Anais pressed her forehead, groaning in frustration. The butler, who had returned without her noticing, quietly placed cookies and black tea on one corner of her desk. Anais thanked him and bit into a vanilla cookie with a crisp snap.
The information she had wasn’t nearly enough.
The fact that most of her knowledge was limited to domestic matters was also a problem. She hadn’t had a proper chance to observe Roxanne de Bastien, who had recently returned from studying abroad. Even though they had been invited to the same social parties, she’d never had the opportunity to speak with her.
And what about Max? He was hardly ever seen in society, so the information about him was mostly based on rumors.
“Understanding those two properly should be my first priority.”
With that conclusion, a clever idea suddenly came to Anais.
“Butler.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“How much cash do we have available right now? I’m thinking of hosting a tea party at the salon.”
“A tea… party, my lady?”
Anais nodded. By inviting nobles to a tea party, she could gather information naturally through conversation.
She could learn what Roxanne liked, what she disliked, and even aspects of her personality. If she could build a rapport with her, that would be even better.
“No, my lady.”
Just as Anais was pleased with her plan, the butler thwarted her.
She looked at him in confusion.
‘But we’re out of debt now, so why…?’
Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, the butler spoke.
“My lady, you don’t have any friends.”
“…”
“It seems you’re mistaken. The noble ladies are fond of ‘Lady Amour,’ not Miss Anais.”
“…”
“Who would attend a tea party hosted by a lady from an unheard-of provincial society? Especially during this golden age, there’s no reason for them to come here.”
Anais smiled faintly.
‘Butler… Go easy on me!’
Each of the butler’s precise words struck a nerve, so Anais sipped her tea to calm herself. Sadly, everything he said was true. There were a few ladies she had socialized with when she was younger.
But as the fortunes of the Brienne Countship began to decline, she had no time to maintain friendships. Maintaining relationships requires interest, and as that interest faded, so did those friendships, leaving them as nothing more than faded memories of her childhood.
‘Besides, there’s no guarantee that Lady Bastien, who isn’t even acquainted with me, would attend.’
Even if Anais hosted the most luxurious tea party, the chances were slim that Roxanne, who received endless invitations to the finest parties every day, would accept an invitation from someone she didn’t know. And in any case, Anais didn’t have the money to host a “luxurious” tea party.
“I’m not sure why you suddenly want to host a tea party, but why not start by accepting invitations yourself?”
Anais’s eyes lit up at his suggestion.
‘Yes, the butler is right. I was too ambitious from the start. It’s time for me to actively engage in society as Anais, not as Amour!’
Anais asked with determination.
“Where are the invitations addressed to me?”
“There are none.”
“None?”
“None.”
“Did I miss the dates on some of them?”
“No. There simply aren’t any.”
“…Then why did you tell me to respond to invitations?”
“Well, because you’ll be receiving them soon, I suppose…?”
Um… right. Time to adjust the plan.
****
“You’re asking me to get you invitations?”
The Dowager Queen raised an eyebrow as she spoke. Anais, sitting in front of her, nodded awkwardly.
“I need to observe Prince Max directly. Only then can I think about my next steps.”
The plan was to accurately assess Max’s behavior and, at the same time, make an impression on the noblewomen. But there was a problem…
“Surely, Miss Anais, you haven’t been invited anywhere?”
“…”
“The social season has already begun.”
“…”
“While it’s true that people might avoid inviting Max because he causes a stir, what’s your excuse?”
“Well, I’ve been busy managing the countship…”
When Anais started explaining that, due to the rumors about the Brienne Countship’s struggles, it had become difficult to receive even a simple tea party invitation in the past year, her embarrassment deepened, and her face turned red.
It was inevitable that her presence in society would fade as she became less visible.
Although she was the owner of a salon, she focused on its operation and household affairs rather than actively engaging with guests. Her work as Amour kept her busy, and she wasn’t in a financial position to spend lavishly on her appearance for every event.
Because of these reasons, the invitations she used to receive, even if only as a formality, had eventually stopped coming.
The only things that filled the Brienne Countship’s mailbox now were bills and regular publications.
“For someone who’s supposed to be the real identity behind the famous Lady Amour, isn’t this a bit… underwhelming?”
Thinking about how dozens of invitations poured into the salon for the mysterious Lady Amour, it was clear that Anais’s real identity was rather unimpressive by comparison.
The Dowager Queen let out a sigh and gestured for Paramah to bring something. Paramah handed over a black envelope.
Anais’s eyes widened.
‘Th-that’s…!’
The Dowager Queen handed the envelope to Anais. It was a leather envelope embossed with an elegant pattern.
Anais recognized it immediately.
‘The Armand Tea Party.’
Her hand trembled slightly as she gently caressed the leather envelope. She hadn’t expected this—this was one of the most famous tea parties in society!
‘I should have known from the way she casually handed over 4,000 pounds!’
Anais’s heart swelled at the Dowager Queen’s grand generosity.
It was worth putting my pride aside and asking for help. A little embarrassment is nothing! The Dowager Queen is the best!
“Keep me informed of all your plans and progress, just as you did today. And one more thing.”
“…?”
The head maid, Paramah, unfurled a scroll on the table.
“A contract?”
“If you’re going to stay close to Max, you’ll need a legitimate reason. From today, you’re employed by the royal family.”
“Employed? In what capacity…?”
“As my aide. Barbara’s position happens to be vacant, so it’s perfect. With the title of my aide, it’ll be easier for you to move around. Even Max won’t be able to treat you poorly if you’re under my employment.”
“But won’t it raise suspicion if the daughter of a struggling countship suddenly becomes the Dowager Queen’s aide?”
“We’ll come up with a plausible excuse. I’ll just say that I recognized your talents as the head of a salon that significantly contributes to the fields of academia and the arts.”
As expected, the Dowager Queen is sharp and decisive. Anais praised the Dowager Queen in her mind as she signed the scroll.
“Your task is simple. Do your best to keep that boy from causing trouble. And… marriage.”
Uh… I’m not sure if I can stop him from doing that… Anais grumbled inwardly, though it was unclear if the Dowager Queen noticed.
The Dowager Queen sighed deeply.
“Now that Lady Sandrine knows I sent the uninvited Max, she probably won’t want to meet with me anytime soon.”
Anais had already thrown her lot in with the Dowager Queen. Preventing Max’s image from worsening any further was crucial for both of them.
Anais nodded resolutely.
