“Welcome to the Haleson Manor.”
Diane bent slightly to greet Countess Carlton, Daisy, and Hestia with a polite bow.
Diane, wearing a pure white gown and subtle violet jewelry, was so beautiful she looked like a goddess straight out of a painting.
“Thank you for the invitation, Lady Haleson. You look gorgeous.”
“I only look good because the sun is shining brightly. I thank Goddess Lillian for her wonderful blessings.”
She humbly made the sign of the cross, giving credit to Goddess Lillian. She was indeed the perfect bride, with a kind heart and deep faith. If an angel descended, would it look like this? Daisy gazed at her face, mesmerized.
Daisy might have missed the timing if Countess Carlton hadn’t patted her arm affectionately.
“Thank you for the invitation, Lady Haleson.”
“Hestia, welcome!”
Diane ignored Daisy’s greeting and walked up to Hestia as she trailed behind the Carlton’s, grabbing both of her hands.
Her appearance was plain compared to Daisy, who was wearing a pink chiffon dress with a pannier skirt. Wearing a neat green dress, Hestia looked like Daisy’s tutor.
“I’m so glad you accepted the invitation! I was worried you might’ve been offended by my mistake last time.”
Lady Haleson beamed as she personally guided Hestia to the table set up next to the garden’s fountain. The ladies who’d already been seated were surprised when they heard this.
There was no way they didn’t understand, as they were already acclimated to the social world.
It was Lady Haleson who’d been kind enough to apologize for a small mistake and make amends, while Hestia was the one who, for some reason, was holding a grudge. This was the language of the nobility.
And naturally, the curious young ladies wondered what’d happened between them. Cecilia Raymond looked cautiously at Diane and asked.
“Oh my, did something happen?”
“Nothing much, I’d even forgotten about it. You’re apologizing for accidentally stepping on my foot while we were walking along the Peony Path, aren’t you, Diane?”
Hestia answered first before Diane made up another story and started talking nonsense.
Hestia’s unexpected behavior caused the mana around Diane to slightly vibrate. She probably hadn’t expected she’d fight back like this.
She wasn’t about to let Diane get the better of her like she had at the Academy or during their last social outing. She grinned and drove the wedge in deeper.
“Diane is so delicate.”
“…Yes. Glad you don’t mind.”
It may seem like a small mistake, but stepping on someone’s foot while walking is a pretty frivolous thing to do, even for a child.
Especially for a woman of marriageable age. The young ladies lightheartedly thought that there was a human side to Miss Haleson, and tried to make her feel less embarrassed.
“To apologize for such a small thing, you are indeed very kind-hearted.”
“Those are qualities that are essential for the position of Archduchess. I’d expect nothing less from Lady Haleson.”
Hestia smiled casually and took the seat labeled with her name. Diane looked at her and smiled wryly.
But as long as Hestia came, she would win in the end. She leaned forward and offered Countess Carlton a kind suggestion.
“Countess Carlton, I’ve prepared some entertainment for you. I’ll take good care of Miss Carlton, so why don’t you come back later?”
“Oh my, thank you very much.”
Countess Carlton’s face lit up. The Countess, watching the scene, was relieved to see that dozens of maids were by the ladies’ sides.
This wasn’t just a mere tea party, but an opportunity to strengthen the bond between the young ladies. As expected, Lady Haleson had excellent taste.
“Please guide Countess Carlton to the mansion.”
“Yes, miss. Follow me, ma’am.”
By the time Countess Carlton reached the mansion, led by a maid, almost all the invited guests had arrived and taken their seats.
Diane gently tapped the champagne glass with a silver spoon, attracting the attention of the ladies chatting in small groups.
“I would like to thank everyone for attending my little tea party.”
She smiled softly and greeted the guests in a clear voice. Although she was a little nervous with dozens of people were watching her, she began hosting the party with enough skill to rival that of an older, more experienced woman.
All the ladies present were amazed. They’d been told that Mrs. Haleson had left everything, from this tea party to the dinner party, entirely to Lady Haleson.
It was a public announcement to the social circles that the bride-to-be was ready to act as the wife of a family right away.
“As you all know, today is the day my brother, Evan, is hosting his hunting club. We prepared this event with the hope that all the men who participated in the hunt would return safely without any injuries.”
Hestia didn’t really listen to what she was saying. All she wanted to do was quickly escape from this place. There were a lot of Academy alumni here, and that was never a good thing.
They’d turned their backs on Hestia, believing the rumors Diane had spread without even bothering to check the facts. Bullying. It wasn’t physical, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t painful.
Today, like before, they were sitting in circles, staring at her with condescending eyes as she stood next to Daisy in her chaperone dress.
But Hestia held her head high and stood her ground. This was the last time she would ever be in this position, and thinking like that made it bearable.
“And now I would like to introduce you to the lady who helped make this event even brighter, Miss Iris Lopez.”
Iris, who was sitting in the seat closest to Diane, stood up and received a round of applause from the ladies. She greeted everyone happily and introduced herself.
“My name is Iris and I’m from the Lopez family. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to a precious teacup that arrived today via my family’s trade ship. I’m honored that Lord Haleson has graciously accepted my request.”
She hoped to convey just how luxurious the items the Lopez’s family’s trading ships brought in were. As Iris finished speaking, the maids, who’d been preparing the table, quietly approached and set the teacups in front of the young ladies.
“The designs are so beautiful.”
“It’s wonderful!”
Exclamations of admiration erupted among the young ladies. It was a frosted glass cup. The handle was delicately inlaid with gold and had a smooth curve. Iris looked even more confident as she continued.
“The real beauty of this teacup will be revealed in a moment. I’ll leave the brewing of the tea to our host, Lady Haleson.”
Iris quietly stepped aside, and Diane carefully prepared the tea as the hostess of the tea party.
“Today’s tea is White Lily, a favorite of Her Highness the Empress. It has a delicate lily flower aroma and the taste gets sweeter towards the end.”
As expected from the Haleson family, it seemed they only used the highest quality tea leaves. Even though they were seated in an outdoor garden, a luxurious scent instantly filled the air.
“As expected, Lady Haleson has excellent insight.”
“I’m really looking forward to this.”
“You’ll be able to have some fun that’s a bit different from usual at today’s tea party.”
Once the tea had finished brewing, the maids poured some into each of the teacups placed in front of the ladies and served light finger foods.
There were lily-shaped cookies that went well with tea, a piece of bitter dark chocolate topped with gold leaf, clotted cream, and a scone.
“Oh my, everything is so pretty.”
When a young lady complemented the food, Diane spoke humbly.
“I would like to express my gratitude to our pastry chef. I hope everyone enjoys the refreshments.”
The ladies raised their teacups. As Hestia breathed in the soft scent more deeply, she smiled.
Taking a sip, she could taste the light and sweet flavor of the tea. It was smooth on the throat and even the lingering scent after drinking the tea was perfect. The ladies began to enjoy the refreshments, praising Diane’s taste and sense.
Then.
“Oh my!”
A young lady exclaimed, her eyes widened in surprise.
