Episode 44. Tea Party (2)
‘Well, with rumors like that, I couldn’t help but hear.’
Even so, she wanted to meet and talk to me. Perhaps she wanted to see me after hearing that I was going to marry Percy.
‘She doesn’t seem like a bad person.’
I softened my rigid guard stance a bit. With arms crossed, I replied confidently.
“Humph, am I a villain? I’m a very scary person.”
“Your Highness.”
Not only Lady Grania but also the maids looked at me strangely, as if finding me cute.
‘Don’t look at me like I’m cute!’
It’s really embarrassing.
As I fanned my face with a handkerchief, Lady Grania, who had stopped crying and now had a much more relaxed smile than before, handed me a small envelope.
“Would you accept this?”
It was a deep red envelope containing a card. When I tilted my head in curiosity, Lady Grania shyly explained the contents of the card.
“We’re having a tea party at our mansion the day after tomorrow. I’d like to invite Your Highness.”
“Why me?”
I asked sincerely. Since I was known as a villain, my presence at the tea party would only freeze the atmosphere.
But the answer to that question was incredibly light. Lady Grania chuckled and replied.
“We’re going to be family.”
“Family…”
It felt both familiar and strange. At least since entering this game and becoming Siena, there hadn’t been anyone who felt as distant as family.
As I fell silent for a moment, Lady Grania became extremely flustered and reached out her hand. She seemed to think I was upset.
“O-of course! I’m not part of the Stewart family, so I don’t expect to be considered Your Highness’s family! Just, just…”
“It’s okay.”
“?!”
I shrugged. Honestly, it didn’t matter if she considered me family or not. It might even be a disadvantage to feel distant because of Siena Riata’s notoriety.
“I told you. I’m really a bad villain. You should be prepared for that.”
“Your Highness.”
Lady Grania blushed with a touched expression. Then, wiping her reddened eyelids, she said.
“You’re really someone who can’t speak honestly.”
“…Leave me alone.”
Was she sincere this time?!
* * *
After Lady Grania handed me the invitation, she quickly left. Even though we didn’t talk for long, I felt tired just from meeting people.
“I want to rest.”
As I said that and slowly got up from my seat, the maid stuck to my side and started nagging.
“You’ve barely been up for an hour.”
“If you keep lounging around, you’ll gain weight around your lower abdomen and thighs.”
“You had two pieces of strawberry parfait. How about going for a walk?”
All these nagging remarks were really getting on my nerves. I looked at the maid and retorted.
“Do you dare to contradict me?”
In the palace, everyone would have backed off, saying, “I’ve committed a grave offense,” when I spoke like this. The Stewart family maids, who were already so familiar to me, clapped their hands and pushed me without hesitation.
“How about soaking up the sun on the terrace on the first floor?”
“Cats naturally love basking in the sun.”
“What? Cats?”
I doubted my ears. But before I could inquire further, in the blink of an eye, I was pushed by them and found myself sitting on the rocking chair on the first-floor terrace, without the cozy blanket.
‘A cat? Are they insulting me right now?’
Did they think I would stay quiet after hearing such insulting remarks?!
“Oh well, but let’s not split hairs for an hour, no, two hours…”
Under the warm sun, sleep poured over me involuntarily. As I basked in the sun like a real cat, the now familiar heavy voice echoed above me.
“I heard Lady Grania came and went.”
When I squinted my eyes due to the bright sun, I saw shining golden hair like the sun itself. It was Percy.
As I stared at him in silence for a moment, Percy tilted his head.
“Why the face?”
“…I was just thinking that ‘Lady Grania’ sounds surprisingly natural coming from your mouth.”
“Is that so?”
Percy’s face remained expressionless as he replied calmly. At times like these, he seemed more like a painting than a person.
‘This man must have had a childhood too. It’s obvious, but still.’
The term “Lady” probably felt distant because I couldn’t imagine Percy from that time. He must have had his mischievous and playful moments like anyone else.
Percy sat beside me. I reluctantly lifted my back from the chair, which seemed to stick to me like tape, and turned to look at him.
“Did you invite Lady Grania?”
The answer to this question was unexpectedly ordinary.
