Chapter 61
Only a week to prepare for the ‘Little Friends Socialisation Tea Party’.
“We need to organize something.”
It was a bit of a tight turnaround by normal standards, but not this time.
Although the tea party was publicly organised by the children, all the preparations were done by the palace.
“The venue for the tea party will be a hall in the Crown Prince’s Palace, and the size and schedule have been chosen by the Imperial Household, and the table arrangements will all be done according to tradition!”
This week’s collection meeting was thus a plenary meeting. Naturally, the leader of the meeting was Pession, the origin and pinnacle of the gathering.
“We’re missing more than I thought.”
There were only about twenty people in attendance.
She had expected that when Mehen asked her to join, but the geniuses from commoner backgrounds and the children who were marginalized because of their relatively humble families had left of their own accord.
‘I suddenly became unwell.’
‘It’s a family matter.’
‘I don’t have anyone to attend.’
They gave various reasons, but everyone knew they were excuses.
‘If I hadn’t come, I would have heard the same thing.’
“I don’t want to be compared to her.”
“Even if the imperial family pays for all the basics, there’s still a lot you have to do on your own.”
The twins, Ciel and Noel, who had now taken the seats on either side of her, chimed in, smiling broadly.
“And then there’s us, right?”
“We’re the crown jewels of the Sperom family, aren’t we?”
“Oh, we’re just too good.”
“It’s difficult.”
She roughly ignored the bullshitting twins.
The meeting was going well.
“We need to finalise the guest list, the format of the invitations, the kind of decorations and flowers to decorate the hall, the kind of tea and desserts to serve, a bit of entertainment, the order of the party, the choice of gifts for the guests and the dress code for the day!”
You’ll also need to discuss whether you’re going to make your own arrangements or unify them.
‘After all, it’s a party…’
The money is flowing.
She can’t even stand still.
How much is all this?
She realized that the money to eat, drink, decorate, and play doesn’t come out of nowhere, and that the people and time to prepare, create, and attend to it are all made with money and power.
“I want it all to be unified.”
Pession’s desire for unity was immediately met with opposition.
“Very well. You have until tomorrow to submit the list of attendees, and the invitations must be handwritten and sent to the imperial palace by the day after tomorrow. I’ll have the imperial seal stamped and sent directly from the Imperial Ministry.”
“Yes-!”
At the sound of the imperial seal, everyone’s faces lit up with recollection.
“As for the music, let’s make it the Imperial Orchestra, and if anyone wants to play separately, let me know in advance so we can arrange a short recital.”
“Good!”
“The imperial kitchen will be responsible for all the basic tea and desserts, but you are welcome to bring your own, and the tea and desserts you bring will be shared equally among all the tables.”
He is the Crown Prince .
For the first time in a very long time, she felt distant from Pession. It was a precious distance.
“I will have the decorations and flowers for the hall where the tea party is to be held coordinated with my table, but you may decorate your own table according to your own taste.”
His hair was lustrous and silvery, his eyes a crimson red brighter than rubies, his lashes long and lush, his forehead flat and his nose sharp. The gods’ handiwork seems to have made it impossible to have a preference.
It’s a beauty she sees every time, and it still makes her admire it.
He’s still so young, but she wonders how much he’ll impress women when he grows up.
“I’ll be bringing gifts for all the guests, so please make sure they’re generous and send them in advance.”
Their eyes met for a moment.
Pession’s eyes, so intent on the meeting, immediately softened.
“!”
Screams erupted from all directions.
She understands. For a moment, she thought her heart dropped.
Pession’s smile deepened as time seemed to stand still.
What is this, a beauty pageant?
“Wow. What is that smile, Your Highness?”
“Wow. Allerilin, look at you, mesmerized.”
“I’m not mesmerized.”
The twins smirked, looking like they’d got the upper hand.
“No, he’s got his eyes all over you.”
“What, did Arellirin have a crush on Your Highness too?”
“Shut up.”
She shrugged it off, feeling as though she’d been caught in the act of revealing her infatuation with Pession’s beauty.
There was a brief interruption, but the meeting resumed peacefully.
“And finally, we’re going to set a dress code, any suggestions?”
The children, mesmerized by Pession’s beauty, slowly came to their senses.
The children who usually came to the collection meeting had different dress codes.
‘Well, it’s a tea party, so we don’t need fancy dresses.’
“Just the usual?”
“That’s too casual.”
“Then why not a fancy evening dress?! I wanted to try it on!”
“It would take forever to get to Gabon and not many people have it.”
“Something modest, something modest.”
Noel and Ciel stood on either side of her, jaws set, smiling as if they didn’t care.
Burdensome bastards.
‘Aaron, where are you!’
She snapped, regretting that she should have defended at least one of the seats with Aaron.
“This is a family gathering, after all, so perhaps some sort of regalia associated with family tradition would be appropriate?”
“Wouldn’t that feel too rigid?”
“What about clothing that lightly represents a clan or personal symbol?”
It was a topic that some found daunting.
“So a wizard’s robe with the crest of his school would be acceptable?”
“Or a robe with the crest of a knightly order?”
“I think we can do both.”
“Then yes!”
And with that, it was decided.
“Is everything decided now?”
After a final check, Pession, still beaming with his bright, radiant smile, announced the end of the meeting.
“Everyone get ready, and I’ll see you at the tea party!”
***
The way back.
For some reason, Pession, who was being held back by his servants, looked at her with eager eyes as if to ask her to wait, but she didn’t because of what had happened earlier.
‘Why am I making a big deal about myself?’
But.
She found it difficult to look Pession in the face.
‘What? What’s wrong with me?’
It was time to stop fretting and make an impression.
“Is Lady Arellin joining the tea party?”
Leslie, who had several friends, pretended to know her.
“I thought you might not be joining because you weren’t feeling well, but you’re brave.”
What does she want to argue about?
Leslie says, flattering her with a flowery smile.
“Well, I’ll look forward to it, and I’ll see you at the tea party.”
“…Yes.”
She watched her disappear into the breeze, trying to figure out why she was feeling so freaked out.
“What is it, Leslie?”
“What did she say?”
Again the twins clung to each other.
“Go away. Huh?”
How long are they going to chase me, these bastards?
“What happened, Arellirin. Why are you being so cold to us? We’re ‘friends’ now!”
“That’s right, Arellirin. We’re ‘friends’ now!”
Oh, she guess she didn’t do the friend thing right.
She sighed, pushing the twins away as they clung to her as friends.
“So why did you come after us?”
The twins exchanged a meaningful glance.
“Let’s prepare for the tea party together!”
“Huh?”
The twins, who had clung to either side of her as soon as she pulled away, grabbed her arm and shook it.
“That’s a lot to prepare by yourself.”
“It’s too boring to prepare by yourself!”
“So come with us.”
“Huh?”
A frantic momentum that wouldn’t let go if she didn’t say yes.
“I don’t want to.”
“Yes? Okay!”
“You’re our friend, I was counting on you, Arellirin!”
And so began something that didn’t reflect 0.001g of her intentions.
***
Where am I, who am I.
“Wow! Look at that, Noel!”
“Waaaah! Look at that, Ciel!”
The twins sprinted down the corridor, golden eyes sparkling.
“Here’s the ‘tearful blue-eyed girl’!”
“Hmph. This is Alberti’s 《Vanishing Mansion》, the highest bidder at the Domel 117 auction!”
What the hell is that.
“Is this heaven?”
“Halbern is… heaven.”
She sighed, running a hand through her greasy hair.
The Lesser Demon of Sperom has descended upon Halbern.
