Chapter 9 Invitation And Gift
Two days after meeting Sarah Belts, a rather fancy invitation arrived at Rhiannon's place.
As Kaine carefully opened the seal of the invitation, he wore a puzzled expression.
"This is an invitation to the royal palace tea party, isn't it? Why on earth would it be sent to Lady Rhiannon, who has no friends at all?"
"Um, well, there's a story deeper than the ocean behind that..."
Rhiannon, who had been lounging comfortably on the sofa, hesitated.
The truth was, she had broken the rules and met Sarah, but she had kept it a secret from Kaine.
However, in this situation, it was clear that hiding it would only lead to being found out eventually.
Resigned, Rhiannon straightened her posture and opened her mouth with difficulty.
"I hope you won't be mad, but I went to Maysale's clothing store. And, I met Sarah Belts."
The moment Kaine heard the name Sarah Belts, his expression turned serious in an instant.
"...Oh, really? And then?"
"Stop it! It's scary when you get all quiet like that! We just talked a little, and Sarah was really nice!"
"That Sarah Belts?"
"Yeah. She's super cute and doesn't have a stuck-up bone in her body, and she's the kind of person you just want to protect. She's the complete opposite of me, and I'm a little jealous, to be honest. Oh, and she complimented me a lot..."
Rhiannon spoke excitedly about Sarah.
"Hey, is that girl really the one who's gonna ruin me?"
Rhiannon shot a doubtful look at Kaine.
Being naturally simple-minded, she just couldn't see that the adorable girl could be the wicked woman Kaine described.
Kaine furrowed his brow.
"Sarah Belts is a genius at deceiving people. Be careful. And more importantly, don't get involved with her again. So, what does this invitation to the tea party have to do with that?"
"Um, well, I was invited to the tea party by Sarah, and I said I'd go. So, maybe that invitation was arranged by her?"
Kaine's face, upon hearing Rhiannon's words, turned blank, crossing over from anger to a state of "nothingness."
Rhiannon, seeing the expressionless butler, felt a chill run down her spine, cold sweat pouring down her back.
"Despite how much I warned you, you still went and contacted Sarah Belts, and now you want to meet her again? Excuse me, but is your head made of marshmallows or something?"
"I-I'm sorry...!"
"If saying 'sorry' was enough, we wouldn't have wars!"
While making a grandiose metaphor, Kaine buried his head in his hands and paced around the room.
Rhiannon, looking up at him with pleading eyes, tried to reason with him.
"But, you see, I really want to go to the tea party. I mean, I still have 0 friends."
"With all due respect, even if you make friends, it won't lead to anything good. You will ultimately be betrayed by your 'friends'."
"Is that about the whole past life thing?"
"Exactly."
"Th-that's not fair. But, maybe there are friends out there who could save me from the doom flag, right? I really don't want to be alone here."
"......"
"Besides, I'm here to expand my network."
Kaine hesitated, realizing there was some truth to Rhiannon's argument.
The reason nobles from the Tortone Kingdom gather in the capital when they turn 16 is to deepen their connections with other young nobles and strengthen the nation's solidarity.
Therefore, building a network in the capital is essential.
However, even after 2 months in the capital, Rhiannon still hadn't made any real connections, especially with the strict prohibitions in place.
Kaine was certainly concerned about that as well.
If it were a royal-hosted tea party, various nobles would gather in one place, providing a chance to expand her network all at once.
For Rhiannon, this was something she originally hadn't wished for.
After a while of deep thought, Kaine let out a big sigh and nodded, saying, "I suppose there's no helping it".
"At the tea party, please make friends as quickly as possible, my lady. Try to avoid contact with Sarah Belts as much as you can. Also, may I accompany you to the tea party?"
"Of course, that was my intention from the start."
Even Rhiannon, as confident as she was, had no intention of going to her first tea party alone.
Kaine nodded lightly.
"Well then, I guess I need to prepare a bit."
"Huh? Is there something special I need to prepare for the tea party?"
"No, that's just my business. By the way, why are you going to Maysale's boutique?"
"Oh, um..."
After hesitating, Rhiannon took a small wrapped package out of her pocket and handed it to Kaine.
"My lady, what's this?"
"It's for you, Kaine."
"This for me?"
"D-Don't get the wrong idea! I just wanted a ribbon tie for myself! I just happened to buy one for you too!"
With a huff, Rhiannon crossed her arms, looking off in another direction.
Not being able to be honest at crucial moments was just part of being a villainess.
Kaine, surprised, carefully accepted the package.
"...Can I open it?"
"Do whatever you want."
"Well then, I'll do just that."
Kaine gently unwrapped the package and took out its contents.
"This is...!"
"It's a ribbon for tying your hair. You always wear the same black ribbon, so I thought a different color might be nice for a change. By the way, it's the same color as my ribbon tie."
"...I see."
Holding the red ribbon, Kaine wore a bittersweet smile, as if looking at a nostalgic photo, and fell silent for a moment.
Rhiannon leaned in to peek at Kaine's face.
"Hey, hey, since you have that ribbon tie, why not try tying your hair with it? I think it would look really good on you!"
"No, this ribbon tie is a gift from Lady Rhiannon. I should keep it safe."
At Kaine's unexpected reaction, Rhiannon puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
"What's with that weird reaction! I thought you'd be happier! Oh, wait, is it the color you don't like?"
"...Not at all. I'll cherish it. ...I'm sorry, it's an old story, but I was surprised because I once received a similar red ribbon from someone important to me."
It was rare for Kaine to talk about the past.
For a moment, Rhiannon was tempted by curiosity to ask, "Someone important, like a girlfriend?" but she held back, feeling a bit uneasy inside.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)