“Hestia, I really missed you!”
As soon as they were out of sight of the servants, she turned toward Hestia and clasped both her hands in hers, exclaiming.
The ladies were all surprised by the unexpected girlish side of Diane, who always followed the rules, they all thought she was adorable.
Lady Haleson was an angelic person with a beautiful face and lovely demeanor. She was also from a great noble family, the Marquess of Haleson, and would soon become an Archduchess. She had everything and they were all jealous of her.
Violet and the other young ladies looked at Hestia, who seemed to be best friends with Diane, with envy.
“I hear you two are Academy alumni.”
But once it was revealed that Diane’s purpose for attending the tea party was to meet Hestia, it didn’t seem so easy for them to join in, they were Academy classmates for years.
“We had a very close relationship. Right, Hess?”
Hestia barely suppressed her disgust. The social world was akin to walking on thin ice, and she wasn’t crazy enough to jump on a slab of ice that could crack at any moment.
Hestia gave a slight smile and answered casually, but goosebumps appeared all over her gloved hands.
“Well then, how’ve you been?”
Daisy took a step toward Hestia, her heart pounding with excitement. Now should be the moment when she would introduce her to Lady Haleson.
She couldn’t believe such a noble woman welcomed Hestia, who had a gloomy personality, so warmly. Daisy definitely thought she would be a better friend to Lady Haleson. She couldn’t quite hide her smile as she calculated all the things she would gain if she became friends with this angelic Lady.
However, Diane only looked at Hestia, smiled brightly, and turned to look at a gorgeous peony while speaking loudly, as if for everyone present to hear.
“Oh my, how pretty. Doesn’t it remind you of Madam Amelia’s class?”
It was prohibited to disclose anything that happened at the academy. That was a fact that even a three-year-old child knew. However, the reason Diane brought up that story was because she wanted to talk to Hestia alone.
Violet was disappointed, but she made a wise decision. If she took the initiative to draw the others away, she would gain Diane’s favor.
“It seems that Lady Haleson likes the peonies from the Kingdom of Belata. If you follow this road, you will find more colorful peonies.”
“Lady Laurent is very kind. Hestia, wouldn’t you like to take a look together?”
Violet looked back at the others and added sweetly.
“There are roses in the glass greenhouse over there.”
“Oh my, that’s great. I love roses.”
“Me too. The sun was so warm outside.”
“I’m a little thirsty as well.”
They all said they wanted to go to the greenhouse, and Daisy, who was the last one left, looked back and forth between Hestia and Diane, remembering her mother’s advice that when she wasn’t sure what to do, just follow the majority, and quickly answered.
“I, uh, I love roses, too.”
Everyone smiled. Except for one person, Hestia. Violet kindly guided them towards the greenhouse.
“Lady Haleson, Lady Welter. Have a nice conversation. Then shall we go to the glass greenhouse?”
“Have a nice chat.”
“See you later.”
The ladies all said their farewells to Diane and Hestia kindly, then walked towards the glass greenhouse. Daisy also had no choice but to glance at Hestia and follow the other ladies.
Hestia took a deep, calming breath as she watched the ladies walking away. She wasn’t afraid. Neither then nor now. It was all just so annoying.
* * *
“I definitely warned you that I never wanted to see you again. You still have some nerve, don’t you?”
As soon as Diane was far enough out of earshot of the other ladies, she turned to Hestia and spoke sarcastically.
She uttered such words with a face as innocent as an angel. It was hard to believe someone would be able to say something like that with such a kind smile.
“… Why should I follow your orders?”
Hestia retorted with a wry smile, already used to listening to her venomous words, letting them in one ear and out the other.
But Diane only smiled brightly, turning Hestia’s attention back to her with just one sentence.
“It was such a perfect match for you, so why did you have to go and do that?”
“What…?”
“Baron Simon, wasn’t it? Didn’t I tell you, grubs eat pine needles.”
Only then did the source of the garbage that Melda picked up become clear.
“Ha… Did you instigate Baron Simon?”
“I just leaked some information that there was a beggar mage in the middle of nowhere. I wanted him to dispose of something that was quite annoying, but it appears you’ve slithered your way to the capital.”
“You really-”
“So, are you going to leave on your own, or am I going to have to kick you out?”
The reason Diane was able to control and shake her at the Academy was due to her isolation. As a result, Hestia was unable to lead a normal academy life.
But right now, she already had nothing left to lose. Suddenly, a vibration so slight that she could barely feel it, passed through her.
