Chapter 34
“I… I wore this every day when I went out…”
Masha had told her that this was a popular cosmetic in noble society and that it was so in demand that one had to line up early in the morning just to get the latest product.
‘Masha, you fool!’
No wonder she had felt strange stares everywhere she went. At the time, she couldn’t have guessed it was because of her makeup, and she had been wracking her brain trying to figure out the reason…
Rinia, who had been in shock, finally came to her senses when Idel gently grabbed her arm.
“From now on, just avoid doing it. You need to greet the guests now.”
“Oh, right! The guests are here!”
Rinia quickly checked herself in the mirror and then hurried downstairs to the reception room.
As she stood by the door, she took a few deep breaths and asked Idel,
“W-What should I say?”
“First, greet them. Until they introduce themselves, you shouldn’t introduce yourself first. Once you’ve exchanged introductions and taken your seats, I’ll bring in the refreshments. During that time, you can explain why the Count is running late.”
“And after the refreshments are served? What do I do then?”
“The guests will initiate the conversation, so just respond briefly. The important thing is that you don’t need to force the conversation.”
Rinia had long abandoned her plan to discreetly extract answers from Idel.
If she could, Rinia would have much preferred to have Idel take her place.
“Oh, what do I do? I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“Stay calm. Always remember that you outrank the guests. In other words, you should… look down on them.”
That remark gave Rinia a bit of confidence.
‘Right. I’m the Count’s daughter. The Count’s daughter…’
She took a final deep breath and reached for the door to the reception room. However, before her hand touched the door, Idel gently lowered her hand.
Then, Idel took hold of the doorknob and opened the door in front of Rinia.
“Presenting Lady Rinia Crysus.”
As Idel opened the reception room door wide, Rinia felt as if she truly were a noble lady.
For some reason, her back straightened, and her shoulders squared.
Unconsciously, she mimicked Idel’s posture, though she wasn’t aware of it.
With a bright smile, Rinia entered the reception room.
“Have you been waiting long? Thank you for coming.”
The three knights who stood up as she entered were quietly surprised to see Rinia, who, contrary to rumors, looked quite the part of a noble lady.
Of course, they were even more astonished to see Idel Lancaster in person.
“Haha! It was no trouble at all. First, let me introduce myself. I am Terry Bogarden of the Imperial Knights. This is Angelo Valen, and this is Joseph Oz.”
At Terry’s introduction, Angelo and Joseph also bowed their heads.
Seeing their handsome knight uniforms and disciplined posture, Rinia felt a bit of excitement.
“I’m Rinia Crysus. Please, have a seat. The weather has been much milder today.”
As the words flowed naturally from her mouth, Rinia felt she truly was a noble.
The three men continued the conversation with hearty laughter, and the atmosphere was so congenial that her earlier worries seemed trivial.
“My brother had to make a brief visit after being suddenly summoned by His Majesty the Emperor. He should be here soon.”
“Wow, as expected of Sir Crysus. To have a private audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”
“That’s nothing new, Joseph. Sir Crysus is His Majesty’s closest confidant.”
As the knights praised Laszlo, Rinia couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride.
At that moment, the door the servants used opened quietly, and Idel entered, pushing a tray.
Rinia hadn’t even noticed that Idel had left.
“I, I prepared some light tea and refreshments. I hope they are to your liking.”
Rinia was surprised to see that there were only two types of cookies and some chocolate on the plate, but she forced a smile.
However, it didn’t seem like the knights were listening to her.
‘What? Are they… all looking at Idel?’
Idel placed the teacups and dessert plates on the table almost silently, but the knights’ gazes were entirely fixed on her. They even had their mouths slightly open.
Although Idel must have sensed their stares, she showed no change in her expression as she finished her task and quietly withdrew.
The three men exchanged strange looks as they watched her leave, closing the door behind her.
‘What’s with these people? I’m sitting right here, and they’re making me uncomfortable.’
