I turned around briskly after seeing off the Grand Duke.
“Tua. (Tula.)”
Tula, who had been standing two steps behind me, bowed her head gracefully.
“Yes, Princess.”
“Less hold a tee paty. (Let’s hold a tea party.)”
All of a sudden, a tea party. She couldn’t understand what she meant at all, but instead of asking what she meant, Tula simply bowed her knee lightly.
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
It was an attitude that deserved a passing grade.
Confirming that Tula was following her etiquette lessons well, I recalled information about the banquets I had hosted in my previous life with a sense of satisfaction.
So, how should I make this party? Should I do what I do best? Or should I focus on the satisfaction of the participants?
The answer was simple. Of course, I should do what I do best.
* * *
However, moving in took precedence over preparing for the tea party. The tea party was to be held at Jasper Palace, after all.
“Oh my. Princess, look here! The pond is so beautiful!”
Tula, who had been diligently cleaning and organizing everything, was excited, but I didn’t scold the child. It was indeed that beautiful.
“Dhe Gwand Duke indeed has weason to be pwaud. (The Grand Duke indeed has reason to be proud.)”
Jasper Palace was truly beautiful. Every pillar was carved with reliefs, frescoes painted on the ceilings, and the floors were laid with colorful tiles, all crafted from wood instead of stone for this purpose.
Overall, it felt more like a dollhouse than a place meant for people to live, but beauty is beauty.
I could imagine how enchanting it would be to sit on the all-natural grass that five gardeners had meticulously laid down and gaze at the palace. This time, the goal of the tea party was to amaze the children, so I had to make it happen, maybe I could try it another time.
While Tula explored the garden, I headed ahead to my bedroom. I was able to do this because the bedroom was on the first floor. I don’t know who chose my bedroom, but maybe they considered the length of this body’s legs?
“Oh…….”
Fortunately, the room was ordinary. No, I don’t mean the furniture was ordinary, but the layout of the room was ordinary. At least, it wasn’t like there was a chandelier or anything like that hanging in the room.
However, the furniture was luxurious enough to suit a grand duke’s playmate, making it seem a bit too grand for a three-year-old.
A bed made of oak was one thing, but did a toddler really need an end table?
Of course, since I couldn’t dress myself, Tula would actually be using the dressing room, but it was still “my” dressing room. The dressing room, without handles at my height, and the full-length mirror was too large.
Whoever decorated the palace clearly hadn’t considered the actual user.
But aside from that, yes, the palace was astonishingly splendid. Even someone like me, who had experienced all sorts of luxury in my previous life, was impressed.
“Ah, here you are, Your Highness.”
Tula entered the bedroom, her cheeks flushed from exploring the garden. Her tone was much calmer. I reached out to her with both hands. We needed to take a tour of the palace.
“Less look aound dhe second floo. (Let’s look around the second floor.)”
“Yes.”
Since she was accustomed to helping me get on chairs and navigate stairs, Tula easily understood my intent and gently lifted me.
“Awent I heavy? (Aren’t I heavy?)”
I asked, suddenly noticing how slender Tula’s arms were. Though I couldn’t climb onto a chair by myself yet, Tula wasn’t very large or muscular.
As a warrior in my previous life, I didn’t know the average strength of a regular person, but I didn’t think I should be this easy to carry.
“Oh, were you worried about that? It’s fine, you’re as light as a feather.”
Her kind words didn’t answer my real concern, but I let it pass.
“But, it’s true… I won’t be able to carry you like this for much longer. You’ll grow up quickly.”
She had a point.
I still didn’t understand how she could carry me so effortlessly, but it wouldn’t last forever. For now, it was just easier to be carried because moving on my own was difficult. Once I grew a bit taller, I wouldn’t need to be carried.
“Dats two. (That’s true.)”
Even though it was just a matter of necessity, thinking about it made me feel somewhat wistful. Looking back, I never had the chance to be carried around like this in my previous life.
With that thought, I hugged Tula’s neck tightly for no particular reason. Whether she understood my complicated feelings or not, Tula chuckled softly and patted my back.
After touring the palace while being carried by Tula, I realized that although this place might not be suitable for a real child, it was the perfect place for me to live.
The main reason was that it was a space solely for me.
“The palace is really pretty and cozy.”
As Tula said, Jasper Palace was smaller than Emerald Palace. However, since Emerald Palace was shared by four people and this one was for me alone, the actual usable space here was probably similar to what I had in Emerald Palace.
Moreover, considering that a palace is originally meant for a single person, the utility here was better.
“Did you see the ceiling paintings? The reliefs on the pillars and the embroidery on the curtains are all so delicate and magnificent.”
I preferred a simple and dignified style, but it was still better to have something pleasing to look at rather than something plain.
Additionally, the actual living spaces like the bedroom and study were simple, so I wouldn’t be mentally overwhelmed daily.