Something was off.
“Since you’re acting so uncharacteristically impatient, is there a reason I shouldn’t be here?”
As she calmed down and thought about it, she realized that there was more than one thing that seemed suspicious. Diane was not a rash person. It had taken her months to isolate Hestia.
So, what could possibly be so urgent that she would come running to the tea party of a baroness, someone she considered beneath her, to find her?
“Because this is no place for you here, that’s all.”
Contrary to what she said, the energy surrounding Diane shook. A sneer formed on Hestia’s lips. Her speculation tilted towards certainty.
Diane was the one who came to threaten Hestia, but the tables had turned. Hestia smiled deeply. She tilted her head to the side, deliberately pretending to be interested.
“What is this? As soon as social season started, all that happened was Kingston asking me to a dance? You can’t be…”
Hestia deliberately took her time by pretending to think deeply. Contrary to Diane’s calm expression, her Mana began to vibrate even more strongly. It was so loud and strong that anyone with magical powers would be able to sense it.
The corner of her mouth twitched as she became even more certain. She had been vaguely aware of this since her days at the academy, but she wasn’t interested so she pretended not to know because it had nothing to do with her.
“Do you still love Adrian Kingston, who is to be your brother-in-law?”
“Shut up, Welter.”
What a strong denial. So, she wasn’t just fond of him. Hestia had only been dangling some bait, but it looks like she’d caught a big fish.
“Oh my god, how damaging that must’ve been to your noble pride.”
Hestia imitated Diane and laughed, covering her lips with her hand.
Diane’s carefully maintained mask slowly began to crack.
“You’re right, my would-be brother-in-law is trying to associate with a lowly bum, I’m just clearing the way.”
“So, did Adrian Kingston ever even give you a second glance?”
“Don’t be so proud just because he asked you to dance once.”
“Well, maybe it wasn’t just one dance?”
As Hestia approached her, Diane took a step back feeling strangely uncomfortable. It was a scene she’d seen many times before.
Her actions coincided with the times she’d threatened Hestia at the Academy. Back then, there was a strict hierarchy, a master and servant relationship. It was the same now, except that at this moment, their positions had been reversed.
“You love him deeply, but you’ve only ever hovered around him, never reaching out to him, because he’s the second son.”
Leonhard Kingston, Adrian’s older brother and the eldest son of the Kingston family, inherited the dukedom. And it was unimaginable that the daughter of the Marquess of Haleson, who ruled the vast eastern territory of the empire, would marry a second son, someone without a title.
If she wasn’t able to have him, it would be a shame to watch someone else take him.
But when Adrian Kingston was commissioned as an officer and sent away, she realized the hard way that she loved him with all her heart and soul, that she could never give him up.
It was the moment when all the puzzle pieces fell into place.
“You must feel reluctant to let someone else have him, especially since he might receive a title soon.”
“A title. Are you insane, daring to bring up the affairs of the imperial family?”
“Oh my, isn’t this only just a rumor that even commoners know about? Isn’t that why you rushed over to see me like this? You’ve lost your composure.”
“Get over your filthy delusions. How dare you insult both the Haleson family and the Kingston family!”
Although she denied it until the end, they were both mages. Hestia simply smiled brightly and extended her hand to Diane’s hair without answering. Beautiful silver hair flowed through Hestia’s fingers.
“You know best why I’m so confident right now, Haleson.”
Diane quickly slapped Hestia’s hand away as if brushing off something dirty, but it was already too late. And Hestia didn’t care about the rude behavior.
Contact was the only way to clearly read someone else’s emotions. If she could confirm this with just one rude action, that was a win.
In the end, Diane’s eyes wavered as she finally realized everything.
The face that used to have an angelic, innocent expression became distorted. However, Hestia was not at all afraid of Diane glaring at her with her venomous eyes. She quietly and firmly warned Diane, who was still speechless.
“You want to shut me up? Just leave me alone.”
“How dare you threaten me?”
Even after her true intentions were revealed, Diane bared her fangs and growled. Hestia hadn’t meant it as a threat, just a warning, but since everything she did now days was seen as a threat, it all appeared that way now.
Hestia sneered briefly and added.
“You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“Your head must be spinning so much that you don’t even know where you are-”
“I’ll be gone in a year’s time, as you wish, so stay out of my way.”
Hestia turned and walked towards the greenhouse. Diane clenched her fists, clearly feeling the dampness of her gloves.