The excitement she had felt earlier was suddenly doused. Rinia cleared her throat with a cool gaze.
“Ahem!”
Only then did the knights awkwardly laugh and turn their attention back to Rinia. Sensing the awkwardness, Terry suddenly asked, looking embarrassed,
“I’m really sorry to ask this with the refreshments right in front of us, but could you tell me where I might wash my hands?”
His request to find the restroom made Rinia even more annoyed, but since it was urgent, she couldn’t exactly refuse.
“J-Just a moment. I’ll call a servant…”
“Is there any need to call someone from far away? Please summon that maid from earlier.”
“What?”
Rinia was taken aback by Terry’s request to call Idel. But Terry looked at her with a face that said he didn’t see what the problem was and stood up.
In that situation, it seemed strange to insist on calling another servant, so Rinia reluctantly called for Idel.
“Did you call for me, my lady?”
“Uh, uh… Please show this gentleman where he can wash his hands.”
“…Understood. This way, please.”
Rinia noticed the brief silence before Idel responded, but she couldn’t ask what it meant in front of the guests.
Suddenly, Angelo jumped up.
“Wait! I’ll go too. Sorry, my lady. I also need to wash my hands for a moment.”
He quickly ran off to follow Terry.
Joseph, who was left alone, had an unmistakable look on his face that clearly said, “I’ve been duped.”
‘What is with these people? Are they mocking me right in front of me?’
Rinia was also irritated, but she couldn’t bring herself to act out as she usually would. Instead, she and Joseph drank tea together in silence.
As soon as they were out of sight, the two men who had followed Idel revealed their true colors.
“Wow, just as the rumors said, you’re truly beautiful, Duchess.”
“I never thought I’d get to see you up close like this.”
The two men, who blocked her path from both front and back while using a tone dripping with mockery, were undoubtedly wearing the insignia of the Imperial Knights.
But their behavior was anything but knightly.
‘No wonder I had a bad feeling about this.’
Idel discreetly sighed.
She had felt uneasy from the moment Rinia called her, but she never imagined something like this would happen inside the Count’s estate.
‘Are they ignorant, or just bold?’
Either way, they were fools.
Idel, hoping they would stop at mere teasing, pointed to the end of the hallway with an expressionless face.
“The men’s restroom is that way. If you’ll excuse me.”
“I’m not quite sure where it is, so why don’t you guide us to the door?”
“A maid wouldn’t dare ignore the orders of knights, would she?”
Their attitude shifted to thinly veiled threats, as if they were offended by Idel’s lack of interest in them. One of them even lightly tapped her cheek with his fingers.
Idel clenched her teeth.
‘According to these men, I’m now just a common maid. But even a common maid doesn’t deserve to be treated like this.’
Moreover, she was a maid of the Crysus Count’s household, and this was the Crysus estate, where these men were effectively Laszlo’s subordinates. This behavior was a blatant act of insubordination and should be punished.
Idel’s expression hardened as she glared at them.
“Are you both members of the Imperial Knights?”
“Of course. As the former Duchess, you should recognize this, right?”
They pointed to the Imperial Knights’ insignia embroidered on their chests, boasting proudly. Did they even realize how vulgar they looked?
“I was under the impression that the Imperial Knights of the Pisfera Empire are the most respected knights, and that every knight knows the code of chivalry.”
“Well, you know it well. Then why don’t you try to impress us? Who knows? Maybe Terry or I could be your saviors, Idel.”
Idel hadn’t expected much, but their shamelessness was beyond belief.
She decided to drop any pretense of politeness.
“Are those who visit their superior’s estate and harass the household maids considered knights who know chivalry? What kind of salvation am I supposed to expect from those who act like ruffians?”
The men’s faces stiffened, but Idel didn’t stop her criticism.
“I didn’t catch your names earlier. May I ask which noble families you belong to? I’d like to know the names of the families who raised such well-educated sons.”
