Episode 61

Two weeks later, I found myself in Alos.

Alos was one of the imperial family’s southern retreats that could not be left off any list.
It was particularly famous for its white marble cliffs and picturesque lakes.

And, of course, the white summer villa, traditionally reserved for the heirs of the imperial family.

“Welcome, Lady Reinhardt,” a chamberlain managing the imperial villa greeted me.

I nodded in acknowledgment and took a look around the room assigned to me. As expected of a guest room prepared by the imperial family, it was elegant and luxurious.

I forgot this was happening.

The imperial family occasionally invited the children of prominent noble families to these summer retreats for a vacation.

They treated the villa like a hotel, allowing multiple noble heirs to stay at once, mingle, and spend several weeks networking. It was one of the events that appeared in the original novel.

It hasn’t been held in years because the Crown Prince was out and about… But now that Aria has joined the Duke’s family, it’s happening again after so long.

In the original story, the event was held because the Crown Prince wanted to invite Aria. This time, since there wasn’t much interaction between Aria and the Crown Prince, I hadn’t given it much thought.

That means the Empress Dowager must have planned this event.

It was likely an effort to win over as many young men and women as possible during a time when the Crown Prince’s reputation was unstable.

Marie, who had been following behind me, whispered breathlessly.

“The South is so hot, my lady.”

“It must feel sweltering compared to the North. I’m sorry for bringing you along.”

“There’s nothing for you to feel sorry about. There are so many fascinating things to see here that I’m actually enjoying myself,” Marie said as she started unpacking my summer dress and helping me get ready.

“I hope you stand out among the other ladies,” she said as she adjusted the airy white summer dress she had chosen for me.

“That’s going to be difficult. All the ladies invited to the imperial summer villa are like jewels themselves,” I replied, glancing out the thinly curtained window. Outside, noble heirs who had already arrived were exchanging cheerful greetings.

I spotted Aria from afar.

The position of Crown Princess is still vacant.

There was an unspoken rule about these summer villa gatherings.

The person with whom the imperial heirs shared a toast on the final night of the villa stay often became their partner.

It wasn’t an absolute rule, but the probability was high enough for many to treat it as one.

In the original story, Aria shared a toast with the Crown Prince on that final night, in front of everyone.

I watched Aria from a distance and muttered to myself.

“I wonder who will receive the toast this time.”

Right now, it was impossible to discern the Crown Prince’s intentions. He should have already started courting Aria, but his silence was puzzling.

Marie rolled her eyes at my comment.

“As long as it’s not you, my lady.”

“You really think so?”

“His Highness has been persistently… pursuing you,” Marie hesitated.

“Yes, but that only happens when His Grace the Grand Duke is present,” I replied.

“Do you mean he wouldn’t if His Grace weren’t around?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince only pretends to be interested in me to provoke His Grace,” I explained.

That was precisely why I had accepted this invitation.

It was difficult to decline an imperial invitation, and I assessed that the chances of anything troublesome happening were extremely low.

Seth was also in the midst of reflection and hadn’t been invited, so there was no risk of running into him here.

I shrugged as I thought about it.

The Empress Dowager must have put some thought into this.

The Crown Prince’s past mistakes, the chaos at the hunting festival, and even the banquet where I collapsed—it was too much to sweep under the rug without addressing the matter of naming a Crown Princess.

That scoundrel is still the Crown Prince.

Being the emperor’s only legitimate son carried significant weight.

Arranged marriages between noble families were common enough, and many noble ladies were willing to overlook a man’s flaws for power and prestige.

“I’m still worried, though,” Marie said.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

Marie applied the last bit of healing cream to the fading scars on my arm.

The scars were nearly gone, and Marie looked a bit regretful as she said, “I wish we had brought more healing salve from the Grand Duke’s estate.”

“I’m not too concerned, Marie. It’s not like there’s anyone here I need to impress,” I replied.

Besides, healing salves weren’t something that could be taken out of the estate so easily.

Healing salves with restorative properties weren’t exactly common.

And I had been saving them, thinking I should keep them for when I got a new injury.

Every time I saw Chris taking care of me, making sure I ate properly or tended to my wounds, it made me think…

I shouldn’t treat myself carelessly.

You keep making me value myself.

You cherish me so much that I find myself wanting to cherish myself for you.