“The furniture is all large and impressive.”
This, too, would have been inconvenient if I were a real child, but mentally, I was an adult. If the place had been decorated for a child, it would have felt too childish and uncomfortable to look at.
Luckily, I had Tula to take care of me all day, so it was better to endure some physical discomfort for visual comfort.
“Yes, dis is kood. (Yes, this is good.)”
The size wasn’t too small or too large, the atmosphere was mature enough to satisfy me, and the interior was something I wouldn’t be embarrassed to show others.
As the Grand Duke’s playmate, I might host parties in the palace in the future, and these conditions were perfect for that.
“Well then, let’s meet the new staff.”
Just as the grand duke said, everything was well-prepared. The personnel replenished while moving into the palace were also sufficient.
Now, all that was left was for me to demonstrate my skills.
* * *
Ella was originally a kitchen maid in the Empress’s palace. However, when the grand duke’s playmate was decided, she was ordered by the higher-ups to move to Jasper Palace.
Even during the move, she didn’t feel particularly tense. Ella, who had been serving the most noble woman in the empire, thought that serving a country bumpkin princess wouldn’t be difficult.
On the contrary, wouldn’t things become a little easier? The number of servants had decreased, and there was no longer a strict head maid.
“Is dis efewyone? (Is this everyone?)”
But the moment she saw Princess Blanche appear in her nanny’s arms, Ella realized she had miscalculated.
In retrospect, although she had served the most noble woman in the empire, Ella never actually met the Empress directly. As such, she just had to do the tasks assigned to her well.
However, seeing the person she served so closely now, Ella instinctively straightened her back. This small princess, barely reaching Ella’s knees when she got down from the nanny’s arms, had a way of commanding presence.
With a cold gaze that belied her 3 years of age, the princess looked over them once and opened her mouth.
“All of you. Be pwepaed to wok had foe a while. (All of you. Be prepared to work hard for a while.)”
For a moment, Ella thought that Blanche was saying she would make them suffer.
* * *
Yi Baek-ryeon was accustomed to hosting banquets. In her youth, she had served as the head of the Yi family, and as an adult, she became the emperor’s most favored minster.
Today, she was hosting a banquet as well. It was a celebration to commemorate her promotion to Grand General.
As with all the banquets she hosted, it was perfect. The fragrance of peach blossom wine was delightful, there was an abundance of exquisite delicacies, and the orchestra’s performance was beautiful.
The lively atmosphere typical of banquets was nowhere to be found, but even that was part of Yi Baek-ryeon’s vision of a perfect banquet.
If the guests got overly excited and a fight broke out, Yi Baek-ryeon would be the one to bear the responsibility.
“Baek-ryeon, come here.”
The emperor, seated at the highest place of honor, called her. Baek-ryeon moved to his side, carrying a wine bottle.
“It is an honor to have you grace us with your presence.”
Ordinarily, the emperor did not attend the banquets of his minsters. But Yi Baek-ryeon’s banquets were an exception. Only the banquets of Yi Baek-ryeon, the second most powerful person in the empire, were attended by the emperor.
This was a testament to the emperor’s favor and made Yi Baek-ryeon’s banquets special.
“Of course, I had to come. It’s rare to see such a solemn banquet.”
The emperor, Jae cheong-ryung, smirked and raised his glass, and Baekryeon poured wine she had brought into it.
“If any generals start performing sword dances at my banquets, I’ll have them thrown into the dungeons. Knowing that, I guess they can’t help but be solemn.”
What Baek-ryeon was referring to was a previous incident at another general’s banquet, where two drunken generals drew their swords and fought.
The general who hosted that banquet was gentle and forgiving, so he warned them privately and publicly covered it up by saying they were merely performing a sword dance.
Baek-ryeon found the excuse absurd but accepted it because the two generals were usually competent. She also asked the emperor to be lenient.
However, if they had caused such a commotion at her place, she would have immediately thrown them into the dungeon and kept them there for three days. Apparently, her intention had been conveyed well, as the two generals were now quietly sipping their drinks.
“Then why hold a banquet at all? Were the banquets I held not sufficient?”
Indeed, the emperor had already held a celebration for Baek-ryeon’s
promotion at the imperial palace.
Baek-ryeon’s new title was Grand General, a position created by merging the titles of Senior General and Supreme General, making her the top military authority.
Given the creation of a new rank, Cheong-ryung had thrown a grand banquet lasting a week to celebrate her promotion and recent victories. So, there was no real need for Baek-ryeon to host another celebration.
It wasn’t even in Baek-ryeon’s nature to enjoy hosting banquets.
“I need to drink up this ocean-like grace before it dries up.”
Baek-ryeon said this while glancing toward the center of the garden, where there was a small lake.
A lake made of wine.
* * * *
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