The next morning, a letter bearing the seal of the Stanley Duchy was delivered to my father. It contained an apology for the incident with the bandits, explaining that it happened because Ares had led me down a secluded mountain path.
My parents graciously accepted this honest and dignified apology, made easier by the fact that I was unharmed.
Soon, we also received a message from the police. As the official had said, Ares’ use of the gun was ruled as self-defense. They had also captured the injured bandit and were now tracking down the rest of the gang.
The news of Ares and me being attacked by bandits quickly spread through the noble society of the capital. I spent the next few days replying to letters from concerned acquaintances, including Metis.
While I was staying at home for a day or two to rest and regain my composure, I came across a less-than-welcome name among the pile of letters.
“…Princess Ariel.”
I read the letter with a feeling of reluctance.
The content was simple. She wanted to invite me to tea to apologize for the previous discourtesy of not sending an invitation to the palace banquet.
I frowned. Was she really reaching out to me with genuine remorse? From what I knew, Princess Ariel was as proud as I was, and it wouldn’t be easy for her to lower herself like this.
I tapped the letter against my desk as I deliberated. Should I accept the invitation or decline it?
Honestly, if I followed my instincts, I wouldn’t even want to speak to Princess Ariel. I decided to think of a suitable excuse to refuse the invitation. It wouldn’t be hard. I could simply say that I was too shaken by the recent bandit attack and needed to stay home to recuperate.
I wrote a polite reply to Princess Ariel, explaining that I needed to rest at home for a while to recover mentally from the shock of the attack, and thus, regrettably, could not go out.
The princess replied to my polite refusal with equally gracious wishes for my recovery. Yet, she did not forget to extend another invitation.
This is quite troublesome. Why is the princess so eager to see me? It feels like another kind of power play.
Nevertheless, I responded that I would accept her invitation once I felt better.
The problem came next.
Not long after I sent that reply to the princess, I received an invitation to dinner from the Duchess of Stanlley!
Ares had mentioned that they would invite me to their estate soon, but the timing couldn’t be worse! I had just declined Princess Ariel’s invitation due to my “illness,” so I couldn’t possibly accept the Duchess’ invitation right away.
Thus, if I wanted to have dinner with Ares’ parents, I had no choice but to first accept Princess Ariel’s invitation for tea. Whether I liked it or not.
I wrote a reply to the Duchess of Stanley, informing her that I was well enough to go out and would visit soon, and reluctantly sent a letter to Princess Ariel accepting her invitation for tea.
When Metis heard that I had agreed to have tea with Princess Ariel, she kindly came to visit me at the estate.
“Bianca! I heard you’re heading into enemy territory alone, so I had to come support you.”
“Heh… It’s not like I’m going to some grand battle, but thanks.”
Metis smiled and asked, “So, what do you plan to say when you meet her?”
I sipped my tea calmly and answered nonchalantly, “What else can I say? I’ll graciously forgive her.”
“Hmm…”
“The silver lining is that she won’t be involved in the upcoming hunting competition.”
Metis snickered and shook her head. “That’s not true.”
“What do you mean?”
She swirled her teacup absentmindedly and said, “She’s planning to participate in the competition herself.”
I was speechless and stared at her in disbelief. Metis glanced at my face and chuckled.
“Isn’t it just like the impulsive princess? Her guards must be having a hard time…”
I was genuinely annoyed. Not only would the guards have a tough time, but other noble participants would be distracted from enjoying the event.
It seems she has learned well from her best friend, Lea, how to be a nuisance. Tsk tsk.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next day, I dressed as splendidly as possible and headed to the palace. Although it wasn’t as grand as the previous royal banquet, it was enough to catch people’s attention as I passed by.
At the very least, the princess should constantly be reminded of whom she’s dealing with. Hmph.
I walked gracefully and elegantly through the palace halls, my footsteps so light that they made no sound. The maid leading the way occasionally turned to check, seemingly startled by my silent steps.
“Lady Uranos, this way, please.”
I was guided to the rear garden of the princess’s residence. The gentle early summer weather made it a perfect day for an outdoor tea time.
Princess Ariel awaited me, dressed in a lively and vibrant dress.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
“Welcome, Lady Uranos.”
Her eyes and demeanor exuded confidence. Even though she was a year younger than me, she was still royalty. Despite ostensibly arranging this tea party to apologize to me, she showed no sign of humility.
I couldn’t let my irritation show. Smiling brightly, I responded to her hospitality(?).
“It’s an honor to have tea in such a splendid garden, Your Highness.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less when inviting the renowned Lady Uranos, famous for her aesthetic sense.”