I swallowed the words I couldn’t say out loud.

In any case, I was saving the salves in case I ever found myself in trouble.

I casually asked Marie, “Have there been any messages from His Grace?”

“He hasn’t been gone for long, so not yet. Oh,” Marie said as if remembering something.

“He did mention he’d write to you soon. I think he wanted to leave something behind for you again, but…”

I let out a bitter laugh.

I had advised Chris not to leave any documents or traces behind, and this time, he had left without giving me anything.

Even though I told him that, he still plans to write to me.

You’re worried about me.

In the end, I couldn’t sway Chris’s stubbornness as he held my hand and said those words before leaving.

Although he wouldn’t write anything that could cause a problem, I thought to myself that I’d likely have to burn the letter as soon as I received it.

The thought made me feel a little regretful. Marie whispered beside me, “It would be nice if His Grace returned before sending any letters.”

“Yes, I hope his work concludes safely, and that he comes back soon,” I replied as I stepped out of the room assigned to me in the villa.

The lobby was already bustling with young nobles, chatting amongst themselves.

Helena doesn’t seem to be here.

At that moment, someone approached me. I recognized her face immediately.

She was the young lady who had tried to speak with me during the hunting festival but was interrupted by Aria.

“Hello, Lady Mindia.”

“Hello, Lady Raisha of House Marit,” I replied.

She was a young lady who had recently debuted in society.

Raisha Marit.

The Marit barony owned several newspapers. While they had little to no land, their income from the newspaper business made them significant players.

Considering the scale of their publications, even though their family itself wasn’t particularly powerful, they weren’t a household to be treated lightly.

I looked into Raisha’s eyes, filled with curiosity and sharpness.

I couldn’t tell whether she held goodwill or malice toward me.

“Have your injuries from the hunting festival healed well?”

“Yes, I’m walking comfortably now.”

“I heard His Grace the Grand Duke took great care of you…”

Ah, so this is what she’s curious about.

I recalled the rumors Chris had mentioned.

The rumor that I was visiting the Grand Duke’s estate every night hadn’t seemed relevant since Chris left the capital.

When I only smiled without giving a response, Raisha touched her lips awkwardly, as if realizing her question had overstepped.

“My apologies. I must have come off as fishing for a story.”

“Well, perhaps a little.”

“It wouldn’t be a lie to say I had some interest in you, Lady Mindia,” she admitted, stepping back slightly, almost unconsciously.

It was likely a defensive gesture, prepared for me to lash out or behave petulantly, as the rumors about me suggested.

Deliberately keeping my tone calm, I replied, “I do seem to be someone the newspapers are interested in.”

“…”

“I wouldn’t assume you have any ill intentions. It’s only natural to be curious.”

Raisha’s eyes widened at my response.

“You are… quite different from what I expected.”

Raisha smiled awkwardly again, perhaps recalling how her family’s papers often described me as a troublesome menace. Her ears turned slightly red.

“This is a bit embarrassing. I should be better at questioning others.”

“You have potential, Lady Raisha. You’re simply lacking experience,” I said sincerely.

In the later parts of the story, the Marit family played a crucial role when the Duke’s household was falsely accused of treason.

Their newspapers had published articles supporting Aria, garnering public sympathy for the Duke’s family.

And Raisha was likely the one who provided the information for those articles.

At the time, the details about Aria’s situation weren’t something regular journalists could have known.

The specifics in those articles suggested the source was someone within the nobility who frequented the imperial palace and high society.

Raisha’s approach toward me confirmed my suspicion. And remembering how Marit’s newspaper had recently covered my supposed scandal with the Grand Duke made the conclusion even more apparent.

Raisha looked slightly startled by my words.

“My potential?”

“The potential to write excellent articles, of course.”

I smiled deliberately at Raisha. It wouldn’t do any good to show hostility toward someone who might one day deliver a scoop about me.

“While people often criticize newspapers for focusing on gossip, one of their purposes is to reveal truth and uphold justice.”

“…”

“I believe you’re well-suited for that, Lady Raisha.”

After all, how well must she have written to sway public opinion across the empire in Aria’s favor?

I spoke in a tone of genuine admiration, and Raisha flinched slightly before leaning in to whisper, looking a bit uneasy.

“…How did you know I’ve been anonymously contributing to the imperial gazette?”