What she thought was a roofed pavilion turned out to have vines wrapped around a latticework set atop the columns. Thanks to this, the pavilion was pleasantly shaded, with soft sunlight filtering through the leaves and a gentle breeze blowing in.
Maybe I should have something like this at my mansion. She had been considering adding a greenhouse or some other features to the garden.
“Sera.” While she was debating whether to choose a white or blue pavilion, Lunie tapped her foot under the table. “How have you been?” Lunie greeted her with a cheerful smile.
“Have you been well too, Lunie?”
“Hey, I told you just call me Lu.”
“Oh my, since when did you become so close with Countess Vallidus?”
Peonia called out to Seraphie and Lunie, who were chatting quietly, with a teasing tone. Naturally, the other guests’ attention shifted toward the two of them.
“You didn’t know?” Lunie chuckled. “I share an artistic connection with Countess Vallidus.”
“Thanks to Lady Mars, I had the pleasure of forming a meaningful relationship at a fine gallery.”
“Just the two of you, leaving me out?” Peonia grumbled playfully, holding a teacup in a mock jealous tone.
“You three seem…” One of the ladies watching, a noble with beautifully braided brown hair, spoke up, mustering her courage. “To be quite close.”
“It seems that way, doesn’t it?” Lunie chuckled, showing off their friendship.
Seraphie realized just how much consideration Peonia had put into this tea party for her. Her seat was to the immediate right of Peonia’s, the most prestigious position, with Lunie seated next to her. Even the other guests were no ordinary group; they were all children of prominent noble families in the empire. Seraphie was truly touched.
But…
Her eyes landed on a red-haired woman seated across from her.
Of all people, I didn’t expect to see her.
It was none other than Lady Tipeon, who had gleefully gossiped about Seraphie in the boutique. Judging by her invitation from Peonia, she must have come from a more prestigious family than Seraphie had thought. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Lady Tipeon’s pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
“Greetings, Countess,” Lady Tipeon greeted Seraphie as if nothing had happened.
“…Do you know each other?” Lunie asked Seraphie, looking surprised.
“We met at the boutique a while ago,” Seraphie replied honestly. “She seemed very concerned about my forced succession trial. How are your friends doing? Didn’t you gossip about me before? I remember everything.” She said, employing the nobles’ characteristic passive-aggressive tone.
Lunie looked at Seraphie with admiration, and the others couldn’t hide their surprise. Peonia, meanwhile, hid her smirk behind her teacup.
“Have you been well, Countess?” Lady Tipeon, however, remained remarkably composed, as if she had never uttered a single insult. She smiled with an innocent expression, acting as though she was completely blameless.
Ooh. Seraphie was impressed. I thought she’d be swearing the moment she saw me.
In fact, Seraphie remembered the names of those who had gossiped with Lady Tipeon and ensured they couldn’t invest in her business ventures. Orkis had scolded her for mixing personal feelings with business, but when Seraphie mentioned how they had spread rumors about her being in a love triangle with Sir Iris, Orkis took care of it immediately.
Given that the god’s treasures Seraphie had discovered were a once-in-a-century find, nearly every notable noble and merchant in the empire had invested in the mining operation. So, it was bound to be a source of envy.
“Thanks to you,” Seraphie responded but didn’t continue the conversation further. There was no need to ruin Peonia’s tea party or jeopardize future relationships.
In social gatherings like this, proximity to the host reveals the importance and closeness of the guests. Seraphie was seated in an exceptionally close spot, while Lady Tipeon was seated much farther away.
Let’s just watch for now.
At that moment, Peonia raised her teacup. “Everyone, thank you for coming to my tea party,” she said, and everyone followed by lifting their cups.
The socializing had begun.
* * *
“Rara,” Orkis called out to a small white ball of fur that was running around the garden. A long blue leather leash was coiled around its thick wrist.
“Yip!”
The puppy, sniffing the flowerbeds, turned her head.
“Yip! Yip yip!” With excited barks, the little puppy wobbled on her short legs, rushing toward Orkis.
“Such a lively one.” A faint smile appeared on Orkis’s face as he scooped the wriggling puppy into his arms. A blue ribbon was tied around the puppy’s neck.
Rara was one of the puppies born to the hunting dogs kept at the Felicia estate two months ago. Normally, she would have been trained as a hunting dog with her siblings, but on a whim, Orkis had taken the small, white puppy and raised her as a house pet.
“Calling it madness is certainly a creative way to put it.”
“Son, are you having a hard time?”
“Brother, people do strange things when they’re stressed…”
At first, no one understood Orkis’s decision, but now the entire family adored Rara. Even Duke Felicia had taken a particular liking to her, as the tiny dog would bark furiously at anyone who dared to upset him despite her small size.