There was no need to be humble here. I replied with a voice full of pride.
“Indeed, such a magnificent place must be one of the finest gardens in this palace. I am truly impressed.”
The princess’s smile faltered slightly. Heh.
After taking our seats, the palace maid brewed and served tea to both Princess Ariel and me. I took a sip and gracefully complimented the maid’s skill.
“Indeed, it’s fitting to serve Your Highness. The tea is excellent.”
“I’m glad it pleases you, Lady Uranos.”
With the formal pleasantries out of the way, it was time to get to the heart of the matter.
As expected, Princess Ariel adjusted her posture and began to speak.
“I invited you here to apologize for the serious breach of etiquette I committed against your family last time. Although my mother has already met with the Countess, I wanted to personally address it with you.”
I lowered my eyes slightly. After a brief pause, the princess continued.
“…I was very immature back then. I should not have made our personal issues into a matter that affected our families so greatly.”
Hmm. So she intends to apologize only for not sending the invitation, while ignoring the root cause of the issue.
I looked her in the eye and asked.
“In that case, do you still believe that I should have been more lenient towards Lady Saturnos?”
When I approached the topic directly, Princess Ariel stopped beating around the bush.
“To be honest, yes. I still believe that you should have been more forgiving towards Lea.”
“May I ask why you hold that belief?”
My tone wasn’t sharp. I spoke calmly, as if I genuinely wanted to understand her reasoning, keeping my emotions in check.
Princess Ariel sighed deeply before answering.
“Not all noble ladies can be as perfect in etiquette as you, Lady Uranos. Especially since your standards are exceptionally high compared to others. I think it’s unfair to impose those standards on Lea, who is from a rural estate. Above all, she was your friend, wasn’t she?”
I did not back down and responded.
“I don’t think I imposed unreasonable etiquette on Lady Saturnos. Besides, she’s been in the capital for several months now.”
After a brief pause, I firmly declared,
“Moreover, Her Majesty the Empress specifically instructed me to oversee the ladies’ etiquette. I’m merely following those orders.”
Princess Ariel nodded, acknowledging my words.
“That makes sense. Given what the Empress said at the ball, I understand your position. I just wanted to share my perspective.”
“Yes, I understand Your Highness’s viewpoint.”
In life, there are always people who will never be on your side, and Princess Ariel had just joined that group for me. I tried to calm my racing heart and changed the subject.
“I heard a rumor that Your Highness decided to participate in the upcoming hunting competition.”
At my words, Princess Ariel’s expression brightened immediately.
“Ah, you’ve heard already? Well, Lady Uranos, you certainly are quick to catch the latest news.”
Unlike the princess, I kept a somewhat stern expression as I asked,
“Do you really have to participate?”
“…You’re just like everyone else.”
Her expression turned cold in an instant, and she responded in a disgruntled tone.
“Why does everyone think that women should just sit around and gossip while fluttering their fans during the hunting competition? I can handle a hunting rifle! My riding skills aren’t bad either! There’s no rule that says only men can enjoy hunting!”
Of course, there was merit to what the princess was saying. I agreed with her to some extent.
However, my concern was not for the reasons she thought.
“I am not saying this because you are a woman, Your Highness. My concern is that the presence of so many knights attending to you could disrupt the enjoyment of the hunting competition for others.”
“Then there’s no need to worry about that. I’ll make sure only the minimum number of people are involved so as not to disrupt the event.”
“Wouldn’t that compromise Your Highness’s safety?”
“Everyone’s being overly cautious… Who would dare harm me at a hunting event organized by the royal family? The events have always been safe, and this time will be no different. So please, set aside your needless concerns, Lady Uranos.”
Hearing Princess Ariel’s response, I had an intuition.
Something significant is bound to happen at this hunting event!
This world is a novel’s world. It’s a place where dramatic events like sudden attacks by bandits can occur even when it’s just Ares and me alone.
And now, we are at a point where the novel is progressing. With Ares, Leia, Princess Ariel, and even the villainous supporting character—me—all gathered in one place, the ‘pillar’ of the story will inevitably make an appearance at this hunting event, in a very dramatic way!
Moreover, Princess Ariel is stubbornly insisting on keeping her security detail to a minimum. The worst-case scenario that comes to mind is Princess Ariel being attacked.
I reflexively wanted to insist that she increase her guard detail, but then I paused.
…The ‘pillar’ of the story will appear no matter what. No matter how much we try, there’s no stopping it.
There’s no guarantee that Princess Ariel’s attack is the ‘pillar,’ but if it is, then even doubling her guards wouldn’t prevent it from happening.
I closed my lips, which I had opened to speak.