“I want to introduce my family to others before the wedding. Of course, it’s a bit selfish.”
It was such a mundane response, and strangely, it didn’t quite match Percy’s image. I mused to myself, fingering my hair.
‘Maybe they weren’t on bad terms.’
The spiderweb-like scars came to mind—narrow, sharp wounds that seemed to have been inflicted with precision.
‘Thank goodness.’
Breathing a sigh of relief, I leaned back into the chair. Muttering like I was talking in my sleep, I said, “You also had a family. Somehow, you seemed like you fell from the sky alone.”
“It would have been more comfortable if I fell from the sky.”
His large hand swept across my forehead. I opened my eyes and looked at him again. The red irises stared at me, filled with a mix of bitterness, a hint of joy, and ripples like waves on a lake.
“In reality, you probably feel the same way, Sienna.”
This was a glimpse into why he reached out to me among countless others. Perhaps, like Sienna, he had a family that was no less wicked.
After brushing my hair like he was tending to a cat, I tilted my head to avoid his touch.
“There’s nothing useless about family. Inferior quality, perhaps, but not useless.”
For Sienna, family was a presence better off absent. Not only were they neglected, but she occasionally tormented them as well.
“…I was a bit happy talking to Julius.”
Not everyone was bad. Sienna didn’t know that fact, which was quite lamentable.
‘If we had talked a bit more, we might have opened up to each other.’
At least, during that time, Julius treated me sincerely like a younger sibling, whether he was mocking me with ribbons or rags.
“Is Julius okay now? He said he would write a letter, but I haven’t received one yet.”
I shouldn’t forget to send one when I return to the room this time. With such thoughts in mind, Percy cupped my cheeks with both hands.
“He only wants to use you, nothing more.”
“I know that too.”
Am I a child? I pouted my lips and shook my head. Percy’s eyes softened as he looked at me.
“Another lie.”
At his decisive words, I shrugged my shoulders. Percy looked at me earnestly and spoke.
“Don’t give your heart away. You’ll only get hurt.”
I lost my words for a moment at his remark, only pursing my lips.
How long had I been locking eyes with him? Choices floated above my head.
▶ You have a sister too. Don’t meddle with me.
▶ Have you prepared yourself to get hurt too?
‘Huh? What’s this?’
Usually, the choices given in games serve to diverge the story onto specific routes. Depending on the choice, one could end up becoming lovers with the person or be completely excluded.
‘But what do these choices even mean?’
Does pointing out Lady Grania lead to a special scenario? Or are these choices merely meant to completely sever Percy’s and my relationship?
‘That won’t work!’
I chose the latter.
“Have you prepared yourself to get hurt too?”
At my unexpectedly cheeky response, Percy’s lips curled up slightly.
“What do you mean?”
Hmm.
Even when asked, I didn’t know. It wasn’t a thought that came from me.
‘Why did you come up with such a thing, system? Since you spat it out, you deal with it.’
I glanced at the empty space sneakily. It’s only natural. The system didn’t show any choices at times like this.
‘Just like that. You’re not even going to answer.’
‘Then just let me do as I please!’
As I silently complained to the system, Percy’s face came close to mine. His slightly lowered voice sent shivers down my spine for no reason.
“Does that mean I’ve already given you my heart?”
This guy, starting again. Instead, I provocatively retorted while pulling his neck closer.
“Weren’t you? You’ve already fallen for me.”
“Well…”
Percy twisted his lips.
“It’s quite amusing to look at you… but if you’re asking if that’s love…”
What’s with that? Seriously. I stared at Percy with a frozen gaze.
‘Disqualified as a male lead.’
I seemed to understand why this man couldn’t become a capture character in “Victorian Love.” After all, if you’re the male lead in a women’s game, there shouldn’t be any disagreement with saying you love someone, no matter the situation.
I released his hand from my embrace and turned my head away abruptly. Then, I replied coldly.
“Do as you please. I don’t particularly like you anyway.”
But once I pushed him away like that, Percy grabbed my wrist this time and asked seriously.
“Do you cuddle and kiss a guy you don’t have a heart for?”
“…?”
Now, that’s a question I’d like to return as is.