“She’s smart too.”
Rara even managed to conquer Duke Felicia’s lap.
“But she does resemble someone, though.”
Still, the duke often muttered that whenever he looked at Rara. Every time, Orkis felt a strange sense of embarrassment, even though there was no reason for it.
“…”
He wondered how the tea party was going.
Setting Rara down on the ground, Orkis’s thoughts drifted to someone’s schedule that had been on his mind all morning.
Yip yip! While Orkis was momentarily lost in thought, Rara darted off, eyeing her large, handsome caretaker before speeding across the garden.
“…Ah.” Orkis, staring blankly at her escape, suddenly remembered. The pavilion in the direction Rara had run was where Peonia’s tea party was being held.
* * *
The star of the tea party was Seraphie.
“My mother asked me to send her regards to you, Countess.”
“But how did you find the Land Abandoned by God?”
“Did a god truly show you in a dream?”
“Could you tell us more about that story?”
Seraphie was bombarded with questions and felt a bit dazed. Before arriving, her biggest worry had been whether she could fit in. But instead of trying to fit in, she had become the most famous topic in the empire, and there was no chance of being left out at this tea party. However, the constant flood of questions was a little overwhelming.
“It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but…”
Seraphie answered each question, and every time she did, the ladies responded with bright eyes and enthusiasm. Even Lady Tipeon, though silent, showed discrete interest.
“It’s like a magical story,” remarked the brown-haired lady with the brightest response.
She’s Lady Kastane, right? Seraphie recalled. Her father, Marquis Kastane, was known for his upright character and had the emperor’s trust, giving him great influence among the nobility.
And her name sounds familiar too. She must have been mentioned in the original story, though Seraphie couldn’t quite remember in what context. Still, she seemed like a genuinely kind person, so she must have appeared in a positive event.
“I agree with Lady Kastane,” Peonia chimed in. “Even as a magician, I find your story captivating.”
“If even Lady Felicia says so, Countess, you truly are amazing,” Lunie added, and the others nodded in agreement.
“Did you know, Countess? Lady Felicia is a genius dark magician.”
“Genius is a bit too much,” Peonia spoke modestly. “Most people can do as much as I do.”
Then wouldn’t they all be the next tower master?
Seraphie suppressed a laugh. She had always thought Peonia was a cold and aloof person, but now she found her unexpectedly charming.
Though dark magic sounded ominous, in the empire, it was considered a rare and valuable talent. Magic in this world was divided into six main attributes: fire, water, earth, wind, dark, and light. Dark magic could wield all other attributes except one—light magic.
Light magic was the only magic that could heal life. However, it had no offensive power and didn’t combine well with other types of magic. The only magic that could counter it was dark magic.
Dark magic couldn’t learn light magic, and light magic could suppress dark magic, making them natural opposites, just like in the original story, where Peonia and Lillie were in constant conflict.
That’s a well-thought-out setting.
Seraphie admired the original plot but suddenly found herself thinking about Lillie. When she had first woken up in this world, it was at the beginning of the novel, so Lillie should already be in the capital.
…I’m sure she’s doing fine on her own. Seraphie quickly dismissed her thoughts. She had more urgent problems of her own to deal with. Since she had ended up with the god’s treasures that were originally supposed to belong to Lillie, she thought she might help her if things got difficult later on.
“Speaking of dark magic…” Lady Tipeon, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. “I heard a light magician is staying at the palace.”
Seraphie bit her lip and quickly turned her attention to Lady Tipeon. Not only Seraphie but everyone else in the pavilion turned to look at her.
…Wait a minute. Staying at the palace? Does that mean Lillie has already met the crown prince?
According to the original story, Lillie would start developing feelings for the crown prince while staying at the palace.
It’s already progressed that far…!
Suppressing her anxiety, Seraphie glanced at Peonia.
“…I’m aware of it as well,” Peonia said with a smirk. “I personally verified it.”
Unbelievable. Seraphie almost cursed but bit her lip and pinched her thigh instead. Did the crown prince ask his fiancée to check out his mistress? Is he insane?
People say love is not a crime, but to forget your responsibilities and hurt others with that love is definitely a sin. The crown prince is a man with a fiancée. If he had fallen for someone else, he should have apologized to Peonia and ended things properly. Falling in love with Lillie should have come after that.
Yes, that’s the right way to handle it!
The Crown Prince’s biggest mistake was betraying Peonia, the woman he was engaged to, and causing her pain.
“…”
Seraphie pondered. Haven’t I already changed the original story a lot?
Many things had already deviated from the original plot, and Seraphie planned to change even more to achieve her goals.
Then, wouldn’t it be possible to change it so Peonia dumps the crown prince first?
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Yes. Dump him!
Thanks for the tl! ✨