wait, what..."
With Halesia still holding her hand, Rhiannon froze.
Rhiannon, whose eyesight was unnecessarily sharp, caught sight of Kaine and Sarah chatting happily, hidden under the shade of a blooming Juneberry tree in the garden.
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